Post by Bruce on Jan 30, 2012 20:53:33 GMT 12
This afternoon I finished another model for my RNZAF 1/72 Collection (I havent built a kit for a while...)
This is Fairey Gordon NZ631, a target tug based at Wigram / Birdlings Flat Circa 1940.
The model is kitbashed from a Contrail Vac formed Fairey IIIF - Contrail often have two or three versions of an aircraft in each vac formed kit, so although they also produce a Gordon kit, it was easier to use one of the spare IIIFs. The main changes are a new nose section made from Knead-It putty, a new tail fin and Slats on the upper wing. The engine is a white metal Aero-club set. I couldnt find any info on the target tug equipment in a Gordon, but from photos of '631 it had a small propeller drive on the LH fuselage. This indicated that it was an "Air Ministry Type B" winch which was used in many aircraft types from the mid 1930s through to the 1960s. I found a description of the installation in the IIIF and some pictures of a Type B in a Miles Martinet, so I could build a winch assembly for the rear cockpit.
Somewhere along the line the geometry for the wings isn't quite right (easy to do with a multi-bay biplane) and in practice the clearances for the winch prop are a bit tight, but it looks the part anyway. At some point in its life '631 lost its exhaust manifold and pipes, but as the Aeroclub engine needs the Manifold to mount properly, I left it on. Paint finish is very worn silver with faded or repainted black turtledeck. A commonly seen picture of 631 had me wondering whether it may have been painted yellow, but enlarging and closely inspecting the image suggests it was the boring silver!The model is airbrushed with Tamiya Acrylics. Roundels are spares from the bits box (Anson I think...) with Inkjet printed serials.
This is Fairey Gordon NZ631, a target tug based at Wigram / Birdlings Flat Circa 1940.
The model is kitbashed from a Contrail Vac formed Fairey IIIF - Contrail often have two or three versions of an aircraft in each vac formed kit, so although they also produce a Gordon kit, it was easier to use one of the spare IIIFs. The main changes are a new nose section made from Knead-It putty, a new tail fin and Slats on the upper wing. The engine is a white metal Aero-club set. I couldnt find any info on the target tug equipment in a Gordon, but from photos of '631 it had a small propeller drive on the LH fuselage. This indicated that it was an "Air Ministry Type B" winch which was used in many aircraft types from the mid 1930s through to the 1960s. I found a description of the installation in the IIIF and some pictures of a Type B in a Miles Martinet, so I could build a winch assembly for the rear cockpit.
Somewhere along the line the geometry for the wings isn't quite right (easy to do with a multi-bay biplane) and in practice the clearances for the winch prop are a bit tight, but it looks the part anyway. At some point in its life '631 lost its exhaust manifold and pipes, but as the Aeroclub engine needs the Manifold to mount properly, I left it on. Paint finish is very worn silver with faded or repainted black turtledeck. A commonly seen picture of 631 had me wondering whether it may have been painted yellow, but enlarging and closely inspecting the image suggests it was the boring silver!The model is airbrushed with Tamiya Acrylics. Roundels are spares from the bits box (Anson I think...) with Inkjet printed serials.
