Jump to content

Airfix Severn Class Lifeboat -


John

Recommended Posts

The colour scheme is a little in the eye of the beholder we in the RNLI have many Lifeboats all painted from new or refit with the same colour scheme however with exposure to the elements and the sun these colours can and do vary considerably I would challenge anyone to find two Severns that are completely colour matched !!

The Humbrol colours are a very good match the engineer who is responsible for our paint specification verified that whilst the kit was in development any colour variation could just be said to be weathering !

Regards

Al

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Big thanks to Allen for dropping by & providing "straight from the horse's mouth" input to the color & accuracy debate... :thumbsup:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Hello,

I'm a newbie from France I usually do planes and helicopters.

But this time I'm trying to done the Severn. I have search informations on web but I have found two questions without response:

the first one is about the rubber boat it is very crude. On most of the pictures I have found with a canvas, but scarcely without and in that case never a good pic. Could some one help?

the second question it's about the crane on wikipedia there is a good pict where there is some kind of advice about the weight max, I suppose, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Lifeboa...nderway.arp.jpg Has someone more informations or pictures about the stencils?

Anyway i try to post picts of my boat.

Manuel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...
Well for starters Matt, it was the RNLI who requested the names be left off. The reasoning being that many of those Lifeboats were paid for by private, charitable gifts, bequeathments etc... I think the feeling was that some families of deceased benefactors might be a little upset with the name of a loved one who gave to charity being used in what amounts to a commercial product. I think the circumstances are hugely different to that of nose art on aircraft, likewise I don't know what the situation is with the trains, though I would guess that Hornby sought, and received, permission to do them.

Anyone contemplating doing an after-market sheet would have to get the RNLIs permission to reproduce those names and I know the RNLI are very vigourous about protecting their "image". From my own work in the charity sector I know charities take a very dim view of people using their name or parts thereof for commercial purposes.

End of the day Matt it was the RNLIs call to make and they made it.

Matt

Jonathon is quite correct we at the RNLI would never seek to use our donors names for commercial purposes. It was felt that with this kit being a purely commercial product it would not be appropriate for us to have the complete name list. We would have had to go out and ask for permission to do this, to have decided unilateraly to go ahead without this permission would have set a bad precedent, so it was decided that we would only produce the name board with RNLB on it. We have always been aware that enterprising model makers would use their individual initiatives to produce the names but this would be for individual enjoyment and would not be for commercial purposes.

We have to tread a fine line with such things our donors and supporters are vital to us and for us to do anything that may cause offence however small is anathema to us.

On an up beat I am still hoping that White Ensign will produce a PE set for the kit, they were interested so watch this space !

I am glad you are all enjoying this kit I feel vindicated at last ! for 20 years I have been banging on here in RNLI HQ about the demand for Lifeboat kits its so nice to go to the big wigs and say 'Itold you so'.

Regards to all

Al

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am glad you are all enjoying this kit I feel vindicated at last ! for 20 years I have been banging on here in RNLI HQ about the demand for Lifeboat kits its so nice to go to the big wigs and say 'I told you so'.

Regards to all

Al

I'm building this at the moment, thoroughly enjoying it. Nice to see what is actually on a lifeboat, gives you a better appreciation of what the crew does. Is there the possibility of other classes of lifeboat being done? My respect and admiration for all the work done by the RNLI.

Best

Rich.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
I know one young man who's going to be very happy with this:

http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/?FULL=AX98668

John

The boy and I picked up the Lifeboat and Sea King gift set from our LMS at the weekend. It's a big box with the two kits bagged seperately inside. Curiously, and somewhat worryingly, the clear sprue for the Sea King was rattling around in the box completely unprotected, and its a big box to rattle round in!

I haven't opened the bag as yet but this is the first Airfix Sea king I've seen since they were moulded in white and came with USN markings and that fantastic dipping sonar! Checking through the bags the parts look reasonably clean with little flash. They are moulded in "Airfix Grey". The Lifeboat is presumably the same as the individually bagged variant.

The decal sheet for the Lifeboat has been commented on a number of times but the sheet for the Sea King is superb! It's glossy, in register and the colours look fine. You get an RAF and Norwegian version.

Added extras are 10 3ml pots of Humbrol Acrycic (2x18, 2 x69, 2x15 1x19, 1x85, 1x22, 1x27) presumably the new formula, although up to now 18 Orange hasn't featured in that range. You also get a precsion glue applicator and a brush that, while of reasonable quality, is probably too small to paint either the chopper or the boat.

All in all not bad value for our £24.99. I very much doubt if there's enough paint in the 3ml pots for the orange, blue or yellow but these can be added to fairly easily, or at least the blue and yellow can. Homebase or B&Q may still have stocks of the older style acrylics if you need more orange.

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We all make mistakes Rich, I've dropped some real B@@@@@@ks

Do what I do, put it right and then you can relax and have a drink afterwards :winkgrin:

What is it Phil says?

"out of every cock up comes a good idea"

Here is my son with Stormy Sam on a visit to a severn class in Bristol docks a year or so ago. you cant see much of the lifeboat but it may help someone, if i knew i was going to build one i would have taken some more. As he is a junior lifeboat member (upto engineer now) im sure we will go and see it again soon.

june-aug05049.jpg

With Grandad Bert (salty old sea dog)

june-aug05053.jpg

june-aug05054.jpg

june-aug05055.jpg

Edited by palacefan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm building this at the moment, thoroughly enjoying it. Nice to see what is actually on a lifeboat, gives you a better appreciation of what the crew does. Is there the possibility of other classes of lifeboat being done? My respect and admiration for all the work done by the RNLI.

Best

Rich.

I cant say too much at the moment but my head has adopted a curious up and down nodding type twitch !

Al

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

If its important to anyone, I've just brushed some new Humbrol acrylic 15 Midnight Blue out and held it next to a BS381 Oxford Blue colour chip. The colours are very close, certainly more than adequate for the hull of a working lifeboat.

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's nice to see some of these puppies being built. I was reading one earlier today as it happens, on another forum where the modeller was seemingly making "heavy weather" of the job, and cursing Airfix at every opportunity. Others seem to be having no problems to speak of though, especially with the hull... perhaps he got a dodgy one, or left it on the radiator on purpose? :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"....perhaps he got a dodgy one,

Highly likely.

"or left it on the radiator on purpose?"

Highly unlikely, given that more than one person has had problems with parts fit so far.

Even the Pro-Airfix mob over on ATF have had problems, so your radiator scenario is as likely as Lewis Hamilton winning this year's GP championship!

I don't believe that it is unfair to make objective assessments from 1st-hand experience of building a kit like this.

I am also sure that Airfix would appreciate the feedback in order that they are made aware of the problem and are possibly in a position to conduct an investigation and implement any subsequent remedial works. If I had a company which had farmed out it's production to a Third-Party, I'd want to keep an eye on their Quality Control. I get deeply offended at poor engineering and manufacturing. A few hours thought and a few give-a-damns would solve at least 75% of Airfix's problems. Learning from past errors would also help. Accuracy aside, Airfix's most glaring problems are engineering and manufacturing process related.

It is all too easy to go down the road of saying nothing about 'The Emperor's New Clothes'.

I loathe the "kumbayah, blow sunshine up the nether orifice feel good or they might stop making kits" reviews.....I hate sunburn in the back of my throat from the sunshine blowing.

Much better to to provide objective observations from 1st-hand experience.

That way, we all get the kits we deserve.

Stifling any form of negative comment serves no one any good - least of all Airfix/Hornby.

If they don't know - they cannot do anything about it.

Meanwhile, their competitors are forging ahead regardless.

Cheers

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dave... can I call you Dave?

1) I object to people deliberately trolling. Stop it forthwith, or you will be tapped lightly on the shoulder with the ban-stick.

2) I'd also appreciate it if you didn't just copy your posts over from other fora forums almost verbatim. Yes, it's the same old diatribe, but you could do us the courtesy of re-wording it a little to make it slightly less dull.

2a) Blowing sunshine? As I said somewhere els, if it doesn't get a laugh first time round, don't use it again.

3) Life is too short to be listening to this clap-trap, and anyone that derives enjoyment from trolling needs to have a good look at why they do it. :mental:

4) Grow up. It's a hobby. Supposed to be fun. Remember? :rolleyes:

5) Have a nice day. ^_^

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...