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This is the
Revell of Germany Tornado GR-1, converted to a GR-4a reconnaissance version.
This is a first class kit, which has now replaced the Hasegawa version as the
best of the bunch.
It is not
without its problems however. The nose shape is all wrong. Drewe Manton pointed
this out to me just as I was starting the build a couple of months ago. You
would have thought that when Hasegawa got the nose of theirs wrong, Revell would
have done better, but no. I replaced the nose on mine with a resin item that
came from a PP Aeroparts detail set.
I replaced
the wings with resin items from Airwaves, with the dropped flaps and slats.
These are intended for the Hasegawa kit, but fit this one without any problems.
Rather large gaps are left between the wings and the glove vanes, but cutting
off the bottom section, and re-fixing hard against the underside of the wing can
cure this.
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I
replaced the cockpit tub with the Aries set. The one provided in the kit
is not bad, but the resin set gives extra finesse, and the resin seats
are really good.
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The
conversion to GR-4a was achieved by adding the new pod below the nose (carved
from scrap, the addition of the line scan pod under the fuselage (again from PP
Aeroparts set), and introducing the camera ports either side of the nose.
The weapons
provided in the kit are some of the best I have seen. The model uses both types
of long-range tank: the large hindenburgers under the wings, and standard tanks
under the fuselage. I saw this aircraft at the Royal International Air Tattoo an
few years ago with this fit, and though it would look nice on a model.
The
finish is Humbrol enamel, with the deals from Xtradecal, showing an aircraft
from 13 Squadron RAF, based at Marham in Norfolk.
Len
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