Lt. Keith Gallagher's Lucky Escape

[tc2324]

Thought I`d do a `heads up` post with regards to my next project probably starting in early 2013 and the next question is,

Who remembers this event way back in July 1991?





Here`s a link to the website page dedicated to this event.

http://www.gallagher.com/ejection_seat/

Well this is going to be the subject of my next build after the Tomcat and the reason I`m posting this here is to ask you chaps a few questions.

The first being, is there a foolproof way to cut canopies cleanly?

The second question/request is simply are there any product out there that simulate pharachutes and parachute rigging. Any `homemade` would be great but happy to look at professional fixes as well.

So.......,

The 1/48 Revell A-6 arrived late yesterday so the build is on. (Ignore the Tiger tank, it`s for a what if build later on next year)



But.......

...... how about this for irony?

In the last post I asked if anyone knew of a way of cutting the canopy without completely smashing it to bits.

Well, it seems Revell have done the job for me.......



At first I thought I might be lucky, but no, it`s the pilot`s side which is the broken bit.

... so I`ve now sent a swift email to Germany asking for a replacement canopy and a couple of extra underwing fuel tanks to boot.

[steve149c]

Nice story TC, thanks for posting and looking forward to this build!

[ArabJazzie]

Now this will be a cracker when its finished!!!

How about stitch drilling the canopy nearly how you want it then file it into shape. Cant think of anything for the chute and wires just now.
Arabest,
Geoff.

[paddyboy]

Hi TC

Looking forward to your progress on this

Keep us all posted

Best regards

Patrick

[tc2324]

So now that I can take over half the dining room table again, (SWMBO rolls her eyes), I thought I`d start prepping for this build.

Now while I`m still waiting for Revell to send me a replacement canopy there are a number of issues that need to be looked into. Firstly, this is an EA-6, the refuelling variant and as such I need to scratch build the hose units in the centre belly tank and also the unit just under the air brakes, as well as the propeller thingy on the front of the centre line tank.



So this evening was my Apollo 13 moment. You know, the scene where they have to fit a square thing into a round thing, (or is it the other way round?), only using bits I could find/salvage from the spares box.

Now your probably thinking why don`t you buy an aftermarket set? Well, after a few emails to the people that do the only 1/48 scale set I could find on the web, the order process was a little complicated for my liking and when I was told I could send cash in the mail, call me old fashioned, but alarm bells went off.

So, I`ve gone down the scratchbuild road and if I`m honest I`m actually quite looking forward to it.

Here`s what I have to play with so far.....,

[paddyboy]

Hi TC

Cash in the mail

Like you, I would have gone mutt 'n jeff from the bells ringing

Sure your skills will overcome it all

Happy new year

Patrick

[tc2324]

Happy new year to you too Patrick.

Today I went ahead to see how much I could cock this build up.....

Here are the selected parts I wanted to use for the centre line refuelling pod.

As you can see I lobbed off the ends of the kits centre line fuel tank and smoothed off the surfaces. The other parts consist of a bit of sprue, a `dome` type part and a 1/72 Typhoon burner can.



The front end was straight forward just sticking the parts together.....



... I then cut the burner can in half and stuck the removed fuel tank tip to one end so that there just wasn`t a big hole in place......



... with the straked lines of the burner can sticking out the end, I don`t think it`s a bad representation of a basket.



And the final picture shows the unfinished, (needs abit of a tidy up), and unpainted refuelling pod.



Overall not too bad I feel.

[paddyboy]

Hi TC

Once it's painted, looks like yet another stroke of your genius to me

Best regards

Patrick

[tc2324]

No rush on this for a change, (well it`s going to be a few weeks untill the replacement parts from Revell arrive), and it turned out to be a good thing. While I was going through which white paints to use for the refuelling pod I again turned to the reference pictures and was surprised to see this.....



It looks like the pod is actually a dark green/olive green colour and on another picture the nose of the pod is a metal colour.

Note to self, please check and look harder at the pictures....!

So here`s where I`m at, the pod is now complete as well as the housing for the second refuelling basket. This was made out pits from a Meteor engine nacelle, a Jaguar nose cone and the cap from bottle of glue. They are by no means perfect, but I think they will do the job.

Piccies below showing the pods, where they wil be placed on the airframe and I`ve also start cutting the wing tip airbrakes off.

[paddyboy]

Hi TC

I think you have done a blinkin' good job there, mate

Best regards and keep us posted

Patrick

[steve149c]

Top job TC, I think all your whiffing scratching is coming in handy, looking really good!

[tc2324]

Cheers guys.

After a bit of advice and opinions from members of another forum, I spent the day reworking the centreline pod. I corrected the RAM by giving it four blades that look a little sharper than the original set. Also I was advised that the green colour of the pod may be a trick of the light/exposure and in fact the pod was most likely to be some kind of low vis grey. Job done hopefully. (excuse the flash, it is a tad darker in real life)



Tonights work was making the figure and starting the paint work of Lt. Gallagher. Here`s where it`s at.....

[steve149c]

Great work on the figure TC, looking really nice!!

[paddyboy]

Hi TC



Best regards

Patrick

[tc2324]

Finally got round to putting Lt Mark Baden in place. Tried to give the impression/effect that he is being thrown against his straps as the wire slows the aircraft rapidly. I still have a few things to do on the cockpit section but I think the main stuff has been done.

This included removing the bombing viewfinder that sticks out from the B/N`s console. In reality it looks like a big metal plate was used to cover the hole that was left so I have duplicated this with a bit of flat sprue. You can see this beter in the second picture.





The other big thing was cutting out the lower section of the B/N`s ejection seat. The Revell kit has the seats in two parts with the actual seat of each crew member moulded into the cockpit area and you only need to assemble the top half of each seat. Obviously this is not really that good an idea if you want one member of the crew sticking out the aircraft in their ejection seat.

Thankfully my Wolfpack Design Martin Baker GRU-7 Ejection seats turned up today so the finale picture for today was a dry fit of Lt Gallagher in his seat.

[paddyboy]

Looks the biz to me, TC

Cheers

Patrick

[Flyingmonster]

Interesting project TC!

[Nick Thompson]

Great work so far TC, pilot figure looks good, and the overall scratch building is excellent

[tc2324]

Cheers chaps.

Got the fuselage halfs put together last night and then with the aid of a cocktail stick, raised the seat into position to get a feel for how it will look.



Still waiting on the replacements from Revell so no rush on this at all.

[paddyboy]

Hi TC

Still looking good

Cheers

Patrick