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Supermarine Stranraer - Queen Charlotte Airlines


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The kit ...

2017stranraer_00.jpg

 

a

My intent is to build her in civilian guise, Queen Charlotte Airlines.

This was a Super Stranraer, re-engined with Wright-Cyclone GR-1820 engines, I have a pair of Vector engines that I hope will do the job.  These will be a first for me, I've never built a resin engine (not sure I've built a resin kit) :worry:

 

 

I have builds in the 'From Russia with Love' GB, that are overrunning so this will start a little late

 

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Ooohhhhh luvverly. A Queer Collection of Aircraft Stranny is on my 'must do' list. I've got the kit and the decals, now I just need to find the creative urge!

 

In case you've never done so, I heartily recommend reading 'The Accidental Airline' by Howard White and Jim Spilsbury.

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1 hour ago, Rob G said:

In case you've never done so, I heartily recommend reading 'The Accidental Airline' by Howard White and Jim Spilsbury.

Thanks Rob, I never even heard of it, so the book will go on my wants list

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This will be interesting to see the type in civilian markings for a change. My one experience of resin engines (from Small Stuff) was very positive. I used CA to fix things and I was both pleased and impressed with the result.

 

P

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Hi Robert,

 

Welcome to the GB! Great choice of aircraft and markings! Good luck with your projects in the other GBs and this one too, I hope to see you starting this one soon :)

 

Cheers

 

Jaime

 

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Thanks Guys

15 hours ago, greggles.w said:

Look forward to seeing this one come together

Oh, I hope so, but my track record isn't great ...

 

14 hours ago, jrlx said:

I hope to see you starting this one soon :)

Thanks Jamie, I hope so too ...

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I've been doing a bit of homework, trying to understand the engines on the Super Stranraer, and, more specifically, the engine cowel ...

 

My question is, which Hudson cowel should I go for?

 

 

Background:

The upgrade to 'Super' status took place in, or around 1950, and consisted of replacing the old Bristol Pegasus engines with Wrigth 1820 units.  The cowels we apparently replaced with Hudson cowels ...

 

Hendon's Stranraer is one of the QCA Super Stranraers, in an older scheme (link http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/supermarine-stranraer.html)

 

2017stranraer_01.jpg

 

 

The Hudson I, II, and I believe III had Wright 1820 units in bulbous cowels, while the later/newer Hudson IV and V had P&W 1830 engines with straight cowels as in the image above.

The Wright 1820, was about 6" larger diameter than the P&W 1830.

 

So, which Hudson cowel should I go for?

 

Or, should I just build this in it's pre-1950 guise

 

p.s. Don't worry too much about the difference in nascelle shape.  After looking at the Hendon images, I prefer the Matchbox style.

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I couldn't resist starting today ...

 

Traditionally, we start with the cockpit, and that's what Machbox suggest in their instructions, so I started with the tail plane - what could go wrong there?

2017stranraer_04.jpg

 

Well, I only dropped it in my glue puddle - and this is the upper side.

Easy enough to clean up later, but ... the first component, with a whole room full of carpet to find, lands in 1/4" of glue :(

 

Ok, that can be dealt with that later.  There is other progress to report.

 

2017stranraer_02.jpg

 

The beaching gear location holes have been plugged - my intent is to build a sea base for the Stranrarer later, and those holes are blind on the real thing.

 

The Mushroom book about the Walrus and Stranraer (p104) shows a photo of "a half door fitted in the bulkhead to divide the fuselage into watertight sections".  There is more detail in the photo, but this will be OK in normal light.

 

2017stranraer_03.jpg

 

I don't intend glazing the windows at this stage, the plan is to deal with them later.

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16 hours ago, Robert Stuart said:

Well, I only dropped it in my glue puddle - and this is the upper side.

Easy enough to clean up later, but ... the first component, with a whole room full of carpet to find, lands in 1/4" of glue :(

 

 

It looks as though the Carpet Monster is diversifying its abilities...

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I stumbled on this note:

    https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/documents/collections/70-AF-645-Stranraer.pdf

 

The individual aircraft history for the RAF Museum's Supermarine Stranraer 920/CF-BXO.

Quote
Mar [19]50
Pegasus X engines replaced by Wright-Cyclone GR-1820-G.202GA engines - Pegasus spares were becoming hard to obtain. Also given Hamilton standard hydromatic propellers replacing the original wooden units, becoming a ‘Super Stranraer’.

I'm interested to see that the aircraft apparently retained wooden propellors up until this time, and hadn't been converted to use deHavilland propellors.

I have a M/Box Heyford in the loft, wonder what the props on that are like :think:

 

 

{edit} .... Well, I had a look at the Heyford - the props are about the same diameter as the Stranraer's, but rotate the opposite way {/edit}

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One of the comments in that RAF Museum Stranraer history is a mention that the surviving aircraft has a door from a DC3.  This was probably added c. Nov 1961 (p.6).

 

2017stranraer_05a.jpg

 

Looking at period photos, there was a window that was lost when the door was added.

 

 

The door is still present on the museum example, and has been included in the Matchbox kit

 

2017stranraer_05b.jpg

 

Changes

2017stranraer_06.jpg

 

 

 

Still needs work

 

2017stranraer_07.jpg

 

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