Help - Suggestions Needed

[natty94]

Hello all,

I've not built an Airfix kit since I was 6 and decided to give it another go using a Red Arrow starter kit, Managed to paint the interior and the front landing gear and fully build the exterior but have been left with a large gap as you can see in the picture bellow

There is also the problem of being house bound as I'm on crutches so an in home/DIY solution would be best

Thanks
Nathan

[dr_gn]

natty94 said:

Hello all,

I've not built an Airfix kit since I was 6 and decided to give it another go using a Red Arrow starter kit, Managed to paint the interior and the front landing gear and fully build the exterior but have been left with a large gap as you can see in the picture bellow

There is also the problem of being house bound as I'm on crutches so an in home/DIY solution would be best

Thanks
Nathan

Is there a bulkhead under the gap - at the rear of the canopy - that's holding the things up? If so, just file it down.

Or perhaps the windscreen is attached a bit too far back?

I can't see you've done anything obviously wrong, apart from attaching the tailplanes on the wrong sides (they should be anhedral i.e. be angled downwards).

What's going on with the gap around the intake?

[natty94]

dr_gn said:

natty94 said:

Hello all,

I've not built an Airfix kit since I was 6 and decided to give it another go using a Red Arrow starter kit, Managed to paint the interior and the front landing gear and fully build the exterior but have been left with a large gap as you can see in the picture bellow

There is also the problem of being house bound as I'm on crutches so an in home/DIY solution would be best

Thanks
Nathan

Is there a bulkhead under the gap - at the rear of the canopy - that's holding the things up? If so, just file it down.

Or perhaps the windscreen is attached a bit too far back?

I can't see you've done anything obviously wrong, apart from attaching the tailplanes on the wrong sides (they should be anhedral i.e. be angled downwards).

What's going on with the gap around the intake?

There is a bulkhead under there that's probably causing the problem, the tailplanes are fixed in that position as that is the angle the slot they fit into is set at and I'm not sure that's how they are designed to fit on to the to pins behind them

[dr_gn]

natty94 said:

dr_gn said:

natty94 said:

Hello all,

I've not built an Airfix kit since I was 6 and decided to give it another go using a Red Arrow starter kit, Managed to paint the interior and the front landing gear and fully build the exterior but have been left with a large gap as you can see in the picture bellow

There is also the problem of being house bound as I'm on crutches so an in home/DIY solution would be best

Thanks
Nathan

Is there a bulkhead under the gap - at the rear of the canopy - that's holding the things up? If so, just file it down.

Or perhaps the windscreen is attached a bit too far back?

I can't see you've done anything obviously wrong, apart from attaching the tailplanes on the wrong sides (they should be anhedral i.e. be angled downwards).

What's going on with the gap around the intake?

There is a bulkhead under there that's probably causing the problem, the tailplanes are fixed in that position as that is the angle the slot they fit into is set at and I'm not sure that's how they are designed to fit on to the to pins behind them

I think you might find the location tabs on the fins are angled, and the fuselage slots straight? So if the fins were swapped side to side, they would both end up pointing downwards instead of upwards.

Have a look online to see if anyone else has had the same issues (and if there's a next time, buy the Revell version, it's a much better quality kit IMO).

IME, Airfix are crap at designing pilots that fit into cockpits - it looks like once you've sorted the bulkhead, the canopy still might not fit becasue the pilot is too high...

Edited by dr_gn on Monday 2nd December 22:51

[natty94]

dr_gn said:

natty94 said:

dr_gn said:

natty94 said:

Hello all,

I've not built an Airfix kit since I was 6 and decided to give it another go using a Red Arrow starter kit, Managed to paint the interior and the front landing gear and fully build the exterior but have been left with a large gap as you can see in the picture bellow

There is also the problem of being house bound as I'm on crutches so an in home/DIY solution would be best

Thanks
Nathan

Is there a bulkhead under the gap - at the rear of the canopy - that's holding the things up? If so, just file it down.

Or perhaps the windscreen is attached a bit too far back?

I can't see you've done anything obviously wrong, apart from attaching the tailplanes on the wrong sides (they should be anhedral i.e. be angled downwards).

What's going on with the gap around the intake?

There is a bulkhead under there that's probably causing the problem, the tailplanes are fixed in that position as that is the angle the slot they fit into is set at and I'm not sure that's how they are designed to fit on to the to pins behind them

I think you might find the location tabs on the fins are angled, and the fuselage slots straight? So if the fins were swapped side to side, they would both end up pointing downwards instead of upwards.

Have a look online to see if anyone else has had the same issues (and if there's a next time, buy the Revell version, it's a much better quality kit IMO).

IME, Airfix are crap at designing pilots that fit into cockpits - it looks like once you've sorted the bulkhead, the canopy still might not fit becasue the pilot is too high...

Edited by dr_gn on Monday 2nd December 22:51

Just looked on google and the tailplanes are the wrong way round, the pilot is as low as he could go, it was one of Airfix's started kits and it was quite cheap so wasn't expecting it to be perfect to be honest this kit wasn't my first choice but the model shop didn't have the one I wanted instock so got this to pass the time whilst I'm recovering and to use as practise

[Eric Mc]

Filing and fettling is sometimes part of the "fun" of building a kit.

The moral of the story is always test fit BEFORE applying glue.

[badgerade]

Just built nine of these sodding things.. it definitely looks like you've got the bulkhead at the rear sitting too high - from memory there are some runners in the base of the fuselage that you rest the cockpit section on.

Not had any issues with the pilots fitting in mine but it does look as though yours may be sitting a tad high.

[natty94]

Thanks for all the replies, I'll definately test fit things from now on since this prblem arrouse onl after I had glued everything apart from ghe canopy and the panel with the gap bellow it, I've filed down as much as I can but there still is a gap although a smaller one than before

[Eric Mc]

You'll need to get hold of some model filler.

Humbrol is probably the easiest one to get in the UK although there are other brands, such as Squadron Green Stuff or Mr Filler.