YF-1 Pogo / Avro Lance F1

[Robomog]

Oh yea !

It's reverse stealth technology

"Hey look at me !"

"I see you........  aaaargh blinded !!!!! "

 

Mog
>^-.-^<

[perttime]

Who needs guns when you can permanently blind your enemy? 

If you do have guns, it is enough to be bright enough that the enemy cannot look at you.

[robunos]

SHINY !!      

cheers,
Robin.

[Buzzbomb]

Like it. No drag or weight on that due to paint.

[Kerick]

It would look good overflying a certain head of state in Alaska……..

[Robomog]

Hi all

Well it looks like the shiny option has come around and bitten me on the bum. I was removing the masking and a few minutes later found my finger prints embedded all over the aircraft,  the paint has not set even after waiting over two days.

I've managed to smooth most of it out but it has left it with dull, tarnished patches, I'm going to have to give it another coat and wait probably a week for the damned stuff to set.

I tried over spraying the test aircraft with gloss and matt varnish but that made it look more patchy and took the shine off it. I might have to go from pristine to a well weathered finish.

Not sure if I'm going to meet the dead line now, let's hope so.

Mog
>^-.-^<

[Robomog]

Hi all

Sadly the shiny finish has gone using copious amounts of white spirit and lots of paper kitchen towels. Unfortunately the white spirit also attacked some of the joints and bits started falling off.





It's looking rather forlorn now but at least I've got a stable base again.

Going to need some prep before priming again.

For the new colour scheme I'm leaning towards a light gray with black fins and yellow wingtips not sure weather to go for standard or low res roundels probably the former.

Thanks for looking

Mog
>^-.-^<

[Kerick]

Silver paint can be an incredible PITA! And it was looking really good!

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Sad to see the painting effort go pear-shaped but hopefully the next attempt will result in success. 

I recall a similar experience with a model car when I was in middle school.  I used some spray paint intended for automotive purposes (like painting metal) on the model car and the end result was a mass of chemically melted plastic.  Hard lesson to learn but one I have never repeated again.

[apophenia]

I feel your pain, 'Mog. Still, I can't help but note the cooling weathering effect on the starboard side of that fin! 

[Buzzbomb]

Well, on the brighter side.. you get to build it twice 

[Robomog]

Oh. Ha ha 

Mog
>^-.-^<

[Frank3k]

That's too bad - it looks like it's been in a boneyard for a few years.

Two options - Vallejo Metal Color acrylics. they're designed for airbrushing, but they will brush paint well. They look like metal when dry. The other option is Rub N' Buff metallic wax. It can be messy to apply (and remove!) but it looks like metal when it's polished/rubbed off.

[Robomog]

Thanks for the advice, I'll keep it in mind for future builds, but I've had it with metallics for the moment.

I'm going for a light gray finish now hopefully without any hiccups,  time is getting short.

Mog
>^-.-^<

[robunos]

For what it's worth, my technique for metallic finished is to first spray with Humbrol 56 Aluminium from a rattle can, then brush paint whichever Vallejo Model Color metallic colour is suitable for the finish i require . . .

cheers,
Robin.

[Robomog]

Thanks Robin

I've never used  Vallejo metallics but your method looks sound, like Frank's advice, I'll keep it in mind for later.

Mog
>^-.-^<

[Robomog]

Hi all

On the road to recovery, joints re filled and sanded, lumps and bumps in the paint remaining sanded, cockpit remasked. Coat of primer applied.





Once that had dried sprayed a coat of Light Aircraft Gray, then brush painted the tails black and the wing tips yellow.





Needs a little tidying up where the colours meet (my hands are not as steady as they used to be) then a coat of matt varnish and it's time for decals.

It's not as spectacular as it was, but I'm back on track

More when it happens

Mog
>^-.-^<

[apophenia]

Now that is a 'fresh start'!  Nice save, 'Mog 

[Kerick]

Looking very good! Nice recovery!
I might have chucked that out myself.

[Robomog]

Thanks guys

Kerick - it got very close to the box of doom but I've never missed a GB deadline in the eight years I've been on sprues, so I had to give it one more go 

Mog
>^-.-^<

[Robomog]

Hi all

Finally finished the Pogo

First here's the lame backstory........

Although still very experimental Avro obtained a licence to further develop and build the YF-1 Pogo in the the UK.  As the design progressed Avro addressed  many of the shortcomings of the original aircraft. A primitive television was incorporated to help the pilot judge the landings easier, high speed hot-air was bled off the exhaust and used as puffer jets to improve  the manuverabiliy of the aircraft in cross winds when vertical, and also assist the transition from vertical to horizontal flight. More importantly more powerful engines were fitted to allow it to carry a modest offensive payload. Later it would be fitted with RATO equipment which allowed the aircraft to carry more munitions.

Eventually it was accepted into the RAF  as the Avro Lance F1 and designated as point defence interceptor armed with two 20mm cannon and four sidewinder missiles,

It was viewed with some scepticism by the service engineers when it first arrived and was given the moniker 'Avro Durante' by the ground crew. However they soon warmed to its foibles and the pilots came to love the aircraft as once it was off the ground and in normal flight it was a hot rod of a plane.

The Lance was involved in a few interceptions of soviet bombers and participated In some military exercises but it's service life was mediocre,  never really getting involved in much.  Gradually  it became more and more plagued with mechanical problems until it was found that the strain imposed on he propellor gearing by the vertical take off was becoming too much and causing some non-fatal but nonetheless spectacular structural failures which finally led to the aircraft's withdrawal from operational service and subsequent scrapping.

Although the Avro Lance was not a game changer, it served as an adequate stop gap until better, more advanced and more practical  aircraft became available.

And now the pics.......

First in its parked state.....













.


And now in flight, I haven't used the tripod stand for a long time, probably years.

























And of course the legendary mandatory scale shots





Well despite this one fighting me most of the way and not being the intended shiny shiny finish I don't think it has come out too bad, but I'll let you decide.

All comments and criticisms gratefully accepted,  as always


Mog
>^-.-^<

[Claymore]

 Nice one mate, very nice indeed! 

[raafif]

Great inspiration for my Pogo

On my computer screen the last photos show a PINK! Pogo !! - is that a PRU version ?

[Jeffry Fontaine]

I can imagine that the squadron tiger stripe marking on the propeller spinner/radome would create a significant visual effect while in flight and rotating.  Great what-if and a winner for imagination and outcome. 

[Robomog]

Thanks guys.

Raafif :- it's definitely grey but you can be forgiven for seeing a pink hue. The standing pictures were taken with a circular camera light which malfunctioned.
The flying set and scale pics were taken with the ambient light in the room and brightened when edited, hence the noticeable differences in hue's.

Jeffry :- I originally attempted to lay the decal around the spinner but it wouldn't line up/ lay properly  so I changed it to along the spinner, I recon it would set up an interesting strobe effect.


Mog
>^-.-^<