1:32 Panavia Tornado Pitot Tube & Angle Of Attack probes

Panavia Tornado - pitot tube and angle of attack probes 1:32, MASTER

This item is not an aircraft kit but a set of small metal parts for one. It contains a turned pitot tube and angle of attack probes for a model of the Panavia Tornado in 1:32 scale. It is precisely in a large scale that the difference between plastic and metal shows most: the probe is longer, and therefore more liable to bend.

The real subject and the parts

The Panavia Tornado is a twin-engine combat aircraft with variable wing geometry, which came about through European international cooperation and served in several versions, from strike to reconnaissance. The probes on the forward fuselage are among its characteristic details. The pitot tube measures dynamic pressure, and the angle of attack probes are small vanes on the sides of the nose. In 1:32 scale these parts have a real length of several centimeters, and a plastic molding of that length almost always comes out of the mold slightly crooked.

Fitting and painting tips

First try the metal tube dry and check whether its axis follows on from the fuselage. Drill the hole by hand and rather a little shallower, then deepen it gradually. In a large scale the part has noticeable weight, so reach for epoxy, which has greater strength in the joint than super glue and gives you time to align it. Degrease the metal with spirit and spray it with a primer for metal. The metal surfaces of the probe look best after blackening or light oxidation; flat paint would look lifeless at this scale. Fit the parts only after the varnishing is finished.

Who the accessory is for

• Builders of the Panavia Tornado model in 1:32 scale
• Modelers whose plastic probe has bent or broken off
• Anyone interested in large scales, where details show most
• Those who build display-case models with a higher degree of detail

The accessory is supplied unpainted. The base kit, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.