Vickers Valiant K.1

[Pellson]

A logical, well-reasoned backstory to associate with a fine piece of workmanship.

We'll see about the workmanship, but the story works, methinks 

Pics later when dry and when I get time to shoot any. Now it's logistics and intendenture entirely for a while. I should have thought closer about this before spawning half a volley ball team..

[Old Wombat]

Neat backstory!

[Pellson]

Finally - some pics.









And finally, a close up of the nose art. "Cocktail hour" seems reasonable for a tanker, don't you think? 



I'm quite happy with it. It looks really reasonable and matches the old Matchbox Victor K.2 very well. But with a significantly cooler nose art, of course. 

The emphasised radome is very intentional and I've elected to do the same on the aforementioned Victor. I think the aircraft looks a lot better with the radome more visible even if I also know that the real Victors had their radomes painted. I also chose to align the colour on the entire radome, not only the front section. The reason for that is the second, radar recon capability. Rather than just targetting in front of the aircraft, reconnaissance is performed in an as wide sector as possible, so maybe we can afford the best possible radome material all around.
Anyway - My model - my choice. 

[scooter]

 

[Pellson]

So - this is XD857/"Cocktail Hour", the 13th Valiant to be converted to a K.1, and one of the last batch of four aircraft to retire when arriving home after the Gulf War in 1991. At her retirement, she served with no 90 sqn who by then had flown the Valiant for almost 35 years, and she still wore her big, bad and beautiful Gulf War nose art, something that sadly didn't rescue her from the breakers.


The whif is almost purely superficial i.e paint scheme, with only a few exceptions. I have added two Mk 20 AAR pods from a Revellobox Victor, and I also, to match the backstory, did leave out one of the navigators chairs in the back. Then there's some antennae, modelled after the Victor, and RWR knobs. Other than that, it's all the Airfix kit.

The decals are also all kit with the obvious exceptions of the tanker stripes underneath (the same Victor) and the nose art, coming from an old B-24 kit of uncertain origin.

[Tophe]

 

[Old Wombat]

Very nice!

Intricate piece of nose art, too.

[zenrat]

I was about to ask about the nose art.  Is it 1/72? it looks a bit large.

[Tophe]

Scale does not mean much in the whif world, I think.
Maybe this is scale 1 for very little men, 2 inches tall

[zenrat]

I don't mean too large for this model.   But large for the "usual" 1/72 nose art decal.

[Pellson]

I was about to ask about the nose art.  Is it 1/72? it looks a bit large.

AFAIK it is.

[Dizzyfugu]

That's looking good, Hemp suits the Valaint well. 

[NARSES2]

That's looking good, Hemp suits the Valaint well. 

It does indeed. Really nice bit of work  Cocktail Hour certainly suits her intended role 

I don't mean too large for this model.   But large for the "usual" 1/72 nose art decal.

Like you I wondered about the scale but then the B-24 was a particularly large canvas.

[scooter]

That's looking good, Hemp suits the Valaint well. 

It does indeed. Really nice bit of work  Cocktail Hour certainly suits her intended role 

I don't mean too large for this model.   But large for the "usual" 1/72 nose art decal.

Like you I wondered about the scale but then the B-24 was a particularly large canvas.

Viz-a-vis the B24J

[Old Wombat]

Viz-a-vis the B24J

That should get the PC feminists raging!