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1/48 Testors Howard Ike +++FINISHED+++


AndyC

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Hi all - Build No.1, the very simple Howard Ike 30's racer. I'm going to do this one pretty much OOB. I will use the pylon supplied in the kit and mount it in flight. I need to find a little guy to cram in that cockpit and hand-make a prop-blur for it. I will tone down the horrible ribbing and decal location marks but that's about it! Bought for £4 off eBay.

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See you soon!

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Thanks Mark and Jorgen!

Made a start on this as it's the least complicated of all three. I'm going to do this in flight using the pylon supplied in the kit although not the means of support as it is banking vertically with a clumsy plastic 'tree' to support the a/c. I'm going to try and be a little subtler...

First the pylon. Cut from the sprue and erected with Liquid Poly. The locating tabs for the original a/c support have been lopped off and the whole things sanded.

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I then fashioned the chequerboards to fit up the top half from card

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I think the instructions call for silver but I'm going to have a wooden pylon, so this was sprayed Humbrol 29 and will be streaked with acrylic artists paint to simulate some graining

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I am going to mount it on a small circular wooden base which I ned to buy yet!

Next up...the pilot and fuselage. I butchered a spare Tamiya Corsair pilot, sawed his legs off and sanded down his torso from the shoulders down to fit inside the fuselage

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He was then primed and painted

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And the CA'd into one half of the fuselage (which had been sprayed black)

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A nice tight fit. I like the fact he is looking out to port as the a/c will be modelled i na steep bank to port so it looks like he is spotting the pylon

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Next the wings and rest of the fuselage

The overdone ribs and decal locations have been sanded off and a sink mark filled and sanded

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I have separated the ailerons and will clean these up and fashion some small actuators

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Everything inside sprayed black plus the wheels and inside the spats

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Exhaust holes drilled out. I was going to do the engine intake and visible cylinder (like a DH Gypsy) but will paint it as it looks too fiddly and the plastic is very thick and brittle

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And here is something like I'm hoping to achieve!

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Thanks for looking

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I love your thinking with the pylon.

Better than the Hawk/Testors method...I hope!

What a great way to improve an old kit!

Let's hope so Eric :thumbsup:

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Very nice Andy, I'm really liking the low parts counts in all these models, mine included. I'm used to counts in the thousands so it's nice to relax a bit. Certainly brought out some unusual kits. I don't know this plane, so I'm assuming that their cockpits were really tiny like racing cars? :popcorn:

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Very nice Andy, I'm really liking the low parts counts in all these models, mine included. I'm used to counts in the thousands so it's nice to relax a bit. Certainly brought out some unusual kits. I don't know this plane, so I'm assuming that their cockpits were really tiny like racing cars? :popcorn:

Yes...I've only seen one part picture and let's say you needed to be short and compact! :winkgrin: I really didn't see the need to embellish with the little guy in there!

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Thanks Rene!

Onwards with the build. All buttoned up and sanded. The fit is OK but needed some Mr Surfacer to the tail planes and at the fuselage/wing joint.

The u/c legs are on and checked that they are level (even though it will be in flight!)

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Next I fitted the spats and wheels after sanding them. They a pretty much a butt fit, so I need to be careful

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I drilled all the rigging holes into the wings, tailplanes and fuselage. Also fitted the ailerons suitable positioned for a hard bank to port. She has the little guy swathed in tape as she is about to go into the paint shop for priming

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My attempt at a prop blur! We'll see what it looks like painted before I commit to it!

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Thanks for looking!

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Looking very nice. Interesting idea for the prop', might look better than a clear acetate disc. I think I have some other kits from this series (if there was such a thing), 'Laird Solution'?

I don't think the one's I have come with the pylon, but that's a great way to display them. Should look good.

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Really like what you are planning!

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Such lovely lines this A/C has.

It does indeed - a little beauty

Really like what you are planning!

Thanks mate - let's hope it comes off!

Looking very nice. Interesting idea for the prop', might look better than a clear acetate disc. I think I have some other kits from this series (if there was such a thing), 'Laird Solution'?

I don't think the one's I have come with the pylon, but that's a great way to display them. Should look good.

I'll see how it paints up first! I built the Laird for the Interwar GB...its a great little kit

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Cracking on!

Humbrol 22 Gloss White sprayed in two coats for that dazzling look (well dazzling against my grubby paint booth!)

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The rigging holes were drilled and cleaned up and after the paint dried, I tackled the decals. The decals are pretty good actually - usual Testors fare...milky white glue comes away from the decal sheet but a wipe with a cloth and settled in to a small coat of Sol and they bed down nicely

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The windscreen has been fitted and I have just started the rigging by gluing the first ends into the holes and letting them set. I have also dirtied up the pylon and have taken delivery to day of a 3" square wooden base to mount everything

Thanks for looking

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As hinted at in the last post - the wooden base has arrived and has now been drilled ready to take the tower as shown

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The panels have been painted Humbrol 22 ready for the chequers...I'm still debating how to do these - decal or mask and paint. The tower was dry-brushed with Artists Terracotta acrylic to 'dirty' it up a little

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My least favourite pastime...rigging. Usual method - drill a hole, anchor thread with CA and then feed through anchoring as you go and then finally anchor at last hole

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I need to touch up the holes with CA and then a dot of gloss white to hide them. Will purchase some flock to paste to the base and maybe some grass and boulders. I'm probably going to mount her using thin brass tube. The stretched clear sprue will not be strong enough I don't think. I may try and score some clear rod tomorrow at Yeovilton if I can find it...thanks for looking

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A quick update!

I bought some cheap imitation grass on a backing sheet at Yeovilton because I thought it would be nice to have something around the tower. I trimmed it and then bored some holes through it to take the tower. I like it.

I also spent some time masking up the panels ready for spraying. I had originally sprayed the white straight onto the plastic and of course it lifted when I placed tape on it :banghead: Silly error.

Down to the garage for priming and when dry the white was sprayed again. Then the masking for the black was done and Tamiya NATO Black sprayed in one coat and the some white misted over the top. MiG powder was applied to simulate rust. Again I was quite pleased although later toned the rust down a little.

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I have also been puzzling over supporting the a/c. I cut some thin 0.5mm brass rod and experimented but it;s too light. So...eBay and a purchase of some 2mm clear perspex rod. Once this arrives, I think I may have cracked it

Thanks for looking

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This is looking very good - and the pylon is a great centrepiece for the diorama.

One point on the control surfaces though. Your hand-held aircraft, posed as though going round the pylon, makes me think that the ailerons should be neutral or very slightly banked, and the elevator should be in a climb position. If you leave them as they are, I'd suggest a smaller angle of bank (less than 45deg, as the elevator is more likely to be pretty neutral) as the aileron positions show the machine would still be in the process of rolling.

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This is looking very good - and the pylon is a great centrepiece for the diorama.

One point on the control surfaces though. Your hand-held aircraft, posed as though going round the pylon, makes me think that the ailerons should be neutral or very slightly banked, and the elevator should be in a climb position. If you leave them as they are, I'd suggest a smaller angle of bank (less than 45deg, as the elevator is more likely to be pretty neutral) as the aileron positions show the machine would still be in the process of rolling.

I'll be honest, I've been wrestling with this very issue...FWIW I agree with you...and thanks for the comment!

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Cracking job Andy!!

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