++ UPDATE 25/7++ Planet Models Gotha P-60C - To Be Completed and Modified

[trickyrich]

Ok it looks like I'm starting... well finishing a project/build I started about 15 years ago.

Thanks to Nigel’s inspiration I’ve finally decided to drag this old beast out....was planning the build the Skyshark, but this’ll now have to wait a bit.

As said this was started many years ago, but stalled because one of the engines went missing....either the cat eat it or SWMBO Mk. I threw it out! So it went to the rather large box of doom sort of forgotten.

So after seeing Nigel’s wonderful build I just had to dig it out and try to finish it. A quick check of the parts showed that there was more than an engine missing, luckily these are all undercarriage doors.

So after a bit of thought and half an hour of gluing my fingers together here’s what I’ve got, not much but a good base to proceed, a slap of filler and presto the second engine........well almost.

As mentioned in the header this one will be modified, a modified WhatIf.....not sure what you call that! Anyway I will be mounting the engines on the top of the wings, roughly halfway between the centreline the indentation in the trailing edge. Engine layouts like the Horten 229, though not as flush as, a much more sensible layout than having one underneath acting as a giant Hoover!

This well be a sort of longer term project, in between other builds, there’s not too much to done so hopefully won’t take too long to complete!

[Cookenbacher]

Cool, I don't have to suffer any whif withdrawls after the He-177Z completes!

[trickyrich]

Cool, I don't have to suffer any whif withdrawls after the He-177Z completes!

no worries about that, either the Horten or the Shyshark is next off the wiffy block after this........

Ok this update is a bit strange as I'm away from home and this happened a couple of days ago........am bored at work.

More work and shaping was done to the new engine pod plus some initial trial fitting and shaping to get to sit right on the main body. As mentioned I’m going to move the lower engine pod up on top of the wing, so that each pod will be slightly to the left and right of the cockpit in open air (a whiffy of a whiffy). This should give the whole aircraft a more “normal” look rather than having a giant Hoover underneath!

The intakes and exhausts are always hopelessly formed on resin models, this one is no exception! Luckily the exhausts for these pods have separate tailpipes so that won’t cause any dramas that end. The intakes though are a different matter, so I enlarged to intakes to take a larger section of tubing with the correct internal diameter (ok it’s an old drop tank!!!). These will be fitted then shaped to the correct profile, which won’t take too long.

There is an indentation behind the cockpit for where the upper engine was originally meant to go that needed filling. Plus for some bizarre reason I originally glued everything together without any weights added…….so off came the nose, not much room for weights there?? May need some more drastic work to fit some!

The undercarriage was all wrong, the main legs were far too long, so instead of just chopping them to size I drilled into each bay itself to insert the slightly shortened legs. This gives me a much stronger join than pinning and gluing, plus lets me set the angles correctly. The same was done to the nose gear as well.

They're not glued yet in yet.

I’m actually really happy with the progress made in two short sessions after all the years tucked away in the box of doom! This should be a quick build/finish from here. Colour scheme……haven’t thought about that yet, it will be a nightfighter so it’ll be “something” along those lines.

[bigh827]

Looking good.

[georgeusa]

This looks quite good. You got to watch that Nigel, he makes you want to build strange things.

[trickyrich]

Ok I haven't had much time to work on this one.

But in between other builds I have managed to progress a bit further.

Cleaned up the fuselage and finished filling the hole left for the original top mounted engine. Have pretty much finished the new pod and have mounted it with the original one. The mounting is not 100% perfect and will need a bit of filler but looks good and is what I hoped it would look like.

Refitted the nose cone, could make it entirely from lead and it still wouldn’t be enough to stop it from being a tail sitter, so gave up on that idea and will just add a clear bit of rod to sort that issue out. Unless I have some other brain wave!

Once the new mounts are cleaned up it should be a simple process to finish....have really got the urge to finish this one....so should be done fairly quickly.

[trickyrich]

Modification work is pretty much complete now. A quick undercoat of Neutral Grey was sprayed over everything to check joins and fit.

The new engine pod looks like a good match for the original and the new mounting positions look much better.

The finish is quite good so only a light touch up is required and some panel lines need to be added/reworked.

It is going to be a tail sitter unfortunately but that's only a minor concern, I wasn't going to pull it apart just to add some weight.

Not quite sure what colour scheme I'll paint it yet.