Gerry
Staff Sergeant
Hi Everyone, and A Very Happy New Year to all. I decided that, after putting my Lancaster to bed, I'd take a break from building. This I essentially did - apart from repairing and restoring a Fokker Triplane that had been damaged in transit and painting up some 1:32 scale British Commandos for a Grandson. However, the urge to build was too strong to resist for too long and for the last couple of months I have been working on a double build and this will hopefully attempt to bring you up to date on progress so far. So why start with a double build?
Well, I had been given the new 1:48 Airfix Supermarine Walrus Mk.1 as a present a couple of Christmases ago and I also had, in my stash, an old SMER Walrus as well. I was conscious that the SMER kit was very basic, to say the least, and I thought that I could enhance the detail on the SMER kit, using the modern Airfix kit as a guide if building them in tandem. I am also looking forward to the rigging with some trepidation as this will be the biggest challenge in this area that I've faced to date.
I am aware the the Irish Air Corps (IAC) had three Walruses in service during the 'Emergency' (that's the Second World War to everyone else!), so I want to finish one in its delivery livery of overall silver. The second version I was going to depict in IAC camouflage wartime colours but, as I was hoping to depict an armed aircraft, I'm still trying to confirm whether we ever flew them armed with the Vickers K guns mounted. The few photos I have of the period (from the IAC book) show them unarmed. If not, I may change to depicting an Allied Walrus instead. If anybody could throw some light on this I would be most grateful.
Back to the kits. The Airfix kit really is impressive particularly in its detail and fit. It's almost snap together quality. There's a vast gap between it and the much older SMER.
For instance, the SMER instructions are very basic – two pages plus a page colour call out (B/W) on the back. The Airfix instructions run to 24 detailed pages plus 8 pages of colour call outs and a rigging guide.
So I started with the Airfix kit, assembling the hull floor (I believe that as a flying boat these aircraft had hulls rather than fuselages). The Airfix hull comes in 5 separate sections (floor, portside starboard side, rear roof and bow top), compared to the traditional two halves in the SMER kit. Then I started to look at the detailing for the hull sides.
Top is the Airfix straight out of the box, with only the drogue drum added. The only criticism I would have of the Airfix kit is that there were a lot of sink marks on the interior walls that had to be corrected.Below the SMER post hull without any detail at all. I've roughly marked where to introduce some formers and stringers in areas that may be visible when the hull is closed up. The other thing noticeable here is that the SMER seems a slightly bigger scale. All the seats, instruments etc are bigger and cruder that those supplied with the Airfix kit.
Here, for example are the two hulls dry assembled. The SMER, at top, is wider and chunkier than the Airfix.
Even the small bit of detail added here makes a big difference and the starbord wall of the SMER was given the same treatment.
Back to the Airfix pilot's platform, control column and seat (above). I did a lot more work on the SMER platform but, for some reason, forgot to photograph it on its own but it's shown in situ in later photos.
The pilot's platform in test fit position on the hull floor of th Airfix kit. No glue here yet, it just slots in position like a piece of Lego.
Well, I had been given the new 1:48 Airfix Supermarine Walrus Mk.1 as a present a couple of Christmases ago and I also had, in my stash, an old SMER Walrus as well. I was conscious that the SMER kit was very basic, to say the least, and I thought that I could enhance the detail on the SMER kit, using the modern Airfix kit as a guide if building them in tandem. I am also looking forward to the rigging with some trepidation as this will be the biggest challenge in this area that I've faced to date.
I am aware the the Irish Air Corps (IAC) had three Walruses in service during the 'Emergency' (that's the Second World War to everyone else!), so I want to finish one in its delivery livery of overall silver. The second version I was going to depict in IAC camouflage wartime colours but, as I was hoping to depict an armed aircraft, I'm still trying to confirm whether we ever flew them armed with the Vickers K guns mounted. The few photos I have of the period (from the IAC book) show them unarmed. If not, I may change to depicting an Allied Walrus instead. If anybody could throw some light on this I would be most grateful.
Back to the kits. The Airfix kit really is impressive particularly in its detail and fit. It's almost snap together quality. There's a vast gap between it and the much older SMER.
For instance, the SMER instructions are very basic – two pages plus a page colour call out (B/W) on the back. The Airfix instructions run to 24 detailed pages plus 8 pages of colour call outs and a rigging guide.
So I started with the Airfix kit, assembling the hull floor (I believe that as a flying boat these aircraft had hulls rather than fuselages). The Airfix hull comes in 5 separate sections (floor, portside starboard side, rear roof and bow top), compared to the traditional two halves in the SMER kit. Then I started to look at the detailing for the hull sides.
Top is the Airfix straight out of the box, with only the drogue drum added. The only criticism I would have of the Airfix kit is that there were a lot of sink marks on the interior walls that had to be corrected.Below the SMER post hull without any detail at all. I've roughly marked where to introduce some formers and stringers in areas that may be visible when the hull is closed up. The other thing noticeable here is that the SMER seems a slightly bigger scale. All the seats, instruments etc are bigger and cruder that those supplied with the Airfix kit.
Here, for example are the two hulls dry assembled. The SMER, at top, is wider and chunkier than the Airfix.
Even the small bit of detail added here makes a big difference and the starbord wall of the SMER was given the same treatment.
Back to the Airfix pilot's platform, control column and seat (above). I did a lot more work on the SMER platform but, for some reason, forgot to photograph it on its own but it's shown in situ in later photos.
The pilot's platform in test fit position on the hull floor of th Airfix kit. No glue here yet, it just slots in position like a piece of Lego.
Last edited:
