Brandy Posted June 10, 2015 Author Share Posted June 10, 2015 (edited) I've been really busy with work recently, but I managed to get a little more done today. Spars and ribs have been added with a brown "Sharpie" and I attempted a first coat of CDL today. I tried ModelMaster Acrylics for the first time and thinned with Tamiya thinner - it totally bunged up the airbrush! I now have 3 bunged up airbrush tips which are soaking in thinner to try to clear them out, I can't even get any air through them! So I went to my local hobby shop and bought Modelmaster thinner, maybe it's the Tamiya thinner.... Here are the tail surfaces and upper wing centre section ready for paint... and here is the fuselage, CDL on and the nose painted too... Now to sort out the paint problem.... Ian Edited July 1, 2017 by limeypilot 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 Glad to see you are still with this - I was beginning to wonder after a few weeks of silence. I saw a built example at the Salisbury show a couple of weeks ago, and it looked stunning; yours seems to be heading the same way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted June 16, 2015 Author Share Posted June 16, 2015 (edited) I bought a new tip yesterday and today I finished off the CDL. First I thinned the paint with the Modelmaster thinner - it worked great on the undersides of the wings, but was too thin on the tail and upper wing surfaces, running into the seams. So I then sprayed without thinner and that also went fine until it started to clog again! I'm happy with the result but I wish I could figure out what I'm doing wrong! It's not very clear in the pics, but the roundel shadows do show through a little better .... Anyway, in addition to the CDL, I also painted the cockpit padding, rescribed the engine panels, and added the 4 carburetor intakes on the nose. I've made an attempt at chipping on the engine panels but I think I'll paint over it as I'm not really happy with how it looks...... Finally, I made a start on the radiator mounting using 0.010" brass wire. Thanks for any tips re the painting..... Ian Edited July 3, 2017 by limeypilot 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 This is beginning to look rather special. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted June 28, 2015 Author Share Posted June 28, 2015 (edited) Thanks Martin, much appreciated! I didn't have a day off today, but my flights are at 10:45 tonight so I basically had the day to myself! I drilled the holes in the fuselage for the elevator and rudder cables, and also for the upper centre section bracing. Unusually, this aircraft doesn't have cross bracing fore-and-aft between the cabane struts, only side-to-side. The fore-and-aft bracing is forward to the front of the engine and aft to between the cockpits, so those holes have also been drilled. I then fitted small pieces of brass rod to the cabane strut holes in the upper wing centre section, and when those were dry, I added the struts. Here's the first dry-fit of the centre section: I also painted the floats..... again! I'm a lot happier with the finish this time, and I think one more coat of clear orange may well see them done. I will make a few small adjustments to the cabane struts, cover the brass rod joints with dissolved putty, then paint them before fitting the centre section. Rigging will be added as part of the attachment process rather than after it's all done as I want to make sure it will add structural strength. Thanks for looking in! Ian Edited July 3, 2017 by limeypilot 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) A little progress today! I had finally got the floats to look reasonable, so today I attached them to the cross members, then measured and fitted the brass rod that will be the float struts. The white metal cross members were drilled to give a stronger attachment for the struts. I will add plastic card for the fairings and blend it all together with Mr Dissolved Putty before painting. Ian Edited July 1, 2017 by limeypilot 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 (edited) Another step backwards....I'd left the floats in a clamp while the struts set, and when I removed them the paint had stuck to the clamp and came off! So this morning I sanded down the float sides again and repainted the base colour. I needed to do something in the way of progress, so I printed out some serial numbers for number 842. According to the production list in the datafile, the first production batch started with number 841, which was serial number S129, so I printed out S130 as the next one in the batch. This will replace the S106 in the decal for number 184. I'm not sure why there is no serial number for this aircraft as there certainly appears to be something very similar to 184's serial number on the fin, although the pic is VERY blurry....anyway, it will add a little more visual interest so it's going on! I also applied a coat of gloss where the decals will go so I can get those on soon.... Ian Edited July 20, 2015 by limeypilot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMC Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 (edited) Excellent, you're back with this. First took notice of it some weeks ago (before I joined up) and then promptly lost track. I won't again. DMC Edited July 20, 2015 by DMC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Moore Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 (edited) Nice work...I would love to get my hands on one of these kits. Edited July 20, 2015 by Les Moore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Nice work...I would love to get my hands on one of these kits. I think John should re-issue it Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted July 26, 2015 Author Share Posted July 26, 2015 (edited) I have had to rethink the float struts. The brass wire was too thick and didn't "give" enough to enable accurate fitting without breaking off, so I removed it, and drilled all the way through the white metal and the plastic. I then CA'd .010" brass wire into the holes and will bend it to the correct angle when it is set. The struts will be made from stock plastic, drilled, and attached to the pins. In the meantime, I've added the frame for the radiator and painted it, and the prop tips. Ian Edited July 3, 2017 by limeypilot 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 This is shaping up rather nicely! Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted August 15, 2015 Author Share Posted August 15, 2015 (edited) I've finally crossed the first hurdle with this one! I made the float struts from the strut material supplied with vac kits. A little basic trigonometry to find the lengths and we're off...... Ends were drilled to take the .010" brass rod pins, then cut to the correct angle. I CA'd the struts to the pins in the floats and then did a dry run to double check.... This showed my measurements were off by about 2mm - not sure how I came up with the original measurement as however I measured I couldn't come up with the figure I'd first used! Anyway, the front struts were trimmed by a couple of mm and refitted, all now looked good so..... on they went! I'm very pleased with the results, and it's nice to have finally got her "up on her feet"....I feel that a huge barrier has been cleared by getting the floats on, after all the problems I had with the painting etc. Hopefully I'll be able to make progress a little more quickly now! The next step will be to add the smaller support struts and then the upper wing centre section..........followed by all the rigging associated with both assemblies.. Thanks for looking in. Ian Edited July 3, 2017 by limeypilot 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted August 15, 2015 Author Share Posted August 15, 2015 (edited) OOPS! I went back to look at it again and I realised my math error had also been on the centre strut, which forced the floats too far aft. Even though they are CA'd on and are very sturdy, they pulled of fairly easily, so 2mm was trimmed off the centre struts and I now have the floats where they should be! Ian Edited July 3, 2017 by limeypilot 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted August 17, 2015 Author Share Posted August 17, 2015 (edited) The float support structure and what I assume is a bracket to stop the torpedo from nose-diving, are now complete. Next on the the "hit-list" is finishing and fitting the torpedo and all its fittings and rigging........ did someone say "sucker for punishment"? ........... Thanks for looking in! Ian Edited July 1, 2017 by limeypilot 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 I love this aircraft; a true Naval classic (& very influential). When are WNW going to take the plunge and model it?! Or, of course, we could join Martin in asking John... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww1steve Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 (edited) Ian, just found your thread, I built 842 earlier this year, not with the wings folded, though I plan to do that with a second one. Will now be following the rest of your build. Earlier you asked " does anyone have any plans or details for the 14" torpedo? The kit has no info on it...." I found a drawing if you still need it. I scratchbuilt mine. I found the torpedo sat too low in the mount, and I had to 'adjust' the fixings to raise the tail end. Constructors number S.130 is correct Steve Edited August 18, 2015 by ww1steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted August 19, 2015 Author Share Posted August 19, 2015 Thanks gents! Steve, I bought a resin torpedo from Flightpath, which is WWII, but should be reasonable. The nose was too blunt so I sanded that down a little, and I'll scratch the fins. Other than that I think it should work.I'd love a copy of the drawing though, that would be very useful! Unfortunately I didn't notice that the curve on the float cross members was too shallow until it was all put together so I will just have to live with that.... Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 I love the cockpit and I'm amazed at the struttery! Nice going - this clearly isn't a weekend build! Regards, Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww1steve Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 Something else I found while scanning photos, the aileron on the lower wing is shorter than that on the upper. I didn't change this on my model, as I didn't notice it until it was too late. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMC Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 Hi Ian, , You might already know this but if not, in Mark Barber's Royal Naval Air Service Pilot 1914 - 1917, pg 54, there is a rather grainy photo of a Short Type 184 dropping a torpedo. Not much to glean from the photo except that the torpedo was probably silver. In the same book on page 48 there is a photo of a Short on the beach with one of the wings folded back and on the next page a painting of a Short Type 74 on a bomb run. Interestingly, the floats on the one in the beach photo appear to be darker than the fuselage, as your's are. Cheers, DMC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted August 19, 2015 Author Share Posted August 19, 2015 Thanks Adrian! Steve, I hadn't noticed that either, I'll look into it.... DMC - I have the Datafile for this a/c which seems to indicate a bare steel torpedo, with a black nose. Floats were either varnished wood or painted in a colour similar to the struts (a light grey). I'm of the opinion that later floats were metal, which is why they were painted. Some of the close up pics certainly show what appear to be rivets.... Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted August 26, 2015 Author Share Posted August 26, 2015 (edited) I thought that after all the hassle of the float struts, I'd do something simple. I'd bought a resin torpedo to use and had thought I'd just need to make new fins and shorten it a little (length of Mk X 14" torpedo was 15 feet 6 inches, - thanks Steve! - which made the resin item 5mm too long). I duly shortened it but it looked too stubby....then it occurred to me that I hadn't checked the diameter. It should be 4.9mm....it was 6mm! So I decided to scratch build it. A piece of 4.8mm tubing was cut to length for the main body and two pieces of 3.8mm rod inserted, one in each end, to give the correct length. These have had milliput added and when that is dry I will put it in a drill chuck and sand down the ends to get the correct nose shape and taper on the tail. At least it makes a nice change from struts! In an earlier reply, Steve pointed out that the lower ailerons are shorter than the upper ones...something I hadn't noticed. I looked into it and sure enough, there a quite a few pics in the DF that clearly show them to be 2 ribs shorter! So I have started to correct those too, which may mean a repaint of the lower wings but at least they'll be correct! Thanks again, Steve! Thanks for looking in, Ian Edited July 2, 2017 by limeypilot 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted September 3, 2015 Author Share Posted September 3, 2015 (edited) A small progress update: I got some primer on the lower wings where I've corrected the ailerons and I'm happy with those so painting will proceed there.... ditto the torpedo - a little filler needed in one small spot but other than that I'm more than happy with it. Looking for something to do today so I fitted the tail float and rigged it with stainless wire... Next up is to fit and rig the torpedo..... Ian Edited July 2, 2017 by limeypilot 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted September 16, 2015 Author Share Posted September 16, 2015 (edited) Hi all, I've been taking a few steps backwards this past week. Not deliberately, but I just seemed to get clumsy! I knocked 3 of the torpedo's fins off, and then managed to clip the tail float, resulting in it coming loose and popping the rigging out.... that has now all been fixed and I've managed to progress a little further. I decided to add the tail feathers before the torpedo, but then I noticed that I hadn't corrected the fin, so that had to be done. The actual aircraft has quite large gaps between the fabric on the fin and the fuselage, so the mounting slot in the fuselage was filled, the "peg" on the fin removed, and the fin itself sanded along the bottom to represent the curve of the fabric. The bottom of the fin was then drilled and plastic rod "pegs" fitted to mount the fin to the fuselage. The cut out at the front of the horizontal stabiliser was also filled before it was fitted. A little touch-up is needed along the top of the fuselage where the corrections were made but other than that it's done and I'm much happier with it now. I then decided to make a trestle for the tail out of HO scale 4x6, and 2x4 - close enough for me! and here is how it'll go together on display.... Thanks for looking in! Ian Edited July 2, 2017 by limeypilot 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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