Post War 1/72 FAA - Part 2 - Cyber Hobby DH Sea Vixen FAW.2

[Dave Ward]

Whilst waiting for things to dry on my 'Baby Carriage' - I've picked this up & taken a few sprue and detail shots

There are 6 finishes, all Extra Dark Sea Grey over white.



The seats look a little underscale to me.



Two Red Top missiles
Loads of slide moulding, and all parts look well formed & will need minimum clean up.
The instructions? Well, as all Dragon ( Cyber Hobby ) efforts, they have to be taken under extreme scrutiny - I've found one error already, before any plastic is cut.......................
Dave

[rtfoe]

Hi Dave, always wanted to see one of these built up. So far the molding on the sprues look good until the last two pictures. With slide mold techology at least they could have thinned the missile fins and did the usual Dragon over engineered ejection seats.

I'll pull up a chair to watch this. I have a soft spot for FAA planes.

Cheers,
Richard

[Dave Ward]

I did not like the ejector seats, so I went into the spares chest - first thing I found was.........

The Sea Vixen had Mk.4 seats - a lighter version of the 3, then, success, 2 of these

White metal Mk.4s - I think the navigator had a slightly different Mk.4 seat, but I'm not going to worry about that.
In comparison with the kit parts..........

I just hope that I can fit these into the cockpit, seeing how much larger the metal seats are.................
Dave

[Dave Ward]

After a miserable morning - had to go out twice & got soaked twice - a little bit of building therapy.............
Cockpit - a bit spartan, not even decals for the instrument panel - needs a little creative brush work.

Those ejector seats - which look better primed - and I think they will fit without any problem.



The lower fuselage has the wheel wells added, the jet nozzles, and the rather complicated inlet trunking, which needs dry fitting to see how it interlocks together, before even thinking of glue. No flash, good fit & a minimum of clean up. The instructions don't give any clues on the inside of the intake trunking colour. Most close up photos of the Vixen have red FOD covers fitted ! I'm assuming that they were white - not that it'll really show................
Dave

[colin m]

I've never built a Cyber-hobby kit, but your great photo's suggest this is a very nicely detailed kit. I built the Airfix 1:48, and the similarities in the construction of the fuselage are more than obvious !

[Dave Ward]

Colin,
the Airfix 1/48 & the Cyber Hobby model came out pretty much at the same time, it wouldn't surprise me if the same sub-contractor did the sprue layouts and tooling. Airfix models are produced in India, so it isn't a step too far to China!
Before I retired, My 3D designs ended up being sent ( electronically ) all over the world for cheapest production costs. The most extreme example was a sintercast component, which was sourced in Tasmania!!!
Dave

[Dave Ward]

Fuselage top & bottom joined - I didn't bother much with the cockpit(s), when the ejector seats are fitted - nice fit. Ejector seats painted - just a wash, and they will be ready to fit.

I realised I'd made an error - the small observers' window should have been fitted before joining the halves - I'm going to have to try fitting the window through the observers main window - doh!
Dave

[Dave Ward]

Wings & tail booms assembled

Just dry fitted for the moment, but it makes you realise how big the Vixen was. Fit, again is excellent, but the instructions need very careful study before committing any adhesive!
Dave

[rtfoe]

Looks good David...with the mention of good fit , I ought to get one.

Cheers,
Richard

[Dave Ward]

Richard,
you also have the option of folded wings.............
Dave

[Guest]

Looking very nice.

[Dave Ward]

Really coming together now.........................

I did fit the forgotten little window, with a little jiggling, and blutac on a cocktail stick!
The fit is still good, generally TET run into the joints fixes the parts. You can opt to build with flaps down, and airbrake open, but I decided to do all closed.
I can see this being a tail sitter, the instructions do say add weight to the nose, but no clue how much...............

That's just the first few BB CA'd into the nose cone - more will be added in front of the cockpit, luckily the landing gear looks pretty sturdy
Dave

[Guest]

the instructions do say add weight to the nose, but no clue how much...............

Since the model is mostly complete now, aside from details, you can work it out relatively easily. Set a ruler upright with some Blu Tack (long edge on your desk, of course ) and place the model on it so the holes for the main wheels are above the ruler (it looks like they have straight legs, anyway). Then just see if the model tips forward or backward — if it goes forward, you’re already done. Should it tip backward, then stick more Blu Tack to the front of the model until the plane does tip forward, and weigh the Blu Tack.

[Dave Ward]

Jakko,
I use a 5mm dia brass tube as the fulcrum, it's not as precise, but good enough!
Dave

[Guest]

Anything that it will tip one way or the other on will do, yes