GB-65 1/48 Jaguar GR.1A - No Propellers

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Airframes

Airframes

Benevolens Magister
63,333
13,052
Aug 24, 2008
Cheshire, UK
BAe/Sepecat Jaguar GR.1A, 54 Sqn, RAF, c 1991, RAF Coltishall.

Username - Airframes.
Name - Terry
Category - Judge, non-competing.
Kit - ESCI Jaguar GR.1
Scale - 1/48th
Accessories - NeOmega resin cockpit parts, Paragon resin wheels, Master brass pitot tube, some parts from Heller jaguar and Airfix Canberra kits, parts from spares box, some scratch-building, decals from Xtradecal.

This is the first of two Jaguar builds, this one using the ESCI kit, released in 1980. Not a bad kit for the time, and, from memory of building one 43 years ago, it goes together quite well. However, it is quite basic in some areas, hence the additions and scratch-building. It also has a mix of engraved and raised surface detail, which is the first area to be addressed.
One of my favourite jet aircraft, with many memories of seeing them at very low level (often below me !) in the Lake District, Scotland and Wales. In RAF service from 1974 until 2007, the last time I saw Jaguars in flight was in 2005, when two appeared over the crest of a hill in Cumbria. There are quite a number retained at RAF Cosford, as training airframes for future ground crew, and some images of these may appear in this thread to illustrate detail areas.

Pics below show the box art, and an image of what the completed model will (should !!) look like.
Modifications/alterations etc will be illustrated in the various build step posts.
(Jag pic by Malcolm Clarke/Air Britain.


Buys 158.jpgJag forum.jpg
 
Pics below show the main airframe and wing parts of the ESCI kit, along with the surface detail that requires attention, as well as the addition of some missing panel lines.
This model will be displayed in a "mini diorama", with a pilot alongside, the decision to do so due to the configuration of the intake auxiliary doors.
These are moulded closed on the ESCI kit (open on the Heller kit). The doors were only open when the engines were running on the ground, during taxiing, take off and landing. With the engines shut down ( or pre-start), and in flight, the doors were closed.
The display configuration for the Heller kit, in the second build, has also been governed by this feature.

More soon .....................


 
Last edited:
Thanks chaps.
It was news of the forthcoming Airfix kit that prompted me to dig out the old ESCI and Heller/Airfix kits. Wouldn't mind getting the new kit, but I have enough kits in the stash to last until I'm around 120 !!
 
Thanks Vic.
As I mentioned, by today's standards it's rather basic, with some minor inaccuracies here and there, such as the wheels and ejector seat, and "plain" areas, such as the exhausts. But for the time, it was more than acceptable and, with a little extra work, produced a nice finished model.
ESCI have long since gone, but many of their kits have been re-boxed, and are still available from Italeri.
 
And he has done something, at last !

The port fuselage half, and the upper surface of the wing, have had the raised detail removed, rivets reduced to virtually flush, and the panel lines engraved. The "missing" panels on the nose have yet to be marked out, masked with "Dymo" tape as a cutting guide, and then engraved.
This process will be repeated on the starboard fuselage half, and then everything will be cleaned-up and polished. There are also some holes to drill, and an opening made for the Ground Power Unit cable socket.

The new panel lines were reproduced using the Trumpeter scribing tool shown in the pics below, with curved and circular panels engraved using a sharpened compass point in a pin vice.
The tip of the scribing blade was butted-up against the raised detail line, and a "pilot" line lightly scored along the line. This action was repeated two to three times, until a definite groove was achieved, and then further engraving carried out to produce the desired panel line appearance, in this instance not too prominent.
Once all panel engraving was completed, the raised detail was shaved off, using the blade edge of the tool. When cleaned-up, any small scratches can be polished out.
(Note that areas such as the wing leading edges have yet to be sanded to remove moulding marks and sprue attachment points etc.)

The pics below try to show the results so far, along with the tools used.



 
When parked, the Jaguar's flaps, ailerons and slats were normally (but not always) drooped, as shown in the pics of the T.2A at Newark Air Museum.
I had considered attempting this but, having studied my photos and other references, and after closely examining the kit parts, I decided that this would be a fairly complex modification, especially as the flaps, in particular, are of the "Fowler" type, extending from the wing. Consequently these areas will remain "as is", with the excuse that they were sometimes closed on the ground, and normally closed (up) when taxiing etc., with photo evidence to prove this !
(It looks like the forthcoming new-tool Airfix kit will have a provision for drooped flaps/slats etc.).

Pics below give some idea of what would be required to droop the kit control surfaces, given the design of the kit parts, a job that, at the moment, is beyond my capability (and desire) due to extreme stiffness and discomfort.

Back soon with more progress ....................


 
Thanks Andy.
I'd hoped to get the starboard fuselage half done too, but need a long break, as I'm aching all over, and rather painful in the neck and shoulders too.
All being well, I'll get it done tomorrow, and can then move on to sorting out the cockpit modifications.
 
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