woody37 Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 I reviewed this kit quite recently and as with most of Airfix's recent releases, they're just crying out 'BUILD ME' !! So the initial plan is to pretty much just build it out of the box and have some fun, but there's some temptation to add some ground stuff in too and make a diorama. Depending how things go, it might evolve as it progresses. After spending half an hour or so, most of the interior is pretty much assembled, so I'll leave it all to set before getting some primer and paint on. I'll get some pictures over the weekend of the progress. So far, very impressed with the kit, a quick dry fit of the fuelage halves reveals no issues....fingers crossed! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arniec Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 It is always nice to see another Skytrain. Welcome to the GB. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Hi Woody, Good to see another Skytrain being build. Kind regards, Stix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted August 2, 2014 Author Share Posted August 2, 2014 Cheers guys, look forwards to joining the squadron A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to get a tour around the BBMF flight including getting in the aircraft so I took some pictures which might be useful for other C-47 builders, hope they are. One of the things that really impressed me was that when they repainted the interior, they actually painted around some graffiti left in the aircraft from it's operational days. I might add some basic seat belts out of masking tape. I don't want to go too mad as little can be seen even with the big barn door open at the rear. The padding in the BBMF inside is light blue, am I right in believing that it would of been dark green or black during the war? My son, not half as excited as I was!! Anyway, progress so far, got the base colour on, but should the floor be black like the BBMF or is this a modern anti slip safety feature? I fitted the rear wing root fillets at the dry fit stage and thought there might be some filler required, but none was used, fit of the kit so far has been superb. Cheers 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Hi Neil Great progress already ! I really like the fact your son is included, I recently took my kids to Duxford, although I think I was the biggest kid there. We were one of the first in and the last the leave, all 4 kids fast asleep before we left the car park, if you get a chance take your son he will love it Cheers Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted August 3, 2014 Author Share Posted August 3, 2014 Hi Pat, They've been several times, it's my Mecca!!!! My older son is in the Air Cadets and wants to join up in an engineering role, the little one seen here is now 8 and has a different hobby each week lol. Hope to get there in the late summer sometime again. Cheers, Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arniec Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 (edited) That is a very good looking model. I like the progress you have made. Keep up the good work. Also thanks for the nice inerior shots of the C-47. Cheers, Edited August 3, 2014 by Arniec 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEMPESTMK5 Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Good morning Woody Very interesting build thank for posting some pics of the BBMF aircraft .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Great interior shots that will be very useful. I am having a bit of a down time but have been working on my Dakota and off and it has reached overall priming stage and await a decision on which finish to go for thats not in the kit options. I have a couple in mind. BUT.. let us know how you get on when it comes to fitting the top main wing panel to the fitted lower centre section. I had a bit of grief with mine where the fit was awkward due to the pre fitted spar where the top wing centre section fits over. They would not fit snugly, line up with leading edges ending up with a step in the engine nacelle area.hence leaving a gap and affecting the fit of the main engine assemblies. I cant' see where I might have gone wrong as everything was fitting absolutely perfectly all the way from stage 1!! From what I could see was the rib where the circular nacelle bay bulkhead/ rib part fits doesn't seat in the right place and affects the overall fit. I shaved of the ribs but still had issue with it....! Refer to your photos showing te assmbled and painted wing centre section and uuper wing panels around the engine necaeels to see what I mean. I suggest you do a dry run before fitting the lower centre section to the fuselage which is something I neglected to do to check the fit!!! By the way the curved wing root panels and underside fit beautifully!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 Hi Paul, I assembled the wing over the weekend, just not got round to doing any pictures yet. I had the same issue TBH, I ended up shaving a bit off the top of the spar, but it never solved the issue. I like to use liquid poly as it helps everything to soften up which I find sometimes deals with minor line up issues. Several pegs and masking tape were used to hold everything together until it was dry. Don't know about you, but I've assembled the wing separately, where as the instructions show to fit the centre wing to the fuselage first. I need to apply a small amount of filler on one underside between the centre and outer wing section, but it's not looking too bad. After the 1/24 Spit, this is heaven!!! A dry fit of the wing to the fuselage look OK at the moment, but that was without the interior fitted. Not sure what effect this will have. I was pleasantly surprised about the wing root panels, they looked like the type of thing that just would never fit as planned, but great to be wrong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Hi Woody. Glad to see it wasn't me. But saddened that this is a bit of a bad part of the kit. Everything else fits like a dream! I tried the same by shaving the top of the bulkhead and the ribs but didn't help as you say. Assembling the whole wing and then fitting to the fuselage may be better and will have a go that way for another bash at it(got so many schemes I want to do!) with another kit. Maybe doing this and then fitting the wing root fillets may help.......Maybe?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 Is that the only issue you've come across? I fitted the wing roots first with the lower centre wing and fuselage halves dry fitted to ensure they aligned OK. Agree, I'd like to do a few more of these in different schemes. I got the chance to fly one in 1987 which was based at Blackpool airport doing a mail run to Ireland. Having been used to flying a Cherokee on an RAF Flying Scholarship, this thing was big and sluggish, but the smell and noise were amazing! Back in them days, taking photo's wasn't as easy as it is now, so many fantastic experiences never really captured. I wish I had taken more, I never took a camera on the flight Here I am stood next to it, rather slimmer back then!!!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 I flew in four different Daks, G-AGJV at Greenham 1974, G-AMSV from Southampton to Jersey and back, G-AMPY from Gatwick for an hours jolly and the last one was in G-AMRA of Air Atlantique for a jolly from North Weald at one of the airshows there. I really wanted to go in the Convair 440 from Norway that was also doing trips but wifey wanted to go in the Dak. I managed to get the only set that was going at Hannants recently by Flightline decals that featured the Air Atlantique DC-6 as well as the DC-3. Its this option I am really tempted to do but the decals need a bit of surgery to alter a couple letters to make 'MRA! Then I notice that this Dak has those half sized main gear doors! Also short intakes but these are included in the kit happily! The alternative I was thinking of doing is a Market Garden RCAF machine which would be the easiest scheme to do to finish it quicker. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 This one is G-AMYJ and had the yellow diagonal strip across the fuselage with yellow and black chequer tail at the time. I'm a little confused as to its existence now, because some sources say it is the one now in green at Elvington, but when I asked the chap there who looked after it, his story didn't align with this???? Great to build an aircraft you've flown on, might be a bit slower, but certainly worth while Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 That,s looking very nice already,the interior certainly looks impressive compared to Italeri,s Skytrain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted August 6, 2014 Author Share Posted August 6, 2014 Here's the final update until next week. Chris (Stringbag) is helping me to sort the garage come man cave in to something a bit more fit for purpose this weekend, so everything needs to get packed away for a few days. I've added some seatbelts out of thin masking tape. Not accurate by any means, but adequate for what will be seen if anyone is nosey enough! And the completed wing section. Still needs a little bit of tidying up. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arniec Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Nice paintjob. She is comming together nicely. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellzy Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Do like the look of this kit ,think it will be on my to do list . Very nice bulld will have to watch your build Les Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Interior does look really good! Keep up the good work and hope the garage sorting goes well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev67 Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Great progress Woody, as my dad used to jump out of these, its one plane on my list to make Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted August 7, 2014 Author Share Posted August 7, 2014 Cheers guys. Kev, would you know which aircraft he flew on? Would be good to make the actual aircraft. I've been researching the ones I flew on, the Andover at Cosford is one I got my hands on at one point as a cadet 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 Hi Woody Great news on you and Stringbag sorting out the garage, is this to deal with the every increasing stash or is there a danger of a motor vehicle actually being kept in it ? I have an old MG you could hide from SWMBO if there's room. Cheers Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev67 Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 Cheers guys. Kev, would you know which aircraft he flew on? Would be good to make the actual aircraft. I've been researching the ones I flew on, the Andover at Cosford is one I got my hands on at one point as a cadet Hi Woody, I have only one photo taken around 1946 "Operation Longstop", which I think was a training exercise but only shows the front with 2 codes, looks like it had a orange nose or something, luckily for my dad though he was in training when his Battalion was dropped at Arnhem. https://www.flickr.com/photos/26726329@N02/3953576407/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stringbag Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 What's that on your head Neil? Sorry matey. Just realised it's hair. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted August 10, 2014 Author Share Posted August 10, 2014 Kids and women have depleted it since then! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts