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The Great Auk's Aukward Britannia

Posted: September 13th, 2017, 1:03 am
by The Great Auk
Hello fellows!
Well, I'd hoped to play along with that old box-scale B-36 but it's buried deep and besides, I was going to do a wing-swap with a more modern kit, so that's not really in the spirit of this group build.

However, I did come across a rare bird I think might qualify.

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I got this too-small-to-actually-be 1/144 scale Bristol Britannia along with two DC-7Cs and a Connie by the same maker off of a good friend up in the Great White North a while back.

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The back is almost as exciting as the front and that's smart marketing including a list of other kits you can buy after you finish bodging this one.

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It's been difficult researching this one since it's such an oddball. I've seen 1967 (the year I hatched oddly enough) noted online along with a scale of 1/150 (?!). The price and postage seem correct for 1967 or at least before 1980 when that amount wouldn't even get you 8 games of pinball.

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I've got a special livery planned assuming I don't end out gluing my flightless feathers together, an all-too-common occurrence as I stumble out of middle-age.

The Great Auk

P.S. According to this historic cost of postage website, 15 cents was the going rate for 1st class mail between 1978 & 1980. I hope that's enough to allow this kit, but if not, I'll see if I can sort out something else.

Re: The Great Auk's Aukward Britannia

Posted: September 13th, 2017, 9:21 am
by Gregers
I think it most certainly qualifies. Very nice choice.

All the best.

Greg

Re: The Great Auk's Aukward Britannia

Posted: September 13th, 2017, 9:48 am
by ShaunW
Nice one, Auk. I've never heard of IM but IMHO at $1.59 that kit is more likely to date from the 60's. By 1980 kit prices were somewhat higher than that IIRC, or certainly over here they were. Whatever, it's certainly an oldie and a classic airliner to boot.

Re: The Great Auk's Aukward Britannia

Posted: September 13th, 2017, 3:29 pm
by splash
What a fantastic choice, it's a shame some of the other kits aren't still around.

I look forward to seeing how this kit builds.

Regards Splash

Re: The Great Auk's Aukward Britannia

Posted: September 13th, 2017, 11:18 pm
by The Great Auk
Glad to know the Britannia is ok for this group build. I've been wanting to build it for a while but just never had the right occasion nor had I sorted out the livery before now.

I opened up the bags and I thought you might appreciate a better look at the parts.

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These are the main ones, including the stand. No issues besides the sunken-in windows. I'm still trying to decide if I want to putty them over or paint them and then fill with clear gloss medium.

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Here's the bag of smaller parts which included the props, cowlings and horiz. stabs. It was not happy being opened up after 4-plus decades.

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Here are the parts themselves with a U.S. penny for scale. I'm still shaking my head with wonder that those props made it so intact over so much time and distance.

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The decals did not fare so well, but I'm hoping I can at least use the Britannia placard on the stand.

Fortunately, the good people at International Models provide a fine set of instructions. This is one of the best exploded drawings I've seen in a while.

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Here's the printed instructions. You really can't go wrong with all this guidance.

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Opps I plan on using acrylic paints. I hope that doesn't turn out to be a mistake...

The Great Auk

Re: The Great Auk's Aukward Britannia

Posted: September 13th, 2017, 11:37 pm
by jssel
That company is new to me. But really looks buildable.

Re: The Great Auk's Aukward Britannia

Posted: September 14th, 2017, 12:01 am
by ejsnotgrass
Believe it or not,I actually have a set of that decals in my spares box. PM me your addy and I can send them off to you.

Re: The Great Auk's Aukward Britannia

Posted: September 14th, 2017, 12:38 am
by Spaceowl
Interested to see how this one comes out. Watching this space.

Re: The Great Auk's Aukward Britannia

Posted: September 14th, 2017, 1:35 am
by The Great Auk
ejsnotgrass wrote:Believe it or not,I actually have a set of that decals in my spares box. PM me your addy and I can send them off to you.
That's incredibly generous of you but I've got replacement decals already sorted out. If the Britannia placard doesn't work, no huge loss as I don't think the colors will match the livery I'm using.

Thank for your offer. Such kindness is one of the things that makes this place so special!

The Great Auk

Re: The Great Auk's Aukward Britannia

Posted: September 14th, 2017, 3:16 pm
by The Great Auk
I decided to putty over the fuselage windows and here's the current state of play.

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I plan on painting a broad cheat line over them and using white window outline decals. I don't think the putty work has to be perfectly flat to pull this off and maybe slight divots will help create the illusion better.

I'm not going to putty over the cockpit windows but I'll be painting them black and filling them with clear acrylic gloss medium instead.

I'm hoping it all comes together quickly once the putty is dry and sanded.

The Great Auk

Re: The Great Auk's Aukward Britannia

Posted: September 14th, 2017, 3:52 pm
by DavidWomby
Great choice and, believe it or not, I have built one!!! I used carved up BOAC decals for a Stratocruiser.

I'll try to keep an eye on this one.

David

Re: The Great Auk's Aukward Britannia

Posted: September 14th, 2017, 4:07 pm
by splash
I love the Britannia's clean simple lines, it was an exceptional period in civil aviation just before all the airliners started to look the same.

I think post war up to the end of the 60's was a fantastic period for aviation both civil and military.

Re: The Great Auk's Aukward Britannia

Posted: September 14th, 2017, 4:32 pm
by ShaunW
Great to see this one underway, Auk. I am an occasional airliner builder (I have one on the go now in fact) but my interest is in the jet powered variety as opposed to piston/turbine aircraft with two exceptions, the Lockheed Constellation and the Bristol Britannia.

Re: The Great Auk's Aukward Britannia

Posted: September 14th, 2017, 5:53 pm
by dollar19
Most unusual subject but I'm all eyes to watch it come together. I seem to remember various airlines selling kits of their fleets as advertising or souvenirs of flying with them. This would be back in the early 60s. Flying was a treat then!

Re: The Great Auk's Aukward Britannia

Posted: September 14th, 2017, 6:17 pm
by gnomemeansgnome
Yeah this is going to look pretty snazzy.