Sea Gnat

[Nick]

Folland Sea Gnat F1

The starting point is two kits, the Special Hobby F1 and the new Airfix trainer.

In this shot you can see the difference in the size of the flying surfaces.

So you're using the two-seat fuselage from Airfix with the smaller wings and tail of the single seater from Special Hobby?
I shall follow this with interest 

[JayBee]

Loupgarou and Narses,

the cutting was done by using a circilar saw blade on my trusty Dremel mini power tool, for the front lateral cut, and all the longitudinal cuts. Then the small joining bits were done by forcing a very new and sharp No. 10A blade on one of my trusty Swan Morton handles, down to separate the bits. It works, needs a bit of tidying up, but it does work.

Nick,

you have got it the wrong way round.
It will be a Sea Gnat as envisaged by Follands. A single seater with bigger flying surfaces.
However I have already been wondering about what to do with the bits that are left.
A two seater (maybe ) with the smaller flying surfaces. Hmm!

[PR19_Kit]

However I have already been wondering about what to do with the bits that are left.
A two seater (maybe ) with the smaller flying surfaces. Hmm!

The roll rate will be ASTRONOMICAL! 

[NARSES2]

Loupgarou and Narses,

the cutting was done by using a circilar saw blade on my trusty Dremel mini power tool, for the front lateral cut, and all the longitudinal cuts.

Now that's interesting Jim. I've always avoided "power" tools in my modelling as I was told that drills and circular saws rotated so quickly they melted the plastic ? Is this another "old wives tale" ?

[Gondor]

Loupgarou and Narses,

the cutting was done by using a circilar saw blade on my trusty Dremel mini power tool, for the front lateral cut, and all the longitudinal cuts.

Now that's interesting Jim. I've always avoided "power" tools in my modelling as I was told that drills and circular saws rotated so quickly they melted the plastic ? Is this another "old wives tale" ?

Both True and False. If the speed of rotation is slowed down enough then the answer is no, at normal or high speed then the answer is yes. Its a pain to make a cut only to find that you have created a weld bead where you have cut from the material the disc blade has brought to the surface while melting its way along where you intended to cut.

Gondor

[JayBee]

I suppose that I am just lucky, about six months ago my old and trusty Dremel gave up the ghost. To be honest it was not the drill itself but the two battery packs I had for it, and of course they have not been produced for years. So it was get a new one, it is far too handy a piece of equipment to live without, not just for modelling but around the house as well.
The new one is the model 8200, and it has a built in variable speed control from 30,000 rpm down to 500 and at the bottom end it is great for working with plastic. I learned my  lessons with the older one.

[NARSES2]

Right. Variable speed and use it at the lower end. Thanks lads 

[JayBee]

In fact Chris, right at the lowest end.

[JayBee]

Slow progress here, why? Well when I cut out the left/port wing, the cutting was a total bo11ocks!





After a good few days I have decided to go for the simple butt joint.

Watch this space.

[JayBee]

Well progress is very slow on this, too many things going on in life but I will carry on even though it will most definitely not be finished in time for this group build.
Mind you neither will any of the other five models that I had thought of !

This is as far as I have got:








Jim

[Dizzyfugu]

Cool. I cannot help it, but from above the thing reminds me  alot of a Baby Buccaneer?

[NARSES2]

For some reason those pics made me think of a tailless delta or a mini Javelin. Would look good with delta wings - I'm now concerned I might be thinking of a second jet build this year  Can't work out where to source the wing though ? Thanks for being slow brain 

[Captain Canada]

I like it ! Looks like another beautiful little Airfix kit. Can't wait to see more 

[PR19_Kit]

Can't work out where to source the wing though ? Thanks for being slow brain 

Frogspawn Fairey FD2? Mirage? Mig 21?

[kitnut617]

For some reason those pics made me think of a tailless delta or a mini Javelin. Would look good with delta wings - I'm now concerned I might be thinking of a second jet build this year   Can't work out where to source the wing though ? Thanks for being slow brain  

Well Anigrand does a 1/144 Sperrin which has as a bonus a 1/144 Javelin included.  Alternatively you could try to source a Sebel, Welsh Models or Wimco Hollows kit of their 1/144 Javelin kits.

I know, I know --- Sebel and Wimco Hollows are both manufacturers from the 50's and long gone     but Welsh Models might be a source (Edit: maybe not, just looked at their website.  A 1/200 Javelin was done by Vapour Trails and a 1/100 one done by Ventavia but both of those companies were here and gone in the 50's too).

Looks like Anigrand is the only source ---