Lancfan's Fairey Firefly FR.1 ***FINISHED***

[lancfan]

Cheers Splash, Dazzled, despondman.

David.

[martin hale]

Nice job on the ASH pod!

Martin

[lancfan]

Thanks Martin.
With the basic colour scheme now on the model was ready for varnish and decals.


To my great relief, the original Novo decals went on just fine. Here is the model having been decalled and matt varnished, final assembly has just begun.


I haven't found any images of these aircraft carrying underwing weapons so to avoid the plain look I have cluttered the wing up slightly with these drop tanks from the Revell Hurricane 2c kit which (based on images of the tanks and pylons fitted to the preserved Thai AF Museum Firefly FR.1) are of the same design and seem to be about the same size as those fitted to the Firefly. Argh, disaster! I have forgotten the landing light which should be on the port wing inboard of the cannons. Rather than simply paint one onto the wing I have removed the drop tank, cut out the shape of the light in the leading edge and blanked it off with thin plastic card, the close up image below right shows the new landing light finished, glazed with sellotape and the surrounding paint touched in. The drop tank has also been refitted and at this point the undercarriage is being fitted.


An overall view of the model as it now stands, the aerial mast and canopies have still to be fitted and the paintwork needs some tidying up , especially to the wing leading edges. The canopies will be replaced as the pilots canopy is far too cloudy to use and the rear canopy is clumsy and it doesn't fit that well anymore, I do seem to remember that the canopies on this kit suffered from neither of these problems as a new Frog offering.


David.

[airjim]

That is looking good. What colours did you use for the grays?

I'll probably do a RCN Firefly for the Frog GB later in the year.

Jim

[lancfan]

Jim, Last year I made an RCN Sea Fury FB.11 in these same colours, I was not sure what the underside grey should have been so I matched the colour from pictures of a preserved RCN Sea Fury by adding just a little white to Revell Aqua 76 light Grey, mixing enough for 3-4 models. The upper surface colour is Humbrol 106 acrylic.


David.

[novokits]

Wow! Very nice!
Special Hobby provide this colour guide for a RCN Firefly in 1/72 and 1/48 http://www.cmkkits.com/res/data/090/010605.jpg?seek=1;
But, I think this is mistake and FROG and NOVO show us true scheme

[lancfan]

thanks novokits, I don't know where Special hobby got Sky from unless they just copied the British and Australian colours for convenience.


David.

[martin hale]

Frog / Novo have indeed got the correct scheme for your model as have you. The confusion arises from the fact that the RCN called this grey "Sky". This is nothing new as when Hawker Sea Furies were ordered, Hawkers themselves took the specification for colours to mean the British Sky as used by the Royal Navy, resulting in these machines being delivered in that colour and having to be repainted in the correct shade as and when they went in for major servicing (source RCN Colours and Markings by Leo Pettipas).

Martin

[lancfan]

Thanks Martin, I didn't know that snippet- another interesting footnote to the history of the Sea Fury.


David.

[lancfan]

No progress today I'm afraid, I'm about six hours from completion and with four days to go that isn't a problem but the rear canopy was not in good shape, has been joined together and is now being built up with sprue paste around the edges prior to rubbing down to form a master for the new observers canopy, I am in waiting time ATM as the layers of this paste set. When this has all been done I can vac form a new set of canopies and the picture of these will be the next image to post.


David.

[lancfan]

The repair to the old rear canopy is not going well and is taking too long so I have made a balsa wood replacement, as I type the Vac-U-Form is warming up in order to mould the new canopy set.
Picture to follow soon.


David.

[lancfan]

The new canopies ready to be trimmed and fitted.


David.

[splash]

Nice work David those canopies should look brilliant.

Regards Splash

[novokits]

Nice work David those canopies should look brilliant.

+1

[lancfan]

Thanks splash, novokits.
The canopies, aerial mast and antenae have now been fitted to complete the model as Fairey Firefly FR.1 PP402 "VG AGO" of 826 Naval Air Squadron, Royal Canadian Navy, on board HMCS Magnificent, 1950.






David.