Bristol Brabazon 1/144

[Mossie]

Just spotted this, a 1/144 Bristol Brabazon from F-RSIN

http://www.f-rsin.com/
http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/?FULL=FR4455

It's not cheap by any stretch, 80 Euros from source (about £55) & 67.50, probably cheaper to buy it direct from F-RSIN even after postage.  Saying that, it'll probably be the only shot at a Brabazon for a long while.  Hopefully F-DCAL will print some whiff decal sheets for it.  Theres no end of possibilities here, any airline you wanted & several military options you could go for!  Would look good next to a Minicraft or new Revell Connie kit.

Lots of Brabazon pics here:
http://www.airbornegrafix.com/HistoricAirc...es/Brabazon.htm    

EDIT Oops, hit post long before I'd finished! :dum:  

[Captain Canada]

Now that would be ultra cool !

Too expensive for me, tho.....but it sure would look good in Coastal Command or RCAF SAR colours !

 

[Mossie]

Yeah, bit too dear for me too, but I hope a few kits of it turn up at shows & stuff, it is a gorgeous aircraft & huge.  It's a fair bit of money & the cockpits filled in but it's the size of an early 747 (swap the wing & fuselage dimensions & it's about spot on).  It's closest compettitors at the time would have been the Connie & DC-6, it would have dwarfed them.  I reckon theres a few people who'll be gagging to get hold of one.  I've always thought it'd do well as an injection kit, civil fans have been after one since time began, but saying that it is big & a bit of risk for even the craziest manufacturers.

[Archibald]

4* T-56 turboprops, Pan Am colors          

[nev]

Saw it in this months SAMI and thought "cool!"  B)


Then saw the price and thought "no thanks!"    

[Mossie]

4* T-56 turboprops, Pan Am colors       

Nah, Bristol Orions or RR Tynes in BOAC Speedbird 50's trim!        

Saying that, the engine type wouldn't matter much, you wouldn't see it anyway!

[Runway ? ...]

Yum !
I'm so tempted to splash out but as they're new to me I'm getting their DH-91 Albatross to test the water
Edit: Delivered in around in a week (over easter bank holiday). Piggybank raiding time I think.  

[BillSlim]

4* T-56 turboprops, Pan Am colors       

Nah, Bristol Orions or RR Tynes in BOAC Speedbird 50's trim!        

Saying that, the engine type wouldn't matter much, you wouldn't see it anyway!

IIRC the second Brabazon would have had Proteus turboprops. Need to check up on that.
A 1/144 Brabazon would be pretty impressive. RAF Transport Command colours anyone? Certainly one for the profiles and CGI board, I think.  

[Mossie]

Found a pic of a completed model on the F-RSIN stand at Telford, from the Airfix Tribute Forum.



And it's just in front of a DC-6 too!  Along with the Connie, the DC-6 would have been it's nearest competitor & the Brabazon is double their size!  I'm not normally an airliners person, but the Brabazon really does something for me, I'd love to see a display of it in whiffed colours flanked by a Connie & DC-6.

More pics here of the real aircraft, including one with the engine panels open showing the unusual confiiguration of the Centaurus engines.
http://www.unrealaircraft.com/classics/brab.php

Bill, your right, the second prototype would have had Proteous engines, I think it would have been shorter too.  The Brabazon was named after Lord Brabazon of Tara (what a title!) who produced a report into what airliners Britain would require in the post war years.  This was one of four types of airliner proposed in the report & became known as the Brabazon I.  Does anybody know what 'real' name it would have been given in service?  If not, anyone like to make one up???

[BillSlim]

I've never heard any name other than his Lorship's attached to it. There's certainly no name mentioned in 'Stuck on the Drawing Board'.
That book is a gold mine for civil aviation wiffs btw. The VTOL projects are especially cool!  B)  

[Mr Ten]

Here is mine in building process. The pic was taken this summer on a very busy() desk...

The model is finished now, and i'll try to take some new pics for this thread.
But it's a really sh*tty model, expensive, poorly engineered, full of errors/missing details/mishapes and very badly moulded.
OOP for a long time, but don't worry : with a such quality, have no regrets...

[Mossie]

Be nice to see the finished product!

So the A Model 1/72 beast next then???

[Mr Ten]

My Brabazon's first sortie at an exhibition last week :



Click pics for a bigger size !

My (harsh) opinion about the model :

General :
- Heavy engraving of square panels on fuselage, out of scale
- Unwanted grainy "wave effect" everywhere on the model
- All surfaces need a strong sanding
- Bubbles and micro-bubbles everywhere, and more after sanding !
- Trailing edge of the rudder incredibly thick
- Trailing edge of the elevons partially unmolded/missing
- Molded in plain blocks, no clear parts
- Very Bad assembly between all major parts : front/central fuselage/tail and central structure/outer wings. Tons of mastic are needed.

Mishapes :

- Tail (after rudder) without any shape
- Missing karmann at the trailing edge of the wing/fuselage junction
- Spinners too pointy

Missing/wrong details :

- 2 small windows missing on the upper windshield
- 1 window missing on each side of the fuselage, just in front of the wing
- No window on the front right fuselage (mine shouldn't be)
- Missing navigation bubble on upper fuselage
- 3 antennas and the gonio missing on upper fuselage (my antennas are missing too, for transport reason)
- Engines exhaust pipes missing (intrados)
- Engine ventilation ducts not represented (intrados)
- No important details as doors or position lights...
- Decals too big (the name "Bristol Brabazon"), or too small (registration codes)
- Very simplified undercarriage, wheels lacking details, main struts molded with the rear door in metal parts

The pros :

- The only one existing
- Stunning airplane
- Model in 5 main parts only
- So heavy it doesn't need a counter weight
- Can be used as a weapon to fight against zombie modellers (1)
- Free musculation exercise with the extensive sanding
- Strong metal undercarriage
- Big model you can be proud of once finished !!

(1) Like a kind of morning star/mace. Not sharp enough to be used as a sword.

[NARSES2]

(1) Like a kind of morning star/mace. Not sharp enough to be used as a sword.

Or like a White Stick as a Samuarai Sword ? (appologies to non Brits)

Really good job on that  I never really realised how far back the wings were on the Brabazon until I looked at your pics