Scratching out a Sherpa rebuilding the pictures I HOPE

[kev67]

Its an out of production kit and I have been looking one for ages, may be if John Adams is reading this he will release it again

[Fritag]

Thanks for the badge variation Bill.

Glad the Sherpa is back in progress. Dunno which I enjoy more - watching the Sherpa develop (and picking up tips) or just ejoying your writing.

Steve

[perdu]

hope to entertain Steve or I would ONLY bore

I knew there'd be a long delay at times in this tale, kinda think I might have mentioned it before

I'm happy I'm back on track

soon be time to see if the postie has a present for me

Regulator this weekend and I will be spraying shortly

thank everyone for their kind comments, I hope we all get to the end soon

I'd best crack on, only about five weeks to Le Mans

at which time there WILL be a hiatus in everything else I do

cheers guys

Edited May 3, 2013 by perdu

[keefr22]

Its an out of production kit and I have been looking one for ages, may be if John Adams is reading this he will release it again

I was watching one on e-bay last week - finished for £46 with P&P. I didn't want one that much! There are so many great Aeroclub kits that it would be nice to see re-released.

But then Bill doesn't need them - he can make his own! She's coming on very nicely Bill, soon be looking good in her warpaint!

keef

[heloman1]

Still lookin' great, you're making a magnificent job of the model. Thanks for all the pics.

Colin

[perdu]

I bet you wondered if I'd gone off this one.

And yes kinda, while I've had a few more pressing things to deal with.

getting over poison tummy - yerrrk, t'were orrid it were!

And getting the men in to sort out plumbing and ceiling (damaged by plumbing...)

And still waiting for estimates Grrr!

Anyway I was also doing a bit towards this by building my brand new Heath Robinson Fridgemotor Compressor.

Some parts came along from the 'bay some from the deepest drawer in the garage and coupled with a chassis from my old "not wanted on voyage" coving mitre block that has remained unused for thirty years, here she blows. (pun intended)

gives me a nice 40psi, sprays fine.

Also whilst awaiting the pieces for this I knuckled down to it and made the second prop, I just don't have the patience to learn proper casting from the first one, so this was all I could do. The blades need a touch of adjusting here and there (one is almost ½mm too long but that is an easy fix)

As you see, a little fettling to do but what we see here is almost invisible in "real life".

I made nav lamps to let into the wingtips, both clear styrene with colour dripped into a hole drilled inside.

And you know what, they both just came out looking like coloured plastic.

Oh well thats life innit peeps.

While awaiting the muse to come in for a second strike, buggered if I know where she went to whilst the bug was in me I did manage to prepare the trim tab mechanism under the aileron surfaces. Later on there will be a pair of control rods to each portion, if i can still stretch sprue these days. Fingies crossed again lads

And this is what we've been waiting for ISH.

The first disclosing paint on the fuselage awaiting sanding down when dry, maybe Tuesday if the weather improves

As Sherpa has so many awkward crooks and nannies I decided not to attempt painting the all over discloser in one go but do it in stages

Plenty of extra filling in the offing I fear, hey ho...

The tail had more colour put on it than the rest so I could check the effect of the control surface ribbing, if it doesn't look good enough there will be a long sad journey back to the drawing board...

How's she look to you chaps? Serious question, there's a definite need to know over here. (The starboard tip plate has become twisted, soon get that back where it belongs)

And for fun, almost a nice view of her.

Suggestions and comments are invited, work in progress means getting it right to me, your help is vital

bill

Edited May 12, 2013 by perdu

[keefr22]

I can't think of any constructive critisiscm (I can never spell critisiscm - see did it again!) as she looks grand to me Bill, I can't see owt that needs improving. It looks bloody cracking in fact...!!

keef

[Learstang]

Well, Bill, I've think you've done a splendid job so far. I love those spars for the wings. So when do the real wings go on? No, not even I'm that thick, but the Sherpa does has some seriously high-aspect wings. If you attached a slender fuselage instead of that caravan of a fuselage it actually carries, it'd look like a sailplane. Just how do they keep those things in the air (the Sherpa, I mean) - earnest prayer and the power of positive thinking?

Regards,

Jason

[kev67]

Looking good, can't criticize anything as I would not know where to start on a scratch build project myself

[perdu]

Thanks guys, I will keep on with it for now then

Jason I always think the fuselage is a perfect aerofoil shape in itself, maybe the only reason for the wings is to hold the engines apart and allow a certain amount of flight control leverage

I reckon it would fly on with no wings if they fell off, just using rudder and elevator authority

More later guys, might get a full coat on later today

bill

[Shar2]

Cracking work there Bill, she's really looking the business, and the Sherpa isn't bad either.

[perdu]

Cheers Dave, she isn't as bad as I thought she might be by now. But she does try...

As for the Sherpa, I braved sub-warm-enough temperatures to do the topsides out in the garden this evening as the threat of rain receded and before the next lot starts. If we don't get a summer this year I might have to moth-ball the Midget.

Or buy Damart!

Anyway here's a few of the Gray (Amurricanised spollink) topsides. (incidentally, only one suicidal fly tonight)

Fifty shades (Humbrol enamel version), I have Xtracolor for a top coat if this one doesn't please. So far, not bad

Control surface ribbing looks fairly decent.

Side on, not bad either.

This view she really looks as if I am getting it, the look seems fairly "right" from this angle

This angle looks Ok ish too

rounding off with t'opposite side

The cabin roof area was destined to be the most probelematical - and achieved it

But not spectacularly so. I expect the few blemishes will detail out with a couple of brushloads of Humbrol and several rubs with Micromesh

Well that is it for a while

No working tomorrow, I'll be off to the Ace café tomorrow to meet a couple of mates and enjoy a blat down the M40. So the paint can harden off before the next assault on its surface

I'm generally happy with the surface detailing I engraved during construction but may have to re-emphasise some of it when there arer three or four other colours over the top

Cheers guys

Bill

[keefr22]

Looks good from all angles to me Bill...!!

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Keep on having to drop back through this thread just to be certain it was scratch built. Great stuff, on one of those "so wrong it's right" aircraft

[Fritag]

Wow Bill, looks good under a coat of paint.

(note the comma - that's the sherpa and not Bill that looks good under paint - I've read 'Eats, Shoots and Leaves'!)

I must admit there were times when I couldn't quite believe that you'd get the surface so smooth.

Steve

[perdu]

No pictures but expected high rainfall in/on Southern England persuaded me not to go Sarf so I have put the first paint "blobbing coat" over the cabin roof, another coat tomorrow will give me something to rub off gently with Micromesh

Looking at it today, yes, I am quite happy with how it is so far.

b

[dr_gn]

Only just seen this Perdu - impressive work. Keep it up!

[perdu]

Cheers G

Been at this for a while now, but turning in to finals soon.

decal-transfers to come soon too, good old MS Word

bill

[perdu]

OKayyy

I have hit a problem

Not available on the net (to my primitive searching abilities) I NEED sight of the upper surface camo pattern for a European One Scheme C23A

Plenty (OK eight) of picsof the upper wing obliquely but always with loss of parts of the image

I have emailed the chap at Bombardier-Shorts who helped me before but if he can't help I'd have to guess

I did see that the Welsh Models C23A has a camo pattern on its instructions but the only pictures I can find of one has half the pattern missing and no doubt the 1/72 scale Aeroclub version had one too.

Does anyone have a copy that he/she could scan and let me have please?

This is the sort of stuff you'd think easypeasy with t'intynet, bloomin' isn't, darnit.

I have the USAF markings dataset... everything under the sun that wore the stars and bars except, yup, no Sherpa

So it has to be one of we brave few who can help if possible

please

I am modelling the stencilling for my decal sheet in paintshop today, blimey some of them are hard to read off photographs

oh well, it's a mad hobby anytime innit peeps?

thanks for looking.

Bill

Edited May 15, 2013 by perdu

[keefr22]

Hi Bill,

Sorry, I haven't got either of the kits & don't think any of the guys in the club have either.

Best I've managed to find is here;

http://airalex.homestead.com/files/C_23_SHERPA_KIT.JPG

It's a copy of the Welsh Models instructions, but he's managed to cut half the plan view off! It may be worth dropping Welsh an e-mail, friend of mine often deals direct with him & says he's usually pretty helpful, Or John Adams from Aeroclub, he may still have the drawings, & he still posts on here.

keef

[perdu]

HA...

That is the same picture I found

I don't like to disturb John about this, I started this before I even knew John was a member here and I think it might seem a tad disrespectful. Me making a different version of one he made, not quite the thing you know.

but thank you for looking Keef, I am distictly useless at the search facility kind of stuff

Google does its best but can only find what is there

I may have to try John or Welsh Models if necessary, I'll give it a day or so

cheers

bill

[keefr22]

I know what you mean about bothering people, I'm much the same! It's a bit different though as John doesn't actually sell the Sherpa anymore, so it's not as if its a current item of his - & you haven't just gone & taken moulds off one of his kits, it's all your own work!

Hopefully someone will be along with one of the kits soon...!!

[kev67]

Try USAF SIG as they had a Sherpa in camo configuration at Milton Keynes

[perdu]

I saw a Sherpa model at Cosford, should have taken a picture of the top

Today I have been working Paint Shop Pro, Photoshop and MS Word to produce some of the decals

I took the drawings I have, made the outlines of the emergency exit markings and cut here panels to fit. Then took extracts from the NATO symbols guide to produce the servicing marks you can see on camo Sherpas and added them all together with a set of USAF and serial numbers printed in Amarillo font with very dark grey colour ink selected..

It looks like this, this will be acrylic varnished tomorrow if it gets warm enough.

With MS Word any size of image file can be reduced on the page, the stencil markings are about an inch and a half across in "real life". As you can see Word let me reduce them to the approximate right size for a 1/72 scale stencil

Nitrogen, Air Con and Hydraulic Fluid are the most prominent on the sides of the aircraft and although I can't confirm I reckon the two tank fillers on the roof will need a couple of service emblems and red rings round the fill caps.

Let's we call that "hartistical licensery"

I'm hoping to get a decent image of the curved arrow on the rescue hatch handle, hollow outline with O P E N following the curve each side.

If not it will be "out with the trusty 0.05mm fine black uniPIN artists pen" to do my little bestest with..

Still not touched the thickened enamel I intend to sand down smooth on the cabin roof yet

A day or two more before I tackle it harshly ish

bill

Edited May 15, 2013 by perdu

[keefr22]

They look tidy Bill!

With MS Word any size of image file can be reduced on the page, the stencil markings are about an inch and a half across in "real life". As you can see Word let me reduce them to the approximate right size for a 1/72 scale stencil

What version of Word are you using. I have Office 2010 on this machine & I can't for the life of me find how to do the reduction business with it! I used to have no problem with the older versions but with the new toolbar in 2010 I'm lost! And MS 'help' is anything but....!!