Airfix 1:72 Vulcan B.2

[Eric Mc]

Newarch said:

How do you find out whether an Airfix kit is a new design or an old kit in a new box? I'm never sure.

Keeping up to speed with new releases - watching Airfix's websites - reading model magazines etc etc.

Or asking here? There are few hardened old modellers here who will be aware of the ages of various kits.

Some model companies have long histories so their catalogues will feature kits that go back a long way. Another factor is that kit manufacturers lease each others' toolings from time to time so you can get a lot of cross boxing i.e. Revell/Italeri/Hasegawa have, from time to time, boxed each others kits from.

And, as has been pointed out, Scalemates is pretty good at providing a timeline history of most model kits.

[magpie215]

Ive watched a couple of YT vids...seems the new kit is a much more involved build.

I'd quite like to revisit a Vulcan kit at some point.

[Eric Mc]

The new Airfix kits have a lot more detail than in past times. They are generally better engineered than the old kits too - but not always. They do require a bit of work sometimes.

[anonymous-user]

I think the large or more intricate Airfix kits were a bit more work than the small ones which were good by kit standards of the day and still pretty good now. I suppose the only issues I've seen are more to do with old worn out moulds rather than intrinsic design flaws.

Anyway I look forward to seeing how this progresses. It's always useful to see how expert kitbuilders go about these things.

[dr_gn]

Spent a satisfying evening fettling and part assembling undercarriage components; the assemblies seem pretty comprehensive:



Some of the tyres seem like they’re pre-flatted, but others don’t. The instructions don’t indicate any particular orientation so I don’t know.

Then the 21 bombs:



Went together ok, but it’ll be fun flatting the seams.



The assemblies are a good fit in the bay, in fact they clip in:



Assembled some of the Blue Steel missile, I used the bomb bay fairing supplied to hold the upper fin in position while the glue set:





The engine bulge vents are separate, and are a nice fit in their recesses:



The result is pretty good, and saves a lot of hollowing out and boxing in of moulded-in ducts:



Then had a break after knocking over the liquid cement and subsequently getting a massive headache from the fumes. Luckily no parts were in the way. Then made a start on filling the intake seams with Milliput:



I bought a set of sculpting tools from Telford, my old set were worn out. They are perfect for smoothing the Milliput, especially if a drop of water is added. I cleaned up any solid excess using a wetted paintbrush, and glasses cleaning cloth (which doesn’t shed fibres):



This is the result:



Still a way to go with them, I’ll probably make a sponge-backed wet-and-dry tool to blend everything together, then do a primer guide coat at some point.

So that’s it for tonight:



I always sleep better knowing that Milliput is setting.

[wolfie28]

Newarch said:

It's always useful to see how expert kitbuilders go about these things.

Indeed. Makes my attempts look like I've been assembling it with my feet

[anonymous-user]

wolfie28 said:

Newarch said:

It's always useful to see how expert kitbuilders go about these things.

Indeed. Makes my attempts look like I've been assembling it with my feet

I last built an Airfix kit about 30 odd years ago, but its all the planning that impresses me, when to paint something, which bits to mask off, what bits to replace etc. I can now brush paint models to a decent standard but I will get an airbrush now they're so cheap.

That Lancaster in the first post looks unbelievable.

[dr_gn]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Thanks DV8 - no plans to put a door in there. Must admit though, I might now watch Thunderball again - I’ve got it on DVD. Found this interesting - especially the full-sized mock-ups which are still there under water in the Bahamas…

https://jamesbond.fandom.com/wiki/Avro_Vulcan

Nice to hear you actually worked on Vulcans, they are amazing aircraft, and to get a tour of 558 while it was still airworthy was brilliant. If you have any Blue Steel trolley references that would be great, although they might have been obsolete when you were involved?

Might not get anything done tonight - COVID booster at lunchtime is having adverse effects…

[dr_gn]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Thanks DV8 - very nice anecdotes. What you said about Scampton makes sense - there are images online of a row of Blue Steel missiles being stored/maintained at Scampton, presumably 617 Squadron still based there at that time?

[dr_gn]

This is brilliant: I've got a reply from the Airfix spares department about the faulty windscreen: They say they're "confused", and seem to be questioning my story of the kit being a competition prize, because they don't know of any recent competitions. This is despite an article all about it (complete with photo) currently being on the first page of their website blog...

That's right guys: I guessed the kit's batch codes and made up a cover story just to get a free windscreen that's probably worth a few pence

[Yertis]

dr_gn said:

This is brilliant: I've got a reply from the Airfix spares department about the faulty windscreen: They say they're "confused", and seem to be questioning my story of the kit being a competition prize, because they don't know of any recent competitions. This is despite an article all about it (complete with photo) currently being on the first page of their website blog...

That's right guys: I guessed the kit's batch codes and made up a cover story just to get a free windscreen that's probably worth a few pence

Did you send them the little white form with an ad on the back for Dick Emery's Airfix Club?

(I did this for some short-shot F111 parts and was sent a complete new kit in return = delighted customer.)

[Eric Mc]

I bet you bought the Buster comic too

[Yertis]

I was trying to remember which comic it was in, for some reason I thought it was in Look-In.

[dr_gn]

Yertis said:

dr_gn said:

This is brilliant: I've got a reply from the Airfix spares department about the faulty windscreen: They say they're "confused", and seem to be questioning my story of the kit being a competition prize, because they don't know of any recent competitions. This is despite an article all about it (complete with photo) currently being on the first page of their website blog...

That's right guys: I guessed the kit's batch codes and made up a cover story just to get a free windscreen that's probably worth a few pence

Did you send them the little white form with an ad on the back for Dick Emery's Airfix Club?

(I did this for some short-shot F111 parts and was sent a complete new kit in return = delighted customer.)

no. It's all on that there interweb these days.

Sounds like they're sorting out a new windscreen now, so all good.

[tangerine_sedge]

Yertis said:

I was trying to remember which comic it was in, for some reason I thought it was in Look-In.

"Battle", then "Battle and Action". I dare say if I poke around my parents house, I'll be able to find my original 1976 Airfix badge

[r159]

One of the few things I bought at Telford was some square thingys that you put the bottles of cement in....still haven't got one for my MEK that wrote off a cutting mat...

[eccles]

tangerine_sedge said:

"Battle", then "Battle and Action". I dare say if I poke around my parents house, I'll be able to find my original 1976 Airfix badge

Same here although I think I started with Valiant first, then it went Battle, then Battle action. It was the highlight of my week, every Thursday!

[Eric Mc]

I recently opened a 1978 Westland Whirlwind fighter box and the returns slip within was advertising "Buster". By 1978 Dick Emery appears to have been dropped.

[RacingPete]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Just to say, as an RAF child who grew up a couple of doors down from Martin Withers at Finningley, I am enjoying the anecdotes alongside the build.

[eccles]

Found another picture of a Blue Steel trolley from a book about RAF ground equipment (yes, someone actually wrote a book about it! ). Looks to be a transit or maintenance type of trolley rather than a loading type.