Author Topic: Fairey Finbar - Irish Air Corps 1932  (Read 4850 times)

Offline Buzzbomb

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Fairey Finbar - Irish Air Corps 1932
« on: June 07, 2021, 12:43:53 PM »
Ok, I think I am in. Found this started Fairey IIIF, Contrail Vacform kit. Clearly at some stage in the much more enthusiastic past, it was assigned to a box-o-doom,  this GB might be just the ticket out.
Still a lot of work to go and have to come up with a bit of whiffery as well, but provided the Mods give it the nod, awaaaaaay we go.



Hmmm, how about an Irish Air Corps with a Bristol Perseus engine mod.

BTW the name is most certainly subject to change at some stage.
« Last Edit: June 29, 2021, 06:53:24 PM by Buzzbomb »

Offline apophenia

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Re: Fairey IIIG
« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2021, 03:49:28 AM »
Subject name change to 'Fairey IIIP' for Perseus? (Asks Mod who is nodding enthusiastically.)

Oh, and this has reminded me of another rule I forgot to include ...

- Rule 12: All vacuforms (but especially Fairey biplanes) are to received special encouragement. consideration, and dispensations.  ;)
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline Buzzbomb

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Re: Fairey IIIG
« Reply #2 on: June 09, 2021, 02:05:42 PM »
Well some progress, then a case of too many choices.
First some of the reasons for banishing this model have became apparent...  ;D


Engines.. well turns out to keep in the 20's 30's I have a bit of choice in the spares tin
Bristol Pegasus -


Bristol Jupiter - looks a bit like a PO-2


And the Perseus nicely cowled.

« Last Edit: June 10, 2021, 09:00:44 AM by Buzzbomb »

Offline Kerick

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Re: Fairey IIIG
« Reply #3 on: June 09, 2021, 11:36:24 PM »
Can you make new parts from wire? It would probably look better and take less time than cleaning up those pieces. Looking good otherwise!

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Fairey IIIG
« Reply #4 on: June 10, 2021, 11:22:11 AM »
Choice of engine would depend on the period the build is set in.  Early 20's would be the Bristol Jupiter, late 20's and early 30's would be the Pegasus with the short cowl, and mid- to late-30's would be the nicely cowled Perseus.

As to the details, I think you would be better off scratch-building them.  That block of plastic you display reminds me of some old Russian injection-molded kits that were more flash than parts.

Offline Frank3k

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Re: Fairey IIIG
« Reply #5 on: June 10, 2021, 11:44:27 AM »
Nice vac work, which is usually harder than it looks!

I like both cowled engines!

Offline apophenia

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Re: Fairey IIIG
« Reply #6 on: June 11, 2021, 07:35:25 AM »
Nice vac work, which is usually harder than it looks!

It is ... and it is!

The Pegasus give the Fairey III a slight Swordfish feel. Since a radial-engined naval III was a Seal, maybe a 'Super Seal' torpedo bomber predating the 'Stringbag'?
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Offline jcf

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Re: Fairey IIIG
« Reply #7 on: June 13, 2021, 06:42:35 AM »
The Jupiter was in production well into the 1930s with multiple variants.
The Bristol Seeley and the Bristol Bloodhound were both fitted with
experimental turbo-charged variants, a Jupiter III and a Jupiter IV
respectively. The Bristol Orion was another turbo-supercharged Jupiter
based engine.
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Offline apophenia

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Re: Fairey IIIG
« Reply #8 on: June 13, 2021, 10:40:50 AM »
Cool! I had to Google both of those Bristol types. Of the Jupiter IV, BAE Systems heritage says "425 hp Bristol Jupiter IV (normal, variable timing or supercharged)". Any idea what 'variable timing' means in that context?
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline Buzzbomb

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Re: Fairey IIIG
« Reply #9 on: June 13, 2021, 02:25:42 PM »
An interesting world of British 20's-30's aircraft. Also did some more digging around getting background of engines and the IIIF or its heirs and successors tried quite a few.
Fairey Seal, Fairey Gordon, direct descendants, with different engines. Then there was sales to overseas buyers, often with a different engine.
It was almost that my proposed whiffer was a RW model  :o.
Thought about tossing it in for this.. a Merlin Models Gloster Grebe, another one that popped out of the stash while looking for something else. What was I on when I bought that ???

It was a bigger task to hammer into shape than the Vac Form. I don't dare show the other one that was with it, also Merlin Models, their Curtiss Wright CW-21 which is an all metal kit. What were THEY on when they decided that was a good idea. >:D

So back to work on the III <whatever>
No problems about redoing the awful injection stuff. That had been decided very early
Replaced the landing gear with brass and Aeroclub strut. Much easier


Revisited the rigging holes


Whacked in some new struts to the replace the 4x2 rough sawn timber looking things that had been supplied with the kit. And another engine variation, I think it is a Pratt and Witney with that cooling gizmo they had.
« Last Edit: June 13, 2021, 02:27:39 PM by Buzzbomb »

Offline Robomog

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Re: Fairey IIIG
« Reply #10 on: June 14, 2021, 03:43:36 AM »
This is beginning to look very cool   :smiley:

Mog
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Offline jcf

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Re: Fairey IIIG
« Reply #11 on: June 14, 2021, 04:05:52 AM »
Cool! I had to Google both of those Bristol types. Of the Jupiter IV, BAE Systems heritage says "425 hp Bristol Jupiter IV (normal, variable timing or supercharged)". Any idea what 'variable timing' means in that context?

Variable valve timing using a pilot controlled cam ring, this changed the valve opening
and closing timing and dwell time enabling running the engine at full throttle while on
the ground without causing detonation while using the standard service fuel in the
high-compression engine.
Variable timing Jupiters can be identified by a small push-rod linkage on top of the
engine casing fwd of the cylinders.

« Last Edit: June 14, 2021, 05:55:55 AM by jcf »
“Conspiracy theory’s got to be simple.
Sense doesn’t come into it. People are
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actually is than they ever are about
whatever’s supposed to be behind the
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-The Peripheral, William Gibson 2014

Offline apophenia

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Re: Fairey IIIG
« Reply #12 on: June 14, 2021, 04:07:13 AM »
Indeed. The undercarriage looks especially nice - good call!

The new engine option looks good too. Those cooling louvres remind me a bit of the Boeing Model 40.

Jon: Excellent explanation. Thanks very much for this  :smiley:
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline Frank3k

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Re: Fairey IIIG
« Reply #13 on: June 14, 2021, 09:09:07 AM »
The landing gear looks great! Is that solid brass? The Aeroclub struts are hard to find now - it may be easier to 3D print them now.

The engine vent covers really make it look like a Boeing Model 40! You can turn it into an alternate airmail plane!

Offline Buzzbomb

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Re: Fairey IIIG
« Reply #14 on: June 23, 2021, 01:13:22 PM »
The landing gear looks great! Is that solid brass? The Aeroclub struts are hard to find now - it may be easier to 3D print them now.
The engine vent covers really make it look like a Boeing Model 40! You can turn it into an alternate airmail plane!

Yep, hole drilled through the strut section with brass rod pushed through. Rock solid. Agree on the Aeroclub strut, only used when it really needs to be. Like now.
3D print, maybe resin but not on my FDM printer.

Work proceeds
Basic paintwork with the Irish Air Corps markings of the time


let the mess of rigging commence. Pre-drilled holes in the wing, then superglued in rigging thread. On this model I am trying something a different technique as a trial, where the upper wing has holes all the way through, glue then re-finish.  :-\ Or should that have been the lower wing :icon_crap: We shall see


Offline apophenia

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Re: Fairey IIIG
« Reply #15 on: June 24, 2021, 06:39:05 AM »
Oh my ... your Fairey is looking fantastic! (I keep having to remind myself that this is a vacuform!) And love those early Irish Air Corps markings  :-*

Now, we will watch you practice your sewing skills with interest  :D
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Offline Old Wombat

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Re: Fairey IIIG
« Reply #16 on: June 24, 2021, 09:57:37 AM »
I keep having to remind myself that this is a vacuform!

Same here! :smiley: :smiley:
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Frank3k

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Re: Fairey IIIG
« Reply #17 on: June 24, 2021, 10:37:25 AM »
This is looking great! The old rigging dilemma. It might be easier to rig to the upper wing... at least the markings aren't decals, so you may be able to hide the rigging exit holes completely.

Offline Buzzbomb

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Re: Fairey IIIG
« Reply #18 on: June 25, 2021, 06:02:01 PM »
Ok.. so far.. pretty average, couple of wires did not play at 100%
I used some 110 denier Lycra Rigging Thread, which is nice and stretchy.

Agricultural jig to hold the aircraft, upside down to help with feeding through the wires.


Wires were fed through and glued one at a time, working from back to front. Hold onto the excess, give a small bit of tension, put on a teeny tiny dob of Superglue, wait, wait, wait (repeat until your inner demons say release), then release slowly. So as to not ping it back. The idea being the glue is pull down into the hole.


Give it 30 mins or so, then with a new scalpel blade and I did use a scalpel, grab a wire, pull slightly and wick off with the blade. The object being for the excess thread to hopefully move back into the hole. Again, mostly appeared to work ok


Fill the holes with a water based filler, like Vallejo or similar


Next steps will be to see if that worked as expected then repaint.
 More to follow

Offline Frank3k

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Re: Fairey IIIG
« Reply #19 on: June 26, 2021, 01:20:22 AM »
Looks good! For me, there's always that one line that just won't set. You think it's done and ....zap, it shoots out of the hole and sticks to the lower wing or the fuselage. I hate superglue!

I'm always fascinated at how rigging strengthens the wings (if they don't collapse the struts...)

Offline Robomog

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Re: Fairey IIIG
« Reply #20 on: June 26, 2021, 01:47:24 AM »
Nice bit o' rigging  :smiley:

I tend to use stretched sprue which has a whole different set of problems :-\

Looking forward to the finished model

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Offline Buzzbomb

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Re: Fairey Finbar - Irish Air Corps 1932
« Reply #21 on: June 29, 2021, 07:07:45 PM »
Probably call this as done.
Not strong on backstories but here we go.
The fledgling Irish Air Corps wanted a GP/Coastal Surveillance Aircraft. Looking to Britain the Fairey IIIF fitted the requirements, although they wanted a more powerful engine. So fitting a cowled Bristol Mercury Engine, replacing the normal Napier Lion. This fitted more with the other aircraft that had radial engines coming online. Renamed the Fairey Finbar, this aircraft gave stirling service to Ireland, being finally retired in 1944 after spares became very scarce.

Added wheels and exhaust system and fitted the seats. There is a more rigging but the rigging mojo has moved on ;)




« Last Edit: July 29, 2021, 07:13:59 AM by Buzzbomb »

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: Fairey Finbar - Irish Air Corps 1932
« Reply #22 on: June 29, 2021, 08:27:29 PM »
Nice one, BT! 8)
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Frank3k

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Re: Fairey Finbar - Irish Air Corps 1932
« Reply #23 on: June 29, 2021, 11:32:51 PM »
That came out great! It looks like it's seen some service, and the rigging came out great!

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Re: Fairey Finbar - Irish Air Corps 1932
« Reply #24 on: June 30, 2021, 02:16:24 AM »
 :smiley:
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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