The Ponds "Skunk Works"

[dswanson]

Oooh,

This will make for almost a full set - Meteor, Jindivik, Ripple Canberra, Sea Vixen, and I have a drone version of the Firefly somewhere.
:flying:

Just some Ripple Hawks to find . We'll forget the Alpha Jets - too late in the day and not British. ;-)

LLanbedr lives on !! I wonder if we should start learning Welsh ...... :o

[Dev One]

Rick - that is looking marvellous. Just needs the M-B seat headbox showing under the canopy. If you don't put the nose version of the S band transponder (you have put the tail one on) then its in its current state and as it left Llanbedr in 2004.
I am not quite sure which antenna is which, but obviously there is the UHF blade & a VHF whip comms on the top of the fuselage - you have them both, there was the G band transponder in the post about mid fuselage - you have that also, the white whip antennae on both wings top & bottom surface were the Telecommand Rx & the Telemetry Tx, but to be exact I dont know which was which - now while writing this - have a good look at any photos of the underside about the trailing edge of the wing - there should be two rectangularish boxes one in front of the aft equipment bay access panel, & one aft - they were the Rad Alt antennae - the bottoms of which were horizontal, so the aft box was slightly deeper than the fwd one - cannot think of anything else at the moment, unless you do version with the big 'Top Hats' for the RVMDI antennae! WH453 would have looked the same except for the nose S Band.
Regards
Keith

[Dev One]

I havn't found a picture of the underside of 800 or 453, for the Rad Alts - so forget that! But have remembered the antenna in front of windscreen - it was the 2nd Telecommand Rx which in Meteor parlance was called the Destroy receiver 'cos in the old (VHF ?) days the destroy Rx had a more sensitive signal strength electronics and was only tuned to that particular command I believe. Later mods made both Rx's the same.
In some photos you can see a little 'button' on the top surface - I think that was the 'I' band transponder - there was one underneath also together with a 'G' band. Talk about a porcupine!
Keith

[migman29]

That looks bloody great Rick.

Well done.I wish mine had gone together as quick as yours

Mark

[dswanson]

Hi,

The afore mentioned Firefly but it needs a bit of fettling visually and a lot of work in the FD department, but could become a reasonable AI addition.

[DispatchDragon]

Its needs a clean up and the fde tweaked --- Ive got a copy on my computer

Leif

Rick -- the Meatbox looks the danglies mate

[Rick Piper]

Hi Keith

looking at the cockpit pics you sent the MB bang seat looks to me like a Mk4 as it has the high sided seat pan that you reast your knees against.

if so i can use my Mk4 from the Jet Provost T5 but will use my Hawk T1 pilot figure as it's more accurate for this.

Regards
Rick

[Dev One]

M-B Seat was a Mk 1 - one puts ones feet onto stirrups to stop them flailing. The side plates are I think higher than a Mk 4 seat thats in JPs, Hunters etc, but it might be closer to a Canberras Mk 2 I think, if you have one of those. I think in the Mk 1 & possibly the 2 one sat on the parachute pack, Mk 4s one sat on the PSP, with the main chute in the headbox. Must admit am guessing a bit as I never worked on Mk 1s or 2s but one seemed to sit on something soft. Hard PSPs were found to cause less harm to bodies when ejecting than soft seats as one sank into them when goig up the rail!
Keith

[Dev One]

According to the M-B website, Canberras were fitted with Mk 1C, Meteor F8 with Mk 1E. They have a photo & a Sketch, but no 3 view.
Keith

[migman29]

Sorry chaps but I think you'll find the F.8 was fitted with the Mk 2E,

http://www.martin-baker.co.uk/Products/ ... Mk--2.aspx
and click the "variants" tab at the top.
The schematic is a 2CA Canberra spec seat.

Very useful website for both Fs Modellers and plastic bashers(self)alike

Mark