Cyberhobby DeHav Sea Vixen FAW1

As I was preparing today's entry, I was amazed to find that the last model completed in the 72 Land production line was in May of 2013. So nearly half of this year has produced no completions. For some modellers, even one would be progress, but since I put 44 models into that category in 2012 (and 39 in 2011) this is a significant shortfall. But at least today I can consider another one complete.

It is the maligned Dragon/Cyberhobby Sea Vixen FAW1. I think most of the complaints center around the shape of the nose, with a few choice expletives saved for details in the cockpit. If either of those disturb you, Pavla has created replacement parts for the nose, cockpit, and ejection seat. Of course, given my rather dull-witted approach to modelling in general, it doesn't bother me at all, so I built the Sea Vixen as an out-of-box project.

The good news is that the new Cyberhobby kits, whatever you think about their accuracy, do not exhibit one of the prime problems with the first generation of Dragon 1:72 kits. Those kits (like the He-219, Ta-152, P-61, etc) looked great in the box but didn't fit. But this new generation has resolved most of the engineering details to produce kits that can at least be built and completed. Not that the build was faultless, but there is not much putty on this model. A bit of Mr Surfacer to get rid of a seam or two and that was it. I did seem to enjoy knocking a couple of very small strakes on the underside off at every opportunity, which kept the carpet monster occupied.

Markings were from the kit as well, if only because I didn't happen to have any aftermarket decals available to me. I chose the gauntlet markings from 899 Squadron, Royal Navy 1962. They performed very well, even the scads of no step markings across the spine of the aircraft. An accident with the satin topcoat meant it isn't as matte as usual, but the main purpose of an out-of-box build is to produce a finished model without massive expenditure of time, and this one did that well enough. The nose may not be 100% correct, but no one is going to confuse it with a Tiger Moth.

This is completed model #431 (#12 for the year), finished in November of 2013.