Aifix Buccaneer S.2B 1:48

[backonthecase]

Hey chaps, I've been doing bits and pieces of quite a few different projects but more and more are making their way to the finish line. Here's one example. 1991 Operation Desert Storm Buccaneer S.2B. It has been glossed, decaled, washed and glossed again. I got the masking off the canopy this morning and it's looking not bad.

The kit is as bad as is widely known but with a little (lot of) patience and some swearing it's possible!! I did start this years and years ago, before I know what I know know with regard to construction/filling techniques, but as brainless as it may seem, I do plan on building another at some point (I hope Tamigawa or Dragon will release one in the meantime).

Anyway onto the pics

As always, comments and crit welcome



Stitch

 

[yak face]

hi stuart , the bucc is looking great, i made this one a bit back and thought it wasnt too bad, ok it needs a bit of care round the intakes but its far from the worst kit ive seen.I even got one of the notorious airfix blunder kits where they put two kits in the same box,ive still got the other to do yet.The fact that weve got a bucc in 1/48 is cause enough for celebration and as you have proved with a bit of patience you can end up with a cracking model of a fantastic machine, cheers tonyp.s. if you want to see my bash at it , check out the pics on my gallery , its even the same decal option!

 

[backonthecase]

Dammit yours looks better!!! That is a cracking finish on yours, I like the (looks like) post shading! Really looks the part!! Can't believe you got 2 in one box! excellent. I agree also that although it's a pain in the arse, it's not the worst kit in the world!!

Stuart

 

[yak face]

Hi stuart, thanks , yes i post shaded after using a brown watercolour wash. I find it easier to do it this way ,every time ive tried pre shading i just end up covering it all up so you cant see it through the paint! The 2 in 1 was a real bonus, id read about a cock up in the airfix factory where several thousand kits that should have been seperate boxings ended up both in one box.No one knew which ones they were without opening the boxes , I just wanted a buccaneer anyway so i was really chuffed to open mine and see two kits ,two lots of different instructions and two different decal sheets. I think ill probably do the other one in the grey and white early navy scheme when i get round to doing it . cheers tony

 

[Ian M]

Looking pretty good if you ask me. One thing though, Those wheels in the last photo look a bit overscale for the rest of the aircraft:laughing:

Off to tony's gallery to have a ganders at his one...

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Very niclely done.I have wanted to build the same kit for a long time now, but the price here in SA is WAY more than I was going to pay for AIRFIX, or any other kit.

We had them flying in the SAAF in a nice two tone blue/grey collour.

Here is an interesting question for you lads, do you know the reason for those little "jets" on the wing's top surface?

Theuns

 

[stona]

Here is an interesting question for you lads, do you know the reason for those little "jets" on the wing's top surface

Theuns

Blowing gas from the engine over the wing (and horizontal stabiliser) to increase lift at low speed. handy for carrier operations,low speed lift that is.

There must be plenty of us here old enough to remember FAA Buccaneers making a right dog's dinner of bombing the Torrey Canyon. A very large ship (supertanker 300m long!) which was aground,stationery and leaking oil seemed inordinately difficult to hit. I remember my dad,an ex FAA pilot,being extremely unimpressed! He had been based at Lossiemouth from whence the Buccanners flew and reckoned forty something 1000lb bombs was a lot to use.

Steve

 

[Centurion3RTR]

This is going to be awesome, i'm looking forward see it finished Stuart. When i was younger, me and my family went to an air show, i got the opportunity to go up in a Buccaneer. Wasn't sick once and had the time of my life, the speed of the thing at full chat was amazing.

Oh to be young again, John

 

[backonthecase]

Theuns, apparently your Thunder City still has a Bucc, Hunter and Lightning still flying is that correct? Yep - the Boundary Layer Control System are the chrome parts on the leading edges.

And Ian, yes I had wondered about these wheels being rather oversized and of the wrong design... I must check the instructions again!!!:wow:

John, me neither - cant wait til I dont have to bugger about with this thing anymore lol!! Can't believe you flew in one!!! Talk about dream come true!!!! I used to sit and watch them landing at Lossiemouth when I were a lad! Those massive airbrakes didn't half make a rather large noise and air current!!!

Steve I must do some reading on that, 40 thousand pounders does seem like they made a pig's ear of that slightly !!:fool:

Thanks for all the comments chaps!!

Stuart

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Stuard, yes they do have a whole flock of weird and wonderfull aeries there.IIRC 2 bucks, 1 Lightning,1 singleseater lightning crashed killing the piolt a few months ago,Puma helli, Hunters and so on.

I am probarbly one of the luckyest dudes arround, the client who's Aeronca 11AC I have just started to rebuild owns a single seat and 2seater ex Swiss AF Hunters.Part of my "negotiations" was a flip in the 2 seater, even if just a quick one, that is fine by me!

At the price Thunder city charges, there will be no way on earth I will ever spend the kind of loot for "pleasure" with 2 kids in the house!

I will most likely have to re-paint the Hunter soon, as it is showing it's age.Man I will need ALLOT of Humbrol or Tamia for that! :-D

Only pitty with fast flying the Hunter,is that when I fly my L-18c Super Cub, it will now ferrl REALY SLOW.

Theuns

 

[backonthecase]

So are you a commercial pilot Theuns? Or an instructor? That's one of my aspirations... shame it's so damned difficult and expensive in this country....

Stuart

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Hey Stuard, no I am only a Private pilot rated on single engine light planes.I fly purely for enjoyment (when I can afford to do so)fuel is rather pricy here.

I basically am a "one man show" that recover and sometimes do total rebuilds on mainly old classic fabric planes ie. Piper cubs, tri-pacers, Aeroncas and such.

I have just put on the last pinked tape on a rudder for the Aeronca now!

The L-18c is a replica of the Piper PA-18-108 used by the US ARMY in the early 50's to train artilary spotters.I scrach built the plane over 2500 hours and have now loged arroung 60 hours in her, real fun to fly.The rudder pedals are not just foot rests like in mose modern planes, you actually need to fly them

The real fun is formation flying with a Cessna 120 also in ASAF collours together with som DH-82 Tigers.

We are going to fly in the "silver Queen" air race 8 may wich is a historic flight thing for old planes.I think it was a Vickers Vimmy that first flew from the UK to SA called Silver Queen.

Here is a pic of my L-18

Later

Theuns

ps.sorry for the hijack gents!

View attachment 23432

 

[backonthecase]

That's a nice bird you got! And you scratchbuild and restore!!! I tip my had to you sir!!

I was thinking about getting my PPL then just maintaining it with x number of hours per year... need to get cracking. Between a motorcycle and an aircraft I think I'm leaning the airborne way

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Well yes ,restoring other folk's planes is what I do, the L-18 I built from American plans.

The only way I could maintain the PPL is with the Cub @ 25-00 squid and hour VS 110-00 to rent and old Cessna 172.

I must say that it sometimes is a rather difficult choice to make beteween a nice model that will keep me ocupied for some time and an hour flying...................The model most often wins

Theuns

 

[backonthecase]

Models are cheaper but I would even say a little bit less fun.. I loved flying - I was in the air training corps and did a gliding scholarship as well! One of the best weeks of my life!!

 

[T. van Vuuren]

That sounds like fun!

Full size planes are sometimes a real pain, just like yesterday!I helped a client to run his Hawker Hunter 2 seater, but someone who was last in the cockpit left the aileron swich in the on posttion,This drained the hydrollic presure away from other parts like the canopy ram.

Without enough pressure the canopy wount open to be able to start the plane inorder to build presure......you starting to get my point?

Eventually after attaching the ground hydrollic-rig we were sorted, wit hydrollic oil all over our clouths............a good time was had by all!

That is why like simple planes so much

Theuns

 

[backonthecase]

Haha that sounds good to me actually - just to have a job that involves aircraft at all would be great! And if it means getting covered in hydraulic fluid, even then it's better than my job!!!

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Yes I do sometimes loose sight of how lucky I actually am to work on planes and to work for myself doing so!

The only problem is that if you do it all day, you sometimes start to see planes as just another darn masjeen to break down and give you problems! Because that is usually when I get to see their insides.

All is OK as soon as you see the thing getting airborn after you have worked on it though. Especially after a rebuild, I see it as a "new" plane.The level of responsablilty does sometimes get a little on the "heavy" side.If I messup, someone could get killed, I keep this inmind every time I am battling with a problem and get "Irritated"

Calm down, walk away for 15 min and try again :-D

Theuns

 

[backonthecase]

I bet it's one of the most satisfying jobs ever - seeing the anger, irritation, challenge, struggle and fun times take off before your eyes, or even at your hands! I'm envious Theuns! Truly!!

Incidentally, did you see there's word fof trumpeter releasing a 1/32 scale Buccaneer kit?

My Buccaneer now has a matt coat on it and I'm waiting on it drying as I type. 2 coats on the upper and lower surfaces seperately! Next up is weathering using pigments and chalk pastels. Photos soon!

Stuart

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Col , can't wait to see it done.

If I understand you correctly, you aplied the matt coat to the top and bottom seperately? Do you not get a "joint line" where the wet bottom coat oversprays the dried top coat?

I usually do the whole thing in one go as my spraying tecnique is not yet good enough.

Atleast I don't have the problem of weathering ect on the full size, the owners usually do that for me!

That 1/32 kit must be realy impressive, but I assume it would cost the same as a small car!

With 2 little ones in the house that will only stay a distant dream for now..........

Theuns