The TSR-2 is an aircraft that has become an icon of cancelled projects and long been the subject of desire from aircraft modellers. Airfix finally issued a 1/72nd scale kit of the prototype in 2006 and, having sat on Mike's shelf since then, he took it as my Lockdown project in March. While basically an accurate representation, construction was not quite as straightforward as he had hoped – ensuring he was able to locate sufficient weight within the forward fuselage to ensure it would not be a ‘tail sitter’ being one problem; and smoothing out joint lines around the wing/fuselage/ engine intake section another – but it is now complete.

It depicts what Mike envisaged it would have looked like had it entered RAF service and flown the ‘Black Buck’ raids against Port Stanley airfield in 1982. In addition to the kit, Mike used several ‘after market’ products to achieve my vision, including a refuelling probe fairing and under wing drop tanks, revised bomb bay interior, two electronic warfare pods for the outer wing pylons (the BOZ chaff/flare dispenser and Sky Shadow radar jamming pod from the Airfix Tornado GR.4). He used canopy masks (to ensure clean lines on the framing). Mike brush painted it in the overall wrap-around dark grey/dark green scheme of the Vulcan using Humbrol enamel, and raided the markings from Xtradecal’s “What If ...” TSR-2 sheet part 2, and the 27 Sqn insignia from a old Modeldecal sheet for Tornado squadrons.

Mike's next model is the Blackburn Skua (to the same scale), using an old FROG kit – a somewhat smaller aircraft but nevertheless challenging to correct many deficiencies of this mid-sixties offering.

We look forward to seeing the result.