RR Spey powered RAF Phantom conversion

[GusMac]

What are you planning to use Cees? One filler for all or a mix and match approach?

[Wingco57]

Miliput and if that doesn't work I have Plastic White Putty ready for plan B.

[Wingco57]

After a marathon sanding session the shapes are nice and smooth. During daylight I will have to check if there are ( and there must be) any irregularities.

But I am happy how the join between the fuselage and wing has turned out so far.

[GusMac]

That's looking great Cees. Amazing work to get to this stage.

[harv]

3 hours ago, Wingco57 said:

After a marathon sanding session the shapes are nice and smooth. During daylight I will have to check if there are ( and there must be) any irregularities.

But I am happy how the join between the fuselage and wing has turned out so far.

Just wow ! I love this work....harv 

[GazzaS]

Coming together nicely!

[Anthony in NZ]

Wow, I am so jealous you have made it this far, when I am still floundering!

Great and inspiring work buddy, absolutely love it!  Are you going to put the doubler/strengthening plates along the lower spar section? 

[Wingco57]

I have very little info on this Anthony.

Did the FGR-2 have these?
 

[Anthony in NZ]

11 hours ago, Wingco57 said:

I have very little info on this Anthony.

Did the FGR-2 have these?
 

Not an easy question to answer.  Yes they all seem to have ended up with them in the end.  This should answer all your questions

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235067502-phantom-fgr2-reinforcement-plates/

HTH Anthony

[Anthony in NZ]

Cees, I have been researching XV571, the Airframe I am doing, and it seems (I could be wrong of course) that 43 Sqn (black and white checks) only ever operated FG.1's not FGR.2's

Maybe someone can confirm?

[Wingco57]

Thanks, I had seen this thread but I am to model an early FGR-2 and hope these didn't have them. Saving me more work.

I did some work today, mostly cleaning up after the sanding session and making sure the wing/fuselage join is as smooth as possibe.

Although  I have grafted on a Revell tail, I intend to keep the Tamiya rear engine trunking to give depth. The 3D printed exhaust cans will hopefully fit onto these. The Revell parts had a lower horizontal ledge which interferes and I had to cut these out with great difficulty through the exhaust openings ( another operation). Luckily the joins didn’t crack. For someone contemplating a similar transplant I noticed that tailpart sprues are available seperately on ebay, so you do not have to purchase a whole kit.

Getting ready for some serious engraving though not as extensive as you Anthony.

[Anthony in NZ]

I would say an early FGR.2 means you could get away with it, seems like they slowly filtered through the program.  Who's to say whether it did or didnt have it at the time you chose to model her.

Great work Cees, thats some tricky surgery, and I am like you planning using the kit inner engine parts for depth as well, they actually look practically the same as the Spey waaay back in there

Good show!  This is exactly where I am working at the moment too... Just what I needed

[Wingco57]

Thanks Anthony,

I made a start with engraving the lost panellines and new ones.

Cees

[Anthony in NZ]

Nicely done Cees, such a neat splice of the 2 kits.  You are really making great visual progress now.

[Wingco57]

Engraving panellines is not one of my hobbies, but very rewarding in the end.

[Anthony in NZ]

Well you are very good at it!  Nice clean work there Cees.

Is rewarding isnt it...

[Rowdy]

Re-scribing and riveting work is really worth afterwards!

 

Never did that before, but when I did my first model with those tools and methods I will do that with al my future projects!
 

Great work so far Cees!!

[Wingco57]

Spent some time rescribing. Didn’t want to redo the whole airframe so some were adapted from the Tamiya kit.

Mostly done now. Need to fill some irregularities here and there, but considering the butchery that has taken place nothing shocking. Also made the “whatsit” outlets by drilling a hole and inserting part of a cottonbud. The thickness serving as the collar and giving depth too.

Next adding the outerwings and the various odds and ends. The most difficult part has been done and the painting stage is looming.

[JeroenPeters]

Whohaa! Frankenstein! It’s alive!

[Bomber_County]

Stunning cut and shut.........brave man than I..........

[Wingco57]

....and not to mention as mad as a doormat.

It is beginning to look a lot like a Brit Toom though. The fueldump pipes etc. have been fitted.

Also fitted the Tamiya wingtips to the Revell mainwings. Unfortunately there is a mismatch as the Revell wings are a bit thicker and a ridge remains although the panellines match up well.

 Oh well I have to live with it I suppose. The Revell wingtips have a slat that can only be fitted extended and looks crude and the wingtiplights are much more different. So would need a lit of work to use them which I didn’t want to.

[Wingco57]

Well, I wasn’t very happy with the gaps between the wings and wingtips. It kept nagging so something had to be done, and the wingtips were ripped off.

 Shimming was the solution and I cut open the inboard join and inserted some pieces of plasticard. Now the wings matched and using a template the dihedral was set.

 I also sanded  off the slight mismatch between the fuselage and the radome.

 

[GusMac]

Nice solution with the wingtips Cees. Didn't think it looked too bad originally but the fix is definitely an improvement. Sometimes it's definitely worth going worth your gut instinct when something is just niggling you.

[SapperSix]

This is impressive.  So much detail.  I am truly looking forward to seeing the end product. 

[Anthony in NZ]

Super impressive Cees, I like your approach to problem solving, you are the master at that!

She really has now lost the 'US' look, she is every inch a Brit one now!  Love this build and inspires me too...keep it up buddy!