Vintage Classic Airfix SRN-4

[MalcolmR]

Airfix SRN-4 “Vintage Classic”

Was not sure if it's a flying machine or a boat but as Mike said in one of his emails that he had flown in one I've placed it here.
Built this the first time it was released but after finishing it my young son took a liking to it so I did not have it long (he was 3-year-old then) so now I can have the new release all to myself. (Although if he wanted it now as he's a lot bigger than me, he could still have it!! ..)
Now I know I've got a job doing a good build with this kit as it's so old with quite a bit of flash and fit problems, but as I've had 50 odd years to learn how to put a kit together since I last made one, I should be ok.

I had decided to place it in a diorama as if it was loading/unloading and did not want to show the internal passenger cabins, so I had to figure out how to display a deflated skirt and to detail the roof to match what Airfix provide.

Now as I thought that the hardest part to do was the roof, so I started there. After checking on the Internet to see if I could find anything to help with no success, I plunged in to use my “Halford” paint trick. So, it was out with the masking tape, a sharp knife and straight edge/ruler. What was provided by Airfix I thought I would copy on the clear side of the roof. So, I added strips of masking tape to the roof with a fair bit of patience.

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Masking complete ready for paint.

After adding all the tape to match the Airfix pattern, it was outside to do the painting. I sprayed two medium wet coats of grey primer with a few minutes drying time between coats followed by two coats of white primer. When the paint looked dry after about 10 minutes, I removed all the masking with crossed fingers. A thin coat of white primer was then sprayed across the whole roof to tie it altogether. Success. I was delighted as it had turned out almost perfectly. I would need to reduce the Airfix detail by some sanding then a coat of Halford Appliance white. But again, I was over the moon with the result.
Top sprayed and masking removed.

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Photos 4

[MalcolmR]

Part 2.

I had decided to finish it as “Princess Ann” as it's on display at the” Hovercraft Museum at Le-on-Solent". However, after some research found that what Airfix supplies is basically a Mk1/2/3 whereas the preserved one is a stretched Mk.4 so that was out, but if I do a good job with this one will maybe buy another later to make the MK.4. as what I have learnt can be repeated on the second kit.

Now it was on to the hull itself. Built the hull and sides but left off the skirt as I will be making my own deflated skirt but what to build it with? I considered car body filler but that would dry far too quickly, Milliput? Would use a fair bit. So, I tried something I've never used before “Das” modelling clay. The model was first fixed to a piece of MDF to start making the deflated skirt. I added 30mm of scrap plastic to the feet that Airfix provide as I thought it looked a bit low. Added a paper skirt PVA glued to the model as a frame/base to add the DAS to. DAS added to the backing paper and after a bit of experimenting it was blended in and left to dry.

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I painted the skirt with two coats of “Mod Podge” to seal, smooth and blend it all together then painted with various dark greys and black to hopefully look like a deflated skirt. MDF base then painted to replicate the landing pad.

All the roof furniture painted and add followed by the decals and detail painting. I added replacement handrails and ladders as Airfix,s are quite chunky.

A rear ramp constructed and side entry door boarding steps made, a few passengers and vehicles added so will now called it finished.

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Modelling certainly keeps the little grey cell working as a Belgium detective is known to say.

Hope you like my take on the “Vintage Airfix” kit as I most certainly did.

So let the fun continue.

[MikeV]

That stirred a few memories !

Considering the age of the kit you have definitely sorted it ! I never quite understood, given the box art, why Airfix didn't include a deflated skirt (same problem with Trumpeter's LCAC - Pit Road apparently briefly re-boxed it with a resin skirt but I never saw one)

Love the bus by the way! They actually operated from Pegwell Bay, just around the corner from Ramsgate about a mile from where my Mum lived (prior to this the small SRN-5s operated from a slip actually within Ramsgate harbour but there wasn't enough room for the big one)

I still can't shake a notion to paint one grey with a White Ensign mind!!!!

Lovely job as ever Sir !

[MalcolmR]

Thanks for the nice comments. it's nice to see that our models can stir sights and sounds and bring back memories for people. I took the completed model back to the local craft shop where I had bought it a couple of weeks ago to let the shop owner see what I had done with it so now it is on display at the shop as no sooner than I had shown the owner, than a customer was also commenting on it. Not as good as displaying it at a model show but at least someone else gets to see what can be done with what Airfix provide.

As an aside this is the second Vintage Classic Airfix hovercraft I have built and thought you may be interested, although it's not 1/144. Me being me I could not build the kit as supplied, so I converted it to a Mk.3 SR-N1.

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