Airfix

[Mossie]

Would an air launched Bloodhound need its boosters? How fast did the Thor engine need to be going before it would start OK?

Wiki's errata on ramjets says anything above M0.5 for a ramjet to produce usable thrust.

I believe the Gosling boosters took the missile to Match 2 and the Thor ramjets were there to sustain it.  So you probably would still need some booster.  Also, the boosters struggled to produce enough thrust to ignite the Thors at less than -25⁰C (an issue in Swiss and Swedish service).  So cold air at altitude may have been an issue.

[Pellson]

We sorted that. Mostly a fuel issue. A chap in my small school had a dad who worked on the Swedish Rb68 Bloodhounds.
Then again, we did some other work on them, making you brits buying them back, eventually. 
Also, the SeaDarts never had much probs with their Thors, methinks?

I would guess any airborne launch over M0,7 wound ignite the Thors nicely if just properly tuned. But the Bloodhpund was a pretty big missile to be utilised air-to-air, don't you think?

[PR19_Kit]

But the Bloodhpund was a pretty big missile to be utilised air-to-air, don't you think?

Not if it was hung under a Vulcan or similar.   

You could double stack them under a Beverley....................   

[Nick]

I've built the SWB Land Rover.  Its basic.  For best results paint the "glass" black on the inside and print a radiator grille.

That Land Rover started out in 1992 as a short run kit from JB Models. Basic yes, but not too bad for where it came from.
Airfix bought the JB range in 2007-ish and kept on popping them.
Fun little builds that add to a diorama.

[Mossie]

Also, the SeaDarts never had much probs with their Thors, methinks?

I would guess any airborne launch over M0,7 wound ignite the Thors nicely if just properly tuned. But the Bloodhpund was a pretty big missile to be utilised air-to-air, don't you think?

Sea Dart used a smaller ramjet, a smaller package all round but still needed a booster.  It was considered for Vulcan though, IIRC up to sixteen.  That would have been an impressive sight.

I think Bloodhound could have been made to work at a push, if far from ideal. The Soviets managed some ruddy big missiles.  Be a great model though.

[PR19_Kit]

Sixteen Bloodhound kits, and a Vulcan kit, and all the pylons would need to be scratchbuilt.

I better check my World Bank account first.................   

[AeroplaneDriver]

Sixteen Bloodhound kits, and a Vulcan kit, and all the pylons would need to be scratchbuilt.

I better check my World Bank account first.................   

SIXTEEEN???  That's quite the load.  I would have thought four a more reasonable maximum at about 5,000lb a pop. 

[Steel Penguin]

you can get one blood hound under a TSR2 fairly well     its how i did my ASAT air frame.  pictures were on here in one of the cosford show  threads.

[jcf]

Having a misfire of one of the four boosters would make life interesting.

[Beermonster58]

Some grumpy gits on here today. 

I would suggest that the term "disappointed" would  be a much fairer description and, in my view, rightly so. Too start with, we had all they hype, build up and anticipation promoted by the manufacturer itself which, turned out to be largely pointless and exaggerated although, I freely accept that modellers  do not help by allowing themselves to be duped into a feeding frenzy of anticipation.

But, what we have instead?  Aircraft subjects (particularly 1/72) are their biggest market and yet, As already stated several times, their customers this year get little more than crumbs from the table. 1/72 in particular, gives us only an overpriced, simplified "starter set" and, a bunch of retreads with different decals at higher prices. The latter of course will have already have been purchased in their original guise and, I suggest the disappointment is reflected in the comments of those (like me ) who already have the originals and simply don't want any more. There has also been a disturbing (in my view anyway) emphasis on 1/48 creeping in with regard to aircraft kits.

It's pretty clear that there is a lot of disappointment in Airfix this year and, I suspect that this might very well be reflected in significantly reduced sales which, no doubt ,will reflect in an even less impressive programme for 2024. At least Airfix has saved me money this year which I can spend elsewhere. The only two kits I will be buying are the Brewster Buffalo and, Fairey Rotodyne.

I'm sure other modellers will take a different view. That's fair enough and,. I respect that. It is what it is and, I'm not going to dwell on an otherwise miserable Airfix year. At least I've got something out of it which, I guess is  all that one can really ask for. Most of my custom goes elsewhere this year. My choice and, Airfix's loss.
 
 

[Beermonster58]

The Rotodyne tempts me.  Dare I hope for a new decal sheet that will have both civil and military markings?

I fear you will be disappointed! The idea behind the Vintage Classics is that you get the original kit with the original colour scheme options albeit the decals will be brand new , better quality prints. It will be up to outside manufacturers to provide alternative colour schemes should they desire or, we can always raid our spares boxes and/or modify existing decal sheets

[Thorvic]

The Rotodyne tempts me.  Dare I hope for a new decal sheet that will have both civil and military markings?

I fear you will be disappointed! The idea behind the Vintage Classics is that you get the original kit with the original colour scheme options albeit the decals will be brand new , better quality prints. It will be up to outside manufacturers to provide alternative colour schemes should they desire or, we can always raid our spares boxes and/or modify existing decal sheets

They are recreated as accurate markings based on new research to represent the subject, but its still the original subject. With the Rotodyne that will be the Fairey decals, what would be nice if the later Westland markings might be also included.

[kitnut617]

Sixteen Bloodhound kits, and a Vulcan kit, and all the pylons would need to be scratchbuilt.

I better check my World Bank account first.................   

SIXTEEEN???  That's quite the load.  I would have thought four a more reasonable maximum at about 5,000lb a pop. 

I pretty sure I've seen something about the proposed air-to-air variant of the Bloodhound. It didn't have any of the four boosters with the large fin attached.. It did have something larger than the ram motors IIRC. Getting 16 of just the fuselage and ram motors only needs four pylons per side.

[Thorvic]

Some grumpy gits on here today. 

I would suggest that the term "disappointed" would  be a much fairer description and, in my view, rightly so. Too start with, we had all they hype, build up and anticipation promoted by the manufacturer itself which, turned out to be largely pointless and exaggerated although, I freely accept that modellers  do not help by allowing themselves to be duped into a feeding frenzy of anticipation.

But, what we have instead?  Aircraft subjects (particularly 1/72) are their biggest market and yet, As already stated several times, their customers this year get little more than crumbs from the table. 1/72 in particular, gives us only an overpriced, simplified "starter set" and, a bunch of retreads with different decals at higher prices. The latter of course will have already have been purchased in their original guise and, I suggest the disappointment is reflected in the comments of those (like me ) who already have the originals and simply don't want any more. There has also been a disturbing (in my view anyway) emphasis on 1/48 creeping in with regard to aircraft kits.

It's pretty clear that there is a lot of disappointment in Airfix this year and, I suspect that this might very well be reflected in significantly reduced sales which, no doubt ,will reflect in an even less impressive programme for 2024. At least Airfix has saved me money this year which I can spend elsewhere. The only two kits I will be buying are the Brewster Buffalo and, Fairey Rotodyne.

I'm sure other modellers will take a different view. That's fair enough and,. I respect that. It is what it is and, I'm not going to dwell on an otherwise miserable Airfix year. At least I've got something out of it which, I guess is  all that one can really ask for. Most of my custom goes elsewhere this year. My choice and, Airfix's loss.
 
 

Exactly and that's my fear by providing a lack lustre 72nd range, they will judge sales falling and focus even less on it next time around, in effect by killing off their own range and possibly their business by not providing product the modellers want to buy. I must have bought 20 Phantoms and 20 buccaneers, but only one meteor and tempest. I'll buy the noddy F35B as will be a background filler but would have bought multiples of a decent kit.
Airfix have increasingly focused on 48th scale and are ignoring 72nd as we have been pleading for them to scale down the Sea Vixen, Javelin, Seafires and now the Anson. They correct failing in the 48th hunter but not the 72nd Phantom and with the Buccaneers in 72nd you get either early RN service or end of service options but no options to do the main cold war 70s/80s options with the anti-ship missiles all of which are provided in the 48th kits.
Yes many senior or returning modellers who tend to be more vocal on social media have switched to the larger scales, but as can be seen on here many of us are not upscaling, as don't have the space, the money or inclination to change up especially when most of existing collection in 72nd.

I don't begrudge Airfix doing the 48th kits, expanding the 43rd cars and applaud the choice to develop the 35th Ferret, but to sacrifice the traditional 72nd range seems to be very short sighted and foolish.

They are all doing the same , Revell, Italeri, Airfix focusing on larger scale vain big ticket projects but treating 72nd with rehashes 

[Mossie]

The Rotodyne tempts me.  Dare I hope for a new decal sheet that will have both civil and military markings?

I fear you will be disappointed! The idea behind the Vintage Classics is that you get the original kit with the original colour scheme options albeit the decals will be brand new , better quality prints. It will be up to outside manufacturers to provide alternative colour schemes should they desire or, we can always raid our spares boxes and/or modify existing decal sheets

They are recreated as accurate markings based on new research to represent the subject, but its still the original subject. With the Rotodyne that will be the Fairey decals, what would be nice if the later Westland markings might be also included.

S&M did a sheet with the roundels and fin flash, it also had early and late what if BEA markings. It was in two scales, one for the Airfix kit, one for the Revell.  I've got the set for the Revell kit.

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