Airfix 1/72 Shorts Sunderland - with a twist...
Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2021 4:42 am
Okay Gents,
So a few weeks back I found out that my recently passed Grandfather, who for various reasons I hadn't seen in 20 years, was in his later years a keen modeller - this was news to me as I didn't know he had an interest in aircraft or modelling.
So as a mark of respect, I thought I'd do a tribute build, which I originally intended to be a Spitfire, but has morphed into something rather larger - my first four engine aircraft and my first flying boat all rolled into one.
Airfix's old Shorts Sunderland mk.III
This isn't actually my kit - I'm still waiting for it to turn up. but it's the same plastic.
However this build doesn't stop there - As I'm also building it as part of a Flying Boat GB on another forum, I thought I'd try and build something different than the other two Sunderlands in the build, and do something other than the green/grey camo over white that is the most common scheme these were operated in...
So I ordered a set of these...Can you spot my mistake?
Did you spot it? For those that didn't these are for a Sunderland mk.I, not a mk.III.
''No problem says I, I'll just build it and slap in in the earlier markings'', but alas no - as it turns out the mk.III had some pretty significant changes to the earlier models. Asides from having bigger engines (which I'm not going to do anything about as it shouldn't cause me any issues) it also had a top turret added, and a completely redesigned step hull. Apparently the early models had an issue unsticking from the surface when the sea was rough, so to improve this they completely changed the step...
Ah...
...looks like I'll be doing a white/green/grey mk.III then
But then - a fellow modeller who is building a Special Hobby mk.III, realised that the parts needed for a mk.I - namely the earlier step and the upper dorsal openings - were included in his kit. Not needing them he's gifted them to me!
So this is the challenge - using the Special Hobby inserts, converting an old Airfix mk.III into something that resembles a mk.I - I think that's a pretty fitting tribute build.
What could possibly go wrong!
Cheers!
So a few weeks back I found out that my recently passed Grandfather, who for various reasons I hadn't seen in 20 years, was in his later years a keen modeller - this was news to me as I didn't know he had an interest in aircraft or modelling.
So as a mark of respect, I thought I'd do a tribute build, which I originally intended to be a Spitfire, but has morphed into something rather larger - my first four engine aircraft and my first flying boat all rolled into one.
Airfix's old Shorts Sunderland mk.III
This isn't actually my kit - I'm still waiting for it to turn up. but it's the same plastic.
However this build doesn't stop there - As I'm also building it as part of a Flying Boat GB on another forum, I thought I'd try and build something different than the other two Sunderlands in the build, and do something other than the green/grey camo over white that is the most common scheme these were operated in...
So I ordered a set of these...Can you spot my mistake?
Did you spot it? For those that didn't these are for a Sunderland mk.I, not a mk.III.
''No problem says I, I'll just build it and slap in in the earlier markings'', but alas no - as it turns out the mk.III had some pretty significant changes to the earlier models. Asides from having bigger engines (which I'm not going to do anything about as it shouldn't cause me any issues) it also had a top turret added, and a completely redesigned step hull. Apparently the early models had an issue unsticking from the surface when the sea was rough, so to improve this they completely changed the step...
Ah...
...looks like I'll be doing a white/green/grey mk.III then
But then - a fellow modeller who is building a Special Hobby mk.III, realised that the parts needed for a mk.I - namely the earlier step and the upper dorsal openings - were included in his kit. Not needing them he's gifted them to me!
So this is the challenge - using the Special Hobby inserts, converting an old Airfix mk.III into something that resembles a mk.I - I think that's a pretty fitting tribute build.
What could possibly go wrong!
Cheers!