Iain Ogilvie

Hiya Tony - can't access the link here either - get this: "Security Violation The action you attempted is not permitted." Iain

Believe me - our patio isn't exactly anything to write home about - and I'd *love* a beer table! Actuerly - what an inspired idea - could also be an outdoors modelling bench Me too usually - have made a start on the wings - but realised more realistic to get some of the smaller parts done this afternoon - and leave the wings for another day. The flaps are actually pretty crude - not sure what I'm going to do with them - an Slaters corrugations don't go that fine - or I'd just say sod it and scratchbuild... Also - am trying to mix fun and mundane - will be on interior detailing - including those bomb cells - over the next week - work and flying permitting. Final pix for today showing (hopefully) that there ios some madness in my method! Parts prepped so far: Wings - all ready for a mega sanding marathon... These vac panels will form the inner wing - where the wings join the fuselage - with their wider chord. The flaps and tail components The organised bit - a bag for everything (or box for the finer parts) and everything in a bag - including all the offcuts - you never know when a few bits of scrap will come in useful! Have fun out there! Iain

OK - starting to get some components ready for assembly here... Engine cover Mainwheels Spats Tailwheel Off for a coffee now - are these photo's/updates useful - or would you prefer more abbreviated 'headlines'? Iain

Next stage is to go straight to a flat sheet of 800 grit - why the jump rather than going down through the grades? Simple - the 800 neatens everything up nicely yet still leaves some scratches from the earlier 180 grit on the mating surfaces - allowing the Plastic Weld solvent to flow freely through the joint when parts are bonded together. Oh - and it helps if everything flat - here I have a floor tile on my lap - then a cutting mat - then the wet and dry - again - used dry - but sometimes use a little water and detergent. Dry today as I didn't want to remove too much plastic too quickly: Here's one wheel 'done' and one just after the 180 grit (at left): Important to check depth of each part and that you haven't removed too much material - here I'm checking thicknesses: This last one shows that we don't yet have correct depths - not yet a smooth circle: Back in a mo... Iain

OK - packing up shop for the day - other stuff to do - but here are some snaps showing a little more progress: Using the Bar Sander with some 180 grit wet and dry attached (using Spray Mount) I've started 'prepping' some of the parts: Wheel Spat Cowl rings... Wings I'm using this dry - but if the sanding gets prticularly 'heavy' going I add a little water to the 'mix' Iain

Erm - so am I - I haven't proved I can tackle it *yet* LOL - I'm dying to see it too... Iain

Hi Ted, I have the Combat kit also - a direct copy (for the most part) of the Modelbau Scmitt kit - albeit a fraction smaller (resin shrinkage when the patterns were copied?). Has the benefit of Floats - which the Schmitt kit doesn't include... I'll dig it out and post some pics... Iain

Cheers Walrus - Ju-52 and U-Boat top of the pile atm - and the 52 is a *lot* more straightforward than the Connie Off to get some pop as vaccing is thirsty work - then more sanding - actually very therapeutic (or maybe I've just lost the plot completely - you never know!) Iain

Yup - it's mad We live in an old barn - one end of which houses two garages - the upstairs of which provide storage at present - but at some stage will form a display area. Got to finish the kitchen first!! Here's a view from today whilst I progress on the 1:32 Ju-52: On a patio that is - for today at least - Vac Central: Am feeling motivated again at the moment - watch this space! Iain

So - about to start sanding - but in the mean-time, like me, some of you might be interested to see the size of the beastie: Now - add a 1:32 Hasegawa 109G-6 and the size starts to become apparent: But she's only a baby really - certainly compared to the Constellation: And finally - a view of the patio this afternoon - vac central - with Connie for company (who may also get some fettling today as I'm feeling inspired!) Remember - building vacs isn't hard - it's keeping the momentum and enthusiasm going that's the REALLY hard part! Have fun - maybe more later... Iain

OK - Stage the next - sander at the ready (this projects too fragile to use the all conquering bench sander - see Constellation build) and sun in the sky - time to sit quietly in the garden and cut the rest of the pieces from the vac sheets and make a start on prepping... Now - I very much hold with the KISS Principle (Keep It Simple Stupid) and have seen some very convoluted ways of removing vac parts from the backing sheet. When new to vacs it can sometimes be easier to allow a thin flange around each part - to act as a guide when sanding everything back. However - once you've gained some confidence it's a lot easier to merely score around each part - right to the edge - using a fresh blade at approximately 45 degrees - this makes cutting out and prepping a lot faster. Yes - care is needed - but with one pass of a sharp scalpel each component should simply snap free: This... To this: Iain

Well - it's been positively vac-tastic on the Ogilvie patio today - young Cameron at a friends 2nd birthday party with mum - so an afternoon pass to 'play' Firstly - I found the sanding tool I couldn't find - funnily enough I found it in a box right next to the computer desk - Doh! OK - on to the model... I guess some have wondered why I cut the top off - as well as a section from under the rear fuselage? Well - partly so I can build the fuselage and ensure everything solidly constructed before adding the interior - and also the moulded corrugations are a right PITA to get neat joins in the middle - the lower rear fuselage corrugated panel will be replaced by corrugated styrene sheet from the Slaters range. Iain

Looking good - I must try and get one of these - would look great parked next to a Tiger Moth, or early Spit Keep us posted! Hmmm - I dimly recall Matchbox doing the TC <wanders off to fire up Google> Iain

Now there's and idea... Thanks for kind words - I really want to get this off the decks now and concentrate on the Ju-52. Will see if I can make some more progress this weekend... Iain

What a great project - will be watching this one... You've also reminded me that I have one of these in the loft - one day I'll get around to it... Iain

Storming! Great finish - the white distemper effect has come out beautifully! Iain

LOL Not sure I'll be using him atm - not overly impressed... Mind ewe - they're pretty 'armless at the mo... Iain

OK - a little more progress tonight - cockpit bulkhead in place and instrument panel started. The bulkhead has been scaled up from the equivalent parts in Revells 1:48 Ju 52 and fits pretty well - it has highlighted that the floor couuld do with being a little wider - but that's an easy fix. Work has started on the instrument panel and throttle quadrant - with black oil paint applied and polished off to highlight the detail and make it easier to drill everything out. More soon! Iain

Hmmm... Looks like the resin figures are 'vertically challenged' to use the modern vernacular... Assembled standing figure only to put him next to other figures in same scale and find hes rather short! So - boots off again and short lengths of carved sprue added to legs - result - one taller chappie rather than a Smurf. Need to do the two seated ones now as they look too small as well! Blue figure is from the Revell Kreigsmarine set - vinyl - not my favourite material. Why can't they mould these figures in hard styrene?? Iain

Thanks for the kind words folks (yes - I probably am a little on the mad side!) Been working on the Ju 52 and U-Boat tonight - but will try and get some more done on Connie in next few weeks... Iain

I was really young - feels like a long time ago now... That's still the plan! Am hoping you lot will nag me senseless - and I promised a few people at Scale ModelWorld that I'd make progress and take the model (not necessarily completed - but certainly 'progressed) to this years event... Iain

Tail feathers now had a lot of work: Filled with Polyurethane resin... Cut, sanded, filled, re-shaped... It's getting there... Want to get each component spot on, primered and surface scribed/rivetted - before joining it all together and doing the fillets... As a quick reminder of the size - Trumpeters P-40 again for comparison! Iain

Tail fins - doesn't look like it yet - but a lot of work! The outers have been enlarged with 8mm deep 60 thou plastic sheet 'plugs', filled with casting resin for strength and the incorrectly moulded troughs where the fin hinge line supposed to be filled with Milliput. Once it's all hardened - it's out with the bench sander! Central fin also too short - extended with 13 mm plug and again filled with casting resin. Leading edge curve is a plastic sheet sandwich which will be carved to shape. Once shape I'll use my profile guage to mark the curve along the base so that it fits snugly on the top of the tailplane. They'll look a lot better after the next stage - and I can make a start on scribing/rivetting! When doing this much scratchbuilding it pays to have another model for reference - in this case the 1:72 Heller Connie - simply scan, or measure the part/shape and enlarge linear dimensions by 2.25. Having marked the level of the internal floor - I've now marked out the position/size of the crew entry door - which will be open on the completed model - I have some good pix of the interior of this area... Note - forward fuselage sprayed with matt grey primer - makes it easier to mark up with a technical pencil. Allways work from a single datum where possible - in this case the vertical station in line with the leading edge of the canopy. That's all for now folks - more pics after Mr Bench Sander has come out to play... Iain

Fuselage rear - section removed for tailplane - razor saw and scalpel to the rescue! Foam inserts replaced in fuselage - ready for... Spraying with grey primer to mark how much material needs removing from the foam... And here's the marked foam plug ready for the razor saw... After the cut! Back in situ - nice and neat!! Tailplane in place - area to front will be drastically remodelled when the time comes... For a sense of size - that's a 1:32 Trumpeter P-40 for comparison!! Iain

Fast forward all the way to 2007... Go on Baby, let me see you shake a tail feather... Talking of Tail Feathers... Tail fins have been primed with Halfords grey plastic primer and laid over a blown up scale drawing from original Lockheed plans. Dimensions cross checked and shape corroberated against photo's. The moulded fins are too short - luckily by about the thickness of the tailplane. You can see the fin being split in two where it will go either side of the tailplane - along with the cut-out rudders. Here's one half after surgery. A lot of cleaning up and re-shaping will be needed... Here's the tailplane - smoothed - shaped/corrected - and under multiple coats of primer... Iain