TSR-2 XR219 (Airfix 1/48)

by Akio Hasegawa, M.D.

I have made this model by Airfix in the interval of August 2011 and February 2012, exclusively in the weekend at Hayama's retreat.
I must give credit to the great [Reference] Tim McLelland: TSR2 - Britain's lost cold war strike aircraft, Ian Allan, 2010.

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All pictures here are shot by me, a seasoned-pathologist, with digital SLR Nikon D3000 Serial #2001042 with old Nikkor-S 35mm 1:2.8 Serial #380104, i.e., manual focus/manual exposure)

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This site is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
(Crick for Japanese description)

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Completed Images - Diorama of Boscombe Down In January 1965
Regular tetragon combination pattern of the air strip is unique. Judging from images of the reference book and video on You-tube, ground crews in this situation seem to have put on dark blue and white overalls, which is very peculiar at this test-flight program. Glorious XR219 at the beginning of her test flights on September 26 1964 at Boscombe Down, after many months of test flights, eventually became worn from clear gross white surface paint. I set out for this weathered condition, but not too much worn-out.


"Diorama completed on February 25 2012" (Crick to enlarge).


"Diorama completed on February 25 2012" (Crick to enlarge). Pilot Roland Beamont (English Electric's chief test pilot) and Don Bowen (observer/navigator) are already on the Martin-Baker's ejection seat.


"Comparison with the image on the reference book" (Crick to enlarge). Valuable color image on the reference book was taken from A&AEE's rescue helicopter, according the description of the reference book.


"Eagle has landed" in sepia tone (Crick to enlarge). Photo-retouched to erase suspending fine fishline ;)

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Chronology
2011.8.9: I start with assembly and painting of the cockpit and weathering of the engine bay.

2011.10.15-12.10: Piping and weathering of the undercarriage bay and engine bay, and overview.

2011.10.22-23: Fuselage and wings glued and bump filled with putty: Cement and putty.

2011.11.25-27: As the edge of the original air intake is too straight with dull edge, judging from the images and drawings in the reference book, I narrowed down it with waterproof sandpaper as much as possible.

2011.11.5-27: Instrumental panel shroud replaced: As original Airfix part is too tall, I newly composed it from thin plastic sheet and, after painting it black, installed.

2011.11.4-19 I replaced original thick plastic pitot-tube part with injection needle and brass wire Pitot tube, and masked the canopy with tape for first surface primer splaying: Masked canopy.

2011.11.12-13: Since many air outlets are not punctured in the original, I pierced them using pin vice of varous diameters: "Blinded original underside outlet", "Pierced underside outlet with pin vice", "Pierced shoulder outlets", "tail end of the fuselage with new cover made from thin plastic sheet and smoothed with pate", and TACAN (or communication) aerial was replaced with thin TAMIYA's plastic sheet because original is too thick "Thinned aerial and pierced underside outlet" (Pitot tube is protected).

2011.12.17. First surface primer painting with TAMIYA's splay can: Working area, First try finished with the original figure (Later replaced because of too small sizes - imprecice scaling). I repeat two or three times.

2011.12.23. Panel line painting finished, using TAMIYA's panel line accent color - black -: Upper view, and 12.25: First white painting done.

2011.1.6-7: Painting black of the training edge of the main wing, peculiar to the prototype.

2012.1.6-8: Undercarriage completed: Additional piping using brass wire, Surface primer paint with piercing with pin vice, White paint with splay with additional piercing. The first tentative assembly done on Jan 8.

2012.1.14-15: The second tentative assembly done.

12.1.21: During test flights in 1964-1965, test pilot Roland Beamont experienced persistent undercarriage problems ,,, it can't be retracted properly, hung up in semi-retracted position, and when trying to re-extend it for emergency landing, he got no signal to be locked. Before landing gears are cemented, I reenacted one of these undercarriage retraction failures (7th flight). Decals including national insignia are being applied seriatim using Mr.MARK SETTER (My Hobby) and MARK FIT (TAMIYA).

2012.2.4: As engine bay covers are not steadily glued only with cement, I made stay with piano wire (0.6 mm in diameter), using 0.7 mm pin vice to punch a hole. Coveres are fixed to the fuselase, using fast-acting adhesive. In fact, horizontal tail plane are fixed again using the same method, with special attention to the fixing angle by using tapes. Today's accomplishment is assessed with a glass of whisky on the rock (tyres not yet glued). Looking good. Actually, engine bay covers are not seen opened in this way in real operation other than on the ground for maintenance, though.

2012.2.4: Semigloss finish splay done (of course not on the desktop on this picture): "My Hobby's Mr.Super Clear".

2012.2.12: Pilot figures replaced with Hasegawa's kit (not yet pained one) because of imprecise reduction scale: "Comparison with the Airfix's original (smaller ones on the right side)", "Installed image" (sheet belts are from Eduards).

2012.2.12: WE177-tactical nuke's fin corrected : "Outragenously thick tail fin of the Airfix's original", "I replaced with thin plastic sheet".

2012.2.19: WE177-tactical nuke painted and actuator for the canopy added: "Comparison with the image on the reference book", "Installed into the bomb bay", "Actuator on the referred image on the reference book", "Actuator installed to the canopy", "With whisky on the rock, I check this day's accomplishment", "ditto", "ditto".

[Acknowledgment] Thanks are due to BAC and Ian Allan for releasing and providing so many invaluable images to the publisher and the public.

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version 1.03 2024/8/1 Akio Hasegawa, M.D.
Please send your comments to akio-h@fg-khn.jp

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