Camair-Co 737-700 - Revell conversion

[pinky coffeeboat]

Hi, 

 

This is one of my entries into the STGB. It's going to be the Revell 737-800 converted to the -700 and wearing the colours of much troubled Cameroonian carrier Camair-Co.

 

 

The kit is one of several that I've bought over the years. Since the appearance of the Zvezda kit, the Revell kit has been eclipsed in terms of detail and ACCURATE detail at that!! However, it can still be made into a fairly decent model of the 737NG.

 

 

This is the colour scheme I've chosen for this build. Camair-Co is the national carrier of Cameroon and seems to routinely have its fair share of financial troubles and loss making operations. Their fleet consists of one 767-300 (decals for which are available from F-Dcal), a couple of 737-700 and a couple of Xian MA-60 turbo props.

 

One of the main criticisms of the Revell 737 is the rather questionable rendition of the CFM56 engines. The kit parts are a curious mix between the older CFM56 engine as fitted to the 737-3/4/500 aircraft, the Classic series (that must make the  -100/200 versions be known as the dinosaur series!!??) and those fitted to the 737-6/7/8/900 series (the NG series). There have been numerous articles and suggestions put out as to the best way to correct the kit parts, ranging from smoothed plastic shims on the underside and stretching the intake lip to using paper rolled up to form some kind of intake lining. However, all of that is now unnecessary thanks to Brazmodels who have come up with resin aftermarket sets to allow both versions of the NG engine to be made (the original CFM56-7 with the longer core engine nozzle and the newer CFM56-7BE with the shorter nozzle).

 

 

 

The set I'm using is for the original CFM56-7 engine.

 

To convert to the -700 series, the -800 has to have two sections of fuselage removed ahead of and behind the wing, each being roughly 20mm (ok if you insist - 20.78mm ahead and 19.79mm behind). There are a set of plans available from drawdecal.com (http://www.drawdecal.com/downloads/) that show where the modifications for each NG version should be made with reference to the Revell kit (and the Zvezda kit too).

 

 

 

With the fuselage marked up, it was time to cut

 

 

Eventually, I ended up with something that resembled the -700

 

 

The ends of the cuts are a bit rough and not particularly true, but some decent amount of filler will take care of that. 

 

Currently, the sections have had strips of plastic card glued to the inside edges to allow the various them to be joined and positioned to maintain a straight fuselage.

 

 

And finally, stung by the recent decision by the USITC in favour of Bombardier and their C-series, Boeing in a desperate move to extract as much mileage from the 737, have offered this as the "all American" alternative to the C-series.....

 

 

Ha! Ha!

 

More to follow,

 

Jeff

 

 

Edited February 5, 2018 by pinky coffeeboat

[halcyonjet]

Very colourful choice of livery -look forward to seeing it.

 

Dave

 

[Graeme H]

Love a good chop job 

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

 

Nice start Jeff, my second build will be a -700. I trying to recall how much to chop since the last one I did when the kit first came out.

[pinky coffeeboat]

Thanks all for your kind comments. Ray for the cuts I found a couple of sources - the drawdecal plans should be printed out and the fuselage halves laid on top of these plans, marked out and cut down. I did that a few years back and have (had?) some decent prints made on quite thick paper but I couldn't remember where I had left them for safe keeping. 

The other source I found was a version that detailed the actual dimensions to be removed - 20.78mm forward of the wing/body fairing and 19.79mm behind the wbf. I have seen somewhere else the size of cuts referenced to the number of windows to be removed - I think six ahead and 5 1/2 behind.

 

The Revell 737 came out in 1999 and apart from the accuracy issues is quite a neatly detailed and moulded kit. The panel lines are still very fine and hold their own today almost 20 years later. Compared to the Zvezda kit it does have some features moulded into the plastic that the newer Zv kit doesn't have. But, the numerous well documented issues with the kit "kinda" outweigh these advantages.

 

One issue is the placement of the cabin windows being between 0.5 - almost 2mm too low (depending on who you read/speak to). Whatever the correct incorrect placement, given the chopping I'm doing on the fuselage the kit holes will be filled and decals will be used for the cabin windows, its now up to me to position these correctly.

 

Tomorrow, I'll document my attempts to join the six fuselage sections together whilst avoiding the banana look. Thanks for looking.

 

Jeff 

[pinky coffeeboat]

Update time.

 

Whilst dry fitting this model together, I noticed there was something odd looking about the wingtips - mine are the original release of this kit. No provision to add the planks winglets that were added to this kit a few years later. This is one of several KLM boxings of the kit that I own, for those who may wish to know.

 

 

This has to be addressed for the 737-700 I'm making. Now we come to the thorny issue of "those" winglets. It is very clear for everyone to see that they are simply too broad in chord. It has been stated that they are to short in height too.  

 

What do you think?

 

 

From l to r: Authentic Airliners (yellow resin), Revell (white plastic) and Zvezda (grey plastic)

 

 

 

Now AA have a good reputation for accuracy and I don't think Kurt Lehmann would have got this wrong. Zvezdas appear a bit taller than both. Revell has sufficient plastic to allow reshaping (as I have done on all of my kits I've built). I haven't got the Brazmodels resin winglets so can't comment on them.

 

I think its up to you...

 

Talking of Brazmodels, I have prepared the resin engines and mounted them temporarily to the wing. Then with a fine drill, made holes into the top of the pylon to serve as mounting points for later when the engines will be added, probably at the end of painting.

 

 

 

 

Currently, the fuselage bits have been joined, but one side is doing its best to impersonate the yellow fruit. I can see a fair bit of sanding coming my way.

 

Jeff

[Viking]

Interesting comparison of the winglets Jeff, like you say use the AA ones as a reference, Kurt is bound to have made the most accurate ones!

[pinky coffeeboat]

Too true, but a comparison between the Revell and the AA parts shows that it is possible to shape the Revell ones to a fairly close approximation of the AA ones, and taking these as being accurate then the Revell ones aren't as bad as we all thought?? My mind is still mulling over who has it right and wrong.

 

My Camair-co -700 will have a pair of winglets from the Zvezda kit. 

 

Jeff 

[bianfuxia]

Amazing work. Love the super short little one, like a Hasegawa eggplane of a -600...

 

I'm curious, is there not a single -700 kit in 1/144?

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

I always knew the Revell winglets were too broad ( well after I had finished my first Revell 737 that is).

 

I am going to steal our method of adding pins to the resin pylons. what a great idea Jeff! Sometimes wonder if I am in the dark ages when I build after I see the methods you guys use for things like this.

 

[Lex77]

Nice work.

Have got a couple of 737-800's in the stash that need to be converted to the 700 series so will follow this one with interest.

[Paul J]

Learnt a bit form this. Especially the wing tip saga. But have already ordered some BraZ stuff. However, I will have a go at modifying the kit winglets and see how they shape up.  Will be useful spares... in case.

 

I'll pop back to see how this build come along. Keep up the surgery

[pinky coffeeboat]

5 hours ago, bianfuxia said:

Amazing work. Love the super short little one, like a Hasegawa eggplane of a -600...

 

I'm curious, is there not a single -700 kit in 1/144?

Thank you, yeah the little one is fun and does look like an egg plane. Not sure how the wings would attach!!

 

Authentic Airliners (https://www.authentic-airliners.de) offer a full resin kit of the -700. It's lovely and can be made fairly quickly. It is expensive especially when compared to the Revell & Zvezda kits, but it does avoid the chopping hassle.

This is one I built a few years ago wearing the retro markings of Danish airline Sterling (decals from lndecals.com). Having looked at the photo, I realise that it is in desperate need of antennae, pitots and drains. Maybe someday...  

 

Edited February 7, 2018 by pinky coffeeboat

[pinky coffeeboat]

1 hour ago, Romeo Alpha Yankee said:

I always knew the Revell winglets were too broad ( well after I had finished my first Revell 737 that is).

 

I am going to steal our method of adding pins to the resin pylons. what a great idea Jeff! Sometimes wonder if I am in the dark ages when I build after I see the methods you guys use for things like this.

 

 

Those damn winglets!!!!! Whoever tooled those and whoever signed them off as being OK "should have gone to Specsavers!!"  (UK TV adverts in which comical things happen to people have haven't got, but need, glasses)

 

Steal as many ideas and methods as you like, that's what I always do. This is something I didn't do to my recent Revell 737-800 build that used Braz engines. I ended up with engines sitting slightly off centre. A couple of short brass pins should be sufficient.

 

Jeff

[pinky coffeeboat]

37 minutes ago, Paul J said:

Learnt a bit form this. Especially the wing tip saga. But have already ordered some BraZ stuff. However, I will have a go at modifying the kit winglets and see how they shape up.  Will be useful spares... in case.

 

I'll pop back to see how this build come along. Keep up the surgery

Thanks Paul. I mentioned the Revell box (KLM) in case anyone has the chance to buy it and isn't sure if it comes with the winglets. Revell include the original wingtip in those boxes that have the winglets. From memory, Revell have released KLM, Hapag-Lloyd, Air Berlin, TUI Haribo Gold and TUI Haribo blue boxes of this kit.

 

Have a go at shaping the winglets, they have enough spare plastic to allow it!

 

jeff

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

19 hours ago, bianfuxia said:

Amazing work. Love the super short little one, like a Hasegawa eggplane of a -600...

 

I'm curious, is there not a single -700 kit in 1/144?

There is a -700 kit coming from Zvezda this year.

[pinky coffeeboat]

One step forward....

 

Update time. This is how the model looks after a couple of days.

 

 

 

Hang on a moment, just let me look at that again... Um, why has the fuselage grown to the original-800 length?

 

Despite my "best" efforts in cutting and gluing, I ended up with one fuselage longer than the other. Also, they just didn't seem to line up correctly which would have forced me to sand too much, so it's back to the beginning again. Progress will continue on the engines and wheels as these are the little bits that generally stall me. 

 

Jeff

[Skodadriver]

Bad luck Jeff!  

 

Having made the -600, -700 and -900 from the Revell kit, my technique (for what it's worth) is to cut up the fuselage half without the locating pins then assemble it to the new length on a sheet of glass with squared paper underneath to make sure it is flat and straight.  The joints are initially reinforced by lengths of sprue running fore and aft.  Once they're set I further reinforce the joints with scrap sections from the fuselage stuck in place with superglue.  That should(!) give a nice solid assembly and then I simply cut the other fuselage half to match it.  If possible I stagger the joints and again sprue is used for initial reinforcement followed by cut scrap.  

 

HTH

 

Dave G

[halcyonjet]

On 2/7/2018 at 09:11, pinky coffeeboat said:

From memory, Revell have released KLM, Hapag-Lloyd, Air Berlin, TUI Haribo Gold and TUI Haribo blue boxes of this kit.

...and Ryanair!

 

Dave

[pinky coffeeboat]

Of course!!! On eBay that kit sells for mega-bucks, but I was able to snipe a last second offer and got one for not much more than £20!! I have seen it go for mid-£40s.

[halcyonjet]

2 hours ago, pinky coffeeboat said:

Of course!!! On eBay that kit sells for mega-bucks, but I was able to snipe a last second offer and got one for not much more than £20!! I have seen it go for mid-£40s.

Crikey! I'd better check on my spare one hidden in the stash somewhere.

[Paul J]

On 2/7/2018 at 09:11, pinky coffeeboat said:

Thanks Paul. I mentioned the Revell box (KLM) in case anyone has the chance to buy it and isn't sure if it comes with the winglets. Revell include the original wingtip in those boxes that have the winglets. From memory, Revell have released KLM, Hapag-Lloyd, Air Berlin, TUI Haribo Gold and TUI Haribo blue boxes of this kit.

 

Have a go at shaping the winglets, they have enough spare plastic to allow it!

 

jeff

My KLM boxing must be a later issue as it has the winglets and separate standard wing tips. I have gone for the Braz ones and engines.

 

I used to have a Ryanair boxing... for some bizarre reason I sold it for £12.00 Wish I kept it really as It would have fitted in with my builds of aircraft I've flown in.

[pinky coffeeboat]

Revell must have added the updated sprues to their current (at the time) releases. My Ryanair 737 shown below has the winglets. It also has water damage from being in my shed over a winter when I was overseas for 6 months and blissfully unaware of my leaking shed roof! Thankfully the decals weren't damaged at all, but there then ensued a rather frantic relocation of soaking wet crushed boxes when I got home (and it was raining too - sunny Cornwall?? My ar*e!!)

 

Jeff

[Graeme H]

On ‎7‎/‎02‎/‎2018 at 07:25, pinky coffeeboat said:

 

 

This has to be addressed for the 737-700 I'm making. Now we come to the thorny issue of "those" winglets. It is very clear for everyone to see that they are simply too broad in chord. It has been stated that they are to short in height too.  

 

What do you think?

 

 

From l to r: Authentic Airliners (yellow resin), Revell (white plastic) and Zvezda (grey plastic)

 

 

 

Now AA have a good reputation for accuracy and I don't think Kurt Lehmann would have got this wrong. Zvezdas appear a bit taller than both. Revell has sufficient plastic to allow reshaping (as I have done on all of my kits I've built). I haven't got the Brazmodels resin winglets so can't comment on them.

 

I think its up to you...

 

 

Jeff

 

 

Jeff, the NG winglets are quoted as being 8'2", very unscientifically using my PP Scale Models ruler, and the 1/72 scale on it, the Zvezda ones come out as 4'1"in  1/72, close enough for me, not saying that Kurt's are wrong as they are all very close together and not really much to bother about on any of them. I have never measured the Daco ones, but always thought they looked quite good, and unless you are a total 737 airliner nut like us most wouldn't know, it's a bit like the Bf109 guys and their cowling issues.

The one thing that I like about the Zvezda kit is how it gives the kink at wing /Winglet joint, which most kits don't get right, I have never had an AA one so can't comment on that, but I doubt Kurt would have missed that, Zvezda does make the logo light fairing a but undernourished though.

 

Wingtip Stbd by qfa_tsv, on Flickr

[pinky coffeeboat]

Graeme thanks for that info.

 

Zvezda it is then!!! I do think that it is possible to cut down the Revell planks and make passable winglets. They're pretty much the same size as the AA resin ones. From what Jennings Heilig has written, the Daco winglets are suitable only for the 737 Classic series. Apparently they're different in size to the NG version.

I like the picture you've attached. That's one scheme I've always wanted to do.

 

Jeff