Airfix 1/48 Gannet

[Dave Ward]

Lovely! Do Airfix supply anything to go in the bomb bay? I have a pair of Revell 1/72 Gannets ( NOT the geriatric Frog moulds ) - lovely moulds, but nothing to fill that big hole!
Dave

[Waspie]

Lovely! Do Airfix supply anything to go in the bomb bay? I have a pair of Revell 1/72 Gannets ( NOT the geriatric Frog moulds ) - lovely moulds, but nothing to fill that big hole!
Dave

Usually full of mail sacks!!!

[Andy T]

Lovely! Do Airfix supply anything to go in the bomb bay? I have a pair of Revell 1/72 Gannets ( NOT the geriatric Frog moulds ) - lovely moulds, but nothing to fill that big hole!
Dave

Yes Dave, there's a couple of different load out options. I'll grab a picture once I'm back home.

That puts me in a bit of a quandary actually. I want to pose it with crew in, flaps down (an option), ready for take off, so the bomb bay doors should be closed.

I'll take a bit of artistic license and pretend there was a last minute glitch!

[Dave Ward]

Yes Dave, there's a couple of different load out options. I'll grab a picture once I'm back home.

That puts me in a bit of a quandary actually. I want to pose it with crew in, flaps down (an option), ready for take off, so the bomb bay doors should be closed.

I'll take a bit of artistic license and pretend there was a last minute glitch!

Another problem is the radome - only ever deployed in flight! I have a T.5, as well as the AS version - with a PE wing fold set for one of them. I found some a/s torpedos ( ex Seaking ), but there must have been other stuff ( sonobuoys, extra fuel tanks? ) . I did an inbox review of the AS versionhttps://www.scale-models.co.uk/threa...-review.38864/ a few years ago
Dave

[Waspie]

Another problem is the radome - only ever deployed in flight! I have a T.5, as well as the AS version - with a PE wing fold set for one of them. I found some a/s torpedos ( ex Seaking ), but there must have been other stuff ( sonobuoys, extra fuel tanks? ) . I did an inbox review of the AS versionhttps://www.scale-models.co.uk/threa...-review.38864/ a few years ago
Dave

I imagine as well as Mk 42 & Mk44 torpedos it would have carried a mix of smaller items SUS, flares, smoke and flame floats maybe even the Mk11 DC. No idea if it was cleared for the nuc DC? (WE177). It would have certainly fitted into the void!
There was always - always one fitted out as COD, (carrier outboard delivery!) Mail, stores etc.

[Scratchbuilder]

Lovely build, pity about the crew, Tamiya were favourite for giving you Zombies as crew members at one time....

[Andy T]

Another problem is the radome - only ever deployed in flight!

They've thought of that, with options to have it extended or not and a warning that it won't sit on its wheels when deployed.

These are the bomb bay options:

[Waspie]

Weapon load 2 looks like a mix of depth charges and what appear to be DIFAR? buoys. Very heavy sonar buoys!! SK's uses a much smaller, lighter buoy!!

[tr1ckey66]

Excellent progress Andy. You really are speeding through the kits. And with such quality too!
The cockpit looks excellent. I’m looking forward to seeing your model of this ‘ugly duckling’ aircraft come together.

ATB
Paul

[Andy T]

Cheers Paul.
Up to now all this was done just after Xmas, before starting the Swordfish, so I'm playing catch up with my own updates :smiling5:

Yesterday & today have seen the wings assembled. It does have a folded option with amazing hinge detail, but I'm going for the extended wings.

The main gear bays are similar to the front, with a plain box supplying a framework for the detailed "liners"





At this point the instructions advise you to check the fit of the doors into the slots nearest the camera and file to fit where required. Mine needed the merest swipe.

Once painted they are fitted to the lower wing piece along with two more bracing boxes that stiffen the wing up no end:



The upper portion of the wing is then put on top, the fit being as perfect as one could expect (sorry about the sanding dust where I removed the paint for glueing)



Once dry, sliding the wings into place over the spars proved unbelievably tight! So I rounded the edges of each spar a tad, just knocking off the sharp corners, and voilà



The fit is still tight though. Even with ~70 grammes of weight in the nose, this is just friction

[Si Benson]

Coming along very nicely.
That sure is a snug fit :surprised:

[Guest]

I’d be anxious that I might not be able to get the wings off again with fit that tight

[Andy T]

Lovely build, pity about the crew, Tamiya were favourite for giving you Zombies as crew members at one time....

Sorry Mike, I forgot to reply to this!

Thanks, and to be honest the crew isn't the only thing on these new Airfix kits that are reminiscent of Tamiya. I think they've been copying someone's homework...

Coming along very nicely.
That sure is a snug fit :surprised:

Thanks Si. It bodes well for painting, I should be able to do them separately and slot it together at the end.

Same with the horizontal stabilisers. They fit in a very Tamiya - esque way, going straight through the tail fin and slotting into their opposite number, ensuring idiot proof alignment.

I’d be anxious that I might not be able to get the wings off again with fit that tight :smiling3:

You and me both!

[boatman]

HI Andy yes looks a very good fit an good modeling an i have only seen one of these gannets goin up at RAF COLTISALL airshow an it was fasinateting to see how the wings all folded up an then it taxied past where we was standing an the niose the engine made was horendous it was huffin an spittin an bangin an smokey i thought it was gonna blow up lol but loved the two tone green colour she was painted in will yours be Andy ?
chrisb

[Andy T]

Chris, I'm going to be following one of the box schemes since it's possible my relative touched this actual aircraft, so Extra Dark Sea Grey over Sky



There's also the colours for the ordinance on that sheet which may help identify them.