Fritag Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 This is really top quality, consistent construction Martin. I'm somewhat amazed that you've been able to keep up the intensity. V impressive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted July 22, 2014 Author Share Posted July 22, 2014 This is really top quality, consistent construction Martin. I'm somewhat amazed that you've been able to keep up the intensity. V impressive Thanks, I think the reason is that this is a two, soon to be three, kit project, so if I begin to tire of one model I just pick up the other. That seems to be keeping me fresh and if this continues, will be a policy I will be using for large projects in the future. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 Given the heatwave we seem to be "enjoying", your scribe much prefers the cold, it is somewhat apt that before heat stopped play today, I got a load done on the engine firewall. this consisted of replacing the undernourished strengthening ribs on the wall with more robust items made from plastic strip. I had been wondering whether to replace them almost from the start of the build and ultimately decided that I would never be happy with them as supplied. I don't know why it took so long for me to make up my mind as they are hardly the most difficult of parts to replace. I also finished drilling out various holes in the firewall and adding slivers of Albion Alloys aluminium tubing to them. At this point sweat dripping into my eyes convinced me that it was pointless to continue with operations until things had cooled down. With a bit of luck I might be able to get a bit done on the Tracker late this evening. Thanks for looking Martin the Melting 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 Over the last few days, along with trying to avoid the worst of the heat wave, I have been cracking on with the Tracker build. Much of this work has involved fitting various shelves and brackets that will carry assorted bits of equipment later on in the build. I have also constructed the ducting that runs down the centre of the observer's compartment and lined in the openings on the equipment cabinets in the front of the compartment. I have also filed off the moulded on detail on the instrument panel in readiness for the pre-painted Eduard parts I plan on using and glued the part to the cockpit floor. I decided not to use the fragile looking Eduard part for the fold down part of the centre console and have scratched a new part from plastic stock laminated together. I am slightly confused as to how the control runs transition from running horizontally along the roof of the weapons bay to being aligned vertically along the port side of the fuselage, so any help in this direction would be most gratefully received. Aside from that we are not that far from starting to populate the fuselage with equipment. Thanks for looking Martin 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 super B Martin 'tis as fabulous as the chopper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 Thanks Perdu. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Looking forward to the equipment build part - should be very interesting (and hopefully you will have more ideas I can borrow steal!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted July 29, 2014 Author Share Posted July 29, 2014 Thanks Hendie, feel free to use as many ideas as you like, after all, that is one of the points of this thread. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted August 4, 2014 Author Share Posted August 4, 2014 The heat of the last week or two has really slowed down the project but I have managed to get a small amount done. There is a very prominent equipment tray immediately opposite the crew entry door. This will also be very visible through the opened up escape hatches. The unit was constructed along the same lines as the one I built for the SH-34. I have also begun to detail the flight deck rear bulkhead with assorted brackets and the very prominent circuit breakers. The faces of the latter were taken from my dwindling stock of Re-heat parts. At this point it feels like the model has more shelves and brackets than a B & Q store but I just have to keep telling myself that the model will benefit in the end. I think I will try and get Gill to do some better pictures of the interior of the Tracker later this week as I seem to be struggling with my photography a bit at the moment. Thanks for looking and here are some OK'ish pictures I did do this afternoon. Martin 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 I almost wish I wasnt following this one Martin, all that gorgeous detail I'm beginning to think it's something Grumman for me next cos I love that Gull grey and white USN scheme I do have that thingmy with the frisbee on its roof, mmm must find some decals for it These two are becoming addictive, thanks for them 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 Thanks Perdu. I am finding the project addictive too; a good job as I have so much invested in it! I find with the fine detail on these type of builds, it helps to spend a good while just thinking about how to build an item or detail an area, before putting scalpel to plastic. I turn each step of this nature into a sort of mini project, if you like. I also find it gives me a kind of "red letter day" feeling when I have something to post on this thread for you Guys. Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lars Befring Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 (edited) Hi Sorry for the "chain-liking". When you are as late to the party as I was this time there is a lot of catching up to do! That is some awesome modeling! /L Edited August 5, 2014 by Lars Befring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 Thanks Lars, I was wondering what the mass of likes from you was all about! Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritag Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 I find with the fine detail on these type of builds, it helps to spend a good while just thinking about how to build an item or detail an area, before putting scalpel to plastic. You must be a quick thinker then Martin - as your making pretty bloomin good progress......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 Thanks Fritag, I find thinking about the next steps before going to sleep helps a lot. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 On Saturday some friends and I got together for what, for want of a better word, we call a "Buildfest". On occasion we will gather at one of our homes and spend a day modelling together, fortified with copious quantities of ale, wine and fine food. In our opinion a very sociable and civilised way of spending a day! Anyhow, I decided to use the day to tackle a part of the model that I had been putting off for a while as I had been worried about it. The area in question was the underside of the engine bay where some protective mesh surrounds the oil cooler. for this I carefully glued some 20 x 20 'thou plastic strip around the inside lip of the opening and, having made a template from wide Tamiya tape, cut the mesh to shape from some Eduard PE mesh stock. Another template was then made, slightly smaller than the outside dimensions of the kit oil cooler part and this was then cut from the mesh part I had already made and trimmed until the cooler part would sit snuggly inside the hole. The mesh was then superglued to the plastic strip I had previously added to the opening in the floor of the engine bay and some 10 x 10 'thou strip added to the edge of the mesh to tidy things up. Please note that if you are going down this road of lining the mesh area, you will need to make the opening in the kit part correspondingly bigger to allow for the width of the plastic strip you will be using. The kit cooler is far too shallow so it was deepened with plastic card and holes drilled to allow for the necessary piping. The cooler was then glued into place and the job was a good one. Although this all took some time to do, it all went far more smoothly than I had feared; perhaps it had something to do with the ale I had been consuming! Whatever the reason I did feel rather chuffed at the result. In the remaining time I decided to replace the baffle plates between the engine cylinders that the manufacturer had moulded integrally with the engine parts. These did just not look like the separate parts that they re on the real thing and were too thick in my opinion. Accordingly, they were carefully removed from the kit part and replacements made from 20 'thou plastic card. By now I was completely done in and confined myself to drinking for the rest of the evening! Thanks for looking Martin 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heloman1 Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Looking good there Martin, I like the work on the oil cooler. Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 once again you have raised the bar for the rest of us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark 64 Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Yikes...this looks good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 Thanks Guys, I'm not sure if it was the "lubrication" or the fear of failing in front of my mates that made the cooler area come out as well as it did! Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritag Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 It's still model engineering Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 brilliant work on the cooler Martin and I love the re-engineered engine top man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowlevelraf Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Outstanding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev67 Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Excellent work Martin, any chance of getting bigger photos as some are a bit small Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 Thanks Guys. Kev, my photographic skills have not been that good of late, no idea why. Gill has just said she will do some pictures for me tomorrow evening, she is miles better at close up photography than I am. Perdu, the next step is to work out the run of the wiring from the magnetos, should be fun! Fritag, perhaps I should model under the influence more often! Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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