V Bombers

[audikentman]

After watching Cold War; Hot Jets on BBC 4 last night and being off sick until October I'm thinking of buying the 3 1/72 models of the V Bombers.

Has anyone got any hints/tips or what order I should build them in?

Victor
http://www.jadlamracingmodels.com/p-16200-revell-0...
Valiant
http://www.emodels.co.uk/airfix-1-72-vickers-valia...
Vulcan
http://www.airfix.com/uk-en/avro-vulcan-b-mk2-xh55...

I may even throw in ta cheeky Lightning
http://www.jadlamracingmodels.com/p-15150-airfix-a...


Are the detailing kits worth it?
http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/index.php?search=...

[Eric Mc]

The kits are from very different eras and exhibit varying degrees of quality and ease of build.

The oldest kit is the Airfix Vulcan which was originally released in 1983. It is definitely showing its age a bit but it is the only 1/72 injection moulded Vulcan around and it is likely to remain so. It can be made up into a stunning model - but requires some work to get there.

The Revell Victor also dates from 1983. It was originally a Matchbox kit but ended up with Revell after they acquired many of the Matchbox moulds. Like the Vulcan, it is of its era and many modellers today might not be too enamoured with its level of detail and accuracy. Like the Vulcan, it's the only 1/72 Victor around so you don't have much choice in 1./72. It also can be made into a very nice model - with some work.

The Valiant is much more recent, being released in 2011 by the rejuvenated Hornby owned Airfix. It's a whole order of magnitude better than the Victor and Vulcan containing all the features one expects from current moulding technologies. I've seen a few built examples and they look really good.

I'm sure the enhancement kits will help improve all of the kits, but especially the Vulcan and Victor - due to their age.

The prices quoted on the links you have in your post seem to me to be on the high side. In particular, you might find better prices for the Vulcan and Valiant elsewhere.

[audikentman]

Thanks for the quick reply and the heads up

[4321go]

You might have to double-check, but off the top of my head and to be historically correct: Valiant, Vulcan, Victor. But then, shortly after you've completed all three, you must snap the wings off of the Valiant and bin it.......

[dr_gn]

audikentman said:

Has anyone got any hints/tips or what order I should build them in?

Depends on your modelling experience. The Revell (Matchbox) Victor is a pretty simple kit built straight from the box. I'm in the process of slowly restoring my old 1983 version. It has some inaccuracies and the intakes and surface details aren't too refined, but it looks like a Victor. Have a read of this to see what can be done:

http://tedtaylor.hobbyvista.com/11-revell-victor/p...

audikentman said:

Are the detailing kits worth it?
http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/index.php?search=...

Again, depends on your experience, but much more so than with a base kit IME. Photo-etch and resin parts often need significant fettling and messing about with to fit properly, plus you'll need to use araldite or superglue on anything other than tiny non-structural parts (which can be attached using PVA). These adhesives aren't particularly user friendly on very small parts. Badly fitted aftermarket stuff invariably looks worse than if the model had been built unmodified.

[audikentman]

I used to do loads of modelling up until my mid 20's, almost 30 years ago ffs then like most people found I didn't have time but looking at the posts on here while off sick has stirred my interest again.
Thanks for all the tips

[dr_gn]

audikentman said:

I used to do loads of modelling up until my mid 20's, almost 30 years ago ffs then like most people found I didn't have time but looking at the posts on here while off sick has stirred my interest again.
Thanks for all the tips

For the sake of £20 I'd get the Victor, cut the main parts out and temporarily stick them together with masking tape to get an idea of how it goes together, and how it will look. Then make a decision on if/how to complete it.

If you decide not to complete it....I'll have it off you

[audikentman]

Dam you and your sweet talking, Victor and Lightning ordered.

[Eric Mc]

Which Lightning did you buy?

Don't forget that the Matchbox/ Revell Victor is the K2 tanker variety rather than a bomber - although it's still a Victor of course.

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

Don't forget that the Matchbox/ Revell Victor is the K2 tanker variety rather than a bomber - although it's still a Victor of course.

AS far as I'm aware it's the only Victor kit in 1:72, so it's the K2 version or nothing. There is a conversion kit for the Revell/Matchbox kit if the OP really needs an accurate bomber version, but it's not cheap and requires fairly major surgery:

https://www.djparkins.com/product.php?productid=17...

[Eric Mc]

It's a pity that Matchbox did it as a tanker - but of course the K2 was still in active service in 1983 so it was logical that they produced the model in what was then the current operational version of the aircraft.

[audikentman]

Ordered the REVELL 04326 Handley Page Victor K2 1:72

and

AIRFIX A04054 English Electric Lightning F.2A 1:72 Aircraft Model Kit

One thing that seems to come up with building the Victor is the air intakes on the inner wing. They cost more than the base kit.

http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/FHP72053

Has anyone bought these? Are they worth the money?

Along with this at the rear of the fuselage, much cheaper at £3 though

http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/FDR72086

[Skii]

The flightpath intakes are very nice, and are definately worth it but it is perfectly possible to do a decent job without them as long as you are prepared to tackle the horrendous seam lines that result

http://hsfeatures.com/features04/victorjf_1.htm

the photo etch stuff is also nice but bin the canopy frame as it is nigh on impossible to fit and the frame is incorrect.

[dr_gn]

audikentman said:

Ordered the REVELL 04326 Handley Page Victor K2 1:72

and

AIRFIX A04054 English Electric Lightning F.2A 1:72 Aircraft Model Kit

One thing that seems to come up with building the Victor is the air intakes on the inner wing. They cost more than the base kit.

http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/FHP72053

Has anyone bought these? Are they worth the money?

Along with this at the rear of the fuselage, much cheaper at £3 though

http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/FDR72086

There are a lot of vertical dividers and fences in the Victor intakes, and the main problem with the base kit is that all these features are split in half vertically along with the wing halves. Smoothing these butt-joints after assembly is difficult becasue they are inside the intake. The resin inserts on the other hand are solid, and smooth. I've not used them, but having used Flightpath stuff before, they will probably fit OK, but with significant cutting and fettling of the original wings.

The rear fuselage replacement is only the small grey bit at the end, which has a modified underside. The lighter grey parts are from the original kit, which form the recesses for the airbrakes. These can be modelled open, and there is a bit of hardware in the kit to represent operating jacks, hinges and linkages. It looks OK as it is, but could look great with some scratchbuilt detail within that area.

The bottom line is that if you've got the skill and patience to deal with major modifications to a kit (such as the wing root conversion), then chances are it will look awesome once complete. If you don't yet have those skills, it will look appalling. At the end of the day it's an old, simple kit, with raised panel lines and crude details by todays standards, so once you start spending time and money of aftermarket parts, where do you stop? FWIW I always thought it looked great as it was.

[sad61t]

I'd recommend building out of the box and focussing on the fit and paint; the more complications you add, the longer the build takes (exponentially). I'm in a similar position as yourself, having not built for several decades and getting back into it - the biggest problem is my eyesight isn't what it used to be and I really struggle to focus on the small parts.

I too have the Lightning in my stash - exactly the same kit. Any idea if I could get paint scheme and decals for the squadrons (either 5 or 11) based at RAF Binbrook in the late 70s? (dr_gn will probably lambast me for using the wrong mark as it should be an F6, but that option was only on Airfix's 1/48 kit).

[dr_gn]

sad61t said:

I'd recommend building out of the box and focussing on the fit and paint; the more complications you add, the longer the build takes (exponentially). I'm in a similar position as yourself, having not built for several decades and getting back into it - the biggest problem is my eyesight isn't what it used to be and I really struggle to focus on the small parts.

I too have the Lightning in my stash - exactly the same kit. Any idea if I could get paint scheme and decals for the squadrons (either 5 or 11) based at RAF Binbrook in the late 70s? (dr_gn will probably lambast me for using the wrong mark as it should be an F6, but that option was only on Airfix's 1/48 kit).

I honestly wouldn't know which mark of Lightning was which...have a look here:

http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/index.php?adv=1&a...

Re. you eyesight, can't you get corrected lenses? I found recently that I can't focus on near objects with my contact lenses in any more. I guess it's an inevitable result of getting old.

[johnS2000]

Hi Guys .As I have the same problem re-eye sight and focusing on things close up has any body considered optivisors ? I'm sure I've read on Brit-modeller some recommendations .

[Eric Mc]

sad61t said:

I'd recommend building out of the box and focussing on the fit and paint; the more complications you add, the longer the build takes (exponentially). I'm in a similar position as yourself, having not built for several decades and getting back into it - the biggest problem is my eyesight isn't what it used to be and I really struggle to focus on the small parts.

I too have the Lightning in my stash - exactly the same kit. Any idea if I could get paint scheme and decals for the squadrons (either 5 or 11) based at RAF Binbrook in the late 70s? (dr_gn will probably lambast me for using the wrong mark as it should be an F6, but that option was only on Airfix's 1/48 kit).

I use one of these. I may look a bit weird but they really are effective -



There are quite a few F6 kits about in 1/72.

Hasegawa released one in the late 1960s which has also appeared in Frog boxings and more recently, Revell boxings. It's obviously a bit old fashioned and crude but it is an F6 -





Matchbox also produced an F6 -



Again, old fashioned and with some shape issues.

Trumpeter produced a "modern" F6 a couple of years ago but it was,sadly, full of innaccuracies -



And, of course, Airfix have produced a new tool F6 -



There are lots of aftermarket decal sets out there for 1/72 Lightnings so you can find most markings that the Lightnings wore over their almost 30 years of operations.

[audikentman]

sad61t said:

I'd recommend building out of the box and focussing on the fit and paint; the more complications you add, the longer the build takes (exponentially). I'm in a similar position as yourself, having not built for several decades and getting back into it - the biggest problem is my eyesight isn't what it used to be and I really struggle to focus on the small parts.

I too have the Lightning in my stash - exactly the same kit. Any idea if I could get paint scheme and decals for the squadrons (either 5 or 11) based at RAF Binbrook in the late 70s? (dr_gn will probably lambast me for using the wrong mark as it should be an F6, but that option was only on Airfix's 1/48 kit).

Good tip on building out the box, as I said must be 30 years since I last built a kit, I can always get another Victor kit and mod it if I want, the prices hardly seem to have gone up in that time though. No doubt paints, glues, putty's etc have improved over that period, I always used Tamiya pots and rattle cans are these still a good choice? having a bit more money now means I can look at airbrushes this time. I needed something to fill the time at home and my cycling is not going to happen again until 2016, so I'm looking forward to this.

[Eric Mc]

Tamiya paints perform as they always have - although I think the formulae have changed a bit over the years - mainly to comply with modern health and safety rules.

The main change in the hobby over the past 30 years has been the increase in Chinese and Eastern European manufacturers as well as the explosion in after market accessories.
The internet has also added an impetus to the hobby and resurrected it to a large extent.