Snafu35

Hello, Jur. Isn't it the camera lens that distorts the angle of the windscreen? With the soft top, you won't see this defect any more. But congratulations on this remarkable construction and your determination! Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello, all. My Connie is ready to paint, now: Here are a few details for posterity: The engines are assembled and painted, and the decals are applied: Engines will be easy to install on the wings: Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello, All. @Planebuilder62 Thank you for your help and generosity. I found a solution by sanding the rear part of the engine covers. The joint is quite well now, and there's very little evidence of the egg-shaped appearance of the rear of these nacelles: I don't think you'll be able to tell when I've added the cooling flaps in the open position. Since I'm in the engine chapter, I've been working on the subject: I'm keeping the Heller engine parts, but I've added some crankcases I picked up in a B24 Academy box. I cut up the propeller shafts, put a syringe tube in them, and I could turn the propellers! I also made some callipers to hold the propeller shaft discs. This workshop is almost finished, and I can now move on to painting these pieces: Before painting the model, I still have to take care of the windscreen, the wing air intakes, make the landing gear.., Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello, You've made a beautiful reproduction of an aeroplane with a decoration that we often see.👍 I am very interested in your other flying fortress s/n 42-97265 MS-P of 535BS 381BG. Could you show us some photos? It's a beautiful silver fleet in your last picture, thanks for sharing. Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello, happy modelers. @MrB17: Sir, Yes Sir! (I've got lots more in 1/72 scale, if you like, Mister B17!) I've made some progress with the work. These details are final. I spent some time sanding and improving the joints. That's finished here too. Did all Constellations have roof reinforcements? I've added some, just in case... Back to photoetching to furnish the inside of the wheel bays: I started building the Plus model engine nacelles last night: That's where I mark the obstacle: The step seems too important to leave it like that, what do you think? Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello, Just to talk, let me show you a few things. I'm redoing the heat exchangers on the right wing: I'm always helped by Sweetie, who's growing up: This four-engined plane is big: Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Thanks for the tip, Jeff. That's going to be my next workshop as soon as I finish sanding the model. And as @2996 Victor suggests: are you losing your eyes? 🤓 🤣 Regards, Eric-Snafu35

I'm not going to argue with you on that one, and I may sell two kits of B17s to save a bit of storage space. What was I thinking when I bought this big box of modelkit? Saying it's a beautiful plane isn't enough, is it? May I add that you're going to have a lot of fun sanding? It's big to handle, there are nooks and crannies, in short I'm proudly and wearily coming to the end of this part of the assembly. Stay cool and have fun in modeling! Regards, Eric-Snafu35

I agree too, I just need to brush my teeth to look good in the photo! @MrB17: You've done some great masking for the cockpit windows. I thought for a moment that I'd send you the windscreen of my kit, so that you could do the same. Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello, all. I've been working on the wings this weekend: I wasted spent a lot of time on the Internet to find plans and photos to help determine the panel lines, then I engraved the plastic. I removed the hoses (quick vacuum?) behind the internal motors to replace them later with a round profile ( A ). I'm preparing the site to redo these exchangers and the grille a little further up ( B ). I've removed the pipes that may represent venting or overfilling wing tanks to replace them later ( C ). Then I'll assemble the wings, before starting the painting. Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hi Jeff, And four Another B17 Constellation in this GB! You have to come to Britmodeller to see this; we could almost form a sub-group in this topic devoted to Heller models. I had a little problem closing the fuselage, but it wasn't warped like your example. When you can, I suggest that you erase those horrible raised lines that mark the de-icing boots. @TheyJammedKenny!: Your idea of adding a bulkhead to secure the ballast is far from stupid, I'll buy it! I should be fitting the underside to the fuselage today, I've still got time to do it. I occasionally work on a B26 Airfix whose ballast is now wandering around in the fuselage. I had fixed it with glue and candle wax... As you can imagine, I'll be keeping a close eye on your adventures. Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Good evening; @stevej60: Here are some photos of the Hellcat Heller I built in ...1980. I've kept all the box art and all the notices for the models I've built. You can admire the attempt to engrave tyres at the time! Seat belts can also be seen. I cut off the bonnet to show the engine. Some of the wiring is made of sewing thread, like the brake hoses that run along the landing gear legs. I painted with Humbrol brush paints, airbrushes being out of my reach at sixteen...and in 1980! You can see the anti-skid strips, which are the same colour as the fuselage, camouflaging the unsightly cracks: I saw a varnish run on a propeller blade, I can't remember if I varnished the model with the decals. They've suffered a bit, though. And this plane is very small compared to my current construction in this Group Build: I'm going to hide now. Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello Steve, this gap between the wings and the fuselage is a design problem. I built this model well over forty-five years ago, and at the time I solved the problem by masking these trenches with tape, to represent anti-slip strips! I got this model back a while ago, and I'll take some photos to show it to you. Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello again, I've improved the tailplane a bit. I've shown the ribs on the canvas control surfaces, which are very smooth on the model: I trimmed the control surfaces to give the model a bit of life: I've finished the tailplanes, which are quite large: Finally, I did the balance test: The weight I put on is sufficient. I'll take care of the wings now. Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello all, This detail intrigues me, especially as I don't know if I should keep it. I found a photo on flikr, and it's a Constellation model on display at the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace at Le Bourget in France: Ray's photo answers one of my questions, about the disc in the red circle a little to the left: it's a retractable headlight. Thanks, Ray! But what is this thing with two tubes coming out, one of them small? Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello @Mika Jernfors : mmmh...could be! I've got lots of projects, including this tanker trailer. Give me some time to get my bearings, as I've got a building binge at the moment. I'll get to it when my workbench is less cluttered. By the way, I don't think I've introduced the Federal 606D wrecker version, 18ft boom. I built it with the extended stabilizer legs option, which is available in the box: This is the wrecker you can see in the Master of the air series. This US6T26 crane can be found on other trucks such as the Autocar U8144 in the Pacific, the Biederman, the Corbitt, and the Sterling which equips the Navy . Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Good evening all, The work is progressing well, and I'll soon be showing you my work on the tailplanes. I started engraving the wings while the glue was drying. Are there any Connie specialists on the team? Can anyone tell me what those red circled things are that Heller has moulded on the outside of the underside? Are those pipes coming out of those things? Should I keep them or sand them? Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello, @Mika Jernfors: I bought your decals a few years ago now (I've kept the magnificent envelope with a photo of reindeer 👍), ...and I still haven't built my yellow and red tanker! It's true that I'm waiting for a future International Harvester M425 kit which should be published by the French craftsman DESkit; it will replace the Wespe Model which is undersized. Thank you for your creations, and I hope they work for you. Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello, Mjwomack, I asked my friend who built the Constellation on the Master194 forum, and he told me that the front leg is solid. Sorry for anyone selling concrete landing gear. Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello everyone, Thank you for your interest. @Planebuilder62 and @Mjwomack: Today I'm going to work on the construction of the centreboard. Then I'll do the rocker test to see if my 120 grams are enough. The best place to add lead is still the front section, and as long as the underside isn't glued, anything can be added. Perhaps the Plus Model resin engines will also add a little weight to the leading edge, in front of the main wheels... The beauty of shared construction is that spectators become alarm bells! Thank you, because it's easy to forget. @Mjwomack: I've got some free time at the moment, and I haven't cut my fingers off! ( But yesterday I used a knife to cut up oranges to cook jam). Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Hello Illusive, I'm delighted to be sharing the construction of this MATS Constellation with another modeler. Welcome to the group. I use two articles as inspiration for this model: https://master194.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=126000&hilit=*Constellation and: http://scalemodels.ru/modules/myarticles/img_5786_1352490036_0.jpg.html I'm quite demanding because I want to copy reality. So don't do what I do, because it takes a lot of time! I plugged the holes in the existing portholes by cutting discs of the correct diameter from a 1mm thick sheet of plastic. I made a template, and I turn a needle stuck in a handle until the piece is cut. I didn't have a photo of the model that I wanted to build, and I'd copied the window locations from an L049. I'm going to build the 48616 because I've found two photos, because it's a model that's closest to the Heller model (the MATS Constell' quickly received a new, longer radar nose). The position of the portholes seems to correspond with what I've done. Lucky me! The principle is the same for cutting porthole windows. I bought the Brengun photoetch kit to dress up the wheel bays. I'd like to save time during these construction phases. I look forward to hearing from you. Regards, Eric-Snafu35

Good morning, I worked a little on the cockpit, to say it's done. We won't be seeing much more soon: The magnification reveals the Lockheed logo on the rudder pedals! This photo will remain a memory. Before closing the fuselage, I decided to show the protective netting on some of the windows. I cut thin strips of paper and glued them together to form a net the size of the openings: The result should be nice in the end: I attached a 120-gram weight behind the cockpit bulkhead and closed the fuselage. I had a few problems closing the front, probably because of the front axle well and the width of the bulkhead. This model will take up a bit of space once it's finished! Regards, Eric-Snafu35

@TheyJammedKenny!: Thank you for the offer, and this renewed'one makes me think that if I don't accept we won't be friends any more! @Mjwomack As you say, I'm a modelist... or so I'd like you to think... And I share your doubts about mail delivery times, especially in France today. Your approach may seem unorthodox, but it will undoubtedly produce a much faster result! Regards, Eric-Snafu35

@TheyJammedKenny! Your proposal is very generous and I thank you for it, but I'm inclined to be suspicious of the zeal shown by French customs these days: Letters and parcels from Great Britain are X-rayed, and I recently paid an outrageous surcharge on a parcel from across the Channel ( The French government is desperate for cash) . I make the portholes quite quickly I must say, and I take the opportunity to prepare the window masks: I cut the windows out of acetate, and stuck a Tamiya tape behind them to find the transparent parts, because a lot of them have jumped I don't know where! And so I prepare the masks! I lightly roll the window with a round file handle on my finger, giving the rhodoid a convex shape, and that's it. Come on, eleven more portholes to go... Regards, Eric-Snafu35

hello @Mjwomack It's a wise decision to go ‘out of the box’, and it will prevent you from looking like I do (because I'm stupid when I put two pieces of plastic together today), even if our workshops are similar! I'd like to see the progress you've made today, so that I can draw inspiration from it. However, my new tenant wants to limit my building progress. A word of advice? be selfish and don't get a little cat. Regards, Eric-Snafu35