FROG BUCCANEER S2

Buccaneer, по-прежнему один из самых мощных ударных самолетов, не был хорошо представлен в мире моделирования, если не считать устаревшей версии от Airfix, которую очень сложно переделать в современную версию S2.

Tamiya выпустила отличную версию S2 в масштабе 1/100, которая появится в Великобритании в ближайшем будущем, но наш местный магазин внезапно и неожиданно получил поставку наборов Frog 1/72 Buccaneer S2. Как и в случае с другими недавними выпусками Frog, этот набор хорош только по частям. Общие очертания и размеры находятся в пределах масштаба, а детализация довольно хороша, но, учитывая, что этот набор продается по цене более 50 пенсов, в нем нет никакой детализации кабины пилота, кроме сидений и обычного ужасного экипажа Frog.

Воздухозаборники неправильно расположены, и их исправление кажется сомнительным. Сложная форма киля и руля передана не очень хорошо, и многие детали плохо подогнаны, что требует много шпаклевки и потери детализации. Общее впечатление таково, что этот набор был разработан несколько лет назад, когда искусство было далеко от современных стандартов. У Frog был очень трудный период, и моделисты очень рады, что марка все еще выживает, но если не будет значительного улучшения в будущих предложениях, Frog может последовать за многими другими производителями в безвестность. Мы хотели бы чуда, но понимаем, что проблемы существуют, поэтому все, о чем мы просим, - это некоторые признаки реального улучшения. Декали соответствуют обычному для Frog очень хорошему стандарту и обеспечивают маркировку как RAF, так и SAAF.
A.M.Л.К.

The IPMS magazine, AUGUST, 1972. Vol. 9 No. 8

Model Enthusiast
W.R. Mathews
Штормовой буревестник и пират

Последняя пара от Frog в масштабе 1/72 представляет собой интересный контраст: еще один набор несколько угловатого "Буревестника" (или " Sturmvogel") Messerschmitt Me 262 и набор "Пирата" Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer S Mk 2. Хотя, возможно, не стоит сразу отвергать этот набор как достаточно качественный, не предлагающий практически никаких улучшений по сравнению с множеством уже имеющихся наборов этого эпохального военного самолета Второй мировой войны, Me 262 от Frog оставляет впечатление набора, сознательно разработанного с учетом цены. Он в целом точен по очертаниям, за исключением мотогондол турбореактивных двигателей, передние части которых сужаются слишком резко, и детализация довольно хорошо проработана, но подгонка деталей... . . ! В последнее время появилось много наборов Frog, которые страдают от плохой подгонки деталей, некоторые из них действительно очень плохие, и Me 262 может быть включен в число наименее адекватных предложений этой компании с этой точки зрения. Имеются огромные зазоры вдоль стыков секций крыла, а подгонка фюзеляжа и мотогондол двигателей к крыльям крайне плохая. Да и само сечение крыла выглядит очень странно! В общем, мы уверены, что Frog может сделать лучше. Спасительной милостью, возможно, является лист декалей, который превосходен, предоставляя маркировку для Me 262A-1a из 3./JG 7 и Me 262A-2a из I/KG 51, а рисунок цветной схемы, включенный в коробку, действительно очень хорош, но мы бы предпочли увидеть более качественный, более тщательно изготовленный набор по немного более высокой цене.

Если еще один набор Me 262 многие моделисты, несомненно, сочтут лишним, то набор Buccaneer S Mk 2, несмотря на его недостатки, можно только приветствовать, ведь никто не может сказать, что существует пресыщение наборами последнего. Недостатков у набора Buccaneer от Frog, конечно, много, но есть у него и достоинства. Он точен в очертаниях, а та небольшая детализация поверхности, которая имеется на Buccaneer - а ее немного, как подтвердит любой, кто видел полномасштабный самолет, - воспроизведена точно. Детализация кабины пилотов скудна, но инструкция в стиле " всё на рисунках" вполне удовлетворительна. В ней грамотно указано расположение груза, необходимого для того, чтобы модель правильно стояла на шасси. Чем меньше сказано о стыковке деталей, тем лучше. Достаточно сказать, что после того, как мы преодолели проблему правильной посадки половинок хвоста, мы остались с уродливыми зазорами вокруг их стыков, и такие же зазоры были слишком очевидны у основания киля и в местах, где внешние секции крыла соединяются с центральной секцией. Это также "прозрачная" модель, поскольку в мотогондолах двигателей отсутствуют какие-либо перегородки - нежелательная особенность, которая, как считается, вымерла, как дронт (прим-вымерший вид нелетающей птицы). Фонарь, кстати, оказался слишком широким в своей задней части, и довольно много ругательств сопровождали задачу добиться его правильной посадки. Компания Frog заслуживает похвалы за свою предприимчивость в добавлении этого типа самолета в свой ассортимент, но мы осуждаем небрежные стандарты производства, которые она демонстрирует.

Air Enthusiast 1972-10 vol.03 no.04

KIT COMMENT
WHY NO NAVY MARKINGS?
FROG BUCCANEER KIT LEAVES OUT FLEET AIR ARM INSIGNIA

THE recently released kit of the Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer S.2 takes top marks for quality and accuracy but much to our disappointment the manufacturers have not included Royal Navy markings in the decal sheet. It is accepted that the model trade is international and depends on exports for its profits but surely one of the best known aircraft still in the Navy's fast dwindling fixed-wing inventory is the Buccaneer*

One would expect that Frog thought about this omission long before the kit was put into production. It is therefore safe to assume that the decal sheet was planned many months ago at about the same time as the RAF Buccaneer entered squadron service. There will surely be many Royal Navy enthusiasts who will be upset by the missing Fleet Air Arm insignia. Due to the complications of hand painting or looking in the spares box for alternatives they will be unable to find anything suitable for the light blue markings on the fuselage sides.

Instead Frog have included decals for a Buccaneer S.Mk.50 of No.24 Squadron South African Air Force — the only other country flying the type. The RAF markings are for an aircraft of No 12 Squadron RAF based at Honington.

ACCURATE MOULDINGS

Apart from the critisism of the markings we found little else to fault on this kit. As far as accuracy is concerned it is first rate and the parts fit well together. There is the slight problem that no blanking off panels or interior detail is provided inside the fuselage and one can see straight through the jet intakes to the orifices but this can be am-mended by simply adding a piece of plasticard to finish off the job.

One would have thought that blanking off panels were a simple matter to do and no doubt the manufacturer could have added some form of panel inside the fuselage to prevent this see-through. Although a blanking panel will help, the very obvious omission of the turbine blade details will not please the super-detail addict — and these are difficult to make from scrap. On the other hand one must accept that the question of cost always comes into the production of a model and that to keep the price down there sometimes have to be small sacrifices.

The version of the Buccaneer modelled is to Mk.2B standards with additional wing racks and the under fuselage fuel tank in part of the bomb bay. There are also other internal modifications but these should not concern the model maker. Conversion to the later variant should therefore be easy and one could always add the Royal Navy's long-range wing tanks if an attempt is made to complete the model in that type of configuration.

CONSTRUCTION DETAILS

The fuselage of the Buccaneer model is split horizontally. This means that although the sometimes-difficult-to-clean-up joint line along the top of the fuselage is missing, a similar and perhaps more difficult problem presents itself when considering the method used in this case. We found that both the fuselage, radome joint line and the area at the base of the fin and rudder needed a fair amount of body putty and lots of careful rubbing down before acceptable standards were achieved. The nose needs weighing with lead and plasticine and this can conveniently be housed in the confines of the radome.

Surface detail on the model is excellent and we liked the way in which both sides of the main wheels were considered. These differ from side to side but the instruction sheet leaves one guessing as to which side is the inner or outer.

Four Martel missiles are provided, though the photograph on the front page of the last issue of Aviation News will show an alternative war load in 12 x 1,000 lb. bombs. The tail hook, deck bumper and pitot head parts are nicely detailed and fit well. Alternative parts are provided for placing the undercarriage in either the up or down position. The cockpit lacks detail in that the dividing section between the front and rear seats with its small windscreen is missing but this can always be added by the modeller keen on detail. We also found that in fixing the outer wing sections a bad gap shows up which needs filling with bodv outtv before painting.

When one looks at this model, all the signs, such as the break in the wings and the variant produced, suggest that Frog originally thought that they might have produced the Navy aircraft. It is a good kit which has in our opinion 'missed the boat'!. Perhaps one of our more enterprising decal manufacturers will come up with a set of Royal Navy markings to keep the enthusiasts happy. In the meantime our selection of drawings on this page may go part of the way to showing what Frog might have done.

Aviation News Vol 1 Num 8 1 - 14 September 1972

Modelling world
James Goulding
A new Buccaneer and Firefly

For some years the only 1/72 scale model of the Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer Available was Airfix's S1. Conversion of this kit into the much-redesigned S2 represented a major modelling feat and it was exciting to learn that Frog intended to release a new kit of this big low-level twin-jet strike aeroplane—and the latest variant too. Now that this kit is available it is sad to report that it is a disappointment, as much has to be done to make it an acceptable model.

The general outline contours are good, except for the shape of the fin above the tailplane, which is neither sufficiently deep or the correct shape on the top. The worst aspect of the model, however, lies in the complete absence of any blanking bulkheads inside the intakes, the undercarriage bays, the jet pipes or aft of the ejector seats. It is therefore possible to look right through the model from all angles, with the interior being just an empty shell. This makes the model quite unacceptable without the considerable effort of adding internal plates and bulkheads. Surely these could have been moulded into the fuselage halves without any difficulty or undue increase in costs. On the Buccaneer the Spey engines are installed relatively close up to the intakes, immediately beneath the big engine bay doors, which are engraved on the model. The front of the engine, with front fan and "bullet", can readily be seen through each intake, and it is therefore necessary to add replicas of the engine fronts approximately in line with the front extremity of the engine doors. The engine fans can either be made out of plastic card or the engine front from a 1 /44 scale airliner kit could be adapated. This would have to be cemented on to a bulkhead, cemented into the intake also.

Another small point requiring attention is the canopy contour which smoothly joins the spine fairing along the top of the fuselage, which flows into the fin. There should in fact be a slight step down from the back of the canopy to the spine fairing, which can be modified by filing down the spine where it joins the canopy.

Four Martel missiles are included for installation under the wings. The appearance of the model is enhanced by the various separate external details included, such as arrester hook and flight-refuelling probe. The wheels are particularly well-moulded and realistic, and an unusual gimmick is the swivelling nosewheel unit.

Transfers are supplied for two alternative models. One is a S2A from the famous 12 Squadron, RAF, based at Honington. 12 Squadron's Buccaneers carry the fox's head emblem on the side of the engine nacelles, which is the centre of the squadron badge and which commemorates the days when the unit flew Fairey Foxes. The second set of markings are for a Buccaneer S50 from 24 Squadron, South African Air Force, based at Waterkloof.

It is a pity that this kit suffers from the major internal defect mentioned, because otherwise it is capable of being made into an impressive model and a worthy addition to a collection of modern British aircraft. Splendid alternative markings are available on Modeldecal's set No 20, which is sold by Modeltoys of Portsmouth. On this set two Royal Navy Buccaneer S2s are featured, one from 800 Squadron and the other from 809 Squadron. The Buccaneer from 800 Squadron is in the earlier colour scheme, with Extra Dark Sea Grey upper surfaces and aN-white under surfaces. The 809 Squadron aircraft is in the overall Extra Dark Sea Grey scheme.

At one time it was the vogue to paint all aircraft using nuclear weapons with either gloss white overall or at least on the under-surfaces, and in some cases, such as the V-bombers, it still applies. The white finish was to reflect heat from the nuclear flash, and even the national markings were painted in pink, white and pale blue for the same reason. Possibly the change in Buccaneer colour schemes to overall Extra Dark Sea Grey indicated more emphasis on the use of conventional weapons.

Modeldecal Set No 20 also includes markings for a Northrop NF-5A and DHC2 Beaver of the Dutch Air Force.

Cost of the Frog Buccaneer S Mk 2A/50 is 54p and the Modeldecal set 20 is 38p.

Another recent Frog release is a kit of the Fairey Firefly I, which was a logical successor to the Fairey Fulmar. It was designed in the light of experience gained with the Fulmar on operations, and benefited from the extra power of a Rolls-Royce Griffon. This is a very welcome kit subject which fills a gap in British naval aeroplanes. We could also do with a Fulmar! It is a pity, however, that Frog did not take a little more care with the outline of this model, as there are some errors.

The rear fuselage has a rather broken-backed look, due mainly to the lower contours which have a kink immediately aft of the wing. The lower line of the fuselage should also be less curved. The upper line of the engine cowling, from spinner up to the windscreen, is also too curved. The lower contours of the radiator are too straight and should have considerably more curve. Most of the points can be rectified by filing, albeit with loss of surface detail, and by adding body putty. The wing plan form, too, is not quite correct in that the curve on the leading edge and wing tip is too abrupt. It should be filed to a more elliptical, smoother, curve on the front of the wing tip. The change required here is not excessive; just a more subtle change of curve and less circular.

One other alteration needs to be made: the wheel fairing plate on the undercarriage is incorrect in shape and is best replaced by a new plate made of plastic card, one on each leg.

The moulding of this kit is good, and surface detailing is nice and light. The canopy moulding is excellent.

Under-wing rockets are provided, if required. The transfers are for two versions, a Firefly F1 of 860 Squadron, Royal Dutch Naval Air Service, and one of the Royal Canadian Navy Fireflies from HMCS Magnificent. It is rather surprising that one of the versions was not from the Royal Navy—although the Dutch Fireffy has standard Temperate Sea Scheme camouflage with British National markings and the Dutch orange triangle, so presumably operated under the Royal Navy.

Cost of the Frog Firefly is 25p.

Aircraft Illustrated 1973-05