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1/144 Avro York - Formaplane Vacform


Murdo

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I have two vacform kits sitting on the Shelf of Shame till I develop enough skill to get round to finishing them. They are a 1/32 (actually, more like 1/35) BAE Hawk - manufacturer unknown - and 1/48 Sierra Scale Models Fairey Barracuda - a work in progress, coming along but very slowly. I sanded the fuselage a bit too enthusiastically and now it will need some serious rebuilding and lots of Isopon P38 (to hold together what is left of the fuselage). <_<

However at the last Scots Nats model show in Perth I saw this 1/144 Avro York, a vacform from Formaplane for about £7 so decided to have another bash at a vacform. :suicide:

I'd like to build one that took part in the Berlin Airlift.

So... here goes:

The kit was started about a week ago and this is the progress so far.

The pic in the clear bag of what it should look like :

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The Vacform itself:

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Umm, the wings need a bit of work. Actually no, the wings need a lot of work. :raincloud:

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I don't think the prop spinners will be much use and the prop blades were completely U/S: :angry:

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An attempt at a rudimentary cockpit. I seriously doubt much (if anything) will be seen through whatever canopy I manage to scratch but hey-ho, that's why I didn't spend too much time on it.

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Cockpit in place, windows drilled out and "glass" made from Humbrol Clearfix then sprayed with Tamiya Smoke.

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Some of the components glued together and most of the very large and deep panel lines filled and sanded. Two large struts fitted into the wings and corresponding square tube guides fitted in the fuselage for support and correct alignment - I hope...

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Hmm, the tube alignment might work after all: :yahoo:

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Some N Guage railway fence mesh fitted in the intakes and the start of the nacelles being built up inside to take the undercarraige.

The undercarraige will be entertaing as it will have to be totally scratchbuilt. :pipe:

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So, that's it for now. Let's see how it all goes together.

I have no idea how to join and paint the fuselage without destroying the windows so I might have to rip them out, paint it and install new ones. Has anyone ever tried mixing Tamiya Smoke with Clearfix and then making the windows? I see a wee experiment coming up.

A thought just occured to me whilst I was writing this. I'm wondering if it might be possible to paint the fuselage sides (in silver) mask them, join the fuselage together and then try and blend in the paint??? :hmmm:

How do you Airliner bods do it?

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I just hope Jessica or Tomprobert don't see my post, they'll wet themselves laughing. :winkgrin:

Na I am sure they will be happy to see someone having a go at a vac for a change rather than the usual kit assembling that goes on ;)

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Delighted to see this Murdo!

It looks like you've made a fine start - regarding joining the fuselage and protecting the windows, my advice it to put some low-tack masking tape over the outside to protect them, and then when all the filling and sanding has been completed remove it and the should have been saved from the worst.

A thought just occured to me whilst I was writing this. I'm wondering if it might be possible to paint the fuselage sides (in silver) mask them, join the fuselage together and then try and blend in the paint??? :hmmm:

How do you Airliner bods do it?

This could work, but I think your best bet if going down this route would be to leave the windows as they are, paint the whole airframe, and then when the painting process is complete, remove the windows (they'd have acted as a mask) and then simply re-apply them using some PVA. You can always get a tinted effect by mixing some water-based dark paint into the PVA before applying it.

Will be watching your progress with interest!

Tom

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Read my mind! Would also provide suitable props and hubs?

Yep. May be a better option for the tailplanes and fins too.

TBH, if it was me, I would have just used the vacform fuselage as a conversion donor for the Lancaster - I've the second Contrail York, which was released as a complete kit and whilst the wings and engines are rather nice, I'd just as soon use a Revell Lancaster for the wings, etc. Especially as I've still a few of the cheap M&S ones kicking about.

Edited by The wooksta V2.0
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Apparently, whilst they look nice in the box, they're a bit of a... rather challenging to build!

Now you've got me worried, I've the a-model Dambuster kit and some brengun/griffin PE flaps in mind as a winter project.

I've the minicraft lancaster as well, the shape is poor and the UC looks too tall and the tyres and way too narrow (although with a bit of work they could be made to look ok)

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Yep. May be a better option for the tailplanes and fins too.

TBH, if it was me, I would have just used the vacform fuselage as a conversion donor for the Lancaster - I've the second Contrail York, which was released as a complete kit and whilst the wings and engines are rather nice, I'd just as soon use a Revell Lancaster for the wings, etc. Especially as I've still a few of the cheap M&S ones kicking about.

I don't think Revell do a 1/144 scale Lanc?

If they don't then I really wish they would make one in 1/144. Are you listening Revell? Pretty please? :worthy:

And a Brit Phantom!

Umm, and a Beaufighter, Mosquito, Wellington, Halifax, Stirling, Spitfire, Hurricane, BAE Hawk, Buccaneer, Jaguar... :wicked:

Oh and please re-release your lovely 1/144 Hawker Hunter and BAC Lightning. :thanks:

Edited by Murdo
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Delighted to see this Murdo!

It looks like you've made a fine start - regarding joining the fuselage and protecting the windows, my advice it to put some low-tack masking tape over the outside to protect them, and then when all the filling and sanding has been completed remove it and the should have been saved from the worst.

This could work, but I think your best bet if going down this route would be to leave the windows as they are, paint the whole airframe, and then when the painting process is complete, remove the windows (they'd have acted as a mask) and then simply re-apply them using some PVA. You can always get a tinted effect by mixing some water-based dark paint into the PVA before applying it.

Will be watching your progress with interest!

Tom

Thanks Tom, I actually masked the windows with a wee dab of Maskol which seems to have worked. If it doesn't I'll just make new windows, it's not a difficult process. :winkgrin:

I've spent an incredibly frustrating afternoon trying to get rid of pin sized potholes in the filler I used - Squadron White Putty. The pinholes started appearing as I sanded it down to shape. It says "Fast Drying" on the tube but I'd prefer to actually get it on the model before it does. It dries as I'm spreading it which I suspect is what cased the pinholes problem under the surface.

I tried filling in the pinholes with Liquid Green Stuff which seems to have reacted with the Tamiya primer to produce minute spikes here and there. :doh:

I wanted a nice smooth surface and now I have both spikes and pinholes. Yippee! :suicide:

I'm not really sure I want to use either again for the wings roots etc so I might try using Milliput instead, I have some of the white fine stuff.

Ah! Decision, decisions.

:winkgrin:

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Does the dihedral look right on this?

I suspect the wings tips are far too high. I might saw a split at the base of each dihedral and try and bring it down a bit.

I see I've also managed to make the right wing root thicker than the left. Huzzah! :analintruder:

I think the right wing root is correct and the left needs styrene added to reach the same thickness. I'll probably split the front and add a shim in.

IMG_4685_zps60e16ae0.jpg

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Small update.

Managed to get most of the fuselage smoothed out. My main fuselage problem is that the plastic is too thin and nowhere near as rigid as "normal" e.g. Airfix kits so it is flexing as I handle it and sand it. This is constantly producing new cracks along the join lines. I added gluing tabs but I should also have put runners inside the fuselage to strengthen it and stop it flexing... This will definitely be done on my next Vacform build! (1/144 Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer).

I also drew and cut out the cockpit windows with a very sharp scalpel then used Clearfix for the panes. It might do the job, I'm not totally convinced yet as there are some curved panes needed on the side windows which I might have to make from clear plastic. Have a look:

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I also sawed a cut into the bottom of both wings, glued the cut ends together, placed on a flat surface and sat a heavy motorbike battery on top to flatten down the dihedral. I'm a lot happier with it now.

Previously:

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And now:

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This is going to be one strangely offset and ricketty model. :banghead:

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Thanks Dave, I really wish Revell would start releasing some of their old 1/144 kits again. Better still, start making new tool ones. Wish list previously posted, Revell.

Sooooo, managed a few hours last night and had a near terminally boring day at work cos most of the MoD seem to taking a very long weekend.

I'm now at this stage:

First undercarraige made in copper tubing and styrene.

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And with a bluetack test fit. I have a horrible feeling I might have made the undercarraige too long.

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First of the outer engines built. The small intakes are shaped from white Milliput (I'm really starting to like that stuff) and the exhausts are made from old computer IDE cable (what attached the Hard Disk to the main board). I also use these cables for ammo belts on planes.

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Hopefully Her Majesty (the wife) won't have too many "Honey do's" this weekend and I'll get a bit more done.

I'm beginning to think I might actually manage to build this thing. :analintruder:

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Now got the tailplanes and nacelles attached with all the exhaust and intake bits 'n bobs added too. You can see how much primer has been used to mask errors, blemishes and collateral damage (i.e. rubbish modelling technique) by how much the windows have almost disappeared. :innocent:

I need to get myself one of those spray filler cans (Mr Surfacer?) before my next build. I've used a fair amount of different filler types on this thing so far. <_<

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Trying my first ever attempt at vacforming a canopy too by making the Nav's Astrodome (just behind the cockpit) from clear plastic salvaged from some packaging, heated over a candle and pulled down over a small paintbrush handle trapped in my table vice. I think this one is too big so I'll find a smaller paintbrush and make a new one, worked well so far though. :yahoo:

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It looks a rough as a Jock at Hogmanay but I think it's starting to look roughly Avro York shaped. :analintruder:

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Okay, a wee update.

Added the sticky out bits to the rudders, added the scratchbuilt vacform Nav's astrodome and scratchbuilt the streamlined Wotsit on the roof from White Milliput and a styrene rod. Also finally added the white metal tail wheel which even in this small scale is anti-shimmy.

Now painted in Citadel Mithril Silver. I need a new pot, this one has done a few kits now. Great stuff, brushes and airbrushes beautifully but this one is getting past its use by date and what's left of it is getting a bit gungy.

Painted the exhausts in Tamiya metallic grey... Or was it gun metal... Drat, can't remember :banghead:

I then drilled out all (by now well painted and completely non clear) Clearfix windows and re-Clearfixed them. What a complete and utter pain pain removing the old clearfix was! Trying to pull set glue through a load of small holes in a ricketty plastic fuselage. :owww: Can't complain about the Clearfix though, it did exactly what it was supposed to do and did it well.

A few months back I bought a new bottle of Humbrol Clearfix and it is much gooier and thicker than my old bottle. It also leaves glue strings everywhere and was really annoying me so I used the old clearfix instead.

Anyhoo, 'nuff waffle, here's the pics:

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Also adjusted the undercarraige downwards (chopped a bit off at the bottom) so the model is now sitting a good 2mm lower than it was and is now ( I think) about the correct hight.

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I'll have to make decals or try and get some from t'interweb.

My really big problem now is the props.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I tried several ways to make the props but had no success. Then Cunning Plan B kicked in. :evil_laugh:

As the York has the same wings as the Lancster I bought one of the Minicraft 1/144 Lancaster kits from ebay figuring to use the props from it and worry about props for Lanc when I got round to building it - which will probably be soon.

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I then happily discovered that not only does the Minicraft Lanc have props, it comes with a spare set of spinners in case you want to build their Lanc in flight. So I've now got props for the York and still have props for the Lanc... Result! :yahoo:

Anyway, I took the spare Lanc spinners, cut some styrene strip to the correct lengths, made them prob blade shaped, made a small jig and glued them to the spare spinners. They're not fantastic but they look propeller shaped. :coolio:

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I spent some time trawling Google images to get the proper roundels, tail fin flash and squadron crests, added them to a Word document to get the right scale then printed them out on white decal paper.

I drew the wing "No Walk" line decals and "footprints" in Word and typed the serial number etc then printed them off on clear decal paper.

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Added an antenna and some invisible thread for the antenna line

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And that, I would say is this wee beastie finished.

I'll post some more pics in RFI

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