![]() |
||
Welcome to the Workbench
Seafang After the AZ Spiteful it was only to be expected that they'd follow it with a Seafang, the main difference being of 'allo, matelot A few months back I made a rather depressing pair of models marking the centenary of the Royal Air Force; the F-22 carried the colours of 9/12 Squadrons, Royal Flying Corps and its companion was a Rafale with a fin code of HMS Prince of Wales and the markings of 801 NAS, Royal Naval Air Service. As Somewhen around the same time Model Art set 72/060 materialised, with decals for FAA Seahawks and Aéronavale Super Etendards; I'd already considering extending the rather small number of Naval Air Squadrons equipped with Sea Harriers using the new Airfix kits, and then I recalled the trials of "XY125" with the French Navy, and had that led to an order then they would have progressed in time to the Shar 2 fitted of course with French missiles. I bought the two Airfix kits when they first appeared, and the FA.2 was within easy reach; and anyone knows how to make a Harrier, surly; so maybe that was why I d You may have noticed by now that part of my Master Plan is as yet unfulfilled; with the exception of the tanks, the pylons are bare. The small sprue of missiles, carefully set aside at the time the Rafale was built have mysteriously disappeared, and I doubt if even my voracious Carpet Monster could have swallowed them without at least a touch of indigestion. When they resurface I'll apply them in the approved manner; at least it's next possible public outing won't be before the show at Coventry at the end of June. And s It was at the Salisbury meeting at the beginning of June the the thought of an FAA - or more probably RNAS - Hawkeye occurred.I saw another modeller with the Hasegawa kit of the Hawkeye 2000 under his arm, and though I thought it was somewhat expensive at around £33.00 I went back to a stand where I'd seen one earlier and as well as the Hasegawa kit found one by Fujimi for £20.00, which I thought made a reasonable Senior Citizen Discount. After confirming that this did have the eight-blade propellors that are a distinguishing feature of this variant money changed hands.By the end of the afternoon I'd decided that it would join the Rafale as part of the Prince of Wales' air wing, and because it obviously called for a red dragon as part of its markings it would wear the insignia of D Flight, 849 NAS thoughtfully provided on Model Art set 72-043. And of course it would have red spinners. As you'll see from the photo, I did get that bit right, but.... A couple of brief comments on the kit; apart from the new propellers this was presumably an update to E-2C from the original Fujimi Hawkeye, and it wasn't until I came to paint the "radar" on the nose usinf some recent "Combat Aircraft" photos as reference that I realised that the nose should have been lengthened, being rather more pointed than the model allows for. And I had problems - mine, I suspect, rather than the kit's - getting the canopy to seat properly; the transparent part protrudes somewhat in front of the windscreen, forming what seems to be the area of the anti-glare, and had I fitted it earlier in the build I might have been more vigourous in reducing its width for a better fit. I had planned to get a second example on which to use at least one of the very colourful decal choices on the recent set from Authentic Decals which I'be bought in anticipation; however, I may take advantage of Hannants' "Duxford discount" to get one of the Hasegawa E-2Cs for at least a little less; one of the AD options has a very patriotic scheme that looks almost "bicentennial". That CAG really wanted to wave the flag. And thanks to Kit Spackman's spares stash, I'm mulling over an EV-22.
|
||
[ Welcome | Mike's World | In Progress | News and Views ] © GOM and © Deltaweb International Ltd 2008
|
||