Short Sturgeon; Contrail 1/72
Short Sturgeon; Contrail 1/72
It never ceases to amaze me that one can still buy a limited run kit such as this. Why have they not all been built by now? How many are still lurking unopened in attics and garages? When will this finite supply run out?
It's a vacform kit that comes with cast metal parts for the props and some crude injection pieces for the u/c and wheels. The panel line detail is quite crude so I did what I could to sharpen it up a bit, which is not a lot. The aluminium paint applied by brush to the upper surfaces is rather unforgiving but that's all I can do without resorting to an air brush or rattle can. The underneath is in yellow and black stripes. The kit comes with some decals though I had to use scraps for the escape hatch markings.
It's not a model that I enjoy looking at - I find the shape of the aircraft to be somewhat ungainly.Fortunately, only 28 Sturgeons were built. Later anti-submarine versions looked even worse. The model shows it in its T22 target tug configuration.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4555/3886 ... f47c_c.jpg;
It's a vacform kit that comes with cast metal parts for the props and some crude injection pieces for the u/c and wheels. The panel line detail is quite crude so I did what I could to sharpen it up a bit, which is not a lot. The aluminium paint applied by brush to the upper surfaces is rather unforgiving but that's all I can do without resorting to an air brush or rattle can. The underneath is in yellow and black stripes. The kit comes with some decals though I had to use scraps for the escape hatch markings.
It's not a model that I enjoy looking at - I find the shape of the aircraft to be somewhat ungainly.Fortunately, only 28 Sturgeons were built. Later anti-submarine versions looked even worse. The model shows it in its T22 target tug configuration.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4555/3886 ... f47c_c.jpg;
- iggie
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Re: Short Sturgeon; Contrail 1/72
Good Lord, that's ugly!
But nicely modelled none the less!
But nicely modelled none the less!
Best wishes
Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
- DavidWomby
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Re: Short Sturgeon; Contrail 1/72
Excellent build from that old vac, Vacant.
I agree this version of the Sturgeon isn't pretty and the ASW prototype is soooooooooooo ugly it wins my ugliest ever aircraft prize, but the original PR version of the Sturgeon was marginally better looking.
David
I agree this version of the Sturgeon isn't pretty and the ASW prototype is soooooooooooo ugly it wins my ugliest ever aircraft prize, but the original PR version of the Sturgeon was marginally better looking.
David
Re: Short Sturgeon; Contrail 1/72
It is a great model of one of the ugliest looking aircraft ever built.Well tidy mun.
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Re: Short Sturgeon; Contrail 1/72
Ugly or not it is very well made. As for the supply of vacuforms, well, how many people actually make them? Judging from the comments that I read and hear, they are still not the most popular medium to work with. Which make yours all the more interesting.
- skypirate
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Re: Short Sturgeon; Contrail 1/72
"somewhat ungainly"? It's downright ugly! And you know that any aircraft that ugly means business!
But your model is a stunner!
Cheers,
David
But your model is a stunner!
Cheers,
David
Re: Short Sturgeon; Contrail 1/72
I've never heard of the Short Sturgeon, but it is so ugly I would have to have one for my collection if it were injection-molded. I haven't the faintest idea how you would go about building a Vacuformed model, but I am very impressed by the examples I've seen on this forum. Beautifully done!
- Eric Mc
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Re: Short Sturgeon; Contrail 1/72
Nice rendition of a not so nice airframe.
The Royal Navy were never enthusiastic about operating twins off carrier decks - chiefly because of worries about engine failure during landing and the need to put on power on the good engine to compensate. That's the reason why the engines were so close to the fuselage, in an effort to lessen the effect of sudden application of power on one engine.
The Royal Navy were never enthusiastic about operating twins off carrier decks - chiefly because of worries about engine failure during landing and the need to put on power on the good engine to compensate. That's the reason why the engines were so close to the fuselage, in an effort to lessen the effect of sudden application of power on one engine.
- JamesPerrin
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Re: Short Sturgeon; Contrail 1/72
It's not even good ugly like the Gannet One of those cases when purity of the original design gets lost under operational requirements. I've got one of these is the shape of a Magna resin kit I got cheap at Telford.
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- bobblelink
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Re: Short Sturgeon; Contrail 1/72
what a great model of a splendidly ugly plane.
currently on the go: Revell Blenheim I, Italeri Me210, Revell HMS victory, Revell 1/144 p-47
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completions in 2012:8, completions in 2013: 13, Completions in 2014:10, Completions in 2015: 9, Completions in 2016: 8, Completions in 2017: 9, Completions in 2018: 12, completions in 2019:7, completions in 2020: 17
- Purplethistle
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Re: Short Sturgeon; Contrail 1/72
As a design it has, shall we say, character! What you've done with it is pretty as a picture though.
"Spits, SLUFS and Rock 'n' Roll"
Re: Short Sturgeon; Contrail 1/72
I,m very impressed with the modelling and I really like the scheme. Looking at it as an aircraft, though, I immediately thought of Frankenstein.
Well done modelling.
Well done modelling.
- gnomemeansgnome
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Re: Short Sturgeon; Contrail 1/72
Great work on an ungainly airframe. I had read of this aircraft but didn't know a kit was available. I shall have to mortify the flesh some day and try a vacuform as I have a few in the stash.
Ego no habeo consilium.
ICBM = Insatiable Collector and Builder of Models
ICBM = Insatiable Collector and Builder of Models
Re: Short Sturgeon; Contrail 1/72
The Sturgeon has also been produced in resin by Magna in 1/72. It is currently available for £29.99 (why oh why can it not be £30 to avoid the cynical pretence?) from a well known dealer in old kits - based in Telford.
- gengriz
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Re: Short Sturgeon; Contrail 1/72
Very nice indeed!
50+ years of modelling: http://www.gengriz.co.uk
Recently retired after completing the biggest and most amazing construction kits in the whole world, EVER:
http://youtu.be/2syAt3jXq4s[/color]
Recently retired after completing the biggest and most amazing construction kits in the whole world, EVER:
http://youtu.be/2syAt3jXq4s[/color]