Beyond The Sprues
Modelling => Completed GBs => Group and Themed Builds => In the Service of Her Majesty GB => Topic started by: robunos on September 27, 2022, 02:18:39 AM
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Just a placeholder for now, and a brief backstory.
Basically, the British Government decides to acquire a couple of Concordes to use as high speed, long range VIP transports . . .
cheers,
Robin.
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My interest, you have it :smiley:
Mog
>^-.-^<
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Okay . . .
The kit has arrived . . .
(https://i.postimg.cc/fZ3Pnz18/00-box.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
So let's make a start.
First up the fuselage. No real problems, just a bit of tape to hold some slight warpage in the long mouldings.
(https://i.postimg.cc/1yS7qpXd/01-fus.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Next is the lower centre section. I will be building this model in flight, so i will need to mount it on a stand. So first I had to fit the undercarriage doors,
(https://i.postimg.cc/y7TQXkS8/01-lower-wing.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
then fit some layers of plastic card to give some 'meat' for the stand to attach to. I've not made the stand yet, but it will use small pins up into this solid area to attach the model.
(https://i.postimg.cc/b8KBzXhp/01-lower-wing-lam.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Lastly for this time, I made up the nose section. This is separate, to allow for the drooped nose if desired. This will be attached later.
(https://i.postimg.cc/PTYFJ6XZ/01-nose.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
That's All For Now, Stay tuned . . .
cheers,
Robin.
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Okay . . .
Picking up where I left off, I attached the nose section,
(https://i.postimg.cc/81gN4F9x/02-nose-bad-fit.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
there was a bit of bad fit at the joint, but nothing a few minutes work with a Pen Sander couldn't put right . . .
Then I attached the lower centre section. making sure the joint was good and strong.
(https://i.postimg.cc/z8MJL2jz/02-c-section-on.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
While that was put aside to dry down, I assembled the engine nacelles. I 'painted' the engine faces, using a metallic Sharpie marker, then painted the inside of the nozzle end black, then blanked them off with plastic card, also painted black.
(https://i.postimg.cc/y7Z70hQF/02-engines.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
When all that was dry, I painted the outside nozzle boxes in gunmetal.
I then attached the upper wings, the various detail parts, and finally the engines. After priming, it's now ready for painting . . .
(https://i.postimg.cc/nHKZPFtr/02-ready-4-paint.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
That's All For Now, Stay Tuned . . .
cheers,
Robin.
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saw yesterday a program on British Airways - the Queen visited & was shown the end of a Concorde nose section with pitot tube.
Now where do you find a 1/144th scale Queen Elizabeth ?? ???
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Now where do you find a 1/144th scale Queen Elizabeth ?? ???
Probably not what you are after...
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/y_xoSNluXgg/maxresdefault.jpg)
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Now where do you find a 1/144th scale Queen Elizabeth
Not sure how 'scale-able' this 3D model is, but HRH looks about the right age for Concorde ...
-- https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-print-models/art/sculptures/queen-elizabeth (https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-print-models/art/sculptures/queen-elizabeth)
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Thanks for the inspiration, but as I'm doing my model 'in flight', I don't think there will be much inspecting going on at Mach 2 and 60,00 ft . . .
cheers,
Robin.
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You could have her looking wistfully out of a window. ;)
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You could have her looking wistfully out of a window. ;)
That's just what Buffalo Airways did with the blanked-off windows of their C-46 cargo plane .....
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Paint her portrait on the tail like Alaska Airlines.
;) :icon_fsm:
(https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5ee42e396a392d000687b254/960x0.jpg?fit=scale)
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:smiley:
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With regard to the painted, blanked off windows, on my model, they're about 1 millimetre square, so not quite big enough . . .
Also, I ain't that good a painter, to paint the late Queen's portrait on the fin . . .
cheers,
Robin.
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Find some art and print some decals. ;)
(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/9c/70/ed/9c70ed25c54624b776870e6142e840a9--pen-drawings-queen-elizabeth.jpg)
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Paint her portrait on the tail like Alaska Airlines.
;) :icon_fsm:
(https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5ee42e396a392d000687b254/960x0.jpg?fit=scale)
:smiley:
Shouldn't be hard (I say with zero experience, but plenty confidence ;D) to find a suitable pic, turn it into a two-colour affair and have stencils cut on a Silhouette (other stencil cutters are available) for airbrushing.
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Okay . . .
So, after a lot of thought, I decided against a portrait of HM on the tail, and decided to go with something a little closer to the Real World Queen's / Royal Flight / Royal Squadron. So the first step is a red tail.
Here's the model after painting overall white,
(https://i.postimg.cc/ZZCP4HMp/03-white-paint.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
and after the fin was painted red. The white cutout is where a Union Flag decal will go later.
(https://i.postimg.cc/XW2KRmQn/03-red-tail.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
That's All For Now, Stay Tuned . . .
cheers,
Robin.
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Wimp! ::)
;)
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Guilty as charged . . . :o ;D
But seriously, the problem is that the Concorde tail has bulged fairings for the rudder jacks, and these protrude just far enough to make masking, or decals, a nightmare. As you can see here, even the kit decals have to be in two parts to fit over the bulges . . .
(https://i.postimg.cc/WjypbFVd/1145-1-rev4257-1.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
cheers,
Robin.
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And we're finished . . .
BAC Concorde C.C.Mk.1
(https://i.postimg.cc/W2wJKvGk/concorde-01.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/fzW0QrCg/concorde-02.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Vsdrd03q/concorde-03.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/QKS39XTZ)
(https://i.postimg.cc/dJdC2dDn/concorde-04.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/zJrg0BgN/concorde-05.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/by6Sy9FY/concorde-06.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/9wc2Q4zB)
(https://i.postimg.cc/3YzfBPFh/concorde-07.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/21yW2Grn)
(https://i.postimg.cc/LmfC0Nx1/concorde-08.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/XrPCh5Ym)
(https://i.postimg.cc/92BShgCP/concorde-09.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Phr7rb5g/concorde-10.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/jKgFWWWL/concorde-11.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/3Ykb2Kp9/concorde-12.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/08sWgD4H/concorde-13.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
"Built at Filton against an order from Iran Air, by the time Concorde airframes '214' and '216' were rolled out the Shah was in exile and the order had ben cancelled. Initially British Airways made a proposal to acquire the aircraft as spare parts donors for their existing fleet, however the RAF expressed interest in them as long range VIP and diplomatic aircraft. Managing to convince the Government, the two aircraft were formally taken into RAF service as BAC Concorde C.C.Mk.1s.
The aircraft were given the out-of-sequence serials ZK554( aircraft '214'), and ZK584 (aircraft '216'), and named 'Spitfire' and 'Hurricane', respectively. (Enthusiasts will of course know that K5054 was the serial number of the protype Spitfire, and K5084 that of the prototype Hurricane.)
They were painted in a variation of the 'Queen's Flight' colour scheme, overall white (except those parts which needed to be either black, or bare metal) with a red vertical tail and Union Flag marking. Serial numbers were marked on the aft fuselage, and the aircraft's individual name was painted both sides on the forward fuselage forward of the forward entrance door.
A three colour RAF roundel was painted aft of the same door on each side. 'ROYAL AIR FORCE' titles were painted on the fuselage amidships. Lastly RAF roundels were applied above and below the wings, outboard of the engine nacelles. An alteration from the commercial Concordes was that the framing of the nose visor was black rather than white. No explanation for this has been found . . .
A bulkhead was fixed inside the cabin, just aft of the overwing exits. Forward of this, the cabin was furnished to VVIP standards. Aft of the bulkhead, the cabin was stripped and the windows blanked of with metal sheet, and equipped to be used for baggage, and diplomatic cargo. A proposal to fit additional fuel tankage, to increase range, was not proceeded with.
Rather than attempt to fit in with they heavy traffic at Heathrow, it was decided to operate the Concordes from RAF Brize Norton. Although the runway was a wee bit short, testing showed that this was safe at the reduced weights that the RAF aircraft would operate at. Routine maintenance would still need to be performed at BA's base at Heathrow, it being judged uneconomic to set up similar facilities at Brize.
Once in service, and buoyed by the publicity generated by the numerous Royal trips performed, the two aircraft soon became known as 'The Sexy Sisters'. Although largely determined by maintenance schedules, 'Spitfire' tended to concentrate on the Royal, and high profile Governmental flights, whereas 'Hurricane' handled the lower key, but no less essential diplomatic work.
Following the Paris Concorde crash, the decision was taken to withdraw the Concordes from service, and replace them with more economical subsonic aircraft.
NOTE; In recent years, following leaks, the release of Government Papers, and FOIA requests, it is now known that on some flights at least, the 'empty' rear fuselage in fact accommodated both Elint equipment and it's operators . . ."
I've done something a bit different with this model, in that the Port side is marked as ZK554 'Spitfire', and the Starboard side as ZKJ584 'Hurricane', to give an idea of what both aircraft would look like.
cheers
Robin.
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That looks so cool, subdued paint scheme that looks just right and a plauseable back story, :-* :-* :-*
Nice one ! :smiley: :smiley:
Mog
>^-.-^<
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Yep, that is gorgeous ... and love your two-side marking approach :-*
As 'Mog said, plausible backstory too. The bulkhead bit was great - kind of turning the Concorde into the world's fastest bizjet :smiley:
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:smiley:
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Thanks, gents . . . :-[
The colour scheme would have been even more subdued, I wanted to use 'V-Bomber' pink and pale blue roundels, but I didn't have any, and an after market decal sheet was too expensive . . .
Also, Concorde marking schemes were limited by thermal considerations. Too much non-white paint in the wrong place would raise the skin temperature above safe limits.
There were a few more things I would have liked to have done with the model, but time was short, and I wasn't sure if they would work or not, like using a wash to highlight the cabin windows. If it goes wrong, it's a re-paint and new decals job . . .
I got the idea for the two-sided markings from seeing some airliner models, where each side was marked in a different operator's colour scheme, and of course, the manufacturers used to to that with their prototypes, painted in the colours of their launch customers.
And I still have to make a stand . . .
cheers,
Robin.