The Wings
The kit has two options for the wings, folded and extended. The extended version uses a one-piece moulding whereas the folded option splits the wings into 3 sections. The extended wing option also allows for the flaps to be extended. I opted to have the wings folded as the three-fold is unique to the Gannet and really makes it stand out, plus it fits in the display cabinet a lot easier!!
A dry-fitting of the inner sections, as with the tails, again showed the fit to be excellent so this allowed me to paint and decal up the wing sections as separate units that can be added to the fuselage later on.
NOTE: The instructions show you where to drill out holes for various antennas, etc. Looking at reference photos I’m not sure whether these holes are in the correct locations and some are even omitted. Have a look at my photos later on to see where I think the holes (and antennas/pitot tubes should be).
Painting and Decaling
The model could now be painted up. I used MRP paints, Extra Dark Sea Grey and Sky. I opted to keep the aircraft relatively clean as photos seemed to show these aircraft were kept in a generally good condition even when embarked on the carrier. The painted-up sections were glossed up prior to the deals being added.
The decals perform flawlessly but be careful as they are very thin and can easily be damaged by softener – if you are going to apply this do so once the decals are securely in position as they will become very fragile and are very susceptible to damage if touched.
The decals were sealed in position with a second gloss coat and then the whole model was given a semi-gloss varnish for the finishing coat. I didn’t use a panel line was for this model as the panels weren’t that obvious on reference photos and the panel lines and rivets actually showed quite well without the need for a wash.
Stuart Mackay says
Love the group photo of the mid century FAA machines, Dave!
The Gannet looks superb!
Rob Ruscoe says
Great build Dave.
I was fortunate to note the extra weight tray which Airfix fail to mention in the instructions. I can report this holds enough to prevent tail sitting.
Rob.R