Neil Lambess Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Remember all the endless debates about the Mach 2 nose been way to short, etc etc, and all those 2 cm scratchbuilt extensions people added to try and get things looking accurate..... well geuss what folks................ the Airfix Nose is fractionally SHORTER.....! Im not suggesting Airfix are wrong , just that Mach2 were a lot more accurate than people thought... however as i suggested at the time, the shape of the engine intakes (and the wing root in general ) are WAY way too deep on the Mach 2 kit which throws the whole look off , (and therefore makes the nose look whacked..... having said that i may still finish my mach 2 kit ive corrected most of the wingroot problem..) still thats what modelings all about and at least the debate was fun..... as punishment for been mostly right the Gods of modelling delivered two completly soggy lumps of wet and mushy Airfix Valiant box to my door today , apparently 36.57 GBP of Parcelforce -signed for delivery from the UK to New Zealand entitles ones parcel to be submerged underwater... the smell of wet soggy delamanated airfix cardboard is DELIGHTFULL . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Having built the MachPoo Valiant, I think people just loved to hate that kit... self included, but at least I'd taken the trouble to hack & bang it together before I formulated my opinion I went to the trouble of installing an insert in the nose, but haven't bothered to hold the two kits up to eachother yet, so can't really comment on the difference between them. The intakes were horrendously out of whack though, and way too open, even after I committed mine to resin to improve them. A gruesome kit best forgotten Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lufbramatt Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 what drawings did the 2cm come from? the Caruana drawings are a vague indication of the shape at best . . and given that Airfix are reputed to have been all over the Valiant up at Cosford, I can't believe their measuring tape has 1.44m missing out of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canberra kid Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 (edited) what drawings did the 2cm come from? the Caruana drawings are a vague indication of the shape at best . . and given that Airfix are reputed to have been all over the Valiant up at Cosford, I can't believe their measuring tape has 1.44m missing out of it! Absolutely agree! plans are tricky things you can't beat measuring the thing it's self, if you can work a tape measure that is! John Edited July 13, 2011 by canberra kid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 You could always ask a certain French-Canadian to check it against photographs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lufbramatt Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 You could always ask a certain French-Canadian to check it against photographs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tango98 Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 ROTFLMAO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheModeller Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 You could always ask a certain French-Canadian to check it against photographs. Ah but the Butcher of Quebec is far too busy slagging off CAD data for GWs new P61 and inventing racey new outlines for Griffon Spits and Seafires... But I suppose as its a brand new kit he will be an unquestionable expert in the Valiant along with every other subject committed to styrene. All hail the Butcher of Quebec! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julien Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 All hail the Butcher of Quebec! Who is this person? Julien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lufbramatt Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 (edited) "gaston marty" or "sherwood" depening if your looking at Aeroscale or Hyperscale . . think hes been banned from everywhere else. He spends months hacking up perfectly good kits and filling them with plasticard shims and filler to end up with something that looks like a wonky, messy but "100% accurate" model! Edited July 13, 2011 by lufbramatt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heraldcoupe Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 He spends months hacking up perfectly good kits and filling them with plasticard shims and filler to end up with something that looks like a wonky, messy but "100% accurate" model! Has he finished one yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfqweofekwpeweiop4 Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I'm curious to see any updates on his Airfix 1/48 Spitfire XII that he butchered. He started it ages ago, I only started mine last week (i'm building 3 other models at the same time) and I'm about ready to start painting mine, just need the canopy masked and stuck down, then it's airbrush time. The P-61 he is critisising, looks like it will be an awesome kit. thanks Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennings Heilig Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Back to the subject (kit) at hand - got my Valiant today (thanks to quick service from MidTenn Hobbies, and cheaper than Airfix USA too!). What a lovely, workmanlike, good basic kit. There are (as always) a couple of small niggles - like where'd those main gear doors come from?? But otherwise it's a real cracker of a kit. I'm very impressed, especially for the price. Airfix have done themselves proud on this one. I very much look forward to building it! Someday... J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thx6667 Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 (edited) The GWH P-61 is ruined by a canopy frame that may or may taper. Unforgivable. When will kit companies get it right? Meanwhile, best thing to do with the Airfix Valiant length is compare with the dimensions (not drawings) in the Aeorfax book, and not with RJC plans. Edited July 13, 2011 by Jonathan Mock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Lambess Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 The GWH P-61 is ruined by a canopy frame that may or may taper. Unforgivable. When will kit companies get it right?Meanwhile, best thing to do with the Airfix Valiant length is compare with the dimensions (not drawings) in the Aeorfax book, and not with RJC plans. totally ! sorry if it seemed i was knocking the Airfix kit as im not , i think its brilliant and very happy ive got it...... from memory the short nose on the Mach2 kit myth came from a dutch? modeller who had a build article on the kit where he added a almost 2cm nose extension (from memory there was a link on here to his webpage ) however he may have got the misinformation from another source.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darson Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 What a lovely, workmanlike, good basic kit. There are (as always) a couple of small niggles - like where'd those main gear doors come from?? But otherwise it's a real cracker of a kit. I'm very impressed, especially for the price. J Jennings that really reads as damning with faint praise to me, what are some of the workman like and basic areas you are referring too? I was going to pick up one of these kits but I'm not so sure now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richellis Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Lets be honest, Its an Airfix kit. no matter how good it is someone will cover it with filler and say its just cus its airfix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darson Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Lets be honest, Its an Airfix kit. no matter how good it is someone will cover it with filler and say its just cus its airfix. Let's be honest, that happens to most kits from almost every manufacturer. Whether it's shape, cost, detail, fit or whatever, everybody loves to dump on other brands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 It's a 1/72 Valiant, and looks magnificent. Check the pages on 'Ready for Inspection'. Buy it. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Jennings that really reads as damning with faint praise to me, what are some of the workman like and basic areas you are referring too? I was going to pick up one of these kits but I'm not so sure now. The only "workman like" part of the kit is the cockpit, and having spent a week detailing the rear portion, I can confirm that bugger all will be seen anyway Open your money clip and purchase one - it's a grand kit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifer54 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Mine has just (about 5 mins ago!) arrived in the post this morning- an early birthday pressie from SWMBO. I've only just unwrapped it (all those "plastic peanuts"!). I think I'll be able to resist opening the box until she gets up- got to show her what she's got me in a pristine state! Got a good deal , too- £30 off Ebay...(plus p+p, of course) I've seen them built, and I say, b*gg*r the length of the nose, it looks like a Valiant to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darson Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 The only "workman like" part of the kit is the cockpit, and having spent a week detailing the rear portion, I can confirm that bugger all will be seen anyway Open your money clip and purchase one - it's a grand kit Great Mike that's exactly what I wanted to hear, I'll take the old credit card for a walk on the interweb tonight. I wasn't having a dig at Airfix but I do like to know a kits strong and weaker points. Also, couldn't give a toss about the nose, that level of accuracy means nothing to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thx6667 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 totally ! sorry if it seemed i was knocking the Airfix kit as im not , i think its brilliant and very happy ive got it...... from memory the short nose on the Mach2 kit myth came from a dutch? modeller who had a build article on the kit where he added a almost 2cm nose extension (from memory there was a link on here to his webpage ) however he may have got the misinformation from another source.... It wasn't a reference to you Neil,, you're quite right in raising the discrepancy, hopefully it will lead to a better understanding of Valiant dimensions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandad Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Sorry, I just couldn’t let this go! I got curious about this topic at work today and started checking when I got home. Please don’t hang me for pouring more avtur on the Mach 2 fire. How do we define “nose”? To me it’s the part in front of the windscreen if it’s not all the nose section in front of the main wing. Anyway, the Mach 2 is shorter in both respects. I added 5 mm in the proper nose, in front of the windscreen, on my Mach 2, and when the glazing is on the length of the nose is 40 mm. The Airfix nose is 42-43 (I haven’t built the kit yet) and the Caruana nose has the length at 40 mm. I think it’s the relative lengths of the different sections in the nose area that constitutes the main problem with the Mach 2 kit, well, it’s more, but let’s stick to the nose. The glazing of the Airfix kit is 63 mm long along the fuselage datum line, and together with a nose of 42 and a short part behind the cockpit fairing of 2-4 mm the nose section is 109 mm. That comes out slightly short (2 mm) of my theoretical calculations from many photos of the Valiant. But it’s roughly 110 mm, and checking the Caruana drawing it’s not too bad, but the cockpit is 3-4 mm too much forward, which Airfix has rectified in their kit. The Mach 2 glazing and cockpit fairing is roughly 65 mm long, but I also added 5 mm between the cockpit fairing and the main wing, and ended up at 112 mm. So, the Mach 2 was more than 5 mm short, and depending on where you want to begin the plastic operation you add one or two plugs, but I guess nobody will finish a Mach 2 from now on. Apart from the shorter nose section the canopy glazing is too raked and tall from the fuselage, also the windows are totally wrong, not to mention the rest of the kit. Really terrible compared to the beautiful Airfix glazing. The correctness of the Airfix kit might come from actual work with the measuring tape! Let’s hope that’s the case, even if they took some shortcuts and looked at the Caruana drawings where they were wrong. /Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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