As promised on the Aircraft forum, this GB is launching in Sunday 18th July (well, it is Down Under!)
Early Jets Group Build 2010
After much discussion to refine the subject matter and define what was ‘early’ and what wasn’t, the theme matured from the somewhat confusing and contentious ‘Generation’ approach to aircraft chronologies to the broader definition of early, for which the following criteria were established:
All jet aircraft from the origin of the propulsion technology up to (but excluding) the first aircraft designed to be capable of supersonic speed in level flight. This opens the field to an enormous range of aircraft types, of which a quick sampling might be:
USA: P-59, P-80, F-84, F-86, B-43, B-45, B-47, B-49 etc.
UK: Gloster Meteor, Supermarine Switft, Attacker and Scimitar, de Havilland Vampire and Venom, Canberra and Valiant bombers; de Havilland Comet airliner etc.
Germany: Me 262, He 176, 162 and 280, Ar 234 etc.
Japan: Nakajima Kika etc.
Soviet Union: MiG-9, 15 and 17; Il-28 bomber; Yak-15, 17 etc.
Proposed rules: July 18th to December 31st 2010, with overrun for those still working at the end. All services and users of all appropriate types, all scales, OOB and AM equally welcome, crossovers and previously started models also welcome.
Duke Maddog: Fujimi 1:72 F-86F Sabre (x2) (“MiG Mad Marine” DONE and JASDF); Revell 1:72 F9F Panther DONE
Hawkeye2424: Amodel 1/72 MiG-9
Kermit: Revell Germany 1:72 Go 229 DONE
Aggieman: Monogram 1:48 F9F Panther DONE
Nomad68: ProModeller 1:72 Me 262 (Aeromaster decals for Maj. Walter Nowotny) DONE
Simon L: Airfix 1:72 Meteor Mk.8 (RAAF/Korea markings) DONE
Pepper Kay: Academy 1:48 F-86F-30 SabreJet (OOB); Revell 1:48 F-84G Thunderjet (crossover w/ Korean GB) DONE
MrSquid2U: Huma 1:72 He 280 DONE
The order of Battle looks busy! We have some sweet planes in the hanger, so let’s get them onto the ramp!
For myself I’m seriously considering a Hawker Sea Hawk in “Suez crisis” markings at a later date. I hope you’ll join up and help build a range of great models celebrating the first twenty years or so of the jet engine as the defining technology of mid-20th century aviation.
Sign me up Mike, I have a 1/48 Has AR 234 nightfighter sitting on the shelf of doom…It has been started but i only made it to the fueselage joining stage…
She looks a straightforward build, though with the unusal aspects of the cockpit being inserted through the top of the fuselage after the main structure is together, and a metal noseweight included in the box. My impression is that the finish will probably be enamels, airbrushed in a couple of months’ time when the weather clears reliably enough to do the project outside.
Cheers, looking forward to seeing other planes appear,
I would still like to jump in with a 1/32 Sea Venom. Hopefully, this will be the first GB for me to actually complete. Uncle Sam is trying to make it difficult though.
The old Matchbox 1:32 Sea Venom is a kit that has always fascinated me! I photographed a Sea Venom at a museum north of Adelaide a few years ago and would gladly post the shots for reference.
I’ll add you to the list anf hopefully you’ll bring that proud bird to life in the next few months!
I will join if I see I can get something in. Am way over 50% complete on my 1/72 Me-262 but have several other candidates. Will keep a watch on the WIP shots from everyone. Sounds like a great build lined up!!!
I appreciate the offer! I have a couple of walk arounds but very little on the cockpit. I am having a devil of a time getting good shots of the seat specifically, and the pit in general. It seems that everything that I find of the real deal is at least partially disassembled. I am planning on doing it as an FAW.22 and the 53 in Adelaide will be just fine for my skill level.
I’m not sure how quickly I’ll progress, I am planning on developing my scratch building skills on this one and I work horribly slowly in the first place. I figured that a group build will help me to progress a little more quickly than average though.
Perfect timing because I’ve got a Hobbycraft 1/48 P-59A sitting upstairs and I just ordered a resin cockpit and wheels for it. I would like to throw her into the mix if you don’t mind.
Jeremy – I look forward to seeing how the HC P-59 goes together, that’s a rare type that has been under-kitted, and a historically important element of the early jets story.
Hey, that’s great, Richie. Also, IIRC, I got some shots from inside the cockpit of the museum specimen (it was available for climb-in thrills), I’ll go through what I have and scale them for posting.
Well the best seat drawing I have in the book is a Mk.1, well really that is the only seat pic/drwg in the whole book. However, there is a blurp about the FAW.22 and the few changes made to it. It states that the seats were changed to the Mk.4A, which is very close to the same seats used in alot of the second gen. if you will jets. Here is a link to a restored Mk.4 that came out of a Lightning TF. HTH!![Y] There is a pic of an FAW.22 office. Pic is kinda small, but will scan it and see if it can be enlarged and still look decent. Here’s the link for seat pics.[t$t]
Wow, thanks for the help Richie! I am working largely from Mk.4 pictures, I only have one good shot of a complete Mk.4a and a couple of shots of the bare frame of the same. Complete accuracy isn’t my goal anyway. I have decided that it is time for me to venture into simple scratchbuilding and my main goal is to simply produce something that looks more like an ejection seat than what comes in the kit.
Here is my initial work on the seat frames
Which headrest looks best to y’all?
I am definitely open to suggestions and all comments are welcome.
Just noticed how crooked the headrest on the right is. I’ll have to address that if that is the one that I use.
Wow you’re off to a good start on the banger!!![t$t] Glad to help Helo!!! Well , I have stated several times a quote in a modelling book somewhere I have that, “Representation rather than Duplication is the key”. You could really put every bell and whistle on something and truthfully look like crap, or correctlly represent it in a manner that looks right rather than accurate. I mean some things just get way to busy in a small scale to be of any benefit to a judge. Honestly, you are taking the right approach to it. I say build both up and judge for yourself which looks best to you. whispering I kinda like the one on the left.[whstl]
As promised, here are the research photos of the RAN Sea Venom preserved at dast Jets Fighter Museum, Paraffield Airport, South Australia. I took them in January 2007.
