Fairey Firefly FR.1 & TT.4 (Special Hobby)
The main plastic sprues for the FR.1.
The resin, photoetch and clear parts for the FR.1.
A better view of all that lovely FR.1 resin - and the little PE fret too.
Barracuda make the correct five-spoke wheels for the FR.1 schemes.
My choice of markings for the FR.1 - and it's on the back of the Squadron book!
The second part of the build - the TT.4 target tug.
Fuselage and wings are different than the FR.1.
The TT.4 goodies!
Sawing off the pour block. Seats are the same for both FR.1 and TT.4.
Sanding off the pour block for the rear cockpit aft bulkhead.
Be careful where you saw - you don't want to cut into the part.
Leave some of the pour block on, so you can sand it away precisely. These are cockpit sidewalls for the FR.1.
An exploded view of the FR.1 cockpit.
Grind away those annoying "short run" injection towers.
Finally, some paint! My custom mix of Gunze colours for British interior grey-green on the FR.1.
Cut the film to match the instrument panel photoetch. This is fiddly in 1:72 scale!
Align the dial faces in the holes - it helps to use a magnifier! FR.1 on left, TT.4 on right.
FR.1: Now this looks more like a cockpit!
Birds-eye view.
Yet another shot...
TT.4: Cockpits changed to black in the early 1950s.
I used a saw to remove the pour block from the FR.1 wheel wells. No interference with wing assembly.
Slice that puppy right off!
FR.1 cockpit "modules" separated and ready to be installed in the fuselage. Separate cockpits are easier to locate.
FR.1: Some more resin goodies! Front radiator, exhausts, tail wheel well...
And, most important, two shims (in white) to spread the fuselage a wee bit so the canopies fit.
Now the width of the canopies match the fuselage. Using shims is a lot easier than bending the canopies!
TT.4: Wheel well/radiator pieces suffered some damage in shipment. Easy to fix later on...
TT.4: I'll use a saw to slice these pour blocks off too.
FR.1: I added some styrene strips to precisely locate the wheel wells.
FR.1: After installtion - looks good I think!
Rear cockpit for the TT.4. Most of the radio and radar gear would have been removed for a target tug.
I'll leave the gear there so that there is some visual interest looking into the canopy.
The front cockpit on the TT.4 will be another "black hole."
TT.4: Special Hobby did not include the carburettor intake below the splitter, nor enough plastic to make one.
I will have to scab something on like this.
Back to the FR.1 - adding resin pieces that represent the carburettor intakes, one on each side.
Test fitting the wheel wells/radiators on the TT.4.
FR.1: Now that looks more like an airplane! I cut out the locations for the wingtip lights, which I'll add from clear plastic.
TT.4: I decided to model the wings folded. These are the cut lines!!!
I think it will work!
TT.4: I thought this was a model kit, not a jigsaw puzzle!
FR.1: Oops, forgot the landing light in the leading edge. I'll use Marabu Designs PE landing light.
TT.4: The wing fold jack (hydraulic ram) attaches to outer wing right where that small rectangle is engraved.
TT.4: Resin wheel wells needed trimming so they didn't extend beyond wing fold line.
TT.4: Underside of wing root fairing - left as in kit, right after sanding to sharper edge.
TT.4: Scabbing (grafting) the carburettor intake under the engine.
TT.4: How Special Hobby could have left this out is a mystery.
TT.4: White card stock used to build area aft of the wheel wells.
TT.4: Blending the intake with the lower fuselage.
TT.4: Adding internal support with lightening holes.
TT.4: Adding some extra detail.
TT.4: Another view.
TT.4: Here is what that area looks like in real life.
TT.4: This is the port wing fold jack - located under the wing root above the flaps.
TT.4: I'll use two different sizes of hypo needles to make the wing fold jack.
TT.4: Beginning to add the internal structure and fold/lock mechanisms for the outer wing.
TT.4: Another view.
Oops - big mistake. This section has an angled edge.
TT.4: More like this, I think. This matches the panel lines for the flap much better.
FR.1: Up on her legs! Not too far from some paint.
TT.4: Some more details on the two outer wing sections.
TT.4: Wing roots showing folding wing lock mechanism.
TT.4: Another view.
TT.4: Yikes!
TT.4: The wing hinge will mount inboard on the rear of the wing root.
A look at the real thing!
FR.1: Clear plastic tableware comes in handy - I used part of a fork for the navigation lights. Here is the starboard side.
FR.1: Here is the port side after sanding to shape.
FR.1: And the port side after polishing. A small hole was drilled into the clear plastic and painted prior to gluing onto the wing.
FR.1: Similar process for the landing light, in this case a small PE part represents the lamp holder.
FR.1: Clear plastic from a fork is glued with CA, capturing the PE part inside.
FR.1: Landing light after sanding and polishing.
FR.1: The kit's clear plastic film for the gunsight. I found out later that the gunsight should probably be round.
FR.1: Canopies masked and glued on, lights were masked off, and some Sky sprayed on the bottom.
FR.1: Dark Slate Grey goes on top.
FR.1: Followed by Extra Dark Sea Grey. The boundary with Sky was masked and touched up.
FR.1: The view from starboard.
Barracuda resin for FR.1 (top) and TT.4 (bottom). Kit's TT.4 tyres (center) have no tread and no detail on inside of hub.
FR.1: Cannon have some strange fairing where it attaches to wing. Must be removed, not there in real life.
FR.1: Decals applied, exhausts painted, matt varnish, and a light panel line wash!
FR.1: Hard to see, but there is also a subtle pastel weathering in the airflow direction.
FR.1: A view from starboard.
FR.1: And the Sky underside. Probably wants some more weathering down here.
TT.4: The target tug sprouts some legs!
TT.4: Special Hobby forgot the target chute, so I added one (between the arresting hook arms).
TT.4: Canopies on, and a coat of Alclad Grey primer.
A family protrait - the FR.1 propeller is just posing for the picture.
FR.1: I'm adding strutural detail to the landing gear covers, plus scratchbuilding a new door. Nicer than the kit parts (left) I think.
FR.1: I added some chipping with a silver prismatic pencil.
TT.4: Alclad High Speed Silver followed by Testors RLM04 Yellow for the underside and fuselage stripe.
TT.4: I think the carburettor intake came out nice. I can't believe that Special Hobby left it off the kit!
TT.4: A mate from Oz kindly provided a copy of the official specifications for the painting of the stripes.
TT.4: Black stripes are 36 inches wide, 30 degrees from longitudinal axis, with 72 inches of yellow in-between.
TT.4: Decals on - and very few of them. No stencils at all.
TT.4: I used some Gunze H95 Smoke Grey to add some weathering to the aluminium paint.
FR.1: The ASH radar is added, along with the cannons, aerial wires, intake guards, and rear view mirror.
FR.1: The first of my two Fireflies is finished!
FR.1: Another view - the aerial mast not only leans aft, it also leans starboard.
FR.1: On top of the port wing is the IFF aerial. The radar pod points low to clear the prop arc.
TT.4: I used pieces of a clear plastic fork to make the lights.
TT.4: The lights look much better after sanding to shape and polishing!
TT.4: I also decided to make a new torque tube for the arresting hook. The kit part was pretty bad.
TT.4: The wings are painted and ready for the transfers.
TT.4: Arresting hook, gear doors, catapult hooks, and radiator flaps added. I thought the decals on the gear doors looked odd until...
...I saw what they looked like in real life. My alignment was OK after all.
TT.4: Some very fiddly photoetch brackets for the winch and spool.
TT.4: Transfers on the wings, finally!
TT.4: Top of the wings too.
TT.4: Winch installed.
TT.4: The photoetch brackets are stronger than they look.
TT.4: Another part of the drogue mechanism.
TT.4: The view from the bottom.
TT.4: View of the photoetch guard by the tailwheel.
TT.4: Some very tiny photoetch pieces taken from a 1:24 NASCAR fret.
TT.4: They work perfect for the lock-pin fittings on the outer wing!
TT.4: The lock-pin fittings on the port wing.
TT.4: The wings tilt outward about 12 degrees.
TT.4: Legos are great to use when making a small jig!
TT.4: Moving the angled block adjusts the tilt of the wing.
TT.4: Added the drogue chute guard to fuselage and tailplanes.
TT.4: Drogue chute guard follow the same paint scheme as the aircraft.
TT.4: The wings are attached!
TT.4: Added the drogue chute cable guards and other fiddly bits.
The project is finished! Enjoy the rest of the photos - Cheers!
Celebrate with "The Dance Band!" Concerto for Fairey Firefly and 40mm Bofors!
Comments
27 31 August 2015, 02:31
Bill GilmanHi mates, finally some photos from my new project - A Fanciful Flock of Fairey Fireflies! Both FR.1 and TT.4 varieties - enjoy and don't ask any difficult questions! 🙂 🙂 🙂
31 August 2015, 02:55
Alan RushHi Bill. No difficult questions but just wanted to compliment you on your work on the resin cockpit. Looks great. 👍 🙂
31 August 2015, 03:18
Bill GilmanThanks, mates. I'll have some more photos soon, as the TT.4 cockpit is nearly completion, as well as the other components that must be put into the fuselage before it gets sealed up.
1 September 2015, 00:06
Bill GilmanWell, looking at my avatar, I would think a not too difficult question might be "Why do you think I have this outrageous accent?" 🙂
1 September 2015, 18:27
Bill GilmanThe idea behind "Flock" is just that I'm building two Fireflies at the same time. Plus, I like the alliteration. 🙂
1 September 2015, 21:31
Bill GilmanHi mates! More progress on the Fireflies! I've added several new photos. The biggest change in the project is that I decided to model the TT.4 with the wings folded. Those who have seen folded wings on a Firefly will know that this is one strange looking bird. There is no good aftermarket to help with the wings, so much of this will have to be scratchbuilt. There is a PE set from Airwaves that provides some internal wing structure, but it remains to be seen how accurate it is, and whether it will fit the Special Hobby parts (it's made for the Airfix kit). Cheers, Bill.
24 September 2015, 00:51
Bill GilmanHello chaps, the Firefly TT.4 is starting to take all of my attention. Making the decision to fold the wings on this model increased the workload by about 200%! There is no aftermarket set for this, so you have to scratch it all. And we all know how much fun it is to scratch build in 1:72 scale - yikes! But I must persevere as I've already cut the wings off. Several new photos have been added to show how crazy I am. Cheers, Bill
29 September 2015, 23:04
Bill GilmanHi mates! It's been a while since I updated this album. Most of the work that I've done has been to detail the exposed structure of the wings along the fold lines. The Firefly had quite a complex wing fold/lock mechanism that I've tried to duplicate through scratch building, as no aftermarket is available. To be honest, it's more fun this way! Cheers, Bill
24 October 2015, 01:58
Hanno KleineckeAdmiration for this top level scratchbuilt details in this small scale Bill. I would`nt even dare to try something like this without ruining the whole thing beyond recognition. Simply amazing !
24 October 2015, 05:59
Mats BengtssonIt is always a pleasure to follow your work Bill and these Fireflies are no exception. Looks very good so far 👍
24 October 2015, 10:03
Christian LehmannI missed this completely until today. Great craftmanshi like always Bill.
24 October 2015, 20:31
Kerry COXBill, What can I say that has not been said already mate.?
Skills and patience by the truck load. 👍
It is obvious that all you touch turns to gold, and this will be yet an other 'nugget'.
Cheers and salute my friend. 👍 🙂
24 October 2015, 20:58
Gareth WindsorHi Bill. This is looking great. What paints are you going to use on the top surfaces for the Pacific Fleet markings you have chosen for the FR.1? I have a Seafire MK.XV to build in the same colour scheme.
12 November 2015, 22:22
Martien LourensI follow this with great interest. I have the Dutch version from SH. Your work is very inspiring . If I manage the amazing work you made......I think not. This is high level modelling.👍👍👍
13 November 2015, 05:50
Pierre-Christian BaudruVery good job on the wings ! Do you think you will add some rivets like you can see in the picture of the wing ? It would be great ! Cheers.
13 November 2015, 07:59
Bill GilmanThanks, mates! I really appreciate your kind comments. 🙂
I've updated the album with some new pictures showing the progress on the FR.1, which has been painted in the Temperate Sea Scheme of Extra Dark Sea Grey and Dark Slate Grey over Sky.
Gareth - I used Gunze H74 for Sky, and Colourcoats enamels for the EDSG and DSG. These all represent the paint when new, and I will no doubt do some post shading and pastel work later to show some weathering. The FR.1 aircraft that I'm modelling was pretty new at this point in time (end of WWII) and might not have been heavily weathered. Colourcoats enamels spray beautifully! Can't wait to see your Seafire!
Kerry - if everything I touched turned to gold, I'd be very rich! But I'm just a plebeian like everybody else... 🙂
Pierre-Christian - Please, no rivets in 1:72 scale, they would be so-o-o-o small. I must preserve my eyesight! 🙂
Cheers, Bill
16 November 2015, 18:50
Bart Goesaertrivets are manageable in this scale Bill, they take some patience, but... it's mostly between the ears. I have a nutter, which can punch holes ø0.25, that are rounded. I pick them up with a scribing needle and a little saliva, position them correct and with some tamiya ultra thin I fix em provisory, later I apply some very thin CA to fix them permenantly... Included is a picture of a S-125 launching station in 1:72 to which rivets are applied in this way. All by all, it goes faster then you think 😉
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17 November 2015, 08:38
Bill Gilman@Gareth - The FAA Museum is on my list for the next time I visit the UK.
@Bart - Rivets that are ø0.25mm in 1:72 scale work out to be ø18mm in real life. Mighty big rivets! 🙂
To make rivets that are the correct size in 1:72 scale would require that they be very small, maybe ø0.05mm. This is what I was referring to. I think true-to-scale rivets would be virtually invisible in 1:72 scale, but the same is often said about panel lines. Each modeller must decide how crazy he/she wants to be! 🙂
17 November 2015, 23:47
Bill GilmanThanks mates! I've uploaded some new pictures of the progress on both the FR.1 and the TT.4. Things are starting to look nice, I think. The TT is finally looking like an airplane! 🙂 🙂
6 January 2016, 22:26
Bill GilmanMasking the black stripes on the bottom of the TT.4 was fun, but I was lucky to have a mate from Australia who provided drawings and specifications. Most of the stripes will end up on the underside of the wings, but the bottom of the fuselage gives you a good idea of what to expect. Cheers! 🙂
9 January 2016, 16:55
Bernhard SchrockThe diagonal stripes on the underside are the most difficult painting jobs (in my opinion). Bill: you done this excellent!!!
9 January 2016, 18:11
MRMLADamn good choice, Bill! It looks really well! Looking forward to see it completed! 👍
10 January 2016, 13:05
Bill GilmanHi mates!
I've added the decals to the TT.4, and weathered the aluminium paint with some Gunze H95 Smoke Grey. I hope I didn't overdo it!
The FR.1 has been completed with the addition of the ASH radar pod, arresting hook, boarding step, carburettor intake guards, cannon barrel fairings, rear view mirror, IFF aerial, and the HF mast, aerial wire, and lead in wire. Now I can concentrate on finishing the TT.4.
Cheers, Bill
14 January 2016, 15:07
Rob van Dodewaardspuperbly build and paintwork very inspirational.Thanks for sharing
15 January 2016, 17:13
Urban GardiniNow this build is just a Standard Bill Class - Excellent as usual. I really like to see the magic you do in 1:72 scale.
15 January 2016, 21:56
Bill GilmanI've added a few more pictures to show the progress on the TT.4. I'll get the transfers on the wings today, and then it's just a few more fiddly bits to go. I'm not looking forward to adding the winch - the photoetch supports look evil.
24 January 2016, 18:23
Bill GilmanLots of progress on the Fairey Firefly target tug! I'm glad I didn't throw out my kid's Lego blocks from 30 years ago. They came in quite handy when making a jig to hold the wings while the glue sets. Check out the new pictures. Cheers, Bill
28 January 2016, 04:17
Bill GilmanThanks for everyone's help and inspiration on this one. The project is finished and both Fireflies are now safely in my display case. Please enjoy the photos that I've uploaded of the finished models. Cheers, Bill
5 February 2016, 20:00
Christian LehmannBrilliant! Especially the one with the folded wings is an eye catcher.
6 February 2016, 07:27
Bill GilmanThanks mates! Now if I could only pick the next project from my stash...
6 February 2016, 16:41
Roland SachsenhoferYou making me speechless, these are marvelous pieces of modelling art!
8 February 2016, 05:33
Bill GilmanThanks mates! Erik, next up is the CMR Sea Venom Mk.53 in RAN markings. I'll have an album up shortly. Cheers, Bill
21 February 2016, 19:25
Larry CherniakPiling on with the praise a little bit, but I am also inspired by these builds! Hope you don't mind my "R-Click Save" of your TT Mk4 for reference when I build mine (withOUT wing folds). From the silver paint that looks like silver paint to the detailed LG covers, great work!
22 October 2016, 00:04
Bill GilmanThanks mates! It was a lot of fun to scratch build the folding wings, but please remind me not to do it again any time soon! 🙂 🙂 🙂
23 October 2016, 01:01
Kerry COXYou always manage to take my breath away Bill. 👍
So much talent and so well done. 🙂
Salute. 👍
23 October 2016, 04:37
Spanjaarda work of art and a modelling curse (for advance modellers) all in one. amazing.
18 December 2016, 14:43
Lex JassiesI really feasted on the construction photo serie. And I'm gonna buy some Lego😉
19 December 2016, 07:59
PotchipWicked wingfold! I happen to have built the HMS Glory bird and did the same thing to the wheel bay door inside 🙂
18 October 2020, 10:29
Bill GilmanThanks! It's amazing how a four-year old album is resurrected. Cheers, Bill
30 October 2020, 22:12
Edward MacKenzieI have no words... AMAZING! Unbelievable great built! Congrats for them both mate!!!
31 October 2020, 09:44
Bill GilmanThanks Edward! You guys should check out my other photo albums and perhaps we can resurrect them as well! LOL. I am about to start a new project, though, so be on the lookout. I'll be building the beautiful resin kit of the de Havilland DH.88 Comet from SBS Models. Cheers, Bill
1 November 2020, 21:37
Album info
A fanciful flight of Fairey Fireflies!
