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ColinM

My progress will be reported here.

Colin

ColinM · Posted: Sun 26 Apr 2009 19:23 pm Post subject:

A bit early I know

I will be building this one

With a choice of schemes

Colin

BAGGY · Posted: Thu 30 Apr 2009 20:13 pm Post subject:

I built this when it first came out, beware that I had some major filling and sanding sessions in some of the joins.
Still, it looked mighty impressive when finished in wheels-up mode on the stand provided, and now belongs to my nephew.
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BAGGY

ColinM · Posted: Thu 30 Apr 2009 20:37 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the warning!

Did you have any problems with the nose? It looks from the instructions that the nose is articulated, is it practical to do so or should I plan to fix it in one position or other?

Colin

peebeep · Guest

Colin, the working nose feature is articulated on transparent plastic, which is the worst choice possible in terms of longevity. Best to choose nose up or drooped and fix it in place. As Baggy suggests, you have plenty of filling and sanding sessions ahead. I have one started, not finished - need lots of wherewithal to get going again!

peebeep

ColinM · Posted: Thu 30 Apr 2009 21:29 pm Post subject:

Hi Paul

Thanks for the info. That has made my mind up, wheels up, nose up, on the stand and pushing Mach 2.

Colin

ColinM · Posted: Sat 09 May 2009 17:07 pm Post subject:

I hadn't opened any of the bags until today, it is truely enormous

Really looking forward to building it, might pass on the dio idea though...

Colin

thomasweir · Posted: Sun 10 May 2009 11:13 am Post subject:

thats one big kit

dancho · Posted: Sun 10 May 2009 11:24 am Post subject:

I didn't know this kit existed! What a whopper!
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“Build what YOU want, the way YOU want to, and above all, have fun.”
- Al Superczynski (1947 - 2007)

ColinM · Posted: Sun 10 May 2009 12:08 pm Post subject:

See Andy's (DH764) thread for a comparison with the Revell 1/144 kit
http://airfixtributeforum.myfastf...uild_DH764_s_1_72_about14062.html

Colin

ColinM · Posted: Sat 16 May 2009 11:56 am Post subject:

Just to get an idea of the size of this thing

The spec on the right wing is a 1/72 Harrier GR3

The kit is moulded in three colours, white, black and silvery-grey. The instructions start with the engines

There is some cockpit detail, transfers are included for the control panels but they are raised if anyone likes painting very small things.
One of the control columns was missing from the sprue.

Very little of the cockpit will be visible once installed.

More later

Colin

ColinM · Posted: Sat 16 May 2009 20:21 pm Post subject:

Transfers seem to be good quality

The engineer's panel doesn't have a back to it. This would be seen from outside so I've used some card to make a back.

Little else can be seen once the fuse is joined

Even less with the glazing in

A few observations:
I had to trim back the glazing and the instrument panel a lot to get a fit, as supplied the windscreen fouls the instrument panel.
The glazing is nearly 3mm thick, equivalent to 8 inches scaled up in old money and not very clear.
The coloured plastic doesn't help, not sure why Airfix bothered, this isn't a kit for anyone not prepared to do a lot of work. I'm spraying everything in grey primer as I go along before applying final colours.

The 'droop snoot' seems a bit of a waste too. There is a void in the nose to take a clumsy looking, but weak hinge mechanism (not assembled yet).

Anyone like me wanting to build nose up will get this profile

But the same void from above

It might have been better to supply two noses, one articulated, one not.

I haven't researched the real thing yet but expect I will put in some card or similar to conceal the void.

I did say I would build it wheels up on the stand, It would take less space wheels down, I'm tempted...

A very enjoyable build so far, thanks for looking.

Colin

MacTeagle · Posted: Sat 16 May 2009 22:21 pm Post subject:

I'll watch this with interest. Nice work so far Colin.
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ColinM · Posted: Sat 16 May 2009 22:34 pm Post subject:

Thanks for your comments and interest Mac.

This is going to be a challenging build!

Colin

peebeep · Guest

thomasweir · Posted: Sun 17 May 2009 10:01 am Post subject:

Looking good

ColinM · Posted: Mon 25 May 2009 20:02 pm Post subject:

One week later...

I need to buy more filler. Each pair of engines are in three main parts, each part a different colour. The fit looked reasonable so I painted each section before assembly, waste of time. Once painted and assembled it was difficult to imagine that these engines were for one of the most aerodynamic airframes ever built.

The cockpit and nose isn't much fun either. The design requires the droop snoot windshield to be masked and painted before it is put in the two halves of the nose using the flimsy (and as I have discovered brittle) hinges before the main windscreen (also masked and painted) is put in to the cockpit and the cockpit halves joined together.

All of the above put to one side until I am feeling a little braver!

Decided to get the easy bits done instead. The tail section is built. The main fuselage is built and attached to the centre wing section, the rest of the wings should go on tomorrow. Once the wings are done I should see how the engines are meant to fit.

Everything seems to nearly fit, but not quite, on a smaller model probably wouldn't show, but on something this big it will.

I fear there will be a lot of filling and sanding as others have discovered.

More soon.

Colin

DH764 · Posted: Mon 25 May 2009 20:46 pm Post subject:

Im afraid.....very afraid

Must get this started......dont Bam!

me , Colin !!!

Andy
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ColinM · Posted: Mon 25 May 2009 21:55 pm Post subject:

Hi Andy

Welcome back!

It will probably be all right in the end.

If I was starting again I would commence building from stage 21 to 32, this gets most of the assembly done and leaves you with something looking like an aircraft.

If building wheels up, do the undercarriage doors now. If wheels down, assemble the undercart, paint and set aside.

Then build the main parts of the engines from stages 1 and 3 and dry fit to wings, sort out any filling and sanding.
Paint the insides of the engine bays white, paint the front intake blades gunmetal, assemble the rest of the engine bits and fix to wings.
Fill and sand where required.
Paint the black and gunmetal engine parts, then mask and paint the airframe white.

Start the cockpit but put the engineers panel about 5 mm aft of the instructed location (thanks kitnut, see his WHIF build thread for why)
Don't worry about detailing, you won't see it, apart from the decal on the engineers panel and the tops of the seats. The front console may need some shaping.
Unless you really want to, forget the hinge mechanism (it will break anyway). You can also do without part 27 and the piece that it attaches to.
Join the cockpit halves, paint and fit the cockpit windscreen.
Remove the locating pins where the nose joins the cockpit
Join the nose halves
Paint and glue the snoot shield to the nose (lots of dry fitting probably needed)
Glue the nose to the cockpit.
Glue the cockpit to the fuselage
Fill and sand the front section.
Mask and paint front section.

I stress, the above is how I THINK it should be done based on what I have seen so far, your mileage may vary.

Best, and happy modelling

Colin

DH764 · Posted: Tue 26 May 2009 20:39 pm Post subject:

Cheers Colin , thanks for the good advice

Andy
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You aint seen nothing like the Mighty Fin !!

Airfix Club Member 501279
IPMS Cleveland and UK Member