Auster AOP6 ended at long last

[perdu]

As long as you realise I put that in for you special Anthony

All the pictures I took are in my photobucket so you should be able to get in and mooch

Sadly only a dozen or so but the airframe even has the shelving for what I presume is the comms kit behind the seat

I only took the few pics of that on a small hunch

If you need anything specific let me know and I'll pootle over there and get probing

half an hour away, three quarters of the next one queueing to come home along the motorway past Walsall

After the links you gave me it will be worth it

I dont need acknowledgements if you use any pics, hope they help your restoration some way

[perdu]

Hendie me deario

Doff not the chapeau please

Yes it took a couple of pulls to get that canopy thingy but frankly, nowhere near the efforts you have had to put into your works

Mine is the forelock in semi-permanent tuggedness to your self

But I'm glad you like it

[Anthony in NZ]

Just put the jug on mate! And thanks again, looks like a good read you have given me!

[71chally]

Hi Perdu, the MG 'door winder handle' is the elevator trim control lever!

[perdu]

Thanks 71Chally, where is the flap control then I wonder

Glad it's helping Anthony

canny whack a decent help thread

[Anthony in NZ]

Billy boy, James is correct. The flap lever on the 6 & 7 is located on the floor (you can just see the trigger for it on one of your pics) Earlier model Austers had the handle in a silly place right up by your left earhole!

Also the 6 & 7 had an extra trim tab on the stbd elevator which automatically trimmed the plane when using flaps, this cable was directly routed through to the stbd bellcrank at the rear wingroot.

Have a beer on me mate! Might look at getting you to pop down to her again and take a couple of detail pics, I am happy to cover your travel expenses, that would be hugely appreciated

Cheers

Anthony

[71chally]

Must admit didn't know if the flap lever was up on the left (couldn't see it in shot) or down on the floor on these, thanks Anthony.

I should say as well, superb effort going into this diminutive little kit!

[perdu]

Thanks lads

(he said, pondering the sense in finding even more tiddly bits to hide inside)

to be fair it is useful and may result in some more odds'n'sods getting in

But given how minute most of it is, not all of it

I'm not Steve 'Microfingers Fritag' you know

I know my place...

[perdu]

Must add Anthony, I have seen that trim tab on the stbd elevator, wasnt sure it was a solo effort though

It seems that the Auster has flown through the fifties, sixties and into the seventies without making a huge impact

Thanks for the help

[John B (Sc)]

"Billy boy, James is correct. The flap lever on the 6 & 7 is located on the floor (you can just see the trigger for it on one of your pics) Earlier model Austers had the handle in a silly place right up by your left earhole! "

Ah yes - that flap handle up by your left ear... I seem to recall that lighter pilots like me had to tighten our lap straps before going for flap on approach- otherwise all we'd is pull ourselves up out of the seat.

My memory of later Austers with the Fowler(?) flaps is that the flap limit speeds were rather low so things could get exciting on rough days.

John B

Edited May 3, 2016 by John B (Sc)

[Anthony in NZ]

Have updated my fb page thanks guys!

https://www.facebook.com/Austerwe552/

Yes John, there is a lot of swapping hands on approach as well....

Poor ole Auster, she did so much and yet receives little recognition, would kove a 32nd kit of one.....oh wait. I need another Auster to build like a hole in the head lol

Cheers

Anthony

[perdu]

Gotto be honest here Anthony

You already have enough Auster to build

maybe later when the dust settles.......

Guys thanks for enlightening me on these matters

THEY MATTER to me lots

All this anecdotal info helps the build and definitely helps me learn as I go

Raising a non-virtual can to you all at the mo'

Cheers

[John B (Sc)]

I'd almost forgotten about that Anthony. Yes, the frantic hand swapping was something I learned on Austers and have found useful a few times since..

Another memory is of converting a nosewheel pilot to tailwheel operation, in an Auster with no brakes on the starboard seat, a narrow temporary runway with a bend in the middle, and a stream just off to the right of the runway. It was best described as 'character building'.

They do get a lot of stick. Reliable and dependable aeroplanes with quirky handling, and that undercarriage. Ah, the Auster bounce..!

My builds of that kit were never up to this standard - more like Tony Tiger's - though my partner did a good upgrade adding internal detail and wire bracing to the floats of her Antarctic.

I'd quite like to see a larger scale kit of an Auster - Revell did a Super Cub, one of my favourite machines, so why not an Auster?

John B

[perdu]

I have been skiving, mostly unless I can claim modelling time that I wasted on the Hansom cab

(two carriage lamps for that each little lamp and bracket 13 pieces ) eek!

(pictures over there in half an hour)

But in the mean time I unmasked the older canopy, just for giggles so I can gauge the 'look' of the masked framing

I almost wish I'd stayed away from Cosford last week, this would have done nicely

 

Hey ho!

 

As the newer flat line of the cabin walls changed the line up of the rear network of frames I've whipped them out s I can replace them slightly higher, hence the rear cabin looks empty

Still I do think the new screen is more like...

 

So that's it for now

More next week

ciao

[hendie]

yup - new one is much better

[Anthony in NZ]

Great progress, I agree with Hendie, new one is better.

I had a good friend Gordon over from HK yesterday, he spent many hours in mine delivering newspapers around the different Islands, but more importantly photographing and surveying HK in an AOP-9

Keep up the great work my friend! (seeing this made me get out my AZ AOP6 kit out and have a look!!

Cheers

Anthony

[TonyTiger66]

I must agree, the new canopy really is the business. An inspiring WIP. This is like a 'how-to' for an (I revised these words) Antarctic. Thanks for sharing this

Best regards
Tony

Edited to change AOP 6 to Antarctic; the canopy is different and here we have one that is...different.

Edited May 7, 2016 by TonyTiger66

[perdu]

Tony T from all the picture based research I've done it seems that the straight across at the wing roots effect was normal on Austers so Airfix were a tad 'out' with this one

The frame on mine needed a pretty thorough redo-ing and because I opened it up I decided to add previously left out bits such as the throttle and its associated other levers such as the flap lever between the front seats

Then I began fitting new tubes as seen here at the start

 

The axe on the side wall is I admit an embellishment that seems OK so its staying unless we get howls of protest but the fire extinguisher is authentic

Extra research usually finds more bits and bobs to stick on, this is no different

Now I have the flap levers in I had to find a way to show some of the quite visible parts of the mechanism, here the two flap rods stick up behind the B posts and the compass sits in its frame below the cross brace tube

 

 

I expect to close the canopy up directly and then get finishing the generator mechanism in its wing LE housing

Then the fun begins again 536 has fewer 'historic' markings on her since her recovering sessions, a great relief 'cos' I still dont have any more Airfix Decals to do a replenishment with

(thinks... must keep checking 'the Bay for unused Auster decals, maybe even flog the Antarctic ones to one who will...)

The framing of the window area needs to be close to the Perspex as it is actually the mounting frame for the panels so I'm trying to use this sliver of this inside and will be masking and painted on the outside

Fingers crossed it will work

 

Last update for a day or so, Mrs P and I are orff to the Isle of Wight for a bit of R&R

[hendie]

nice work Bill - hope you and Mrs P enjoy the Rock and Roll

[CedB]

Very nice Bill - you'll need a rest after all that pipe bending! Amazing work at this scale Sir...

Have a good break and enjoy the sun / pubs

[Hamden]

Outstanding work as always!

Enjoy your break

Roger

[Martian]

Good old fashioned modelling at it's best.

Martin

[TonyTiger66]

Superb framing Bill, extremely intricate and well done. Fantastic modelling. I like the axe, whats not to like about a big axe ? Have a nice time on the IoW.

Best regards
Tony

[perdu]

The Isle Of Wight

Just how lovely is any of our British Isles allowed to be?

No more about that, just a quiet W O W . . .

(OK a little more, hot sunny Sunday afternoon, a bar overlooking the beach with live jazz and classy classic music, chips, cold lager, decent bitter and for SWMBO a very fine Pinot Grigio... Beat that in May round here!)

And here I am back and refreshed

I fitted the new canopy/glasshouse and settled down to mask it off

Blimey twelve or so pieces of Tam tape eek

Tomorrow I will seek 'permission to paint, Number One?'

And get the Dark Earth coat on the fuselage and wings

And finish orf the legs on Neddy the Hansom hauler

Thinks

DO remember to add the lump of lead on a stick for the rudder mass balance too, it's been sat in the cupboard for a week or so

Views of the fresh paint soon

I wonder if anyone making the Antarctic version has the ARMY decals spare from their kit

I'd even pay more than the undying gratitude rate that seems most common round here

Money available if you need some

ta for looking

Edited May 19, 2016 by perdu

[Ascoteer]

I've got a set you can have Bill.