hendie Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 (edited) Prompted by the Nigellicus creature, I decided to throw this WIP out here. I started this as light entertainment diversion after a couple of prolonged and complicated builds, the latest of which is still ongoing. As this is a diversion, I probably won't be updating regularly, and I am going to be doing this as much out of the box as possible (for me that is!). The plan is to complete this build as HKG-7 of the RHKAAF, an aircraft I actually (very briefly) had the controls of while flying over Hong Kong many, many years ago. (Those pilot people never trusted us groundcrew much!) In addition to the garish yellow plastic, I think everyone is very well aware of the strange girder like structures that airfix saw fit to slap up on the outer skin. Yes, I know I said out of the box, but there are limits! The first job was to remove those objectionable girders. We start with this.... and a few minutes sanding provides a much smoother fuselage skin. once the fuselage sides were smoothed out, next job was to fill a large sink in the undercarriage - still undecided as to whether to do something about those linkages. After the sides had been sanded the access doors sat proud of the sides. I had to shave some material off the doors in order to get them to sit better. Once happy with the fit, they were glued into position. The interior was then given a quick blast of white primer. Next step was to glue the wings together. It looks okay from this side but on top there is a large gap on one side. I may have to fill that and rescribe - it is a bit of a canyon. Then I decided to give George a run for his money in this incredibly complex engine build. This really puts George's typhoon engine build to shame doesn't it ? I haven't quite figured out how to handle the paint sequence with this - hence why i have not yet glued on the top of the nacelles. I did do some dry fitting and discovered that there are yet more canyons awaiting me on top of the wings when the nacelles are fitted. It looks like there will be some sanding and filing ahead in this build. and to complete this update, some interior parts were given a blast of grey primer. more to come at some point in the future.... Edited November 22, 2014 by hendie 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Nice start, those undercarriage linkages have got to go though they make the model look like a toy. Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeusa Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 I am in awe of how far you have taken the kit engine. In fact, gasoline smells are emanating from my ipad as we speak. Thank you for the random compliment. I appreciate it. So, the crazy surface detail you removed from the fuselage, what was that really supposed to represent? I would assume something as the makers of the kit went to the trouble of creating the molds to produce the detail. Any clues? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted August 29, 2014 Author Share Posted August 29, 2014 George, I believe there is some small strengthening panels on the outer skin, but nothing as agricultural as airfix have slapped on the kit. I think you are right Martin, the linkages are going to go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garryrussell Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 (edited) Those 'girders' are double plates and are there in real life. They are correct in shape, just nowhere as deep as on the kit, but very much a feature of the real aeroplane as are the rivets. Re the undercarriage. This is the first issue of the kit and it was moulded with unloaded gear, that is in flight. Later version had the gear loaded to sit on the ground, that is suspension compressed. The wings are best glued together and left under heavy books for a couple of weeks or so to cure completely. Otherwise after a while the will start to bend down towards the tips in a nice even curve. I've seen several made with curved wings including the first one I made. Edited August 29, 2014 by garryrussell 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Russell Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 You can just see them in these pictures (just) http://www.airplane-pictures.net/photo/211222/f-otag-airawak-britten-norman-bn-2-islander/ http://www.planephotos.net/photo/1120/Isles-of-Scilly-Skybus_Britten-Norman-BN-2B-26-Islander_G-SSKY/ Maybe a decal strip might be the right thickness? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted August 29, 2014 Author Share Posted August 29, 2014 thanks guys - nice info and shots Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spookytooth Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Looks like you are going to have fun there Hendie. I can just about remember when I built this kit. It was in the colours of Auregney ? air Service, they use to fly out of the Channel Islands. They were primary Yellow with black and red pin stripes. That could explain the loud plastic. Simon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted August 29, 2014 Author Share Posted August 29, 2014 Hopefully it will be a relaxing build - I am definitely not going overboard on this one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme H Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 It is good to se the Islander getting the treatment, put me down as another who says fix the oleos I must get around to mine one day, and there are some photos on here in the Wakaround section that might help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted August 30, 2014 Author Share Posted August 30, 2014 ah, the walkround - I forgot about that section - thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted September 1, 2014 Author Share Posted September 1, 2014 Small update.... As mentioned previously, I am not going overboard with accuracy and detail on this particular build... so I am not mixing custom colors or buying any additional stuff just for this kit. I got the seats all assembled. The floor was given a coat of light grey, and the seats and rear bulkhead a coat of blue. These photo's have come out a bit dark, the colors are a good bit lighter in the flesh.... the real seats are blue with a light blue or grey stripe in the material, but I did a dry fit and you can't really see anything through the kit windows, so blue they will stay. The instrument panel was picked out in black, although, again you cannot see anything once it is in place.... Then I had a crazy moment.... even although it is impossible to see the rear bulkhead inside the aircraft, I felt I had to do something with it. A while back I got this roll of embossed foil and thought it would be a nice adder on this part. When I originally got the foil, it was with the intention of using this inside the cabin of my "sometime in the future Wessex build" I used canopy glue to fix the foil to the bulkhead and clamped it in place while the glue dried. Trimmed the foil back once dried..... and painted it the same blue as the rest of the interior..... at least it is not as bland as it was before. Now it was time to start thinking about closing this one up. First off was the instrument panel. Using blue-tac to help me position the panel, I glued it the the port side. and of course, I forgot to take photo's of the rest of the interior once it was completed.... here I have filled what there is of the nose section with a really crappy cheapo version of blue-tac - it's yellow and they forgot to add the "tac" part. From other threads, this little kit appears to want to sit on it's back end so hopefully, this crap-tac will help avoid that - Glad I finally found a use for it. My last job before closing up the fuselage was to mask the windows with BMF. - I had used canopy glue to hold the windows in place and while it does a decent job, it's not the strongest glue in the world, so I wanted to make sure I didn't pop any of the windows out once the fuselage was together. I did have one panic moment when I couldn't find one of the windows..... I thought I had removed all of the port side windows from the runner a few days ago. I did eventually find it - still attached to the runner - at least my workbench is a lot tidier now! Then it was time to close up the fuselage.... and that's all for now folks! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 I didn't like the decals that Airfix gave us with the Islander so I never got round to finishing my build, 30 years ago If I did one now I'd take off the stiffener panels too and maybe add new ones from Tamiya tape or Solartrim film cut to the pattern on the fuselage as moulded. As others have noted, brilliant work on the engines. Wow... And back here for the fun I do like the Wessexy padding on the bulkhead, looks just the ticket. Undercart? Oh yes has to be righted, just as you were going to anyway. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Nice work Hendie, that rear bulkhead shows that you have got the detailing bug good and proper. You do know that there is no known cure, don't you? Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted September 7, 2014 Author Share Posted September 7, 2014 Well it looks like I am running out of stuff to do on the Dauphin , so it's back to the Islander for the time being..... After googling around on the interwebby, I found some good photo's that allowed to start messing about with this one. First off was the addition of some panel fasteners on the engine cowlings. I'll sand these back and maybe trim them down a bit once the glue is cured so they are not as "in your face" as they look at the moment. It was time to start working on that undercarriage that seems to annoy everyone. First of all, I chopped the oleo's off, then drilled into the upper part of the undercarriage, allowing me to insert the oleo much further into the leg. I could then start working on the anti-torsion links..... using some scrap styrene I fashioned something that vaguely resembled a torsion link A quick test with the wheels in place..... doesn't look too bad. Then I glued some thin copper wire to represent the actual link point and trimmed the wire back when the glue had cured. Then went completely stupid and added some hydraulic hose...... Of course, once both wheels are on, no-one is ever going to see any of it. Masochism at it's finest I'd say. Did I just say masochism at it's finest??? How silly of me... of course I am going to far more stupid, painful, and mind numbingly bizarre things before this build is finished. How about this for starters...... What !!! Hey You!!! Stand back from the plastic kit.... you obviously do not know when to say stop, and just accept things for what they darn well are, and just leave well alone! Oh no, not me, I just have to go hacking things apart for no good reason, other than I happen to have a razor saw in the building. What on earth am I doing??? please stop me! Somewhere, far, far away in the back of my random electron firing grey matter, there is a plan.... I just wish I knew what it was...... The two parts were than clamped together like so....... and I could then cut out a corresponding section on the elevator, ensuring the cut outs lined up. That allowed me to glue in a couple of pieces of styrene block into the elevator. I then positioned the stabilizer like so - this ensures everything lines up as nature intended. The reason I cut out the recess in the elevator is for two reasons - one, it gives me a stronger joint (3 surfaces to glue on), and two, it makes it easier to hide the joint with the new styrene. If everything was in a straight line, it would be very difficult to disguise the join - stepping the join like this makes it just a bit easier to get away with. Why? Well. almost all of the photo's I found with the Islander parked up showed the elevator drooping - nd it semed a straightforward thing to replicate 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 That undercarriage is looking much better! Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Nice attention to detail, looking forward to more Roger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeusa Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 I think to be at least an adequate modeler, a tendency to masochism has to be evident. Otherwise, why would you punish yourself to get a detail right that probably will be hidden once the kit is put together or the casual observer will never notice. I and other plane builders will spend hours over cockpit details that will never be seen even if you borrow a colonoscopy camera!! Given that, at least the detail on the struts has a fairly good chance of being seen, even with the wheels on. So, your hard work will not go unnoticed! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted September 8, 2014 Author Share Posted September 8, 2014 aha... colonoscopy camera.... must add that to the shopping list! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 aha... colonoscopy camera.... must add that to the shopping list! No Seriously no, don't but do keep producing this kind of delight It is brilliant b 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted September 8, 2014 Author Share Posted September 8, 2014 there is a thin line between brilliance and sheer utter idiocy... and my balance is not up to much at all! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 aha... colonoscopy camera.... must add that to the shopping list! A new one I hope, not second hand! Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted September 10, 2014 Author Share Posted September 10, 2014 Time to get the windscreen in place - of course, when I came to fit it, I discovered that it was wider than the fuselage. I tried clamping it and leaving it like this in a warm place for a couple of days but it didn't really make any difference. Eventually I got it in place and it didn't turn out too badly. I filed as much as I could off the side framing without hitting the glass area. It's still slightly oversize but I think I can live with it. Again, I used BMF for masking. It definitely shows up the framing much better than simple masking tape. However, my eyes are the weak point in this equation, and I can hardly see the blade tip against the foil - half the time I'm just guessing where the blade tip is! and talking of thin lines and madness..... I saw it (no pun intended) and just couldn't leave well alone...... That was followed by a quick drilling operation and the insertion of a couple of small pieces of wire to help strengthen the joint. When I come to actually fix it in place I intend to have only a slight deflection - just enough to know it's there really. The trim tab is staying put! Can you see the knobbly bit on the side of the nacelle here? Originally I thought it was a molding defect and was about to file it off, and then while researching on the interweb I realized that it is airfix's representation of the exhaust! That settled it! It had to go.... I know I said this was going to be a relaxing build and almost all out of the box, but there's only so much I can take! Out with a round file and a few seconds later I had this nice little recess. And this will be plan A: use a couple of pieces of styrene rod to represent the exhausts. Not perfect but still much nicer than out of the box. (everything is just blu-tac'd in position here.) I could probably get away with a slightly larger diameter exhaust here. One thing I did notice was that the real nacelles slope back towards the bottom of the nacelle. The airfix version is vertical. Unfortunately I don't see any way of replicating the rearwards slope without some serious rework. The kit plastic is just too thin and the height difference between the bottom of the wing molded nacelle part and the front part is too narrow. That's a job for another day, and another mad person. Then the engine nacelles got the glue treatment as did the tailplane.... And that's where I ended up tonight. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 Nice progress! I am really enjoying this OOB build! Martin 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spookytooth Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 Keep it up mate, you are doing a grand job there. Simon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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