fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 3, 2017 Author Share Posted October 3, 2017 Thanks, Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 3, 2017 Author Share Posted October 3, 2017 The cockpit is glued to the bulkhead. The added MV lens is visible: 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 4, 2017 Author Share Posted October 4, 2017 The clear nose parts had some little flash that was cleaned. In my kit the two halves didn't match exactly, so two small dollhouse clothespins were used to keep the upper and lower edges aligned while the glue dried: The spine was given some rivet impressions: In my kit a little strip of styrene had to be glued to pack the fuselage bottom, since the lower edge has to be sanded to match the clear nose: You can see here the small difference at the bottom in my kit: The fuselage was carefully sanded and now we have a good match: In my kit the nose of the cockpit had to be sanded down carefully a bit, or it will hit the clear nose and preclude a good fit. All clear parts are given a bath in acrylic floor polish: 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 Decisions, decisions... I have the seats ready, after making the parts that I lost for one of them. BUT: the air mapping version that I wanted to do (G-AJKP) is not providing all the info I need (interior), and I am not sure it had the full seat allocation, or where was the camera, etc. I am feeling inclined to add the seats and go for G-AISF -provided in the kit but in what it may be not accurate color-, which at least has some on the engines. So does a Greek machine: SX-BDA, but only two bad images were found, not enough to be sure of the full livery. Unfortunately those latter alternatives have the painted nose, whilst G-AJKP had the full glass nose. So does other alternative, PH-EAB -provided also in the kit -with some omissions-. Yet another possibility are the four Spanish CANA machines (EC-ABA, EC-ABB, EC-ACP, EC-ACQ), colorful, but again painted nose, and may be some color guessing. French F-BFPF has no color and looks a tad drab. While some planes look aluminum, either shiny or drab, others look grey or cream (I am inclined to the latter for some). I am chickening away from the air advertising planes that had those illuminated racks on the sides, but felt mighty tempted. Qué será, será; as Mary Hopkins used to sing. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 7, 2017 Author Share Posted October 7, 2017 Unfortunately I had to desist of building the photo variant for lack of references on the interior. Although I am not clear yet on what decoration I will use, I decided to add the seats so I can proceed with the build: Photos show that the cabin floor at the back rests on one feature, which I replicated and glued: These added white styrene parts will be painted in situ. The windows are glued in place already. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stringbag Posted October 7, 2017 Share Posted October 7, 2017 Some of these limited run kits require a bit of adjustment to achieve a good fit but you have made this one look easy. I'm quietly watching here from the side lines Moa. Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 7, 2017 Author Share Posted October 7, 2017 Hi Chris It is easy enough with a bit of experience and patience. As you mentioned, this type of kit requires that you clean a bit and dry-run all assemblies before committing. But strangely enough, it's only the big components that require some rasping, sanding and adjusting. The smaller ones are near perfect. Here I finally slid the interior in: The spine followed: Dry-run of the wing, so far so good. I had to lightly squeeze-in the fuselage walls for the wing to get comfortably in place. Again, just a trial: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 8, 2017 Author Share Posted October 8, 2017 It is likely that I will pose the tailcone open, so the two parts that you normally glue to the fuselage -if you want the tail closed- are glued to the tail: The exposed areas are therefore painted: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 8, 2017 Author Share Posted October 8, 2017 Looking now more closely -as completion approaches- the possible finishes, I call into question the livery on the instructions for PH-EAB. I found online six different photos of PH-EAB, none of which coincides with the drawing on the instructions. To start with, horizontal tail and wings have colored leading edges, absent in the drawing. The drawing suggest (no top view, though) that the blue color wraps around the wing on the fuselage, which is inaccurate. All photos show the blue stopping at the leading and trailing edges of the wing. Use a search engine with "PH-EAB" on the images tab and you may see some of these photos. I am making a note of this in case somebody (or myself) goes for this color scheme: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 8, 2017 Author Share Posted October 8, 2017 You may also notice that in the drawing above the nacelle of G-AISF (top livery) is not shown as red to the right on the top and bottom views of the wing. The wing is shown below already glued in place. The seams will need a bit of care: 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 8, 2017 Author Share Posted October 8, 2017 Well...further questioning the liveries in the instructions, I found a photo of G-AISF that shows it was cream (as I assumed earlier on the thread for some liveries) and green, not grey and red. The photo can be found in this thread (I found the thread googling for the registration): https://brexitmodeller.com/forums/topic/1486-mikr-mir-miles-m57-aerovan/?page=2 Whaddayaknow This reminds us all not to blindly trust all we are told. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 8, 2017 Author Share Posted October 8, 2017 Another important question: is the Aerovan a tailsitter? Doesn't look like, but I have been deceived before. I'll do some experiments when I glue the tail unit and tailcone. If this is a tailsitter, weight could be added on the nose bottom before gluing it, or bellow the deck at the front. .... Ok, just tried: most emphatically a tailsitter. Add nose weight, you future Aerovan builders. (the model is rolling back on a rod placed under the main LG): 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 9, 2017 Author Share Posted October 9, 2017 The messy part starts... Weights being prepared to be added on the nose bellow deck: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 This is a very informative build. Martian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huvut76g7gbbui7 Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 I am enjoying this build as it is an aircraft I know little about. I wonderd if there were any still alive but it seems not. This thread may be of interest if you haven't already seen it https://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?84950-Miles-M57-Aerovan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 9, 2017 Author Share Posted October 9, 2017 Thanks, Martian. And yes, Scimitar, I have seen it but it's useful that you posted it for other interested parties, thanks. The photo bellow shows the kit's windows' masks in place, the several pieces of weight needed to keep that nose down (a big one, three on top, one underneath the big one, cramming into that space), and the correction of the vertical line at the very tip of the central rudder: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 9, 2017 Author Share Posted October 9, 2017 Clear nose glued and taped until the glue sets: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 10, 2017 Author Share Posted October 10, 2017 The back is covered and sanding of the puttied areas begins: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 10, 2017 Author Share Posted October 10, 2017 The tail group -minus central fin) is glued: The seam will be treated next. And then heading towards the first coat of primer. Isn't it a cutie? Ooohhh, coochee-choochee-coo: 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 12, 2017 Author Share Posted October 12, 2017 The central fin is glued in place and a white primer light coat goes on: A few blemishes were discovered and will be addressed. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 15, 2017 Author Share Posted October 15, 2017 I can't commit to painting for a few weeks, but a few blemishes are addressed, and the nose is unmasked, only to be masked again with the proper kit's masks: 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted November 15, 2017 Author Share Posted November 15, 2017 Managed to squeeze-in another half hour. The kit mudguards are a tad thick, you can either sand them down on a round form, or make new ones from bent styrene sheet cut to size: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted November 15, 2017 Share Posted November 15, 2017 Nice to see some more of this fascinating project getting done. Martian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Russell Posted November 15, 2017 Share Posted November 15, 2017 This is very nice work you are doing here. For anyone building the RNZAF one, note that they were overall aluminium dope, not light grey as the instructions advise. It even carried a shark mouth for a little while at an airshow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted November 15, 2017 Author Share Posted November 15, 2017 Thanks Martian and Ed I am so into this little cute stubby model, but we are remodeling (for those who have been through that, no need to elaborate on contractors), and also of course there is work, so not much time for the moment for modeling. The completion shouldn't be far away, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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