The first (and last.......) Meteor PR19

PR19_Kit · April 02, 2012, 03:33:33 PM

No, this isn't a description of how I built the 'PR19' that gave me my ID on here, this is the ORIGINAL PR19, the one you know already is a PR19a. You'll need to read the backstory to figure it all out......

While re-starting on the PR19b for Operation Cosford I figured I may as well do the first version at the same time, it couldn't be that difficult a task. Well, not much anyway....

As usual with the previous PR19 variants the fuselage is a Matchbox Meteor NF14 with the inner wings and engine nacelles fitted as normal. The resin intakes of the engines come from the DB conversion kit of the RB-57D Canberra, and are the same J-57s as powered the original U-2s. They're almost the same diameter as the Meteor's Derwent nacelles but not quite, and this meant I had to build up the surface of the Derwents to match with some styrene strip and the usual PSR work.

The outer wings were obviously from the Airfix U-2 kit shortened to suit and with stub spars glued into the roots to slot into the Meteor wing sections. The tailplanes also came from the U-2 and were just butt jointed to the fin fairing after trimming to suit the curved joint profile.

The backstory says the nose of the PR19 was the same as the PR19a that I'd already built and after sawing off the front end of the M'box kit I added the nose of the U-2 but inverted so its windscreen notch fitted around the nosehweel bay of the Meteor. Neat, eh? The problem came when I remembered how I'd done the recce camera bulge under the nose, as it came from a Hasegawa (IIRC...) RF-4C kit that I had many years ago, and I didn't want to fork out for another, especially at their current prices! Luckily Gondor came to the rescue with an offer of not one, but quite a lot of these parts, thanks again Gondor. It seems that every Hasegawa F-4 of all variants comes with the same clear bits so now I have enough to build a squadron of PR19s!

The aircraft looked a bit plain after all the bits and bumps on the other two variants so I added the standard belly tank and drilled a small intake either side of the front of the tank to replicate the nuclear test sampling pods that I'd mentioned in the backstory. I added some early mark MB bang seats and some other bits and pieces before I did the business on that ruddy awful fuselage top part before the usual PSR session.

Final assembly needed some jigging, as with the PR19b, to get the anhedral correct and equal each side and then I primed the whole thing after masking the canopy. When that was dry I sprayed the whole thing black and gave it numerous coats of Klear before adding the decals. The wing 'no step' areas took some doing as my Airfix U-2 decals had yellowed badly so I formed them from miles of Xtradecal white stripes, and the roundels came from the excellent Modeldecal sheets. Just the codes, home printed serials and squadron badges and ejection seat triangles completed the job before some more Klear and a coat of satin varnish.

The less said about the landing gear the better.......

Anyway, here it is, the last model of my three PR19s to complete the set.

Cliffy B · April 02, 2012, 03:47:49 PM

Oooooo NICE!!!!

That would have certainly given the U-2 a run for its money.

Does anyone else look at this shot and immediately think Star Wars/Pod Racer/Sci-Fi craft?!

Old Wombat · April 02, 2012, 04:38:58 PM

It certainly does have that look to it, alright!

RussC · April 02, 2012, 05:40:56 PM

It could even make a cool submarine in that form, something out of SeaQuest DSV.

There are 3 of them now, troika coolness!

PR19_Kit · April 03, 2012, 01:00:19 AM

Quote from: Cliffy B on April 02, 2012, 03:47:49 PM
Oooooo NICE!!!! That would have certainly given the U-2 a run for its money.

Does anyone else look at this shot and immediately think Star Wars/Pod Racer/Sci-Fi craft?!

Hm yes, now that you mention it there is that sort of look to it. Add wheels and it would make a half-way decent LSR car too!

And I have LOADS of M'box Meteors in The Loft, and even another set of J-57s too. Vacform a clear copy of the belly tank and we could be onto something here......

Weaver · April 03, 2012, 04:30:51 AM

Lovely stuff Kit - that's quite a collection!

So what learned journals and "authoratitive" websites are we going to find the new ones on eh?

Cliffy - guilty as charged - I saw the "spacefighter" immediately too! How about using two sets of wing lowers glued together, so that the undercarriage bays go right through the "wing" with the edges greeblified?

PR19_Kit · April 03, 2012, 05:31:43 AM

Quote from: Weaver on April 03, 2012, 04:30:51 AM
Lovely stuff Kit - that's quite a collection! So what learned journals and "authoratitive" websites are we going to find the new ones on eh?

Glad you like the 'fleet', but it needs publication like it needs a hole in the head, all three versions being covered in the original backstory, thank goodness! Anyway I'm not sure my brain is up to generating another PR19 backstory after being on a continuous modelling binge for the last few months!

deathjester · April 03, 2012, 07:34:03 AM

What you really need is a photoshopped pic of all three of them flying in formation, perhaps with the Chief of the Airforce in the shot somewhere - that should get folks wheels spinning!

Tophe · April 04, 2012, 10:26:30 AM

Nice family of models

Aircav · April 04, 2012, 11:41:24 AM

Three times the mayhem.

Captain Canada · April 04, 2012, 12:39:23 PM

Very nice....love the onr in the middle. I was thinking sci-fi in the upside down/ wingless pic myself. Or a drone !

buzzer · April 06, 2012, 03:02:55 AM

VERY NICE

i love the " what if's" that you know if built,would have worked really well.. and this (i think!) would have done very well

sequoiaranger · April 06, 2012, 08:54:11 AM

>Does anyone else look at this shot and immediately think Star Wars/Pod Racer/Sci-Fi craft?<

No resemblance AT ALL! Nose too long, etc......

PR19_Kit · April 06, 2012, 11:03:27 AM

Quote from: sequoiaranger on April 06, 2012, 08:54:11 AM
>Does anyone else look at this shot and immediately think Star Wars/Pod Racer/Sci-Fi craft?<

No resemblance AT ALL! Nose too long, etc......

Give me time, just give me time.........

PR19_Kit · November 02, 2012, 08:24:13 AM

I just bought a copy of the WarbirdTech book on the U-2 Dragon Lady by Dennis R. Jenkins and darn good it is too. When reading it I came across this little gem of a quote :-

'.....the Soviet Union lodged a diplomatic complaint regarding the overflights by "....twin engned US Air Force aircraft". The State Department denied that any US military aircraft had violated Soiviet airspace.............'

Hehehe, even the Sovs were spoofed by the PR19!

Of course the early black painted PR19s carried the dull red/blue WWII style Type B roundels on the lower wings and you could only JUST see them against the all black finish, but that would have been pretty unlikely when the aircraft was at 70000 ft or so.