Challenger350Pilot

A really amazing undertaking. Its good to see the old airliners being paid due attention. Very good job with the foil...you are quite brave! This is going to be a treasured beauty!

What a beautiful work in progress. I really like the finish and your approach to accuracy.

An amazing tribute, and emotional account. Thank you so much for sharing this. I am always amazed when someone builds with such a personal connection. I wonder if you felt the wonder and joy of your father's life, career, and pleasure over you as you studied and brought together this amazing model...? I certainly hope so. You have most assuredly enhanced this community with your story first, and your build second. Helps us to remember the machines we enjoy reproducing in miniature are real, and lovely, and a testament to man's ingenuity and intelligence. The Heller 707 build is by no means "straight forward," if you want to get it right. The pictures show you've done your research and did indeed "get it right." A beautiful model done well, and the livery is beautiful. Pan Am, in its simplicity, loaned grace to these beautiful airplanes, and you have captured it in your effort. I've built two of these beasts, and they are not easy...but they are very rewarding with patience and persistence. Thought I'd share my two with you below....

Welcome to the forum, and to Britmodeller. This is a great place to seek and receive good advice on building, and the replies are always respectful and praiseworthy. You'll enjoy the people here...they are genuine and keenly interested in good builds. Nice model, and a beautiful livery. Looks like the Testor's gloss enamel didn't go well, but who can ever tell why? Sometimes the temperature while applying is too hot, too much humidity, could be the nozzle was partially clogged and caused the spray to "spit;" or it could be that the Testor's sprays are just plain inferior. The clear gloss enamel will yellow over time, and sanding it smooth or removing it will only prove to be frivolous. Next time, try the Tamiya products. And for a clear sealant/protectant the use of an acrylic floor wax, such as the Johnson product "Future" would be easy to apply in sparing quantities, with no yellowing. Lesson learned, I am sure. Nonetheless, and all of your observed flaws considered, this is a fine model, and a good choice for a beautiful livery.

Hi Rob; Please do NOT feel like a fraud passing judgment. Model building is about as subjective as it gets, and passing judgment is a norm in this hobby. I appreciate your observation regarding the hard tires. I actually thought about going the extra mile and flattening the tires a bit, so she would look "loaded," but I really stuck with the look of being brand new, rolling off the factory floor in Burbank, California in 1958, before she made her delivery flight to Amsterdam and KLM. So the model stands "empty" of passengers, baggage, freight, and fuel. when fully loaded the real "H" model Connie would stand a bit tail down, with her main gear struts barely showing any silver shock, and her main gear tires rounded out a bit, but certainly not flattened...still inside the normal CG envelope for takeoff and flight. And she would weigh in at about 72 tons fully loaded; a far cry from only 65.

Hi Paul... You are tackling a very special project, one that is very near to my heart. I remember having all of the Aurora general aviation 1/72 scale aircraft as a young boy, building them all to the best of my young inexperienced ability, and having the time of my life while assembling them I have found some of them on eBay, at times with outrageous prices attached; quite a far way from the $1.75USD I paid in the local toy store for them. Alas, someday I would like to build them again, with greater care and attention to detail that these beauties deserve. I'll follow this project with great anticipation. Here's hoping it goes well for you! Glad you're doing this.

So beautiful. I love the attention to detail you make. Really a job well done!

Thank you for the link to the pic! Its interesting to note that in the pic, the airplane has no tip tanks. I failed to mention in the short biography of the airplane that the H models had removable tip tanks, which explains why some pics of the original airplane are with and some without.

SHE IS COMPLETE! And posted in Ready for Inspection....

This is the 1/72 scale Heller/Humbrol Super Constellation, completed as an L-1049H-82. This particular Constellation (Dutch registration PH-LKN) was entered into service in 1958 as one of 23 Super Constellations at KLM, and one of only three “H” model Connies in the fleet, configured as a “combi” for passenger and cargo carriage. She was christened the “Hermannus Boerhaave”, and could seat 112 when fully configured for passenger carriage. Sometime prior to her retirement from KLM in 1962, she underwent a livery design change, emerging in the later KLM Constellation livery of dark blue stripes over and under her windows. Following retirement, she flew for World Airways, then Flying Tiger Line. She was damaged beyond repair as a result of a fueling accident on Kingman, Arizona, and ended her useful life as a gate guard at the Mojave County Airport there in 1971. Sadly, as has been the finish for most of these beauties, she was broken into scrap in 1975. This model has been a long labor of more than a year, but nonetheless a joy and learning process to finally complete. Many thanks to my newly found Canadian friend “radioguy” for his much appreciated and treasured guidance, suggestions, and instructions from his own experience in Connie building…”school never stops!” To see the process of assembling this particular model, go here: Enjoy!

Update... I made a sort of "jig" on the workbench with c-clamps and spare plywood, some foam rubber, and a clamp to hold the model perpendicular to the floor, so that I could mount the engines to the nacelles, allowing the weight of the resin to press against the epoxy. I'm allowing for curing before placing her back on her gear. This is the home stretch! Attach the props, give her a gentle wash, get her staged, and she'll go to the "Ready for Inspection" forum. Almost home........

Antennae rigging...pressed and glued two small pieces of thin styrene together, then cut to shape, sanded until smooth, then drilled a small hole for the cables to attach. There are two small drilled holes in the center and port vertical stabilizers to accept the cables when pulled just slightly taught.

Update... Had to go back and correct the location of the NAV lights on each of the tips tanks. They were originally mounted too far aft, so I removed them, made a repair, and drilled a small "seat" for each lens in the correct position. Thanks to my friend Alan for the recommendations and instructions on correctly seating the NAV lights..."school never stops!" Also completed the decal application on the tail, and applied the fuselage cheat lines, cockpit windows, and PE windshield wipers. The large cheat lines were nearly a nightmare, cracking and splitting, even with Microscale decal film applied. They were repaired with some patience and thanks to an extra repair stripe included with the decal sheet. Next step will be to apply the cabin windows, finish up some detail decals, and apply an acrylic sealant before attaching the engines as the final step. Here are the latest pics from the progress.....

Very beautiful! A very nice kit nicely done! Congratulations! I really like it when someone takes on a project that isn't seen often, if at all, and does it in such a unique livery!

Very well done! you have really done a fine job bringing this kit into the "modern" age. I really like the detail and modifications on the nose...especially the cockpit area. The resin gear lok beautiful too! Nice going!

This looks beautiful! Wow. Really like the length you are going to make the windows look as real as it gets.....nice job!

Been working slowly...today the port side tip tank was completed. She's beginning to take a nice shape wearing her new colors....

Hello All... Here are some update photos. Finished the landing gear, and attached them...she's standing on her own 3 legs! Taking a great shape so far! The gear doors are completed, but as yet unattached. I'll get to those this week sometime. Finished the touchup around the gear bays, and the aluminum polishing, but sill a long way to go on the finishes required before she can accept her colors and livery. probably won't post for a while, until she's made some progress putting her "clothes" on. Engines will be attached as the last step.... Thank you again for your encouragement and kind words...

Thanks, Rob. Actually, the entire radome on the Connie was often painted...the forward section was non reflective black, and the band behind the black was often light gray or sandy color. The gray I used to paint the band behind the black is the same gray used on the wing panels. Its Testor's Modelmaster enamel Japanese Navy Gray, mixed with some lighter stock gray I had in my paint stash to closely resemble the KLM livery.

Thanks everyone for your comments encouragement. I do enjoy sharing the progress here, because everyone is so positive and encouraging. So here's the latest update with the latest pics....I've repaired the uneven nacelle mount for the left outboard engine, using Tamiya modeling putty and a small piece of styrene plastic glued in for support. Finished sanding and priming for Alclad airframe aluminum, and applied. The pics below show the completed major painting. I have not begun to polish the natural metal surfaces yet, nor have I touched up overspray where the masking tape leaked, or sharpened lines around the landing gear door mounts. Final application of the decal cheat lines will cover a multitude of sins...like raised paint lines where the aluminum and the white meet, and where some of the complex curves are not even. Overall, I am pleased so far...no major catastrophes in spite of dropping the whole assembly onto the floor while masking small curves, tipping over and spilling half a bottle of Alclad onto the workbench, and a pressing tool slipping along the upper wing surface creating a huge scratch in the primer. Oh well...its just a hobby!!! The last items to be attached, after landing gear and all the apparatus that goes with them, will be the solid resin Fisher engines. I am open to suggestion and advice from all as to how to attach them...should I use plastic cement, Zap Gap super glue, quick drying epoxy?? Ideas are welcomed!

Beautiful! Always good to see a DC-10 of ANY kind finished well! Really nice detail work on the wings and tail surfaces.

This is GREAT work! Especially on an old model having already been started and then given new life. Looks really good!

Wow Ian! A beautiful build! Really love the detailed gear....just adds so much flair to the finished model. Congratulations!

Thank you, EVERY one for your kind encouragement. I've gotten the upper fuselage white painted, allowing it to cure for a few days before masking it for the Alclad black base coat on the bottom and wings. I did discover a major blunder while painting...that the left outboard engine nacelle was cut unevenly (by me) when removing the original kit flashing. Left as is would result in the left outboard engine drooping when mounted, so the preliminary thought for a fix will be to add a small shim to the nacelle before painting to lift it, thereby making it even and level with the inboard. I'm planning to use leftover PE brass cut to fit. I'm nearly positive it won't be noticed at all, and won't be seen when painted. Upper fuselage painted with Tamiya TS-26. Also finished the engines with attaching the cowl flaps in the slightly opened position.

You are truly an inspiration, Graham. I mean really. This is a fantastic chronicle of a very nice build. I want to say "comeback," but it appears your just an old hat very good with your skills. This is a difficult build, in every aspect. From the quality of the EE kit, to the addition of PE parts, decisions regarding flaps and slats (which are brilliantly done, by the way), averting disaster with paint and decals, to the final display. Very very nice job. I admire your patience and honesty, too. I have learned so much from reading and observing your process. In particular, the work with metal finishes. I am not familiar with the natural metal finish you chose...I prefer the Alclad products, and have had some success with them, though care must be taken when masking. I was about to suggest polishing the surface lightly, when I read further and discovered that you had indeed polished and achieved the result you were looking for. The engines look great! I have found that most L-1011 model kits don't really have the engine intakes quite right...they are a bit thick...and I have trimmed fans so that they would fit inside the nacelle...worked pretty well. Thank you for sharing this journey. You have enhanced the community's knowledge by your experience. I am inspired to build an EE L-1011; and the MD-11 too! Congratulations. And Thank you!