Subject: Re: Gallery article - Airfix Vulcan
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Sean Langley" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2011 15:01:22 -0700

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
ARC Air - Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.arcair.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Sean Langley 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 1:27 PM
  Subject: Gallery article - Airfix Vulcan

  Dear Steve
   
  Here's an article for the gallery pages, with six photos attached.  Enjoy!
   
  sean

  Airfix 1/72 Vulcan B.Mk.2A

  by Seán Langley

  --------------------

        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 01.jpg here  

  It’s been much too long, as the actress said to the bishop.  Almost exactly two years since I last finished a kit, I’ve finally beaten this thing into submission.  What we have here is Two Mikes Resin intakes, Two Mikes Resin undercarriage bays, Silver Cloud exhausts, Flightpath photo-etch details, and Airdecal decals.  Oh, and somewhere in the middle of that little lot, an Airfix Vulcan.

        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 03.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 03.jpg Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 04.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 04.jpg Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 05.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 05.jpg Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 06.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 06.jpg 

  I bought this, ooh, twenty-five years ago? and thought it was about time I slapped it together.  Good thing I waited, as the bits I replaced with after-market were all pretty dire (though they didn’t seem so at the time).  The other big improvement was to rescribe the entire surface, which took a while but wasn’t too bad as most of the panel lines are dead straight.  Well, they were before I got at them.  Assembly took a while, as I soon discovered that the Vulcan is one of those kits that fits where it touches, and some of the upgrades take a lot of work to prepare the kit parts.  Painting, decalling and weathering were refreshingly quick after all that, but the overall elapsed time was still not far short of a year.

  The paintwork is Halfords Appliance White aerosol – a lovely hard, smooth coat that’s reputed never to go yellow.  Details are a mix of Humbrol, Citadel and (for the Blue Steel) White Ensign Azure Blue.  The metal bits are Hawkeye’s SnJ metalizing powders.  These are very good, very nice effects, but you do have to watch for spillage or everything you touch will go all sparkly.  Even when you go to the loo.  Weathering is pencils and good old pastel dust, as always.  The difference this time is that even a 3H pencil is very dark against a white finish, so I toned it down with an eraser.  That was novel.

          
        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 02.jpg here  

  The finished result is littered with errors that I really should go back and sort out, but I can’t be bothered any more.  I’m happy to look at it but I really am fed up of the building of it.  Would I recommend it?  Well, shape-wise it’s good, the camber under the leading edge is nicely captured, and it’s very sturdy.  Also, the Vulcan is one of the most wonderful aircraft ever, and this is the only 1/72 Vulcan you can get.  But the engineering is poor, the fit of parts is questionable at best, and too many parts are under-detailed or over-coarse.  Even back in 1983 that wasn’t really on.  Some don’t matter all that much unless you’re a completist – the undercarriage bays, for example, won’t matter if you never turn your models over.  But others need a lot of help and overall, I’d advocate getting some upgrades if you want a really good Vulcan.  Or even one like mine.

  The full build story can be enjoyed (sic) at http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=49294&hl=.

  Seán