iggie's Operation Telic What-if

[iggie]

Righty-Ho, we're off and running! Airfix TSR-2 1/72 kit, OOB but assuming that the TSR-2 project had not been cancelled, and they became the mainstay of the RAF fleet for many years after the prototypes took to the skies. As such, a number of them (by now called 'Storm') were part of the coalition air capability tasked with low level interdiction flights against supposed Iraqi air forces and ground targets......

Building has commenced and totally un-photographed as yet (due to me forgetting to record it ) but has only got as far as cockpit assembly and joining of the fuselage halves; that was fun!
I will take some piccies later this evening, along with further progress. Completed colour scheme will be that of the Tornadoes, Jaguars and Buccaneers finished in pink, and a fair degree of weathering. Weaponry will be out of the spares box, or may be robbed from some Tiger meet Tonkas that won't need it when built.
Did I see mention somewhere that the parts fit isn't all it could be on this model!! Intakes are a nightmare

[ronbow]

cockpit assembly and joining of the fuselage halves; that was fun!
I will take some piccies later this evening, along with further progress. Completed colour scheme will be that of the Tornadoes, Jaguars and Buccaneers finished in pink, and a fair degree of weathering. Weaponry will be out of the spares box, or may be robbed from some Tiger meet Tonkas that won't need it when built.
Did I see mention somewhere that the parts fit isn't all it could be on this model!! Intakes are a nightmare [/quote]
Yep you read correct ! they are a terrible fit as are the wings, the moveable horizontal and vertical stabilizer's and most every other part. But with a lot of patients it WILL turn in to a nice model.
GOOD LUCK

[iggie]

Picture of progress up to yesterday afternoon:

The cockpit in place with addition of tape seat belts, and fuselage joined. It was after this I realised that the nose-wheel and main wheel bays should have gone in beforehand , but all was well as they can be gently squeezed in afterwards.
More progress made last night but photos to follow, wings and control surfaces all in place and underside of fuselage all covered in.
Mindful of fit problems with the main wing assembly and adjoining parts, I went against the instructions and added the main wings first, and then the other parts; this allowed me to pack them up to the wing height. So far the only filling that looks necessary will be the step behind the topside intake joint
In case anyone is wondering, the little silver pot in the blob of blutac is a silver foil pot to hold a couple of drops of superglue, which can then be touched onto the parts using a sharpened length of sprue; much easier than using from the tube or bottle

[SJPONeill]

Nice work so far...I like the name Storm and have stolen it for my whiffer DESERT STORM TSR.2 as well...it's the old Contrail kit that I have been working on (slowly) for years (anyone surprised?)...

[iggie]

Progress from last and this evening:






In the spirit of whiffery, I have added two underwing pylons, and decided that as Telic was not a nuke war (phew!), the RAF in the spirit of make-do-and-mend welded the bomb bay shut and bolted on a bomb carrier from a Canberra; hence the grey lump seen above. This will enable the Storm to carry six either dumb or guided iron bombs. Various ECM and Recon pods, plus a shrike (I think) and something else with a sharp end will be mounted underwing
More tomorrow with luck!

[TimJ]

Quick work. It's coming along well.

[AndrewR]

Very quick work, you made that look easy!

[splash]

Very quick work, you made that look easy!

In fact you are making it look too easy

Regards Splash

[iggie]

There's still plenty of time for it to go pear shaped!

I'm still debating painting sequence; I think I'll be good and do all the wheel housings etc. first, mask/bung them up and then do the airframe

As with a few others on here, I seemed to be blessed with an understanding wife who positively encourages my hobbies, and only made one request in that she prefers me to be in the lounge with her, rather than having a separate modelling room/man-cave. Hence all my kit is on a table in front of me while i work on a kit, with only spraying done outside in the garage
She also understands that modelling is my stress relief!

[iggie]

More progress as of the night before last:




All panels are closed up as per the original and not as Airfix instructions.
Last night was spent putting on a last few bits and pieces (air intakes and undercarriage bracing etc.), and also experimenting with a gold tint to the cockpit canopies and masking same; the frame lines are not exactly well defined! The tinting was done with thinned humbrol acrylic gold, dry brushed on; I'm not totally happy with it, but I think (hope!) it'll look better on the finished article....we'll see
Masking up of undercarriage bays later and then a trip to the paint spray shop

[JamesPerrin]

Making light work of this kit. Clear orange would work for tinting the canopies.

[iggie]

Making light work of this kit. Clear orange would work for tinting the canopies.

Yep, except I didn't have any

[splash]

It makes me lough, we spend all our time trying to match the perfect colour of the dash board and seats then add a canopy that we have tinted orange/gold

Thanks for showing the underside, now I have seen it all closed up I will not spend any time adding detail to the wheel wells.

Keep up the good work we are all following you.

Regards Splash

[iggie]

It makes me lough, we spend all our time trying to match the perfect colour of the dash board and seats then add a canopy that we have tinted orange/gold

Ain't that the truth! Still, as been said many a time; "you know it's there!"

Progress last night; a long and painful session in the spray shop. Using Xtracrylix Desert Storm Pink, which I have had for a while and not used previously. Gave it loads of welly both stirred and shaken, thinned with their thinner.....and clogged me Neo more times than I care to think about
In fairness, I suspect I may have got some of the skin around the inner neck of the bottle in with the paint as I decanted it, so likely my own stupid fault
Anyhoo, as she is now:




Still debating about a further coat; from laziness I am erring towards not
Panel lines are (a first for me) going to be lined in pencil.....fingers crossed!

[AndrewR]

Looks good!