Nigel Heath Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 The prototype had an empty cabin which you could drive a vehicle into, I have also seen drawings which schemes for seating - I think the Revell kit has this option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crookedmouth Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 I have the Revell Rotodyne sat in my stash, waiting for the day when I have the room to build and display it. So this is pertinent to my interests, as they say on the internetz. And all that ribbing looks very much like hard work well executed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 There is a lovely picture of the Rotodyne on Wikapedia which I found quite handy for external and cockpit details: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/SFF_002-1055526_Fairey_Rotodyne.jpg This is what the interior looked like: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/album/cockpits26-interiors/p20894-avion-decollage-vertical-fairey-rotodyne-1957-l-7.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 You could get the wheels directly from Master Casters:http://www.mastercasters.co.uk/4.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike N Posted June 13, 2013 Author Share Posted June 13, 2013 Thanks for the comments The ribs look good. 1000% better then the blank canvas you started with. What was the inside of this like? Was it a cargo space or fixed seating or something else?? The prototype had an empty cabin which you could drive a vehicle into, I have also seen drawings which schemes for seating - I think the Revell kit has this option. The Gibbings book has a shot of the interior with quite a lot of flight test instrumentation installed (see page 55 if you have it handy). He also states that this was installed for all flight testing, so, if taken literally, it would be there at first flight which is what I'm portraying. It is also a bit more interesting (and more work!) than an empty cabin. I wonder if the photo you link above Nigel is when it was still in the factory under construction? It's difficult to tell through the windows, but there is another photo in the book showing vehicle loading trials when the aircraft doesn't have the tail installed. I'm glad you mentioned the nose weight. I've been wondering whether it needed any, but there isn't a lot of space for it! I like the idea of the under-floor metal though Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 I also packed lead and Milliput around the (scratch built) front wheel well just to be sure. There is just enough room under the cabin floor for a strip of lead roofing flashing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 (edited) I went to the Helicopter Museum (just off the M5 near Weston-super-Mare) today, and they have a few sections of the Rotodyne, so I took a few reference shots for you: Cabin windows from inside Cabin windows from outside Detail of cabin section showing roof A tip jet A tip jet fitted to a rotor blade Detail of tip jet exhaust Detail of blade root A main rotor blade Two shots of the main rotor gear box (a monstrous great thing!) Hope these are a help! I know it all sounded a good idea - and there's a fantastic Fairey promo film that you can watch at the Museum (which is excellent for any Wobblehead, BTW) - but the more you look at this stuff the more barking the idea looks...! Edited June 21, 2013 by Ex-FAAWAFU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike N Posted June 22, 2013 Author Share Posted June 22, 2013 Thanks for those pictures, they are useful! So far I've just made a representation of the structure, but I'll be adding a bit more and the above will help. I won't be adding all those lightening holes though! The Rotodyne is certainly an unusual machine and one I'd have liked to have seen... but not heard! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 The rotor tip jets on the Airfix kit are pretty unrealistic, I cut them off and cast new ones out of resin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamwalker Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Is that a Dragonfly I spy 3rd pic from last just see the tip of the nose, more photos if so please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 (edited) I am so sorry; my camera was running out of juice, so I only took a few photos - apart from the Rotodyne, I stuck to aircraft that are in my To Do pile (notably, some Lynx shots inside the nose bay). You probably don't want to hear that it is indeed a Dragonfly, and very beautifully restored it is too. When (and it will be when) I go again I'll be better prepared - sorry that isn't going to help your current Dragonfly build! D'oh! [if it's any comfort, my visit was no use for me for this GB either - they do have a Gazelle cockpit (though not a full aircraft), but it was being worked on so wasn't available for pictures]. The Museum has expanded out of all recognition in the past few years - ever since it got a permanent home at the Weston airfield (courtesy, I think, of Westlands, who have certainly given it a lot of support). It has a number of unique aircraft (G-LYNX, the speed record holder; the Lynx 3 prototype; the Scout prototype; the Fairey Ultralight), and a lot of other superb examples - the aforementioned Dragonfly, a Hind, a Hound, at least 2 Whirlwinds (one RAF SAR, one RN ASW), at least 2 Wessex (one ex-Royal Flight, one an HAS3 which is in restoration), a Lynx 7 (I think), a UH-3, a Bell 47, a Westland Widgeon, a Skeeter, a Wasp, a Belvedere, a couple of Sycamores, an EH101 prototype, and that's without mentioning some of the really early Autogyros or the assorted bits around the edges (such as these Rotodyne sections), and so on. When I last looked into it a few years back, the museum looked small and struggling and probably not worth the long journey, but it's nothing like that now; highly recommended if you have any interest at all in rotary-wing flying and/or are anywhere near it. Edited June 24, 2013 by Ex-FAAWAFU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gajman Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Hey Mike, what's happening? This was coming along so nicely. Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Good question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike N Posted July 10, 2013 Author Share Posted July 10, 2013 Hi guys, yes I'm still working on it! I've had a couple of weeks away on hols but despite the lovely weather I've picked this build back up Hope to get some pics on soon to show a bit of progress! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 (edited) Excellent, I look forward to that, have you seen my Rotodyne build thread? I will be doing more on it over the weekend. Edited July 16, 2013 by Nigel Heath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike N Posted July 15, 2013 Author Share Posted July 15, 2013 Sorry for the lack of progress folks, since my holiday the weather has been so good that it would be a crime not to be outside in it. That and my model room turns into an oven! Some progress to show anyway. Airfix engineered the clamshell doors to operate, but not in any way that resembles the actual mechanism. Both the fuse and the doors have notches that need plugging: The cabin interior structure is about done now. The floor is a simple sheet, but the roof has frames across: The latter will be trapped between the fuselage halves like so: Having the doors open reduces the places to hide weights to keep the nose wheel on the ground. I flattened a few air rifle pellets to put under the floor: Having balanced it though it is still only neutral about the main wheels, and there is the tail to go on yet! I've decided to mimic a photo I have of the Rotodyne during loading and use some supports under the back of the fuse, rather than struggle and fail to balance it naturally. Lastly, I've splashed out on some aftermarket bits to help add detail: These include seats for the pilots, a couple for the flight test crew, some P-51 wheels, and some generic etched stuff. Next steps are to fabricate some flight test equipment, and also to sort out the windows; I'm tempted to cut out new ones from acetate rather than use the rather thick kit parts. Thanks for looking Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 (edited) I too filled those massive, unrealistic hinge holes and removed the spurious hinge fixing points. Nice work on the cabin framing, it looks most realistic. When I saw your lead additions I thought you are going to need way more than that, you can pack more underneath the cockpit of course. On the floor I scribed some panel lines to break it up and painted it two different shades of grey which seems to equate with reality. On the windows - they are certainly not of optical quality so I sanded them flat and polished back to clarity with Micromesh, no need to replace. Edited July 16, 2013 by Nigel Heath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 That cabin looks excellent; very well done 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 No recent progress on this Mike? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike N Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share Posted July 30, 2013 Very little progress I'm afraid Nigel, what with one thing or another. A few shots though of where I'm up to. I'm still working on the interior, mainly the furnishings. The cabin had various flight test instrumentation installed so I'm trying to replicate some of it, and generally busy up the interior a bit. I fabricated this frame from plastic rod, and added a few bits of stock styrene to make rudimentary boxes. Other bits came from the spares box. I'll be adding various bits of wire to add extra detail after painting. Here's the interior so far, there'll also be a couple of seats to add. While I'm out with the silver paint for the cabin interior, I'll also do the aft doors, so I've been adding frames etc to them too. No doubt it will come as no big shock given the above lack of progress that I'll probably not be finished in time, but will plough on regardless! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 I like your work on the internal fixings. Your interpretation of the cargo door framing looks a little different from what I picked up on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 Mike, Could you post a picture of the steps just to show how appalling the moulding is? I'm assuming you haven’t cleaned them up yet. Also the rotor rub would be good for a close up. Thanks, Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike N Posted July 31, 2013 Author Share Posted July 31, 2013 I like your work on the internal fixings. Your interpretation of the cargo door framing looks a little different from what I picked up on. Hahaha, I think what you're trying to say is that I've made it up Which is not far from the truth. I've had enough of cutting lengths of strip and fiddling to get them into compound curves, there's only so much time I can bring myself to spend on it! I'll get those pictures for you. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike N Posted July 31, 2013 Author Share Posted July 31, 2013 Mike, Could you post a picture of the steps just to show how appalling the moulding is? I'm assuming you haven’t cleaned them up yet. Also the rotor rub would be good for a close up. Thanks, Nigel Here's the boarding steps part: And the rotor hub: What cleaning up is needed?! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 (edited) Thanks Mike, They must have cleaned up the tooling, those steps actually look much better then the blob I had to work with and mine did not have side walls at all. I think your rotor hub looks worse though, mine did not have those horrible sunken areas, the central hole looks different too (bigger I think). I'll put your work on the cargo bay doors down to artistic interpretation. Cheers, Nigel Edited August 4, 2013 by Nigel Heath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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