AIRFIX Jet Provost T.3/T.3a in 1/72nd scale
By their nature, aircraft used in the training of new pilots tend to come into contact with many more people from the world of aviation than other types of aircraft, and as a consequence are generally viewed with great affection. It is usual to find that pilots both young and old will have a particular affinity with the training aircraft in which they learned to fly, but these machines also tend to be the ones most likely to allow members of the general public to simply experience the delights of flying, further increasing their popularity
Over recent years the Airfix catalogue has benefited from a number of new model announcements, many of which fall squarely into the description of classic British training aircraft – we have seen new tooling releases of the de Havilland Tiger Moth, the Vampire T.11 and the Folland Gnat, all in 1/72nd scale, with the Gnat also appearing in the larger 1/48th scale. To continue this highly successful series, we are proud to announce the new Hunting Percival (BAC) Jet Provost T.3/T.3a tooling in 1/72nd scale (A02103), which will be a superb addition to the Airfix range of British training aircraft.
For aviation enthusiasts of a certain age, the unmistakable profile of the BAC Jet Provost will be extremely familiar to them, as the aircraft served the RAF faithfully in the role of pilot trainer for well over thirty years. In the days when the Royal Air Force was much larger than it is today and a large number of air bases were dedicated to the training of future front line pilots, the Jet Provost was a familiar sight in Britain’s skies. Even though these days are now sadly long gone, there are still a number of these classic training aircraft being operated on the civil register and available for Airshow bookings, as either a flying or static display item. With over 740 Jet Provost trainers constructed, the T.3/T.3a version(s) of the aircraft was the most produced variant of the type, which went on to equip RAF training command. Distinctive by the rather roomy side-by side arrangement for pilot and student, the fuselage of the Jet Provost was rather wide and actually resulted in the engine needing to be mounted on a secondary internal structure of steel tubing. This seating arrangement was seen as being much more appropriate for RAF pilot training and followed on almost seamlessly from the cockpit design of the earlier Piston Provost trainer.
Even though the new 1/72nd scale Airfix Jet Provost T.3(a) tooling will delight modellers with an interest in classic jet training aircraft, there is absolutely nothing classic about the production techniques used during the new model's development. Utilising the very latest CAD design technology Airfix have at their disposal, this new Jet Provost will be a highly detailed, highly accurate model of one of Britain’s most important post war aircraft. Since Workbench began describing the impressive design processes now used during the development of new models at Airfix, we have received lots of complimentary feedback on how interesting you find these details. In order not to continually re-affirm these details in future blogs, we intend to let the pictures do the talking unless anything specific requires further explanation.
As with all of the new model development projects, the Jet Provost kit began life as a series of research files which are exhaustively produced, ensuring that they contain as much information as possible. In this case, the design team were fortunate enough to have access to highly accurate technical drawings from the Hunting Percival design department – this information was then digitised to produce the critical base model files, which are used as a template for the entire project. These files can be checked, altered and verified for accuracy, before they are used as a template to produce each individual part of the new model, ensuring that they not only incorporate the required levels of detail, but also to make sure the parts are produced specifically around the strict manufacturing tolerances associated with the injection moulding industry.
Fortunately for the Airfix team, there are a number of preserved Provost airframes still in the UK and they had the ability to check the accuracy of their base model files by measuring an actual example of the aircraft, to ensure that their new model tooling would be as accurate a scale representation as they could possibly achieve.
The new 1/72nd scale Jet Provost T.3/T.3a is a spectacular addition to the range of RAF training aircraft models that have been produced recently by Airfix. The model will benefit from detailed cockpit section, alternate canopy positions, choice of undercarriage positions and the distinctive wing tip-tanks associated with the JP. It will certainly be an extremely popular addition to the Airfix 1/72nd scale kit range. As the model is currently scheduled for a September 2016 release, we look forward to bringing you regular updates as the model advances through the production process