Airfix

[Mossie]

There's an insight into this on the workbench blog for the Buccaneer.  It mentions that they attempt to avoid join lines as much possible.  It also mentions that Matt Whiting has vast 'industry' experience, which suggests to me it's more generalised rather than kit design?

Scroll about 2/3 of the way, just after the slipper tank drawing:
https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/strike-fast-and-low-in-2019

[jcf]

The wing on the Hunter is brilliant. 

The design of the wings and their attachment to the fuselage is one
of the worst features of the Academy kit. 

[kitbasher]

I did think about putting Hornet wings on a Devon, then I looked at it and realised that it'd be impractical.  If it won't work with a Devon, it won't with a Heron.

Airfix Meteor III or FROG Meteor F4 wings on a Dove?  1940s Jet Dragon (the original name for the dH/HS/BAe 125)! 

[kitbasher]

plus ça change?

[zenrat]

Could the box art pics be based on a photo?

[Gondor]

I remember reading an article about the interpretation of black and white photographs to determine color which included Dooleybird as one of the examples. My personal idea would be that while they had the blue paint out to do the checks around the nose they probably used the same paint for the trim around the canopy and on the upper decking too.

Gondor

[AS.12]

There's an insight into this on the workbench blog for the Buccaneer.

Thaks for a linky.  Shame they spent so long talking about the real-World Bucc ( which anyone can read about on Wikipedia etc ) and not so much on the actual scanning process.

The UAS Bucc is near me at Long Kesh so though I'd prefer an S.Mk.1 I might buy an Airfix Mk.2 'for posterity'.

[NARSES2]

There's an insight into this on the workbench blog for the Buccaneer.  It mentions that they attempt to avoid join lines as much possible.  It also mentions that Matt Whiting has vast 'industry' experience, which suggests to me it's more generalised rather than kit design?

Cheers Mossie 

Re the Dooleybird scheme. Lifelike Decals have a special sheet for "Big Beautifull Doll" which has 6 different variations of livery worn at different periods of time, Just wonder if Dooleybird was the same ?

[The Wooksta!]

Dooleybird was with 19sqn when they were based at Acklington, just up the road from me.  A mate is building the Airfix 72nd kit with the Freightdog conversion and wants an NMF one that ISN'T Dooleybird, on the grounds that it's been done to death.

[AeroplaneDriver]

The wing on the Hunter is brilliant. 

The design of the wings and their attachment to the fuselage is one
of the worst features of the Academy kit. 

Agree on both points.  Airix wing looks genius. As for Academy...it's awful  Yet Revell did the same basic arrangment on their 1/72 and it is close to kit perfection. 

[Thorvic]

Finally had a look at the Phantom FGR2 kit, they have included a sprue for the RAF nose leg, recon pack, gun pod and strike camera along with unslotted tail planes. Bit disappointing as the options are all for RWR equipped later F-4Ms 2 ADV and 1 Recon so no mention in the instructions about the RWR less tail, folding the wing tips and no option to do the Radar under service as the Radar unit itself was on the not included RN sprue.

A bit disappointing as missed opportunity to cover the Early FGR2 in their strike role with the early schemes with colourful squadron bars, and stack load of SNEB, 1000lbers or BL755 cluster bombs.

They do have a 2nd boxing of the FG1 kit with the RAF markings for 43 sqdn early and 111s Black Mike late so maybe that will include the RAF sprue for the gun pod.

Perhaps we will see a later boxing of the FGR2 with an early strike focus as a later date.

[Weaver]

Finally had a look at the Phantom FGR2 kit, they have included a sprue for the RAF nose leg, recon pack, gun pod and strike camera along with unslotted tail planes. Bit disappointing as the options are all for RWR equipped later F-4Ms 2 ADV and 1 Recon so no mention in the instructions about the RWR less tail, folding the wing tips and no option to do the Radar under service as the Radar unit itself was on the not included RN sprue.

A bit disappointing as missed opportunity to cover the Early FGR2 in their strike role with the early schemes with colourful squadron bars, and stack load of SNEB, 1000lbers or BL755 cluster bombs.

They do have a 2nd boxing of the FG1 kit with the RAF markings for 43 sqdn early and 111s Black Mike late so maybe that will include the RAF sprue for the gun pod.

Perhaps we will see a later boxing of the FGR2 with an early strike focus as a later date.

There is a non-RWR fin in the box though, and it also has the strike camera(?) that fits in one of the forward Sparrow bays.


I read that Canada fitted a jump-strut to their CF-5s in order to reduce take-off distance, so I'm now wondering if they'd take the opportunity to have that option on what-if Phantoms as well.

[PR19_Kit]

What's a 'jump-strut' please?

[kitnut617]

What's a 'jump-strut' please?

CF-116's were fitted with a two-position nose strut which when extended increased the angle of attack by 3 degrees for take-offs. I think this is what Harold is referring to.

This is what the strut looks like.

[TallEng]

I remember reading an article about the interpretation of black and white photographs to determine color which included Dooleybird as one of the examples. My personal idea would be that while they had the blue paint out to do the checks around the nose they probably used the same paint for the trim around the canopy and on the upper decking too.

Gondor

As I recall there was an article in Scale Aircraft Modeller by Paul Lucas about Dooleybird and interpreting colours from black and white photographs. The article showed several side views of Dooleybird in black and white and how different colours might seem in B+W. He then explained how he came to choose the particular colour of the trim around the cockpit that was shown in the colour profile.
Can't remember what colour it was but I believe he was wrong, as an issue or two later someone had written in to say that they used to work at Acklington (or knew someone that did) and that the trim colour around the cockpit was yellow, as per Airfix's box top. I also recall that Flight Lieutenant Dooley was a flight commander and there was at least one if not two Mustangs of 19Sqn that had names on the side in the same style as Dooleybird, the names AFAIK are not known, but a partial view of at least one of them appears in Roger Freeman's Mustang at War (my first proper airplane book  ) obscured by Dooleybird herself. One could postulate that they where also Flight commanders Airplanes and that their cockpit trim was also in Flight colours, possibly red and green? One could further postulate that the C.O.'s Mustang was most likely to have had the blue trim around the canopy, although Black was also used by squadron C.O.'s
So plenty of options for a little bit of subtle Whiffyness......

Regards
Keith