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Building a HAS


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These are the second set of wheels on the axels & under the flat bed of the ESCI trailer

 

AVQgU2f.jpg

 

I have decided to Nick the leaf springs from the trailer for my Nitrogen cert and take the kit wheels too.  Hence the replacement wheels.  The plan is to fit a body as per the Bentwaters example.  Some progress there 

 

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In the foreground is the Skunkmodels weapons trolley to compare to the ESCI one.  Think you can see the issue.  So I might finish off the blue body shape an then either detail up the outside or clad it in thin white plasticard & score the door panels & add handles & hinges.

 

So that means I have ESCI kit wheels & leaf springs for the nitrogen trolley and that had an open frame, tanks and a control box.  Not the worst to scratch once I figure the diameter of a tank!

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Why did I close this plastic to make the body from?  Nice bit of standard plasticard works great with plastic cement.  This one doesn’t and seems to resist all contact with superglue.  You know the one - you try to glue two pieces together and they done stick but become attached to the cutting mat.  Well that has been the way with this!  Getting there now though.  Scribed the panel lines on the sides.  Need to add hinges & catches etc but getting there

 

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Look at those lovely sink marks in the trolley.  They need building over!  Will go for a standard plasticard roof & trim bits I think.

 

Nice pic of a bobtail and weapons trolleys at Lakenheath the other day

 

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Lots of transit vans too

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Got the body and roof attached to the base today & started adding some detail

 

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Then whacked on some primer to see how the glue & joins come up

 

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The green will calm it down a bit but looking ok.

 

Starting to think about the next build and maybe start on one of these

 

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It’s a SR-71 start cart & since I have a building to put the Blackbird in & a Blackbird kit to build.  Saw a tease for the new Revell Blackbird kit the other day.  Looks pricey.

 

 

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Cheers @Stickframe yes conversations & scratching in between the occasional kit.

 

Now tankers.  I spotted this picture on line. Sorry to the owner but I couldn’t link it so I screen grabbed and cropped the bit that caught my attention (apologies to the photographer/image owner)  It’s a bit before my usual time period.  Probably late 60s to early 70s and the truck is to early, but….

 

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Now what about a Mack truck articulated tanker?  Well Corgi made one, I had the tractor unit so time to get a tanker trailer


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Think this has potential.  It might not be exact & I might have to wing it with no reference photos.

 

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Now the truck already has a flat bed trailer, which I am sure would work for moving heavy stuff around.  The tank it seems to me sits too high.  They seem to have built a lot of extra height in to it.  So I guess I will break it down & see what can be done.  I need to fabricate a pump / hose reel housing to go on the back as well.  Could be fun

 

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Found a couple of ideas for the tanker shape.  This one is a fairly standard tanker

 

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The next two are civil airport tankers with the pump & hose equipment at the back as per the original photo

 

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q8-aviation-fuel-tanker-edinburgh-airpor

 

You can see on both the tank sits a lot closer to the trailer wheels, although higher than the cab.  So something like those I guess. And I figured out that two rivets inside the hatched on top of the tank seem to hold it in place, so will be drilling them out soon.

 

 

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Quick update.  Took a drill to the tanker and split it in to the main parts

 

cvMbPnz.jpg
 

Now it seems to me that the moulded a frame in to the plastic tank and then put another metal frame under it.  Wonder how it would look with the whole metal frame removed?

 

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I think the answer is better!  Removing one of the raised parts on the bogie would see the rear wheels sit level.  So I think the frame is gone.  Might salvage ladders etc from it though 

 

And the box is going green

 

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And another piece of ground equipment joins the fleet

 

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Yes, I know there is a white ring on the lower side.  The real unit has tie down rings at three points along each side.  I cut some small diameter tube to make them, stuck them on, painted them and then had one come off.  It’s been replaced and will be painted in.  The body also probably need reflective tape on the corners as was the way things were done.  May do that soon.  Anyway fairly pleased with the light unit, step van and box trolley.  Should really do that nitrogen trolley next, while pondering the articulated tanker

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Put the corner & edge marking reflective tape (well thin strip of masking tape to you & me) on the box trolley today so calling it finished.  Think it will add something to the background of a diorama 

 

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Too tempting to get in to the tanker now though.  So this is the old tanker frame

 

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It adds a lot of space between the wheels and the tank.  Just look at those tails above the mad guards but below the tank.  So nothing that can’t be cut up!

 

This is about the height I am aiming for 

 

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I cut the hitch area out the the frame - no need to worry detail here!  The rotating hitch should be on the tractor and the pin on the trailer.  However, in their infinite wisdom, Corgi reversed it!  The pin is on the tractor and hitch on the trailer.  I am not going to correct it though, but I have sunk the cut are of frame around the hitch up in to the tank.

 

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So the under frame will start for the hitch and  lend in to the moulded frame under the tank that runs downtown where the rear bogie has been recessed up in to the frame.  Somewhere along this frame will sit a few pipes for filling it draining the tank.  At the back I have to fabricate a frame for the pumps & hoses.  Plus the Esso logo sticker needs to come off and the whole tank get a good smooth down before painting.  Cutting the plastic releases a very familiar childhood plastic smell that came from hours of playing with toys made of this stuff.  It’s an odd slightly flexible plastic but it sands & cuts ok.

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Bit of sanding, gluing & messing about with the tanker today but no pics.  However I did go over to Wattisham and got a few pictures.  The main inspiration for this thread is obviously there & seeing them got me started 

 

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Also you can see the active field gates to the left.  Interesting after seeing them after the gates at Lakenheath the other week.

 

Of course it’s not Phantoms or Lightnings anymore.  It’s these

 

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And you can see the concrete blast screens behind her.  I was stood at the crash gate when she came taxiing around right in front of me.  Then took off

 

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And the museum has a Scout and a Lynx that were sat outside

 

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Anyway was a nice little trip out.  Now I have a 1/48 Lynx in the stash….

 

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I knocked up a card template for the pump & hose housing to go on to the back of the tank

 

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The shape looks about right.  The central frame on the roof should really extend to the very back & would make it look better.  I don’t want the end box to exceed the maximum width of the tank as that might make it just too wide.  Hmm, some steady work that might take some time

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Started turning the rear exactions of the tanker in to plastic today.  Looks like it’s coming together.

 

oiyeVxP.jpg

 

I chopped a section out of the back of the tanker to improve fit.  I have also removed the raised section to be remounted over the new section

 

The back plate has a series of supports to help it form 

 

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the sides have doors cut in and scribed roller doors fitted behind in the recess.  I feel the frame should be thinner but I want this to hold its shape

 

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I will fix this new section together and then slot it onto the tanker back end, mount the raised section as above and then form some new sections to join this to the rest of the tanker raised section.  Will then need to spattach it and get some filler out to smooth the join 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well that was a nice couple of weeks away.  No foreign trips this year but nice time away.  Saw a BBMF spitfire fly over Rougham airfield while at the Sunflowers

 

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And had a trip to the seaside

 

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But not got any modelling done.  Hopefully everyone has had a good summer and back to the modelling soon.  Thinking about a Phantom double build - Spangdahlem F-4G and a Luftwaffe F-4E.  Or maybe the Blackbird…

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Started some bits for the nitrogen trolley today.  The plan is to use the ESCI flat trolley wheels and leaf springs and scratch build a control box and frame.  Box has come along nicely

 

B51YDeh.jpg

 

Next bit is to build the frames to hold the tanks and then the trolley frame and draw bar to link them all together

 

i put the pump & hose box on to the tanker today as well & went to add some P38 filler to blend it in.  Opened the tin & it was just about dried out so ordered some more.  This bit may or may not set!

 

TVpMapA.jpg
 

 

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Had a go at the tanks for the nitrogen cart today.  Found some tube of a good diameter so it would look something like this

 

4aw91VQ.jpg

 

No top or bottoms on the tubes so I found some dowel of a slightly smaller diameter that fitted in to the ends quite tightly.  Spot of superglue to fix them in and the put them in to the cordless drill and sand the ends down.  Drill a hole in to top and put in a valve

 

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I had a goat making up a frame to hold them.  Once it all goes together with the evergreen strip frame angle iron there will be some small strips on the ends of the frame to hold the tanks in place.  Most bits there I guess

 

hJ3LF3I.jpg

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Got some more P38 now so back on to shaping up the back end of the tanker - blending in the hose & pump housing, building up the raised section on the roof.  It’s coming along.  I need to add some more detail under the tank then get a coat of primer on & see how it looks

 

xO2c38n.jpg
 

 

Have been looking at the frame for the nitrogen cart too.  No new pic there yet though

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I've been reading back through your updates for a while and I gotta say you've come up with some incredible results credible!

 

I happen to be doing a similar project to yours but mine involves a 1/72, 1/76 whiff Airport/Museum Diorama that includes a OO Gauge layout and I've been collecting various toys and diecasts to rebuild/mostly scratch build to include in the finished article!

 

Looking forward to seeing more progress!

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Thanks @Maverick231 I started on to 1/48 after building my OO gauge railway layout.  But my layout is 1950s and my models are Cold War so not really compatible.  But I like the idea of a railway model as part of a scene.  And a beautifully made model of a jet is nice, but a jet in a scene that looks a bit more real to me is better.

 

Speaking of which, I never put the finished Spangdahlem F-16C in the HAS on this thread.  Here she is

 

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And with my Soesterberg Eagle

 

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Always liked the F-15

 

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Got another one to build - Bitburg this time though.  May get up to date & do a Lakenheath Eagle one day

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  • 2 weeks later...

Got some new liquid green stuff today that you can actually brush on & not scrape out & apply with a trowel.  Couple of bits added.  I put the original tanker back bumper & lights on, and beefed up the first two ribs under the tank.  The underneath has two plates to fit the filling pipes on to.   I said before I was going to prime it but I will soon.  Deciding if it needs the rear ladder before paint but I think it can go on later.  When I have made it!

 

y6y791m.jpg

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Now I need a ladder up the back.  I don’t enjoy making ladders.  So good job there were some on the original diecast frame

 

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So out with the dremel & I have this 

 

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That should work.  Cut it down & add some curved rails to the top.

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Well the finish on that tanker is rough as hell!  Gave it a quick surface rub down but that is what I gave it a coat of paint for.  If it turns out to be really bad I will skim it over with P38 to give it a smoother finish

 

In the mean time  I thought I should get on with the frame on my cut price nitrogen trolley.  I am building the frame from evergreen angle iron.  It starts wider at the control box and narrows towards the front bogie.  
 

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and with the frame shaped a bit to narrow it I added the tank carriers

 

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and checking the tank fit

 

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So let it dry & check it’s level, couple more strengetheners across the frame & a fixing point for the front bogie.  Then build a tow bar.  Wheels & leaf springs are the ESCI trolley ones 

 

 

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I have rigged up a pivot for the front bogie so it can be rotated and strengthened up the frame a bit.  Sitting on its leaf springs to check everything. The tow bar is about done but needs a movable attachment.  I have made some little plates to tuck in between the tanks to hold them in place.  I think that is most of the major bits now

 

7SaWfNb.jpg

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Fitted the tow bar which will hopefully allow the trolley to be posed under tow or stationary.  Also fitted the plates between the tanks.  Bit of tidying up needed & the tanks need pipes to connect them to the control box, but basically ready for primer

 

FGxk31Y.jpg

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