Building the Airfix 1/48 BAC TSR-2 with Eduard and Scale Aircraft Conversions details

By  Dick Montgomery, IPMS# 14003

Airfix Kit# A10105 1/48 TSR-2; MSRP: $41.00 (£27) Web Site: www.airfix.com Eduard for the Masks/P.E. sets: www.eduard.com · #48614 TSR-2 Undercarriage Set; MSRP: $26.95 · #48616 TSR-2 Exterior Set; MSRP: $24.95 · #49436 TSR-2 Interior Set; MSRP: $29.95 · #EX267 Canopy Masking Set; MSRP: $10.95 Scale Aircraft Conversions #48026 TSR-2 Landing Gear Set; MSRP: $20.95 Web Site: www.scaleaircraftconversions.com Gator's Mask - Gator Grip Hobby Glue; MSRP: $5.00 Web Site: www.gatorsmask.com The Box The kit is packaged in a strong box, approximately 3"x22"x15". Your kit should be safe and sound within. The Parts The kit consists of 171 pieces contained in two sealed main bags. Four parts carrier trees share one of those bags with the clear parts, which are contained in their own small sealed bag. The fuselage halves are contained in the other main bag. Care should be used when removing the parts from the carriers. The attachment points are thick and stiff. Clean up with sandpaper will be required on almost every part. Fortunately, the plastic is soft and sands down rapidly and with ease. Comments about specific parts The main tires, of which there are four, are split in half in the traditional fashion. The two tires for the nose gear are each molded as single pieces. Large locating pins make the task of alignment of the tire halves very easy. Alignment is further facilitated by the molded "flat spot" which gives the tires the impression of holding up a heavy load. The only issue experienced with the tires was that one must be careful when removing them from the carrier trees. A small indention was left on the tire surface. Because the tires are highly visible on the finished model these small holes were filled with putty and sanded smooth. This is not a big problem but care must be taken to rid the tires of the seam and indentions. The interior: The interior consists of three subassemblies, all of which fit nicely into the fuselage without any "fit" issues. The cockpit consists of a "tub", the instrument panels, and the ejection seats. Test-fitting the "tub" is essential prior to assembling the fuselage halves with glue. There are locating tabs to guide the "tub" into place and it is important to make certain that those tabs are guiding the instrument panels into the prior position. Even with care I ended up with a gap on the seam line between the front and rear cockpits. Rather than an issue with the fit I believe this gap was the result of carelessness on my part. In any case, it was closed quickly and easily. The main gear wells and the bomb bay are integrated into a single part. This part has a great deal of molded detail, with smaller parts being attached to it prior to insertion into the fuselage. Again, with the aid of locating tabs, the wheel well part is simple to position and fits well. The engines and exhaust "cone" form one sub-assembly that can be inserted into the fuselage once the aft portion of the fuselage is intact. The fit is good but some seam work will be needed to blend the exhaust cone into the fuselage without a lip showing. The wheel wells and landing gear are quite large and have a great deal of molded detail. I used the S.A.C. landing gear set and did not, therefore, install the parts supplied in the kit, but for the purposes of this review I test-fitted the Airfix parts. The gear in the kit are strong and well formed, and they fit into their respective locations so well that they literally snapped into place without glue. One of the few issues I had with this kit was with the gear doors. When one studies the history of this aircraft it is clear that the retraction mechanisms were rather complex. And that complexity is evident when one begins to attach the gear doors and the bomb bay doors. The parts fit well enough, but the instruction sheet does not illustrate the angle at which the doors should be hung. I relied on images of the surviving airframe supplied by Tony Taylor (a link is included at the beginning of this review). The Decals: The decal sheet provides number sets for four different airframes, XR 119 through XR 222. The stenciling is readable and the colors appear to be similar to the markings seen in images of the actual aircraft. The decals have a flat (non-glossy) and are subject to a moderate amount of silvering. No trimming is required to remove surplus backing material with the exception of the decals that are applied to the upper surfaces of the horizontal stabilizers. These decals are actually "wing walk" lines, and I recommend cutting these decals into smaller sections with the surplus backing material discarded. Silvering can be minimized by using the usual application processes. Apply the decals over a gloss coat, use decal setting solution, and when required, poke a few holes with a pin. The kit instructions provide an excellent reference for placement of the decals but the builder needs to spend some time studying the illustrations. Some of the panels on the model are asymmetrical (correctly so!) and unless caution is exercised some of the decals can be applied upside down or in the wrong locations. Eduard Masks for the wheels and canopy # EX267 The Eduard masks for the wheels are sized properly and fit with precision. I am accustomed to working with masks that are somewhat thicker than the Eduard product but I found that I had no trouble handling or applying the Eduard product. The only issue with the wheel masks was that it seemed Eduard had not provided a sufficient number of masks for the nose wheels. As mentioned previously, the nose wheels were molded as single pieces. Of course, that means there are four wheel surfaces to be masked. The Eduard set had only two masks for the nose wheels. An Eduard spokesman stated the intent was for the modeler to pull the mask off the first side to which it was affixed after painting, and apply it to the reverse side. The spokesman stated that Eduard would revisit this design and determine if future sets would be altered to include four masks for the nose wheels. If you have never used a masking material for glazing you'll find this set the perfect learning experience. There are seven small masks, three for the windscreen, and two each for the side windows for the pilot and back seater. There is a correct "side" to the masks, meaning that the masks to be applied on the glazing on the starboard side do not fit the windows on the port side. Eduard gave the builder a big "assist". Simply identify the mask that fits on the front, flat plate of the windscreen and hold the mask sheet with that particular mask in the 12 o'clock position. The remainder of the masking pieces can now be identified by being either to the right side or left side of that flat plate mask. The seven masks fit exceedingly well and can be applied in under five minutes. If one is going to display the model with the cockpit hatches open, and if one wants to apply paint to the inside surface of the glazing it will be necessary to mask off the interior of the windows in the old-fashioned way…low tack painter's tape. Apply the Eduard masks first. Those masks make it a simple task to see where to apply the tape on the interior surfaces of the "glass". Eduard Photo-etch Interior Set #49436 This set includes equipment and harnesses for the two Martin Baker ejection seats. Do not allow the number of straps and harnesses to put you off. The Martin Baker seats have quite a bit webbing. One can Google-search images of MB seats before starting to attach the P.E. parts and that will relieve any stress about what the finished product may look like, but you can trust the Eduard illustrations to be correct. These parts are pre-painted on the outer surface with the inner surface bare metal. The Interior Set has an instruction sheet which clearly identifies the parts by number and uses detailed drawings to show the placement of the parts on the seats. The instructions for the P.E. set also indicate where some surgery must be done on the seats, removing molded detail to allow for the proper placement of the parts. I found the instructions well designed and easy to follow. My chief concern was that as I bent the parts to contour them to the molded seat that the paint might flake off or crack. This did not happen. The addition of this set significantly improved the appearance of the kit parts. Eduard Photo-Etch Undercarriage Set #48614 This set of parts will be more difficult that the set for the cockpit. The undercarriage parts are numerous and rather tiny. The Eduard instructions are well illustrated and clear and the builder simply needs to study the drawings to assure correct placement of the parts. Not all of the undercarriage parts are attached to the landing gear and struts. The set includes some "plumbing" which adds significantly to the appearance of detail in the wheel wells and also some bulkheads that, once applied, also add to the appearance of the model. TSR-2 Landing Gear Set by Scale Aircraft Conversions #48026 This set is cast metal and includes all three struts and the bogey arms for the main gear. There is very little "flash" that needs to be removed and for the most part these pieces can be cleaned up and primed within minutes of opening the package. The fit is superb and these parts literally drop into the molded slots and guides that were provided by Airfix on the original kit. I had the pleasure of speaking with the owner/designer of Scale Aircraft Conversions and asked about the "accuracy" issue related to the "splay" angle of the main gear struts. The information I received was that the "splay" angle on the SAC parts was set to the 18 degree angle which is generally considered to be the correct angle. The kit was manufactured with a slightly larger "splay". The SAC parts are nicely detailed, strong, and fit without any issues. In this project I combined the use of the SAC replacement parts with the Eduard detail set, and one would wonder if these two aftermarket sets are compatible. The answer, not surprisingly is, yes. The Eduard set adds a huge amount of detail to either the kit parts or to the SAC replacement parts. Pilot Figures The pilots appear to be rather small individuals. Both are identical in size and shape and well detailed with separate arm pieces slightly bent at the elbows. The figures are, however, a bit undersized. A very unscientific measurement of the figures scales them out at anywhere from 4 feet tall to about 5'4". These are short guys. As a rule I never place figures in aircraft so it is of no consequence as far as I am concerned. Other than the diminutive size of the pilots the quality of the molding is high with no flash and no mold marks. After Market Parts For those that want to go the extra mile (and expense) on this model there are a number of companies that provide aftermarket parts for the TSR.2: Pavia, Eduard, Airwaves, SAC, and Xtradecal all provide extra details or decals. Gator Grip Hobby Glue Gator Grip was used for all photo-etched parts. Gator Grip is an acrylic glue that sets up rapidly and bonds with considerable strength. It allows for some relocation of the part being attached and dries without staining or damaging plastic or paint.

PROS This kit provides the modeling community with a unique aircraft, available in 1/48th only in vacuform prior to Airfix's release. The fit is outstanding and the amount of molded detail is very good. Assembly is fairly straight-forward. The instructions are easy to read and the decals are strong enough to allow for some re-location to take place with tearing or disintegration. The Eduard photo etch sets are superior in quality and precision. The parts can be removed from the carrier pieces easily and can be bent into shape with simple tools. The mask set was very easy to apply and remove and performed it job well. The SAC landing gear are strong, well detailed, and fit precisely into the model.

CONS There is a discussion on the web that claims the profile of the fuselage is inaccurate from the air intakes forward. And the question of the proper angle of splay on the main gear is the focus of a continuing debate. For the purposes of this review, which focuses on the kit as it comes from the box, the issue of accuracy is not relevant. I accept that there may be an inaccuracy in the profile of the fuselage and I accept that the landing gear may not be splayed at the proper angle. Those issues did not impact the enjoyment of building this kit in any way. The surface detail is mostly recessed, although the panel lines may be just a bit too deep or wide. That is, of course, a matter of opinion and certainly not a deal breaker. The section of the instructions dealing with decals requires special attention from the builder. With some study, placement of the decals becomes clear. The instructions do not do a good job in showing the orientation of the gear doors. On-line sources proved to be very handy. The pilot figures are too small or represent pilots who were very short men. On-line sources indicate there is some concern about the accuracy of the profile of the aircraft from the nose to the air intakes. I found that, even if the profile is in error, the model was still an interesting project and well worth the time and money spent.

CONCLUSION This model is highly recommended. This kit would represent a challenge for the beginner. For the more experienced modeler the addition of the after market parts turns a well designed basic kit into a detailed and intricate showpiece. Also highly recommended are the Eduard detail sets, the Eduard Masking Set, the SAC Landing Gear set, and Gator Grip Hobby Glue, which was used on all photo etch parts References · Images of only remaining TSR airframe courtesy of Tony Taylor. · This clip features several minutes of inflight and touchdown shots. · Single touchup and rollout shot. · Shots of pilot entering cockpit, taxi to takeoff, multiple shots, in-flight and on ground. · Text and images History, Links, Images, and References. · A link to a set of images of a TSR-2.