Boeing/BAC Triton MR1

[albeback]

Derived from Boeing 707-320. Winning contender out of 4 proposals to replace the Avro Shackleton - The Dassault- Breguet Atlantic, Lockheed P-3C Orion & BAC Nimrod. Selected on account of its superior range/performance/endurance.The higher unit cost resulted in reducing the RAF order from 46  to 38 airframes. Aircraft converted by Boeing then flown to UK for fitting out. Equipped 120, 201, 206, 42 Sqn & 236 OCU. 3 additional airframes later ordered as Triton R1 to equip 51 Sqn in the airborne ELINT role. Powered by 4 x Pratt & Whitney TF-33 P5 engines  ( later replaced by CFM-56). 2 weapons bays for internal carriage of wide range of Mines, torpedoes, ASMs, sonobuoys and, if needed, SAR equipment. Entered service  October 1969
At last! Been on my "what to whif" list for ages. Finally managed to get my grubby mitts on a Heller E3B/F kit on evilbay recently at a very reasonable price! This was a remarkably painless project. The modest parts count and, generally good fit of the parts were a considerable bonus. Add to that, the kit provides 2 complete sets of engines - both TF-33 & CFM -56s which, is another bonus. The thick but relatively soft plastic is easy to work with and, results in a very sturdy model! The windshield/cockpit roof was a very poor fit in contrast to the rest of the kit.

Bulk of the work involved the weapons bays - the long fuselage of the 707-320 is why I chose this kit. The interiors are a mix of plastic card, rod , sheet and some imagination. The roof of the weapon bays were  actually parts of the floor salvaged from a KC-135 kit & turbed upside down so the detailed side faced outwards. I opted for sliding doors (partially opened) & a relatively dark interior green partly to prove that there WAS something there but mostly to obscure a multitude of modelling sins!!

Other lumps & bumps - the nose radome is a combination of part of a drop tank from a B-47, milliput & a lot of luck!! The undernose dome came from the Revell Halifax. The bumps on the fuselage & tail were respectively an ECM pod from a Tornado and, a 100 gallon fuel tank from a 1/72 Harrier. The fairing from which the MAD boom protrudes was the OTHER drop tank from the same Harrier kit.

Not quite finished. The underside definitely needs a bit of touching up & some areas of the upper surface camouflage need another coat but, we're almost done. These types of aeroplane are usually festooned with aerials & antennae but, that can wait until AFTER final painting / decals. As for the gaping voids on the front of the engines? Well, I didn't like the ugly interior seams AND the fact that you can see right up into the engine pylons. Being too lazy to do anything else, I will fit intake covers! Simples!

One thing I did NOT want was one of those dreadfully dull & totally uninspiring overall low viz grey schemes!! Yuk!! For once in my life, I did a bit of research & came up with a four tone blue/blue-grey/Light/medium grey scheme. Colours used were (apart from underrcoat - Halfords Grey Primer) - Humbrol 64 Light Aircraft Grey ( underside),Xtracrylix XA1137 Light Gull Grey, xtracrylix XA1126 Intermediate Blue & Revell Aquacolour Blaugrau 79. Apart from the underside ( Humbrol 64 rattle can), the rest of the model was painted the proper way as, all my models are - by hand! Or, to be more accurate with PAINTBRUSHES gripped in said appendage! :lol

Also, apart from the upper/lower surface demarcation line, I didn't bother with any of that tedious masking! . I used the old fashioned method I've used for decades. Draw the pattern freehand on the model using a soft pencil & then carry out a "painting by numbers" exercise using flat brushes! Also simples! Model will be finishede in 120 Squadron markings.

One thing I overlooked of course was the size of this model!! It's huge! I've posed it next an Airfix 1/72 MiG 15 to give a sense of scale. I've also posed it next to one of its potential Cold War adversaries - the Tupolev TU-22 Drakon - an earlier whif.

Anyway, hope you like her. As ever, I welcome your comments and constructive criticism. I will be delighted to take on board any tips/advice if there is anything you may feel I could have done better.

IMG]http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g362/albeback52/005-6.jpg[/IMG]

[TallEng]

Well, that does look rather splendid
I like the weapons bays too.
And your right, it definitely needs more aerials etc.
re camouflage/colour scheme, if it was me (being a traditionalist ) I would have gone for
the later Dark sea grey/white top Shackleton scheme with Red outlined white Sqn numbers,
or the Light Aircraft Grey/white top of the early Nimrod scheme, depending on the time span when the Aircraft
you've modelled was meant to be in service- Those two always shout RAF Maritime type Aircraft (to me)
But as we say; its your model: you do what you like best

Regards
Keith

[albeback]

Well, that does look rather splendid
I like the weapons bays too.
And your right, it definitely needs more aerials etc.
re camouflage/colour scheme, if it was me (being a traditionalist ) I would have gone for
the later Dark sea grey/white top Shackleton scheme with Red outlined white Sqn numbers,
or the Light Aircraft Grey/white top of the early Nimrod scheme, depending on the time span when the Aircraft
you've modelled was meant to be in service- Those two always shout RAF Maritime type Aircraft (to me)
But as we say; its your model: you do what you like best

Regards
Keith

Hi Keith.

Thank you for your kind comments. I had briefly considered the "traditional" scheme you mentioned. It is actually quite smart but, I wanted  a scheme that, to the best of my knowledge, had never been used by the RAF before. I fully expect though  that there will be some out there who will shudder and say "consign him to the pyres of Smithfield!"

[Hobbes]

Well done, that quite a unique MPA. The RAF might have had some headaches with airframe fatigue though 

[albeback]

Well done, that quite a unique MPA. The RAF might have had some headaches with airframe fatigue though 

Hmmmm! Never really thought of that!!  Well, I will just have to assume that fatigue life had already been factored in and, covered for when Messrs Boeing proposed it! Where there's a whif, there's a way!

[Go4fun]

Bravo! A great bit of "Aluminum overcast" whiffery indeed. I will await the pictures of the finished aircraft.

[NARSES2]

Nice one sir

[RussC]

Well done, that quite a unique MPA. The RAF might have had some headaches with airframe fatigue though 

Hmmmm! Never really thought of that!!  Well, I will just have to assume that fatigue life had already been factored in and, covered for when Messrs Boeing proposed it! Where there's a whif, there's a way!

  A whif, duct tape, composite panels and plenty of funding...

  Coming along really well and liked the other two machines also, esp the Tu-22 in Flanker's colors.

[bearmatt]

That is a quite massive whif!
Very nice idea. Looking fwd to the final pics.

[Cobra]

This is Too Cool!  Hope to see More,or When you have it Finished Keep up the Great Work Dan

[chrisonord]

I like both the TU-22 and the Triton, both are quite inspirational, but my fav is the TU-22 
I have been pondering doing some more maritime aircraft for the Honduras Navy, but I don't think they will be getting anything quite so grand as the MRA1.
Excellent stuff.
Chris.

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Just great. Simple as that.

Ian

[kerick]

Very nice job!  These Boeing airframes seem to last forever.  USAF is still flying aircraft built in the 60s.  Great paint scheme too.  Did you thin the acrylics to be able to brush paint them so well?

[Army of One]

Great build n colour scheme there.....

[albeback]

Very nice job!  These Boeing airframes seem to last forever.  USAF is still flying aircraft built in the 60s.  Great paint scheme too.  Did you thin the acrylics to be able to brush paint them so well?

Thank you for your kind comment. . Paints were thinned but, the Xtracrylix paints do not, in my experience require much thinning before brushing. Too much & the coverage gets very poor. I like the Revell Aqua colours but, they DO need a lot of thinning. No strict formula but, seems to depend on how long the paint has been sitting in my box!! I think it was about 70(paint)/30(water). Usually I just try & get a consistency that's thin enough to brush while remaining dense enough not to require TOO many coats!! Trial & error. Despite all the adverse comments I have read re the Revell paints, I like them. Never given me any trouble - apart from being very thick consistency. I do not personally bother about "accuracy" of the colours. As long as they look right to me, that does it!!