Hunting Percival Jet Provost T.4

I started this Airfix starter way back in the summer as a change from wargame projects, as I sometimes do. It was meant to be a quick and easy project, so I picked this as the painting would be nice and easy. Ironic then that it's taken me 6 months to finally finish due to complications with painting!

The build was all straight forward, as you'd expect with a starter kit. The paint scheme, although all red , is very bright and combined with the gloss finish I wanted a smooth finish, so it was primed a deep red and then watered down layers of the bright red Airfix paint were applied. 

I hadn't quite appreciated how long it would take a build up the brightness, so 5 coats later I'd had enough and brushed on the Humbrol Gloss finish. I can only assume there was still some dampness left in the paint (despite a few days drying time), or the brush was damp (or something) because the finish frosted - Nightmare! I tried the quick fix of applying a coat of (different) gloss but it wasn't very good. So the plane sat for weeks with me in a huff!! In the end, to get it done, I gave it a couple of thicker coats of the Airfix red and a non-Humbrol gloss coat.

In the "air" with the other 'planes

The end result was not as smooth or quite as bright as I'd originally envisioned, but these things are sent to test us, and some perspective is obviously required. Once in it's home suspended from the ceiling of the outside office it still looks bright and shiny next to the WWII planes so a success of sorts.

The Jet Provost was introduced in the late 1950s and quickly became the RAF’s premier jet basic trainer. The T3 model, introduced in 1959, featured an uprated engine and an improved canopy design, offering the side by side seated pilot and pupil a much improved view. The Provost was a joy to fly, forgiving and easy to learn on, with many of the 1960s and 70s RAF front line pilots learning their trade on its un-swept wings. Its reliability and strength also added to its suitability as a jet trainer and the addition of wing tip tanks on the T3 also added to its endurance. The T.4 model introduced another upgrade to the engine but was otherwise unchanged from the T.3.

Specification:

• Max speed: 440 mph
• Range: 901 miles
• Wingspan: 35 ft 4in
• Length: 33ft 7.5 in