ETPS Jaguar T2a

[Recurve 1,994]

I realize I'm late to this one but I'm determined to complete the build in good time.

My feline fancy is a Jaguar, specifically a T2 of the 'Empire Test Pilot School' XX145 circa 1994 in 'glorious' raspberry ripple!

The kit is the HobbyBoss T2 in 1/72, I haven't built one of their kits previously so on opening the curiously tight fitting lid of the box I found. . . 

 

 

A well protected transparent sprue, which is nice!

Interestingly, the box art shows the tandem canopies open but this isn't provided for in the kit with just one piece covering all

And for completeness, also in the box

and the kit decals which i won't be using

 

 

I'm not sure I'm qualified to give a proper review, it's been my usual habit to build mostly classic older kits and very few modern kits from the far east despite having dozens in the stash! So this is my impression of what I've found in the box. The finish of the parts reminds me of kits from eastern European manufacturers, this one doesn't have that FujiTamiGawa crispness to it, I'm not complaining, the detail looks rather good although a little spartan in places, cockpit detail for instance isn't particularly intricate but the wheel wells have the most detail I've ever seen for a 1/72 undercart bay! (more on this during the build)

As I understand it HobbyBoss falls into the Chinese Trumpeter empire so it leaves me wondering why the katakana on the box top is uniquely Japanese 

It reads unsurprisingly [fuarisu kuugun jagyua e]  France air force jaguar E

The Chinese 'kanji' under the katakana rather poetically reads 'legal county beautiful tiger teaching desk'! Kanji are Chinese characters but also confusingly used sometimes with slightly different meaning in Japan!? 

Miko (been literally watching paint dry!)

 

Edited June 8 by MikoLee

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My move away from Humbrol enamels shall have to wait a little longer, when HobbyBoss instructions calls for 'interior green' in the wheel bays but my trusty Humbrol authentic matches well with my references.

Looks remarkably similar in colour to Colmans English mustard!

Miko (the aroma of Humbrol Authentic paints brings back memories of simpler times)

 

[Drichc 646]

Looking forward to this. Used to see her sat on the line most days waiting for students to go and abuse her!.

 

 

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48 minutes ago, Drichc said:

 Used to see her sat on the line most days waiting for students to go and abuse her!.

Ouch! poor girl, probably illegal these days! Ha!

Miko (assembling the cockpit)

[RWG686 37,797]

Using the flimsiest of excuses to show...

XX830

and XX145.

 

[Recurve 1,994]

Slight technical problem, I'm not sure if it's peculiar to the French 'E' version being not fitted with cannon but according to my references XX145 was, my problem is, the kit doesn't provide for cannon muzzles only a blanking piece, the part is on sprue 'F which also holds the vertical tail, so I'm assuming RAF versions of the kit would have an alternative 'F sprue complete with a RWR equipped vertical tail. So, my dillema is, do I attempt to modify the parts to appear to have cannon muzzles, ignore it and carry on regardless painting the blanking piece that weird purpley colour  and except the universe isn't perfect. . . or. . . .  change the build project to Jaguar T2 XX830, an alternative Jag that wore raspberry ripple but had no cannon fitted?

Secondly, a shortcoming  of this particular HobbyBoss kit is the colour call outs are less than comprehensive in that it doesn't specify the colour of the undercarriage gear, I seem to remember it being 'light aircraft grey' but my references show it to be more like 'medium sea grey'?

Miko (stalling at the first hurdle!)

Edited June 9 by MikoLee

[RWG686 37,797]

XX145 like most T2s, had port cannon only

Here's the gun fairing  for you..you know you are going to do it!

 

[Long 1,988]

1 hour ago, MikoLee said:

so I'm assuming RAF versions of the kit would have an alternative 'F sprue complete with a RWR equipped vertical tail

The only other version they do is a French Jaguar A which has an E sprue instead, but looks to have the same tail and cannon blanking pieces.

I had a look and there doesn't seem to be any aftermarket parts for it either.

 

[Recurve 1,994]

1 hour ago, RWG686 said:

XX145 like most T2s, had port cannon only

Here's the gun fairing  for you..you know you are going to do it!

 

Yep, a port cannon only was my understanding too, 

8 minutes ago, Long said:

The only other version they do is a French Jaguar A which has an E sprue instead, but looks to have the same tail and cannon blanking pieces.

. . .  there doesn't seem to be any aftermarket parts for it either.

 

Still, it leaves HobbyBoss more easily able to produce an RAF version by putting the alternate parts on a single sprue, the cannon muzzles a RWR vertical tail and the previously mentioned pitot probe, maybe a T2 was considered at some point

Oh, another thing I forgot, the underwing fuel tanks in the kit are different from what I can find in photographic evidence, they are more cylindrical  and less tapered  and the ventral stabilizer fins have end plates?  

 

Miko (decided to go with 'medium sea grey' for the undercarriage)

[Recurve 1,994]

Looking a little more Jag shaped. Quite an unremakable cockpit assembly just a few parts in mostly shades of black! 

The fit of parts is quite good but not perfect, the air intakes and the ventral engine cowling for example were a bit of a struggle, but nothing a swipe of MrSurfacer won't put right, I've left off various antenii and probes until after painting, I fill the locating holes with a teeny tiny blob of Blutac, very much an unsung hero of the modelling world, in fact, I used a little bit of Blutac to hold those two tiny air vent thingies just ahead of the vertical tail on either side of the dorsal spine, my ancient bloke fingers not having the manual dexterity to manipulate very small parts thus potentially providing snacks for the carpet monster!

Canopy held in position at this stage by gravity!

 

Not sure what's going on with the cannon muzzle blanking pieces, I couldn't get them to fit without a huge gap along the lower edge, I had to check my references to see if it was supposed to be like that? (apologies for fuzzy photo, I didn't notice until i posted it here)

 

So some attention still needed to address minor fit problems, one being while attempting to find the best fit of the starboard engine intake I pressed a gluey finger print on the fuselage side just below the pilots canopy! aarrgghh!!

After that, assembly of wings and all thing aerodynamical!

Miko (went to the supermarket to buy some 'raspberry ripple' earlier, my step daughter said she had never heard of it? I suspect this may have been a ruse in order to get me to provide her with some?!!? What is it with girls and ice cream?)

Edited June 11 by MikoLee

[Mad Steve 23,561]

Nice progress Miko  *

Beware of girls and Ice Cream.... My two were like black holes when they anywhere near Ice Cream and they can pack it away like nothing else.... 

 

 

*I have a funny point to raise, but I'll do it in General Chat about Models & Modelling thread so as not to clog up your thread. 

[Recurve 1,994]

14 hours ago, Mad Steve said:

*I have a funny point to raise, but I'll do it in General Chat about Models & Modelling thread so as not to clog up your thread. 

Thanks! i don't mind usually but the sanctity of a build thread needs to be preserved, a document for those wishing to pursue a similar course thus discovering various pitfalls and the like!

Miko (realizing this post violates that sanctity!)

Edited June 12 by MikoLee

[Huntsman’s Close 842]

If anyone has made the Hasegawa two seater as the French version then there should be a gun port insert spare?

Those tanks with end plates on the fins are French ones.

[Recurve 1,994]

3 minutes ago, Huntsman’s Close said:

Those tanks with end plates on the fins are French ones.

Are they a similar size and shape as to be modified into RAF tanks?

 

Miko (at the ready with a craft knife and a selection of files!)

[RWG686 37,797]

19 minutes ago, MikoLee said:

Are they a similar size and shape as to be modified into RAF tanks?

Here are RAF tanks as made by Pavla

[RWG686 37,797]

and a drawing which may assist

 

[Recurve 1,994]

13 minutes ago, RWG686 said:

and a drawing which may assist

 

44 minutes ago, Huntsman’s Close said:

If anyone has made the Hasegawa two seater as the French version then there should be a gun port insert spare?

Those tanks with end plates on the fins are French ones.

After a deep deep DEEP dive into the library vaults (in a cardboard box on the far side of the loft) I've managed to find my copy of 

On Target Profile 10, sepecat Jaguar in worldwide service

This shows the tank in the kit was carried on the center line of French Jags, had HobbyBoss decided to include under wing tanks for the 'E', they appear to be the same as the RAF tanks as shown on the kit box art! but not included in the kit? The RAF tanks are a bit longer than the Frenchy tanks, unfortunately

Miko (overcoming problems as they emerge, including not finding Pavla models Jag tanks to buy on line?)

[RWG686 37,797]

43 minutes ago, MikoLee said:

Miko (overcoming problems as they emerge, including not finding Pavla models Jag tanks to buy on line?)

https://air-graphics.uk/shop/ols/products/ac-026-raf-jaguar-underwing-fuel-tanks

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20 minutes ago, RWG686 said:

https://air-graphics.uk/shop/ols/products/ac-026-raf-jaguar-underwing-fuel-tanks

Brilliant! thanks RWG

Ordered, only £1.87 P+P

Miko (isn't just fantastic to have a network of friends who can come to our aid when we encounter a problem)

[Recurve 1,994]

Aerodynamic surfaces added

The fit is pretty good, there were ejector pins marks that needed attention to allow the upper and lower wing parts to join properly, some hairline gaps brought about by my lack of attention sprue gate design in this kit, not sure if it's a HobbyBoss thing, the sprue gates meet the mating surfaces of the kit parts rather than on the detail surface, so care needs to be taken when removing the little stub after snipping the part from the sprue frame, not enough, leaves a gap, too much, also leaves a gap!

I suppose i should start thinking about paint!

Miko (taking a break from the eye strain of masking the canopy)

[Recurve 1,994]

Disaster!! I cracked the canopy! one second of not paying due care and attention! AARRGGHH!!

So, now I've got that out of my system, options. . . 

Attempt to conceal the damage with clear adhesives and gloss polish (future/Klear)

Go with the 'desktop' model paradigm and paint the transparencies reeeeally dark blue gloss

Find a replacement, are there such things as after market canopies for this kit? and if there are other T2 kit canopies, will they fit?

Your thoughts my modelling mentors?

Miko (in a pickle!)

[Long 1,988]

I'd super glue and then polish it. I've filled holes in clear parts that way. Whether it would work in this case I can't say for sure.

[Huntsman’s Close 842]

Can you get a spare from Hobby Boss?

You could try making a buck with Milliput and crash-moulding with some  PET?

[Drichc 646]

You could try very low viscosity clear fluids (Klear, or any of its clones?). As the crack is a rough surface I doubt it'll ever disappear fully though as even low viscosity stuff will never impregnate fully.

Of course you could just make a canopy cover out of some tissue and make it look as if it's just come out of the hanger!

Rich

 

[Drichc 646]

And thinking about it.......

Try contacting The Hobby Company and see if you can buy an Italeri canopy, which is in four pieces allowing for an open one! They are usually very helpful if they have the item. The only downside is it is a fixed price postage, which was £4, but god knows what it is now. I've had Tamiya runners/decals off of them and the prices have been very sensible.

Rich