The Royal Navy's First Phantom

[DogfighterZen]

Once you've uploaded an image to Imgur, right-click on the image and choose "open image in new tab" then copy the URL from the new tab. Then post the URL in the image tags here and that's it.

There's no need for all that, the easiest way is to click on the image after it's uploaded and then click on the BB code for forums and message boards on the links bar on the right side of the screen. It automatically copies that link and all you have to do is paste it where you want it to show in your post. No need for image tabs.

[NARSES2]

Here it is from Imgur

[PR19_Kit]

That's better, at least we can see it now. 

Looks just like a Banshee with a different cockpit.

[AndrewF]

Very elegant.

[Captain Canada]

Looking good Chris !

[DogfighterZen]

Looking good indeed, Chris! 
That reminds me of the Banshee i started last year and put it back in its box because of the missing canopy issue... Must get that one finished! 
Isn't it easy to post the pics like that? And the Imgur uploading tools are also very handy as you can upload the pic in the size you want it to be shown in your forum posts. I think it's one of the best pic sharing hosts and it's free!

[NARSES2]

And the Imgur uploading tools are also very handy as you can upload the pic in the size you want it to be shown in your forum posts.

Ah I wasn't aware of that, need to look at it  I must admit I find the screens a bit cluttered and busy, but that's the same with anything new.

Meanwhile I've got the undersides painted on the Phantom 

[NARSES2]

Topsides painted, masking removed.

Few touch ups to be done and then I can start on the transfers.

[NARSES2]

Touch ups done  but I've made a bit of a pigs ear of the canopy/fuselage join in one spot  Still I can work on that whilst getting the transfers started so shouldn't delay me that much....touching all the wood going

[NARSES2]

Assembly completed and I'm quite pleased with her. Can start on the transfers now.

[NARSES2]

Transfers are on and she just needs the final odds and ends before photographs.

Once I get the beauty pictures up I'll see who spots the "deliberate mistake" in the national markings 

[NARSES2]

Just needs a coat of varnish and she's done, probably go with satin varnish to reflect a well worked airframe.

[NARSES2]

The Royal Navy's First Phantom

When the M.O.D. placed production contracts with Supermarine for 60 of its Attacker aircraft in November 1949 it was accepted that they were unlikely to enter service until late 1950 at the earliest.(They actually entered service with 800 N.A.S. on 17/8/1951), but at the same time it was also realised that there would be far more to ensuring the successful introduction of jet aircraft into the F.A.A. then there had been with previous new types which on the whole had been incremental improvements to existing types rather than the quantum leap forward which jet technology promised. So the Admiralty started to cast around to see if there was anything they could do which would help them prepare for this process.

Whilst "paper planning" could help with some things there was nothing that could beat actual hands on involvement and luckily for the F.A.A. something was just about to fall into their hands. The U.S. Navy had introduced the McDonnell FD/FH Phantom into service in the summer of 1947, but such was the rapid rate of progress being made in this new field of technology that by early 1950 the Phantom was already being replaced and had been completely withdrawn from service by July 1950.  Thus a delegation was dispatched and by September of that year a deal had been struck to purchase 6 aircraft. Originally a cash strapped R.N. had wanted to "borrow" the aircraft, but the U.S.N. wasn't having that, so a deal had been struck.

And thus was born the Naval Jet Aircraft Test and Development Unit, or N.J.A.T.D.U. which in one form or another continues to this day. In the 8 months or so before the Attacker entered service the new unit not only conducted landings and take offs on a number of the Navy's carriers but also enabled the seaman to get used to handling jet aircraft aboard ship as well as at shore bases. Weapon's trials were also carried out on the ranges and numerous prospective squadron pilots were able to pass through the unit and gain some first-hand experience with this new form of propulsion. The only changes the navy had made to their Phantoms was the replacement of U.S. radio and navigational equipment with British types and as the Americans had removed the aircraft's armament prior to the sale the installation of twin 20mm cannon to replace the original 4 times 0.5" mg's.

Thus when the Attacker eventually entered service everything went incredibly smoothly, at least by the standards of the British armed forces, and by January 1952 the Attacker could be considered to be fully service capable.

So, the Phantom had a service life of 10 months or so ? Not likely considering the R.N. had handed over some of its hard won cash on acquiring them it was going to ensure that it got its  money's worth. In the end the Phantoms served on for another 3 years or so, although by then only 2 were left flying, the others were either being used as ground instructional air-frames or being cannibalised to keep the 2 active aircraft flying. They were mainly used on weapons development, both the carriage and use of new and existing types, but also saw some use when one was fitted with an ejection seat, whilst another helped with the development of new navigation and communications equipment. So the Navy got its money's worth in the end and was more than happy to acquire another McDonnell product latter some 15 or so years latter which was also called the Phantom.

So here we have a rather tired looking McDonnell Phantom of  N.J.A.T.D.U sometime in the summer of 1952 whilst being used on navigational aid development trials, whence the extra aerial.











So what was the build like ? Bearing in mind this is an old kit it went very well. You sometimes forget just how simple things were back in the day, and quite often they don't suffer for that. I had the "Upgraded Kit" in the stash which basically meant MPM had added some resin parts to the basic plastic sprues and vacform canopy. I used the cockpit parts which were a great improvement over the original plastic parts and were no extra effort to install. The undercarriage bay parts on the other hand, whilst a huge improvement on the plastic (non existent) would have taken a huge amount of sanding to get them to fit and if I'm honest I'm not sure they would have even then. If they had fit then you would have been able to see them through the top wing it would have been sanded so thin. So they went in the spares box. Other than that the kit was a breeze, the only slight problem was the canopy and that was down to me being a bit lazy initially, but I soon sorted it, well to my satisfaction at least. Paints were mainly Xtracryllic and the transfers came from the spares box. It is here that you will spot my deliberate error. I didn't have any post war roundels of a small enough diameter for the fuselage, so used some pre-war ones. Naughty, certainly, but I wasn't going to order a sheet of roundels just to get 2 of the right size when I probably would never get around to using the others. 

The only real problem I had was with the varnish. I wanted a satin finish and the only satin varnish I had was Humbrol's acrylic. Well firstly if they think that's what a satin finish looks like then we have a different understanding of the word and when it came to applying it I obviously did something wrong. Now I know I can be a bit heavy handed with a brush but the streaking was awful. It took me 4 or 5 attempts to even get to the standard in the photos, but that's very poor. I'll just say it was in a very tired state after a hard life in the F.A.A., but I'll be seeing if Windsor and Newton, whose Galleria varnish is my usual choice, do a satin.

So overall a thoroughly enjoyable project which just goes to prove that some of these old limited run kits can be nice, relatively simple and quick builds.

[PR19_Kit]

That looks pretty good Chris, 'tired looking' or not, and it fits your backstory beautifully. 

[The Wooksta!]

It's fine although I'm not convinced about the fin flash - they went out as the high demarcation scheme came in.