Subject: Re: ARC gallery - Vulcan and Hercules (Text)
From: "Steve Bamford" <[email-masked]>
To: "Aibara Darius @Consult" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2002 09:35:59 -0700

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you have never been hurt; and
Dance like no one is watching!

----- Original Message -----
From: "Aibara Darius @Consult" <[email-masked]>
To: "'Steve Bamford (ARC)'" <[email-masked]>
Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2002 5:24 AM
Subject: ARC gallery - Vulcan and Hercules (Text)

> Steve
>
> Thanks for posting the N9-M article - I have received a couple of e-mails
> from the USA one of which confirms that the N9-M is a tail-sitter in real
> life when unrefuelled!
>
> The following relates to the Aeroclub 1/48 Vulcan B2 and the Italeri 1/48
> C130H Hercules which I completed a few years ago.
>
> Vulcan & Hercules
>
> These mythological heroes have been reasonably well supported in 1/72
scale
> but only Italeri has brought out injection moulded C130 kits in 1/48 scale
> and the Vulcan remains unkitted in quarter scale injected plastic.
Aeroclub
> Models of Nottingham, UK, did produce a vac-form in 1/48 scale a few years
> ago but this is now out of production - I obtained mine direct from
Aeroclub
> at the time.
>
> Vulcan B2
>
> This is the largest kit that I have attempted to date but was relatively
> easy to construct.  Aeroclub provides vac-formed fuselage and wings with
the
> intakes and exhausts as large resin castings.  Detailed parts for the
> undercarriage, engine compressor, cockpit and various antennae are
provided
> in a large bag of white metal components.  A large decal sheet is supplied
> with markings and stencils for early and late camouflaged Vulcan B2s.  If
> you want to model an "anti-flash" B2 then you will need to find large low
> vis RAF roundels.  If you want to model a B1 then you will need a large
> knife and possibly therapy!
>
> The vac formed components comprise upper and lower fuselage halves from
nose
> to tail including the wing portion up to the edges of the intakes.  To
this
> are attached upper and lower wing halves.  The wheel well walls and bases
> are separately vac-formed and I added extra detail using the cut-away
> drawings in "The Vulcan Story" book by Tim Laming as a reference.  I also
> added some interior detail around the crew entry steps although this is
now
> impossible to see (at least I know it's there!).   The tail is vac-formed
in
> two halves and fits snugly onto a moulded lug on top of the fuselage.  All
> of the vac-formed components went together well but filler was needed
along
> all the joints to produce a smooth finish (2 tubes of filler in total).
>
> The model represents a Vulcan B2 of No.9 Squadron at RAF Cottesmore in
1964.
> These were finished in dark sea grey/dark green upper camouflage with
white
> undersides and did not have the large RWR fairing on top of the tail.
This
> was removed and the tail tip faired in using more filler.
>
> Once filled and sanded I primed the fuselage with grey auto primer (spray
> can) and sprayed the underside gloss white (again using auto paint).  I
> brush painted the camouflage (!!!) using Humbrol enamel paints.  The
decals
> came from the Aeroclub sheet with some swapping around of the A/C numbers
to
> produce XM603.  I applied roundels to both wing upper surfaces although I
> suspect that the actual aircaft had wing roundels only above the port
wing.
>
> The white metal undercarriage was detailed with brake lines again using
the
> Tim Laming book as a reference and was fitted in stages to ensure that all
> of the wheels touched ground. The canopy is supplied as vac formed clear
and
> was masked and sprayed black before the camouflage was added.  I attached
> styrene "clips" to the inside edge of the canopy so that is fits snugly to
> the fuselage but is easily removable to show the completed cockpit.  The
> frames were painted with a bronze/gold edge with white decal seals.  The
> wipers are white metal as provided by Aeroclub.
>
> Once completed the size of the model is impressive but will not fit on any
> normal shelving.  Mine gathers dust above a stereo system.
>
> A great model from Aeroclub - how about a Valliant and a Victor for
company?
> On second thoughts perhaps not as I will need a larger house!
>
>
> Hercules C1-P
>
> Having developed a taste for large scale endeavours with the Vulcan, I
> obtained Italeri's C130H and Flightpath's etched brass details from
> Hannant's model shop in London.  This comes in an even larger box than the
> Vulcan and is packed with parts for the exterior and a reasonable interior
> which is improved by the Flightpath details.  The decal sheet with this
> version of the Italeri kit came with low vis decals for USAF, Canadian,
> Italian, French and RAF "Fat Alberts" with some common stencils.  The RAF
> version was a Desert Storm aircraft in overall "Desert Pink" with small
low
> vis roundels and two code numbers - not that interesting!
>
> The fuselage is moulded in four sections split vertically and just in
front
> of the wing root.  The kit is designed for the fuselage to be assembled in
> front and rear portions which then "snap" together, however I though that
> the fit would not be particularly good and so I carefully assembled the
> parts to form complete fuselage halves with a smooth join between the
front
> and rear parts.  The interior parts were painted and assembled and the
> Flightpath details added.  The excellent Flightpath set contains details
for
> the cockpit console, throttle quadrant, pilot and co-pilot's seats and the
> side and rear entry doors/steps.  The etched brass fret was quite thick
> however and so the parts were not easily separated using a sharp blade. I
> eventually found success in removing them using a razor saw over a timber
> offcut, which had the added advantage of not having the etched parts
"ping"
> off into sub-space once detached.
>
> The canopy is provided as a large injection moulded part including part of
> the fuselage roof.  Once the interior had been fitted and the fuselage
> halves joined, the canopy was masked, glued in place and the edges faired
> into the fuselage with filler.  The interior had been painted
"approximate"
> interior green using an auto spray can (no more brush painting large areas
> for me!) and the masked canopy was similarly painted before the outer
finish
> was applied.
>
> The wings have extended flaps thanks to Flightpath and they and the engine
> pods were completed as separate modelling exercises.  I separated the
rudder
> and elevators and re-attached them in deflected positions.  The wings fit
> over a strengthening spar provided with the kit, which passes through the
> fuselage.  I did not glue the wings in place as they fit relatively snugly
> to the fuselage and can be removed to allow the completed model to be
> transported.
>
> The kit represents an RAF Hercules C1-P of No. 70 Squadron at RAF Lyneham
in
> 1982 following "Operation Corporate" in the Falklands.  It features the
> in-flight refuelling probe rapidly developed to enable the aircraft to fly
> across the South Atlantic and which Italeri provide on a separate sprue.
The
> camouflage pattern of dark sea grey and dark green was applied using
Humbrol
> spray enamel, paper masks and large quantities of masking tape.  The
> underside light aircraft grey was brush applied as Humbrol apparently do
not
> do a spray can of this colour (I suppose I should get an airbrush some
day).
> Once dry the underside was weathered along the panel lines.  The decals
came
> from various sources: codes and stencils from an Airwaves "RAF Desert
Storm"
> sheet for a Hercules C3-P, roundels from an Xtradecals sheet and more
> stencils from the kit decal sheet. The upper surface walkway lines were
> formed using Xtradecal red and yellow stripes with the red stripe applied
> first, made dashed by brush painting over with the camouflage colour, and
> then applying the yellow stripe!  The whole was then sealed in with
> Johnson's Kleer - followed by a large drink and a lie down.
>
> As the stereo display stand is full this model gathers even more dust on
top
> of a filing cabinet.
>
> If making this kit again I would probably sand down the panel lines
> (especially around the nose) and illuminate the interior.  The RAF
> Meteorological Flight "Snoopy" would make an interesting model...Hmmm.
>
>
>
> Darius
>
>
>
> **********************************************************************
> This email transmission is confidential and intended for the
> addressee only. It may contain privileged and confidential
> information. If you are not the person or organisation to
> whom it is addressed, you must not copy, distribute, or take
> any action in reliance upon it. If you have received this
> message in error, please notify the
> [email-masked] and return it.
>
> Carillion PLC Registered in England No. 3782379
> Registered Office:
> Birch Street Wolverhampton WV1 4HY
> **********************************************************************
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> This e-mail has been scanned for all viruses by Star Internet. The
> service is powered by MessageLabs. For more information on a proactive
> anti-virus service working around the clock, around the globe, visit:
> http://www.star.net.uk
> ________________________________________________________________________