rob Lyttle

@2996 Victorbear in mind that I had to remake the legs. Pulling the wrong assembly apart spelt curtains for the kit legs. Everything else was fine though, wishbones etc all survived the ordeal . Nothing intrinsically wrong with the kit legs, so long as they are assembled right! 🤪

That's basically what I did during my 2nd attempt, this time with Ali tube struts. The styrene sleeve parts give me plastic glue joints at the three points of contact and the final angle of the wheel is governed by the bend in the tube leg so it's adjustable. So tell your friend it's okay, Go ahead 😎

The 4 big cabane struts are strong and stable, I can see that you could build it top first and add the lower wings and outside struts later. I went the "normal"way and it works fine. Pretty bombproof either way, unlike a lot of biplanes. Tailplanes are an excellent fit,paint separately by all means. I guess you guys are talking about the faff of masking for airbrush painting ...? Put it away and get a brush 🤭😂 Absolute doddle with a brush

Only small things done with the Grumman. I decided to do the cockpit canopy glazing bars in thin strips of my metal foil self-adhesive tape. I've never used precut masks - I'm not an airbrusher- and I don't enjoy the whole window masking palaver. I ought to have a go one day but I can't see myself doing a decent job with precut mask. Anyway, this process is much more familiar to me and I've managed to get it quite thin.... If I decide to paint, and it is looking too shiny compared to the rest, I find i can hand paint on the applied strips neater than trying straight onto the clear plastic I put the mechanic figure beside the aircraft for a look-see, and it's striking the smallness of the plane. These were the same kind of sized airframes as a Sopwith Camel or an Albatros!

The 1st thing I noticed when I looked at a few photos is that the front windscreen is divided in two, and I've tried applying a little glazing bar on the middle. Then I took a close up picture - and scared myself 😮 So here's one from further away! The chassis is started and the cab is now fitted, and a few ancillary tanks and fittings are added. Airfix designed this to be played with, and the automatic hitch mechanism as way out of scale, but it works. The trailer dolly wheels flip up out of the way when reversed into. I'd prefer to abandon the toy function and have the trailers sitting at a reasonable and realistic height on the hitch. This was the unique selling point of the Scammel 3wheeler, where the driver could hitch up and drive off without getting out of the cab. And drop a laden trailer off in similar fashion. The only other item I've picked up on is the single headlight which is simply represented on the decal. I drilled a dish shape in the nose and applied a little disc of metal foil. So I need to figure out what Airfix or Kitmaster have in mind for the hitch and see what mods are possible

It needs a window sticker that reads "When I grow up I'm gonna pull tanks!" I've got a little bit of progress, the pics need uploading, I'll get back to you.... 😇

Yeah, we all seem to have a similar experience with this one. I had to rebuild the main undercarriage because of lack of data and details which are probably given in the written instructions. I built the wheel hubs onto the suspension wishbones like a car hub, wishbones top and bottom...... WRONG!! Bottom attachment is to the top of the hub, and top wishbone is to the leg at the oleo, letting the hub hang down below the assembly Leg struts remade from Ali tube and thin styrene sleeve. The AM script would have been deleted in the interest of international inclusiveness..... 😮 I've managed with the p.e cabane wires, but ditched the main flying and landing wires in favour of stretching stuff. So if they get a prod they spring back straight instead of buckling.

The instructions are old-style 😀 But that's OK. I think I've got enough information to get this together. The cab sides were assembled previously and I wanted to try making a windscreen and a rear window. The side windows I'm not bothered with, they could be wound down and often were. This is the front screen in the process of being honed out of some clear styrene.... And sure enough, in the end it went in.... Buoyed up by that little victory, I took a shot at the rear window, I decided to not risk styrene cement for these, and I can't say I'm enthusiastic about Micro Kristal Kleer. On nothing more than a whim I decided to try with Uhu all purpose, in the background. A little bit stringy /rubbery to tidy up, but it doesn't wreck the glazing. Micro Kristal Kleer will be tried on the little quarter light triangles

Yes, one of the decal options is for Watney's Brewery, to go with the 3barrel trailer. There's some kind of hose and pumping arrangement to go with it. The 2nd option is for a flatbed trailer for British Railways. No parts are shared so I can do both

Yes, one of the decal options is for Watney's Brewery, to go with the 3barrel trailer. There's some kind of hose and pumping arrangement to go with it. The 2nd option is for a flatbed trailer for British Railways. No parts are shared so I can do both

Hi, Transport guys. 👍I've been kind of hanging around this interesting GB and watching the action, and I've got a little kit that has been languishing in a box for some considerable time. You are the motivation I need to have another go. So may I join in?? It's this.... Reissued by Dapol from the ancient Airfix trackside range It's the Scammel Scarab 3-wheeler sometimes referred to as the Mechanical Horse. The kit is barely started with the sides of the cab together, and 1 barrel assembled. Probably won't be used. But I've just had a go at making a windscreen for the cab and I think I've nearly pulled it off 😎 I got no business really starting another GB wip but hey, life's too short to be building in a linear progression. And I don't think you've got one of these on the group list yet. You up for one?? 😀

The Gulfhawk as you can see is in the Smithsonian, and apparently is the only example of one of these Grumman biplanes to survive. It seems that Gulf Oil also took delivery of a 2seater. I'm noticing the blisters around the cowling - not featured on this kit. Wonder if Accurate Miniatures /Academy have issued an alternative cowling? @RaisingArizona are you doing a Work in Progress thread for the build??

Hi Steve. I'm working on this one right now and enjoying it (mostly....) I got the undercarriage assembly wrong 1st time due to vague instructions but resolved the situation. I failed with the p.e main rigging, I never done it before, and resorted to my more familiar stretching line. It's a great looking little thing and the top wing assembly is really solid and steady. I think you'll enjoy this 👍😎 I can put a link to my build which is in the "salty seadog" Group Build section, if you like

Ah, well, there you GO....! You do one side and then turn it around and THEN do the other side. Simples...,🤭🤣 Alignment and position is going to be important, so here's what I do with a large piece of My sticky-back Ali foil going on, say, a wing top.... I just peel back and reveal about a cm or half inch of the backing where I'm going to start. I'd suggest in this case it's the mid line seam where the images join up like wallpaper pattern. The rest of the piece is still backed so free to be adjusted. Once you are happy with the positioning, it's then that you tack the exposed end down. Just on the centre, what I'll call the invert, of the tank's curve. Now you can peel and stick in one movement right along the invert which is, after all, a straight line. Once that's on and the backing is gone, go back to the middle and start working up over the curve, always going up and outwards, no creases and no air bubbles. And downward as well of course, for the bottom half of the tank. Second piece, you'll be well able to match up the cows by that middle seam and THEN tack down and repeat.😎 I don't know if the stickers are precision cut for height or you'll have surplus to trim along the top and bottom, but this can be done at the finish. That any help....?👍

I'm still trying to figure out what aeroplane is being represented here..... Sorry to be behind the curve. Maybe a pair of Bristol radials on there? Let's see what materialises.....😎

Ah, just noticed that each side panel is split vertically in the middle so it's done in two halves. That'll take some of the pressure off, just get the joint lines matching up 🐮

Okay,NICE project!⭐ Just caught up with it. This looks like an interesting style of decor. Am I right in thinking that the whole of each side is covered with a printed sticky-back shiny sheet?🤨 Never seen anything like that, but I use sticky-back Ali tape quite a lot for bare metal finish, The only insight I can offer is,in general, start the application in the middle and work outward. In this case, the tank side is similar to a large wing top, in that it is straight along it's length and curves like the wing's camber above and below. So you're looking at getting the position right and starting the application along the mid line of the side panel and then working outward over the curves. But my Ali tape can take quite a bit of burnishing, whereas the cows décor will probably be easily spoiled with abrasion or buffing. What is the kit maker's guidance, I'm wondering?!? They must be offering some suggestions and help with this tricky procedure. Really looking forward to seeing this develop.👍

These really are 2 little gems! And the light box just brings out the qualities. Great to see those flaps dropped 👌

Getting a few more lines done, and trying to photograph the action in an intelligible way. Not so easy- the photos that is! But it makes the actual rigging seem like the easy part 😃 This is the needle threader inserted and ready to pickup the rearmost landing wire.The first flying wire- at the rear- is already done. To keep things in order I'm starting at the rear and working forward. End of the line inserted into the threader loop, pull it through, and there it is.... Ready for some gentle tension and fixing with a glued peg. I wanted to avoid any holes through the top wing for the sake of the appearance, but the visual damage to the underside is minimal after clipping and tidying up. This is the other wing underside, already done and tidied.... The messiest part of the process is the initial glue attachments up under the top wing. If I had planned to rig this way from the outset I'd have arranged for these attachments early on, before fitting the top wing. But there you go...😛 Where would the excitement be, working like that?!? The cabane rigging with the p.e pieces still looks okay so I'm going to leave them alone.The wires there are usually a lighter guage (on the actual planes) I think, so I can live with the variety of rigging lines 👍 Only other thing to report is with the little aerial masts out on the top wing tips. The p.e brass pieces are below the minimum size I'm prepared to work with! And would be unable to take any tension from an attached line - if I should try it. I replaced them with a couple of tiny brass nails, the kind of nails used in wooden model boat building. They've survived quite a bit of upside down modelling procedures so far 👍

Thanks for the vote @PattheCat😎 I must admit I feel happier with the outcome. I'm not getting on well with main rigging in brass etch. The slightest bend or misshaped "wire" is uncureable. I have a very limited set of skills and experience when it comes to rigged biplanes, but what I have managed has been with stretching thread - something known as Knitting-in elastic thread. I'd started with the landing wires in brass and one side is looking OK. The other side looked a little bit "untense". The more you work on it the worse it gets. In the end I abandoned the mess, pulled it off, and set about plan B. This involves c.a. glue, my elastic thread, small holes and a needle threader. As long as it could be done without drilling through the top wing, it seemed worth a try. To be honest I concentrated more on the work in hand rather than the photography, but here's what I managed to capture... There's 2 holes in the lower wing root and here one of the threads is pulled through with a bit of tension and stretched sprue is glued in the hole as a plug to fasten the line. And here's the two flying wires going into the wing root holes... The landing wires at the bottom of the main strut - again 2 holes, closer together as these go inside the flying wires as they cross over. Pegged with sprue... So the strategy is to trap the line under the top wing with c.a just where the brass etched piece was supposed to attach, with lengths either side of the glue. Once that's achieved.... 🤪.... the lines go down to the holes in the wing root and the bottom wing atthe main strut. One at a time, with the needle threader pushed up through the appropriate hole to take the thread and pull it through, ready for pegging under tension. This stuff has a good amount of stretch for fairly light pulling, and I'm happy with the structure of the kit. Things have collapsed under tension before, but not going to happen with this plane. 🙊 So this feels better. If these lines get a bump or a poke, they just spring back straight. Straightness is the "must-have" property for rigged lines.

Here's my Ship in a Bottle from many years ago. The Mayflower by MB, maybe reissued by Humbrol, or Airfix?? Can't remember.... Thought I'd better give it a clean up 😁 Came with the bottle, blue and white plastecene for the sea, and paper flags which have faded somewhat

The tyres are on -looking better. Those legs may be a little on the chunky side, especially as I've sleeved most of the length in styrene, but it sure feels strong and the wheels are pointing the right way.The flatspots are already aligned for ground contact. I also cut a short piece of the tube for the gun barrel on the starboard gun.This is the.50cal gun and there was some daylight showing in the opening. Right O, onwards to the finish line which isn't so far.There's nothing much left in the box 😎

Recovery is well in hand with a pair of main strut legs made from Ali tube of the same guage as the prop shaft. The wheel end is squeezed flat and bent to go against the wheel hub back plate. A thin walled styrene tube I have can fit onto the tube with a bit of reaming and effort and collars are roll-cut. These represent the oleo leg section. Also a little while plate of stock styrene is c.a.ed on the flat Ali on the backplate. Now I have styrene joining surfaces at the 3 points of contact... 👍😎 The upright-ness of the wheels is governed by the bend in the Ali tube leg, and this is adjustable, by bending 😉 Now it's clear that the bottom wishbone attaches at the TOP of the hub, at the backplate and the upper wishbone attaches to the collar which marks the bottom of the oleo. So the hub hangs down below the suspension arms. Previously I assembled it like a car wheel hub, wishbones top and bottom and not protruding below the suspension arms. Hence the loss of height and ground clearance She's sitting level (at last, after a bit of faffing around while the glue sets....) and once the tyres and outer hubs go on I think we're OK 😀👌 Crisis, what crisis.... ⁉️

Love it!! It's been a long search on here, for there are so many warplanes and military "weapons of seaborne destruction" crammed into the group. This is a beautiful thing and tidy woodwork going on too. I'm going back to the start for a proper read through now. 👍 And I love all the new words and jargon I have to learn! This thread is loaded with mysterious and exotic terminology 😍 I mean, just look at the tabernacles on this..... 😎

So that was the good news. The BAD news is, I've got the undercarriage assembly wrong....😶🤬 The real clue was when I stood her up and fitted the prop in the engine there was precious little ground clearance.Lifting the tail end up to give a flying attitude made a complete lawnmower of it. My hubs to wishbone arms placement was just plain wrong. As can be seen from CC's post of the Accurate Miniatures instructions excerpt, the drawings are accompanied with good written instructions and insight. Academy have basically used the same drawings but in the interest of multi-national usage they have simply omitted all the written info. For such an intricate sequence of fiddly bits the drawings on their own just don't carry enough information. There's no indication of what a completed step should look like. I've pulled the thing apart and have started remaking. The wishbone arms are all okay, the hubs and tyres are disassembled okay. New main legs are in progress, made from Ali tube which will give it a bit more ooomph! I haven't pictured the carnage but I'll post up the redeeming scratch work shortly. Gonna be fine, gonna be better 😎👍