Bangseat

Really great round up, thanks. Plenty to dream about! I'm trying to imagine needing a Peopoly Phenom xxl...

Bill, she's a beaut! Much better than mine darnit! 😂 Seriously well done negotiating the brave new world of 3d print. I'm very humbled that you would take the time to make something so eye-catching from my simple kit. Also thank you for your experience, I have already improved the wing printing process and can definitely incorporate some of your improvements into Socata v2. Socata fans - its now on eBay.. Harry

Castle Sween caravan park, on Loch Sween 30 mins from Lochgilphead. Oban eh, the metropolis! Seriously, you're in a lovely part of the world. I now live in Bedford! Harry

Ditto Britannia...Miliput wasn't a one stop shop, but definitely helped plug a few large holes before the job lot of Halfords filler primer arrived!

This really is a trip down memory lane...first kit I built, or watched my dad build, in a caravan in Argyll when I was 7. Superglue was his weapon of choice. I learned a lot about swearing that day.

Fabulous! Its a very elegant aircraft, and those are lovely builds.

Ha ha! Yes, the ambitious limited run decal maker comes upon a stumbling block when it comes to white on colour. There are folks out there somehow maintaining 10+ year old ALPS printers for this. They really need to start manufacturing these again... Looking terrific, Bill!

Ooh that's a veritable Smörgåsbord of grey tones, dull aluminium and weathering... Airliner engines are fun!

The VC10 was OK in this regard too. One of the few bonuses...

Really interesting, thanks Ben. I am rereading the side guide bit as I am not quite visualising it, and the concept is a bit new. Have you effectively created a line on a curved plane, a line that bends in three axes? In Onshape, I'm not sure how this can be done. I can create a horizontal plane at the appropriate angle between the 2 guide curves and draw a curve on it which can be used as a "path" for the loft (also constrained by the 2 guide curves). This works well for a fairly regular profile, but when the widest point of the section sketch isn't necessarily where the path coincides with it (it is drawn on a flat plane after all) it can cause wierd lumps and bumps! I have to say though, 75% of the time, Onshape gets the side profile near bang on without any side profile, just the section profiles and the guide curves.

Loving this, Tom, please keep up this morale boosting airliner building for the good of the nation. That DC10..

Exactly. I don't want to fill Bill's fine thread with lots of 3d printer shoptalk, but a layer height of 0.01mm, which is possible, only defines the resolution in one dimension (Z axis). On the other two, the resolution is limited by the pixel size of the LCD screen that defines the layer shape.

Yes, have a go! I use a more involved post cure process for clear - max 90 sec under UV to minimise yellowing, and cure in a bath of IPA (or water) to avoid oxidisation, which is a chalky white film that can form otherwise and is tricky to remove. After cure dry straight away with an airbrush. I then clear coat with 2k which goes a long way to improve the transparency of the naturally frosted surface. If that was done after a manual polish, no reason why they couldn't be very clear indeed. In a few years maybe we will have amazing LCD screens with ultra sharp XY resolution and then these parts could be quite something. These are done on a Mars with 50 micron resolution, I would be interested to see how clear parts come out on a Phrozen Sonic Mini with 35 micron resolution, not yet interested enough to spend £400 though!

Fabulous Dragmaster!

Spectacular Victors! Helping me overcome residual guilt as I just "retired" a rather sloppy B2 I made some years ago [removes inflight refuelling probe from lockdown beard]

I'm in, I can't resist! Look forward to seeing what you can elevate this to. It all looks surprisingly good so far, this might be one of their best. Is the double bubble edge on the fuselage side OK?

OK I'm in! Great project...are you going to scratchbuild the old fashioned way? I'm fascinated at how you are deriving dimensions from the picture. Stereometry - will i need a doctorate to understand? 🤪 Thanks also for Wintergaten, that is genius...

Lovely model, and an unusual subject. I also love the rib detail, looks like you have done it with close reference to the original - did the kit tell you what to do, or did you have some plans?

Hi @rob Lyttle, the material is UV photoactive resin, specifically this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ELEGOO-405nm-ABS-Like-Photopolymer-Printer/dp/B08166BZBN It is nice to work I find, softer and easier to re-scribe than trad polyurethane resin. Decal wise, I am working up to a proper "release" (will list on eBay probably) and there will be a couple of options in the box: Great work on that canopy Bill!

Thanks Bill! I will join you at Club Tampico for a Piña Colada if there's room at the bar..

How frustrating. I can't offer truly expert advice, just sympathy as it is so gutting to be within reach of 3d nirvana but the machine is playing up. Did you mean to say the prints were 1% out at 5mm? Ie 0.05mm out? That's not a degree of inaccuracy I would be too upset by...I typically get slightly different performance from different resins, eg Monocure clear tends to come out a bit bigger than Elegoo - I know this because I've made prototypes in both and the Elegoo part fits perfectly and the Monocure always needs a tiny bit of adjustment. Re the washing, you will not damage the parts no matter how long you soak them in IPA - I've left them for days (by mistake mind). Re the build plate coming out of alignment, that would really ruin you day. Hope you get your replacement soon. Also just to add, cold weather is a big issue at the moment, depending on your set up might be a problem.

Brush painting can yield beautiful results. I used to brush paint everything- very relaxing! Thin multiple coats a good idea, how thin is practice and feel. Humbrol or Revell enamel brushes well, some colours may work better than others though. Also a primer is a good idea, Halfords spray cans do just fine. I would get a spray can of matt enamel varnish rather than brush paint the Humbrol, I never managed to get a consistent, non-cloudy coat by brushing. Gloss is fine though. Good luck with the photoetch! That seat looks the business.

Really interested to see how this shapes up. Ropey details eg undercarriage can be scratch built or even better 3d printed (it mystified me why Mach 2 master their models the old way). The real question is has it got any serious shape issues (see VC10). I'd keep an eye out for windows - not just do they wander around like a drunken man but are they level one side to the other? I do admire Didier, it must be hard, hard work with much burning of the midnight oil making a kit of such a large complex type.

At first I was going to say something about strange misalignment of the stars when you make a modern, well fitting kit..but then it looks like KP have thrown in some curve balls! Could it be that they just don't try as hard when they tool a civilian? Or could it be they know civil aficionados are used to hard work and need a few interesting bits to stop them falling asleep at the bench..?

Lovely build! I've never been able to work out Sea Kings, especially early ones, with so many variants and mods it makes my head auto rotate. Hats off to one who can!