1/72 DH.108 Swallow
If the front end looks familiar, it's because the prototype's fuselage was modified from the DH Vampire. Kit decals by Decograph were very good and thin but tended to stick hard where first positioned. Since for my chosen timeframe the font style of the "3" on the fuselage was rounded and not sharp as given in the kit, and there was also a "/" present, I printed my own "/306". As usual I had terrible results but worked with what I got.
I assumed the rounded "3" was also on the underwing codes (although I couldn't find a clear picture) so printed these as well.
Dropped slats are NOT included in the kit, so I filed the area down and scratched them from sheet styrene.
Good intakes and splitters are provided but fit was fiddly.
Nice nozzle detail is provided.
These were anti-spin parachute fairings, which were later removed from the prototypes. Both configurations are included in the kit. I replaced the probes with music wire.
Both early- and mid-styles of canopy and vinyl masks are included. My refs (mainly Crowood's "British Experimental Turbojet Aircraft"- Barry Jones, 2003) indicate that the early canopy would only be appropriate for TG283, which can be built only if you are comfortable with the wings having the wrong sweep angle (43 degrees versus the 45 degrees of the kit).
Nicely detailed gear bays and struts.
Monster hand provided for scale.
My example had a short-shot cockpit floor so I scratched one from 0.030" styrene sheet. Lead powder made for golf club weighting was mixed with 15 min. epoxy for nose weight- just in case.
Airframe fit was quite good, needing mainly sanding and rescribing of joins. Panel lines are sharp and even. I skipped primer (gasp!) and gave her a coat of Tamiya LP11 silver, then preshaded with ModelMaster buffing magnesium, then LP11 plus LP9 clear gloss, decals, washes, more LP9.
Comentarii
25 29 November 2022, 02:26
Album info
This British prototype was conceived as a testbed high speed tailless swept-wing jet to specification E.18/45. The 1/72 MikroMir kit can best be built as the second prototype, TG306 (and briefly VN860), as it appeared at the Society of British Aircraft Constructors September 12/13, 1946, show- with some modifications to the decals. (The first low speed prototype, TG283, had a 43 degree sweep to the wings versus the kits' 45 degrees. The second later had a different canopy, puttied panel lines, and a repaint. The third, VW120, was considerably different in the nose and canopy.)
