I’ve just taken delivery of an Airfix 1:72nd Vulcan B2, to which I’ve added the Flightpath B2 update set, which seems really good, and adds things like the airbrakes, proper front cockpit framing, crew ladder and cast exhaust nozzles.
One thing I’m disappointed in is the bomb bay. I’ve only got 2 options, which is to model it closed, or model it with the standoff nuclear missile (who’s name escapes me). If I was to do the latter, I’d have to paint the plane flash white, which I don’t want to do, as I remember Vulcans in their later camouflage grey/green. I’m finding it difficult to get hold of good pictures of an empty bomb bay, as I’d like to try & scratch build one if I could, so I could open the bay doors for display.
Does anyone out there have any pics, or engineering drawings I could use, or just general tips on improving Airfix’s ropey old kit [?]
I’ve been to that site & many others already. I’ve ordered a few books on the subject, but as they’ve yet to arrive, I’m still a little fuzzy on the matter. I’m sure I’ve seen a pic of a model that’s been detailed with a bomb bay, but I’m blowed if I can find it again! usual story… I probably dreamed it. Every pic I seem to see is stuffed full of the saddle-fuel tanks, or storage boxes. I’d hate to spend a lot of time making things up as I went along, only to find it’s complete rubbish!
Thanks for the ultra-fast response though, and nice Phantoms. I must do one of those one day - I’ll have to work thru some of my 14 kit backlog first though!
If you decide to model the Vulcan with the Blue Steel bomb you can still retain the Gray/Green over Light Gray color scheme. I will look over my references and seeanything I have provides 3 view drawings on the Blue Steel. My Vulcan was built from the Nova vacuumform model kit which included the Blue Steel and has the Gray/Green scheme.
Wow… that 360 degree panorama of the bomb bay is truly awesome! There’s also a pic of the bird in flight with bomb bay open on the airliners page, which should be good for proportions.
The best resource has got to be the panorama, which coupled with a few pics I’d managed to get, and the full-bay shot should give me enough to create a reasonable facsimile of the bomb-bay. Seems like I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me.
Anyone got any more? Plans would be the best, I suppose, as I’d then be able to scale them to 1:72nd. Hopefully there might be some in the books I’m getting.
I tell you something Mike if only you posted this up 2 weeks ago i had a book on the vulcan you could have borrowed ,
unfortunatly i sold it on ebay last week [:(]
hah! Ain’t that typical. I might have even bid on it, as I missed out on one last week. I won another one at the weekend though, and should have that in a week.
I tell you what, I’m in for some hard work re-scribing all those panel lines. At least it isn’t a 1:48th scale kit!
its a good kit i did one over a year ago , i did XM607 , came up quite nice in th humbrol colors , the only problem was the intakes , being white ,
and involves a lot of filling , but over all its a good kit and a great plane , mind you next year we get to see this work of ar flying again
Yeah, there are a few on the blocks being prepared for flight, and I can’t wait to see one. They’re impressive birds, and I still remember seeing one flying as a small boy - what a sight, and what a racket!
I was warned about the intakes when I read a review on the net. Now I’ve received the kit, I’ve realised they weren’t kidding either! I’ve not seen such a terrible kit part since I bought a 1970s 1:72nd Space Shuttle. Warp factor 9!
The Flightpath set ought to improve the rest of the ship though, and at about a tenner, it’s a steal.
Thanks to all, especially Sean - that 360 is the dog’s!
I’ve been in touch with a guy that works for SAM in the UK (am I allowed to mention them in here?), and he’s going to copy & post some items to me that might be of use.
Isn’t it great the way other modellers are so happy to help eachother? I spend a lot of time on a mountain biking forum http://bikemagic.com, and the same’s true there. Hobbies are great for making new friends!
If anyone’s interested in copies of whatever this guy sends me, and it sounds like quite a wad, including soe color close-ups and a set of plans, just let me know. I can scan & email them around.
The update is pretty good, and includes a reasonably large fret of brass & a pair of white metal twin exhaust ports. There’s only one assembly for updating the cockpit, providing a 3D instrument panel, but anything you put in the cockpit is a waste of time, cos of the small windows.
Flightpath are great to deal with, and really helpful. They don’t publicise themselves very well though, so here’s my link to them.
They also do a B1/1a “downgrade” kit with resin wing leading edges for that full-on delta look @ about £20, and a B2K kit to convert a B2 into a tanker variant, which is about a tenner. Mr Parkins is a great guy, and deserves the kudos
Yeah I’ve dealt with them in the past good firm , , mind you with the cockpit , leave the canopie loose so you can , view it ,
hope your going to put up some pictures , love those Delte ladies
Cheers Oggy - that’d be cool. Can you get my email addy from on here?
Mats - I thought that when the Vulcans lost the Blue Steel role, they went to low-level bombing, which was when they got the all-over camo paintjob. Am I wrong? The Airfix rendering of the missle’s a bit poor to say the least, isn’t it?
Sean - I daren’t leave the cockpit off, it’d only get lost & eaten by the Lurcher. As yet, I’m not too keen on cockpits, as when I was a kid, I didn’t really do much other than glue 'em together, then paint them, by which time, the cockpit was well & truly sealed, and all the canopy was smeared with glue!
I did progress to painting lead figures in my teens/early 20s, and got up to competition standard before I gave up, but those skills have either been forgotten, or don’t translate well to aero kits. Still - I’m learning!
Mats.man - you’re dead right about the camouflaged Vulcans carrying Blue Steel missiles. I’ve just been browsing in my lunch hour, and came across a pic of one doing just that http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/vulcan/history.html The pic in question is about a third of the way down the page, and is of XM572. Quite a nice pic, if a little small.
I think I’ll be having a go at modelling the bomb bay, but at least I know that I can use the recessed bomb bay doors and the Missle if I make a cock-up of the job! [:D] We shall wait & see once the copy plans & pic arrive from the guy that works for SAM in the UK. [8D]
I’ve a book on v-bombers here.I’ll see if there are any photos of the one your making,scan & send you them if it’ll help.
Why not try the vulcan restoration society 'Im sure they’d be glad to help
Merv