Supermarine Swift FR5(AT)

[PR19_Kit]

They'd make a good pair for sure Dave. 

[PR19_Kit]

Hmmm, the paint job could be better. While the main areas of red, white and blue are OK, the demarcation stripe between the red and blue on the fuselage sides is rubbish. Masking it was so difficult, as explained above, and the result just isn't good enough.



I'm going to try and improve it by overlaying a true parallel strip of white decal and hope that it's dense enough for the poor paint not to show through.

The underside looks pretty good though, a plus point.

[scautomoton]

I have to say, the scheme works for it though. The Swift isn't a particularly graceful design to my eye, but this hides some of the odd curves.

[PR19_Kit]

Thanks Stuart, that was part of the idea of the striped version of Raspberry Ripple scheme on the model.

It's a rather strange shape for what's meant to be a supersonic aircraft, and has almost NEGATIVE Area Ruling, thus the 545 I suppose.

[Weaver]

Thanks Stuart, that was part of the idea of the striped version of Raspberry Ripple scheme on the model.

It's a rather strange shape for what's meant to be a supersonic aircraft, and has almost NEGATIVE Area Ruling, thus the 545 I suppose.

Well it's based on a fuselage originally developed for a fat centrifugal engine, which is why it's thick around the midrift. Really it's an Attacker stretched beyond the point of diminishing returns.

[PR19_Kit]

Well it's based on a fuselage originally developed for a fat centrifugal engine, which is why it's thick around the midrift. Really it's an Attacker stretched beyond the point of diminishing returns.

Exactly. See my 'Defender' from 4 years ago.



https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=50553.105

Being wedded to a particular design at that stage of aviation history just wasn't a good idea. It's a pity they didn't pursue the 545, it would have been interesting to see how much better it went than the Swift.  It was at Cranfield when I did my HND Auto, and I remember it as being surprisingly large.

[PR19_Kit]

After a couple of trials, I've successfully replaced the red/white stripe with a suitably coloured decal stripe, on one side anyway. Naturally I'm waiting for the varnish on the second set of stripes to dry off before doing the other side.

It occurred to me that lots of modelling time is actually spent waiting, waiting for the glue to set, waiting for the putty to cure, waiting for the paint to dry, waiting for the varnish to dry too. When you think about it, we're not doing a lot are we, even in a One Week GB, we're just waiting............. 

[NARSES2]

It occurred to me that lots of modelling time is actually spent waiting, waiting for the glue to set, waiting for the putty to cure, waiting for the paint to dry, waiting for the varnish to dry too. When you think about it, we're not doing a lot are we, even in a One Week GB, we're just waiting............. 

And it gets really infuriating when you have 3 models on the go at once so that there is "always something to do whilst waiting" and you find yourself waiting for paint to dry on all of them 

[PR19_Kit]

The decal stripes worked sort of OK, the starboard one being a lot better than the port one. I've started decaling the roundels etc. now, using the Airfix kit stuff as it's from an FR5 anyway, but they do take an AGE to come off the backing paper!

I've cross-decaled the serials as XD971 was an FR5 anyway, so I chopped the '1' off their 'WK281' and used it instead of the '2' with the Airfix XD972.  I'll have to print some new fin flashes as the red on the Airfix flash is EXACTLY the same shade as the red paint on the FR5(AT) and you can't see it at all! I've noticed that every type that had a red fin in the Raspberry Ripple scheme had a white background round the fin flash, so I've drawn some up for that.

Lots of detail decals to go on too, and I may not use all of them.

I've also been doing my most hated job, painting the ruddy wheels! 

I SO detest doing that, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...................

Getting there now.

[PR19_Kit]

Here's the just about passable starboard side of the FR5(AT). The port side is MUCH worse, but it'll have to do.

I'd like to do a Raspberry Ripple Swift again, but properly next time, having learnt lessons this time.



It's nice to do a model with a gloss varnish finish for a change, like going back to my airliner days I guess. It makes a change from matt and satin varnishes.

[Weaver]

Fantasy Printshop do sheets of white circles and squares for backing RAF roundels and fin flashes. They also do one with white star-n'-bars for USAF roundels.

www.motorworks.co.uk so decals for racing cars, some of which are black or white circular numbers boards, which could be used in a similar way.

[PR19_Kit]

I've got some of their stuff, yes. I had them for the Op Downfall GB that I failed to meaningfully enter.

The Swift FR5 has swept fin flashes to match the sweep angle of the fin, so they were effectively custom made! I've manged to print some white outlined ones, but was hampered by a devious scanner. 

See Kit's Khaos for details..............