Clarkeeboy56 Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 It's been a while since I posted on here, so I thougt this a good opportunity to rectify that!! I bought this kit a good decade or so ago now, off of e-bay, and it wasn't cheap then! I've been planning on making a start on it since purchase, so thought now was as good a time as any. Now, before you ask, yes I do have Fisher's cracking conversion set, and yes, I will build that one day, but sometimes modelling is as much about the journey as anything else. I have thoroughly enjoyed building vac-forms in the past and will savour this one . It will be a long build, as most of my models tend to be nowadays. When I get bored with it, I'll put it to one side and finish off one of the others I started last year, or the year before (this list is growing I'm afraid!!). But for the meantime lets get cracking and see how far I get... I may build this as a FRADU jet in the 1980's in Dayglo and LACG. I happen to think that this would look rather fetching on a mammoth model like this would look rather nice in 1/32nd....although another possible candidate may be an Admiral's barge, I'd like to use the airfield arrestor hook you see..though If I decide on a T7 it will most likely be something with a Raspberry Ripple flavour, though 92 Sqns Blue Diamond's XL571 is a candidate......we shall see. Box is well tatty!! Echelon provided four solid sheets of quality moulded vac formed sheets... One with the fuselage... Two for the wings.... One for the rest..... A clear (well it WAS clear when it was issued - it's a bit yellow now!) canopy and spine. This can be used on its own, or in conjunction with the vac-formed part...I will need to replace that though. Undercarriage and seats etc., in good old 1980's white metal!! Decals....well bearing in mind these are approaching 30 years old I think they are bearing up rather well! Designed by Richard Ward by all accounts, he of Modeldecal fame, so we know that they are accurate. Just hope I can use them. You may notice that the single seater decal sheet is there too. Frank Brown (Mr Echelon) donated the sheet when I purchased one of his last Lightnings 20 odd years ago! He had to find a box to put it in! Top bloke! I have actually made a tentative start yesterday. I'll post a couple of photo's later. BUT before I do, I'd like to say that i know the amount of research that Frank Brown and the late Edgar Brookes put into this kit. I'd like to dedicate this to his memory. I know we differed on certain things at times, but he gave an awful lot to this hobby. I'm grateful for that. Harold, Zero77 and Out2gtcha 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkeeboy56 Posted June 8, 2016 Author Share Posted June 8, 2016 Okay a tentative start... Vac-form kit's really aren't that scary! Honestly! Basically once you've removed the parts from the backing sheet, you stick the parts together! A bit like a plastic kit.......oh wait...................! Echelon kit's (Two Hunter's and a Lightning basically) were amongst the best, along with the likes of Dynavector and Aeroclub. I started with one of the wings. I separated the piece from the backing sheet along the raised plinth. Simply score with a sharp blade and snap it off. There's plenty of a plastic "buffer" to avoid any grief! A limitation of this medium is that panel lines can be a little vague. They are here on this kit, and from what I can tell , are in the correct place! I decided to re-define them. I used a Jeweller's Tungsten Scriber that I purchased in London's Hatton Garden a long tome ago. Its sharp and removes just the right amount of plastic. I've gone in a bit closer and here I've removed the plastic backing up to the wings, and the aux air intake on the wing top . Note that I haven't removed all of the required edging plastic. I'll do that with a file and wetn'dry paper. I've removed the gear bay doors. Not too sure about the shape of that though! Harold, Zero77 and Hubert Boillot 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Very cool project, Bill! Those appear to be some of the nice vacform pulls I've yet seen, and seem to support the general consensus that the Echelon kits are among the best vac kits ever made. I'm looking forward to following your progress! Kev Harold 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 wow, one of the olden, golden goodies, had the same kit, sold it quite some years ago, but great to see it built up. Have fun!! Jack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piprm Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Good one Bill! I know Echelon was one of the better vacs of the past ... so it will go together well - I am sure! 1 question... how thick is the plastic sheeting? ... Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chek Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Bill, you might be lucky and find a clear canopy - Frank told me he changed plastics mid-stream on his Lightning with the later ones being a non-yellowing PETG type, so the same may be true for the Hunter(s). My Plan B in the event of a no-show for a clear one (got one in the end) was to use the dried soap solution coated styrene canopy shape overlayed with thin layers of Plastic padding, then removing the shell and building it up off the model to make a female mould for vac forming a new one. The T7 hood is obviously a lot bigger, but I'd use the same technique. Unless Paul Fisher would sell his resin canopy part and save you all the pfaffing about. It's amazing how interchangeable accurately produced parts from different makers can be. (My experience with both the Revell and Tamiya 1/32 F-15 and F-14 when both had their A-teams on the job. I'd say Frank and Paul would both be equally fastidious.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave T Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Bill, I just picked up one of these Echelon kits, but i will be grafting it onto a Revell Hunter. Mine came with two perspex sets, but both are more yellow than yours, in fact they'd put the Beatles submarine to shame for their yellowness. I have asked Paul Fisher very nicely if i can purchase one of his sets of glazing. Likewise Frank also sent me decals for both Hunters and Lightning approx 20yrs ago, so give me a shout if you need anything. Will be watching this one with interest..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice! Brave man indeed. This looks like a great vac kit as vac kits go...................Isnt Echelon the company that makes a really trick 1/48th Skyshark? My brother has the 48th Skyshark vac kit and it is one of the nicest looking vac kits Ive ever seen. I thought it too was an Echelon kit. Zero77 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkeeboy56 Posted June 8, 2016 Author Share Posted June 8, 2016 Very cool project, Bill! Those appear to be some of the nice vacform pulls I've yet seen, and seem to support the general consensus that the Echelon kits are among the best vac kits ever made. I'm looking forward to following your progress! Kev Thanks Kev, it certainly is well designed and thought out. It's showing its age a bit, particularly with the white metal, but I hope to do it justice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkeeboy56 Posted June 8, 2016 Author Share Posted June 8, 2016 wow, one of the olden, golden goodies, had the same kit, sold it quite some years ago, but great to see it built up. Have fun!! Jack. Thanks Jack, it certainly is a golden oldie...especially the 'clear' section! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkeeboy56 Posted June 8, 2016 Author Share Posted June 8, 2016 Good one Bill! I know Echelon was one of the better vacs of the past ... so it will go together well - I am sure! 1 question... how thick is the plastic sheeting? ... Phil Hi Phil, it's just over 1mm thick, about 40 thou.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkeeboy56 Posted June 8, 2016 Author Share Posted June 8, 2016 Bill, you might be lucky and find a clear canopy - Frank told me he changed plastics mid-stream on his Lightning with the later ones being a non-yellowing PETG type, so the same may be true for the Hunter(s). My Plan B in the event of a no-show for a clear one (got one in the end) was to use the dried soap solution coated styrene canopy shape overlayed with thin layers of Plastic padding, then removing the shell and building it up off the model to make a female mould for vac forming a new one. The T7 hood is obviously a lot bigger, but I'd use the same technique. Unless Paul Fisher would sell his resin canopy part and save you all the pfaffing about. It's amazing how interchangeable accurately produced parts from different makers can be. (My experience with both the Revell and Tamiya 1/32 F-15 and F-14 when both had their A-teams on the job. I'd say Frank and Paul would both be equally fastidious.) Thanks Chek, I've a bit of time to ponder the canopy issue. I may crash mould a canopy, or get someone to do it for me, OR indeed see if Paul can help me out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkeeboy56 Posted June 8, 2016 Author Share Posted June 8, 2016 Bill, I just picked up one of these Echelon kits, but i will be grafting it onto a Revell Hunter. Mine came with two perspex sets, but both are more yellow than yours, in fact they'd put the Beatles submarine to shame for their yellowness. I have asked Paul Fisher very nicely if i can purchase one of his sets of glazing. Likewise Frank also sent me decals for both Hunters and Lightning approx 20yrs ago, so give me a shout if you need anything. Will be watching this one with interest..... Thanks Dave, I hope I can use as many of the decals I have, I can always use stencils from the Revell kit, but i may well take you up on your offer! Dave T 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkeeboy56 Posted June 8, 2016 Author Share Posted June 8, 2016 Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice! Brave man indeed. This looks like a great vac kit as vac kits go...................Isnt Echelon the company that makes a really trick 1/48th Skyshark? My brother has the 48th Skyshark vac kit and it is one of the nicest looking vac kits Ive ever seen. I thought it too was an Echelon kit. Hi Brian, the Skyshark was issued by Dynavector...I loved their kits. They were in 1/48th, I built their Sea Vixen, Scimitar, Javelin, TSR2' And Hornet. Gorgeous kits.... Out2gtcha 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Hi Brian, the Skyshark was issued by Dynavector...I loved their kits. They were in 1/48th, I built their Sea Vixen, Scimitar, Javelin, TSR2' And Hornet. Gorgeous kits.... You are 100% correct! Now that you say it, I remember now. Great work either way....... I really need to do something with my CM tigercxat vac. Each time I pull it out, I look at the canopy and pull quality, and put it back just as quick. This vax Hunter of yours makes it look like a hollow blob of white plastic with some sand thrown into the master prior to the vac pull Harold 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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