BPF Spearfish

[NARSES2]

No backstory with this one as I'm a little knackered at the mo.

So here we have a Spearfish of 854 Sqd off of HMS Illustrious in the early summer of 1946 just having been readied for the week long series of raids that the FAA made on Haiphong together with elements of the RAF and French AF prior to the invasion of Indo-China by the combined British/French forces.

Kit is the Magna one and the build details can be found in my blog on this site

Basically it's a straightforward build but uses a fair chunk of filler. I've just added the guns (wings and turret), aerial and pitot. Markings are from a Xtradecal set for the BPF national markings and a DP Casper sheet (operation Meridian) for the Sqd codes etc which come from an Avenger. The BPF seemed to use pretty minimal markings as far as I can tell.

[PR19_Kit]

Is it just the impression it gives off, or is it a BIG aeroplane?

It looks pretty darn smart Chris, especially from a Magna kit. 

[Dizzyfugu]

Yes, it's big, and UGLY (not the model, nice build!) - the Pacific markings suit the Spearfish very well. 

[PR19_Kit]

Ugly?

I can think of quite a number of aircraft of the period that were uglier, the Skyraider for a start.

[The Wooksta!]

Nice, except I'd have the panels just behind the exhausts painted a high gloss silver or metal certainly - the similar panels on the RN SEa Furies were always polished as the exhaust staining could show engine problems.

Actually, I'm not that keen on the scheme it's in.  I'll qualify that as there's nothing wrong with it - I love that scheme (especially on Seafires and Seafangs) - but on something that big, it really needs the Dark Slate Grey to break up the shape

Really need to dig mine out and rebuild it.  Found the other two Magna ones in the loft at me Mam's a few days back.  Wish I knew where the Contrail one is.  That was one of their better kits and one I enjoyed immensely.

[The Rat]

Always loved that aircraft! (To which someone is now saying "Well, I guess somebody has to.  )

[kitnut617]

Yeah! love that big old girl ---

Just an observation Chris, the blades look like they're in the wrong pitch   

[comrade harps]

I like it. 

[NARSES2]

Is it just the impression it gives off, or is it a BIG aeroplane?

It looks pretty darn smart Chris, especially from a Magna kit. 

It's a very big aeroplane

Nice, except I'd have the panels just behind the exhausts painted a high gloss silver or metal certainly - the similar panels on the RN SEa Furies were always polished as the exhaust staining could show engine problems.

Absolutely right Lee. I forgot, but easily fixed

wow nice one, in terms of how big, is it around Avenger size or bigger?

I don't have a made up Avenger available but it's bigger. Avenger Span 54ft 2" ; Lgth 40ft ; Height 15ft 8" - Spearfish Span 60ft 3" ; Lgth 44ft 7"; Height 13ft 6"

Yeah! love that big old girl ---

Just an observation Chris, the blades look like they're in the wrong pitch   

Quite probably mate. I'm afraid it's a blind spot of mine when fixing individual blades. I've never been able to get the way their done sorted out in my mind. Just a basic lack of understanding that no amount of reading and looking at photos seems to sort  Just weird but there it is 

[kitbasher]

Very nice indeed Chris.  The Spearfish is a big beastie indeed - around 5 feet longer and wider spanwise than the Avenger.

It's an attractive aircraft certainly, who knows how it would have performed if fully developed and put into service. 

Thanks for the link to the Firebrand - another almost-ran (like the Austin Allegro!).  Had it been more efficiently developed could it have been British equivalent of the single-seater Skyraider (Kit Spackman - wash your mouth out you naughty ma, how dare you say the Skyraider is ugly)?

[PR19_Kit]

Is it just the impression it gives off, or is it a BIG aeroplane?

It looks pretty darn smart Chris, especially from a Magna kit. 

It's a very big aeroplane

<snip>

I don't have a made up Avenger available but it's bigger. Avenger Span 54ft 2" ; Lgth 40ft ; Height 15ft 8" - Spearfish Span 60ft 3" ; Lgth 44ft 7"; Height 13ft 6"

Blimey, it IS big! 

[PR19_Kit]

Thanks for the link to the Firebrand - another almost-ran (like the Austin Allegro!).  Had it been more efficiently developed could it have been British equivalent of the single-seater Skyraider (Kit Spackman - wash your mouth out you naughty ma, how dare you say the Skyraider is ugly)?

The Allegro an 'almost-ran'? Most would say it NEVER ran, not properly anyway. 

It's that HUGELY deep rear fuselage that gets me about the Skyraider, it's well out of proportion, specially on the single seat bubble canopy versions. The 4 seaters have a better sense of balance to them to my mind.

[kitnut617]

Thanks for the link to the Firebrand - another almost-ran (like the Austin Allegro!).  Had it been more efficiently developed could it have been British equivalent of the single-seater Skyraider (Kit Spackman - wash your mouth out you naughty ma, how dare you say the Skyraider is ugly)?

The Allegro an 'almost-ran'? Most would say it NEVER ran, not properly anyway.  

It's that HUGELY deep rear fuselage that gets me about the Skyraider, it's well out of proportion, specially on the single seat bubble canopy versions. The 4 seaters have a better sense of balance to them to my mind.

Well, for the most part Kit, they were two or three seaters with the one or two extra guys buried in the rear fuselage ---  Then the original design was for a bomb bay too --

[PR19_Kit]

Thanks for the link to the Firebrand - another almost-ran (like the Austin Allegro!).  Had it been more efficiently developed could it have been British equivalent of the single-seater Skyraider (Kit Spackman - wash your mouth out you naughty ma, how dare you say the Skyraider is ugly)?

The Allegro an 'almost-ran'? Most would say it NEVER ran, not properly anyway.  

It's that HUGELY deep rear fuselage that gets me about the Skyraider, it's well out of proportion, specially on the single seat bubble canopy versions. The 4 seaters have a better sense of balance to them to my mind.

Well, for the most part Kit, they were two or three seaters with the one or two extra guys buried in the rear fuselage ---  Then the original design was for a bomb bay too --

Yeah, yeah, but you know what I mean..........

[rickshaw]

Thats a very nice model, Chris.