DH9A.....

[mackem01]

So after much research and some very useful advice from members, I've commited myself! Ever since I bought On Target book, Wings of Silver I've had a fancy for one of these.

I don't know how it's going to turn out so here goes:

I've done some preliminary work on the fuselage. The original AMT kit has the American style cut down gunners cockpit into which I've inserted a couple of fillers,

 

I've also started a bit of internal stuff too,

 

 

Although I'm thinking the leather may be a bit too fancy!! There's also a little more interior work,

 

 

Out came the razor saw for the act that really commits me to this, after studying the Datafile plans I decided it was time for this,

 

The wingspan needs to be increased by about 1.3cms on either side which is easy enough but as the wings are a bit thin pinning them may be akward.

I keep looking at my inspirational picture to keep me moving, but any advice or info is always welcome.

Thanks for looking.......more soon.

[Darby]

This looks to be quite an undertaking and hopefully will work out. Wouldn't worry about the leather old chap, I wouldn't dream of sitting on anything less.

[JWM]

Interesting project. What scale it is? I am going to do reverse - from 9A to 9 in 1/72...

Cheers

J-W

[TheBaron]

Intriguing start. Looking forwards to seeing this'un develop.

Tony 

[TonyTiger66]

Excellent! I'm looking forward to seeing this conversion.

 

I'm thinking that the base kit is an Airco DH. 4? Possibly the Airfix mould?

 

I would like to make a DH 9a with a different engine; the Napier Lion.

 

Good luck for a fun build 

 

Best regards

TonyT

[mackem01]

The base kit is an old AMT 1/48th DH4 - the American machine with the pilot's cockpit moved rearwards making it a good base kit. It is quite basic and will require lots of small changes.

[Vicarage Vee]

Also watching with interest.

 

The DH9A surely must be due a release in 1/72 by someone mainstream. Not an insignificant late war and post war aircraft.

Edited August 22, 2017 by Vicarage Vee

[mackem01]

On 22/08/2017 at 10:12 AM, Vicarage Vee said:

Also watching with interest.

 

The DH9A surely must be due a release in 1/72 by someone mainstream. Not an insignificant late war and post war aircraft.

Well I hope they hold off on that until I'm finished!

I've been throttling the kit a little more and two things have become apparent to me. Firstly, those two Datafiles are indispensable and secondly I didn't realise that the Ninak is a bit of a monster for her time. After reading in the datafile that the whole cockpit was lined in ply I have had a swift repaint and added a bit more

detail:

 

Cockpit has a bit of detail added and I've re-done an instrument panel as the kit offering is basically a dollop of plastic:

 

I didn't put alot of stuff in there as most of it will be lost when I close up the fuselage (I've already tried). The radiator grill was given a first once over and

readied for putting into place:

 

And finally, the whole lot was closed up:

 

The next few sessions will be spent filling and cleaning up the fuselage and building up the gunner's cockpit, and I'll also need to do something about those

ghastly bumps above the engine. I think they are actually supposed to be cooling grilles! I'll also start on the lower wing centre section as I need to cut out

a downward vision panel on the port side. Middle East Ninaks also had those lovely open spoked wheels and as the kit wheels come from the same mould

maker as the instrument panel I have an idea in mind but I'm waiting for dimensions first..................more later. Finally an appeal for some help; the kit

prop is the absolute pits - in 48th it would be 63mm across (+or-), but the actual kit prop is only 55mm, so the next question is dose anyone have an idea

where I could source something more useable??

 

Cheers for now, more to follow if you want...........or don't

[Brandy]

On 8/22/2017 at 2:27 AM, JWM said:

Interesting project. What scale it is? I am going to do reverse - from 9A to 9 in 1/72...

Cheers

J-W

What kit will you be using? I thought there was only one - the CMR resin kit, of the 9A

 

Ian

[JWM]

1 hour ago, limeypilot said:

What kit will you be using? I thought there was only one - the CMR resin kit, of the 9A

There was Polikarpov R-1 (below, for comparision DH9A on top),

which was  as you can see Russian copy of DH 9A. Like Tu4 and B29...  

There is a kit of R-1  by Model Russia then Dakoplast and Maquette

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/187538-dakoplast-119-polikarpov-r-1

I am going to do it in SCW markings (I think rather nationalist like this below) 

Cheers

J-W

 

[John Aero]

I haven't seen it mentioned  but some 9a's had a higher rear decking with no stringers. It was very common on Middle eastern ones.

 

John

[Brandy]

Aah, yes, I'd forgotten about that one!

 

Ian

[Martian]

Nice work! You are putting ideas in my head about doing a 1/48 Westland Walrus.

 

Martian Who already has enough daft ideas to last several lifetimes!

[JWM]

8 hours ago, limeypilot said:

Aah, yes, I'd forgotten about that one!

 

Ian

Ian, and I forgot to tell about that one:

 

This is already DH9 not 9A but anyway the engine is different than in Spanish version. The Russian kit is already in my stash so I will try it one day conversion based on Spanish drawings. But the Ardpol kit (resin) is very nice - I've seen it once and I think this is the best one in 1//72 - though a bit expencive as resin always is.

Cheers

Jerzy-Wojtek

 

[mackem01]

On 25/08/2017 at 10:59 PM, John Aero said:

I haven't seen it mentioned  but some 9a's had a higher rear decking with no stringers. It was very common on Middle eastern ones.

 

John

Yes John, I believe they had an unflatering nick-name too. Fortunately the one I'm building is thankfully a standard Ninak.

 

On 25/08/2017 at 11:50 PM, Martian Hale said:

Nice work! You are putting ideas in my head about doing a 1/48 Westland Walrus.

 

Martian Who already has enough daft ideas to last several lifetimes!

Go for it Martian!

[Martian]

9 minutes ago, mackem01 said:

Go for it Martian!

Why was I expecting that comment?

 

Martian

[mackem01]

Update for those still with it. I have added spacers to the wings to give me the desired increase in the span and I have also cut the downward observation hole

into the starboard lower wing - it is a little large at the mo due to my stupidity but that will be rectified in due course:

 

the next pic shows the basic jig I have put together to get the desired amount of dihedral on the wings:

 

In the next picture, after sanding back most of the ghastly surface detail the lower wing is taped into place and ready for the sticky stuff. the sharp-eyed

amongst you may notice that the overly large observation hole in the wing is under repair too:

 

As it stands while the cockpits are in roughly the correct position, the gunners 'pit is too big and the upper decking is to "curvy":

 

To rectify this I first put a plate onto the forward section of the gunners cockpit to give me a frame to build up the decking with Milliput:

 

Once it's sanded back this should give it a "boxier" shape that's more in keeping with a Ninak. Now at this point I want to canvas your opinions. On most

Middle/Far East Ninaks, the wheel covers were removed to stop sand accumulation in the wheels and this resulted in those lovely spoked wheels. While on

the Big H website one day I idly searched for "spoked wheels" not expecting any returns, but hey presto!

These gems are actually for a Poliakarpov Po2 - the overall size of the wheels is slightly too small by about 2mm. Should I live with this as assembly would

be alot easier or should I try to drill out the centres of the kit wheels and try to make the spokes fit themDecisions, decisions, opinions welcome.

As always thanks for stopping by.....

[Darby]

Admiring your perseverance. As for Hey Presto. Remember Presto's supermarkets? I used to work in the Peterlee branch way back when....

[mackem01]

That's straight out of left field there Darby,but yes I do remember them.

[TonyTiger66]

Bespoke spokes, with a price to match:

 

http://www.scalespokes.com/product-category/aircraft/aircraft-wheels/148/

 

!!

 

BR

TT

[mackem01]

Finally getting back into this after a long hiatus (been doing other stuff). So after butt-joining the wings, which did not work as the plastic card was too flexible, I had to find another method. This came in the form of some sewing needles stolen from the boss-lady's kit; they were angled and the wings were drilled and the needles glued into place and it worked a treat:

 

 

There's been alot of reshaping of the upper decking, for which Milliput was my friend. She will also help me finish off the wing inserts too. I've also removed alot of ghastly detail from the front fuselage and engine cowlings to be re-done later. Also have the upper wing joined and with three needles in each side the it holds its dihedral nicely:

 

Next stage involves alot of filling, blending, and making the plastic card match the kit wings and as I have some time off next week I'm hoping for some good progress - providing I'm not given too many house jobs!!

Thanks for looking by....

[bigbadbadge]

Hi great work so far.   I like this and will watch with interest. 

 

Keep up the good work. 

All the best 

Chris 

[Brandy]

Great to see this one back.

The wings look good, let's hope your good lady doesn't miss the needles!

 

Ian

[mackem01]

 

Well, it's been a very long time since I / we have been here, that's for the simple reason that I was at my worst part of the model - filling and sanding. It's took a long time but I've girded my loins and cracked on. So if you can remember, I had reshaped the upper fuselage decking, used the boss lady's needles to extend the upper and lower wing spans then covered the pins with plastic card. The bug took me a week or so ago and I took a deep breath and covered the wing work in milliput leaving it to dry:

 

 

 

Following a couple more rounds of filling and sanding all looked OK, so on went the first undercoat and at the mo this is where I'm at:

 

 

 

 

 

The long range tank that sit under the upper wing that was supplied with the kit is next to useless at best so I've started to make a new one. The kit Scarff ring was also in need of some surgery as the subject machine only carried one gun - the kit was fitted with two:

 

Over the past few days I've been wondering how to replicate all the intake scoops on the cowling - boss lady to the rescue:

The foil that my Hayfever tablets come in was perfect - filled with the ubiquitous Milliput, once hardened they can be cut and shaped - Hey Presto!

Hopefully more to follow - thanks for looking.

Edited August 10, 2019 by mackem01
Tidied up

[mackem01]

So, the long UK weekend has given me some time to scare some plastic. Starting on the downside, all the time spent moulding Milliput in tablet trays turned out to be

virtually a complete bust.The moulded Milliput proved to be too small to sand to shape without losing my index finger, but too oversized when sanded. So after a bit of

head scratching I decided to use the ends of sprue runs sanded to shape. After the monotony of twenty of these added as cowling intakes this is what I have:

 

 

Some cleaning up should see these OK. Alas, the only use for the Milliput was the two large intakes on either side of the engine:

 

 

Using plastic card and more Milliput I shaped and fixed a long range tank to the under surface of the upper wing. The kit item was utterly useless so the whole item

needed to be redone as this tank is always seen on Middle-East machines:

 

 

Mods to the Scarff ring carried out to make it hold a singlegun has resulted in a passable item:

 

 

The positioning of the wind driven generators on the kit were for the American version with one on the Cabane strut and one on the undercarriage leg. On the -9A

they're mounted on poles in front of the pilot. Fortunately I was able to use the kit parts to make the correct items, except for a small cock-up which I wonder if

anyone can spot? I'm not telling otherwise!

 

 

So a little bit more progress in the right direction and a little nearer the goal. She might not be perfect, but I'm more than happy so far. I lost interest in this one for

quite sometime but I'm glad I've picked it back up again. As usual - thanks for looking. Until the next update......