1/72 Canadair CP-107 Argus

[busnproplinerfan]

I thought I'd share and older build with everyone It's a CP-107 Argus in 1/72. As most will know this never existed as a kit, although I have heard Frog made one and Welsh models has a 1/144 one still available. I made this back in about 2002. At that time I only saw one of these in person (#715)and it was cut up already sitting at the Gimili airport (one hour north of Winnipeg, former RCAF base) belonging to the Western Canada Aviation Museum. They had bought it from a Saskatchewan scrap metal dealer (It was flown there sometime after retirement) It was hauled in sections  from there to Gimili. The wings and tailplane were cut off. One wing per rig, the fuse on another, engines etc on another. I only saw pictures of that. To bad they never premade fish plates for the wing spars, so I doubt you could ever reattach the wings to any degree. Otherwise it was complete. I heard not long ago it was scrapped and the engines were sold. I did see my first complete one in Summerside PEI five years ago as a gate guard.

Anyway, at the time I had no real idea how to do it. I decided to kitbash a DC-6 and a B-29 since they had the most usable parts. I had a second DC-6 fuse and wings. I used these two because the B-29 is the same size minus the MAD boom and the DC-6 has a similar fuselage, same props,usable engines and cowlings.

Here's the fuse with some notes on it.

Here's the inside with bulkheads made. I had to because the weapons bays was going to be open and it needed any extra strength I could put into it. I also cut the nose down and reshaped the nose sides to make them flatter.The base of the dorsal fin was removed and the B-29 tail cone area was inverted and glued on. Any light grey plastic you see is the B-29 parts. The fuselage also has to be widened by two scale feet. I made that from channel strip styrene.

Here's the cockpit parts, most I made up, the seats are the DC-6 ones, just made taller and made headrests.

Here's the cockpit roof which is a thick piece of plastic shaped and fitted. You can see some bulkhead and nose detail. I drew the lightning bolt stripe on the side in order to reference to line things up. Note air scoops on the sides which I put in the wrong spot, to low.

Here's a look at the instrument panel. The cockpit windows will be opened.

A few more details and notes, some bodywork do to.

Here's the wings now. You can see how they were made longer, or wider depending on how you look at it. I also had to make strong spars to to help hold this all together. The flaps are also being left down since that's how the were left when parked. I was told it made pre-flights easier.

Here's the new tail plane, good thing I had a spare tail plane.

Here's most of the bodywork done. I made the nacelles from balsa, should have used a harder wood, takes a lot to seal balsa for painting but it's easy to sand. The dorsal fin was also enlarged. Most surface details were added to the best of what I could tell was accurate.

Here's more views of body work, last one is just before painting started. The clear parts were all vac formed by a fellow club member (who also supplied a lot of detail pictures) except for the cockpit windows which are flat. The waist windows are slightly bulged.

The landing gear was made from bits of the two kits. The nose wheels are from I think a 1/200 747. The mains are from some spares I had,forget what. Click2Detail was offering a 3D set of landing gear for the Britannia, not sure if they ever did anything with them, look them up on facebook. 

I don't have much for good finished pictures but this is the most recent. It's a link to my flikr, so I hope it works here. It shows as the picture, good. It's parked next to my Super Crusader.

Here's the one at Summerside PEI, #739.

I did mine #734 because it was the easiest to cut and all I had left from the decal set I had. I used two maritime Lancastor decal sets and some spares. I paint is Humbrol white and guards red. The silver in a couple shades of Metalizer with Metalizer clear. Kinda funny note, when I first brought this out to my model club,very few people knew what it was. This was strange since they are are self proclaimed experts on Canadian subjects. Luckily one member was an engine tech on these.  After seeing the real ones (one in Greenwood Nova Scotia to) and a very good book that came out a few years ago, I now see details that I missed. But that's ok, I'm not going to send it in for refurbishment. The ailerons do point up when parked. They come down and become effective on take off roll. Word now is that Mach2 is bringing out a 1/72 Britannia which is what prompted me to post this build. Hopefully there will be aftermarket bits and conversions for it. I want to have another Argus, but don't want to torture myself building with this method again. This one took 225 hours and I had no rotory motor tool for grinding/sanding/cutting and no internet then. Here's a link to the topic about the Mach 2 Britannia. http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235027098-172-bristol-175-britannia-by-mach2-test-build-release-november-2017/&

 

Edited November 11, 2017 by busnproplinerfan

[stevehnz]

Impressive. Some real old school modelling on display & a great result.

Steve.

[tomprobert]

That is a stunning achievement. I love projects like this - really thinking outside the box. Real 'Old School' modelling! 

 

 

[busnproplinerfan]

4 hours ago, stevehnz said:

Impressive. Some real old school modelling on display & a great result.

Steve.

 

2 hours ago, tomprobert said:

That is a stunning achievement. I love projects like this - really thinking outside the box. Real 'Old School' modelling! 

 

 

Thanks. I hate the term 'old school' but it does work. I try to keep this idea going since I have no one to teach me 3D technology. I still prefer a hands on approach to building.

[busnproplinerfan]

I just found one story which could have been true about the Argus I wrote in my note when building. It goes,"Only in a hanger can one appreciate the true size of the aircraft. Exclaimed one recent graduate, "JESUS CHRIST!" To which the instructor replied, "No, ARGUS"

[Britman]

That's lateral thinking!  Marvellous job,thank you for sharing. Too big for me , but I will build that Welsh kit sooner than later now. 

[JWM]

That is a true moddeling! Impressive. Thanks for sharing

J-W

 

[busnproplinerfan]

54 minutes ago, Britman said:

That's lateral thinking!  Marvellous job,thank you for sharing. Too big for me , but I will build that Welsh kit sooner than later now. 

From the pictures I've seen, the welsh kit looks good. I have the welsh Britannia and it's nice kit.

39 minutes ago, JWM said:

That is a true moddeling! Impressive. Thanks for sharing

J-W

 

thanks

[goggsy]

That’s great, some real commitment to the build and what a brilliant result. Top work.

[Darby]

30 minutes ago, goggsy said:

That’s great, some real commitment to the build and what a brilliant result. Top work.

Likewise.

[Kampartiger]

Your hard work on the Argus worked out really well,excellently to be precise and the finished Argus is simply 'Stunning'. 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Most impressive and stunning 👍

[Vlamgat9]

Blimey....

[Doc72]

Most impressive! It must have been a hell lot of work.

[bzn20]

Brilliant....That's all...Brilliant.

 

The first time I saw a picture of the Argus, I was 10 and it was in The Hippo book of Bombers. I thought it was a Douglas with a Britannia fin.

 

You just proved I wasn't wrong..53 years later.

Well done

[Snitok1983]

It is a real magic! You have got an arms of gold! I soo impressed!!!!!

Edited November 11, 2017 by Snitok1983

[Pinback]

That is one great model. (and the Crusader is looking good too )

The wood carving must have taken a  lot of patience and care. One nacelle is enough but four!

[busnproplinerfan]

1 hour ago, bzn20 said:

Brilliant....That's all...Brilliant.

 

The first time I saw a picture of the Argus, I was 10 and it was in The Hippo book of Bombers. I thought it was a Douglas with a Britannia fin.

 

You just proved I wasn't wrong..53 years later.

Well done

I see where you could confuse the two, think that's how I looked at it.

[busnproplinerfan]

1 minute ago, Pinback said:

That is one great model. (and the Crusader is looking good too )

The wood carving must have taken a  lot of patience and care. One nacelle is enough but four!

Thanks, balsa sands to easy and then I had to work around the glued portions. Next time I'll use a lumber softwood or basswood if I can get a piece big enough. I still need to get a correct Coleman MB4 mule.

Thanks everyone.

[kapam]

Wow!!

Anyone who can turn two different kits and a bunch of other bits into a completely different plane - and do it as well as you have - deserves all the accolades.

Awesome work!

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

Missed this one, nice conversion work there 

[cardiff guy]

this really is some piece of work well done,

[DJJunis]

That is some excellent modeling. 

The result is fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

All the Best!

Don

[Bell209]

Brilliant job. I copped a cricket ball in the face as a kid gaping at one of these flying low over our local cricket field en-route to RAAF Edinburgh for one of the Fincastle exercises. I knew what it was, though!

[woody37]

What a fantastic conversion, now that is proper modelling