Supervixen!

kitnut617 · August 13, 2009, 07:53:54 AM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on March 28, 2009, 01:05:02 PM
Reading back on this thread about Brit offset cockpits........

The reason the Canberra B(I)8 and PR9 are offset is because they wanted a low drag but higher visibility canopy. The seat is in exactly the same position in the fuselage as it is in the fishbowl canopy bomber versions. That's offset to port so the backseaters can get in the door and work their way past the pilot to their seats behind him. When they built the T4, with two seats side by side under the bowl, the crew needed to be very friendly, elbow room was at a premium, to say the least.

I would have to disagree slightly Kit, I'm doing a side-by-side STOVL Canberra based on the PR.9 (see my thread) and the pilot' cockpit in the B(I)8 is in the same position as where the back-seaters cockpit was on other variants which is just in front and above the nose wheel well. There's plenty of room at this position to have two raised seats.

kitbasher · August 14, 2009, 10:27:13 AM

Quote from: Cobra on August 13, 2009, 12:43:44 AM
Glad to Help. i might be Mistaken but...........i think i saw some Pics of Javelins,Etc. with a shark's mouth on em!!!!

Not sure about sharkmouthed Javelins, but I do recall seeing illustrations and/or photos of a sharkmouthed Sea Vixen.

Ian the Kiwi Herder · August 15, 2009, 01:44:19 PM

Quote from: kitbasher on August 14, 2009, 10:27:13 AM
Quote from: Cobra on August 13, 2009, 12:43:44 AM
Glad to Help. i might be Mistaken but...........i think i saw some Pics of Javelins,Etc. with a shark's mouth on em!!!!
Not sure about sharkmouthed Javelins, but I do recall seeing illustrations and/or photos of a sharkmouthed Sea Vixen.

Are you sure it wasn't a SEA VENOM ? - the old Matchbox 1:32 kit of the Sea Venom had sharks' teeth as one of the decal options.

Ian

kitbasher · August 15, 2009, 02:17:33 PM

Quote from: Ian the Hunter-Gatherer on August 15, 2009, 01:44:19 PM
Quote from: kitbasher on August 14, 2009, 10:27:13 AM
Quote from: Cobra on August 13, 2009, 12:43:44 AM
Glad to Help. i might be Mistaken but...........i think i saw some Pics of Javelins,Etc. with a shark's mouth on em!!!!
Not sure about sharkmouthed Javelins, but I do recall seeing illustrations and/or photos of a sharkmouthed Sea Vixen.
Are you sure it wasn't a SEA VENOM ? - the old Matchbox 1:32 kit of the Sea Venom had sharks' teeth as one of the decal options.

Indeed it did - my immediate thought was to scan and scale it down (I've some ancient Matchbox Sea Venom leftovers, don't know how I got them 'cos I've never owned or built one!).
As for sharkmouthed Sea Vixens, see http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=154021&view=findpost&p=1404617 and http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/portland/971/Inbox/q-s/seavixen-faw2-i.htm (the latter shows that the Revell boxing of the Frog Sea Vixen was sharked-up).

kitbasher · October 26, 2009, 02:12:17 PM

Nothing worthy of pictures, but finally I've made a return to this project. Few more bits added, and a LOT of sanding done. with a bit of luck painting will begin soon. So much fo a quick build - 14 months and counting (but my Boscombe Down Phantom FG.1 has taken 10 years so far)!

Captain Canada · October 26, 2009, 02:57:11 PM

Glad to hear you're back at 'er !

kitbasher · January 16, 2010, 01:49:16 PM

Not forgotten - honest!
Undercoating underway, as you can see. Finish will be Dark Sea Grey/Dark Green uppers, High Speed Silver undersides. The delineation between the upper and lower colours will be as per the real Sea Vixen; obviously the camouflage scheme is fictitious as far as Sea Vixen is concerned, however it is based on reality. The basic template is the pattern worn by Vampires and Venoms, suitably adjusted for a swept wing aircraft (OK the Venom had some sweep, but not as much as the Vixen). To make sure I adjusted the pattern sufficiently I scaled up a 1/72 drawing of a Hunter's upper camouflage scheme - the basic plan shape of the Hunter's wings and forward fuselage is strikingly similar to that of a 1/72 Sea Vixen so I'm satisfied I've used a 'realistic' template.
Roundels and serials will be placed as per the Sea Vixen (so I'm not planning on roundels and bars on the tail booms - proportionally the booms are much shorter than those of the Vampire and Venom), allowance will, of course, be made for the larger 8" fuselage characters used by the RAF (FAA used 4" high characters in the main). The fin flashes will be raked backwards.
Not quite sure which squadron markings I'll use but they will be of a Javelin unit.

GTX · January 16, 2010, 02:07:08 PM

Liking that camo on it.

Regards,

Greg

Captain Canada · January 16, 2010, 02:28:45 PM

Oh yeah, she's looking the part now ! Great stuff !

Cobra · January 16, 2010, 02:37:11 PM

Tell me, why do i see the Words TOP GUN when i see your Supervixen?

Great work & Can't wait to see Her when She's Ready!!!!!!!

Dan

kitbasher · January 17, 2010, 06:04:25 AM

Quote from: kitbasher on January 16, 2010, 01:49:16 PM
Roundels and serials will be placed as per the Sea Vixen

Just been painting the u/c legs and wheel hub in aluminium, giving some further thought to the roundels and serials. Fuselage serials will be on the tail booms, with squadron markings at the top of each fin. I think I've narrowed the choice down to either 64 Sqn (using NOVO Javelin items - assuming they don't 'die' when being used!) or 29 Sqn (using some very old Scale Aircraft Modelling transfers). I've still got a set of SAM Javelin markings, so might just use one of those, but not quite sure.
With regards to the fuselage roundels, I think I'm going to apply a small degree of artisitic license by having these a little larger than regular Sea Vixen roundels (ideally I'll use the correct size for Javelins) and placed a little further forward than was the case with the Sea Vixen, but more in keeping with the Javelin.
Having been tempted to bin this model on a couple of occasions, I've realised how little I've actually got left to do to finish it, so hopefully this new found momentum will stay with me now. Thanks, TallEng, for posting the pics of your Vixen, and for spurring me on!

Captain Canada · January 17, 2010, 06:16:37 AM

It sure is a nice feeling when you turn that corner, eh ?

Taiidantomcat · January 20, 2010, 07:20:16 PM

Love the paint job

kitbasher · January 31, 2010, 03:23:00 AM

Undercarriage now fitted, nose properly weighted, top-coating underway. Bang seat still to be painted and canopy firtled to fit - but still heading in the rigt directio. I think 64 Sqn markings beckon.

kitbasher · February 13, 2010, 02:35:11 AM

Proof that this build isn't falling by the wayside, here's the Work In Progress bang seat that's being done around my Navalise It! GB Jacana (http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,26459.msg388855.html#msg388855). The seat is a leftover from a Merlin Models Vampire T.11 that's still not built after 20-odd years in the stash (and even then I plan to use it as the basis for an NF.10). In the raw (as it were) the seat looks awful, but - and never judge a book by it's cover - it did look instantly better with a base coat of Humbrol 33 Matt Black, which rendered the detail more apparrent. Fuse wire pull handles to be fitted before fitting to the model, then it's canopy on and hopefully I can complete this 18-month 'quick build'! Sorry the pic's a bit fuzzy, by the way.