tomprobert Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 After being thoroughly inspired by Rhino's Galaxy build, and in a moment of sheer madness over the weekend I dug this out of the stash and thought to myself 'it can't be that bad, can it?' Combat Models are notorious for being, well, hard combat to to build, but I don't get on with resin and I like a challenge so here goes... The 'kit' is rather basic and the plastic is just a little thicker than fag-paper. It's also covered in ripples, bumps, throughs and dips so the surface will need a lot of preparation. Panel detail is non-existent, but should be fairly straightforward to add. Here's the fuselage: The first problem I encountered (it didn't take long) was the fact that the left wing-root is further forward than the right: There also appears to be another major problem with the fuselage, as when I compared the scaled up measurements to the Revell 1/144th scale kit, the wings are an inch too far forward on the Combat kit, so the whole wing root area needs moving back. First job was to cut the wing root out completely: An inch was removed from the rear of this section: The fuselage was lined with card at the join, and the wing root reattached an inch further aft: The piece removed earlier was then reinstated to plug the gap, and now the wing sits in the correct position (see the unaltered fuselage half above): With the plastic being so thin, a vast amount of reinforcement is need for the interior so the kit can support itself and the weight of the wings etc. This has all been added with plastic card bulkheads: I now have something starting to resemble a C-17 fuselage... ...but there's going to be a long journey ahead. Tom 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 You didn't take my advice about Combat Models then? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 You are a brave man and you have my admiration! Good luck and have one (or two) of these to help you on your way........ http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Pint_of_Airdale_Beer.JPG Trevor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radleigh Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Haha, didn't take you long! You never mentioned this at SMW so it must have been a mad moment indeed. I'm after some Combat Models, but their site is down and has been for a while. I keep meaning to email them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snapper_city Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Madness indeed. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomprobert Posted November 18, 2014 Author Share Posted November 18, 2014 You didn't take my advice about Combat Models then? I know what I'm letting myself in for, fear not! Haha, didn't take you long! You never mentioned this at SMW so it must have been a mad moment indeed. I'm after some Combat Models, but their site is down and has been for a while. I keep meaning to email them... To be fair it was a spur of the moment thing... how long the motivation will last is up for debate! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 I reckon you have this one cracked already Tom, mind me tagging along enjoying you doing a St George on the beastie? ("Oh I just moved the wing roots back six feet, nothing to it...") yikes! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Really glad to see you doing this one Tom. I was given a C-17 by a friend who took one look and decided to bin it. Suffice to say I haven't started it so I'll be able to see how an expert handles it! Good luck. Cheers Glen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robvulcan Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 That is some very clever correction going on there Tom, I admire your bravery and skill. There is nowt like a good challenge but this looks like the worlds strongest man equivalent of modelling. Inspirational though as it has made what I have been struggling with on some builds suddenly seem appealing. Good luck will be watching This one 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xffw45343tg Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Wow! How did you come up with accurate profiles for the bulkheads Tom? I have one of these in my stash and whilst I knew about the wing position issue, hadn't given much thought to how to stiffen the fuselage. Watching with much interest. (- and anticipating how you are going to tackle the ahem "challenging" nacelles and fan faces...) Kirk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markjames68 Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 You might want to check up on some of the anigrand 1/72 c17 builds,i have a feeling the shape of this is identical due to the wing issue you have fixed, this being the case the nose will be way off in plan view, its a reasonable easy fix on the resin kit as there is material thickness to cope with it, i dont envy you solving this on vacform that thin .( a simple slice to bring the nose together thinner might help) On the plus side for you, dropping the flaps on the vacformed wing will be a lot easier than on the resin one!!! Looking great so far , ive pulled up a chair.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darby Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 That looks like some sort of self flagellation you've undertaken brought upon by the Vaccish Inquisition 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xffw45343tg Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 You might want to check up on some of the anigrand 1/72 c17 builds,i have a feeling the shape of this is identical due to the wing issue you have fixed, this being the case the nose will be way off in plan view, its a reasonable easy fix on the resin kit as there is material thickness to cope with it, i dont envy you solving this on vacform that thin .( a simple slice to bring the nose together thinner might help) It is, er, interesting to note how close the later Anigrand is to the Combat Models C-17. Looks like Anigrand took lots and lots of inspiration from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Nice start Tom, I was going to mention the wing root position but seems you picked that up. How does the shape of the nose/cockpit look? Not as bad as the Anigrand kit I hope? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Tom It looks like you are closing this one up, proving you are saner than I am, unless you plan on opening up the front crew access door. I asked a question on ARC about the undercarriage on the C-5 and there was one reply which had a C-17 gear bay picture in it. The first reply, third picture down is a C-17 MLG bay picture. maybe it will be of help http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=274329&st=0&p=2602694&hl=galaxy&fromsearch=1entry2602694 Nice to see another vacform on the go. Maybe it will encourage others to have a go at one. Thanks for the nice thoughts at the top of your latest blog. if you haven't looked I have 2 on the go now, one a resin kit. Best of luck (not that you need it). Ted 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomprobert Posted November 19, 2014 Author Share Posted November 19, 2014 Really glad to see you doing this one Tom. I was given a C-17 by a friend who took one look and decided to bin it. Suffice to say I haven't started it so I'll be able to see how an expert handles it! Good luck. Cheers Glen Expert maybe taking it a bit too far... but I'm certainly willing to give kits like this a fair go. It's just a serious case of trial and error! Wow! How did you come up with accurate profiles for the bulkheads Tom? I have one of these in my stash and whilst I knew about the wing position issue, hadn't given much thought to how to stiffen the fuselage. Watching with much interest. (- and anticipating how you are going to tackle the ahem "challenging" nacelles and fan faces...) Kirk The fuselage shape is roughly circular so it was just a case of cutting plastic inserts to the correct diameter. I then needed to flatten the tops and bottoms of the circles slightly, so that they would fit snugly both at the top and bottom and reached the sides. There's no secret to making them, just cut, dry fit, cut again, dry fit and continue until you've got the correct shape. Regarding the nacelles etc... to say they're basic is an understatement. I'm trying not to think of them until I get to that stage otherwise there's a real danger of this going back into the attic! You might want to check up on some of the anigrand 1/72 c17 builds,i have a feeling the shape of this is identical due to the wing issue you have fixed, this being the case the nose will be way off in plan view, its a reasonable easy fix on the resin kit as there is material thickness to cope with it, i dont envy you solving this on vacform that thin .( a simple slice to bring the nose together thinner might help) On the plus side for you, dropping the flaps on the vacformed wing will be a lot easier than on the resin one!!! Looking great so far , ive pulled up a chair.. The thin plastic has its pros and cons - a pro being it's easy to bend it to shape, and con being it's so thin any sanding work is a no-no. I have had a look at the flap system on the C-17 and it's certainly doable, but it depends if I can build a spar structure strong enough so that the wing stays rigid. I'll cross that bridge when I get there! It is, er, interesting to note how close the later Anigrand is to the Combat Models C-17. Looks like Anigrand took lots and lots of inspiration from it. Rumour has it that the Anigrand kit was based on the Combat vac - hence the wing position and other shape issues. I believe later versions of the Anigrand kit had this corrected, but I believe if you had the early release of the kit you had to pay for the correction set in addition which I can't help but feel is a bit off. Nice start Tom, I was going to mention the wing root position but seems you picked that up. How does the shape of the nose/cockpit look? Not as bad as the Anigrand kit I hope? I'm not sure how the cockpit compares to be honest as I don't have the Anigrand kit. Combat provide a clear vacformed section to be inserted - this is going to be my next task as I want to ensure the cockpit is workable before progressing any further. Watch this space. Tom It looks like you are closing this one up, proving you are saner than I am, unless you plan on opening up the front crew access door. I asked a question on ARC about the undercarriage on the C-5 and there was one reply which had a C-17 gear bay picture in it. The first reply, third picture down is a C-17 MLG bay picture. maybe it will be of help http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=274329&st=0&p=2602694&hl=galaxy&fromsearch=1entry2602694 Nice to see another vacform on the go. Maybe it will encourage others to have a go at one. Thanks for the nice thoughts at the top of your latest blog. if you haven't looked I have 2 on the go now, one a resin kit. Best of luck (not that you need it). Ted Hi Ted, Thanks for the link - it'll be most useful. I did briefly toy with the idea of opening her up, but the plastic is so thin (less than 0.5mm in places) that it simply wouldn't support itself if the internal bulkheads weren't there. Without the bulkhead structure I've inserted, it's like a windsock on a calm day! The forward crew door was a possibility, but as well as giving access to the cockpit and flight deck, it also opens onto the cargo bay and as there's not going to be a detailed interior I think I'm going to keep it firmly shut. I do plan to fully detail the flight deck though, as in this scale the large cockpit windows will show off plenty of the interior. It's all good fun! Tom 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastien Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 And the 2014 Spank Me With A Shovel Award goes to Tom Probert! No worries, though. You're going to turn this sow's indeterminate body part into not a silk purse, but a king size jewel. Cheers, S. PS: what about your next Shackleton(s)? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigsty Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Right, that's it. We're booking you a lecture room at Telford next year - it's the only way to manage all the interest these potty ideas of yours generate. And I didn't know you were a bird fancier ... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev67 Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 I did read somewhere on another vac build that vacform is no more difficult than an ordinary run of the mill kit, LOL 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomprobert Posted November 19, 2014 Author Share Posted November 19, 2014 And the 2014 Spank Me With A Shovel Award goes to Tom Probert! No worries, though. You're going to turn this sow's indeterminate body part into not a silk purse, but a king size jewel. Cheers, S. PS: what about your next Shackleton(s)? Let's hope so Sebastien! Fear not, the Shackletons are slowly making their way up the pile - I'm trying to sort decals for a MR3 at the moment and as soon as that hurdle is overcome I'll be starting. There doesn't seem to be any manufacturer doing decals for the Shack in 1/48th so it may be a case of experimenting and printing my own. Right, that's it. We're booking you a lecture room at Telford next year - it's the only way to manage all the interest these potty ideas of yours generate. And I didn't know you were a bird fancier ... Calm down, calm down! I must admit I did talk myself hoarse this year, but I love sharing tips and experiences with fellow madmen. And it's not me who's the bird fancier, my wife used to work on Cage and Aviary Birds magazine, hence I have a life time stash of cutting paper to protect the precious table from inevitable knife slips and super glue spillages... I did read somewhere on another vac build that vacform is no more difficult than an ordinary run of the mill kit, LOL Yeah that may have been me Kev... it's amazing how the quality of vacs can vary. Combat are appropriately named: Combat in name, combat in nature! Tom 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev67 Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 I have the ID C141B Starlifter which does not look to bad, I think this may be the same as the Combat model C141 though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomprobert Posted November 19, 2014 Author Share Posted November 19, 2014 I have the ID C141B Starlifter which does not look to bad, I think this may be the same as the Combat model C141 though ID kits are much better in my opinion - the plastic is a good deal thicker and much easier to work with. Every Combat kit I've built so far has suffered from ridiculously thin plastic - perhaps he's going for scale thickness? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caerbannog Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Holy C***. Brave brave man. I will learn a lot from your whip I am sure. Rene 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev67 Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Seeing your Globemaster and Rhinos Galaxy is giving me itchy feet to have a go at this C141B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heloman1 Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Good on yer Tom, I do liek a bit of vac-form modelling and it looks liek you've jusmped inthe deep end. I'll watch closey if I may? Colin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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