MINI Countryman for Mum

Since they were released, my Mum has always wanted a Mini Countryman. So, while I'll probably never have the funds required to buy her a real one, I thought I'd build her a mini-me 1:32 scale version.

Using Airfix's Mini Countryman WRC gift set kit as the base, I set about constructing as close to a road going version as possible, in a metallic colour that she would appreciate more than the bright yellow of the Mini Countryman WRC I built a few weeks ago, or the John Cooper Rally Team red with rally decals that the box art suggested.

I had thought that I would have been able to swap a few bits from the Airfix Mini Cooper S, I was building at the same time, as a copy of my old Mini 850, however, the rally seats wound not fit in the lower roofed Cooper S and its more traditional road wheels were really too small for the Countryman. So, more by accident than design, it was just the Cooper's rear view mirror and speedo decals which I transferred over, having been too hasty in joining the Cooper's body to chassis before spotting these still lying on the bench!

One additional and planned modification that I did make, was to covet the Countryman from left to right hand drive. Why are rally cars left hand drive these day's? This conversion was achieved by drilling a second hole for the steering column in the righthand footwell, a much simpler conversion than on the real mini! One thing I neglected to spot in doing this, however, was that I could not move the rev counter, but you can't have everything!

My Mum's current car is painted a pale metallic green, which having checked with her prior to the build, is a colour she would have again - I just hope my prior questioning does not make her think I'm buying her a full sized new car! I probably should have gone to the dealer to get a colour pot of this actual colour but having found a Vallejo green metallic, for probably a fraction of the cost, I thought how different can metallic greens be? With hindsight, very different! Then again, a sporty mini needs to have a bold, bright colour, doesn't it.

One reason why my Mum likes the idea of the Countryman, is because there is a better chance of her dog getting in the back than in, for example, the Cooper S. Bearing in mind that her current vehicle is a large estate car, it is fortunate that the Countryman WRC Mini comes with its rear seats removed, to both save weight and accommodate a large spare wheel! By not using the spare wheel nor fitting the roll cage, I found just enough room for a blu tac crafted dog!

This then just left a final coat of varnish and a set of personalised number-plates to finish the build. My only hope now is that it survives being parcelled up and Royal Mail handling to the other end of the country, as unfortunately lockdown restrictions will not be lifted in time for me to deliver it in person!

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The Model

Brand: Airfix
Title: MINI Countryman WRC Starter Set
Number: A55304
Scale: 1:32
Type: Full kit
Released: 2013 | Rebox (Model set)

Boeing AH-64 Apache

For Christmas, I received the gift of Tim Peake's autobiography 'Limitless'. As the subjects of my scale models are inspired by events and observations, it should be no surprise that this inspiring book has steered me to kick off a mini project focussing on 3 of vehicles which feature in the 3 phases of Tim's flying career. The Army Air Corps helicopter pilot, test pilot and astronaut. 

Tim Peake's Apache

In 1998, following his 4 year tour with the Army Air Corps flying the Gazelle helicopter, Tim was accepted on the Qualified Helicopter Instructors course at RAF Shawsbury in Shropshire. Here he converted to the Squirrel, the Eurocopter AS350 - not readily available in the 1:72 scale kit format - which had replaced the Gazelle as the military's basic training helicopter.

After a year teaching students the art of military flying, Tim was selected for a 3 year exchange posting to Fort Hoot, Texas, the home of the 1st US Cavalry Division, flying the fearsome Apache attack helicopter. While flying with the US Army, in 2001, Tim came close to being called in to action under Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, but at the last minute his squadron was stood down.

Highly sophisticated and technically demanding, the Apache appealed hugely to Tim’s thirst for new challenges. On his return to the UK, Tim was ideally placed to be part of a small team responsible for training the first British aircrews on how to fly and fight in this unique machine; transitioning the selected Army Air Corps pilots from a traditionally passive support role to an aggressor offensive role.

​Promoted to Major and with well over 2000 hours of flying experience, Tim was accepted onto the Empire Test Pilot’s School at Boscombe Down. He enrolled in evening classes to study mathematics and attained a Bachelor of Science degree in flight dynamics whilst also studying for his test pilot qualification. As a test pilot he undertook several high-risk trials on the Apache helicopter, taking the aircraft beyond limits previously flown and introducing over twenty urgently required modifications to support operations in Afghanistan. His role as a test pilot also saw him deploy to Afghanistan in support of Special Forces operations!

​After nearly 18 years of military service, Tim left the Army in 2009 to work as a senior test pilot for AgustaWestland (now Leonardo Helicopters). At the same time, having been surprised to see an online recruiting advertisement from the European Space Agency (ESA), he underwent a rigorous year-long astronaut selection with over 8000 other hopeful candidates. Previously, UK citizens had been unable to apply to become ESA astronauts and so Tim leapt at this once in a lifetime opportunity. 

The History of the Apache

The Boeing AH-64 Apache is an American twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems. It is armed with a 30 mm M230 chain gun carried between the main landing gear, under the aircraft's forward fuselage, and four hardpoints mounted on stub-wing pylons for carrying armament and stores, typically a mixture of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and Hydra 70 rocket pods. 

The Apache was developed by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the AH-1 Cobra and put onto full production in 1982. The AH-64 Apache was selected for British Army use, in favour of the French Eurocopter Tiger, in July 1995, and a contract for 67 helicopters was signed in 1996. Assembled by Westland at Yeovil, Somerset from Boeing-supplied kits, the AgustaWestland Apache AH-1 was fitted with a more powerful Rolls Royce engine and folding rota blades for ship launched operations. It entered service in January 2001 with Tim being one of the small team responsible for training the first British aircrews. 

The AH-1 played close air support roles with the British forces in both Afghanistan and Libya, where operations launched from the flight deck of HMS Ocean proved the value of the British modifications. 

The Italeri 1:72 Apache Model

​For my Tim Peake scale model, I chose Italeri's AH-64A Apache, the original version in service when Tim was flying with the 1st US Cavalry Division, and prior to the delivery of its replacement, the Apache Longbow, later to be used by the British Army and may be a kit for a future project! 

This was a simple, no frills build to which I added a couple of after market pilots. 

The final finish was also very straight forward; every millimetre of the helicopter is matt olive drab and the few decals more or less all black! 

Brand: Italeri
Title: AH-64 A Apache
Number: 159
Scale: 1:72
Type: Full kit
Released: 2005 | Rebox (Changed box only)

Westland Gazelle SA.341 / AH.1

For Christmas, I received the gift of Tim Peake's autobiography 'Limitless'. As the subjects of my scale models are inspired by events and observations, it should be no surprise that this inspiring book has steered me to kick off a mini project focussing on 3 of vehicles which feature in the 3 phases of Tim's flying career. The Army Air Corps helicopter pilot, test pilot and astronaut. 

Tim Peake's Gazelle

In 1993, at the age of 21, Tim's Army Pilot's Course began. Once he'd mastered the Chipmunk fixed wing training aircraft, it was onto the Gazelle helicopter, nicknamed the 'screaming chicken leg' on account of its shape and high-pitched, whining engine. 

After earning his wings, Tim signed up for 4 years of operational service. His first posting as a rotary wing pilot was at Gutersloh in Germany, with 1 Regimental Army Air Corps (AAC) 652 'Chosen Few' Squadron. Here, he learned to ski, parachute and witnessed the failing of the Gazelle's rota blade fixings causing them to be grounded for some time. Apart from routine flying, in the absence of a plane, he would also assist the ACC parachute team with their Friday practice, taking the doors off his Gazelle, removing one of the front seats and fly up to 10,000 feet and let them jump out!

With flying in Germany being a little too tame, in May 1995, Tim opted for a short flying tour in Northern Ireland. Working closely with the RUC and intelligence services, he flew the City Flight, providing overwatch for Belfast city. Having his Gazelle loaded with sights and sensors, attached to a stores boom, and additional armour protection, it was heavier than any he'd previously flown. There were also a couple of new flying manoeuvres to master. Being based at Palace Barracks in the city, necessitated the 'rapid descent landing', to avoid any chance of being shot down as he came in to land. This manoeuvre required him dropping the Gazelle from 3000 feet to the ground, reaching a downward speed of up to 130 mph! 

 

In the spring of 1996, now freshly promoted to captain, Tim was sent on a six-week detachment to Laikipia County, Kenya as flight commander of 652 Squadron's Gazelle flight. Here, his first duty of the day was to take off from his base at Nanyuki, shortly before dawn, to run Exercise Grand Prix. This involved herding elephants off the live firing range at Maple Farm, something which some of the elephants took unkindly to, with the large bull elephants coming close to swatting his helicopter from the sky! As well as flying casualty evacuation and VIP transportation, he also assisted a wildlife conservation team in darting rhinos for tagging purposes; very different flying action to the usual AAC operations. Following this, Tim deployed to Bosnia for Operation Resolute where he dodged AK47 small arms fire and finished his tour by flying the Gazelle the 2,000 km home to Wattisham, Suffolk!

In 1997, with his 4 year tour coming to an end, Tim took his Gazelle to Canada to take part in the BATUS (British Army Training Unit Suffield) military exercises, providing reconnaissance support and casualty evacuations. Following the exercise, he returned to his unit in Germany to complete his operational service, and then moved back to the UK to train as a Qualified Helicopter Instructor, a step closer to becoming a test pilot.

I have painted my Airfix 1:72 scale model of the SA.341 Gazelle in the grey / green camouflage of that Tim's helicopter would have been painted in during his 1995 City Flight and 1996 Kenya assignments. Prior to this, from the 1970s through to the 1982 Falklands War, it would have been seen in its earlier black / green scheme, as depicted on the kit's box and in the instructions. 

The 1980s decals were well past their best and the 1970s red, white & blue roundels unsuitable for this variant. I, therefore, had to dig into my extensive spares box for an unused set of XT131 Bell Sioux AH Mk1 'Army' label and 'XT131' serial number and a Sea Harrier's set of small roundels, all of which were just the right size.

The History of the Gazelle

The Westland Gazelle entered service with all branches of the British Armed Forces from 1973/4, with the SA.341B being especially equipped to a specification for the Army Air Corps as the Gazelle AH.1 (from Army Helicopter Mark 1).  It was designed by Sud Aviation, later Aérospatiale, and manufactured in France and the United Kingdom through a joint production agreement with Westland Aircraft. Originally based on a French Army requirement for a lightweight observation helicopter, it was enlarged to carry 2 crew and 3 passengers to enable greater versatility and make it more attractive for the export market. 

The type was also frequently used to perform airborne patrols in Northern Ireland. On 17 February 1978, a British Army Gazelle crashed near Jonesborough, County Armagh, after coming under fire from the Provisional IRA during a ground skirmish.

During the Falklands War, the RNAS Gazelles operated from the flight decks of Royal Navy ships where they were fitted with 68mm SNEB rocket pods and various other optional equipment such as armour plating, flotation gear and folding blade mechanisms. Two Royal Marines Gazelles were shot down on the first day of the landings at San Carlos Water. In a high-profile incident of friendly fire on 6 June 1982, an Army Air Corps Gazelle was also mistaken for a low-flying Argentine C-130 Hercules and was shot down by HMS Cardiff', a British Type 42 destroyer.

The Gazelle was operated in reconnaissance and liaison roles during the 2007 War in Afghanistan where it was reported that, while many British helicopters had struggled with the conditions of the Afghan and Iraqi theatres, the Gazelle was the "best performing model" with roughly 80% being available for planned operations. Gazelles have also served in other theatres, such as the 1991 Gulf War against Iraq and in the 1999 intervention in Kosovo. 

In 2009, the Army Air Corps was the sole operator of the Gazelle with approximately 40 in service with the expectation they be decommissioned in 2012. However, in July 2016, the Ministry of Defence announced that the Gazelle would remain in service until 2025 taking the Gazelle past its 50th anniversary in UK military service and making it the oldest helicopter in active UK inventory.

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The Model

Brand: Airfix
Title: SA.341 Gazelle
Number: 9-61059
Scale: 1:72
Released: 1981 | Rebox (Changed box only)

Mini Cooper S

My second Airfix Mini model build is another look back to a car I used to own in my youth!

This time it’s a modern Mini Cooper S dressed up as my 1983 Mini 850. You can see how it came to be that in 1989 I finally went rallying!

This Mini was an EU import, with a kmph speedometer which gave unbeknown passengers a feel of what it would have been like to ride in a real Cooper S!

My 1983 Mini 850 and the young pretender

In 1983, as an avid follower of the World Rally Championship, it was not long before I added a bit of rally art to the car. Following in the footsteps of Herbie (the VW Beetle) I first looked our a set numbers for the doors; but what numbers? For some reason, which now escapes me, I chose the year of its elevation to rally car, or to be exact, the number '83'. I also remember taking my mim's Fiat Panda on a 300 mile round trip to Mini Sport Ltd in Padiham, Lancashire, to buy, of all things, a roll cage! Fitting that was no easy task, but it did set me up for when I repeated the operation, some six years later, to rally prepare my Mini 1275 GT!

Modern Airfix recreations of my Minis

After building the Airfix Mini Countryman WRC model kit last week, I was inspired to attempt building the smaller Mini Cooper S as my little Mini 850. Ironically, while the Countryman was moulded in white plastic, which I had to make yellow, the Cooper S was moulded in yellow and needed it to be white! I must say that turning white to yellow is much easier than the reverse!

I didn't quite stick to the painting instructions!

I raised my stash of RAF decals for the numbers. They are not really a perfect match for the ones I fitted to the full size mini in 1983, but close enough. I cut individual miniature letters and numbers out for the number plate and hand painted two black lines over the bonnet and roof. Any imperfections are intended, as on the full sized car, these were applied from a roll of insulation tape, so very home made!

I'm happy with memories rekindled but think I'll stick to military vehicles from now on

While I was happy building these cars and with the memories they rekindled, I was disappointed not to be able to get close to the show room finish I wanted. So, I think I'll stick to military vehicles from now on, where a matt finish and the addition of a bit of grime and weathering can hide a multitude of sins!