A Pair of Fireflys

Gondor · October 03, 2016, 09:42:17 AM

Following on for my slowed down and so far incomplete Single seat Firefly from the In The Navy GB I am going to follow on from the suggestions about building different engined versions.

To do this I bought two Novo Firefly kits and I have on order a Heller MkXVI Spitfire, moulds go back to 1979, for the bubble top version rather than cutting up another Airfix Mk22.

The main difference between my Navy build and the Firefly which will also use the Heller Spitfire is that the aircraft will have a Centaurus engine which will come from the Matchbox Tempest, 1974 initial release. Only new kit parts will be the torpedo which I will take from my Airfix Beaufighter TF.10 which is to be an Operation Firedog aircraft and thus not need its torpedo.

I will have to look back to see what I intend to do with the second Novo Firefly other than the fact it was going to be a land based aircraft.

Gondor

Gondor · October 04, 2016, 12:19:56 AM

After a little digging around I found out what I was going to do.

A late war Day fighter powered by a Sabre engine.

A Centaurus Firefly which I am thinking should be Navy and the losing contender to the Blackburn Firebrand for the strike aircraft role

I think I am going to have to order another Heller Mk XVI spitfire to make both these aircraft bubble tops. On second thoughts I could chop up the Matchbox Tempest that is donating its Centaurus engine.

Gondor

Captain Canada · October 04, 2016, 05:37:13 AM

Those sound great looking forward to it. Hopefully these one get finished

Gondor · October 04, 2016, 08:30:22 AM

The Heller Spitfire Mk.XVI has arrived. Very quick service.

Probably not going to be chopping up any plastic until the weekend though.

Gondor

Gondor · October 10, 2016, 09:01:20 AM

No plastic was chopped up this weekend, other commitments got in the way although I did have a good time

I have started work on the Day Fighter version. The interior of the Heller Spitfire has been sprayed in white primer to help hide the black plastic and the main parts of one of the Novo kits have been separated from their sprues which made me realise that I have a problem to solve

The Novo kits are of the Mk.1 version which has a chine radiator and not the wing leading edge ones of the Airfix kit.

This means I have to

a) Make wing leading edge radiators

b) Make a new under nose fairing for the engine.

Of these two things b) is the easier to achieve as I am sure I have a spitfire part left over from something that I can use as a basis. The wing leading edge radiators will have to be scratch built but I do have a rough idea of how to manage this. I just hope I can keep what I build to a reasonable scale look.
The Naval version I am also building, Torpedo/Strike version, is also to get leading edge radiators but I will use those from the Matchbox Tempest kit which is providing the engine and upper fuselage as a basis.

Gondor

Captain Canada · October 10, 2016, 10:00:35 AM

Excellent

Gondor · October 16, 2016, 08:19:07 AM

Nothing done so far other than buying a Novo Sea Fury to possibly use as donor parts for the naval version I intend to build.

Gondor

The Wooksta! · October 16, 2016, 10:58:58 AM

The Plan would be somewhat enhanced by the donation of the redundant Spitfire F16 wings (and/or any other leftovers from said kits) and I wouldn't say no to either of the Novo Firefly engines once you've hacked them off. I have a Beaufighter project I'd like to add them to!

kitbasher · October 16, 2016, 11:22:15 AM

I think I still have somewhere the front end off what became my Sabre Firefly. Will delve and if I do have it I'll bring it to Telford.

Gondor · October 16, 2016, 02:37:24 PM

Quote from: The Wooksta! on October 16, 2016, 10:58:58 AM
The Plan would be somewhat enhanced by the donation of the redundant Spitfire F16 wings (and/or any other leftovers from said kits) and I wouldn't say no to either of the Novo Firefly engines once you've hacked them off. I have a Beaufighter project I'd like to add them to!

You can get the bits Lee, no problem.

Gondor

Gondor · September 24, 2018, 11:43:54 AM

Defiantly getting towards Halloween as I resurrect this topic

Having found this topic again I don't need to wonder why I have two Novo Firefly Mk1's sitting next to my bench.

So after looking at some of the parts what I may well do is the merge the Firefly that's to be the torpedo/attack aircraft with the Novo Sea Fury. I am sure it can be done, just not sure how much PSR will be needed $:-\$

The second Firefly is still going to get the fuselage of the old Heller Spitfire and a Saber engine as per previous thoughts, who knows, I may even get around to cutting plastic

Gondor