Jessica Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 I had so much fun doing the North Star and DC-9 for a Then And Now group build that I decided to do another pair. This time it's Revell's Lockheed Constellation in TCA colours paired off with Zvezda's Boeing 787 in my best approximation of the Air Canada colours it will wear when it enters service later on this year. The 787's fuselage fit is pretty goodOnly a skim of filler is needed on the bottomI blocked off the APU exhaust hole with a piece of styrene tube and filed it to shapeThe wings also fit wellexcept where I stuffed up the assembly. But filler and sanding will save thatA test fit reveals the size of the beastTurning to the engines, a coating of Humbrol Polished Aluminium on the fan bitsWhile the hot section gets Polished SteelThat lot can sit aside and dry while the primer dries on the Constellation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Posted January 4, 2014 Author Share Posted January 4, 2014 Boeing paints the 787 in mostly overall white rather than their usual grey. Thus I'll use white as a primerOh dear, the camera reveals a nasty paint sag below the forward windows. Must remember to sand that out once it's dry.The engines are lovely little assemblies. What I thought would be a two layer fan turned out to interlock into a one layer fan which would have been impossible to mould cleanly because the blades are so close together. Zvezda's engineering here is very cleverI painted the insides of the cowlings with Alclad Duraluminium on the bare plastic, hoping to achieve a light metallic colourThe engine assembly is very positive with no fit problemsAs I had hoped, there's a subtle tone difference between the fan cowl and the intakeEngines assembled and awaiting their intake rings 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Posted January 4, 2014 Author Share Posted January 4, 2014 The engines and tailplanes are a friction fitIt looks like an airplane now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 These two seem to be going together well for you Jessica. How long have you taken on them so far? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Posted January 4, 2014 Author Share Posted January 4, 2014 (edited) I glued the 787's wings several months ago and then put them back in the box. Everything else was freshly started yesterday; airliners go quickly when everything works well. Edited January 4, 2014 by Jessica 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caution Wake Turbulence Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Nice work, Jessica! I really must resurrect my 787 build - I'm debating whether I need to strip the paint off and start again. Are you doing wheels up or down? It's a nice kit isn't it, although it could do with a little more detail. I think Zvezda did a better job of moulding the engine fans the Revell have managed with their recent kits. Cheers, Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Posted January 4, 2014 Author Share Posted January 4, 2014 It'll be wheels down. The kit's engineered more for wheels down than up although the instructions claim it can be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Another interesting pairing, the Connie in TCA colours is the No.1 best looking airliner ever. (No.2 - BOAC VC-10!) The dreamliner is growing on me, it is starting look good in real airline liveries rather than the prototype schemes the kits have. (Are the TCA Connie decals still avaialble? I did a Minicraft one with Gordon Parkers 'Whiskey Jack' sheet about 10 years ago, but gave it away when finished. I'd really like to replace it). Look forward to the progress on these! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Posted January 4, 2014 Author Share Posted January 4, 2014 TCA Connie decals may be had from CanMilAir Decals. I'm not sure of his reasoning, but he breaks the scheme up into two different sheets and you need both to do the model. One sheet in mostly stripes and the other is the details, titles and such. It's is what I'll be doing this one with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 Thanks Jessica, I've placed an order for both sheets! It does seem an odd way of doing it, but I'll be happy to be able to do another TCA connie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Posted January 6, 2014 Author Share Posted January 6, 2014 The Constellation is mostly assembled, apart from the tiny bits which are so easy to knock offAnd the 787's main gear is assembled and drying. The fit is tight enough that I didn't need to glue the struts into the well, which will make painting so much easier when I can take them out after the glue dries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 A great work in progress thread Jessica. I might break out of of my 787s. I need a easy build to get back in the groove after trashing 2 builds yesterday, both due to rushing and ham fisted-ness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madaboutmodels Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 Very nice Jess, good to see someone building a flying dishwasher I got to have a look in my first Connie during the summer, unfortunately its a hangered up bird at the Aviodrome in Holland! KLM Lockheed 749-79 N749NL by Bradley at EGSH, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 The Constellation is nearly done, with the exception of the landing gear and the sense antennae which live on the lower fuselage and are extremely prone to being knocked off. Time for the white paint on the upper fuselage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNoAF Aerobatic Team Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Looks really good. I have to get a 787 soon. What is the best kit for a 787? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 You have the choice of Zvezda, Zvezda in a Revell box, or if you like 1/200, Hasegawa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNoAF Aerobatic Team Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Thanks, Jessica. It's probably a Zvezda in 1/200 too;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 If I do another one I'll go for the Revell box, because the detail decals are superior to Zvezda's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Posted January 16, 2014 Author Share Posted January 16, 2014 A first coat of white on the fuselage top 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeW Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Lookin' good Cheers, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 Air Canada calls the pale blue they paint their fuselages with "Ice Blue". Pilots call it something else. I call it painted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinky coffeeboat Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Looking nice. I've just painted an A320 in "ice blue" (xtracolor paint) and it does look quite smart. With your 787, did you have any fit issues with the windshield? I've read your post and you've made no mention it; mine was too wide and I had to attach one side, allow to thoroughly dry before bending the other side in to glue - as a result the clear part has cracked very visibly. Other than that its a decent kit. Do Air Canada receive their first Dreamliner soon? I'm sure I read it somewhere... Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 No, I had no trouble with the windscreen. I'm using a decal so I just went ahead and glued it solidly into place. Perhaps you got a warped one? Air Canada is supposed to get their 787s beginning this Spring. I'm wondering how accurate my painting decisions will be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinky coffeeboat Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 No, I had no trouble with the windscreen. I'm using a decal so I just went ahead and glued it solidly into place. Perhaps you got a warped one? Air Canada is supposed to get their 787s beginning this Spring. I'm wondering how accurate my painting decisions will be. Mmmh, perhaps I did. After posting the question above, I re-found the Air Canada Dreamliner site (https://787.aircanada.com/en) and it does look very smart indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 Well I can already tell that I guessed wrong about the engines. Up till now Boeing has resisted airlines' paint schemes on the engines, claiming that the only paint with low enough drag has been their white but it looks as though they've either found a low-drag ice blue, or it's all been a lot of hot air. Back to the paint booth... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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