Martian Posted May 24, 2014 Author Share Posted May 24, 2014 The last couple of sessions have been spent building the racking for the sonar equipment on the SH-34. I won't pretend that this part of the build has been easy, because it hasn't. The best part of sixteen hours were needed to get the sub-assembly right. Still, if the racking is not square, the sonar equipment will look odd when it is finally installed. So right it has to be, as Blackadder says, "We are not at home to Mr Cockup" ! I built the framing, starting with some horizontal bars made from Albion Alloys aluminium tubing, pinned into holes drilled into the fuselage longerons to give a strong base for the assembly. The rest of the framework was built up from 40 'thou plastic strip and the shaves were from 15 'thou plastic card suitably drilled out. Anyway, enough of my waffle, the pictures will describe what I have been up to far better than I can. Thanks for looking Martin 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 I am amazed at the neatness of your work in this scale. I can never seem to get things absolutely straight or square Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted May 24, 2014 Author Share Posted May 24, 2014 Thanks Hendie, In fairness you just get to see the finished article, you don't get to experience the hours of cussing that went into those racks. They were real stinkers to get square. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark 64 Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 Wow. Thats just perfect. Nice job dude. I like it. Oliver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted May 25, 2014 Author Share Posted May 25, 2014 Thanks Oliver. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted May 25, 2014 Author Share Posted May 25, 2014 I have just been chatting to Gill and she feels that I should try and get hold of the relevant Karel Doorman kit and make it part of a table size display for shows. So, given that the TR7 did get through the MOT with no real issues, I predict an order being placed for the kit upon my return from holiday in a few weeks time. Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Bradley Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 Really nice work, Martin! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted May 25, 2014 Author Share Posted May 25, 2014 Cheers Paul, how is your HMS Glory coming on? Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Bradley Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 Still at the planning stage.....I was playing with the hull halves this morning, wondering how best to waterline it. I'm also trying to convert a kit Hellcat into a Sea Fury - looks more like a Bearcat at the moment...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacificmustang Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 Just caught up with this build . Some really stunning work there Martin. You are a real craftsman Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted May 26, 2014 Author Share Posted May 26, 2014 Thanks Bruce, things do seem to be progressing well so far, although there is more than ample scope for things to go pear shaped. Gill supporting me with the Karel Doorman idea has given me a real boost as I now have a really clear vision of where I want this project to go. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted May 26, 2014 Author Share Posted May 26, 2014 Hi Guys, most of Saturday and yesterday was spent adding more detail to the radome raising and lowering mechanism and building the main part of the radar unit. In the absence of any pictures of the radar dish itself, I had to resort to logic to work out it's shape. The depth of the radome is insufficient to allow for a circular dish of the size that the diameter of the radome itself suggests, therefore the dish mush be some form of oval. I am happier with the upper part of the unit as I have found a couple of pictures of Tracker radomes removed from the aircraft with the radar units still in place. Although I am still very much going with the digital photo frame option, a surprising amount can be seen through the open dinghy hatch. On the subject of the hatch opening itself, the Tracker parts manual seems to suggest that the dinghy was stowed in a removable tray, presumably to allow access to the top of the radar unit. This is good as I thought I was using artistic licence here. As of tomorrow there will be a hiatus in updates as I am off to Scotland for the first holiday Gill and I have had in summer proper since we got married (circumstances have always dictated that our holidays be taken in the early autumn). I shall be taking some tools to do some basic OOB modelling so that I don't get withdrawal symptoms. I thought about taking these two builds along but the huge amount of tools required would take up too much space in the car. Thanks for looking Martin 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heloman1 Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 (edited) Love it Martin, The avionics rack and SONAR housing in the H-34 and your latest additions to the Tracker. I saw your post above re the housing but I only had pics of the US type, small box with the winding wheel sticking out of the top. Colin Edited May 26, 2014 by heloman1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted May 26, 2014 Author Share Posted May 26, 2014 Thanks Colin, it photographic evidence indicates that the SH-34s were delivered with the AN/AQS-4 sonar but were updated with AN/AQS-5 sets or, at least had sonar housings that looked the same as ANAQS-5 units, which, for our purposes equates to the same thing. Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted May 26, 2014 Author Share Posted May 26, 2014 I Thought I would try and get another area of the project that I had some concerns about out of the way before I go away. In this instance it was the SH-34 transmission and mountings that were of concern. That concern was well founded as it transpired. The housing itself is lacking a considerable amount of fine detail and the mountings were to put it mildly, flabby. As it happens there is a strut missing on each mounting and adding these beefed things up considerably. Next up was the fact that the transmission housing sits too low on the transmission deck. Not wanting to redo all the mounting struts, I raised the assembly by means of four short sections of Albion Alloys' aluminium tubing. When all this is cured, I need to very gently file down the front pair of tubes so that the housing sits with a slight forward rake to match the top panel of the housing. I hope to get at least some of this sorted tomorrow evening before packing up for my hols. Thanks for looking Martin 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyingdutchman Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Increddible, probably the best Dutch Naval SH-58 is being build in this thread. A treat to follow especially with the pictures and information about how it's done. Regarding your thoughts about building a Karel Doorman. You might want to check this. These are 1/100 scale drawings of the ships. So upscale them to 1/48 will possible give the option to build a part of the deck. The price is a bit steep but I think there are not that many suppliers of scale drawings of the Doorman. Evert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev67 Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Great detail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted May 27, 2014 Author Share Posted May 27, 2014 Thanks Guys. Evert, If I can get the kit of the Karel Doorman, I think I will go for a set of those plans, they will be handy for building the ship if nothing else. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianthemodeller Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Since Gill obviously thinks this is a really good project (she bought the kits and encouraged you to buy the carrier kit as well), do you think she would go the whole hog and let you build a full 1:48 carrier in the garden?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Thanks Guys. Evert, If I can get the kit of the Karel Doorman, I think I will go for a set of those plans, they will be handy for building the ship if nothing else. Martin You cannot beat a good set of plans. I have shed-loads of reference photos of Ark Royal V for my current build, but I still consult the Jecobin plans - which I have copied and reduced to 1/350 (from the original 1/192) pretty much every day. Utterly indispensable, beautifully done, and worth every penny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted May 27, 2014 Author Share Posted May 27, 2014 Since Gill obviously thinks this is a really good project (she bought the kits and encouraged you to buy the carrier kit as well), do you think she would go the whole hog and let you build a full 1:48 carrier in the garden?? We did have this very discussion last night. She said that she would have to move out if I did the carrier in 1/48 scale, I said no she wouldn't as I could build it with working lifts and she could live on the hangar deck, she said get stuffed (or words to that effect, really, she can be quite unladylike at times) and I would have to stick to 1/400 scale! Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianthemodeller Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Oh well, was worth a try! Suspect my Gillian's reaction would have been pretty similar... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted May 27, 2014 Author Share Posted May 27, 2014 Oh well, was worth a try! Suspect my Gillian's reaction would have been pretty similar... They can be so unreasonable at times, can't they? I would be more than happy to turn a carrier hangar deck into a home! Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 No work on the models at the moment as we are on holiday in Scotland at the moment. The big news is that follwing an e-mail from my boss, I have enough work booked in the next few weeks to pay for the Karel Doorman kit. This will be ordered upon my return from the frozen north. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted June 21, 2014 Author Share Posted June 21, 2014 I have been back from a very enjoyable holiday in Scotland, made more so by meeting up with Pat (aka Jockney) for a couple of beers and less so by getting caught out without any repellent in a cloud of midges. The past few days have been spent getting the angle of the transmission right on the SH-34, so that it matches the centre of the meshed area on the top of the housing correctly. I had hoped to get this sorted before I went away but in the end decided that I might end up rushing the job and screwing it up. I think I will do a bit of detailing on the transmission next and get the equipment rack that goes on the starboard side of the fuselage immediately in front of the cabin door, before getting some more done on the Tracker. Updates might be a bit sporadic over the next week or so as the box room has now been vacated and I have some 1/1 scale man cave building to do. Thanks for looking Martin 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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