Vulcan Question

Mad Modeller wrote in news:47qdnW9Qy_Gmf9DTnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:

If you're talking about the Airfix kit, it's a B.2, so would only have been white or camouflaged. The old Lindberg 1/96 kit has the straight leading edges that only the very first 2 or 3 Vulcans had for a very short time before they were sent back to the factory for modifications to reduce buffeting. They went into service painted high speed silver (NOT natural metal) but were quickly painted white (I think the wings were modified frst). The two prototypes VX770 and VX777 were white with straight leading edges.

So if you're doing a prototype it was white and if you're doing an early in-service aircraft it was high speed silver.

Four Vulcans flew with straight leading edges.

VX770, the first prototype, kept its pure wing shape until its untimely demise at Syerston in 1958. The airframe had been overstressed by display flying and it broke up in mid-air. VX770 had no visual bombing blister under the nose, whereas all other Vulcans did have this.

VX770 was white throughout its life

VX777, the second prototype, was also build with straight leading edges and in white. It was rebuilt into the Mk.2 configuration as a trials aircraft in 1957, gaining the full kinked leading edge and extended span wing plan. The new wing was made necessary by the extra power available from the later marks of Olympus engine which allowed higher speeds at altitude, causing buffet which the compound droop on the leading edge cured.

The first production airframe, XA889, was too far down the line when the Phase 2 wing design was finished (the modification applied to the Mk.1 wing) and was delivered to Boscombe Down for service trials in 1955. It got the Phase 2 wing in 1956. Delivered in High Speed Silver with an unpainted radome that has a black front portion and grey rear panels.

The second production airframe, XA890, kept its straight leading edges throughout its life, which it spent doing radio and radar testing, blind landing testing and ballistics research. It was also delivered in High Speed Silver with unpainted radome panels.

I seem to recall that the lindberg kit has a bombing blister and decals for VX777.

Thanks Jesse and Alan, It occurred to me that I failed to mention the kit - after I sent the message. It is indeed the ancient Lindberg kit and that was one good reason to sand off the hedgerow panel lines. Decals wouldn't be a problem as I have several Modeldecal sheets of letters and numbers but VX777 seems a good bet so it'll be the version I go for.

I really wish Dragon had decided on 1/144th scale for their new Mk.2 but I'll probably go for one or two.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

Mad Modeller wrote in news:pqCdnb-ljuTu-c3TnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:

From what I see on the web, the landing gear legs are too tall by about

VX777 was all-white, including the radome areas, no radar being installed in the prototype.

Some pics from the net,

I forgot to mention that my information mostly comes from Tim Laming's The Vulcan Story 1952-2002

Alan Dicey wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk:

In this photo, note the differences between 770 and 777.

Farnborough 1953. Two of the Avro 707's were red, the other two blue.

The formation also showing up later in this clip, but start from 8.21

Alan Dicey wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk:

I thought the 707C (on VX777's left wingtip) was always silver. It certainly doesn't have the same tonality of the other 3, which it would be expected to have if it were either blue or red.

You're right, and I should have checked a bit further. It was the previous year that saw a red-white-blue delta flypast with VX770, a 707A and 707B.

In 1953 the second 707A was orange, and the 707C, as you say, silver.

I haven't got the kit to hand yet to know if the stand is included in the latest rendition. That one was just great but I think I'd skip the landing gear and just build the model wheels up.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

Mad Modeller wrote in news:4rudnVrQsv82bMzTnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:

There is something about the Vulcan that makes it look so much better wheels up : )

The kit came today and there's no stand included but the hole is still in the fuselage. Now I have to look and see if there's a connector for the stand still in my spares box. I can build a stand on my own.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

I either have a distorted memory about the raised panel lines or the new owners have worked on the moulds. They are much lower than I recollected but I still plan to lower them more. The button for the stand is included and all I need to do is scratch up the actual stand to fit into it. It sure looks like a fun kit.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

let me find the lindberg spares box. not sure of what i have but i need to go there anyway.