Amo Aero

"Got it right first time, beautiful fit, then realised I’d done it inside out so the machine gun hole was on the wrong side." Oh no! I will try to remember that when I build mine. The fit you achieved looks good to me.

Superb! How was the PE cowl? Did you solder it?

Beautiful work! I have one of these in the stash. Thanks for the building comments!

Fantastic rendition!

I always thought the Jake was a handsome seaplane. You have certainly done it justice!

Another stunning Phantom!!!! I like your style.

Beautiful clean build! I love the tail markings. Nice to see a closed canopy too, it better portrays the lines of the aircraft.

Wait a minute--I thought that kit was supposed to be unbuildable! Beautiful work!

Yes, that is exactly what I hoped to avoid. Looks like there will be strut scratching in my future. Thanks Paul.

That's good to hear about your Choroszy models. So far the only resin models I've built are 1/72 scale and not biplanes. I always reinforced the LG with brass rod or tubing so never had problems with the dreaded "gear sag". OTOH, scratching all the struts for a 1/48 biplane is something I would like to avoid if possible. Yes, warping can happen during the casting process if the parts are pulled from the molds before they are fully cured. Resins typically don't develop their full strength until well after the advertised cure time. Some manufacturers "post cure" their castings by placing the filled molds in a low temperature oven (or better yet, a pressurized oven). Post cured castings are very resistant to warping. The problem is, I don't know which manufacturers do that and which ones don't. From what I've seen of various manufacturer's kits, it's surprising how many don't do it. Resin kits can also warp if left in a hot car or in direct sunlight.

With you 100% on your tribute to Gordon Stevens. A true pioneer who set a standard for excellence which has seldom been equalled.

Beautiful work--as are all your models!

Have any of the struts on your finished models warped or sagged over time? I'm interested in hearing from anyone who has built 1/48 resin biplanes from Planet Models, Rest, Copper State, Silver Wings or Karaya. I have some kits from each of these manufacturers. I'm wondering if it would be worth the effort to scratch build replacement struts to avoid any warping problems or if the struts are sturdy enough to stand the test of time.

I don't believe that was your mistake. I took a lot of care to get the inserts fitting flush to the fuselage contours--that left a gap between the fuselage halves when they were mated together. The way the insert parts are designed, I don't see how it could be otherwise. It's a simple fix--some plastic card inserted in the resulting "slot", glued with some liquid cement, then trimmed with a sharp blade--done.

You are off to a very good start. I'm almost ready to start decalling the blown hood version of the same kit. It goes together well, with a little care needed for the fuselage inserts.