Feature Build No.1 Downloadable Content

De Havilland Sea Vixen

by Steve A. Evans

Technical Data Sea Vixen Scale: 1/48th Manufacturer: Airfix Excellent art, instantly recognisable Airfix box Kit No: A11002 and lots of information on the outside, with Material: IM some great looking stuff on the inside too Price: £OOP

Valiant Wings Modelling • © March 2015 1 VWM Feature Build No.1 • • Page 1 of 10 Cockpit interior is always going to be a bit dull in black but the moulded detail is superb The seats aren’t too bad with some homemade belts, but there are plenty of replacement items out there if you’d prefer?

rfix has been through quite before in this scale by Dynavector but that a lot in its chequered his- was a vac-form kit that needed some very tory, with multiple take- serious love and attention if it was going to overs and collaborations be built to any great standard. with other companies as Awell as beingi declared bankrupt on more The kit than one occasion. Thankfully, with the buy- Airfix now have not only an instantly recog- out of the Airfix brand by Hornby, it looks as nisable logo but their boxes are now taking though this truly historic icon of a kit maker on a very ‘corporate’ look with similar styles has been saved from extinction and is and layouts for all the kits. This is most no- (finally) now producing some great looking, ticeable in the big red borders and splashes modern kits. In their line-up is the amazing of colour. The box-top art is fully digital looking De Havilland Sea Vixen. This beast and seems to be getting better on every of a machine has its roots way back in the new release. Remember how bad it was years just after WWII when the world was on the TSR.2 and the awful scribbled thing still getting used to having aircraft without that was the Nimrod art? OK, so it’s not up propellers and the new jet engine was fast to the sheer gloriousness of some of the taking over. We modellers just love to see pictures found on the Hasegawa boxes, but something different and just trust the Fleet then we won’t be paying Hasegawa prices This is a big expanse of plastic and it’s well moulded and fit together surprisingly easily Air Arm to deliver (remember the likes of for it either, will we? There is the lovely the Roc and the Skua?), so this kind of mad touch of side profiles of all the variants on looking machine has been modelled for us offer in the box, which shows us just what

Valiant Wings Modelling • © March 2015 2 VWM Feature Build No.1 • De Havilland Sea Vixen • Page 2 of 10 The cockpit coaming is a bit sparse; there should be a lot Fit of that navigator’s hatch is very poor, which just goes to This kit is a real tail-sitter without that weight; you’ll need more ‘stuff’ around that sight show that Airfix haven’t got it quite right with this one yet about 40g to 45g to make it safe

kind of markings we can have. In this case you need for the markings…but be warned, there are four versions and while the FAA there are literally hundreds of stencil schemes of this time are never going to be markings to be applied, something to look the most eye-catching, there are some clas- forward to! We’re not finished yet of course sic looks to be had and all with just a subtle because there is the Airfix signature full- difference here and there to keep u on our colour paint and marking guide to look at toes. The box also has suggested paints with all four options with four-view plans to be used, all from the Humbrol range of of each. This is just a brilliant piece of work course, and the inner tray has real pictures and makes painting and decalling much of hints and tips for the less experienced easier when you get to see the kit from modeller. This is in keeping with the Airfix every angle. And so to the plastic, just what ethos of getting more younger people in- does this look like? Well, I’m more than just volved in making model kits, so a round of happy to say that it looks great! This Sea applause for that. Vixen is now as good as just about anything Inside the box you will find is a big 23- else out there and that’s no lie. The plastic page instruction sheet with the assembly is light grey and smooth, with not a hint of broken down into 84 stages, as well as a warping, there is very little flash and only brief history in five languages and some a couple of minor sink-marks where the very nice drawings for stencil decal place- plastic has cooled and shrunk into itself but ment. Talking of which, the decal sheet is nothing serious. The detail work is just ex- The separate frames are a good idea but not very accurately moulded and the clear bits are a just huge. It’s much bigger than the A4 cellent with fine, engraved lines and raised bit cloudy sized instructions and contains everything portions where appropriate. OK so there are

Valiant Wings Modelling • © March 2015 3 VWM Feature Build No.1 • De Havilland Sea Vixen • Page 3 of 10 Masked up with various materials and ready for the Lousy picture quality (sorry about that) but it shows the spray Gloss White undersides look a little stark to begin with but undercoat box and the primer; vital components for me once the decals and weathering are in place it’ll be just fine no panel fasteners or rivets, so some people If you want them folded however, you get are still going to complain but personally I full wing fold ribs with, once again, really think this is a huge step in the right direc- tidy mouldings. The twin booms, although a tion for Airfix. complex shape, seem to have been captured very well and their fit to the main / Construction wing is really, really good; a zero-filler fit, This starts with the complex interior and the just what we want to see. moulded parts look pretty good. The main instrument panels are gorgeous and the Colour seats, although a bit simplified, are good With that big slab tail in place it’s time for versions of the Mk 4 Martin-Baker items. paint and the huge variety of options avail- You need to do some trial fits and trimming able. OK so I lied about that because the Sea to get the bulkheads to fit into the fuselage Vixen only had one colour scheme in service halves but it’s not too difficult. Interior stuff but you do get some excellent markings. also includes the bays for the airbrake and Masking is a little complex but thankfully it’s a hard edged, so not too difficult Basically you’ve got the standard colour arrestor hook as well as full intake trunk- scheme of Extra Dark Sea Grey (EDSG) over ing and compressor fans, most of which is intake sections to add and you’ll need the it doesn’t sit very well in the closed position. Satin White. The white might seem a bit odd following on with the good mouldings. The trimming knife out for that because they are The wings are very good though, with but the British had a thing about Nuclear fit of all of these bits is good and with the a bit ‘gappy’ but nothing serious. The worst options for folded and extended. If you Flash and the belief that having white paint excellent detail visible in the main gear bays fitting part is the navigator’s hatch on the do the extended version you get some on your aircraft would help it survive. Com- the broad upper and lower fuselage halves upper starboard side of the nose and this very clever box-section supports to make a plete nonsense of course but at least it gave clamp down around it all. There are lots of was obviously designed to be left open, so sturdy joint for the large outer wing panels. us some interesting schemes. There are four

Valiant Wings Modelling • © March 2015 4 VWM Feature Build No.1 • De Havilland Sea Vixen • Page 4 of 10 Extra Dark Sea Grey and Satin White make a classic British Those big decals could have been a nightmare but performed The main undercarriage units are a little plain and need that paint job admirable with the help of the setting and softening solutions brake line added. Fuse wire to the rescue! options in the box, each with its own plus decorations and a decent sharksmouth, replicate the muck coming out of the engine matt decals, as they do tend to silver a little points. many of the squadrons other aircraft got and hydraulic bays is with some streaks of easier. One thing to note and it’s obvious • Option A: Sharksmouth, flying fist and much worse; XJ581 wore huge pink flow- pastel dust (grey and dark brown) with a looking not only at the rather big sheet but bright flowers ers on it’s nose and booms, another aircraft liberal application of Tamiya Smoke to seal it also the instruction, there is a huge amount • Option B: Excellent tail badge and red (flight No.135) wore a lipstick mouth and all in and give it the filthy look. of stencilling to be done. The instructions noses for the wing drop tanks long eyelashes while XN684 suffered the Airfix decals are good these days and have three pages of drawings at the back, • Option C: Another good tail badge and greatest indignity of all by having a huge that’s due to collaboration with Cartograf exclusively for the positioning of the hun- bigger nose number “FOR SALE” sign painted across the top of in Italy, who now print the decals to Airfix dreds of stencil decals…what joy. Thankfully, • Option D: Flying fist tail badge and the civil the fuselage and the under-wing roundels specifications. The option in the box we’ve in use, the decals are great. They take a bit of model still flying today changed to those of the Royal Australian already mentioned so you know there are time to release from the backing paper and I have to admit that even though they are Navy. Harsh! The lower surface gets Gloss four on the big, full-colour marking guide. are a little bit delicate but they settle down all very similar in overall look, there was only Appliance White sprayed on in a fairly rough All the options have the bright British roun- very nicely with some help, even the big ever going to be one choice for me and that looking manner, with darker edges at the dels, big, black numbers under the wings ones for the ‘No Step’ panels on the upper was, of course, the shark-mouthed machine panel lines. This keeps it a bit more interest- and some classy looking badges and flashes fuselage. A quick rub of grey pastels to tone of No.899 Naval Air Squadron from HMS ing looking. I used White Ensign Models of colour. The decal sheet is immaculately them down and once completely dry they Eagle in March 1975. The markings on this ColourCoat ACRN02 for the EDSG because printed with excellent colours and in perfect were sealed in under a fine coat of Johnson’s machine are a bit unusual to say the least I’ve used this in the past and it has a glorious register. Every decal has sharp, well-defined Klear, making it time for finishing this beast. for the but the flowers were colour with just the right balance of blue and edges with not a hint of colour bleed and applied by the servicing and handling teams grey. In this particular incarnation you also the carrier film is thin but very matt. This Finishing aboard HMS Eagle during the last tour of get a pretty neat contrast with the white. is a characteristic of Airfix decals and not Lots to do of course, with the wheels duty by these machines. XS577 got off pretty Weathering is simple enough, especially Cartograf, who usually produce shiny ones. (weighted or not, the option is in the box) lightly though with just it’s ‘flower power’ on the white underside. The best way to It’s not a problem but some people don’t like undercarriage units and doors and things

Valiant Wings Modelling • © March 2015 5 VWM Feature Build No.1 • De Havilland Sea Vixen • Page 5 of 10 The wing support strut keeps it all securely attached and at The look pretty good on the pylons, bringing A couple of additions of stretched sprue and wire will add the right angles a busy, heavy look to things even more to the already well detailed Airfix plastic

like the little blade and whip aerials. It’s on With some of the fiddly bits out of the these smaller parts that the moulds are a bit way it’s time to look at something far more of a let down as they are all hideously over interesting and that’s the weapons. Basically scale, being very thick and clumsy. Home- the Sea Vixen was going to be the premier made replacements from thin plasticard and ship-borne, all-weather interceptor for the stretched sprue are the order of the day. The Fleet Air Arm, so its armament was strictly attachment of the outer wing panels could tailored to suite. As with most fighters of have been a serious downfall of the kit. So this time an internal gun was considered many times in the past we’ve seen this kind way too old fashioned and completely out of thing, where wings can be either folded or performed by technology. The kit is locked down and they don’t actually fit very pretty good with the armament bits; giving well in either position. Not so with this one us not only the essential 150Imp. Gal. drop thankfully as the location points are remark- tanks for the outer wings but four Redtop ably sturdy and make a very rigid joint. You missiles and four 2in. pods. The Red not only get the two main attachments as Top is the missile you get in the kit. In fact mentioned above, but there is also a canti- you get four of the little blighters. Red Top lever joint in the centre and a front support was a dramatically re-designed Firestreak unit, all along the joint line. It doesn’t end that was originally called Firestreak IV but Tanks and weapons are all the right size and shape, apart from the tips of the showing there however because there is also the little with a completely new airframe and internal on the pods, which is all kinds of wrong matter of the upper wing brace, holding it all components. The warhead was made bigger securely in place making this one of the best (68lb) and with new engines (Linnet) and wing joints I’ve seen in this scale. seekers (Violet Banner) the Red Top was

Valiant Wings Modelling • © March 2015 6 VWM Feature Build No.1 • De Havilland Sea Vixen • Page 6 of 10 significantly more capable than its earlier counterpart. Range was now up to nearly 8 miles while speed was also increased to Mach 3.2 and manoeuvrability was en- hanced with the new aerodynamics. The infra-red seeker head still didn’t work too well so they were going to create a semi- active homing version as well (code named Blue Dolphin) but lack of funding meant this one never got off the ground. With drop tanks and armament in place there is the final finish to think about and just how glossy do you want this to look? Personally I can’t stand anything with too much shine on it in this scale because it looks so false. Luckily for us we have so many good products to choose from, all with dif- ferent levels of sheen. My personal choice for the semi-gloss look is Humbrol Satin Cote which tends to side on the duller side of reflectivity. This stuff thins down easily with a good White Spirit and sprays very smoothly

Valiant Wings Modelling • © March 2015 7 VWM Feature Build No.1 • De Havilland Sea Vixen • Page 7 of 10 but nothing in life is perfect as it takes an of how great it all is and this is the best age to dry and up to a week to fully harden kit they’ve ever seen and Airfix can do no off properly. wrong. On the opposite side you get the So, that’s it really, with only a few bits detractors who say yeah, just another bit I haven’t I told you about yet. There’s the of warped plastic with unusable decals and wing tip lights, the re-fuelling probe, the trading on the once great but now rather little catapult strop attachment hooks and sad Airfix reputation. I used to belong to the posing the arrester hook and air-brake door second group but I make no secret of the in the open position, the main wing flaps fact that the new kits from the re-vamped being stuck into place and even the pitot Airfix name are converting me. I won’t ever tubes, one for each wing. That’s quite a list be quite the fawning minion that some peo- but in all honesty there’s nothing to tell as all ple are but as long as they keep producing of those bits just slot into place without fuss kits to this standard, then most modellers be and certainly nothing to worry about. Any- very pleased. way, there’s always room for a little mystery So, final comment and make of this what in every build isn’t there? I mean, you don’t you will but in my honest opinion, the 1/48th want me to spoil all the fun do you? Sea Vixen FAW.2 is one of the best kits that Airfix make. Verdict Any new kit from Airfix is going to be met initially with two reactions. From the sup- porter’s camp you get the gushing effluent

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