Patrik Posted September 25, 2016 Share Posted September 25, 2016 (edited) With my Vildebeest project nearing completion I decided to allow myself a (literally) tiny distraction in the form of this little gem that I found yesterday on Mark I stand on eday in Prague, immediately fell in love with and started building the same evening. I am going to build this kit completely OOB - if possible. The plastic parts look really fine and the test fit of the main parts is surprisingly good. There is one transparent part (obviously the canopy) and one resin part - the Watts two blade prop - which is in fact also the only part of the kit that did not turn out very well, with heavy resin block attached to one of the fine blades and a bubble=notch on the top of the other one in my case. Additionally it is moulded with the propeller boss in place, which must be removed for K7957. None of the issues is critical, but does not fall under OOB category that much. Below the assembled cockpit parts before painting with a Humbrol can in the background giving you opportunity to estimate the real size of the thing. Edited November 11, 2017 by Patrik 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celt Posted September 25, 2016 Share Posted September 25, 2016 I love 1/144 kits buy my chubby fingers are not very good with small parts,so I will watch someone with a talent for them do one instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S5 modeller Posted September 25, 2016 Share Posted September 25, 2016 Cor blimey that's small. Good luck. As I have fat fingers too, 1/144 are out for me too. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_W Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 I am having issues rigging a 1/48 version. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 I have not seen this kit build before so I shall be following with interest. Martian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted October 8, 2016 Author Share Posted October 8, 2016 (edited) The cockpit fitted and painted. No fit issues so far, only very minor sanding of the instrument panel and the bulkhead behind the seat was needed to join the fuselage halves correctly. The instrument panel is represented by decal - just fine for this scale in my opinion. I decided not to add the seat belts as the cockpit content will be hardly discernible with the canopy on. I forgot to mention last time that the kit is practically flawless as regards flash or mould seams. Edited November 11, 2017 by Patrik 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted October 15, 2016 Author Share Posted October 15, 2016 (edited) The latest model of biplane jig in action. The fuselage went together quite well, just very small amount of filler was used. The wings have no locating pins, but given their size and weight, I do not suppose this is an issue to worry about. Edited November 11, 2017 by Patrik 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celt Posted October 15, 2016 Share Posted October 15, 2016 Still watching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted October 20, 2016 Author Share Posted October 20, 2016 (edited) Could not resist and added the three cowling struts and the guard behind the pilot's seat. No surprises so far. The pencil is there to remind all of us what size we are dealing with. Edited November 11, 2017 by Patrik 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murdo Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 Ooooooh!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 Looks good! What are you planning to rig this build with? Martian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted October 21, 2016 Author Share Posted October 21, 2016 I 18 hours ago, Martian Hale said: Looks good! What are you planning to rig this build with? Martian I was thinking about spider thread. Alas, all spiders I tried to convince for cooperation exhibited clear tendency for misinterpreting the rigging diagram. I am not being serious, I apologize. Given the fact I do not rig my 1/72 biplanes (yes, I know that many of you will regard this statement as sacrilegious), I do not plan rigging the Gladiator either, I am sorry. Patrik 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted October 28, 2016 Author Share Posted October 28, 2016 (edited) Had to replace the plastic exhaust pipes with copper wire. The original parts were of quite complicated but wrong shape and could not have been fitted into the available space between the undercarriage legs anyway - at least I did not find a way to achieve it. Please take into account the actual diameter of the cowling is 9 mm. Edited November 11, 2017 by Patrik 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted November 11, 2016 Author Share Posted November 11, 2016 (edited) Mine is not the destiny to build a kit just so OOB. I replaced all the plastic struts with wire, because: A. The plastic struts were too massive to my liking B. I was unable to achieve realistic incidence angle and stagger of the upper wing with them. OK, I have to confess, I did not try that hard, and grabbed the wire after first failed attempt. But working with the wire was in the end much easier anyway. The Humbrol can is just a "size reminder", as the magnified photos can be confusing. It would be probably great pity not to publish this picture (actually preceding the one above). Masking of the canopy was not a task I would be willing to repeat in near future, And yes, the canopy is mounted on the top of a toothpick. Edited November 11, 2017 by Patrik 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted November 12, 2016 Author Share Posted November 12, 2016 (edited) Almost finished. Next post in RFI. Patrik Edited November 11, 2017 by Patrik 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted November 11, 2017 Author Share Posted November 11, 2017 Another one saved from the Photobucket doom. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajmm Posted November 13, 2017 Share Posted November 13, 2017 Nice! Thank you for restoring the links. I came across this build when I was just beginning my Mark1 Gladiator earlier this year so I tried to dodge the malnourished look by shortening the undercarriage legs and made a stab at correcting the cowling. Nothing I could do to the canopy, although I have to say I wouldn’t have noticed that issue until you highlighted it. Great work and thanks for sharing your thoughts on the kit - no end of help for me. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted November 13, 2017 Author Share Posted November 13, 2017 Great small Gladiator. Looks far more Gladiatorish than the one mine. But I am really happy my work on restoring the threads has not come to nought. Patrik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murdo Posted November 13, 2017 Share Posted November 13, 2017 Very, very nice! I do like to see a beautifully built 1/144 kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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