The Unofficial Airfix Modellers' Forum

My Revell/FROG Sea Vixen - which has languished partly completed for around two years has been retrieved from storage and hopefully will be completed within a couple of weeks.

Like to see this, I've got a couple in stock & I reckon they build up quite well.
Steve.

Stevehnz wrote:Like to see this, I've got a couple in stock & I reckon they build up quite well.
Steve.

I agree they are rather maligned but for the price and ease of build are a far better option than say the Cyberhobby kit. The frog kit is crying out though for an aftermarket correction to the cockpit coaming which sits far too high.

JamesPerrin wrote: I agree they are rather maligned but for the price and ease of build are a far better option than say the Cyberhobby kit. The frog kit is crying out though for an aftermarket correction to the cockpit coaming which sits far too high.

Is it feasible to whittle down the underside to make it sit lower, James? I have 2 in the stash but they're a bit inaccessible right now.

David

dwomby wrote:

JamesPerrin wrote: I agree they are rather maligned but for the price and ease of build are a far better option than say the Cyberhobby kit. The frog kit is crying out though for an aftermarket correction to the cockpit coaming which sits far too high.

Is it feasible to whittle down the underside to make it sit lower, James? I have 2 in the stash but they're a bit inaccessible right now./quote]

It's a complex shape as it needs to conform to the curved nose but certainly possible - I was a bit short for time as I did it for a Telford display. I'm actually planning to revisit it to replace the very basic wing fold with an Airwaves set I subsequently picked up I shall ponder the coaming issue it it reaches my workbench.

I hadn't really noticed a problem with the coaming (water/spray shield to be exact). The main problem is the fuselage being too short. The problem is essentially in the nose cone. I rectified this to some extent by inserting a couple of plasticard disks ahead of the cockpit to push out the nose a bit to give it a better profile.

At the moment, the old FROG Sea Vixen is still the most buildable AND accurate 1/72 Sea Vixen available. The Cyber Hobby kit is modern, but badly shaped. The Special Hobby/Xtrakit is Sea Vixen is probably the best basis for a modern build but it is very complex and difficult to build.

Maybe some day Airfix will scale down their nice 1/48 kit some day.

Eric Mc wrote:I hadn't really noticed a problem with the coaming (water/spray shield to be exact). The main problem is the fuselage being too short. The problem is essentially in the nose cone. I rectified this to some extent by inserting a couple of plasticard disks ahead of the cockpit to push out the nose a bit to give it a better profile.

I did read on Thunder& Lightnings that the nose is not too bad and that the cockpit being too high is what make the nose look too short. Lengthening the nose does make it 'look' better.

Too late now. Hopefully, I'll get it finished over the next week or so and get a picture of the finished model up on the site as and when.

JamesPerrin wrote:

Eric Mc wrote:I hadn't really noticed a problem with the coaming (water/spray shield to be exact). The main problem is the fuselage being too short. The problem is essentially in the nose cone. I rectified this to some extent by inserting a couple of plasticard disks ahead of the cockpit to push out the nose a bit to give it a better profile.

I did read on Thunder& Lightnings that the nose is not too bad and that the cockpit being too high is what make the nose look too short. Lengthening the nose does make it 'look' better.

Correct.
This was discussed at length on Britmodeller a while ago started by PatC.

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/inde ... om-length/;

The best 'Vixen "fettler"(for 1/72nd)is Neil Lambess.
He reckons that for length and span,the old Frogger is nearly spot-on,but as has been mentioned,the coaming/water/spray shield is too high.
Shave it down by(IIRC,could be in the above link)1mm,re-shape it and lower
the hot-air ducting to suit,makes things look much better.

Another wheeze is to sand down the missile fairings either side of the nosewheel
bay,they are too prominent and also contribute to the "too deep fuselage"look.

Main problem with the Froggo is that although it's good on span,the fuse. is actually
slightly too wide and the wing panels slightly too short,difficult to correct indeed.

Main problem with the MPM/Xtrakit is that it is actually 3% oversize,caused by
the tool makers using the oft quoted 55' 7" as the OAL instead of the correct
DeH mesurement of 53' 6.5".
Frog appear to have used the "official" DeH dimensions for their kit.

If you have any interest in the 'Vixen,have a read of the linked thread above.
Pretty interesting stuff.Dave Womby contributes in it too.

Miggers wrote:If you have any interest in the 'Vixen,have a read of the linked thread above.
Pretty interesting stuff.Dave Womby contributes in it too.

Thanks for that, a very handy post. I've been contemplating returning to my Frog Sea Vixen as I have the Airwaves wing fold that I'd like to add. The lowering the canopy may also be an option.

Here we go again - the 'short fat Frog relic', isn't so bad after all, eh?

David