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Super Guppy 1:144


Mike

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I've got hold of an old Revell Super Guppy kit, and accidentally started it.  You know how it goes.  :shrug:

 

I'm sanding all the seams down in advance of assembly of the main areas, and have come across the blobs of styrene that are the exhausts.  I've managed to find a slightly hazy pic of them online, which shows that they're basically cylindrical, with a small fairing under the lower edge, and a separate "nib" under the wing.  I've also noticed that on the example I was looking at, there were also some additional "streamlining" fairings either side of the nacelles, closely fitting to the wing surface, as shown in the pic below:

 

 

super-guppy.jpg
This photo of Aeroscopia is courtesy of TripAdvisor  

 

I've got got plenty of tube around for the exhausts, but could do with some larger pics of the areas, and confirmation whether those side fairings were a standard fitting across the range.  I'm looking at modelling the last flying Guppy in NASA service, after watching a documentary about it the other day on t'telly.  Any additional detail pics would also be welcome, as I don't have much in the way of info, other than a few pics that I took years ago of a rather delopilated one at Brunty. :)

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Those are brilliant @Stephan, thanks.  I think I found out my problem.  I was using Google. :raincloud: I've been looking for images using Google for years, but have noticed lately that more and more results are either selling something, behind paywalls or somehow protected and requiring you to pay money or request permission to see at full size.  Bing on the other hand when you search on Super Guppy gives a whole host of pics free and for gratis, so I think I have a new image search engine now.  Never thought I'd prefer Bing to Google, but if Google just want to make money off me rather than be a search engine, I'll vote with my feet  :shrug:

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Oh dear... looks like the pooch has been screwed with the Revell nacelles.  From what I can see, they're too shallow at the rear, don't have the fairings, and the exhausts don't finish in the correct relationship to the trailing edge.  Yikers!  There are also a lot of panel lines on the fuselage that need removing, altering or adding.  So much for a quick build :cwl:

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Does, doesn't it?  Trying to decide whether to mate the engines to the wings before I start sculpting the correct(er) shape or not.

 

I also need to decide how best to open up the tiny little intake under the props.  I've managed to harmonise and correct the size of the intakes on the top of the nacelles with CA and some judicious use of needle files, but this underslung one is too small to open up.  I might end up having to saw off the lip, create a new one and glue it in place. :hmmm:

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Cut off the end and replace with Albion tubing or heat stretched plastic tubing???

 

This looks like a lot of pain for Mike fun to follow, so I am in!:popcorn:and :drink:ordered!

 

Christian, exiled to africa

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1 minute ago, wyverns4 said:

Cut off the end and replace with Albion tubing or heat stretched plastic tubing???

I've already picked the size of tube I'll be using, but as it's a bit more complicated than that, the actual exhaust is the easy part ;)

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6 minutes ago, Mike said:

Does, doesn't it?  Trying to decide whether to mate the engines to the wings before I start sculpting the correct(er) shape or not.

 

I also need to decide how best to open up the tiny little intake under the props.  I've managed to harmonise and correct the size of the intakes on the top of the nacelles with CA and some judicious use of needle files, but this underslung one is too small to open up.  I might end up having to saw off the lip, create a new one and glue it in place. :hmmm:

You should have gone for the Revell Beluga Mike. :giggle:

 

3 minutes ago, richellis said:

Look on Facebook, the guys at bruntingthorpe have a page where they are restoring one, lots of photos on there

Linky?

 

 

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1 minute ago, bootneck said:

You should have gone for the Revell Beluga Mike. :giggle:

Got one of them lurking somewhere too. :ninja: The Boy has a lovely resin desktop model of the Beluga, and a beeee-utiful one of the A380 that was given to him by a dear friend, so the Super Guppy would complete his set. :)

3 minutes ago, bootneck said:

 

6 minutes ago, richellis said:

Look on Facebook, the guys at bruntingthorpe have a page where they are restoring one, lots of photos on there

Linky?

https://www.facebook.com/Super-Guppy-Restoration-Project-238969378440

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I’ve recently got hold of one of these too, but not started to think about building it yet. Maybe we should start a Super Guppy STGB!

 

The other thing I’ve noticed is that the props don’t look right. I’m thinking about whether Welsh Models does some white metal props that would work.

 

What colour scheme will you go for?

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Mike

You will soon be modelling modern airliners so good luck with this one.  You've made a good start towards becoming a civil airliner modeller by putting the thread in the wrong forum

Ask one of the mods to move the thread from Modern to Classic. :rofl2:

 

Chris.

 

 

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13 hours ago, zebra said:

What colour scheme will you go for?

NASA! :)

 

I saw a documentary the other day, which convinced me I needed those decals :)  Not sure how I'm going to get a shiny finish on the upper fuselage, but I can try, can't I? :unsure:

13 hours ago, stringbag said:

Ask one of the mods to move the thread from Modern to Classic. :rofl2:

Nope :tease: It's in use today, and the latest upgrades to the airframe included a glass cockpit.  Pretty modern to me :P

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6 hours ago, Mike said:

NASA! :)

 

I saw a documentary the other day, which convinced me I needed those decals :)  Not sure how I'm going to get a shiny finish on the upper fuselage, but I can try, can't I? :unsure:

Nope :tease: It's in use today, and the latest upgrades to the airframe included a glass cockpit.  Pretty modern to me :P

All of the current airworthy Spitfires have modern nav/coms as well so I guess they could be classed as modern as well then? B)

 

 

 

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Mine nights be NASA too. I like the look of the Vintage Flyer decals. The upper fuselage will need to be very shiny - I think Alclad polished aluminium might be about right - and I think the panel lines will need toning down or removing altogether. I’ve seen photos of a NASA build online where the panel lines are too prominent in that shiny finish.

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I've been pondering the panel lines, and some of them are clearly not where they're supposed to be, which is a bit of a bummer, and yes... VERY shiny is the order of the day on the topsides.  I'm wondering whether I should go with removing the panel lines and then adding pencil lines later, or maybe just ignore them altogether.  A coat of Alclad Chrome would give the most realistic look to the surface, but I'd have to get it just right if I'm going to get away with it :hmmm:

 

I should really move this to WIP, as I've already started mucking about with the plastic. EDIT: Done :)

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  • Mike changed the title to Super Guppy 1:144

I've been working on the intakes above and below the props, as these are a bit.... iffy. :shrug: The top intake is defined, but not very well, while the lower intake is just a nubbin with no inlet.  The top intakes were built up around the edges with CA and sanding dust, then refined with diamond files, but still need a little work.  The lower intakes were sawn off with a razor saw, and I made up a sandwich of four pieces of 1mm x 2.25mm strip, into which I sanded a curved groove across one edge of all four, being careful to keep them the same throughout.  After I'd split the CA holding the pieces together, I clued a length of 1mm x 0.5mm strip across the bottom of the curve to give the inner lip shape.  A groove was cut into the base of the original intake, and the parts were glued in place, keeping an eye on proper alignment.  Then the excess plastic was carefully clipped and sanded away to reveal the proper shape.  There's still a bit of clean-up needing doing, but I've got the basics done, which is a plus.

 

wings1.jpg

 

I've used black primer throughout, and once finished I'm going to check the panel lines in relation to the NASA aircraft and make any changes before I glue the parts to the wings.  I also need to box in those gear bays, as they look a bit pants as they are.  If anyone's got any pics of the internals there, I'd be more than grateful! :)

 

fuselage1.jpg

 

The fuselage was rather hastily glued together without thinking of nose weight (oopsie!), and I've been working on the main seams since to try and make sure they don't make a bit for prominence after I paint.  The nose gear bay is just a flat indent in the nose, so I've an idea that involves cutting that out, enlarging it a little and inserting a new box in there along with some substantial nose-weight to make it sit on its wheels.  Some pics of the nose bay would also be appreciated if anyone's got any? :please:

 

I'm still working on the twin Fw.190s, so I'll be flitting between the two on & off, so bear with me ;)

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  • 3 years later...

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