Jump to content

Bristol 188 - 1/72 Dragon Model Works - Finished


AdrianMF

Recommended Posts

15 minutes ago, AdrianMF said:

What were those people from NACA thinking? Why not just have a round hole perpendicular to the airflow if you want to let some supersonic cooling air in...

 

Because a NACA duct works better. Here is what a noted on-line encyclopedia has to say:

 

"When properly implemented, a NACA duct allows air to flow into an internal duct, often for cooling purposes, with a minimal disturbance to the flow."

 

And:

 

"This design is believed to work because the combination of the gentle ramp angle and the curvature profile of the walls creates counter-rotating vortices which deflect the boundary layer away from the inlet and draws in the faster moving air, while avoiding the form drag and flow separation that can occur with protruding scoop designs."

 

But NACA was obviously not thinking of us modelers when the duct was developed!

  • Like 2
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well my scribing-induced grumpiness has passed and I have been given a refresher course on how NACA ducts work!

 

So onwards and upwards. Whilst some of our band (@Ced) are busy embracing hi-tech solutions, I slipped back to the Stone Age to replace some more vacform parts with balsa:

IMG_7583.jpg

 

And then to priming, with a Halford rattlecan that had been warmed in a bowl of warm water, sprayed in the garage with a fan heater in it to get to "room temperature":

IMG_7584.jpg

surprisingly little to touch up!

 

Regards,

Adrian

  • Like 11
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well I thought my panel lines on the wings and tailplane were a bit too much, so I filled them with PPP. I sanded a couple of problem areas smooth and also around the canopy to get a better fit:

IMG_7585.jpg

Time for more primer!

 

Thanks for looking,

Adrian

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, bristol boy said:

vac or resin.

Having done this vac, I would say resin!

 

Although Steve (@BritJet) may have something to say about that, after building this.  

 

I think there may be nicer resin kits out there now. 

 

Regards,

Adrian

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great stuff Adrian - she's looking very smart in primer.

If very skinny. An interesting design eh?

Balsa parts, now there's an idea... haven't used balsa for ages.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

52 minutes ago, CedB said:

Balsa parts, now there's an idea... haven't used balsa for ages.

Balsa is super easy to carve and sand and you can fill the grain with a couple of coats of superglue, sanding down between each one. This makes it really quick and convenient, and is a real advance over "cellulose dope and talcum powder" grain filling in the days when dinosaurs and Raquel Welch roamed the Earth.

 

Don't know why I'm telling you this - I'm sure you'll be buying a 3D printer next week ;)

 

Regards,

Adrian

  • Haha 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's coming together so well, I feel a bit of Bristol Envy coming on.  Oh Er Missus!   The lines of the plane make me think of Dan Dare for some reason.

 

As an aside, I like the fact that the Test Pilot most associated with the plane was Godfrey Auty, a very English name, miles away from something like Chuck Yeager. Comforting somehow.

It's also somehow very brit to have built a high speed research plane that couldn't reach high speeds, and would run out of fuel attempting to do so.

 

Empire of the Clouds is a book about the period that I can very highly recommend if you don't already have a copy on your shelves. The second printing is packed with stunning photographs to accompany the highly entertaining  text.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmm. The pressure to produce an acceptable NMF is beginning to tell... so much so that I dug out my other Airfix YAK-9 from the stash and did a quick OOB assemble (yes, really OOB for once):

IMG_7586.jpg

Then on with Halfords grey primer and a layer of Humbrol Metalcote, followed by some AK True Meral paste (steel). A bit of a rub down got me here:
IMG_7589.jpg

 

If I did this properly (like sanding the primer down to a smooth finish, allowing all the paints to dry properly) I think this might just work...

 

Thanks for looking,

Adrian

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This stuff might be worth a try,

 

IMG_3308.jpg

IMG_3311.jpg
IMG_3309.jpg

 

I bought the powder off Ebay a while back. I wanted it as a replacement for the SnJ powder that I've finally used up. It turned out to be a bit darker than the bright chrome that SnJ gave, so no use to me for most purposes. However, trying it on a bare plastic Airfix Mig 21 just now, the finish is very much like stainless steel. I've not tried it over primer, but I can't see grey or black primer not being OK under the stuff. White might need a whole load of polishing! Be warned though, every tiny flaw shows up like a beacon. On the wing of the MIG I failed to clean it enough and I've now got a stainless steel polished thumbprint to admire.

 

Tony.

Edited by TonyW
More text
  • Like 7
  • Thanks 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like AK True Metal, the waxy stuff. Brush it on thin and scrub it around for variation. Polish it (or not) for variation.

Good if you want panel variation. :)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I  have been playing around with the yak/mule and it turns out that a second coat of Humbrol Metalcote can be polished up quite nicely (port wing polished, stbd not):

IMG_7590.jpg
IMG_7591.jpg

 

 

This is over Halfords primer, which is quite matt and rough. With that in mind I have polished up the 188 to a shine with fine sandpaper. I'm not sure whether I should give it a coat of Future as well before reaching for the rattle can. Advice welcomed...
IMG_7592.jpg

 

Regards,

Adrian

 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Well I gave it another coat and polished it:

IMG_7701.jpg

 

Although it's not as shiny as it could be, I think I'm going to take the result. I will do a small experiment or two with different colour panels, but I am basically done on the painting side. Now for undercarriage, parachute holder, afterburner detail and then decals and lashings of future.

 

Thanks for looking,

Adrian

  • Like 12
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The trouble is, each coat of silver looks better than the last one, but my standards seem to be rising faster than my ability to produce the results! Now on coat #3, after a light sanding down, especially over the cockpit masking so I can still find the damn' tape if/when the time finally comes to unmask!

 

Also I notice that my touch up with Revell silver on the under wing fairings (which wear straight back to Halfords primer grey as soon as you touch them) looked just as shiny as the sprayed/polished Metalcote :(

 

Regards,

Adrian

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well I had a weekend of almost non-stop modelling, pausing only to cook and shop for cold cures (Mrs F is on the sofa with a woman-flu). I have to confess I feel quite burned out by the whole thing (the modelling, not tending Mrs F, obvs).

 

So in a fit of madness I have finished the Bristol 188. I started by polishing up the Humbrol MetalCote, and then tried some of the C1 Metalizer mentioned above. It makes things much shinier, but the surface is very fragile and I realised how much more fiddling with the model I still had to do! So it's been a weekend of two steps forward and one back, and I forgot to take any photos along the way.

 

So, in no particular order:

  • Decals courtesy of XtraDecal sets
  • Main wheels and legs from the old, old Revell Corsair
  • Front wheels from the new Airfix Gnat with with fuse wire rims, front leg from the Ursus SR53
  • Shock cones from hardwood dowel turned with an electric drill and file (not SIHRC but good enough) with plastic card fins
  • Reheat flame holders (I assume it had afterburners) from fuse wire
  • Pitot from a stack of Albion Alloys tubes, painted and sanded down to replicate the tapered shape

All involving far too much handling and dodgy touch ups.

 

In rather disappointing light I managed to grab a couple of shots of the finished item:

IMG_5901.jpg

IMG_5902.jpg

IMG_5903.jpg

IMG_5904.jpg

IMG_5905.jpg

 

The lighter sections of the nacelles are done with self-adhesive silver foil salvaged from sweet wrappers.

 

Thanks for looking,

Adrian

  • Like 12
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...