My prototypes (post war British)

[John R]

My main interest is in experimental aircraft and prototypes, especially those 'G-Whizz'aircraft of my childhood when new and exciting types appeared regularly.
All are 1/72 scale

Supermarine 510, Maintrack Vacform (my first vacform)



Hawker Hunter prototype, PJ Hunter F6 resin with 'knobbly' bits removed.
Anti-spin parachute added and home-made registration letters.
The font I used to make the letters didn't match the photo I had, so I spent some time modifying the figure '8' only to find that when the registrations were cut up and spread over the u/c legs you couldn't tell the difference!



Saunders Roe SR53
Kit was of Polish origin, bought from Hannants several years ago. I suspect it is a copy of the original Airfix version



Fairey Delta One
Olimp resin kit, Alclad finish. I thought that I had 'cracked' doing Alclad after the P1 (next pic) but found that I hadn't



English Electric P1a
Aeroclub vacform fuselage, Airfix F3 wings and tail, RAF roundels from Xtradecal, home made warning stencils



More to come ( the foreigners)

John

Edited January 2, 2016 by John R

[F111Fan]

Very nice! Looking forward to future builds from you!

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

Very nice work John , nice to see these prototypes. I remember building the SR53 when I was a wee lad, no paint of course!

[Obi-Jiff Kenobi]

Nice collection, John.

Obi-Jiff

[keith in the uk]

Nice little collection , i remember building the SR53 on the door step ( i wasnt allowed to bring it in because of the smell of the glue )

then i found a tin of White household paint under the stairs and painted it with that . ( took about a week to dry Oh happy days. )

[popeye]

.

that's just great - let's see the rest soon enough !

Thanks

popeye

[Deon]

Love the models John, something very ' British ' about those aircraft

[Lightningboy2000]

My favourite subject amongst other things.

Would like to see a really well done BAC221. I did have the whirlykits version, bottled out and sold it.

Are you going to do the Bristol 188 and the FD2?

[John R]

Yes - but when is another matter.

I was given the 188 as a birthday present a year ago and haven't yet had the guts to tackle it. The FD1 almost had them sending me off to the men in white coats!

I also have a Maquette FD2 in the stash...That doesn't look too friendly either

Current project is an F16XL

John

[Lightningboy2000]

Yes - but when is another matter.

I was given the 188 as a birthday present a year ago and haven't yet had the guts to tackle it. The FD1 almost had them sending me off to the men in white coats!

I also have a Maquette FD2 in the stash...That doesn't look too friendly either

Current project is an F16XL

John

Ha haa ha gurgle nerpl dribble dribble....see what that Maquette kit did to me! Pure nightmare, very brittle plastic. Flash?!!! In places I couldnt make out the straight edges of the delta wings, I also found that the decals were all the wrong sizes! I darent post any pictures of it but at least I now have it in my collection. Believe it or not I'm thinking of giving it another go now I have learnt where I can improve the kit what with experience under my belt!

Despite what the FD1 kit has done to you mentally I will be tackling it at some stage. Do the resin parts go together well without too much filler or are they all over the place? I have cleaned all the parts up ready for construction and have removed all the blocks and the parts do look respectable. How much weight does it need to stop it from tail sitting?

Thanks

Martin

[John R]

Ha haa ha gurgle nerpl dribble dribble....see what that Maquette kit did to me! Pure nightmare, very brittle plastic. Flash?!!! In places I couldnt make out the straight edges of the delta wings, I also found that the decals were all the wrong sizes! I darent post any pictures of it but at least I now have it in my collection. Believe it or not I'm thinking of giving it another go now I have learnt where I can improve the kit what with experience under my belt!

Despite what the FD1 kit has done to you mentally I will be tackling it at some stage. Do the resin parts go together well without too much filler or are they all over the place? I have cleaned all the parts up ready for construction and have removed all the blocks and the parts do look respectable. How much weight does it need to stop it from tail sitting?

Thanks

Martin

The FD1? at first sight it looks lovely - all crisply moulded with nice but slightly deep surface detaill but...

It ain't the right shape according to Barrie Hygate's book but looks about right when assembled. The most obvious is the tailcone which is far too large according to any photos I have seen and the tail parachute housing resembles one of the rocket pods it was designed to handle. The cockpit needs trimming down to fit inside the fuselage and the glareshield doesn't look like anything in the photos. The air intake splitter needs shaping.

It goes together OK but be very careful with the mainwheel bays. They are marked L & R but whether they are wrong, or more likely, I got them mixed up and when I came to fit the u/c legs the mountings were in the wrong place. I then found the lower doors wouldn't go where they were supposed to...

What drove me mad was keeping things lined up when the glue was applied. Something I have yet to master with resin and that is what is holding up the 188.

For some reason I had great trouble with the Alclad finish. It wouldn't set and was cleaned off and reprimed a couple of times. However the bit on the fin, which was duralumin, went on fine.

Nose weight? Can't remember (see what its done to me) but I think not too much. It has to behind the seat as there is not much room in the nose

John

[Robert]

Lovely looking models there. British post war experimental aircraft are so cool looking.

RObert

[Lightningboy2000]

The FD1? at first sight it looks lovely - all crisply moulded with nice but slightly deep surface detaill but...

It ain't the right shape according to Barrie Hygate's book but looks about right when assembled. The most obvious is the tailcone which is far too large according to any photos I have seen and the tail parachute housing resembles one of the rocket pods it was designed to handle. The cockpit needs trimming down to fit inside the fuselage and the glareshield doesn't look like anything in the photos. The air intake splitter needs shaping.

It goes together OK but be very careful with the mainwheel bays. They are marked L & R but whether they are wrong, or more likely, I got them mixed up and when I came to fit the u/c legs the mountings were in the wrong place. I then found the lower doors wouldn't go where they were supposed to...

What drove me mad was keeping things lined up when the glue was applied. Something I have yet to master with resin and that is what is holding up the 188.

For some reason I had great trouble with the Alclad finish. It wouldn't set and was cleaned off and reprimed a couple of times. However the bit on the fin, which was duralumin, went on fine.

Nose weight? Can't remember (see what its done to me) but I think not too much. It has to behind the seat as there is not much room in the nose

John

Cheers for that!

I have heard that resin parts can be re-shaped by dunking in very hot water, but haven't got to that stage yet.

The only time I have used resin of any size, is the PJ productions twinseater conversion for the 1/72 Hunter and that was fine.

Looks like that FD1 is going to be a tough'n & I always brush paint with Humbrols so for me it will be gloss black all over then the metalcote over the top.

Nurse has called again, so I must return to the cell!

Mart

[Miggers]

My favourite subject amongst other things.

Would like to see a really well done BAC221. I did have the whirlykits version, bottled out and sold it.

Are you going to do the Bristol 188 and the FD2?

I have the Whirlykits 221 and one of the Avro 707's.

Both are cut out and sanded back but I think I'll need a whiff of the gas to work out what to do

with the 221's intakes to get 'em right.

Also found my old Frog(dates from about 1975)FD.2 t'other week.

Still in pretty good shape but all the u/c doors are missing somewhere,bit of scratching needed methinks........one of these days.

Those "Fabulous Fifties" prototypes you've done done look superb John.

Mark

[HOUSTON]

John.

These are WONDERFULLY EXQUISITE..

Houston