The P.1121 get's it's feet wet

Gondor · July 06, 2025, 01:13:28 PM

It is now just over four months until Telford. I have been thinking about what to take with me this year, as well as the two P.8's I am building.

I have been meaning to build this kit for a while, but never had the motivation to do so until now.

So, what am I building?

One of these, but more specifically, one of these.

To do so, I am using these items

There will also have to be a bit of scratch building for the cockpit interior, so that will be fun

The contents of the box

Just as well that I am using a different canopy, going by the colour of the ones supplied in the box.

Work has started, I sprayed primer over the parts.

The idea is that when I cut the parts from the backing sheet, I will be able to see how much plastic there is to remove, as the parts will be grey and the excess white. This will not be 100% accurate, as I have built this kit before, and I found that the fuselage halves are not the same depth, so something to watch out for.

This was my previous build

Gondor

scautomoton · July 06, 2025, 01:46:58 PM

You are a glutton for punishment.... I intend to build one of my P.1121 vacforms just out of sheer bloodymindedness!

Weaver · July 06, 2025, 01:49:42 PM

Could you use a Matchbox Hunter T.7 for the cockpit interior bits? I'm guessing that they're not super-detailed, but I wouldn't be surpised if there's aftermarket kits, plus the bang seats will be standard Martin-Baker Mk.<whatevers>, which are easily obtainable in resin.

Gondor · July 06, 2025, 01:57:28 PM

Quote from: scautomoton on July 06, 2025, 01:46:58 PMYou are a glutton for punishment.... I intend to build one of my P.1121 vacforms just out of sheer bloodymindedness!

I have done it once, I can do it again, hopefully within the next five months!.

Quote from: Weaver on July 06, 2025, 01:49:42 PMCould you use a Matchbox Hunter T.7 for the cockpit interior bits? I'm guessing that they're not super-detailed, but I wouldn't be surpised if there's aftermarket kits, plus the bang seats will be standard Martin-Baker Mk.<whatevers>, which are easily obtainable in resin.

There were very few Hunter trainer conversion sets available, so I would have to be very lucky to find one. I have seats on order so that's not a problem. Knowing what the Matchbox two-seater parts look like, it will be more practical to just scratch build to suit the fuselage than to convert what little is provided by Matchbox.

Gondor

Steel Penguin · July 06, 2025, 02:02:43 PM

hope things go well and foreknowledge is good.

But Gondor i hate to say this but its 4 months, December is five months away now ( shudder)

Gondor · July 06, 2025, 02:10:18 PM

Quote from: Steel Penguin on July 06, 2025, 02:02:43 PMhope things go well and foreknowledge is good.
But Gondor i hate to say this but its 4 months, December is five months away now ( shudder)

Oh POooooo!

kerick · July 06, 2025, 08:56:54 PM

I was looking at the first two pics in the post and thinking Hawker Hunter meets F-105 Thunderchief. Then there it was, the pic of the two seater. Except I might be tempted to steal parts from a 1/48th scale Hunter for the wings and such.
Looks like something I'll keep a close watch on!

Weaver · July 07, 2025, 04:55:35 AM

Quote from: Gondor on July 06, 2025, 01:57:28 PM
Quote from: Weaver on July 06, 2025, 01:49:42 PMCould you use a Matchbox Hunter T.7 for the cockpit interior bits? I'm guessing that they're not super-detailed, but I wouldn't be surpised if there's aftermarket kits, plus the bang seats will be standard Martin-Baker Mk.<whatevers>, which are easily obtainable in resin.

There were very few Hunter trainer conversion sets available, so I would have to be very lucky to find one. I have seats on order so that's not a problem. Knowing what the Matchbox two-seater parts look like, it will be more practical to just scratch build to suit the fuselage than to convert what little is provided by Matchbox.

Gondor

You're right - I came across my T.7s while I was looking for something lese last night. Nearly nothing in there, and the seats are moulded to the rear bulkhead, so removing them's probably more trouble than just making a new one. The only use I could see for the kit bulkhead is as a pattern for a scratchbuilt one.

Thorvic · July 07, 2025, 05:24:31 AM

Will you be doing it wings folded, as it's rather unusual ?

I did the S&M and vacform versions and passed them over to Paul when he came back to launch the book, the vacform going to Chris Farrar who helped with the data from the Hawker archives.
Soon realised the S&M was a straight copy of the Project-X vacform and has the same issues. So hopefully we will see the P1121 from Machina models in the next 18 months, to finally give us a decent model.

So nice use of the Whirlybird kit to use up the vaform to create a new version, whilst awaiting the superior Machina kit.

Gondor · July 07, 2025, 05:47:47 AM

Quote from: Thorvic on July 07, 2025, 05:24:31 AMWill you be doing it wings folded, as it's rather unusual ?

I did the S&M and vacform versions and passed them over to Paul when he came back to launch the book, the vacform going to Chris Farrar who helped with the data from the Hawker archives.
Soon realised the S&M was a straight copy of the Project-X vacform and has the same issues. So hopefully we will see the P1121 from Machina models in the next 18 months, to finally give us a decent model.

So nice use of the Whirlybird kit to use up the vaform to create a new version, whilst awaiting the superior Machina kit.

I still have another one in the stash. I was intending to do it as an interceptor seeing that my previous build was carrying a bucket of instant sunshine. If I am careful enough and don't make a mess of the canopy, I could always build a second Naval aircraft, either Australian or Indian crosses my mind, then use a Machina kit as an interceptor.
Wings folded sounds good, not sure I have drawings for doing that though.

Gondor

PR19_Kit · July 07, 2025, 06:18:16 AM

OK, what's wrong with the Project X two seater please?

And is it fixable?

SILLY question Spackman, this is the Whif SIG, of COURSE it's fixable! $:-\$

Gondor · July 07, 2025, 06:44:54 AM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on July 07, 2025, 06:18:16 AMOK, what's wrong with the Project X two seater please?

And is it fixable?

SILLY question Spackman, this is the Whif SIG, of COURSE it's fixable! $:-\$

Which Project X two-seater Kit? Are you getting mixed up with the P.1154?

PR19_Kit · July 07, 2025, 09:53:52 AM

Oh right, I may well be doing JUST that, sorry.

Gondor · July 07, 2025, 10:14:50 AM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on July 07, 2025, 09:53:52 AMOh right, I may well be doing JUST that, sorry.

Don't worry about it KIt.

Gondor · July 09, 2025, 01:05:33 PM

Slow physical progress. I now have a set of drawings that I am not allowed to share. The problem is trying to scale them to 1/72 and fitting them onto sheets of A3 paper.

I have received an Xtrakit Hunter T.7 that I will use for the cockpit; it's close enough to the plans as far as I can tell, the real difficulty will be matching it to the rest of the airframe.

I had a sense of déjà vu today when my phone informed me that the picture below was taken ten years ago

Was it really that long ago? Somehow, I don't think I will be building another of these in ten years time.

Gondor