1/72 Vickers Viscount 839

[RayS]

I have just regained some modelling mojo and decided to start with the much maligned Mach 2 Vickers Viscount.


I will be converting the kit's -700 airframe to a -800 by way of the Hamilton Hobbies conversion set.


It will be marked as one of two aircraft operated in the VIP role by 34 Squadron at RAAF Fairbairn during the 60s, decal from Hawkeye models Australia


I did make a start on the surgery the back in January (before the mojo well and truly kicked in) at a club build night, I managed to make the cut in the fuselage for the plug.


Another club build session a couple of weeks ago at our interim club comp and build day.

And I am into it now, started plugging window opening as I am using decals for the cabin windows, the fuselage plug was also cut down the centre and glued in


One side down


The other down and some putty applied, test fit of both halves together and some tweaking will be required


And starting on Friday last, some decent progress, Cockpit installed and painted



I have it on good authority the seats were close to this colour! Not you will see much when the 'transparency' goes on

Wings and nacelles



Also added prop shafts as the kit has a small stub on the back of the hub

Fuselage halves together with some help


Putty on and first round of sanding done, filling the recessed door details as they are wrong for the 800, I will be using decals to replace them with correct shaped doors.


and second round of putty going on


Overall fit is good after parts clean up, not sure what all the fuss about Mach2 kits is about

Next up was off with the nose so the radar nose can be installed


replacement nose on and the other horizontal stab and wings going on after more sanding


Finally the props assembled now



A little more filling and sanding to do and then the gear will be going together, I have also sanded and polished the notoriously poor windscreen part. It is look good after being dipped in future and has now been glued in.

[RayS]

The windscreen has been installed and faired in, some milkiness at the bottom is future I think, hopefully it will be painted over after masking up the windscreen panels or goes away when the future dries properly.


The gear leys went on next, you can see a fuselage repair next to the nose wheel well where the fuselage was short shot, an easy fix with card and putty



The wheels were next, some pour stubs to clean up I think


and assembled


Final shot on its wheels, I think the nose gear leg is a tad long, the model has a rear down pose but should sit level.

[VH-WAL]

I remember building mine a few years ago, I think I shortened the nose leg too. tell me, when you look at the model from above. does it seem if the forward fuselage shape is slightly different one side to the other? mine was definitely not symmetrical

cheers
wally

[RayS]

Well Wal after the chopping to put the plug in I am sure I stuffed it up a bit, there was a bit of misalignment which need some putty and filing to rectify. Mine looks OK, maybe I 'fixed' it with my hack fest

Windscreen masked and primer on, some small pinholes to fix up at this stage, I also chopped the nose gear down to give a more level stance

[tor lives]

Wow!!!!!......REALLY impressive Ray!!!
TOR

[hrtpaul]

That's cool as mate

[RayS]

Thanks gents!

Filled and reprimed with the antennas installed. I had to scratch build the two on the tail. more to go underneath. So how I go with those.







(RAAF Convair 440 sneaking into the pictures in the background, trying to finish that one off that was started back in 2017)

[Uros]

Looking good, Ray!

[RayS]

Thanks Uris!
After some touch ups ( read mask and respray all the white and a few sections of the light grey) I managed to mask and paint the wheel wells and exhausts





I then moved on to the slipper tanks, HH has moulded them a tad thin, so I did some surgery and modified them by adding a 4mm shim to the centre of each tank.


First one partly done


The dirty truth 


Both reshaped and putty setting

[Fuzznoggin]

A lot of work Ray! You've nailed this one. Fine job!