White Knight - Short Crusader

[greggles.w]

Returning to the task after a longer break than I would like.  It's the end of the second full week of Year 1 primary school for our twins .. so as a result I am today finishing my first course of antibiotics for the school year (sigh!)

 

While I couldn't put time into making anything, I enjoyed a little reading.  Keith of Red Pegasus Decals kindly sent me back issues of the IPMS air racer journal 'Bent Throttles', with articles on the Crusader (thanks Keith!).  Included was a review of this Karaya kit.  Happily their assessment more or less aligned with mine.  The principal issue being the engine & cowl detail - which I've been addressing - but the article also pointed out that the kit part is quite under-scale.  This was reassuring as that mock-up test fit I last posted here was quite a bit larger than the kit part, which was a little alarming.  I had put the kit cowl aside & hadn't been referring to it, instead just working with my photo references & scaling relative to the kit fuselage diameter.  So that was timely input thanks Keith!

 

I suspect you'll be pleased to hear I'm transitioning beyond the cowling.  There's a little more detailing to be done on the helmets but while the primer cures I've stepped across to the fuselage, specifically the fairing from the top cylinder to cockpit.

 

As this fairing extends from the cowl, it too is a little undersized on the kit.  Here it is as supplied: a solid rectangular block which is cleverly & conveniently part of one half of the fuselage, lapping over the other .. a good base to work over ..

 

 

In addition to up-scaling this element I'm taking the opportunity to add a detail to the top surface.  It's a recessed streamlined vent for something undetermined, which is not apparent from any view other than from above, and in particular behind as here:

 

 

So a few laminated 'splints' CA'ed to the sides & up over the top to make the fairing a little larger ... which were then sanded down flush & rounded off...

 

 

Then a sloping central insert was shaped & dropped in and a lid put over the vent:

 

 

Needs a little putty & sanding to merge the pieces into one, and quite a bit of clean-up, but the form is there.  Next those front tabs need to be tapered in & trimmed to lap under the top cylinder helmet.

 

So again, it's only a small step, but forward nevertheless ...

Edited August 14, 2017 by greggles.w
Farewell Photobucket!

[Brandy]

It's all in the details! Nice job!

 

Ian

[stevehnz]

Nice to have you back on this. Interesting what the IPMS journal says about the Crusader, I wonder if the 1/72 kit is similarly underscale about the engine. I'm still keen to get one before too long.

Steve.

[greggles.w]

3 hours ago, stevehnz said:

I wonder if the 1/72 kit is similarly underscale about the engine. I'm still keen to get one before too long

 

Thanks Steve.  Can't enlighten you regards Karaya's 1/72 version sorry. I do note there is another offering out there at that scale from Dekno:

 

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/112276825823 

[stevehnz]

Hmmmm, doesn't quite sound quite like me, I think a Karaya one will be a better bet regardless. That link seems like a testament to the modeller rather than the kit. Hang on, one could say the same about the Karaya 1/48th kit & what you're doing with it.

Steve.

[greggles.w]

... well, yes, that's not a glowing endorsement!  Alex does achieve good outcomes nevertheless: see here for his Gloster IV http://www.freewebs.com/aeroscale/gloster4a.htm - beautiful!

[stevehnz]

Very nice, though I think you're attempting to lead me down a path my accountant says not too. I do like the Schneider racers as a genre rather a lot but its the sheer audacity of the Crusader with its helmeted Mercury that appeals the most. I'll get one of those & see where it leads.

Steve.

[Madgepetto]

Hi Greg, 

Parcel of goodies on the way to you at last, and have a look at the wing planform while you're fixing the kit, it is too narrow in chord when viewed from the top, at least it looks that way to me from inspecting my copy of the kit.

 

Best, 

Paul

[Fastcat]

Hi Greg,

              Liking the way this is progressing.

You mentioned the Bent Throttles articles. If you have Issue No 50, yours truly wrote that one. I tried to enumerate all the errors I perceived with the kit but as ever, unquestionable information proved very difficult to source and it becomes a matter of opinion rather than a fact. Even the colours of these aircraft can be conjectural as no-one seems to have kept detailed records and contemporary reports are sketchy. Also, the aircraft went through a development process and that included the colour scheme.

I found no single, reliable source of information so if you have it, take it in the spirit it was offered. I didn't set out to slag off Karaya (other forums do slagging off better than me!), rather to address some of the issues I perceived.

Also, unbelievably, new photos and info comes to light all the time and it's been six years since it was written.

In that time, we've moved house, I've had a serious illness and the poor old Crusader's still waiting to be completed!

Hope you find some of the stuff useful. I also agree with Paul's finding above.

 

Dave 

[greggles.w]

15 hours ago, Madgepetto said:

Hi Greg, 

Parcel of goodies on the way to you at last,

 

Well that's made my day thank you Paul!!  Will keep my eye on the box.  This must mean the dam did not break?  A day or two after you wrote I saw a news piece here - things got very serious for you!

 

Your comments re wing chord noted (see below).

 

Thanks & take care!

 

11 hours ago, Fastcat said:

Hi Greg,

              Liking the way this is progressing.

You mentioned the Bent Throttles articles. If you have Issue No 50, yours truly wrote that one.

 

Thanks Dave & well that's a pleasant surprise!  I dug it out & read it again on the bus this morning, and I thought it was a very measured critique.  Keith supplied me with your review (including those most useful drawings) & the other reviews from earlier editions.

 

I agree there will always be conjecture with historical research.  Here comes my bit!  With regard colours: I have triangulated a few references to the colour in books (remember those!) & can say that my vote is for white all over [that may seem bleeding obvious to others, but some have suggested silver wings or blue under surfaces of the wings].  In fact I contend that it is 'Rylard Seaplane White Gloss Enamel' no less.  I must dig out the reference ... I think it was in the history of Shorts.  The triangulation comes from accounts of Shorts contribution to other contemporary machines.  Apparently they were subcontracted to design & fabricate the floats for several other manufacturers, for commercial aircraft such as the DH Rapide & others, but also a few of the earlier Schneider Trophy racers: the Supermarine S4 and the Gloster I & III.  They were something of a specialist innovator in float design, which they refined in a special testing tank, & more than once on this rambling tangential reading journey I found reference to their floats being finished in Rylard Seaplane White.

 

As to the wings ... your advice in Bent Throttles that the kit wings are short in plan chord was not welcome as I was looking forward to that step!  As the wings had a smooth, enamelled, silk-lined timber skin, there's no panel lines or such detail.  I thought they would be a nice foil to all this time spent on detailing the engine!  And to now have your judgement seconded by Paul with his keen eye ... oh well, so be it ... I'm already scheming!

 

Thanks both, hope to have more progress to post soon.

 

[Fastcat]

Hi Greg,

               Sorry about the wings!

I don't know where Karaya sourced their information about such things, there are however a lot of small schematic drawings around so that may be where they got their outlines from. Compared to photos, the chord does look short. I'd considered inserting a section into the wing, somewhere around mid-chord as the trailing edge profile looks OK and then filing it down to match the aerofoil. I'm sure from what I've seen, you'll come up with a good solution of your own.

 

I'm sure you're right about the white finish. Some of your reference photos are of better definition than mine and show it up perfectly. It doesn't look so white on the salvage photo but then it's had a dip in the sea! This photo shows the oil coolers perfectly by the way. First time I've seen it. Very useful.

 

Dave

[mhaselden]

Just catching up on this one.  This is a fantastic build.  Loving the work on the engine which is such a focal point for this aircraft.  Hope to see more updates soon.

 

Cheers,
Mark

[greggles.w]

 

On ‎17‎/‎03‎/‎2017 at 4:02 AM, mhaselden said:

Hope to see more updates soon.

 

Thanks for your interest & encouragement Mark, here's an update (almost two months to the day since I last posted!!):

 

I was, again, unfortunately, unwell, including a stint in hospital. With a view to recovery the Dr suggested engaging with a hobby.. so here I dutifully am.  Truthfully though it was no duty today - I really had a lot of fun!!

 

An update on the Crusader:

 

I've trimmed & tapered off the front of the fuselage fairing which was started last post.  Seen here:

 

 

Also seen above is one of the previously shown cylinder helmets, now with a little further work: several coats of Mr Surfacer spray primer & sanding over a few days; in between coats I applied a run of Archers piano hinge raised-resin decal around the top of each helmet (over that guide line I scribed earlier).  The Archers decal has three sizes on the one sheet, touted as 1:32, 1:48 & 1:72.  As in reality piano hinges come in more than one size, I prefer to see it as small / medium / large.  I had earlier used the mid-size hinges on the crank-case cowling. Therefore I elected to use the smallest size on the helmets, which matches the variation on othe real machine.  To repeat as before, it's fiddly stuff to apply (especially in a straight line!) and the black colour will take a bit to cover with white, but I'm happy with the outcome so far.

 

Today's achievement was cracking how to approach the unique top cylinder cowling.

 

As I think I stated earlier, I had thought I would repeat the whole process of vac-forming this one as per the others.  That effort for 8x repeats seemed worth it, but to do all that again for just one felt onerous.  I also began to doubt that I could achieve a match across the two forms at the front of the helmet, which is near identical - it's the rear portion which differs, like so:

 

 

So I thought I'd try modifying the back half of one of the two spares I made earlier.  A few hours later, & it's worked!!

 

 

I had to snip the tip off the back; drill, then scallop out the top; trim to chamfer the rear bottom corners; then came scalded fingers as I gently prised the back open & reshaped it under the running hot water tap.

 

It too will need the trim of piano hinge, & some finishing.

 

Here it is loosely in place:

 

 

 

So one small part, but a leap forward compared to what I thought lay ahead of me - most satisfying!

 

Thanks for looking & hope to be more consistently applied from here on in.

Edited August 14, 2017 by greggles.w
Farewell Photobucket!

[stevehnz]

Its always good when those lightbulb moments lead to a solution. Good to see you back with this & sorry to hear of your malaise, it sounds like your doctor is a smart man

Steve.

[TheBaron]

g.

Having just read through your progress on this I feel most foolish having misssed this exceptional piece of work. Thoroughy enjoying your attentions to this glorious looking aircraft. That cowl! Almost like a piece of medieval armour!

Tony

[mhaselden]

11 hours ago, greggles.w said:

 

 

Thanks for your interest & encouragement Mark, here's an update (almost two months to the day since I last posted!!):

 

I was, again, unfortunately, unwell, including a stint in hospital. With a view to recovery the Dr suggested engaging with a hobby.. so here I dutifully am.  Truthfully though it was no duty today - I really had a lot of fun!!

 

 

Sorry to hear of the medical issues.  Several of us here on BM have those sorts of challenges.  Nevertheless, great to see you back in the saddle...and under doctor's orders, too (wish I could get my doc to tell me to start modelling!). 

 

Continued great work on this fascinating flying machine.  Really appreciate you sharing your skills.  I do wish someone would do a series of 1/48 Schneider Trophy racers at an affordable price.  They are the epitome of speed for their era.

[Brandy]

Nice to see this back on the front burner, and to hear that you're recovering! Great work once again, so what's next?

 

Ian

[Fastcat]

Great to see this under way again. Even better to see the standard of work on the cowls - far, far better than Karaya managed to achieve. The hinge lines are superb and it's coming together nicely.

Good to see you back.

 

Dave

[greggles.w]

Many thanks to all for the for the very kind words to welcome me back.

 

On ‎19‎/‎04‎/‎2017 at 2:51 AM, mhaselden said:

wish I could get my doc to tell me to start modelling!

 

... I'd say what good for one ought to be good for all 

 

And thanks to Tony, Alexey & Enzo for welcoming this project into the Prototypes Group Build.  Nice to be in the company of such a collection of weird & wonderful machines!!

 

On ‎19‎/‎04‎/‎2017 at 3:06 AM, limeypilot said:

so what's next?

 

Well Ian, next is some fuselage work.  An opportunity for more fun presented, so I jumped at it.

 

First some deletions:

• The vaguely accurate recessed panel lines were removed with a few passes of sandpaper;
• The streamlined ram-air scoop shown in the first image below is cast mirrored - incorrectly - on the other fuselage half, so this was sliced off, leaving a gaping hole to be plugged later.

 

 

 

Note above the large diameter perfectly circular cockpit opening .. more on that later.

 

Next some additions:

 

The Crusader fuselage was of mixed construction.  Rear of the cockpit it was a wooden monocoque - mercifully free of panel lines!  From the cockpit forward to the cowling it transitioned to duralumin skin over metal tube framing.  A distinctive feature of this metal skin is a pronounced lapped horizontal joint, running just under the top fairing.  It starts at the engine and leads back to the bottom edge of the downward-folding cockpit doors.  As clearly seen here:

 

 

In fact it's such a pronounced lapped joint that it is noticeable on even the grainiest old photograph where other joints are lost, like so:

 

 

So to achieve this I laminated on strips of 0.13mm styrene sheet:

 

 

The guide markings are drafted onto removable-adhesive label, to be peeled off when done.  The guides are the set out for a corrected cockpit opening.  As seen earlier, the kit opening is circular and overly wide.  I reckon it was a shallower curve to the door top edge, as seen here:

 

 

Such that when viewed from side on it looked almost flat, like so:

When looking at the kit part from the equivalent view to that above the overly-curved kit opening is quite noticeable.

 

So here is my effort after forming the new keyhole-shaped opening & scribing the door edges:

 

 

 

It's missing the windscreen piece, which will fit between the end of the forward top fairing & the door.  That'll be next.

 

..as ever, thanks for looking in!

Edited August 14, 2017 by greggles.w
Farewell Photobucket!

[Brandy]

I knew I wasn't going to be disappointed! I agree on the cockpit opening too, it looks much more like the pics now. You just need to be sure you use pics from more than one angle to get a better idea of the true shape, which you have done.

 

Ian

[greggles.w]

More playtime!

 

Tonight, the instrument panel (I know I said windscreen next but this must come first).

 

Here's the kit part (bottom third, still attached to casting block):

 

 

To be fair to Karaya, there is little evidence to go by, with no cockpit photos or drawings that I have know of.  However I do think we can enjoy a little more effort speculating than Karaya invested!

 

In sorting through my accumulated images I believe I can mount a case that not only is Karaya's panel, er .. lacking in detail, but it is also not the correct outline, being fully contained within the circular fuselage.  Here follows my evidence:

 

First, this image - which I've posted a few times already - is one of the few which is at least looking toward the (shadowy) cockpit.  Well, after a little software fiddling of image contrast / brightness / highlights can you too see the ghost of something emerging from that shadow?!

 

 

Might I suggest the circular face of some unknown instrument in the back face of the fuselage fairing?!

 

Similarly this grainy image, again peeking into the cockpit, this time with the door helpfully open:

 

 

Again, with image fiddling I see the apparition again!

 

 

I say this confirms the single central dial set high - poking above the circular fuselage - set under the windshield in the back face of the top fairing.  And do you too see a few more instruments below set in the same plane?!

 

This is why I changed the cockpit opening from circular to keyhole shaped, as shown last post.

 

There's precedent for such an arrangement on these Schneider Trophy racers.  Here a view of the Gloster VI 'Golden Arrow' with that single big instrument (airspeed indicator or RPM?) in the back face of the top fairing:

 

 

(What would we all give to have had that boy's day out!!!)

 

And here the Macchi M67:

 

 

Again the single instrument set in the back face of the fairing (to the top six of eighteen cylinders in 'W' configuration!!)

 

So I've scratched up & fitted a panel like so:

 

 

The instruments are Airscale 1/48 RAF etch.  Based on the precedents above I set an airspeed indicator at the top.

 

 

So now i can move on to the windscreen ...

 

Goodnight all

Edited August 14, 2017 by greggles.w
Farewell Photobucket!

[greggles.w]

Hi all,

 

No model update (tentative as they are) this time.  Instead an appeal for assistance.

 

I'm now near certain that I will finish this machine 'in flight'. As I soon will be ready to close up the fuselage, a commitment either way will be required.

 

I have something of an aversion to seeing these speed machines trussed to a beaching trolley.   Reminds me of a convict's ball & chain ..

 

I have an idea for display in flight, but the kit is without a pilot.

 

I had previously canvassed ideas for sourcing a suitably attired pilot  in another thread here:

 

 

.. which yielded some excellent suggestions, including:

 

 

I'm wondering if anyone reading this might have a suitable candidate aviator - perhaps from one of the kits suggested by Black Knight above - which is currently languishing, unwanted & frustratedly grounded in their spares stash?

 

I'd be happy to cover the expense of their journey to realise their flying ambitions in this machine ...

 

Any assistance much appreciated ..

[greggles.w]

So the fuselage tasks, rippling through to match my engine rebuild:

 

Windshield.

 

Here's the kit part (still on casting block at front):

 

 

Unfortunately it's far from accurate. It has angular edges between top & side glazed faces, more like the Supermarine S6B:

 

 

Whereas the Crusader windscreen was glazed on the sides only, and had a distinctly different form to the frame, with rounded edges between faces. See here:

 

 

Interestingly Karaya rendered it right on the box.. but not the kit?

 

To model this tiny piece I tried another smash-mold but it didn't give a good result.  This started the thought of another play with the vac-former.  To make it worthwhile I decided to bring forward making the prop spinner (more on that another time).

 

Here the windshield vacformed (together with a test - dud- spinner)

 

 

... and here in place ...

 

 

... and here with that done & glazing opening cut:

 

 

Photo for this side only as unfortunately I had a less successful outcome when cutting on the window on the other side ... to be repaired when morale recovers!!

 

Note a few additional details: reinforcing straps & another prominent material junction, this time where the wing & fuselage meet (not a wing root fairing as such as I believe the value of these had yet to be discovered).  These looking more pronounced in contrast to the kit grey, hopefully to be quieter when all is white.

 

 ... that's all for now .. time's up

Edited July 4, 2017 by greggles.w
Farewell Photobucket!

[greggles.w]

Hello all,

 

The engine cowl corrections continue their influence down the length of the fuselage.  The last stage being the fairing behind the pilots headrest, which tapers down to meet the base of the tailfin.

 

While the kit offering is rather nice, it generally needed to be enlarged in proportion with the work I've done to the forward fairing.

 

So I laminated yet more 0.13mm sheet styrene, layered like an armadillo prior to sanding back:

 

 

... like so:

 

 

... looking right?

 

 

... for comparison:

 

 

g.

Edited July 3, 2017 by greggles.w
Farewell Photobucket!

[greggles.w]

So onto the wings!

 

The Crusader had quite a lovely elliptical wing plan.  A more 'voluptuous' rounded form than the more famous later spitfire wing:

 

 

Interestingly, and like the later Gloster VI 'Golden Arrow', the wings are thicker mid span than at the root.  All this is nicely reproduced in the two solid resin kit wings, which have knife-thin trailing edges:

 

 

Reminiscent of a dragonfly.  Lovely!

 

However ...

 

As others have noted in this thread (thanks Dave & Paul) & in reviews elsewhere, the kit wing chord seems noticeable short when compared to the various plans which are about.  After reviewing my collected photos I would agree it seems so.  In the image above, taking the wing leading edge as correctly located, then the trailing edge of the wing (mid-span) should line up with the rear of the cockpit.  If it were so then the measured maximum chord would scale up exactly to the 6ft quoted in references.  This makes the kit wings 6mm or so short in chord.

 

I did not immediately notice this myself & on this build I'm generally thinking it's the engine which really must be right for this machine, while other inaccuracies can go unnoticed.  But two things have changed my mind:

 

First, was a detail which, once discovered, niggled & irritated me.  Note here the wing root junction, at the trailing edge in particular:

 

 

.. and compare to this image of the oh-so-graceful reality:

 

 

How can this sweet curved detail be ignored?!

 

The second factor which led me to reconsider is the wing construction.  As stated previously, the wings were timber framed (Spruce), with a smooth double ply skin (Mahogany), which was fabric lined (silk), and then gloss enamelled. So there's no panel lines or such detail to reconfigure ... so should be a straightforward modification, right? (Ha!)

 

So I'm preparing to 'split' each wing & insert a filler strip & sand to shape.  I've got some square rod & card laminated together & curing now under weights.  Hopefully an opportunity for surgery presents soon.

 

Wish me luck!!

 

g.

Edited July 3, 2017 by greggles.w
Farewell Photobucket!