Enter the Dragon...er...Lady

[DMC]

Started on the doors for the main wheel well. Got them pretty much the way I wanted the first time, which in itself is unusual. Need some cabling and wires in the well to clutter things up a little bit. Looming too bare as it is. Also got a nice decal sheet on eBay for only a couple of pounds, also pretty unusual. I cut a small piece from the kit decal sheet to see if it would disintegrate when applied. It didn't and will try a bigger piece next time. Plenty of decals now so no worries.

[DMC]

Finally got my meathooks on an old Hawk U-2A, which I'll use for the U-2C (converted A) that Powers was flying on that May 1st in 1960. The main differences between the A and C kits are the intakes and the so-called canoe hump on the spine. Although Powers' plane was a C it didn't have the canoe hump or the "Coke bottle" intakes. I could have converted the Italeri C to an A by cutting off the hump and reworking the intakes but I decided to haunt the U-2 listings on eBay and wait for a reasonably priced Hawk kit to show up. And one did.

Well, that's it for now, you'll be glad to read. If you've been following this lengthy post, thanks for your patience and interest.

Cheers,

DMC

[Tomoshenko]

Looking the business mate. More more more, now now now...:-)

[Navy Bird]

I just caught up to this one - very nice work! I love your fortitude to keep going at it until it's right. I have a question on the cover for the camera bay - why not vacuform it in clear, then mask the windows and paint over it when you paint the fuselage? It would seem perhaps easier than making the windows somehow. Just a thought.

Cheers,

Bill

[DMC]

Looking the business mate. More more more, now now now...:-)

Ha ha, Tomoshenko, working as fast as I can. I want to finish this bad girl so I can start the Powers U-2, but not before I slip another build in between them. Undecided, however: P-38, F8F?

Thanks for your interest.

I just caught up to this one - very nice work! I love your fortitude to keep going at it until it's right. I have a question on the cover for the camera bay - why not vacuform it in clear, then mask the windows and paint over it when you paint the fuselage? It would seem perhaps easier than making the windows somehow. Just a thought.

Cheers,

Bill

Thank you, Bill. Your suggestion for the hatch would probably work. Vacuum form the hatch cover, brace and give it a light sanding and then spray it. Then polish out the windows. As pictured, I have made a cover with the windows already cut out. I'm going to go with that one first but will try your suggestion if it fails.

Cheers, and thanks for your interest.

[Tomoshenko]

P-38

[DMC]

P-38

Okay, Tomoshenko, your call, a P-38 then. Actually an XP-38 converted from the Minicraft 1/48 P-38. Not a bad kit I think. A little soft on details but the shape looks okay and since I'll be doing a little "plastic" (sorry) surgery on it I'm not bothered if it's a few rivets short here and there. The 1:1 XP-38 was polished to a chrome-like finish so I'm going to have a go at using foil all over it. Should be fun. Not much in the way of documentation or photos on this aircraft but enough to make a passable model of it.

Some clever person thought it would be a good idea to fly it from California to New York for a military evaluation, rather than ship it. The Lieutenant flying this one of a kind, state of the art, beauty must have been enjoying the trip until he got to New York where the carbs apparently iced up and the plane went in on a golf course (think I got that right, corrections welcome)! End of XP-38.

Not ready for a full WIP but here's a little preview.

Lockheed raised the line of thrust on all subsequent models of the P-38. I couldn't file down the kit enough to mate with the new, lower, cowling that I would be vacuum forming without going right through it. So, I cut out that bit out and vacuum formed an insert over a clay mould that I had modelled. Not bad for the first pull and with a little fettling and filler I think it will do just fine..

So that's where I'm at with the P-38. Not much more to be done until I finish the U-2

Cheers and thanks for your interest.

[DMC]

XP-38. Incidentally, pilot survived the crash and went on to play a major role in the development of the P-38.

Cheers, and thanks for your interest.

[DMC]

Okay, back to the U-2. The kit's undercarriage is a rather rudimentary affair so I decided, even though not much of it will be seen, to scratch a new strut to mate up with the spurious well that I had already constructed. Rather than use just styrene, I soldered two lengths of brass tubing together and built the strut up around that. Looks fragile but is actually very sturdy as the brass carries most of the weight. The disc brakes have had a bit of an upgrade also.

This is not really an accurate representation of a U-2s undercarriage well and strut. I had to just guess at most of it. Some good shots of the strut exist but none that get you right up in the well. I'll add some wiring and such and it'll pass muster I reckon.

And, rather than risk breaking the doors or strut, I reworked the undercarriage tub so it could be installed, along with the cockpit tub, after the painting and decaling are completed.

Cheers, and thanks for your interest.

[roadrunner]

Hello,

Very impressive work

[Tomoshenko]

Damn your P-38 trailer sir!! Feel like a schoolboy whose just watched a trailer for a sequel to one of their favourite films, but only to be told it won't be released for months and months. Got me all excited

Seriously smart work on those struts. Light years ahead of the kit offering.

[Uncle Uncool]

Jeez...!!! Quite overwhelmed with both yer technique 'n' scratchbuildin' skills, DMC. That's a very interestin' build ya're doin' there.

I would like, if I may, to make use of this thread just to clarify some confussion on the different intakes that are inherent to the many variants of the U-2 airframes.

As far as me's concerned, I've also got the Testors 1/48 U-2C kit, which I learnt it's got intakes that are different from those in the A variant.

Leafin' thru' evilbay, I saw that (though they won't pop up so often 'n' also are a tad expensive to get by - hardly got hold of the cockpit set), Cutting Edge's got (used to have) a series of seamless intakes to go with the Hawk/Testors kit; those are the ones to convert an U-2C to an A, but also the "Interim" 'n' "Coke Bottle" intakes.

Whut's the difference between the three of 'em?

Piccies of each would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,

Unc²

[DMC]

Thank you, Uncle. I'm no expert but I can pass on to you what I've learned about U-2 intakes. Apparently there were indeed three styles of intakes: the As, which were pretty much parallel with the fuselage in the profile and plan view-no bulge, in other words; the interim C, which in profile would resemble the A but in plan view bulge out towards the wingtips; and the Coke bottle intakes which bulge out laterally, like the interim C, and also up and down-like the ones on your Testors kit (also the Italeri and Lindbergh issues).

I have the Hawk U-2A kit and can take a couple pictures tomorrow and post them but a quicker way for you to get an idea would be to check out these links and also to Google the Moscow pictures of the Powers U-2, which was an A converted to a C, with the interim intakes.

http://hsfeatures.com/features04/u2a48jf_1.htm

http://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/models/u2.htm

Hope this is of some help.

Cheers

[PLC1966]

I saw that film. The U-2 was a TR-1, about the only mistake I spotted for the

I am sure that the TR-1 were U-2's and then renamed as such or am I having an aged moment ?

[DMC]

Damn your P-38 trailer sir!! Feel like a schoolboy whose just watched a trailer for a sequel to one of their favourite films, but only to be told it won't be released for months and months. Got me all excited

Seriously smart work on those struts. Light years ahead of the kit offering.

Not months and months, Tomoshenko, trying to get the U-2 buttoned up so I can get some paint on it.

I am sure that the TR-1 were U-2's and then renamed as such or am I having an aged moment ?

In a nutshell: the TR-1 was the redesignated U-2R (revised) which had evolved from the early U-2. TR-1 (U-2R) production started 12 years after the last U-2R rolled off the production line. This from the Squadron Signal book on the U-2, but not verbatim.

Cheers

[DMC]

Hello,

Very impressive work

Thanks, roadrunner. (Almost overlooked this one.)

Cheers

[Uncle Uncool]

Thank you, Uncle. I'm no expert but I can pass on to you what I've learned about U-2 intakes. Apparently there were indeed three styles of intakes: the As, which were pretty much parallel with the fuselage in the profile and plan view-no bulge, in other words; the interim C, which in profile would resemble the A but in plan view bulge out towards the wingtips; and the Coke bottle intakes which bulge out laterally, like the interim C, and also up and down-like the ones on your Testors kit (also the Italeri and Lindbergh issues).

Oh? Well, then me's pretty much got an approximate idea of which is which now, methinks. Guess I was biddin' for the Cuttin' Edge "Interim" intakes on evilbay back in the day, when whut I actually needed to get was the U-2A intakes which profile is parallel with the rest of the fuselage...

Think I fancy to build an early U-2A like that built by Mr Forsgren on the article ya've posted above.

Many thanks, DMC, for yer kind advice.

Cheers,

Unc²

[JMChladek]

The TR-1 designation changed back to U-2R when the Cold War ended. I talked with a pilot from Beale AFB and he said the primary reason why the new build U-2Rs were designated TR-1s was so they could be based in some locations in Europe without the potential political fallout that basing "U-2s" there would cause.

Granted the TR-1s did have some digital datalink capability to send their data realtime to battlefield commanders in Europe. That made them a little different, but to my knowledge, a U-2R could be equipped exactly the same way with the appropriate pods. These days, the remaining airframes have been upgraded to U-2S standard.

Very impressive work on this model. Can't wait to see the results. BTW, for anyone wanting to do a NASA bird, the recent Round 2 Hawk reissue of the U-2C has some nice decal options added to it. The blue fuselage stripe has been improved and in addition to the late 60s/ early 70s NASA logo, you also get the later style red NASA "worm" font tail logo. The new decals are printed by Cartograf and they look BEAUTIFUL.

[DMC]

Hello, Uncle,

You might just be be better off just building your U-2C as a C and haunt eBay for one of the Hawk U-2As. They are pretty rare but they do show up from time to time. I waited a couple of months before one came up to bid on. It cost me £20 and I consider that a bargin. Here is a photo for comparison. The Hawk kit at the top and my build underneath. I've placed on of the bulge intakes over the As straight one.

Just had a look on eBay and there is a Hawk U-2A up for bid. Healthy postage from US if you are in UK.

Cheers

[DMC]

The TR-1 designation changed back to U-2R when the Cold War ended. I talked with a pilot from Beale AFB and he said the primary reason why the new build U-2Rs were designated TR-1s was so they could be based in some locations in Europe without the potential political fallout that basing "U-2s" there would cause.

Granted the TR-1s did have some digital datalink capability to send their data realtime to battlefield commanders in Europe. That made them a little different, but to my knowledge, a U-2R could be equipped exactly the same way with the appropriate pods. These days, the remaining airframes have been upgraded to U-2S standard.

Very impressive work on this model. Can't wait to see the results. BTW, for anyone wanting to do a NASA bird, the recent Round 2 Hawk reissue of the U-2C has some nice decal options added to it. The blue fuselage stripe has been improved and in addition to the late 60s/ early 70s NASA logo, you also get the later style red NASA "worm" font tail logo. The new decals are printed by Cartograf and they look BEAUTIFUL.

Thanks for the comment and the TR-1 info. I have to scuttle back to my Aerograph copy to check out facts on these aircraft. Can't keep it all in my head.

There is a Hawk/Lindbergh U-2C on eBay as we speak. Kit price not bad but the US postage a bit pricey. I'll have to give it a miss I think. Three U-2s are enough anyway.

Cheers

[Caerbannog]

Just stumbled over this build - very impressive work! Will follow with interest.

The U-2C is going to be rereleased by Round 2 this year (http://round2corp.com/product/u-2c-spy-plane/) - at least it looks like this. AFAIK the U-2A molds were reworked for the C version so the Testors U-2A cannot be released again. This was the reason for Cutting Edge to release a conversion set for the U-2C to backdate it to an A model. With all those versions and liveries the early U-2 would make a good candidate for a new tool kit in any scale.

René

[DMC]

Just stumbled over this build - very impressive work! Will follow with interest.

The U-2C is going to be rereleased by Round 2 this year (http://round2corp.com/product/u-2c-spy-plane/) - at least it looks like this. AFAIK the U-2A molds were reworked for the C version so the Testors U-2A cannot be released again. This was the reason for Cutting Edge to release a conversion set for the U-2C to backdate it to an A model. With all those versions and liveries the early U-2 would make a good candidate for a new tool kit in any scale.

René

Thank you, Rene. Yes, pity Testors reworked the moulds as they did. The early U-2s are much more interesting (IMHO). A new tool would be great but would no doubt cost an arm and leg, but that's how it goes.

Cheers

[DMC]

Well, the last month has been a rather mixed bag as far as modelling goes: not a whole lot done. Did manage (between a minor domestic crisis or two) to get the wings and stabilizers on the U-2, build a better vacuum forming rig and work a little on the P-38. I got the idea for attaching the wings to the fuselage halves from the gent in the link below. i used the cardboard jig in order to get a little 'droop' in the wingspan and it worked out okay. However, the starboard wing attaches to the fuselage about a mm or so lower than it should, as noted by Mr Forsgren in his U-2C to A conversion. He carried out some major surgery to correct the fault but I'm not going to bother as it really isn't that noticable unless you look at the model head on. Also not going to bother with re-scribing (raised panel lines will have to do), dropping the flaps or separating the ailerons, etc. Just concerned that if I keep doing things to it the build will get stale and end up in a box on a shelf. Don't want that. Incidentally, that ochre coloured primer is from Halfords. Seems to be pretty good stuff. Thanks to Tom and his Shackleton build for bringing that to my attention.

(Going to post the above and then switch to another device to edit in the links and photos so it'll be a few minutes.)

http://modelhangar3.com/thread/1548/lockheed-u2?page=1

http://hsfeatures.com/features04/u2a48jf_1.htm

Cheers

[DMC]

Well, got a little more work done on the U-2. Cleaned up the ochre primer a bit and then gave it a good coat of Halfords white plastic primer. Final coat will be Halfords Appliance White. Q bay, cockpit and well(s) can be added last. Dragging my heels a bit but the past few weeks have just a bit busy around here. Need to get this one wrapped up in order to get on with the XP-38 conversion.

​

In white, I think it's rather swan-like.

Cheers

[DMC]

After cleaning up the primer a bit, I gave it a couple of good coats of Halfords Appliance White. Looked okay but with the raised panel lines and thick trailing edges I felt that there was too much of a toy-like quality about it. Nothing for it then but to scrape the panel lines off with a single edged blade and thin the trailing edges down with a file. After wet sanding, i'll reprime with white and then see how I get on with scribing the panel lines into the primer, a la Paul Budzik. I've not done any extensive scribing before so not sure how it's going to turn out. I gather, however, that rescribing an entire model is not the most popular modelling activity amongst the fraternity.