discussion Pegasus 1/72 Fairey Fox Mk.I

[Steve-the-Duck]

In the Biplane GB I mentioned 'Biplane #4' a couple of times. Rather than post the build in progress, I'm going straight here, and not counting it as part of the GB

So, the Pegasus Models Fairey Fox I, A Flight, 12 Squadron, 1929 in 1/72.
This is only my second ever Pegasus kit, after a twenty-year gap (and that with twelve years between start and finish). Some of you may be aware that Pegasus kits, being short run 'garage' kist from the nineteen-eighties are NOT the easiest builds...
More of THAT anon


The Fox is, sort of, the 'Uncle' to Hawker's Hart series of light bombers, and only ever equipped one squadron, No.12. Which is why 12 still have a fox head as their badge
When it entered service, it was 50mph faster than the contemporary fighters in service; Hawker Woodcocks, Gloster Gamecocks and AW Siskins. If not for Air Marshall Trenchard seeing it demonstrated, the Fox would probably never have entered RAF operation at all. It also committed the unforgiveable sin of being fitted with an American engine, the inline Curtiss D-12. The 1A was fitted with the Kestrel, as on the later Hart, but Fairey weren't even asked to tender for the Fox replacement. The weren't even told a replacement 'plane had specifications issued

Markings are Xtradecal and Modeldecal. Vickers K is Aeroclub with an Eduard sight. I really must try and find some white letters to do the surrounds to the tail codes...

NOW I can finish that Hector, and get on with the B-Wing and Honda...

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

So, now for your delectation, some build pics


The kit is VERY basic. It's also the only kit there is of a Mk.I. Okay, so it's a short run job, surface detail is quite nice and fine, it's a bit chunky. But it's also lacking in many details. The kit Vickers K isn't much more than a blob, so that's not used

Like any kind of interior. At all. Except for seats, one of which is wrong for the gunner's fold-down seat. Fortunately I have a rather excellent cutaway drawing on hand

Speaking of cutaways, there's a prominent hole in the rear fuselage that the gun sits in when not in use, that is entirely missing. Almost all photos of service Foxes don't show the gun deployed. I didn't add the base of the little box the gun sits in, as I didn't discover it was there until much later

The radiator is moulded deployed, but lacks any detail

The kick step is missing, as is the barrel for the fuselage Vickers and cartridge ejection port. Yet the nose panel lines are very finely rendered
At least the separate engine cover makes painting mildly easier

As usual, I complete the top wing first. And here we test fit, with my great slab of a jig. Which actually made the entire build do-able!

For the NIVO upper surface I just painted Humbrol Bronzey-Green. It does the trick. The Foxes had highly polished noses, which gave them their nickname of the 'Shiny Twelve'. I tried and AK Chrome spray, but the base black wasn't as gloss as needed to get the right bright effect. Also, a gloss overspray dulled it down. So, eventually I resorted to self-adhesive foil. There are no mounting spots for the struts, which is a pain

So, the biggest problem with Pegasus biplanes is the lack of any struts. Okay, so Aeroclub strut stuff wasn't available back then, but there was strip. But the plans don't even have templates for the struts' size or shape. It took a whole week of test making, with card formers, to get them right. These are the third actual placcy ones, carved and sanded out of 40 thou card. Even contemporary vacform kits had templates for struts, but not Pegasus, noo.

And rigged, with 020 wire. Oh yes, the header tank on the top wing is also missing from the kit. Which is doubly odd as the top wing is moulded in three bit anyway, which is a pig to get the dihedral right...

Also, there are no templates for the u/c legs. So, that's wire, strut material and a lot of fettling...

And, at this stage, I noticed on one photo that the Fox carries a larger underside hatch, very similar to the Hart family. I'd already added the small hatch for the ventral gun mounting, but more was needed.
There's also a large panel on the starboard side missing from the kit, but it does include outlines for the access panels under the tail. The hull ribbing should also extend further forward on that side too, but I didn't realise that until after I'd rshinied the nose first time

Codes are all Modeldecal individual numbers, which is why they're not quite straight

So, that's six weeks work. And I still have one more Pegasus biplane to do, a 1/72 Albacore in Italian markings. Another 'only game in town' job
Oh, if I can get another Fox (hopefully someone out there might do one), I'll be doing a 1A with the kestrel engine. Which just means cutting the nose off an Airfix Demon. Luckily, I've saved all the strut templates!

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

Oh, just for reference also, is the first Pegasus I did, back in the day, a Gloster Gauntlet Mk.I

Again, no strut templates, or interior. So I cheated and made engine covers. Squadron markings are Model decal, checkers are hand brush painted. It was twelve years between starting this kit and coming back to paint and finish it. At least now for a Mk.II I've got the AZ kit!

 

[yak face]

I cant believe thats a Pegasus kit chris ! It can looks superb , top scratching skills . Ive seen pegasus kits and they make Amodel look like the latest Tamiya !!!!
To say theyre basic is an understatement , theyre only just above the vac form on the evolutionary ladder ! Great work , cheers tony

 

[Tim Marlow]

Nice work Chris. Interesting history as well. Not a period we see commonly modelled.

 

[Mickc1440]

You made a great job of that one Chris

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

Many thanks chaps. I bask un the ego-boosting. And I need it after this

Oh, Tony, do not get me started on Amodel! I think I've got another three-or-four of theirs in my silver wings stack, but they're the only game in town. Still, to paraphrase Mr Orwell, my Hawker Hector has now come within measureable distance of it's conclusion!

Tim, you might think I do so many RAF silver wings because they're easy colour schemes! I think I was bitten by the period bug waaay back in the day with Matchbox PK-1 Hawker Fury! Got two of them in the offing!

Mick, eythangyew!

 

[Jim R]

I'll bet that kit has never been made into such an impressive model. When a short run kit is the only game in town you have to go with it though. Your skill, planning and patience have certainly paid off. Well done Steve. A result to be proud of.

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

Your skill, planning and patience have certainly paid off. Well done Steve. A result to be proud of.

'Plan? Ain't got no plan!" Cheers!

Now, that's a peeve with this thing. Three-view plans are useful and all, but not when a strut goes at three different angles at the same time..! Still, my geometry skills kind of helped

 

[Tim Marlow]

Many thanks chaps. I bask un the ego-boosting. And I need it after this

Oh, Tony, do not get me started on Amodel! I think I've got another three-or-four of theirs in my silver wings stack, but they're the only game in town. Still, to paraphrase Mr Orwell, my Hawker Hector has now come within measureable distance of it's conclusion!

Tim, you might think I do so many RAF silver wings because they're easy colour schemes! I think I was bitten by the period bug waaay back in the day with Matchbox PK-1 Hawker Fury! Got two of them in the offing!

Mick, eythangyew!

Never thought that for a second….silver is a hard finish to get looking good. I’ll take Matt Camo any day…..

 

[minitnkr]

Just wow.

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

Never thought that for a second….silver is a hard finish to get looking good. I’ll take Matt Camo any day…..

Indeed. That's why I've gone back to self-adhesive foil for the cowling.
When I get to my Furies, I need a ridiculously shiny finish, especially on the High Speed Fury. I'm watching lots of 'how tos' on YouTube at the moment, and practising on spare wing bits.

Silver dope, mind, is easy. Just rattle can humbrol silver!

Just wow.

Ooh, ta!

 

[Lee Drennen]

Chris nice finish on both. The color and decals are brilliant.

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

Chris nice finish on both. The color and decals are brilliant.

And this time round the markings are, indeed, decals!