airscale Posted August 30, 2015 Author Share Posted August 30, 2015 evening folks so there I was making up the wingtips with some balsa fillets - i sloshed some super-thin CA around to make the balsa a bit more solid....ummm, big problem...being the class A dimwit that I am I managed to get thin CA all over the leading edge panels. It just ran straight from the tip, down the leading edge and literally dripped on the floor - I tried to recover them but it was no good. I will spare the gory details and a picture of the dent in the other wing as I threw some tools around my bench in a fit of frustration, but suffice to say they all had to come off... for good.....had a break and started again. It's all done now so we move on....the leading edge of the outer wings are a nice straight panel so added these - actually this one went to waste too as I wasn't happy with the leading edge rivets as on the wing they tapered out a bit....thats the thing about scratchbuilding - if you aren't happy with something, just make another - the other little thing I learned with this panel is that when I scribe access panels etc through the masking tape template, I can peel the bit of tape where the panels is off and sand it very lightly through the gap to give the access panel a little contrast - hopefully as can be seen here....and the second panel added - you can see the shaped balsa wingtip here too and a cover on the leading edge where there used to be a landing light....the main panel between the spars next - used the template method again and added rivets & some more access panels - I drilled two out as they are very different metal on the real one so will replace them....after riveting I broke away the scored waste parts - I use a folding tool as a vise as it avoids kinking the panels..and this is what it looks like when the tape template is removed.. it would be pretty hard to stick this down to the wing so it gets burnished flat after this....and the panel taped in place as there is more work to do on this bit and I need to make the little round access doors fit so it will be easier to change the size of the hole than the disc that will go in it....getting there slowly - especially when I have to do things twice.....back soonTTFNPeter 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spookytooth Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 I give up...... Superb work Peter. Simon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TGA Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 (edited) That trick with the sanding down of the access panel is great! Are you actually going to paint this model? Or will you bw using it to showcase the metalwork? Edited August 30, 2015 by TGA 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basket Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 Absolutely brilliant ! I'm still wonderring from which planet you come from ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 Tell the truth now, you actually have a 1:24 scale English Wheel so you can form all those compound curves! Cheers, Bill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heloman1 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Great work with the PE folder, you made it look easy, which i'm sure it wasn't. Colin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Sorry about the mishap but you have made up for it ten fold! Stunning work as always Roger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev67 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Are you sure you haven't got a team of small pixies helping you on this Peter 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor Rich Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Graceful recovery my friend! Well done!! Now understanding how the wings come together; I have to admit I am really looking forward to how you resolve the cowlings! Continuing to check-in often to get my "daily" fix. Cheers, PR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOAN Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 I can't stop looking at that post......speechless....I will start knitting as new hobby...or fishing...well something else. olivier 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airscale Posted September 2, 2015 Author Share Posted September 2, 2015 Are you actually going to paint this model? Or will you bw using it to showcase the metalwork? well, a bit of both hopefully - the airframe I want to model - N7654C is partly painted as you can see here in these great reference pics.. beautiful... so, a little more progress - I have made and binned a few more panels as they were not right so things are taking time.. ..I added some of the access doors for various bits and bobs - I put some litho in bleach to discolour it and made up the discs with their different pattern of attachment fittings.. they can be seen in the reference pics above too.. ..moving out to the outer panels - again a template to mark & work out panel lines, rivets and access doors.. ..the wing fold hinges are still present on the firebomber, though I suspect the mechanism was disabled - I bent the ends of a thin strip of roughly sanded litho sort of like a staple shape and glued them in place.. ..I was going to start the panels behind the wing spars but I think I need to think about starting the engine nacelles so I don't risk damage or re-working the area... much to ponder on organising next steps TTFN Peter 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Very lovely work. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TGA Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Mate this is absolutely gorgeous. The airframe you picked is perfect! Your attention to detail really boggles the mind and I am looking forward to the next update. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-32 Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Way beyond the skill set of most of us, but an absolute joy to watch coming together. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev67 Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 Hurry up and Finish it, as I want you to start the 1/48 Hastings, only joking mind you, brilliant stuff as always 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 It's looking lovely Peter... can we have some more "general arrangement" pics soon please? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor Rich Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 Yes, I'll second that request for general arrangement photos. Especially longitudinally down the fuselage and how the tail surfaces line-up. Good time to see the dihedral of the wings too! (Just a thought) The Tigercat has always been a special favourite of mine and the Firecat especially so! Those monster radials and sleek lines combine to such a brute of an airframe -- a guy has just got to love it! (IMHO) PR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F4u Posted September 4, 2015 Share Posted September 4, 2015 Lovely work Peter, The colours of the Firecat are different to the normal glossy sea blue remember when Plain Sailing's one turned up in the fire markings before it was resprayed that's when I found out they used them as fire fighters I was working on there Catalina at the time and it was kept quiet that the Tigercat was on its way and was a shock when I went in the hangar and there she was !! Will you be adding the belly tank ? Guy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airscale Posted September 5, 2015 Author Share Posted September 5, 2015 evening folks - thanks for stopping by Hurry up and Finish it, as I want you to start the 1/48 Hastings, only joking mind you, brilliant stuff as always haha Kev - it won't be 1/48, if I do it, it will be 1/32 and a lot of fun - dropped in on your VC10 - beautiful - fantastic work, I hope I can see it at Telford? It's looking lovely Peter... can we have some more "general arrangement" pics soon please? Hi Mike - yep - the light has gone today as I need to do that on my kitchen table as it is getting pretty big now, but will drop a few in here tomorrow... Lovely work Peter, The colours of the Firecat are different to the normal glossy sea blue remember when Plain Sailing's one turned up in the fire markings before it was resprayed that's when I found out they used them as fire fighters I was working on there Catalina at the time and it was kept quiet that the Tigercat was on its way and was a shock when I went in the hangar and there she was !! Will you be adding the belly tank ? Guy Hi Guy - no, there won't be a belly tank - personally I think it ruins the sleek & purposeful lines of the airframe so for me I prefer it as she was created by Grumman.. ..so, on to tonights episode... I kinda needed to change tack a bit as I could happily have skinned the wings and found I damaged it or needed to rework parts of it trying to make and fit the engine nacelles. ..I tried using the card kit plans and actually started making a nacelle, but it soon dawned on me that it would just be too weak once I chopped the middle of it out for the main gear wells (and too much work to do twice), so gave up on that idea.. ..I thought I could try vacforming them... (well, I would try first, probably make a hash of it and then ask a professional...) - so for that I needed a master.. ..from the plans I traced out a profile and a plan view and put them on 3mm plastic card.. ..fronted it with a disc of the right diameter and started blacking the lines so I can see it later when sanding.. ..to get a neat fit to the wing, a little trick it to cover it in abrasive paper so it sands exactly the profile you want... ..I used some of the card kit parts for bulkhead shapes where they helped define it, and again black edged all the edges.. ..and then stuck lots of balsa in all the gaps - I used the same sheet with the grain all running the same way for even sanding.. ..10 minutes with my home sander and I have a master form taking shape... ..still got quite a bit to do to refine it and actually it really needs to be in two halves to be vacformed properly - maybe top/bottom, maybe left/right - don't know yet... ..thoughts welcome? TTFNPeter 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace From Outer Space Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 Hi Peter, Am speechless! Viv 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 Lovely inventive modelling work going on here. Are the two nacelles identical (or mirror images of each other)? It looks like you have been able to make the identical which makes sense. I think I would go for a vertical, symmetrical split for the vacforming, that way you would basically only have the underside joint to fill and clean up. Is the balsa pattern going to be used to make a resin tool for the actual vacforming? Your work also needs to take account of the thickness of the vacformed plastic. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Absolutely stunning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Roger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev67 Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Hi Peter, looking good, cheers for the comment on the VC10, although its not anywhere near the standard you are creating on this model 1/32 scale Hastings would look great, I have the AIM 1/72 kit, which I'll have to start one day 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F4u Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Good work Peter, I agree about the tank she dos look sharper with out it. Guy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airscale Posted September 7, 2015 Author Share Posted September 7, 2015 evening folks ..some progress - in fact a big step forward on something I have been quietly worrying about on this build... ..but I get ahead of myself, lets start at the beginning.. ..when I left it last I had made up a master form of an engine nacelle - they are basically the same on both wings so one form will cover both engines.. I had a fair bit of filling & sanding to do to get a reasonable surface. It doesn't have to be pristine as it is just a shape to work from - the surface will be skinned in litho again.. ..in the end, I had a nice shape - I forgot to reduce the profile by the amount of the sheet that will cover it so it will be slightly over-scale but I can live with that.. ..I marked out the gear doors and and a centreline for reference and scribed some thick lines into it hoping that when I vac-form over it, the lines will show where I need to cut.. ..now for the leap forward!! I tried to vacform on my little homebuilt rig with the first bit of 1mm card and the first try I got THIS>>>> ..I was ecstatic as I thought it would never work at that thickness and with such a large part on the little vacform plate.. ...I cut the part from the sheet and it looked ok... ..so I tried it again and made another - they are pretty rigid and will definitely work as the basis for the nacelles once I build out the internal structures... ..I am pleased that worked out as with the exception of the engines and cowlings themselves that was the remaining major construction hurdle TTFN Peter 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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