CT Modeller Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 Handley Page Dart Herald - Jersey Airlines 1960 I had been looking for a Frog Herald kit for some time, and came across one at the Gatwick Aviation Enthusiasts Fair this April. The vendor wanted £60 for it - well it was original Frog and I suppose it was a collector's price. Surprisingly, at the same event I also came across a Maquette version, this time at a much more reasonable £20, and this was the one I went home with. The only thing was I really wanted to do the Jersey Airlines version as per the Frog decals - mainly because I was given one of these kits by my uncle as a birthday present in the early 60s, and remember thoroughly enjoying it. No paint then of course - just decals over light grey plastic - but it became a centrepiece of my collection, long since lost and probably destroyed over a number of house moves. Enter Mel Bromley's S&M Decs at the same event! 'I bet you don't have any Herald decals do you?' I said, and out of his brief case came - yes, you guessed it - a Jersey Airlines sheet to replicate those Frog markings. Thankyou, Lord. It was one of those boxes that you just have to open as soon as you get home. Yes, it was recognisable as the old Frog kit - but what's this? Most of the sprues were moulded in light grey plastic as per the original, but the main fuselage and wing halves were in black! OK - no big deal - a few coats of Halford's white will sort that. But wait a minute - one fuselage half is about 5 mm shorter than the other! - and has a droop of about 5 degrees ahead of the wing join!! Oh dear - this was not going to be a quick build. My thoughts of leaving doors open and fully detailing the cockpit went out of the window as major surgery, cutting, filling and sanding took over. Not to worry - it still looks like a Herald. I won't go into all the sorded details here but suffice to say that no part fitted another part without fairly significant surgery all round. But in the end, out came a Herald! Then a coat of grey primer, white primer, polish, and two coats of Halfords Appliance White. Bring on those S&M Decs. Well actually in the end I masked and sprayed the yellow and blue cheat lines because of the impossibility of fitting the decals around the tailplane, and of matching the blue with the paint needed on the tailplane. But thanks, Mel. for the lettering. So I now have a Dart Herald in the collection again some 50 years or so after the previous one. It's just such a nice looking aeroplane! Goes well with the Airfix F-27 Friendship finished in original Aer Lingus markings - which will be the subject of another post sometime soon.... 14 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stringbag Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 That's a beauty Chris. Thanks for posting. Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbuna Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 Very nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Fox Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 Brings back lots of memories. Thanks for posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irish 251 Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 Very nice build. I have fond memories of these aircraft in a later incarnation with British Island Airways in the 1970s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FRANCE'41 Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 I don't know this kit. Your model looks really great, thanks for sharing it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 It sounds like a challenging build, but looking at it, you wouldn't believe it. Gorgeous and a rare beast on here Chris, thanks for gracing BM with it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troschi Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 Wow, that's a stunning result for this vintage kit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr B Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Nice work on a classic aircraft.......... very nice indeed rgds mr b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dergrunepunkt Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Lovely build, with a lovely story, thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNoAF Aerobatic Team Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Great build of a vintage kit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I`ve never seen one of these built up before and don`t normally like airliners but your Herald is just stunning, fabulous job well done! Cheers Tony O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbailey141 Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Great build bud. Happy memories of Air UK Heralds coming in and out of Southampton for many years. Gav Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albeback52 Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I'm quite familiar with the Heralds. They were a regular sight at Edinburgh and, I think there was at least one (Channel Express) based here for a long time. Sadly missed - along with the Viscounts (and Vanguards!) It's a shame that this is the only I M kit of this fine aeroplane. The number of operators of the type certainly belies the small number built (50 I think?). I have tried numerous times to obtain this kit on evilbay but, I just refuse to pay the prices often beiNg asked/demanded!! I recall seeing one at a stall at Fairford some time ago. The vendor wanted £40 for it. I thought this was excessive but, I didn't tell him that!! We were chatting about modelling generally & he seemed totally shocked by my statement that I would actually BUILD this model as opposed to simply just letting it take up space & gather dust!! I'll never understand what motivates people to collect instead of build kits but, I suspect this one of those "If you have to ask the question, you'll never understand the answer" scenarios. In answer to his question "Why?", I simply said "That's what they are for!" Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hello Kitty Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Great Job! I love it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I'm a great believer in "if there's one in a box in the spare room it should be built", like Allan. And I'm a great lover of British postwar aviation And I always loved the Herald and the Dart Herald in particular put all that together, what do you get A huge admirer of your work I can imagine how much hard work you had to do to get this beauty this good It is marvellous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyC Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Chris Silk purse from a sow's ear? Beautiful finish and markings Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gundylunch Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 That's lovely, as a lad got to see the Herald production line at Radlett along with a few Victors !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Wow, what a stunner!! She's just beautiful!! Can I ask what you did with the panel lines, as they look spot on? Lovely model of a lovely aeroplane! Keef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
general melchett Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Very nice Chris, I think it's easy to forget just how good the old FROG models were..I know that as a nipper I always much preferred the FROG's to the Airfix and Revell offerings..they just seemed better quality and more esoteric subjects, hence the fair collection I have of them now!. The only downside was the price as they were always more expensive but in my eyes worth shelling out pocket money for..(especially if like me you collected the tokens). As a kid I saw hundreds of these fly low over the house on their way to nearby Radlett along with Victors, Hastings anf jetstreams...memories! Melchett.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I had one the Marquette kits for a while, I am sort of glad I got rid of it You have done a great job on yours Chris! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT Modeller Posted September 21, 2011 Author Share Posted September 21, 2011 Wow, what a stunner!! She's just beautiful!! Can I ask what you did with the panel lines, as they look spot on? Lovely model of a lovely aeroplane! Keef The panel lines took a fair bit of thinking time...to scribe or not to scribe? The wing surface detail was actually quite good and reasonably accurate for such an old kit - though raised variety of course. By the time I had finished rebuilding the fuselage there were no panel lines left on it - I lifted the scriber and dymo tape at one point but then decided - no - let's take an easier route. In the end it was all drawn in with a pencil! The fuselage lines were drawn against masking tape wrapped around it. On the wings I tried to gently emphasise the raised line detail with a pencil. On the centre section / wing joint to fuselage where there was much milliput and rubbing down all the detail was just drawn in again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT Modeller Posted September 21, 2011 Author Share Posted September 21, 2011 I'm quite familiar with the Heralds. They were a regular sight at Edinburgh and, I think there was at least one (Channel Express) based here for a long time. Sadly missed - along with the Viscounts (and Vanguards!) It's a shame that this is the only I M kit of this fine aeroplane. The number of operators of the type certainly belies the small number built (50 I think?). I have tried numerous times to obtain this kit on evilbay but, I just refuse to pay the prices often beiNg asked/demanded!! I recall seeing one at a stall at Fairford some time ago. The vendor wanted £40 for it. I thought this was excessive but, I didn't tell him that!! We were chatting about modelling generally & he seemed totally shocked by my statement that I would actually BUILD this model as opposed to simply just letting it take up space & gather dust!! I'll never understand what motivates people to collect instead of build kits but, I suspect this one of those "If you have to ask the question, you'll never understand the answer" scenarios. In answer to his question "Why?", I simply said "That's what they are for!" Allan The only thing that results in me collecting is that there aren't enough hours in the day to build them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 In the end it was all drawn in with a pencil! The fuselage lines were drawn against masking tape wrapped around it. On the wings I tried to gently emphasise the raised line detail with a pencil. On the centre section / wing joint to fuselage where there was much milliput and rubbing down all the detail was just drawn in again. I had a feeling you were going to say that - they look just right done that way! Making me rethink a lot of my re-scribing plans now....!! Thanks Keef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tripehound Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 That's a great result from a beast of a kit - I seem to remember the plastic on mine, though all the same colour (white), was averse to bonding with polystyrene cement! I built it because the Dart Herald was the first plane I ever flew in, on holiday to the Channel Islands when I was a nipper (so young that I have no recollection of this, just going on what my Dad told me). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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