A4K
Brigadier General
Great stuff Terry! You helped me too with that seat info (for a JP)- cheers! 
**** DONE: 1/72 De Havilland Sea Venom FAW 53 – Carrier Aircraft GB
- Thread starter parsifal
- Start date
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Airframes
Benevolens Magister
No problem Evan, I aim to please .... as the actress said to the Bishop!
One thing though, is the info on the seat for a JP, or a 'Strikemaster'? They used slightly different seats.
One thing though, is the info on the seat for a JP, or a 'Strikemaster'? They used slightly different seats.
A4K
Brigadier General
A JP.
Got two Airfix kits, one will be a kiwi Strikemaster Mk.88 with Martin Baker PB(NZ) Mk.4 seats, the other's a spare which will become an RAF JP unless someone else wants to make a 'Blunty'..?
Got two Airfix kits, one will be a kiwi Strikemaster Mk.88 with Martin Baker PB(NZ) Mk.4 seats, the other's a spare which will become an RAF JP unless someone else wants to make a 'Blunty'..?
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Ah, I see, so a JP5 then. Might have some pics somewhere of T5s, and the cockpit and seats - if they weren't in the bunch lost in a fire years ago.
fubar57
General
Looking good Parsifal. Not sure if this is the same seat of not, Sea Vixen Mk. 4DSA Martin-Baker Seat. It's from ejectionsite.com. If it is, there are three other views of the seat.
Geo
Geo
- Thread starter
- #66
parsifal
Colonel
ive really only got the steel subframe to go by from the RAN sea venom walk around. The sea vixen seat does appear to be the same basic shape, but then the upholstery colours appear different to terrys, yours has silver-grey and blue harness and a brown cushion. Im reasonably certain the blue harness in your pic is non-standard aftermarket restoration. Then again i would logically think the base cushions are brown in the original rather than Terry's yellow, but all im doing is trying to be logical, not certain.
i just want the cockpit kit to arrive so i can make a start......
i just want the cockpit kit to arrive so i can make a start......
A4K
Brigadier General
Good pic Geo... and would appreciate those shots (if pos) Terry, thanks! (Yep, should have said JP 5, Airfix also did a JP 3 which I made in the early '80s)
Hope you get the cockpit set soon Mike. Looking forward to this...
Hope you get the cockpit set soon Mike. Looking forward to this...
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
The Sea Vixen seat is similar in overall shape, although the parachute pack and harness are rather different. What appears to be 'silver grey' harness straps in Geo's pic are in fact a light golden brown, like the straps lower down. They were made from an artificial fibre webbing, incorporating 'Rayon', which has a shiny surface, not unlike seat belts in today's cars. What you are seeing is part light reflection from the camera flash, and part 'anomolous reflection', which is the inability of certain colours to record absolutely correctly photographically under certain lighting conditions.
The parachute pack is the dark green 'horse shoe' shaped container on the upper part of the seat, with the 'V' shaped straps coming out of it. These are the parachute lift webs (risers), and are an 'off-white' colour, with a red 'dashed' stitch running up the centre of each strap (this was a safety indicator, and also added strength, but allowed a certain amount of 'stretch' without the strap breaking - lift webs and harness, under a heavy opening, can stretch up to around 150% in a fraction of a second, then return to normal). The parachute pack itself is made from a later material, a type of nylon 'canvas', which was Olive green in colour (although it looks grey green here), and this more resilient material replaced the earlier natural-fibre canvas, which was brown, not yellow.
The colour of the earlier material, as used on the Sea Venom, was the same as that seen on the 'wedge pad', which is the brown, rectangular 'patch' immediately below the yellow and black firing handle.
The lower straps, coloured blue, are correct for that period, and are the same colour code as 'anti-g' straps, and leg and arm restraints, being an indicator that they are a different set of straps from those of the parachute assembly, and are part of the seat. These are actually the seat harness itself, which, although also connected to the parachute harness, are the main seat restraint, and are also connected to an inertia reel, to allow forward movement - this inertia reel immediately locks on operation of the firing handle.
Behind the harness is the back-rest cushion with lumber support, and again, this would originally have been the brown colour mentioned, on the Sea Venom. In the seat pan are the seat cushion and, below that, either a dinghy pack or PSP (the PSP came later, being a combined dinghy and survival pack, in a yellow container).
Again, on the Sea Venom, the seat cushion could have been the brown canvas or, as shown, the darker brown 'leatherette' material. The dinghy/PSP, may have been yellow, although this colour was a later addition with the introduction of a rigid container, or may have been as shown.
Sorry for the long reply, but the changes in materials over the years affected the overall look of various ejection seats.
Hope this helps.
Evan, leave it with me, and I'll see what I can find.
The parachute pack is the dark green 'horse shoe' shaped container on the upper part of the seat, with the 'V' shaped straps coming out of it. These are the parachute lift webs (risers), and are an 'off-white' colour, with a red 'dashed' stitch running up the centre of each strap (this was a safety indicator, and also added strength, but allowed a certain amount of 'stretch' without the strap breaking - lift webs and harness, under a heavy opening, can stretch up to around 150% in a fraction of a second, then return to normal). The parachute pack itself is made from a later material, a type of nylon 'canvas', which was Olive green in colour (although it looks grey green here), and this more resilient material replaced the earlier natural-fibre canvas, which was brown, not yellow.
The colour of the earlier material, as used on the Sea Venom, was the same as that seen on the 'wedge pad', which is the brown, rectangular 'patch' immediately below the yellow and black firing handle.
The lower straps, coloured blue, are correct for that period, and are the same colour code as 'anti-g' straps, and leg and arm restraints, being an indicator that they are a different set of straps from those of the parachute assembly, and are part of the seat. These are actually the seat harness itself, which, although also connected to the parachute harness, are the main seat restraint, and are also connected to an inertia reel, to allow forward movement - this inertia reel immediately locks on operation of the firing handle.
Behind the harness is the back-rest cushion with lumber support, and again, this would originally have been the brown colour mentioned, on the Sea Venom. In the seat pan are the seat cushion and, below that, either a dinghy pack or PSP (the PSP came later, being a combined dinghy and survival pack, in a yellow container).
Again, on the Sea Venom, the seat cushion could have been the brown canvas or, as shown, the darker brown 'leatherette' material. The dinghy/PSP, may have been yellow, although this colour was a later addition with the introduction of a rigid container, or may have been as shown.
Sorry for the long reply, but the changes in materials over the years affected the overall look of various ejection seats.
Hope this helps.
Evan, leave it with me, and I'll see what I can find.
- Thread starter
- #69
parsifal
Colonel
Terry, that is fantastic information. i will try and do it justice......once the kit arrives
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
You're welcome Michael, glad to help.
Crimea_River
Marshal
Terry, aka "WikiFox". Great stuff mate - a wealth of great info you are!
Vic Balshaw
Major General
Got to agree, good on ya WikiFox!!.
A4K
Brigadier General
Don't agree with the 'Wiki'-fox name - Terry knows his stuff, Wiki writers aren't always so reliable. I prefer 'Foxpedia'...
- Thread starter
- #74
parsifal
Colonel
My Kit has arrived, My Kit has arrived. Its vvvvveeeerrrrryyyy nnnnniiiiicccceeee
A4K
Brigadier General
Don't believe ya. GIVE US PICS !!!!!
yeah make with the pics !!!
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Glad to know the kit has arrived Michael - now show us the PICS !
And thanks for the accolade chaps!
And thanks for the accolade chaps!
ccheese
Member In Perpetuity
Hmmm. Accolade ? Sounds like something to drink ? 
Well deserved !
Charles
Well deserved !
Charles
- Thread starter
- #79
parsifal
Colonel
well, ive made a start. My opinion is that the results are better than i expected, but not as good as i had hoped. i need to make some close ups and study the detail, then work out what, if anything i want to do with the finishes. Suggestions and criticism most welcome......
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![000_0360[1].jpg](/forum/data/attachments/189/189285-b78b9afbac78ec2fdcf9d7054fe55e45.jpg)
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Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Bit difficult to see what's what, but I think I know what the parts are. One suggestion which would help enormously, and make the cockpit look better, is to create a 'scale black'.
Using an actual black in a small scale can be 'overpowering', as it can appear too black. If you mix a very dark grey, sort of an 'off black', this will give a better overall appearance, in what is generally known as 'scale colour'. This will also allow the use of 'true' black to pick out such details as wires, pipe work, latches, levers etc, and/or create shadow areas if desired.
As an example, if the cockpit itself, including the instrument panel, was painted overall very dark grey, as described, then other smaller details could be picked out in 'real' black. This could include the instrument dials for example, and the main frames of the seats. By doing this, you will create depth, and accentuate the '3D' effect which tends to easily get lost the smaller the scale which is being modelled.
If you have a look at my Halifax in the 'Start to Finish' threads, you'll see that I have painted the model in a mixed very dark grey, rather than true black, which, to the human eye, appears black in this scale.
Hope this helps.
Using an actual black in a small scale can be 'overpowering', as it can appear too black. If you mix a very dark grey, sort of an 'off black', this will give a better overall appearance, in what is generally known as 'scale colour'. This will also allow the use of 'true' black to pick out such details as wires, pipe work, latches, levers etc, and/or create shadow areas if desired.
As an example, if the cockpit itself, including the instrument panel, was painted overall very dark grey, as described, then other smaller details could be picked out in 'real' black. This could include the instrument dials for example, and the main frames of the seats. By doing this, you will create depth, and accentuate the '3D' effect which tends to easily get lost the smaller the scale which is being modelled.
If you have a look at my Halifax in the 'Start to Finish' threads, you'll see that I have painted the model in a mixed very dark grey, rather than true black, which, to the human eye, appears black in this scale.
Hope this helps.
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