dswoofie Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 OK, it is time for me to take the plunge and start on my first proper flying boat model! I've only ever attempted one before as a kid, that was the Matchbox Norseman, and I'm not sure I ever actually finished it as it required yellow and I was a brush painter then! Yellow never seemed to work properly with brushes Anyway, my next (and hopefully far more successful!) seaplane model is the Matchbox 1/72 Supermarine Stranraer. Looking it over it looks a surprisingly nice little kit and seems to all fit together nicely, so I'm looking forward to finally getting on with it. My first decision on the kit came with the gun placements and the side door, did I want them open or closed? Well, closed meant a whole lot less work (very appealing!), but the door was an awful fit, so I decided on that being open. To add a little detail in there I decided to add some ribbing to the interior where it could be seen opposite the door. While doing this I was still trying to make up my mind about the gun placements. Then I wondered if any other areas would be visible through the windows and stuff like that... one thing lead to another and before I knew it I had gone and added ribbing to the entire thing nearly. I still don't know why I did it, but for some weird reason I actually enjoyed it!!? :suspect: Completely ficticious, but has something other than a smooth interior in there anyway! Gun placements finally decided as open It's all painted up now and ready to close up, including a pilot too. I thought he'd look good in there if he can be seen through the thick canopy glass! Here I've dealt with all the seams on the fuselage and rubbed them down properly now. The canopy has been dipped in klear and fitted, with the small gaps around it sealed with some gator glue as they we pretty small. The side windows have been filled in with some Humbrol clearfix that will act as a mask when spraying. I will remove them and do it all again at the end, saves having to plug up the small gaps. The lower wings and tail are also added now, and the necessary filling has been done. Don't those colours look cool!! And work is now progressing on the top wing and engines... just filling in the gaps around them. More very soon!!! Karl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The wooksta V2.0 Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Wow! Looks great. Can't wait to see the finished product! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perry Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 looking good, great work on the interior! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxidad Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Just love seaplanes! Matchbox's kit of the Walrus is also a real gem. Following this one with great interest - looks good so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick b Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Looking forward to this one Karl, are you using the Mushroom Publication as a reference at all? I seem to recall the interior shots in the book being a little disappointing as the RAF Museum example they photographed is pretty bare inside. Are you going to finish it pre war or camouflaged? Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptmvarsityfan Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Looking great, very nice interior. Should be an impressive model of a very attractive aircraft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Are you going to do this in a per-war, silver scheme or a wartime camouflage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dswoofie Posted September 8, 2009 Author Share Posted September 8, 2009 It'll be a pre-war one in either overall silver, or with a grey fuselage. I'm not using the Mushroom models reference no, I don't have a copy of it. Would have liked one, but I couldn't justify the cost at the moment Karl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p-26luvr Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 SUPER interior scratchbuilding, I have this kit in my to build pile. I also have a set of 1/72nd scale plans from back in the late 1950s, I think from an old Aeromodeller issue, that has a side view showing the interior layout. Like you I plan to detail the model. I will be looking forward to your future post with great anticipation. Carl T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p-26luvr Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 I went through my plans this morning to check & the plans I mentioned were in the October 1959 issue of Aeromodeller. They are comprised of a double page spread & a single page plus text w/ photos. In the view that shows the interals everything is numbered & part of the text tells what the number is relating to. The view is of the starboard side of the hull. I should think the plans might still be available through MAP plans service. Carl T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Have you looked here: http://www.seawings.co.uk/ If not, select " references " on the lehthand column. Then click on " Plans ", then scroll down to " Supermarine Stranraer". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Love it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dswoofie Posted September 10, 2009 Author Share Posted September 10, 2009 Some slight progress on the Stranraer... I now have joined the top wing together. When dry fitting it I found that there was no positivity to the wings joining the centre section, and they could fit anywhere from a +20 degree dihedral, down to a -20 degree one they were that loose! So, I figured the only way to get it right was to temporarily attach all of the struts and then balance the whole lot on top, and glue them then. After many, many attempts at setting this up, and using a whole vocabulary of swears, I got them balanced and quickly splotted some glue in there. Once the wing was all dried, I took it off again and removed all the struts. There were some pretty prominent join gaps that required some superglue/talc filler, and plenty of rubbing down. I did lose a little of the scalloping detail in that area, but there was nothing I could do about that, and will have to live with it. There was also a fiddly little fault in the top of one wing. It looks like the plastic had an air bubble, or didn't flow properly into one point, and this left a divot that sat right on a scalloped shaping on the wing. In order to sort it out I used some Mr Surfacer and applied several coats to fill it up. I then carefully rubbed it down and did my best not to alter or lose the surrounding shaping. Luckily as it sands very easily it did the job nicely. Here's the divot. It doesn't look like much in the pic, but would have stuck out like a sore thumb if left... And filled in with Mr Surfacer... And finally rubbed down and smoothed out... job done! And the top wing all filled and sanded ready to move onto the next steps. More soon! Karl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Excellent save on the wing Karl! And I love that interior - shame so little of it will get seen. Grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atdb27 Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Do like how htis is shaping up. Silver Wings Rule! Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPNGROATS Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Karl: Good job on that Matchbox kit...an interesting a/c for sure...I've only built two Matchbox kits, both Brewster Buffalos but have a few in the stash including the Stranraer...your build is encouraging me to perhaps build something Matchbox..! A picture of some of the Matchbox kits in the stash... Cheers, ggc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dswoofie Posted September 12, 2009 Author Share Posted September 12, 2009 Build that Walrus!! You know you want to... I have the Revell re-release to work on next. Karl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 GOOD beginning..LOVE seaplanes....and talking of them....which one is it in your AVATAR? Love your build keep it up... HOUSTON... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dswoofie Posted September 12, 2009 Author Share Posted September 12, 2009 GOOD beginning..LOVE seaplanes....and talking of them....which one is it in your AVATAR?Love your build keep it up... HOUSTON... Thanks... the Avatar is a rolling set of 5 different Stranraers, no ideas of which ones though! Karl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Thanks... the Avatar is a rolling set of 5 different Stranraers, no ideas of which ones though!Karl. All of your Stranraers are RCAF aircraft. http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/v2/equip/...ranraer-eng.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousFO98 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Build that Walrus!! You know you want to... I do but it's not mine Was thinking the Norseman would be cool, ggc! Loving the Stranraer build Karl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPNGROATS Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Walrus: The Norseman would look cool, as a Canadian bush plane, with a full cargo of Moosehead beer.. Cheers, ggc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Walrus: The Norseman would look cool, as a Canadian bush plane, with a full cargo of Moosehead beer..Cheers, ggc Anything but Moosehead! That ain't beer, it's s***e! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPNGROATS Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 OK, stick with me here, think Canadian, what brew should the Norseman be bringing?? perhaps Tuborg...eh? Cheers, ggc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 Why not Molson's " Canadian "? http://www.molsoncanadian.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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