Airfix 1:72 Avro Vulcan B.2, 101 Squadron, RAF Waddington, c.1973.

[dr_gn]

All, this is my completed Airfix Vulcan, and self-designed/printed Blue Steel maintenance trolley.

 

It's a model I won as part of the 2021 SMW Airfix Trophy. It has to be said, it's not without its issues. Part way into the build, I decided to add some detail to the bomb-bay, since there's effectively none in the base kit, and the real thing is incredibly complex. Then I couldn't not do the same with the wheel wells, crew access hatch, bomb-aimers position etc., etc. Some details are accurate, some "cartoon scale", some nothing more that added 'complexity' to give the impression that something's there. It's - retrospectively - based on a photo provided by a fellow BM'r of this aircraft in it's post "Blue Steel" configuration c.1973. I'm sure there are inaccuracies in terms of bomb-bay fit out, but as with the rest of the model "it is what it is"; there's a fair bit of modeller's licence here. When I started the model, the Eduard etch set wasn't available, and with hindsight I should have waited for it - it would have added something to the end result, but...

 

Very happy, grateful, (not to mention surprised) to win a medal at SMW last week, and the David Hannant Memorial Prize (which I've already spent at Hannants on more photo-etch sets for future models).

 

Partial build thread here:

Thanks for looking folks!

 

Airfix 1:72 Avro Vulcan B.2, 101 Squadron, RAF Waddington, c.1973.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes on additional details:

 

101 Squadron insignia & u/c serials (26 Decals STS7219 via. Hannants)

Various data plates (Mike Grant & Airscale decals)

Brass tube bomb-bay pipework (Albion Alloys)

Brass tube bomb-door rams (Albion Alloys)

Brass tube main u/c rear door stays (Albion Alloys)

Brass tube pitot heads (Albion Alloys)

Brass tube engine vent ends - adjacent to jet pipes (Albion Alloys)

Bomb cradle lift guides - flared brass tube (Albion Alloys)

Steel wire nose door antenna (Albion Alloys)

Brass tube nose wheel steering ram (Albion Alloys)

Brass tube main u/c load sensor pistons (Albion Alloys)

Flattened brass tube main u/c hydraulic scissors (Albion Alloys)

Brass tube and Plasticard Outside Temperature Sensor (Albion Alloys)

Aluminium tube crew hatch rams (Albion Alloys)

Bomb-aimers window demisters - lead wire & brass tube (Albion Alloys)

Various crew hatch, bomb-bay & u/c  stiffeners – plastic strips, U-sections

Upper & lower periscope fairings – shaped plastic rod (Albion Alloys)

Various crew hatch, bomb-bay & u/c bay electrical boxes (self-designed, 3D printed)

Various crew hatch, bomb-bay & u/c bay hydraulic blocks (self-designed, 3D printed)

Various bomb-bay gearboxes & mechanical actuators (self-designed, 3D printed)

Crew hatch actuator bodies (self-designed, 3D printed)

Main u/c debris guards (self-designed, 3D printed)

Main u/c load sensor bodies (self-designed, 3D printed)

Bomb sight (self-designed, 3D printed)

Blue Steel maintenance trolley (self-designed, 3D printed)

Bomb-bay arch-spar hydraulic lines (self-designed, 3D printed)

Dorsal & ventral navigation lights (cast from self-designed, 3D printed moulds)

VHF antenna (self-designed, 3D printed + stretched sprue)

Lead wire bomb-bay ventilation pipes

Lead wire bomb-bay hydraulic lines

Lead wire bomb-bay fire suppression lines

Lead wire u/c brake lines

Lead wire & Tamiya tape electrical wiring

Bomb-bay and u/c door weather strips (lead wire)

Ejection seat handles (twisted lead wire)

Ejection seat harnesses (Eduard)

Scrap p/e U/C bay surface details

Plasticard triangle antennae (front u/c door & stbd. Forward fuselage)

Plasticard bomb-aimers window deflector panel

Plasticard nose gear door hinges

Plasticard central windscreen wiper

Additional bomb-bay & u/c bay lights (punched Plasticard & PVA)

Bomb-bay air cylinders (scrap bombs)

U/C joint fasteners (Top Studio p/e rivets)

Tail strike boom (plastic rod)

Riveted u/c door internals

IFR probe illumination lamps (scrap decals)

[cherry268]

Saw it at Telford, it's stunning

[Fightingcocks]

A well deserved medal for an absolutely superbly built model. Many congrats. Totally wowed

[franky boy]

Tremendous work and well done on the much deserved medal. 
 

James

[AlxBNE]

A worthy medal winner

Beautiful finish 

[Lord Riot]

Simply stunning. 

[Doc D]

So many things I like about this, the subject for a start is fantastic. The novel way of displaying what is a large model (even in 1/72), the detail is tremendous (the bomb sight for example in that scale!). Just brilliant 🙂

[Hook]

Truly marvellous. Thanks for posting.

[Tigerausfb]

Excellent, really well done.

 

Andrew

[George Norman]

Fab Model, Got to see it in Tellers, Just needed a rotating Stand to see all the lovelyness! congrats on the win.

[dr_gn]

1 hour ago, George Norman said:

Fab Model, Got to see it in Tellers, Just needed a rotating Stand to see all the lovelyness! congrats on the win.

 

Thanks - I was a bit worried in general that the acrylic rod method of mounting might fail, and the whole thing fall over onto the rest of the competition table...which would definitely have been a non-optimal situation. A turntable would have been good, but it would have added more things to go wrong.

 

Part of my concern over the mounting was the poor fit of the rear jetpipe assembly, which the rods fit into, and partly react against in terms of stopping it tipping over. They needed a lot of work to get right and once finished I did wonder about how much glue was actually left holding them on. In the event, I fitted the model onto the rods a few days before the show, and managed to get it balanced pretty well by means of wrapping Tamiya tape around the rods in various positions. It lasted three of four days with no cracks appearing, so I assumed it would all be OK (and there have been no problmes so far a week and a bit later). I also put the model right at the end of the competition table at the back...just in case.

 

 

Thanks very much for the comments all.

Edited November 16, 2024 by dr_gn

[binbrook87]

Absolutely outstanding! I saw it at Telford and thought 'wow' then but seeing more photos is even better! 

[Rich G]

I saw this at Telford and was properly impressed, the detail work was on full show on the stand, loved it!

 

Rich

[Back in the Saddle]

Exquisite!👍

[SAT69]

Absolutely incredible. I love the immensity of detail. The conventional weapons load in the bomb bay is really impressive. 

[dr_gn]

Really appreciate all the nice comments - it's been a long slog, often with no end in sight.

[Navy Bird]

It may have been a long slog, but it's a beautiful slog. Congrats on the award - well earned indeed. I absolutely love the vertical mounting!   👍  👍  👍

 

Cheers,

Bill

[russ c]

One to be really proud of, stunning

[scautomoton]

A, quite frankly, perfect build. How can this be topped? It almost puts me off ever doing mine since I know it won't be as good. Sometimes being on this forum is like self flagellation.....

[dr_gn]

12 minutes ago, scautomoton said:

A, quite frankly, perfect build. How can this be topped? It almost puts me off ever doing mine since I know it won't be as good. Sometimes being on this forum is like self flagellation.....

Thanks very much! It could be improved: get the Eduard sets for a start, that will give the surface detail I’ve either missed, or represented let’s say ‘creatively’. Then start on the hydraulics and wiring…if you do it as you build rather than retrospectively like I did, you could do it much quicker. Ideally you’d have a 3D printer for all the boxes and hydraulic blocks etc., but that adds to the fun. A lot of bits were from the scrap box, for example the two bomb-bay oxygen cylinders started life as bombs from an old P-51 kit, with the fins cut off. Of course if Aires did some scanned resin bay sets (which let’s face it is what it needs to represent all the details properly) then you’d be sorted.

[Dr. Quack]

A very impressive addition to the competition tables and a truly worthy winner. Nice to see the top surface as well. 

Congratulations on a well deserved medal.

Q

[Mynimal]

Amazing work .

[CJP]

A fabulous looking Vulcan - the detailing you have added has given the model the right feel - I'm a fan of Albion Alloys for the type of detailing you have listed here.

Chris

[Massimo]

Hi, I think the medal and prize are well deserved!!!

What a fantastic Vulcan!!!

Ciao

Massimo

[kelly9mm]

An iconic aircraft and a great model!

 

Cheers,

Marcin