Mach Turtle Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 As my entry in this group build, I'm going to take on the DH.88 Comet that raced to Melbourne as G-ACSP ("Black Magic"). I'm going to depict the aircraft after it was later acquired by the Portuguese government, re-registered as CS-AAJ, and renamed "Salazar." I'll be using the Marsh Models/Aerotech kit in 1/32. Here are some pre-start pictures: And the scheme: Let's hope for the best. It's a great-looking kit and I hope my limited skills can do it justice. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 Nice one Mach Turtle, the mouldings look good 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAG058 Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 Very nice! The DH.88 just oozes class doesn't it? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 Wow! What a choice. The kit looks comprehensive from what I've read so no need for anything other than what's in the box to produce a stunning model. The scheme looks stunning as well 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarLos Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 I will follow your build with great interest! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach Turtle Posted February 13, 2017 Author Share Posted February 13, 2017 Thanks everyone. I hope my skills are up to the quality of the kit. Yes, I think the DH.88 is one of the best-looking aircraft ever (the Lockheed Constellation is another one). Like a lot of us, I think, I built the 1/72 Airfix kit (the bagged one with about 12 parts total) some time ago, as G-ACSS (the red one, Grosvenor House). While that kit is primitive and my skills at the time weren't much better, I decided I don't need another Grosvenor House and that the Salazar scheme looks the best of all. (Black Magic, by the way, didn't complete the race to Melbourne. Her crew retired in Baghdad due to problems related to bad fuel.) I also have the 1/72 SBS kit on hand, so if I have time, I might do that as the Green One later in this GB. Cheers. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg in OK Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 WOW! Having built the 1/72 Airfix DH88 seeing that kit makes me jealous! The kit looks FANTASTIC! Greg in OK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basilisk Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 Great choice. Looks like a very nice kit. Looking forward to see how it comes together. I will build the SBS kit in the Salazar markings in the Prototypes, Experimentals, World Firsts & Record Breakers GB (thanks god for cut and past) a bit later as I have a soft spot for Portuguese aviation. Cheers, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerbob Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 Ooh, another excellent choice. Someday when I'm feeling flush (if that ever happens) I'm going to track one of these kits down. Love the scheme you've chosen, too. And will you forgive me if I mention that I've sat in the cockpit of one? (Bill Turner's replica, that is) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach Turtle Posted February 26, 2017 Author Share Posted February 26, 2017 Okay, off to a careful start here. I've taken everything out and done an initial cleanup. There was very little flash on any of the pieces, and mostly I just wanted to start to think about the assembly process. The main components: The photoetch and white metal pieces: The smaller resin pieces: There are also a vac-formed canopy and landing light lens. Thanks for watching. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach Turtle Posted April 8, 2017 Author Share Posted April 8, 2017 I'm back onto this one -- had some business and family dramas there. Some internal detail and woodgrain attempt: The empennage, initially assembled: Thanks for looking. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted April 13, 2017 Share Posted April 13, 2017 Nice work on the wood grain. Sorry to hear you've had personal stuff to deal with and I hope it has all passed now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickE Posted April 13, 2017 Share Posted April 13, 2017 nice wood effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach Turtle Posted April 16, 2017 Author Share Posted April 16, 2017 Thanks, guys. I did the wood by painting a base of Tamiya Deck Tan, then streaking burnt umber oil paint on with a very cheap brush (from a kids' watercolor set) trimmed very short. It's worked for me on WWI aircraft before. The dramas weren't particularly bad, just time-consuming. On with the show! I finished the cockpit (except for the shoulder belts and instrument panels, which go in from the top, and got it roughly assembled: It looks like an aeroplane now: There are plenty of gaps to fill and shaping to do: Does anyone know what these are? Are they flaps? Can surfaces act as flaps when they're under the fuselage, not the wing? Are they speed brakes? Thanks for looking in. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 On 16/04/2017 at 22:58, Mach Turtle said: Does anyone know what these are? Are they flaps? Can surfaces act as flaps when they're under the fuselage, not the wing? Are they speed brakes? Just had a look at my (unstarted) Heritage version of Black Magic. They are present on that kit too, if almost invisible. I'd call those flaps (or split flaps), this page might help ... http://www.boldmethod.com/learn-to-fly/aircraft-systems/4-types-of-flaps/ Love the build BTW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAG058 Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 How's this one getting on @Mach Turtle ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAG058 Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 Three weeks to go @Mach Turtle, any news on this one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach Turtle Posted June 6, 2017 Author Share Posted June 6, 2017 Sorry guys! We have had some unusually good weather here in Sydney, and I took the opportunity to put some miles on my bicycle. The weather may be getting back to the chilly damp that is typical of this time of year, so I plan to get some bench time in this weekend! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach Turtle Posted June 10, 2017 Author Share Posted June 10, 2017 Sydney came through with damp and cool weather today, so I wasn't tempted to do anything outdoors. I made some progress on Salazar! Please forgive the purple. I'm at the point of spraying, filling, and sanding, and I thought I'd use up some of my obscure paints in the process, as it's going to be black anyway. The props are just Blu-Tacked in place, and the gear isn't glued yet: The landing gear were scaring me, but they went together pretty well once I got going. I used blobs of clay to position everything for gluing, and just took my time. I hope to have the first black coat on tomorrow, and also to give some attention to the vac-form canopy, which looks like a weak point in this kit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach Turtle Posted June 11, 2017 Author Share Posted June 11, 2017 I'm obviously still cleaning up here, but the engine nacelles can be improved with the addition of a couple of pieces of tubing: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAG058 Posted June 11, 2017 Share Posted June 11, 2017 Nice additions there. It looks to be coming together well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach Turtle Posted June 19, 2017 Author Share Posted June 19, 2017 Just a few days to go. Here's a progress pic. I believe I will finish in time. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach Turtle Posted June 19, 2017 Author Share Posted June 19, 2017 Here's a further update. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach Turtle Posted June 23, 2017 Author Share Posted June 23, 2017 Almost done here. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach Turtle Posted June 24, 2017 Author Share Posted June 24, 2017 Okay, all done. I ended up rebuilding the canopy because of some glue fogging that occurred. Aerotech was nice enough to include two canopies. Thanks for watching my build. Gallery entry here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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