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Enter the Dragon...er...Lady


DMC

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I saw Bridge of Spies a few weeks ago and quite enjoyed the film. The U-2 sequences where very good, dramatic license aside, and it wasn't long before I had checked out a few books from the library on Lockheed's Skunk Works and the U-2. The next step was to see what kits were available. I was somewhat disappointed to discover that there were no kits currently in production and unless I could find something on eBay, I was out of luck. Well, as luck would have it, soon after I started looking one or two popped up on eBay UK. The one I liked had a low starting price so I put a bid in and waited. Only one other bidder joined in but didn't seem to want it as much as I did so I won the auction. The box was a little worse for wear and many of the parts had broken off the sprue tree but it was all there. It is an old kit, however, and not at all cutting edge but, based on drawings I have since acquired, I think the general overall shape is good and it just cries out for a little scratch building and super detailing. Which I am more than happy to get stuck into now that I'm giving the Camel a bit of a rest. I've started on the cockpit and will post a couple of photos tomorrow. Meanwhile: pic in a minute.

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Started on the cockpit while I mull over what mark and livery to go with. Using a picture of Cutting Edge's drop-in cockpit pod as reference, I squished some Sculpey Firm into one side of the cleaned up cockpit area.

UL: making the impression.

UR: trimmed and ready for baking.

LL: bake at 120C for about 15 minutes.

LR: final shaping.

I made a duplicate for the other side.IMG_00000163.png side.

Cheers

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I'm surprised that U2s are so hard to come by. Glad you've got one. I'll be watching this. :popcorn:

Well, there are a few left out there and they show up on ebay at BIN prices of $30 to $40, plus postage. Wouldn't mind having another one but not at those prices. Thanks for watching.

I built one of these around 35 years ago. Basic kit but ok. Had a nice set of NASA decals.

Didn't realise the kits had been around that long. Powers, in his book about the incident, states that one of the first sources to report the existence of this "mysterious" aircraft was the March '58 issue of Model Airplane News, complete with drawings. Wouldn't mind an up to date issue with recessed panel lines and a few options.

Continuing with the cockpit,

UL: checking the half mould for fit.

UR: "cementing the halves together with Liquid Sculpey and baking as before.

LL: completed mould

LR: good fit

IMG_00000164.png[/url]

Cheers

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The cockpit tub is taking shape. The idea is to do as much of the instrumentation as I can outside the tub and then add the panels, etc after painting. Airscale do some nice looking etched bezels and decals in 1/48 and that's the way I'll be going for the dials and other bits. U-2 cockpits were (are) quite cramped and very busy. Opti-visor at the ready.

UL: bulkheads shaped using the plug as a guide.

UR: one side of the pod left open

LL: trying out instrument panel shapes.

LR: not bad.

IMG_00000177.png[/uR

Cheers

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On 2/18/2016 at 9:04 PM, DMC said:

I saw Bridge of Spies a few weeks ago and quite enjoyed the film. The U-2 sequences where very good, dramatic license aside.

I saw that film. The U-2 was a TR-1, about the only mistake I spotted for the film.

Anyway, this is the Airfix U-2 model - I've built it 3 times.

U-2A

Airfix_U2_SAC.jpg

U-2C

Airfix_U2_Nasa.jpg

And U-2D.

Airfix_U2_Test.jpg

And much larger - but also in 1/72, Special Hobby TR-1a

SH_TR-1_A_Superpod.jpg

Edited by theplasticsurgeon
photobucket correction
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Cool Nice to see a C variant so with the small slipper tanks on the wings. Only every saw a U2R or a TR1 with the larger wing tanks

Thanks, still undecided as to what variant to build. Don't think I'm ready to start hacking off that hump on the spine to make an A. A least not on this one.

I saw that film. The U-2 was a TR-1, about the only mistake I spotted for the film.

Anyway, this is the Airfix U-2 model - I've built it 3 times.

U-2A

Airfix_U2_SAC_zpsq2fwlgg2.jpg

U-2C

Airfix_U2_Nasa_zpsfnka34t1.jpg

And U-2D.

Airfix_U2_Test_zpsekogbvx5.jpg

And much larger - but also in 1/72, Special Hobby TR-1a

SH_TR-1A_Superpod_zpschfgr3lc.jpg

Excellent! I,ve seen your builds before. Thanks for posting. Apologies for posting the photos again. I need to sort out how to do partial quotes.

Nice work on the cockpit. I think mine came with a seat a panel and a deformed pilot.

Thank you. Same with this one, although the pilot's not to bad. You also get a standing pilot figure and a four wheeled dolly.

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Nice work and some good techniques on display.

Thanks, Tomoshenko.

So, longer days equates to earlier starts for me and I'm moving on fairly well with this old kit. After much searching I finally found decent photos of the early U-2 ejection seat. The back of the seat was curved with a slight cup at the top. The sides and seat base were riveted on. I used the squash method to get the curve in the back and added the sides and seat base out of. 010 Evergreen stock.

IMG_00000179.png

http://www.ejectionsite.com/u2seat.htm

Cheers

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Nice work on that seat :thumbsup2: and what an interesting website you've linked to there. I've bookmarked it.

Thank you, and, yes, quite a good site.

The kit doesn't give any indication of the glazed openings for the camera which are located in the Q bay behind and beneath the cockpit. So, using the clay method as I did for the cockpit mould, I baked two halves together and then added more clay and baked the mould again. I finished off the "flats" of the mould with a file and sanding block. I'll use the mould with a homemade vacuum forming jig and Evergreen sheet stock. Should work out okay, with a little luck.

IMG_00000178.png

IMG_00000184.png

http://aircraftwalkaround.hobbyvista.com/u2c/reccebay.jpg

The apertures come up around 0:38 in this video.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+u-2+shoot+down&view=detail&mid=B34ACE7E0C2FE1312C09B34ACE7E0C2FE1312C09&FORM=VIRE1

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OK, tried a test shot of the Q bay hatch using my homemade vacuum forming jig and the clay mould.

IMG_00001058.png

First 'pull' came out pretty good but was a bit short on the sides. The styrene wasn't hot enough when I removed the holding plate from the oven. The second pull was better as I had increased the heat and left the plate in the oven a bit longer. However, I had tried to be clever and increase the sharpness of the ridges by fixing thin wire on them with CA. What I got was a sort of shallow gully that I couldn't flatten out without filing the ridges down too thinly. I also learned from doing a bit of research that I needed to raise the mould pedestal about 1/4" in order for hot styrene to pull down past the mould.

IMG_00001059.png

I think the third try will be okay. After raising the pedestal and sealing the top of the box a little better, I really got a good shot. Just need to trim it to fit the opening and sharpen up the ridges a little. I'll not shape the apertures just yet. Not sure how I'm going to deal with the 'glass'.

IMG_00001060.png

IMG_00001061.png

Cheers

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Again lovely techniques on display. Nice work on the vac-forming and the seat looks the business.

Thank you, Tomoshenko. Neglected to include this link on how to build a simple vacuum forming rig:

http://ratomodeling.com/articles/vacform1/vacform1.html

There was a good article in Hyperscale several years back, about building this aircraft in a natural metal finish with Day Glow on it.

-d-

This one, I think. Converting a U-2C into an A. Very good.

http://hsfeatures.com/features04/u2a48jf_1.htm

Nice work! The seat is a work of art and your clay casting method is inspired.

Thank you, Col. Much appreciated.

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After a bit of fettling, the third attempt at fitting a Q Bay hatch was successful, sort of. The dimples that marked the aperture locations were a little oversized but I didn't think hat would be much of a problem. But then, I found an online photo taken from directly underneath a U-2 that showed seven apertures instead of the six I thought the hatch had. It was all down to the angles from which the photos were taken. The ones I'd used showed only six apertures so without giving it much thought, that's what I went with. Doh! I was tempted to use the piece because the fit was pretty good and after all who'd know? Well, I would. So, I went ahead and fashioned another clay mould with seven flats and formed another hatch. A good one, I think, but it should be as I've had plenty of practice.

IMG_00001064.png

IMG_00001062.png

The seat I'd made seemed a little too big for the scale six foot pilot figure that came with the kit so I made another. Looks about right in the cockpit with the drift sight and instrument panel. Not sure about the harness as I've yet to find a clear photo of how it hooked up. On the seat back I imagine as when the seat went, the harness, with pilot, went also. I think, that is, not being completely au fait with ejection seat operation.

IMG_00001065.png

Cheers

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Cleaned up Q Bay hatch #4 and cut out the apertures for the camera. It's a pretty good fit so I'm going to leave well enough alone. For the "glass" inserts I might try a backing strip of clear styrene and then fill in the openings from the outside with Krystal Klear (sp). Not my idea but can't remember where I read it.

IMG_00000199.png

Found another use for the clay and vacuum forming process that's proving very helpful in this build. Left alone, there would be quite a step in from the intake opening piece to the inside of the so-called "coke bottle" intake. I could have used filler to thicken the inside of the intake but that's a lot of faff and I've never been good with Green Stuff, etc. So, using the clay again, I made moulds for each intake and formed a couple of inserts. I'll still have to thin the outer pieces but not that much. I've been looking for. A photo that might show more of the internal ducting but no luck so far.

IMG_00000200.png

Cheers

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Thanks, Tomoshenko, there is a term for such obsessive modelling behaviour but I can't remember what it is.

Yes, a good link and the rig is an easy build.

Cheers

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The seat I'd made seemed a little too big for the scale six foot pilot figure that came with the kit so I made another. Looks about right in the cockpit with the drift sight and instrument panel. Not sure about the harness as I've yet to find a clear photo of how it hooked up. On the seat back I imagine as when the seat went, the harness, with pilot, went also. I think, that is, not being completely au fait with ejection seat operation.

Cheers

I don't know about the specifics of this seat, but in general the sequence of events is:

1. Harness tightens to prevent body parts from being caught under instrument panel or other cockpit parts (e.g. Starfighter pilots had special 'spurs' that attached to a wire that would pull their feet out from under the instrument panel)

2. Seat and pilot depart aircraft

3. Seat and pilot part ways

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