Thorvics'Blog

[Geoff]

That looks good!

[NARSES2]

It wasn't the Navy's idea it was BAC trying to flog a Naval Lightning rather than see us buy Phantoms.

Understood  Fishing trip then by BAC.

[Thorvic]

It wasn't the Navy's idea it was BAC trying to flog a Naval Lightning rather than see us buy Phantoms.

Understood  Fishing trip then by BAC.

In effect yes as they already built a Mach 2 interceptor, the VG wings helped make carrier landings and take offs more acceptable and the extended belly tank gave a little more endurance so they put a bid in hoping to do it on the cheap. As BAC they also had the Vickers Supermarine 583 from their southern wing which was the serious contender but was a new design that would take till the 70s to build, test and bring into service so I'm half wondering if the VG Naval lightning was seen as an interim stop gap solution to replace Sea Vixen ?

[Thorvic]

Anyway after looking at the detail parts on Sunday I decided to order some new wheels, a brass pitot and replacement resin seats (yes I know the kit ones have colour PE for all the belts and handles but I'm lazy and prefer to paint them as moulded in resin than play at adding PE seat belts as separate straps. The cold weather snap this weekend also put paid to any pre-spraying of the detail parts as the windows stayed closed to keep the cold wind out.

I quite enjoyed the build, its a shame Freightdog didn't do the complete resin Naval conversion with the replacement tank and fin fillet as I expect others would fancy the Naval version, but Paul Lucas found reference to the VG F6 single seat lightning and those will be cheaper to do and more readily available so the choice makes sense. Looking forward to seeing the F2A and F6 Lightning based VG models built as the VG set did appear to be quite popular seller at SMW.

[Thorvic]

Well managed to get a bit of work done on the Naval Lightning, although the storm at the weekend put paid to much of it as had to close the window the airbrush spray booth vents out from and I didn't fancy fighting the wind an rain to restock on the paints and maskol that's required for painting. I did manage to spay, varnish and mask the intake ring and ended up brush painting the wheel wells but perhaps it was a good omen with the storm as I noticed a crack in the rear of the belly pack so I been able to putty and sand that back to shape. The seats are done and I touched up the canopy so its still moving along slowly.

As I was a bit stuck I did some prep work to a Freightdog P177, painted the cockpit and wheel bays plus added the nose weight and let that cure. So that should follow on nicely once the VG lightning is primed. Doing both FAA so will spray them both at the same time as the same scheme of EDSG over white.

[Weaver]

Great progress Geoff but I'm afraid the Sea Lightning in my view continues a great F.A.A. "tradition" of taking an aircraft designed for land use and converting it for carrier use. I can see it getting off the deck but landing would have been hairy to say the least or was it's landing gear changed to an amazing degree ?

Sorry if I'm being thick but although I'm fascinated by it, it's far enough outside my period of interest for me to know much, if anything, about it.

As well as what everybody else said, the VG Lightning had it's undercarriage reversed so the track would have been wider than the standard version.

[Thorvic]

Great progress Geoff but I'm afraid the Sea Lightning in my view continues a great F.A.A. "tradition" of taking an aircraft designed for land use and converting it for carrier use. I can see it getting off the deck but landing would have been hairy to say the least or was it's landing gear changed to an amazing degree ?

Sorry if I'm being thick but although I'm fascinated by it, it's far enough outside my period of interest for me to know much, if anything, about it.

As well as what everybody else said, the VG Lightning had it's undercarriage reversed so the track would have been wider than the standard version.

Damn that reminds me I need to clean up and paint the replacement resin ones from the conversion set as those are still in the box - Cheers for the reminder H  .

Right now I need to restock on maskol, primer and a few other paints to allow a bit of building and painting over Christmas including completing the VG Naval Lightning and P177(N)

Still awaiting on my 2nd Argosy to arrive, Mr Models have then in unlike Hannants so was able to order the RAF Camouflage version so I can use the sqdn badge on my HS-681 and use the kit as a What-if 

[Thorvic]

Well got no further on the Naval Lightning this weekend, I did order the Maskol and paints on Friday but alas those won't arrive till today at best and more likely mid-week. I did however whilst ordering found a possible source for two Acrylic FAA Colours that Xtracrylix have neglected to do. Those colours are the RAF Blue Grey as see on the RN ASW helicopters from Whirlwind to Sea King and the British Helo Drab of the Junglies, so if I can get these in a usable and accurate shade then I will be happy, especially as the Airfix Sea King Commando is due out soon, which sounds like it can be backdated. Will let you know if they OK or if to avoid in due course.

The Argosy however did arrive after sitting in a My Hermes depot for a few days, so that's my 2nd kit which will allow me to start building one in the new year. The nature of the build requires a clean bench so I will do that when I have completed these three current builds I have on the go.

In addition to the Lightning I also have a Sword Gannet AEW3 in assembly, although no sure if this will be real world or Whiffed/PC as yet, If think it may depend on how the assembly goes. The other kit currently in build is the Freightdog SR P-177N, just got the fuselage assembled with the tail cone and chin intake in place so should get the basic assembly done in short order as a result.

Of course the problem is now that I will need to do a helicopter (or two soon) to try out the paints, oh well   

[Thorvic]

Oh well the plans I had whilst I was off over Christmas went out the window, the new Airfix Sea King HC.4 kit arrived so I just had to start one, managed to get the fuselage assembled this weekend and its sponsons are on, so its kinda fast tracked its way through the to do pile  .

I did however get the Sea Lightning primed, and the Gannet is assembled, awaiting some of the lumps and bumps that are separate in the Sword kit to be added. As I also have a P177N in build, I will get these built and primed and then do a spraying session as all these will be EDSG.

I also started the assembly of an Academy Hornet for the Cold War GB, although that's just basic pre-assembly at the moment.

I think the problem has been the weather, the wind and the rain appear to be catching the aspect of the house where my room is so I can't paint for too long with the window open for the spray booth vent as the room get too cold or the rain gets in. A bit annoying as the weather always seems to be bad just when I'm in the mood  .

I have a couple more for the GB lined up so hopefully it should keep me busy these next couple of months, and its nice to focus on some regular builds for a change.

I also got an X-box 360 for Christmas, so when the modelling mojo is low I can do a bit of gaming, although learning to use a controller is proving interesting. The fun part is I have a classic games collection with some games I played on the ZX Spectrum way back in 1984 to help me get used to the controller as when I tried Star Wars Battlefront I was all over the place trying to control an X-Wing.                     

[Captain Canada]

The builds sound great Geoff. Can't wait to see the plans for the Argosy.

What about this battlefront game ? I thought it was one of these 'shooter' games where it's basically a guy walking around shooting stuff ( boring in my eye, and so many games are like this now ) but it sounds like you can fly ships as well ? Ever play the old 'Rogue Squadron' ? Best video game ever !

[Thorvic]

Well managed to somehow shoot myself in the foot somewhat at the weekend, as I finally got the Se Lightning ready to spray its upper surfaces, Xtracrylix EDSG. Now to do so requires my Airbrush, but its actually nearly 10 months since I last used the airbrush, as I was able to use rattle cans for building the HS-681, so got my faithful trusty badger 200 out and gave it a clean through to test it out in preparation, still working fine after what must be at least 30yrs, however could I find my paint cups or even the syphon jar ? - could I hell as like.

Spent the rest of the weekend checking boxes and cupboards for the former kit box that these items are likely to be, but to no avail.

Monday was thus spent scouring the net to try and source the respective parts, which I eventually found and ordered from Shesto, these being delivered on the Wednesday.

In the meantime I have just masked up the canopies and windows for the Airfix Sea king HC4, just a couple o bits to sort out and I can prime it, I also used the time to sort the canopy on the SR177 after I managed to loose the original as I was preparing some shims for it to adjust the fit  . Looking to mask that tonight so I can prime that as well and hopefully I may be able to get the initial painting done so it can be masked and sprayed EDSG at the same time as the Sea Lightning.

Of course I just know that once I finally spray these I will obviously find the missing box with the accessories in it, such is sods law in modelling, as I did another of the laws and pierced my finger with the tip of the new X-Acto no11 blade I was using to trim the masking tape with. Plus yet again encountered the first law again, in that picked up fresh blades at the Bolton show as I was sure I was down to the last and slightly blunt blade when I went to the show and knew I would need more only to find a fresh pack in plain sight when I went to gig out a fresh blade to do the masking 

[Thorvic]

Well I got my replacement bits for the Airbrush and did I get to use them this weekend - of course not  .

However I can't complain as opposed to getting the Sea Lightning sprayed in EDSG, I did get the P177 ready to paint, masked, primed and painted white and also masked so its ready for EDSG as is the Gannet. I also managed to paint the Airfix Sea King HC4 using Tamiya NATO green as the fleet switched from RN Helo Drab to NATO green in the Noughties.

So whilst I didn't quite get round to what I wanted to paint I did manage to get stuff ready for a solid session of spraying when I get chance during the week (Storms permitting !).

Once I get these four done, decaled and finished I can crack on with the Cold War Hornet build and hopefully get a couple of shelf queens finished off at the same time as its time I should.

[Thorvic]

Well after a rather crap 2016- made redundant, father then terminally ill and passing away, the actual modelling has been on the back burner most of last year.

However its a new year and the mojo is back and the focus is back on my Carriers 

So have been able to get resin Colossus class kits and have used those to measure and correct the scratch built 1/700 HMAS Melbourne hull I did a few years ago. In the last couple of weeks I reshaped the bows and the flight deck, created the Island sponson and Angled deck sponson and started on the Island super-structure. Just need to do the Gun tubs and Projector landing Site platform to sort out the hull structure before carrying on with the Island.

I have completed a modified Fujimi 1/700 HMS Eagle with the Angled deck mods to do her circa Suez Crisis and have picked up 3D printed Sea Venom, Sea Hawk and Wyverns for her Airgroup. Primed and ready paint.

As mojo motivator and to fill in the carrier gap I have assembled and primed a Revell 1/700 HMS Invincible which will be completed circa 1981 standard when I first saw her ( I have other kits to do Falklands and later including an Orang Hobby HMS Hermes  ).

Another on the go is the Phantom conversion of a Fujimi Ark Royal. have done the basic Hull structures and started on the Island, although difficulty sourcing a suitable etch set to do the lattice masts  .

However the special build the above are acting as gap fillers for is the 1/700 Imperial Hobby Productions HMS Malta kit that's being modernised to a full Phantom fit as an alternative to the Ark Royal. Replaced the main Gun Sponsons, moved a deck edge lift from Port to Starboard and created an Angled deck. Just dropped a clanger by cutting out the forward deck lift and got it out of position (rushing without checking - DOH ) so will cut out a fresh flight deck in the morning using the ole one as a template. I will need to paint up the hanger and add details if the deck lifts are down so will also need to add some folded aircraft to before the deck is fitted and blended in. Again more Shapeways aircraft in the form of Phantom FG1 and Buccaneers. Radar fit will be the same as HMS Eagle and she will get Sea Cat.

Photos to follow when I can get back onto Photobucket as had to replace HDD last week.

I have the Orange Hobby HMS Victorious and another Hermes as the Commando Carrier which will be back dated to a conventional carrier format, as already stated I have the various CVS invincible class formats and my CVF will get a refit too so I should have quite a range of post war British Carriers.

Two more real builds will be the Colossus class ships Ocean and Triumph in honour of my late father who served on both ships and were some of his fondest memories

[The Rat]

Tribute builds are a great way to honour people. Hit the bench! 

[NARSES2]

Glad the mojo has returned Geoff 

Didn't realise you'd been made redundant, commiserations.