This is really a superlative kit, and also very large and a little complex, probably the biggest kit I've built since I completed the Airfix 24th scale Harrier when I was 12 years old back in 1972. Although the only really tricky area of this Sea Vixen are the flaps that lay across the booms- I still don't know exactly how they fit. You will need two pairs of hands to get the wing hinges on while the holding the wing in place - if doing the folded wing option. Just applying the decals took about a week of evenings and even now I still have a few to put on. The carrier film is rather matte on the huge decal sheet supplied but with plenty of 'Klear' they did not 'silver' at all.Airfix did a brilliant job on the underwing stores. Here I have fitted the SNEB rocket pods and the drop tanks but have still to build the Red Top air-to-air missiles also in the box. 'XS 577' is an aircraft of 899 Naval Air Squadron and served on board the carrier HMS Eagle during 1975. This was entirely OOB, although I replaced the wing-mounted pitot tubes with sowing needles as they were very fragile. Flaps, airbrake and arrestor hook are down, cockpit canopy and 'coal-hole' open. I made some belts from foil with etch buckles.
More pictures of the completed model follow.
Very nice job on what would have been for me a challenging model. I am very happy with the new Airfix releases. I hope they overcome Hornby's financial issues. Also, I wish they used the same type of plastic Tamiya uses, as getting parts off the sprue unscathed can be a problem. Matt
ReplyDelete..Hi Matt, yes it was indeed a challenging model! Thanks for commenting..best, Neil
ReplyDelete