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Having been disappointed by the Eastern Express F-27-500 and the Welsh Models Fokker 50 I was trepidatious when I saw that Eastern Express was releasing a Fokker 50. Despite the enormous cost of these little kits I decided to try one nevertheless and saw that there was one on the Hannants site with Virgin Australia decals. As it turned out, this kit is not too bad if you can get over the rather dramatic fit issues, particularly around the wing roots and the junction of wing and nacel.

Here are some photos of the project so far. You can see the problems with gaps on the wings, etc, which are resolved with application of an appropriate amount of filler and elbow grease. After only a few days this one is only a step away from the paint shop after a few minor blemishes have been fixed. I had intended to use my Southern Sky Skywest decals on this one but the kit decals look pretty good so I might get another kit and use the Skywest decals on it instead.

Here's the result after a first sanding back.



Here we are with all the other parts of the kit ready to go off the paint shop for some white priming.



Here's the model after a couple of coats of primer with a little Mr Surfacer on the final blemishes.

Hmmmm... just as I feared - it seems they missed the upturned wingtips (called Foklets).

You can clearly see them in this pic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fokker_50#/media/File:CityJet_Fokker_50_OO-VLN_LUX_2010-2-27.png

Another job for the aftermarket perhaps!

For the cost of these kits, one would hope they would be a bit more careful and accurate

The Foklets are there in the kit. They aren't so obvious because of my own failure in making them as obvious as they should be. You have to cut off the existing wingtips and glue on the Foklets, which worked better on the starboard side than the port. All part of the learning experience. I have to agree with Graeme though, for the cost of these kits you'd expect a lot more attention to detail. I feel that the manufacturer knows that we will put up with almost anything in the hope of filling some of the gaps in our collections. (On the other hand, an Eastern Express 757-300 that I got at the same time looks somewaht better - but the proof of the pudding is, as they say, in the making.)

F-27pax wrote:(On the other hand, an Eastern Express 757-300 that I got at the same time looks somewaht better - but the proof of the pudding is, as they say, in the making.)

Be interesting to hear what you find when you boil that pudding - I heard that it's just a crude copy of a stretched (complete with where you can see where they stretched it!) Minicraft 757-200 which is as about an accurate 757 as the Keypuan 747-400 is a 747-400 (well maybe not THAT bad!).

F-27pax wrote:The Foklets are there in the kit.

Good to know Leigh!

I may chase up a cheaper general release (Lufthansa) boxing after all.

Here's the next stage of the build. It doesn't look much different to earlier photos but now it is nice and shiny white with a few details to be picked out. I've run up against a slight snag in that I'm going to be making this as the Skywest version using the Southern Sky decals. The instruction sheet says that the tail should be painted Testors B-1162 Sky Blue but BNA doesn't list it (or any enamel paint). Looks like I will have to mix up something myself, unless anyone has any bright suggestions.

Looking good! Very nice.

Flew in one of the Skywest ones out of Anaconda when the National Jet RJ went U/S. Had to leave earlier and was a slower trip but very enjoyable.

Less said about the National Jet ones out of Adelaide and in and out of OD the better!

I only flew in a F50 once, an Ansett Express flight from Canberra to Melbourne. Very unimpressive, particularly those tiny little windows in comparison to the huge windows on the F-27s. I enjoyed a few TAA F-27 flights Melbourne-Canberra-Melbourne the year the Airports Division was transferred up to Canberra. On one flight there were more trainee hostesses than there were pax, and they spent the flight practicing on us. Very entertaining. Hence my internet handle.

Here's some more progress on this project. It's ready now for the decals which will turn it into a Skywest airliners. The most challenging part of this stage was the prop blades, all 12 of them in 1/144.