Saunders Roe P177R

Freightdog Models, 1/72 Scale

Reviewed by Brett Green

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Freightdog Models released their 1/72 scale Saunders Roe P177R mixed-power fighter project aircraft at IPMS  ScaleModelworld last weekend.

The model comprises 25 beautifully cast yellow resin parts, plus a vacform canopy (and a spare). The high level of casting is not surprising as the parts have been produced by Anigrand Craftworks in Hong Kong. There were a few air bubbles that need to be filled on my sample, but this was a fast and easy task.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Rockets and drop tanks are supplied, as is a nice ejection seat. The seat is the full extent of cockpit detail.

Wheel well detail is cast in place on the fuselage halves.

Very little cleanup of the resin parts is required before construction begins.

The kit is cleverly engineered to help ensure secure fit of major parts. The fuselage has locating holes for the wings and the fin, and the horizontal tailplanes slot into the top of the fin for a secure bond.

Markings for six speculative aircraft are supplied, but with the real aircraft never having been completed you can please yourself about the finish of your model. These attractive markings will provide ample inspiration, however. The decals are printed by Fantasy Printshop, and are thin and in perfect regsiter.

Construction Underway...

When I received my early production sample some months ago, I did not really intend to build the model immediately. I was just going to test fit the parts.

As it turned out, preparing the parts was so easy that I thought I might glue a few components together. The fit was so good that I just kept going!

I only have a few comments and suggestions about construction:

Do take a few minutes to check for pin holes and air bubbles. On my sample, there were a few on the fuselage and wings, and more noticeably on the drop tanks. These were filled with Milliput and sanded smooth when set.

The vacform canopy is very thin. If you are securing it in the closed position, I recommend gluing a fine bead of copper wire (or plastic sprue, or fuse wire, or any similar material) to act as a positive lip to glue to the inside edges of the canopy part.

If you are building the aircraft with the wheels down, remember that the intake lip would have been extended. My early sample did not come with instructions so I did not discover this detail until it was too late!

I have not yet added nose weight. I have not glued the jet nozzle in place, so I can add small lead pellets iside the fuselage if required.

Otherwise, construction has been very straightforward.

Fit is almost flawless. No filler has been applied to joins in these photos. However, I did manage to slightly misalign the join on the bottom of the rear fuselage. This step was filled with Milliput and sanded flat when set.

I look forward to completing and painting the model now that I have received the decal sheet. A full Feature Article will be posted to HyperScale when I have finished.