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AZ Model DHC-1 Lebanese Chipmunk, OOB


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This was a small kit, with very few parts but it turned out to need a lot of extra work.  I really should have made a WiP since there was so much to do and so many pitfalls.  Bullet points...

--The cockpit floor is far too wide for the fuselage and needed significant thinning in order to bring the halves even somewhat close together.  Even then, I needed Evergreen shims in the nose and in the underside with liberal amounts of putty.  

--The cowling didn't fit very well at all.  I had to actually spread open the fuselage halves in order to fit the cowling smoothly.  Then the shims came into effect (see above).

--The very clear bubble top was fine except that it was far too thick at the base and would not fit the fuselage without very wide gaps all around the bottom edges.  I used the Dremel to grind down the interior thin enough that it sat evenly around the whole of the cockpit.

--The decals, while very thin and requiring almost no setting solutions at all, were so delicate that too much solvent dissolved them completely.  This happened to a couple of the stencils.  Thankfully they are minuscule and you cannot really see where they should be if you didn't know they should be there at all.  The serial number decal on the port rudder folded onto itself and could not be salvaged.  I tried to save it.  I also tried to fake it using bits from the Bottomless Bag of Leftover Decals but to no avail.  

--The markings were a bit orange.  They really should be red.  I've been to Lebanon.  They're red. Hence the colour discrepancy between he hand-painted rudder and the roundels.

 

Other than that, it was a fun and quick build.  For your perusal...

 

24835158627_2ac4a547ec_z_d.jpg

 

24835157537_bdd11f3ed1_z_d.jpg

 

24835156547_908b613ed4_z_d.jpg

 

I had a good time building this kit.  I'd build another in Canadian markings given he time.  As it is, it makes a fine addition to the Middle-Eastern shelf and I keep it next to the Israeli Fairchild in hopes of détente.

 

--JDCM

 

 

 

 

 

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A lovely build and finished kit to add to your collection, despite your problems encountered, the chosen decals and different canopy certainly make it more appealing :goodjob:

I to have the AZ 1/72 Chipmunks in my collection and was hoping for a quick build with them.

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Thanks Corsair...The problems were few, actually.  I was being a stickler.  In regards to good kit, this is certainly a well moulded example.  I would not, in any case, list this on the 'Worst Kits' thread.^_^  Was happy with the results.

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On 1/15/2018 at 1:46 PM, John D.C. Masters said:

This was a small kit, with very few parts but it turned out to need a lot of extra work.  I really should have made a WiP since there was so much to do and so many pitfalls.  Bullet points...

--The cockpit floor is far too wide for the fuselage and needed significant thinning in order to bring the halves even somewhat close together.  Even then, I needed Evergreen shims in the nose and in the underside with liberal amounts of putty.  

--The cowling didn't fit very well at all.  I had to actually spread open the fuselage halves in order to fit the cowling smoothly.  Then the shims came into effect (see above).

--The very clear bubble top was fine except that it was far too thick at the base and would not fit the fuselage without very wide gaps all around the bottom edges.  I used the Dremel to grind down the interior thin enough that it sat evenly around the whole of the cockpit.

--The decals, while very thin and requiring almost no setting solutions at all, were so delicate that too much solvent dissolved them completely.  This happened to a couple of the stencils.  Thankfully they are minuscule and you cannot really see where they should be if you didn't know they should be there at all.  The serial number decal on the port rudder folded onto itself and could not be salvaged.  I tried to save it.  I also tried to fake it using bits from the Bottomless Bag of Leftover Decals but to no avail.  

--The markings were a bit orange.  They really should be red.  I've been to Lebanon.  They're red. Hence the colour discrepancy between he hand-painted rudder and the roundels.

 

Other than that, it was a fun and quick build.  For your perusal...

 

24835158627_2ac4a547ec_z_d.jpg

 

24835157537_bdd11f3ed1_z_d.jpg

 

24835156547_908b613ed4_z_d.jpg

 

I had a good time building this kit.  I'd build another in Canadian markings given he time.  As it is, it makes a fine addition to the Middle-Eastern shelf and I keep it next to the Israeli Fairchild in hopes of détente.

 

--JDCM

 

 

 

 

 

Hi John,

Thanks for the information, I will get on and build mine too.

 

Regards Colin.

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