greggles.w

OK, so this time a 'work in progress' post which will actually post some evidence of work in progress! The Auster family is extensive &, frankly, a little incestuous, with many variants evolving & cross-pollinating design features in differing configurations. Autocrat, Autocar, Aiglet, & Alpine, Arrow, Atom & Alpha .. Ad infinitum! I like the honesty from this expert researcher: a "possible" family tree! (noting even this seems limited to post-war non-military variants) .. ours is a J5P, a fair way down the breeding trail from the MkIII of the kit. From what I can best determine, the bulk of the change is in the fuselage, which increased capacity over time from two to three & then four occupants by this model. Interestingly, it seems this evolution was built upon the essentially the same tubular steel frame ... ... around which a timber secondary-frame was added to bulk up the volume, like so: ... as seen here down the inside: metal frame (= Sword MkIII Auster kit fuselage cross-section) + timber sub-frame (= scratchbuild Autocar fuselage cross-section): So I started with joining the kit supplied rear bulkhead, floor & fuselage halves (curiously two toned, free-floating in the bag .. scavenged from two production runs?) & just like the real thing I'm starting to build around this a frame for the larger shape .. Concentrating on the portion behind the cockpit cabin first. The widened fuselage of the Autocar 4x seat cabin was tapered off just forward of the tailplanes, avoiding need for these to be redesigned. Therefore I decided I next needed the tailplanes in place .. but robustly so, given the handling ahead, hence I elected to embed a brass rod ... Next the vertical tail & rudder. These were a larger redesigned unit shared with the Aiglet & a few other models. Top drawing here is MKIII, bottom is the Autocar (not precisely scale-matched, more to show differing profile) ... Interestingly the thing consists of a narrow tubular perimeter frame, light gauge channels within & a fabric skin. Nil aerofoil profile in plan. It scales out at 0.5mm thick! Here's the fixed 0.5mm sheet tail with a brass leading edge to hold the shape & again in the hope it makes it forgiving of mis-handling as construction continues ... And so that is where I'm up to ...

Thanks Ian, here's a little on the history for you & others interested, while I wait for chemicals to cure ... Here's the machine in the UK, at Kidlington 1966 registered G-AOHF (prior to that D-EFOR & EI-AJH) a few years before the big trip. You can just make out the optional glider-towing kit co-fixed with the tailwheel: Here it is mid-adventure, with the faux race-number 50, being refuelled toward the end of the epic flight, 1969. Speaking of fuel - note the addition of the Auster long-range conformal belly tank: Here it is at its new home in Tamworth Australia, the following year, looking no worse-for-wear despite the long journey! Here another year later sporting new Australian registration VH-EDF: And finally, here it is at present, owned & under restoration by Bruce Ramsay, shown reunited here with 80+yr old owner-pilot on that big trip back in '69, Richard Rudd:

A little more nose-work .. I read somewhere - lost track where - that initial production issues fitting the variable-speed propeller saw early Vega Gulls leave the factory without a spinner. This evidently was the case with this machine, on left, similar to the crisper view, on right, of the front of contemporary Vega Gull - also a long distance race winner - G-AEKE as flown UK to South Africa by Mr C.W.A Scott (R) & Giles Guthrie (L). The Dorawings kit has a few Vega Gull / Proctor propeller options on the sprue, but not one like this. So first action was to open the front of the cowling. After an initial stepping up of small drill bits I switched to this .. some sort of ‘stone grinding’ attachment that came with a gift cheap’n’cheerful drill accessory set, fit into my pin vise. This was much better then than drills. I find tiny drill bits are fine into plastic, but it seems over a certain size I have issues with them ‘ripping’ a ragged edged hole. This tool made for very controlled & even finish. Next some telescoping evergreen stock tube, slathered with cement, nested together & left for a long cure … And here’s the end tidied up & squared off as best I could manage, hovering in place momentarily .. looks the part! Next I’ve drilled a same-size hole on sheet off-cut & welded that rod on … .. when cured, the plan is to whittle that down substantially to a collar of sorts which can hold it in place from behind, within the cowl. Small steps!

.. according to Scalemates it’s 1:41, which seems a bit odd, & this box art is more caricature than likeness .. .. however I’m sure others will have a made a good go of it. My kit was a chance good-price find bundled in with another purchase .. from Japan.

Another light aircraft build for me to run in parallel with my ongoing Percival Vega Gull (active, not neglected!) A little Auster which was flown solo on an epic two month journey from the UK to Australia, in the wake of the 1969 BP Air Race. The race marked the 50th anniversary of the first Australians to make that long distance flight in under 30 days, in a Vickers Vimy in 1919. The Auster was not a competitor, but carried a load of commemorative mail generating funds for the RAF Museum & to cover trip costs. Importantly for me, it sported a faux race number 50 - which makes it a fine subject to build for display at our club’s 50th anniversary show at the end of this year. This machine was a civil build 1955 4x seat J5P Autocar, but the nearest available kit at my preferred scale is the 1/48 Sword 1940’s military build 2x seat Auster MkIII. So there is conversion work to be done! In short: the wings can be used as is, but the fuselage will be substantially revised. Work is underway in earnest, will post first WIP progress soon ..

Hi Malc, yes if I recall correctly that Mazda was the people’s choice award winner for that month - deservedly so - as voted by the members. I’ve just got in contact with the builder - I’ll PM you with his details & he’s happy for you to get in touch. I believe he already loiters around this site, so may succeed in encouraging him to post it WIP &/or For Inspection..

Thanks for the warm welcomes @Courageous, @bigbadbadge, @Romeo Alpha Yankee! Another teeny task... rhinoplasty The kit sprue provides various noses for various Vega & Proctor versions. They have all been attentively moulded with the incremental variations over time to air intake slots & openings. However the offset main opening on this real machine had cowling folded inwards down the the centreline & bottom of opening, as shown bottom right ... ... within the kit part the little vertical slot leaves very minimal space for fabricating & fixing these bits, so I took a bit of the kit's PE fret, folded & ground, & blended in ... Park that while I wait for the fuselage to catch up ...

Hello Matt, terrific to hear from you, & very well done for bringing those two into the light! The Christen Eagle in particular is a fine biplane & should look impressive with those multi-coloured stripes when done. Understand the process for posting photos here is a bit round-abouts .. but if possible would love to see your progress. I set up an account over at Flickr for the purpose. Re my little Knight Twister ... I see above me here that this software is helpfully pointing out it's now "3 months later ..." since I said I had only a tailwheel left to do. I still have that tailwheel to do! I've collected some parts to scratch / fabricate, but haven't yet had a moment of focused bravado to attempt it. I have told myself that having said I will do it, then I must do so before I will allow myself to post it in the 'ready for inspection' forum here. However I did take it on a sneaky outing to my local club night back in November. You can catch a glimpse of it, sans tailwheel (and together with my Short Crusader on similar mount) in this video posted on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/522597449/videos/4577184092346655/ I should - must - will - wrap this one up!

Thank you! .. yes they are very ‘automotive’! Unfortunately the cutout to the bottom of the spats is similarly square section. I can’t quite work out if it would need a ‘subtractive’ solution - sanded as you say - or ‘additive’ .. it may actually need a bulge added to bring the front edge into the curve at the front of the spat ..? Easiest if I had a more rounded profile, suitably larger diameter set in the spares box .. but no. I have been lazy, & am using the excuse that 80% of that wheel disappears into the spat ..

A 'merry time of year' diverted me, but I am re-engaging, lots of small tasks, here's two near done .. The Dora Wings wheels & spats are very lovely. The spats being 3x parts like so.. The separate top strut fairing is a thoughtfully accurate detail, but the main fairing splits lengthwise, while the real parts split front-back, like so ... Not that it's a big deal, just focused my effort to ensure I fully removed any sign of the front seam. The last spatted undercarriage I did had spat & wheel combined in one part and that was a painting challenge, distinguishing wheel from spat. I do like the wheel separate from the spats in this kit, but assembly by the instructions would 'capture' the wheel .. a missed opportunity! So I put the wheels on a suitably gauged temporary axle & carved out a trench to allow me to fit the wheels after painting... Wheels have been painted (most to disappear into the spats!) & the spats are primed - red oxide - in the queue for topcoat red with fuselage when ready. Another side task, the de Havilland Gipsy Six inverted inline engine, a lovely little sub-assembly from Dora Wings, plastic & PE ... someone ought to build this kit with the cowling open ... For me, tentatively planning another 'in-flight' display, it's merely that which will be seen in through here: Those white pushrod sleeves are prominent. The kit provides PE for these. They are incredibly fine as you'd expect, but also very thin, two dimensional, so I switched these out for white styrene rod .. here halfway with 6x done ... .. & some time later, all 12x in place (+ 20 odd of the wrong length or launched across the room .. somewhere) .. there's a PE plug wiring loom to add .. contemplating if & how best to with that .. Other minor works are also moving in parallel - instruments, wing landing lights - but that's it for this reportage ... Having fun!

Coming to this one very late, but here's some interior photos of the remaining extant G-AEZJ ... https://www.facebook.com/EAM.BLOGG.SE/posts/514764612353893 This looks to me like there's a few luxury upgrades in there (rear headrests?) but it does confirm - grey it is!

Hello @Shark444 & @wellsprop … just curious if this was a successful experiment? I’ve come across this while searching, thinking these should be just the little thing that 3D printers can handle …

A period advert for the specific ‘satin finish’ dope used on the Vega Gull, an example of which just so happens to be depicted in this charming artwork. Speaking of dope, I’m a bit of a dope .. I managed to damage two of the four stabiliser parts while removing from the sprue .. (if on an elevator or rudder I believe this bit would be called a ‘horn’ - do we use the same term for the fixed stabilisers??) .. so I harvested some sprue & grafted that on .. .. & shaped it, with more care, seems passable.. .. sufficient to commit to fixing elevators, hanging here as they cure in the hope that gravity helps them find a neutral alignment .. With them is the rudder, also curing. It’s another element of the kit seeking to accomodate Vega & Proctor, with a lovely little tail light moulded in. Suitable for the Proctor, but no such fitting on this (or other?) Vega Gulls. So that’ll need to be ground out. Escalating pre-Christmas lunacy here in my household, hope you’re all faring well..

Great scheme - great to see it cracking on confidently at 50! Nicely finished, congratulations.

Much admired - not least for the gusto to launch into that surgery you describe!

Very nice! And plans for a DC-2 are supported! I take your point re small scale. I flew a short commuter flight in a SAAB turboprop last week, and stood in much the same place as your pilot while I waited my turn to climb the airstair. I thought that was small .. it now helps put this in perspective!

A jewel! Congratulations, a fascinating subject, beautifully crafted!

None needed! I was equally curious. I don't think I've ever seen a full inventory in one place - thanks - now I know all the delights I can't find!! So when I last updated I had a seemingly trivial triple-task list remaining ... well I can report: 2 of 3 done! Exhausts - straightforward use of brass tube - & a scratchbuilt carb intake thingy ... one of these: ... those images are all I had to go on, for this time-appropriate configuration of the aircraft. There were several incremental changes in intake & exhaust setup in other photos. So I rigged up something - a tiny styrene horseshoe-shaped projecting surround & a few raised panel line resin decal offcuts within to suggest ... whatever they are above, I guess some sort of louvres? ... ... & then clogged it all up with paint! And here it is, together with the 2x exhausts, fitted in place ... So now all that remains at the tail end of this build is .. the tailwheel! Perhaps you may see this in 'Ready for Inspection' before Christmas .... we shall see ...

Nice to hear from you again Dave! ... & I agree, on balance this is a sweet little kit, and kudos to Dorawings for launching it. Given the February deadline - which causes a cold sweat whenever I think of it - I am inclined to avoid any rhinoplasty for this one! Thanks Ray, these two at the two scales & such different schemes should add interest. Will be nice to contrast the two kits as they unfold. And file received today, many thanks!! OK, so another step forward, wing related. I'm probably overly cautious, but I've been thinking it might be worthwhile reinforcing the wing to fuselage connections, so today I've prepared a set of spars. These have been threaded through the 'tunnel' between the floor & bottom piece of the three-piece fuselage ... Rummaging around I found workable diameter styrene tube, plus some brass tube which neatly sleeved within that, paired together & welded in place like so ... The 'spars' have been extended out as far as the fixed gear spat / struts, within the non-dihedral centre wing sections. Funny how the floor stepped so conveniently like that - almost as though the real machine arranged its structure in a similar way ..!? ... shown in place with a loose test fit with the main fuselage parts: The spars won't be visible within the cockpit as above, as the kit supplies wing-chord-shaped blanking pieces to fit to the inside of the fuselage halves. That's all for today!

A charming pair, very smart liveries!

Thanks Derek & Chris - & I welcome your extra research there too! I must see if I can source that article ... But now, as promised, something tangible! I’ve leapt out of the gate with this one - less than one calendar week from receipt of the kit in the post and I’ve completed the wing assemblies. I’m sure most of you knock that over in an afternoon, but for me that’s scorching progress! Once again, as I step over the line, committing to building leads to learning so much about these interesting machines. For instance I had not expected to find this one had folding wings. A large section - with integral flaps - hinged up to allow the fold, as shown here plan & period photo demonstration (by Mr Percival I seem to recall .. but can't find my reference now to double-check!): The Dorawings kit breaks each wing into eight parts - excluding landing light parts - which articulate these folding panels & the ailerons, but not the flaps. Having said that, it’s not like it offers an ‘either / or’ option for display. To build with wings folded would require some sawing & significant supplementary scratch-building. After some testing with the very snug-fitting parts I thought it wise to add a shelf of sorts to support the wing-fold panels, as butt-joints all round seemed too optimistic: There’s quite a hierarchy of panel joints on the Vega wing; from quite substantial around the wing-fold panel to subtle & streamlined at the ailerons, as seen here … This is nicely replicated with snug fit of the kit parts at upper surface with wider joints below. Seems appropriate? However I did think the flaps were relatively ill-defined (left below), so these were scribed a little deeper (right) … A note for others building the kit: those little pieces boxing out the landing lights are handed! They are subtly tapered to match the wing. This is not some revelation on my part, as it’s shown as such in the instructions, just others may near-miss that as I did! As plenty of others have noted, the Dorawings kit is configured for various Vega Gull & subsequent Proctor variants. As such there are tiny wedges to fill the space for the later Proctor wing-tip navigation lights. There’s also a ‘blanking’ piece - not acknowledged in the instructions - where the later Proctor has some bulbous appendage .. shown here on the Dorawings Proctor test build: The blanking piece straddles the join line between wing & fuselage’n’wing root .. shown here on someone else's online build thread: It just so happens that junction is the very same delineation between burgundy and silver. The opportunity to paint this two-tone scheme as sub-assemblies, rather than masking, is very appealing! So I fixed that piece to wing now .. the little tab seen far right .. .. & then sliced off the projection .. .. & promptly popped the little offcut into the bag before I loose it - I'm going to need that later! So that's major wing assembly done, here showing the close fitting upper surfaces … ... & the more open-jointed lower surfaces ... Now to fill, clean up seams & prep for fitting the landing lights ..

Thanks for the enthusiasm all. For those as interested in the history of the real machines as much as building the kits, here’s my latest discovery in the wee hours of the morning .. This is a photo of ‘competitors in Brisbane to Adelaide centenary air race’ c/o the State Library of NSW. It’s dated the 17th December 1936, which makes it the 2nd day of the race, so taken at either Mascot Sydney, Cootamundra or Melbourne. While the individuals are not identified, I am quite confident after triangulating several sources that this is our Vega Gull VH-UVG, and the two on the left are the husband & wife, owner & pilot team: On the left, J.W.F.Collins, 30yrs. A most interesting - if sadly short - biography found here, c/o the Australian National Univeristy: https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/collins-john-william-5740 In the middle, Margaret Eleanor Collins, as follows (published 1939, c/o State Library QLD): It’s not clear if she shared the flying duties, even if the above caption shares the credit for the win. Such a fuss is made of the other women pilot entrants in media of the time that I would have expected same for Mrs Collins if she too were flying .. but no, so probably not. Nevertheless, this all just adds to the appeal of this as a subject to build at scale. Speaking of which .. I have made a start .. will post progress soon!

Found this in my late-night research trawling … https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/brisbane-adelaide-centenary-air-race Fascinating, great footage of a variety of machines on grass airstrips, even if not directly useful to me as a reference. There is - briefly - the nose of a Vega Gull, but the prop has a spinner, which identifies it as the one other Vega which was entered. There is also - less briefly - the nose of one pilot proudly recalling the days of widespread use of the handkerchief!!

Manual-feeding a multi-page drawing set through a work-from-home bubble-jet printer ... loitering at the computer ... what better time to start a new thread! All going to plan, this thread will lead to a two-part finish! Finish 1 My local club is working towards an ambitious goal to mark the RAAF's 100th Anniversary; as part of the annual ScaleACT public show (for 2021, COVID delayed to February 2022) the club is preparing a display of one of every machine the RAAF has ever operated. This has involved much effort by the subcommittee to collate & administer a master spreadsheet, collecting members builds & new-build commitments to account for all types. I have found one of the dwindling final remaining machines which works for me, this Percival Vega Gull, as operated by RAAF No 1 Communications Unit & No 82 Wing Headquarters: This machine was 'impressed' into service in January 1940, retaining it's civil maroon & silver paint scheme, with registration replaced by roundels & RAAF serial no. As shown here on DEKL'S II decals sheet; So my plan is to build and finish in this scheme, to contribute to the club display, but with decals not sealed in, so they can later be easily stripped off ... Finish 2 Before stepping in for war service, this privately-owned machine was quite a competitor, being entered into at least two pre-war air races. One of these was the 1936 South Australian Centenary Air Race, from Brisbane to Adelaide, and this machine was the winner of the Speed Section! Despite the race being over 1,440 miles - via Coffs Harbour, Sydney & Cootamunda in NSW, then Melbourne & Nhill in Victoria, and on to Parafield South Australia - the Vega Gull beat the second-place Stinson Reliant by a mere 1½ sec!! So after I peel off the RAAF decals, I will add VH-UVG registration & race number 49 in white circle like so, returning it to pre-war race livery to sit with my other air racers: This is the kit, received in the post earlier this week: And this oh-so-beautiful sole surviving - airworthy - UK machine shall be my benchmark for the 'maroon & silver' base scheme common to this machine's RAAF & Racer finishes: OK, printing nearly finished, time to sign-off. February deadline requires rapid action, so I ought to have something to post of progress soon ...

Too busy w domesticity at present for progress, but did take delivery today of Dora Wings Percival Vega Gull, and during a quick squiz at the contents I made this comparison … both aircraft at same 1/48 scale … a shock reminder of how diminutive this Knight Twister is!