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Matchbox Sea Venom


LSP_Kevin

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I can't wait to see you work your magic on this kit. It will be great to see a kit brought back from the dead. I wonder just how many kits are slowly disintegrating in sheds all over Melbourne or the world for that matter.

Dan

 

Thanks Dan. I have indeed (finally) made a start. Not very much work had already been done, but it had been done quite poorly. A small assemblage of cockpit and engine parts had been badly glued together (with tube glue) and badly painted (with a brush) with enamels. The seams have been 'sanded' with a chainsaw. All I've really done so far is to clean up that mess, and begin work on a new IP for the cockpit. Actually, I've just sanded off the raised detail on the kit part and will use it as a basis for a better one. I've ordered some instrument decals from MDC for the occasion.

 

Nothing photo-worthy yet, but at least I've started now!

 

Kev

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OK, I've been beavering away at the engine and have struck my first snag. I'm missing one of the 2 n-shaped supports that attach the rear engine assembly to the front firewall and intake ducts. It's a long shot I know, but would anybody have a spare? Perhaps you built yours buttoned up and didn't use the engine parts? If not, I'm going to have to fabricate another one, which is probably all the incentive I need to start my Zero in the other GB. ;)

 

Kev

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OK, so, some modelling photos at last! ;)

 

I've been working at trying to make the cockpit a little busier, but purists, rivet counters and Sea Venom fans best look away.

 

post-3071-1221884447.jpg

 

It's mostly pure fiction, and I managed to make the trim wheel look like it belongs on a submarine, but I'm hoping it will be better than the bareness of the original. I've started work on the instrument panel, but have stopped while I await a delivery of RAF instrument decals from MDC. It's probably better that I know what size to make the holes before I make them. :lol:

 

post-3071-1221884456.jpg

 

You can also see evidence on the fuselage of some rescribing work I've done here and there. I've decided not to expose the engine after all, as I failed in my attempts to manufacture and fit an adequate replacement for the missing support frame thingy. No biggie.

 

More soon.

 

Kev

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Thanks guys. It's only modest stuff, but I'd never build or detail anything if I let accuracy stand in the way, so I'm happy to make it up and hope it looks good. As our resident geriatric sculpting non-modeller would say, it's only a hobby.

 

So, today's efforts were spent on making a new control column. The kit one is rubbish, and attempts to represent the earlier single-seat fighter in any case. My attempt at a replacement is only marginally more accurate than the kit one, but it was a good excuse to give it a go. Kit part on the left, my replacement on the other left:

 

post-3071-1221901928.jpg

 

I also spent a couple of wondrous evenings last week drilling out the gun ports:

 

post-3071-1221901984.jpg

 

The shape of the troughs on the kit part is flat-out wrong (thank God it's not a Mustang!). I wouldn't know where to begin with a fix for that, so making them drafty will have to suffice.

 

Thanks for looking!

 

Kev

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Looking good there Kev :ph34r:!!

 

As for the accuracy- as a few friends of mine say "So long as it looks like a *insert plane here :ph34r:* then it's good enough"

 

Besides, with the photos i've found it seems you're pretty darn close anyways :ph34r:!!

 

Good luck with the rest of the build!!

 

-Dan

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Kev, If I remember correctly there is one of these at Moorabain, and has some panels opened up.

 

Yeah Mike, they got one. My original intent was to go over there and photograph it extensively before starting this build, but I never found the time. I've seen it several times before, but have never had a reason to take snaps of it before. They've got some cool stuff out there.

 

Kev

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Any good Sea Venom walkarounds on the 'net?

 

Dude, i've done a walkaround of the bird at Moorabbin with some interior pics as well. I also have the Venom in service book you're also welcome to borrow. Drop around one weekend for a cuppa if you like. You could check out the 'Temple de la plastique' which now has a fresh coat of paint and it looking a whole lot better.

 

Cheers Matty

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Dude, i've done a walkaround of the bird at Moorabbin with some interior pics as well. I also have the Venom in service book you're also welcome to borrow. Drop around one weekend for a cuppa if you like. You could check out the 'Temple de la plastique' which now has a fresh coat of paint and it looking a whole lot better.

 

Cheers Matty

 

Thanks Matty, I may just do that. Glad to hear you're making some progress on your renovations over there. No two Sea Venom cockpit photos I've found so far look anything like each other, so I just used them as a guide. There doesn't appear to be a single aftermarket set available for this kit either, apart from a decal sheet for RN birds, so you're on your own when tackling this one. I am deriving great inspiration from Meindert de Vreeze's builds though.

 

Kev

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Matty wrote:

Dude, i've done a walkaround of the bird at Moorabbin ....

Kev, I can assure you, rope barriers are NO impediment to a couple of young, innocent lads seeking "enlightenment" regarding the mysteries of aircraft(s). :P

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Wow Kevin!, That's a cool link. The more I check this aircraft out, the more it fascinates and intrigues me. I'm really liking that Aussie naval version, those markings and paint-scheme just look so gnarly! So, Australia had a carrier they operated these off of? Did they operate A-4's also?

After seeing that review and build of this kit, I'm super interested in how this will go together the 'Kev way'. Glad to see you taking your time and enjoying this as a hobby, not as a job that has to be completed. Looks good on ya dude! Cockpit looks great, and it's nice to see ya dabbling in a little scratching there. B) Sweet that you've got an example to go look at if you get a hankering to see it up close. What's the name of the museum? I'd like to do a search and see what else they have there. Looks interesting. Later, Russ

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