Why doesn't the Avro Arrow get much whif attention?

[dragon]

I have built one whiffed arrow.

Part of the problem is that the one kit that is widely available is the Hobbycrap kit.  This is an extremely plain kit.  Because of the dimensions of the Arrow, there aren't that many things one can do with the Arrow other than paint it differently of give it different markings.  While I have added things to the fuselage, other things do occur to me: conformal tanks, change in location of landing gear, change of intakes, etc.

[kitnut617]

I have built one whiffed arrow.

Part of the problem is that the one kit that is widely available is the Hobbycrap kit.  This is an extremely plain kit.  Because of the dimensions of the Arrow, there aren't that many things one can do with the Arrow other than paint it differently of give it different markings.  While I have added things to the fuselage, other things do occur to me: conformal tanks, change in location of landing gear, change of intakes, etc.

How do you like vacuforms Dragon?   I have about 40 Victoria Products Canada kits in 1/72 which are said to be about the best representation of the Arrow (alongside the Astra one,  http://www.avro-arrow.org/Arrow/models.html  )  Why do I have 40 you may ask, well a couple of years ago, someone here (Evan I think) posted that the moulds were for sale on eBay, I bid on it and won and when the boxes arrived there were a number of kits included ready for shipping.  I've just never got around to marketing them yet.  There's also the very good MasterCaster resin set (  http://www.mastercasters.co.uk/resources/MST72001_500.jpg  ) which I have a couple of, this is geared towards the Hobbycraft kit, but I'm going to test one on one of the VP kits.

[Weaver]

I have built one whiffed arrow.

Part of the problem is that the one kit that is widely available is the Hobbycrap kit.  This is an extremely plain kit.  Because of the dimensions of the Arrow, there aren't that many things one can do with the Arrow other than paint it differently of give it different markings.  While I have added things to the fuselage, other things do occur to me: conformal tanks, change in location of landing gear, change of intakes, etc.

The thing that's always occured to me is to replace the weapon bay with a fuel tank and put four Sparrows on the fuselage corners, F-15-style. Maybe have fin pockets in the pack-tank for two more semi-conformal ones..... Give it a conventional canopy too.

[B777LR]

The Arrow is not as popular for whiff as the TSR, because...

1. There has always been a small, but steady supply of Arrow kits

2. There has always been a much too small and inconsistant supply of TSRs.

That meant that when Airfix announced their plans to do a limited run of TSRs, everybody went "OMG! Ive never been able to get a TSR before, so now i must go buy 50!"
Once all kits where bough up by the select few modelers who came before the ebay sellers (those whom charge about $1000 for a TSR), all the modelers with 50 each went "what do we do with all these TSRs?"...

[PR19_Kit]

I have about 40 Victoria Products Canada kits in 1/72 which are said to be about the best representation of the Arrow (alongside the Astra one,  http://www.avro-arrow.org/Arrow/models.html  )  Why do I have 40 you may ask, well a couple of years ago, someone here (Evan I think) posted that the moulds were for sale on eBay, I bid on it and won and when the boxes arrived there were a number of kits included ready for shipping. 

Do you now?? That IS good news, I've always liked the Victoria stuff, but somehow missed out on the Arrow. As a matter of general interest how big ARE the moulds for something that size? I've always been amazed at the size of the moulds Densil Wade makes for his Welsh Models 1/144 scale airliners, they are HUGE compared to the actual moulding, but it's something to do with the way the material has to stretch as it's moulded apparently.

So when does the sales campaign start? 

[kitnut617]

I have about 40 Victoria Products Canada kits in 1/72 which are said to be about the best representation of the Arrow (alongside the Astra one,  http://www.avro-arrow.org/Arrow/models.html  )  Why do I have 40 you may ask, well a couple of years ago, someone here (Evan I think) posted that the moulds were for sale on eBay, I bid on it and won and when the boxes arrived there were a number of kits included ready for shipping.

Do you now?? That IS good news, I've always liked the Victoria stuff, but somehow missed out on the Arrow. As a matter of general interest how big ARE the moulds for something that size? I've always been amazed at the size of the moulds Densil Wade makes for his Welsh Models 1/144 scale airliners, they are HUGE compared to the actual moulding, but it's something to do with the way the material has to stretch as it's moulded apparently.

So when does the sales campaign start?  

I guess it's just started Kit  I want to shift the ones I have so I'm going to sell them at $10.00 each plus postage (which is the killer I think).  There's no decals or u/c legs but you do get a clear canopy which is split in two as like the real thing. Also you get a comprehensive instruction sheet.

Here's some photos of the moulds

[PR19_Kit]

Robert,

Strewth, they ARE big! That's some slabs of resin you have there........

Count me in for two Arrows please, will they now be called Kitnut Arrows, instead of Victoria? 

[kitnut617]

Robert,

Strewth, they ARE big! That's some slabs of resin you have there........

Count me in for two Arrows please, will they now be called Kitnut Arrows, instead of Victoria? 

They're bloody heavy too     I'm not sure if I will change the name, VP had a good name around the industry so it might be better if I left it as is with a note saying the kit is under new ownership. I'll get in touch with the old owner and see if he would go along with that first though.

--------PM inbound----------

[Mossie]

Just saw in SAMI that a Czech company called Mini Wing have released a resin 1/144 Avro Arrow, available from Nostalgic Plastic, although it'll set you back $42US.
http://www.nostalgicplastic.com/moreinfo.cfm?FROM=Scale&KIT=3225

[pyro-manic]

Ooh, count me in for a couple as well.

[The Rat]

Okay, just got a communique from Alvis, he sent me the motherlode of his Arrow builds. Take a look here!

[dragon]

I have built one whiffed arrow.

Part of the problem is that the one kit that is widely available is the Hobbycrap kit.  This is an extremely plain kit.  Because of the dimensions of the Arrow, there aren't that many things one can do with the Arrow other than paint it differently of give it different markings.  While I have added things to the fuselage, other things do occur to me: conformal tanks, change in location of landing gear, change of intakes, etc.

How do you like vacuforms Dragon?   I have about 40 Victoria Products Canada kits in 1/72 which are said to be about the best representation of the Arrow (alongside the Astra one,  http://www.avro-arrow.org/Arrow/models.html  )  Why do I have 40 you may ask, well a couple of years ago, someone here (Evan I think) posted that the moulds were for sale on eBay, I bid on it and won and when the boxes arrived there were a number of kits included ready for shipping.  I've just never got around to marketing them yet.  There's also the very good MasterCaster resin set (  http://www.mastercasters.co.uk/resources/MST72001_500.jpg  ) which I have a couple of, this is geared towards the Hobbycraft kit, but I'm going to test one on one of the VP kits.

Actually vacuforms scare the willies out of me.   

[B777LR]

I've got one of Kitnuts Arrows, in progress. Can't say it is an easy build, but then again, it is my very first vacform It does look nice though

[Sauragnmon]

I did an Arrow back just after christmas, Sovietized, as the MiG-105 "Arrowski" - rather off the shelf, though I modified the fuselage in order to open the weapons bay and have one AA-10 on the rack.

I've got another Three Arrow-related builds on the drawing board, including two half-furnished - The Phantarrow, crossbred with a Phantom, and the Shenyang Aircraft Corp J-10 Interceptor, where the wings will be merged to an Old Revell Foxhound - I was annoyed when I found I got shipped the old instead of the new, before I realized the SAC J-10 only Vaguely resembled a full delta foxhound, convenient when the Old Revell only Vaguely resembles a Foxhound to begin with!  The third project is much more Arrow, an Arrow Mk2, which will feature redesigned engine mountings, slightly widened nose to accomodate an AWG-9 set, and Phoenixes in the bay.  Ostensibly, I might put Sidewinders on additionally.  I've got two Arrows on order to my LMS - shouldn't be TOO hard to get those in, as he uses Hobbycrap as his distributor, unlike trying to get the Chengdu J-10's I want or the Revell Typhoon.

[Stargazer]

What if... the unallocated "F-109" designation had been allocated to a cancelled program?

And what if that program was an Americanized version of the ill-fated Canadian Avro CF-105 Arrow?

Here's my take on this idea, adapted from a photograph of the replica taken by Simon Blakeley and found on Airliners.net.