2 (AC) Sqn FGR2 RAF Laarbruch.

[Jabba]

  For this GB I will be using the Airfix kit to make a recce aircraft from 2 (AC) Sqn based at RAF Laarbruch in West Germany. I also have the fuel tank flash system from odd and ordnance. plus some other decals from Xtradecal. I am toying with the unit marking when they were red, but I know that this was when the aircraft had the unmodifed plain fin rather than the RWR version. But I do prefer the RWR one, but we shall see and no there will not be another build @Enzo the Magnificent. I do have a bit of info, plus memory as I worked on one of FGR2s major teams at RAF St Athan for just over 2 yrs. This did mean that I only worked on a whole aircraft for about 2 weeks at the end of the servicing and that I only worked on 5 aircraft in that time.

 

The kit

 

What's inside the box.

 

Instructions and kit decals.

 

Colour scheme.

 

The extras.

 

Some info.

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Welcome aboard Jabba.

[Jabba]

    Having started to paint the cockpit and waiting for it to dry I had a look at some of the extras that will be fitted. I looked at the Odds and Ordnance EMI camera pod and it seemed a bit strange, especially when I made up the Airfix one. I am not sure which one is correct, but at the moment I will be sticking with the kit version. I also made up the Stbd fuel tank as the Port one is going to be the one that has the flash unit in it. On this having looked at a drawing in one of the books that I have shows the air intake at the back of the pod the wrong way around, so this will have to be corrected. Hopefully I will get the cockpit painting finished tonight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jabba]

Whilst I have been slowly getting the cockpit together, I have also been working on the wings and intakes. I have noticed on several photos that the Phantoms of 2 Sqn did not have the inner pylons fitted, so that is how I am making this model. The lower wing panel required a fair bit of clamping to get it to sit right and still filler aorund the edge. I am also trying to find pictures of the wing tank flash unit, mainly the forward inner part. Most photos that I have show the outer, but not the inner. I am looking for this to see if the after market one that I have is correct.

 

 

[Jabba]

Cockpit decals on and some of the panels fitted to the main structure. I have left some panels slightly loose in the hope that the cockpit fits better (or can be adjusted) when fittng to the fuselage. I have done a trial fit in that one side fits better than the other, but I cannot see at the moment why the one that does not, does not fit. Will do some more investigating tonight.

 

 

[Jabba]

  I got the fuselage together last night. There was a small piece of plastic on the panel that hides the refuelling probe equipment that was originally stopping the fwd part to go together properly. Once this and some more shaving in that area the fuselage closed with a click. After getting the fuselage together I then fitted the intakes, not what it says in the instructions, but it still worked very well. I also fitted the in flight refuelling probe door before it is meant to. This also in my mind was a good idea, as I was able to fill and sand it before fitting the intakes where it is then slightly hidden. The spine panel is there for trial fitting so that I can get the fitment better before gluing. The wings are also redy for fitting.

 

 

 

[dasmithers]

Coming together nicely. You’re a bit ahead of me in your build, so watching with interest.

 

Andy

[Jabba]

     I managed to get the lower wing/fuselage fitted last night after fitting the engine faces and exhausts. Initially I struggled getting the Fwd left hand side to sit correctly without a lot offorce to keep it in place. I shaved off bits of plastic here and there to no avail. So in the end I took off the rear locating tab and it fitted straight away. The only thing that I have against this kit at the moment is that the intakes cover the joint line of the upper Fwd fuselage and the lower fuselage. Mind you as it cannot really be seen no-one will notice. I also found out the info that I was looking for about the wing tank flash units, in that the Fwd and Rear flash parts only face the outwards, not bothe ways as the part that I have does. So a little bit of filler required to make this good.

 

 

 

[Jabba]

      Fitted the air intakes last night and applied a little clamping to hold them in place. I also trial fitted the upper wings.

 

 

 

[Jabba]

     Some more parts added, filled and sanded a bit. I do not know what it is with the outer wings on the Airfix kit as I have always had problems the get them to fit flush and this now my 4th. I did my usual thing of removing the circular location things and did a bit of shaving things and then stuck them.

 

 

 

[Ray S]

I hadn't read about the poor fit for the outer wing sections but this echoes problems I had there too. You seem to have cracked the issues from this side of the screen though, unlike my attempt.

 

Ray 

[Jabba]

  Some work on this one has been going on slowly in the background. The windscreen clicked into place with ease, which it has not on other builds of mine with this kit. Strangely though the centre glass piece did not. I thought that it had, but when I went to mask it up I found that one side was not in the right place. So it was restuck and positioned correctly and then held in place overnight. Hopefully it will stay in place when I come to mask it again. I have sprayed the wheel bays White so that I am able to paint the Lt Aircraft Grey.

 

 

[Jabba]

Help.  I am having a problem using the new hosting site Hobby Photo Host, in that when I try to upload my photos the firast thing it says is that it is too big (Actual 5148 x 3888, Max is 4096 x 4096). I have never had an issue with this before so I do not know what I am doing wrong. Could some one plaese explain in the very simplest of terms (Yes I am a real luddite when it comes to computers and such like) as I am to do so that I can replace the old photos and then add some new ones.

[Jabba]

Hopefully now all the photos are visible to others.

[Pete in Lincs]

We done got Phantoms comin' outa our ears here Boy! They sure are Purty.

[Parabat]

3 hours ago, Jabba said:

Help.  I am having a problem using the new hosting site Hobby Photo Host, in that when I try to upload my photos the firast thing it says is that it is too big (Actual 5148 x 3888, Max is 4096 x 4096). I have never had an issue with this before so I do not know what I am doing wrong. Could some one plaese explain in the very simplest of terms (Yes I am a real luddite when it comes to computers and such like) as I am to do so that I can replace the old photos and then add some new ones.

I use an online image resizer to drop my pictures from about 4000x3000 to 1000x750, download them, then upload to an image hosting site. Then copy that over to here...😉🫠

[Jabba]

I have painted the Lt Grey underneath surface. I will have photos soon.

[Jabba]

     As I mentioned above I have painted the lower surfaces Lt Aircraft Grey. I have also sorted out the fuel tank flash units, in that there should be only 3 at each end not 3 it was originally. The front unit points to Port and down, whilst the rear unit points to Stbd and down.  I still have an intake to make, I think towards the rear. Since these photos were taken I have alos applied Dk Sea Grey to the whole upper surfaces, plus the underside of the leading edge of the wing. I shall start the Dk Green tonight.

 

 

Sorry not a good photo.

 

 

 

[Jabba]

The Dk Green has been painted and I have also applied a coat of Black to the radome. I have removed the masking and there are a few touch ups required.

 

 

 

[Jabba]

After tidying up the camo scheme I have been painting the back end. Hopefully now I can apply a coat or 2 of gloss varnish.

 

 

 

[Jabba]

   The major decals are now on. Only the dreaded stencils to fit. I did find that the decals were a bit reluctant to come off the backing paper, requiring several trips to the water so that they would come off.

 

 

 

[Jabba]

  whilst I have been applying the stencils, I have also been looking at the other things that require decals. One is the big under fuselage camera pod. Looking at the instructions as to what to paint I noticed that the area at the front required some Black so that a shark mouth could be applied. But looking at the instructions and the decal there seems to be something amiss. The instructions show that all the teeth are white whilst the decals show the upper set of teeth are Black, which would clash with the paint underneath. I have found a picture of the real thing (no not the pop group) and it shows that the intructiions are correct. So I am a bit disappointed iwth this and will repaint the front of the pod Lt Grey.

 

 

Photo of the real camera pod.

https://www.airhistory.net/photo/163104/XV469

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

3 hours ago, Jabba said:

  whilst I have been applying the stencils, I have also been looking at the other things that require decals. One is the big under fuselage camera pod. Looking at the instructions as to what to paint I noticed that the area at the front required some Black so that a shark mouth could be applied. But looking at the instructions and the decal there seems to be something amiss. The instructions show that all the teeth are white whilst the decals show the upper set of teeth are Black, which would clash with the paint underneath. I have found a picture of the real thing (no not the pop group) and it shows that the intructiions are correct. So I am a bit disappointed iwth this and will repaint the front of the pod Lt Grey.

 

 

Photo of the real camera pod.

https://www.airhistory.net/photo/163104/XV469

Just above the teeth on the camera pod. Hanging down from the fuselage is some weird angular box ? Intake, camera, sensor package ?  

[Phone Phixer]

59 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Just above the teeth on the camera pod. Hanging down from the fuselage is some weird angular box ? Intake, camera, sensor package ?  

It's a strike camera pod mounted in the forward left missile well. It housed a forward facing camera.

 

[Jabba]

   As with many of this Gb I have been applying the stencils to this model. Although many cannot be seen most of the ones for the fuselage have been fitted, along with some to thewings and lower fuselage. Doing a quick count last night still 100+ to apply and that is before the weapons.

 

   A quick questions to those that know, what is the colour of the wing fuel tank pylons? I am thinking White like the inner wing ones, but I am not sure.