Lt. Keith Gallagher's Lucky Escape - WARNING - Non Whiffery!!

tc2324 · August 06, 2013, 08:39:31 AM

Now some of you may of noticed my whiffery has not been as regular as usual. The simple fact of the matter is that I`m spending a bit of time building my 74 Sqn and VF-111 collection and spending what hard earned cash I get on supplying the stash with the relevant kits.

So far I have completed the following 74 Sqn topics.

However, the subject of this thread is not about them. (Admittedly it was just an excuse to show a Spit and Lightning...

)
It is however about this particular event way back in July 1991 aboard the USS Ab Lincoln.

Click on the link below for the full story.

http://www.gallagher.com/ejection_seat/

So while this is not a whiff as such, it is something slightly unusual and I thought that some of you may like to see how I`m going about recreating this event in plastic which has taken about 6 months so far. (I had a bit of a long break...)

I`m using the Revell 1/48 kit for this and went for the scratch building option to make it a `D` version.

Now on to that central hose unit under the belly. Here`s what I had to play with....,

... and after a bit of jiggery pokery....

... I ended up with this.

Next came Lt. Keith Gallagher himself.....,

...... and then onto the cockpit and main fuselage.

A quick dry fitting of the modified wings and resin flap parts....

A bit of practice on how to get a decent sized hole in the canopy without cracking it right open.....

The end result looking like this with the second picture showing a dry fit all together.

So there you have it, all up to date and now you know where the hell I`ve been concerning plastic modelling.

More soon.

Ian the Kiwi Herder · August 06, 2013, 01:42:21 PM

I like the look of this.... A LOT !!

Ian

philp · August 06, 2013, 06:46:12 PM

Great start. I had heard about this and seen some pics but don't think I have read the whole story before.

Luck of the Irish indeed (would make a good title for it don't you think).

Mossie · August 07, 2013, 02:26:53 AM

Great choice for a dio, looking forward to seeing this unfold.

Reminds me of a similar incident with a British Airways BAC 111, where a windscreen panel blew out and the Captain was trapped outside the aircraft. He suffered moderate injuries and recovered fully.

PR19_Kit · August 07, 2013, 03:48:07 AM

Quote from: Mossie on August 07, 2013, 02:26:53 AM
Great choice for a dio, looking forward to seeing this unfold.

Reminds me of a similar incident with a British Airways BAC 111, where a windscreen panel blew out and the Captain was trapped outside the aircraft. He suffered moderate injuries and recovered fully.

There was a TV programme about that incident not too long ago, totally horrifying!

The First Officer and Flight Engineer acted amazingly quickly to hang on to the Captain's legs to stop him being pulled clear of the aircraft and I believe they were both decorated afterward. Apparently the maintenance guys had used the wrong size bolts to replace the quarter panel in the windshield.

Dizzyfugu · August 07, 2013, 04:20:06 AM

Interesting topic, but makes a great diorama scene. Looking forward to the parachute - tricky to "build"

Mossie · August 07, 2013, 05:10:42 AM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on August 07, 2013, 03:48:07 AM
There was a TV programme about that incident not too long ago, totally horrifying!

The First Officer and Flight Engineer acted amazingly quickly to hang on to the Captain's legs to stop him being pulled clear of the aircraft and I believe they were both decorated afterward. Apparently the maintenance guys had used the wrong size bolts to replace the quarter panel in the windshield.

I probably saw the same program, I think there's been a few with it being such a bizzare incident. IIRC it was common practice for the fitters to eyeball a new bolt rather than cross check on the list. If it looked the same as the one it was replacing, it went in, unfortunately, there was only a slight difference between the two but enough for the windscreen to fall out.

Hats off to the guys who managed to keep him alive, same with the pilot of TC's build.

tc2324 · August 07, 2013, 05:26:24 AM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on August 07, 2013, 03:48:07 AM
Quote from: Mossie on August 07, 2013, 02:26:53 AM
Great choice for a dio, looking forward to seeing this unfold.

Reminds me of a similar incident with a British Airways BAC 111, where a windscreen panel blew out and the Captain was trapped outside the aircraft. He suffered moderate injuries and recovered fully.

There was a TV programme about that incident not too long ago, totally horrifying!

The First Officer and Flight Engineer acted amazingly quickly to hang on to the Captain's legs to stop him being pulled clear of the aircraft and I believe they were both decorated afterward. Apparently the maintenance guys had used the wrong size bolts to replace the quarter panel in the windshield.

Remember that incident well when it happened. Air Crash Investigation on the Nat Geo channel did a very good episode of it. Also I`m pretty sure it was the male flight attendant who did most of the `saving` as he was standing just behind the pilot when it happened.

Anyways.....

The builds now gaining pace with a majority of the main airframe complete.

Although I am wondering if the Revell A-6 kit is built to the same specifications as the SR-71 in the fact that where always seems to be plenty of `gaps` that need to be plugged.

tc2324 · August 07, 2013, 05:28:04 AM

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on August 07, 2013, 04:20:06 AM
Interesting topic, but makes a great diorama scene. Looking forward to the parachute - tricky to "build"

Got plenty of advice from a fellow model builder who did a similar build a few years back.

tc2324 · August 09, 2013, 07:17:12 AM

It`s filler time...!!!

Ok, so after fitting the intakes, I broke out the filler....

After seeing the `step` in more detail along the top of the join, I broke out the filler.....

... and after noticing the lump underneath the avionics bay between the air brakes that the A-6D does not have, I broke out the file for a change.

tc2324 · August 10, 2013, 09:32:32 AM

Principle spraying no complete and also the the ejection seat is also complete. (Well as far as I`m prepared to go anyway)

Got to sort out a few `loose ends` as such and then it`s onto the glossing and decals.

tc2324 · August 11, 2013, 12:14:52 PM

So to round up this weekends work, here yet again, is another mock up with the flaps and tanks dry fitted into place with the airframe also given a coat of gloss.

Now as some of you may remember I scratchbuilt the hose units. The tank was pretty easy but the unit under the airbrakes just aft of the engines was always going to be an issue. To me it half looked right and then this morning once glued into place it just looked like a bolted on bit which is not really how it should like.

So guess what...., it`s filler time again....

Obviously its unfinished, but as least the profile looks 90% right now.

tc2324 · August 13, 2013, 02:42:13 AM

So far so good as they say.

Decalled and washed with the slats and flaps fitted. The eagle eyed amoung you will notice the absence of the carrier name above the NAVY decal.

Simple answer is I haven`t got any, so anyone out there that may have a couple of 1/48 scale USS Abraham Lincoln decals and would like to donate them or sell them, that would be very very helpful.

Forgive the blurred picture of the hose housing, (compact is on the way out me thinks..., well thats my excuse), but it still shows that the profile is good after the scratchbuild and I`m happy with it. Also saved me a bit of cash getting aftermarket parts.

philp · August 13, 2013, 07:29:33 AM

it is coming along nicely.

NARSES2 · August 13, 2013, 07:50:56 AM

Quote from: philp on August 13, 2013, 07:29:33 AM
it is coming along nicely.

It is, isn't it