Brandy Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Late on parade, but enjoying this one! Great work so far - shame you had to fill in the "Singapore air conditioning", I heard it didn't work too well though..... Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted January 28, 2015 Author Share Posted January 28, 2015 I've just realized that if I had put "The Gap" on the bottom, the window would have fit! Width-wise anyway, the length would still need to be fixed. Nah, best to have it the way I do. If I cock up the window, hey ho - it's on the bottom, no one will see it! I'm about half way through masking the framing on the window. My eyes are bugging out of my head like some deviant laser-beamed cyborg. I gotta take a break... Cheers, Bill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael louey Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Great going Bill! You have reached another hurdle in these kits - I usually mask my own transparencies with Tamiya tape however when I did the SH underbelly window I wish I had bought masks. the main problem is the small areas to cover in so many segments. When I built the Hasegawa kit, there was no way I was going to mask the belly window again so bought a set of masks - I think they really save frustration/eyes and give a cleaner result. The latest Hasegawa kit came to terms with this and included decals for framing but unless you are doing one of the kit markings (US Navy), the colours won't match with your scheme. One other item Bill - How are you going to do the clear view panel on the right of the sliding canopy. the best solution would be a decal as I can't see an easy way of masking and painting this oval panel line. I skipped this in my build hoping one day a decal company might do this as a kind of stencil. Cheers Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Looks like it's more of a challenge than the Beaufort, lot ta fight for a little fella. Looks like your winning mind! Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritag Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 I'm about half way through masking the framing on the window. My eyes are bugging out of my head like some deviant laser-beamed cyborg. I gotta take a break... Bill, I'm not sure that it is a necessary inference from this post that the whole eye thing is anything other than your normal condition - and not at all related to the masking of the framing.........I speak as a pedantic lawyer of course...... PS. Got nothing better to do this afternoon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share Posted January 29, 2015 On 1/27/2015 at 22:54, Michael louey said: One other item Bill - How are you going to do the clear view panel on the right of the sliding canopy. the best solution would be a decal as I can't see an easy way of masking and painting this oval panel line. I skipped this in my build hoping one day a decal company might do this as a kind of stencil. I think you are referring to the forward panel on the port side of the sliding canopy? This had what looks like a slotted insert (with round corners), and was only on the B339E Buffaloes. The Eduard mask set includes a mask for the interior of this panel, but not for the exterior. My plan is to make some masks for the exterior from Tamiya tape. If that doesn't work, or if my eyeballs fall out, I may just paint the panel line by hand with a brush. On 1/28/2015 at 11:49, rob85 said: Looks like it's more of a challenge than the Beaufort, lot ta fight for a little fella. Looks like your winning mind! The plastic on the Beaufort was beautiful, almost shake and bake. It was all that photoetch that was a challenge. But I like challenges! If I didn't, my stash would be full of Tamiya kits, and not what it is - Special Hobby, MPM, RS, Roden, Valom, AZ, etc. There is just something about those Czech kits that they just jump out at me. On 1/28/2015 at 12:43, Fritag said: Bill, I'm not sure that it is a necessary inference from this post that the whole eye thing is anything other than your normal condition - and not at all related to the masking of the framing.........I speak as a pedantic lawyer of course...... Busted again! How did you find out? Speaking of eyeballs, my wifey just had two eye surgeries, about two weeks apart. The first was for a completely detached retina, and the second for a macular hole. In a couple of months we'll know if her vision in that eye comes back, and if it does how much she might lose. Prognosis is good, but we're told that she can expect to lose 30% of her vision, mostly peripheral. For now, our roles have reversed a bit. She is my caretaker during my cancer treatments, and now I get to be her caretaker while she recovers from these surgeries. Which means she has to eat what I cook - yikes. No modelling for me lately as I've had a nasty attack of arthritis in the fingers on my right hand - can't bend them much. It should go away in a few days, but then I have my cancer treatment next week which usually knocks me down for a week or so. I may not get back to the Buffalo until after I've recovered from my treatment. I know I said this would be a quick build, and it will be - if you count just the hours where I've actually been working on it. Probably only about four hours so far. Cheers, Bill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Goodness me, best wishes to both you (I need to know how to build this kit!), and to your wife. What are you cooking? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritag Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Hang in their Bill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 The 'like' was for your comments about Czech kits. The bottom part of your post, I do not like. No one as cool as you deserves this much hardship Bill. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Thinking of both of you Best wishes for a speedy recovery Roger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 (edited) Hi Bill. You and your wife are certainly having a rough time at the moment. I've got everything crossed for you both. Kind regards, Stix Edited January 29, 2015 by PlaStix 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Take care of the both of you, we will all still be here for you. Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Good luck with the hand and all my best for the wife. All positive thoughts your way for better hands, that your wife loses less than 30% (preferably none but that's probably pushing it) and obviously to you beating cancer and still getting through your stash of great and very interesting AC's (even if not all of them actually fit... but that's why we do it no?) Good luck Cheers Rob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael louey Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Thanks for the info on the panel Bill - Yes, I am really bad with port and starboard concepts - My wife reckons I'm a suppressed left hander. Sorry to hear about your wife's eye problems and your arthritis. I can sympathise as I've had both vision and joint problems recently (Not as bad as both of yours). Hope you're both a lot better soon. Cheers Michael 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06/24 Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Best wishes both of you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 Thanks everyone! Me and the missus will pull through. 2015 will be our 40th anniversary, can't miss that party! I took a double dose of Advil, and I've got "some" relief from the arthritis. I'm going to type this as fast as I can so I'm finished before it wears off (and before my liver explodes). I mentioned before about the mismatch between the lower window and the cutout in the fuselage. This photo, which I took a couple of days ago, shows my first cut, and it is clear how much of a mismatch there really is. After this cut, the length of the window fits fine. After I took this photo, I widened the cutout, and reshaped the forward portion. Over the last couple of nights I've been masking the lower window. I finished tonight - phew! These are tiny little pieces of masking tape. I've been trying to decide if I want to add the window to the fuselage now, or try to do it after everything is closed up. I think it's best to add it to one half of the fuselage now (the half without the cockpit) just so I have some room to hold it with my fat fingers, and adjust it so it lines up with the other half. This means I'll have to do this as the last thing before I close up the two halves. I find it interesting that Brewster went to the trouble of adding this window, and then reading the pilot accounts where they say you couldn't see anything out of it anyway. Why go to the bother? Kind of like the Wildcat pilots who would dip one wing to see below rather than try to see out of the lower windows on that plane. Already my fingers are hurting just from typing this...argh. Maybe if I sniff some of those fine Gunze lacquers... Cheers, Bill 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Laidlaw Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 The 'like' was for your comments about Czech kits. The bottom part of your post, I do not like. No one as cool as you deserves this much hardship Bill. What he said ^^^. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Thanks everyone! Me and the missus will pull through. 2015 will be our 40th anniversary, can't miss that party! Congrats! It's our fourth, which is practically the same thing, less one pesky digit. I find it interesting that Brewster went to the trouble of adding this window, and then reading the pilot accounts where they say you couldn't see anything out of it anyway. Why go to the bother? Kind of like the Wildcat pilots who would dip one wing to see below rather than try to see out of the lower windows on that plane. I don't know that we can expect logical decision-making from Brewster Aviation, that strikes me as not their strong suite. I had kind of wondered about the utility of that window...was it a BuAer requirement for decklandings? The F4F and F2A were some of the first monoplanes in navy service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhaselden Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I find it interesting that Brewster went to the trouble of adding this window, and then reading the pilot accounts where they say you couldn't see anything out of it anyway. Why go to the bother? Kind of like the Wildcat pilots who would dip one wing to see below rather than try to see out of the lower windows on that plane. Hi Bill, The window was officially the "bombing window" and was installed per USN requirements. How useful was it? Not so much, although the 4 PRU pilots in Singapore found it helpful for sighting the target before turning on the camera(s). One observation - the 2 ovals at the aft end of the window were actually open vents to help reduce CO levels in the cockpit. Just sharing in case you get a wild urge to drill them out (or something equally silly). BTW, best wishes to you and Mrs Bill in your current misfortunes. I hope your wife makes a speedy recovery and that impact to her vision is minimal. Cheers, Mark 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 On 1/30/2015 at 01:13, mhaselden said: One observation - the 2 ovals at the aft end of the window were actually open vents to help reduce CO levels in the cockpit. Just sharing in case you get a wild urge to drill them out (or something equally silly). Don't even suggest that! I've been known to cater to wild urges. Yikes, now I'll be spending all day figuring out how to do it...this modelling thing really is an illness, isn't it? Question - were these open all the time (i.e. the opening had no glass in it at all), or were they hinged glass panels that could be closed, you know in case the pilot wanted a dose or two of CO? Cheers, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beard Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I feel a bit amiss in commenting only once on your build. Nice work so far, not that I think you'll cock it up, but I don't think I'll be getting a SH Buffalo any time soon (I have a Hase double pack in the stash anyway). Hope your treatment goes well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenCJ Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Bill, Your Buffalo is coming along very well. You are doing a great job. Ventral Window. They are not vents but enlarged window panels to improve downward visibility. Reference "F2A Buffalo in Action". The XF2A-1 had 4 large panels, the F2A-1 had small square panels similar to the F2A-2 and the F2A-2 had the panel layout in your kit.. The gas vents on the F2A-1 were in the tail and they were moved to just in front of the wing leading edge of the F2A-2. Some of those ventral windows either were not fitted or they were painted over. The Finnish model 239s weren't fitted, well the photos I have don't show them. The same with some of the model 339E aircraft???? Hope you and you wife get well soon. Stephen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDSModeller Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 (edited) Don't even suggest that! I've been known to cater to wild urges. Yikes, now I'll be spending all day figuring out how to do it...this modelling thing really is an illness, isn't it? Question - were these open all the time (i.e. the opening had no glass in it at all), or were they hinged glass panels that could be closed, you know in case the pilot wanted a dose or two of CO? Cheers, Bill Hi Bill Please see the attached photo of the page of the 339E Pilots notes about the ventral windows, The oval openings, were designed to remain open all the time. Air from the aircraft airflow would flow in through these, and louvres built in under the pilots seat was supposed to help circulate the air around at least the lower areas of cockpit. I believe concerns about carbon monoxide build, up were reasons behind the openings and louvres.You can make out my scratch built louvres under the seat in this photo of my 339E build. The long oval section on the portside of main canopy was "detachable in case of fogging" (per pilots notes) and again per the pilots notes "There is also a small knock-out panel incorporated in this removable panel which is just large enough for the pilot to get out his arm and clean the windscreen". There is a story, possibly in "Buffaloes Over Singapore", where a pilot did just that, using his sock to wipe oil off the front wind shield (while flying) If you would like to see the actual pages where these are stated let me know, and i can scan and post these for you As an aside on this, there is a photo of a 488 Sqn aircraft W8138 (NF-O) Noel Sharps aircraft, where the panel with the detachable section, had been replaced, with a full pexiglass panel. It's important to note that this would have been during the Battle for Singapore, where, it's very possible that the panel was damaged and no replacement was to found, hence the full pexiglass panel. All 339E's arrived with the detachable section. Sorry to hear about you and your wife. All the best to you both in these trying times. Regards Alan Bill, Y Ventral Window. They are not vents but enlarged window panels to improve downward visibility. Reference "F2A Buffalo in Action". The XF2A-1 had 4 large panels, the F2A-1 had small square panels similar to the F2A-2 and the F2A-2 had the panel layout in your kit.. The gas vents on the F2A-1 were in the tail and they were moved to just in front of the wing leading edge of the F2A-2. Some of those ventral windows either were not fitted or they were painted over. The Finnish model 239s weren't fitted, well the photos I have don't show them. The same with some of the model 339E aircraft???? Stephen All 170 odd RAF 339E aircraft had the ventral windows fitted , and they did have the oval openings at the rear of the pexiglass section. To my knowledge none of the ventral windows were painted over or replaced on the 339E. Though there are stories circulating around the web that they were. Regards Alan Edited January 30, 2015 by LDSModeller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenCJ Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Your pilot notes don't say that the ventral windows are vents and it does not say they were open all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDSModeller Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Your pilot notes don't say that the ventral windows are vents and it does not say they were open all the time. You're right about the "Pilots Notes" not mentioning the Oval opening in the ventral windows, because the opening were not in the windows mentioned in the notes see photo The openings were further back in the whole of the window frames as in this photo, directly under the pilots seat, which also had the louvres I mentioned previous. As to them being openings, as opposed to windows, therefore being open all the time, I refer you to comments made by Jim Maas who wrote the "Buffalo In Action" Book, I would suggest reading them. http://warbirdsforum.yuku.com/reply/2316/Tamiya-Buffalo-raised-panel-lines#reply-2316 http://www.network54.com/Forum/149674/thread/1126647789/Clear+panels+on+the+underside+of+a+Brewster+F2A-3+Buffalo+or+not http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=195134 Regards Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now