Short Feature Article by Julian Shawyer
Intro comment from Geoff…
When Julian showed me his completed model I just had to ask him if we can share it with you here. No build-up pics this time for his build and it may be that this piece is better placed in your Here Now area? On balance though I think that there’s just enough here to warrant inclusion as a build – a Short Feature Article as we have some nice photos of Julian’s completed model.
This small project is all part of Julian’s bigger feature where he recently built the Tamiya 1:48 Skyraider in FAA colours as a bit of a ‘what-if’ and very nice it looked too. You can find that build in Aircraft-Finished Now.
Brief background
Royal Navy Tow Tractors – introduced early to mid 1960’s. The Tow Tractors were all-wheel drive and all-wheel steer. Fully automatic, stick forward to go forward, stick back for backwards. It had the same engine as a London bus.
The Skunkmodels Workshop kit
This kit represents a later model, which was lighter than the earlier models. The earlier models were heaver due to the aircraft that were towed around the flight deck of the Royal Navy carriers. The early models towed Phantoms and Buccaneers, the later models towed the much lighter Harrier and rotary wing aircraft.
Post Falklands (1982), the tractors were painted green.
I would like to thank Chris, an ex FAA Naval Airman, who, at the tender age of 17 used to tow Phantoms and Buccaneers around the flight deck of HMS Ark Royal (R09) for providing the facts.
Here’s a photo of my completed model – certainly looks the part and I think adds some-thing to any project involving Royal Navy aircraft on deck.
The kit contents
No less than nine deck crew figures are included which is excellent, allowing multiple opportunities to set the deck with different aircraft and arrangements for display as needed.
Two full tractors on two identical sprues which includes a tow bar and boarding ladder for a Sea Harrier.
Instructions
I have included a few photos of the different pages in the instruction booklet – all is very straightforward (mostly) with this simple build
The painting guide is simple enough – BS numbers identifying the colours to use and a useful reference about the Mk.II Tractor going from yellow to green from the early 1980s.
Section of carrier deck
This is a nice touch – Royal Navy carrier deck section printed onto the back of the box. This is simply cut out and stuck firmly to the base board of your choice and allows you to display your tow tractor alone and even with a small model like a 1:48 Sea Harrier. You could even use a Harrier GR.3 that the RAF sent to The Falklands War too for a nice con-trast of the grey/green jet and brightly coloured tractor unit.
I’ve included a few photos of my completed tow tractor so you can see how it turned out – pretty pleased with it really.
My completed model
The red tank at the front of the tractor contained a premix of AFFF fire-fighting foam, the tank was charged from the cylinder down by the front bumper. The boxes at the front (marked with a C) were used to carry aircraft chain lashings.
The demineralised water tank/hose is at the rear of the tractor. There was a sight glass fitted to show the contents of the tank. This was only fitted the tractors that operated with Sea Harriers/Harriers as these aircraft had water injection fitted to help cool the engine when in the hover.
The hose for the tank is to the right of the letter C. The vertical bar to the left of the letter C is the sight glass.
Note the anti-skid surface on the top plate.
There is a hand-held fire extinguisher on the right of the driver.
A final 360 walk around of the finished model.
Concluding thoughts
This is a nice little kit and goes together well with some nice detail. I built it straight out of the box apart from the lead wire I used to represent the pipes from the brake flu-id reservoir and the cylinder by the front bumper. The tyres do not have tread pattern detail. The anti-skid top plate surface detail varied in depth which you can see on the photos taken from above after weathering.
After I glued the wheels on, I noticed that the model would not sit on all four wheels at the same time. I don’t know if this was down to me, or the model itself. I looked at the unmade one I still have and could not see anything wrong. It may be when the side plates are added, it puts a twist in the chassis? I don’t know for sure, but it’s worth keeping in mind.
The decals were excellent. Very thin and went on well. With two tractors supplied, you can make both the yellow and green colour options shown on the painting plan. There are also the extras which come in the box. The tow bars, the boarding ladders, the crew figures and printed flight deck. I thought it was well worth the £13.99 I paid for it.
Julian S.
