Caerbannog Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 This year I plan to start 126 GBs and hope to finish one. At least it seems so. This is the third GB this year and my other two are still in early stages. Nevertheless I will enter a small resin kit which looks quite nice in the box and I plan to build it OOB. OK - knowing me this will be unlikely but I will try hard. I will build a resin kit from JMGT: A Potez 53 air racer which won the 1933 Coupe Deutsch de la Meurthe (#10 won, #12 retired after the fourth lap). the Musee de l'Air et de l'Espace has a Potez 53 in its collection. Here is the box and the parts: So everything is there: Reasonable detail from the box, low parts count, simple paint job. What can go wrong? ;-) René 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rom1 Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 très original ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Now that is an unusual choice, I quite like that. Tres bien! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyC Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Having built a few, you got to love a 30's racer! Nice choice! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 This looks very interesting indeed! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caerbannog Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 (...) you got to love a 30's racer! (...) Could not agree more :-) I hope this one will be it: My once in a life time quick build out of the box. It seems everything is there: Nice casing, good detail, low parts count, few decals, simple paint job. My only gripe is the u/c which is resin as well and which will maybe be very weak. Without any spare time this weekend I did not more than washing the resin bits and taking pictures: Sorry - I am a bit in a hurry - I hope the pics speak for themself. René 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 This one is right up my rue Cliff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learstang Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I love '30's racers, but I admit I had not seen this one before. Good choice for the build! Regards, Jason 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Looks good, the pictures speak loud & clear 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caerbannog Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 OK - I did some work on this: Cleaned the resin pieces and sanded those smaller parts from their "sprues". There is very little clean up needed on this kit - no clean up at all on the fuselage. The cockpit interior is looking nice but is not truly accurate: The small silver box with the two black dots is about vertical on the kit - but on the real thing this box (and the wall it is mounted to) is not vertical but about 30° or 40° only. The seat looks quite different - but I only found pics which show a small part of the base. As I do not want to enter another kit which will not be finished in time and as there is little to see of the inside once the fuselage is closed, I decided to live with these issues. Most of the interior is wood colour (Humbrol and oil paint streaks) and aluminium (Humbrol polished aluminum). Wash was done in brown and dark grey (Vallejo): I adjusted the fuselage halfes, clamped them together and added thin super glue: The lower seam will be mainly hidden under another resin part. All in all very little clean up needed: Next will be wings, u/c and tail surfaces. And then: Painting already! Oh - I finished work on the engine already (just some paint, no wires) but forgot to take pictures. Rene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caerbannog Posted April 16, 2015 Author Share Posted April 16, 2015 Not much to show even though the build itself is quite simple and quickly. So much that I also started a Cauldron C 460: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234980222-148-caudron-c-460-air-racer-jmgt-resin-kit/. I added the wings and started the dreaded filling, sanding, filling, sanding,... Rene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caerbannog Posted April 24, 2015 Author Share Posted April 24, 2015 Not much achieved - despied puttied and sanded seams. This is not an issue of the kit but of my available time. The only areas which still need some sanding are the kinks in the wheel well which have been straightend with Milliput: Rene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caerbannog Posted April 27, 2015 Author Share Posted April 27, 2015 The u/c parts shown below had to be sanded from their "Sprue" but I did not take enough care and removed more resin than needed: It is the first time I tried this method. It is easier to trace and cut the paper and it is thinner than the plastic sheets I had in stock. But the surface is rougher and needs a good layer of primer (I used Mr Surfacer 500). When I continued with the u/c legs I noticed that JMGT had a metal rod casted in to reinforce the legs: JMGT does really a great job on these kits. They go together nicely and build up very quickly. I daresay you (not me...) can build them over a weekend and make a very good first resin kit. The fact that there is not much clean up involved is not only convenient but also good for your health as it reduces the harmful resin dust a lot (yes wet sanding is of course still a must). Rene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Some serious work going on here Rene Cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stinger-d Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Serious job! I look forward to see your progress Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caerbannog Posted April 28, 2015 Author Share Posted April 28, 2015 Thanks. There are different blues used on the Potez 53 as far as I can make out. I opted for a lighter blue which I mixed from Humbrol 47 with two drops of Revell 52. I like this colour but should anyone have a proven colour please let me know - I will need to add another coat anyway. In the background is the Caudron C 460 which has also reached the painting stage. Rene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 Nice work Rene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caerbannog Posted May 13, 2015 Author Share Posted May 13, 2015 Yesterday I wanted to put the decals on the Potez but made the mistake to check my references once more... Is it only me or has anybody else the experience that you spot issues when it is almost too late? 1.: I added a small intake on top of the fuselage just after the cowling. This intake is only visible on one period picture I found. So now that I fabricated it from brass tube and already glued this intake in place as per instructions I will keep to it. 2.: The hump behind this intake should continue till the windscreen. I will have to build it up and respray the Potez. Which leads me to: 3.: The period pictures show a lighter coloured cowling than the rest of the Potez. On the first period picture I found I thought it will be primer. But I find it unlikely that the cowling was never painted - despite other changes on the aircraft. Further more the "primer" has the same sheen as the painted areas. So I suppose it is a lighter blue (?) colour as the rest of the Potez. As my blue mix appears too light for the airframe to me now and because of #2 I need to respray it anyway I will mix a darker blue and just keep the cowling in the current hue. So instead of decaling there is more work on my list now... Rene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Looking good so far Rene, how are you getting on with this now? Wez 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caerbannog Posted June 1, 2015 Author Share Posted June 1, 2015 Thanks for asking Wez. Right now it looks like this: I gave all parts but the cowling a repray in a darker blue (the cowling is just mounted with blue tac to show the two blues next to each other). I hope this colour scheme is OK - but who can tell for sure. From first hand I mean Next step will be decaling, clear coating, then the addition of exhaust- and oil strains. Hope to get this list done by next Monday. Rene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caerbannog Posted June 8, 2015 Author Share Posted June 8, 2015 OK - decals are on and I decided to semi-gloss varnish them, as the real thing does not look very shiny in period pictures as well. The engine is painted and glued in place. It needs some sanding once around to get the cowling fit over it - but no big deal. I would assume that it is on the home stretch now - but I am not sure about one thing: I painted decal film for the canopy frameing and wanted to install the canopy last. Maybe this was a mistake... We will see later if and if so why... Rene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caerbannog Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share Posted July 13, 2015 I was a bit lazy on updates - sorry. Actually the Potez is almost done: Afer the semi dull coat I did a bit of weathering and painted the details. I picked out the panel lines with pencil and cut out the canopy which is now in place too: So all that is missing is a bit of canopy frameing a final clear coat and the prop (which is already painted with Alclad - so just needs to be attached). I quite sure I will get it done tonight ;-) Thanks for looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caerbannog Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 Done! Just two last pics to end this topic: This was great fun to build and I can really recomment the kits of this manufacturer. Thanks for looking. René 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C460 Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Interesting build, it's nice to see how the model looks like once finished. It's very late to say that, but I think that the cowling was the same colour than the aircraft. The original picture that you posted was taken just after the race, and the fuselage looks very dark because it was heavily stained by soot from the exhaust. The additional intake that you spotted above the cowling was added before the race to draw fresh air inside the cockpit through a hose under the windscreen. The third picture you posted, with different chin intake and wheel covers, shows the Potez 533 made the following year. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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