Martian Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 Vac-form modelling at it's best! Martin 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 That interior shot - are you sure it din't come from "Famous railway bridges of the 1930s" by mistake? Very nice interior, and some serious modelling going on on the outside. And a vac build is always more entertaining for the watchers too!] Regards, Adrian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristol boy Posted August 25, 2016 Author Share Posted August 25, 2016 It's starting to look like a plane with the fuselage closed up and the wings on! Not the most attractive of aircraft! Next stop lots of filler and sanding, then more filler and sanding... Attention has now turned to the tailplane which is complicated by the fin having to be cut into two parts so it can be fitted above and below the tailplane. A short section of stout wire from an old paperclip makes a good way of lining the two halves up and leaves scope for adjustment. A tab of plastic card is used to locate the sections of tail either side of the fuselage Seems to line up quite well, just needs a bit of glue and the vac builders best friend. Filler. I am not convinced by Contrails pointy end to the fuselage and may blunt it. Anyone else think it doesn't look right? Engines and nacelles next. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smudge Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 It doesn't look like the tail of the aircraft in the photo at the start of your WIP. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBaron Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Allowing for different viewing angles, I would concur that it looks different to the reference photo. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Aero Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 The tail end is wrong. It should look like a faired over turret but a little more extended. There is a drawing in the A.F.Powers Vol 1 (the later edition with the revised drawings). Not the best but better representative than the kit. What ever you do don't use the engines and props as they are "representative" (in that they have the right number of cylinders) at the least. John Look at the side on photo in post 3 of the linked Britmodeller thread it shows the tail in profile. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristol boy Posted August 26, 2016 Author Share Posted August 26, 2016 Took drastic action last night and removed the pointy tail and replaced it with the Harrow one, after some sanding and more filler it will make a massive improvement. The tail end is wrong. It should look like a faired over turret but a little more extended. There is a drawing in the A.F.Powers Vol 1 (the later edition with the revised drawings). Not the best but better representative than the kit. What ever you do don't use the engines and props as they are "representative" (in that they have the right number of cylinders) at the least. John Look at the side on photo in post 3 of the linked Britmodeller thread it shows the tail in profile. Quite agree John, always a good idea to look at photos, especially when I posted them! Sometimes you get so focused you can't see the wood for the trees, or maybe that's just me? I would love to replace the engines and props, but what with? I can possibly live with the engines but the props are ghastly! Anyway couple of pics of last nights surgery. Before and after... 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smudge Posted August 26, 2016 Share Posted August 26, 2016 Much better. ☺ I wonder what Contrail were thinking? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristol boy Posted September 7, 2016 Author Share Posted September 7, 2016 A little more progress, rear end corrected, what were Contrail thinking, I've no idea Smudge. I am indebted to John Aero for kindly supplying some excellent replacement engines and props, they are a massive improvement and time saver. the only alteration needed is to replace the cooling gills with an extension of the nacelle, Sparrows don't have gills, they are birds afterall. That prop is so much better! Wouldn't it be great to have all these things available again! Hint Hint! Anyway here they are insitu, collector ring just placed on for now so I can paint the engine etc Getting close to some paint soon but can't help looking at that nose, is it too long? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristol boy Posted September 12, 2016 Author Share Posted September 12, 2016 Bit more progress getting the landing gear together. Contrail don't give too much assistance with this apart from a strip of shaped strut and the spats in two halves so a lot has been added/made up based on photos. There is still a doubled tension rod to be added later. The whole thing should be in grey primer next time you see it. I had a slight set back over the weekend with the canopy, a case of too much haste; so I cut too much away and will now have to crash mould a new one! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 This is really looking the part now! Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 Very nice indeed Trevor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatalbert Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 Loving this,does it come with scale plans? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
le wombat agile Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 Bristol Boy, I've read with great interest the story of your nice job on the Sparrow and I completed my visit with the Bombay pages too. It's always a pleasure to see that these old but still valid kits come back to the life. Very nice the Sparrow interiors and I think it was worth the trouble because through the side windows they can easily be admired. Just a question which is the plane you are going to portray? I suppose it's the K6994 U Ezio 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristol boy Posted September 12, 2016 Author Share Posted September 12, 2016 Thanks chaps for taking an interest, I do feel like I've turned a corner and will get there. Fatalbert- the kit has very basic plans with it but they are not reliable, there are others on the net that are better and can be made 1/72 using a photocopier and overall dims. Ezio- looking forward to seeing your vac progress, I love those inter war flying boats. You are right, my Sparrow will be K6994 U with full D Day stripes. If you look carefully at the photo at the start of this thread you can see they have been painted out on the upper wing, I believe this was done after the threat from Luftwaffe aircraft had pretty much passed therefore all aircraft in theory were friendly. Mine will be before this when it still had full stripes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murdo Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 (edited) Ah, now that is starting to look pretty fantastic! Excellent work! Wonder why on earth they decided to call something that size a "Sparrow"? It looks decidedly un-Sparrow-like. Edited September 12, 2016 by Murdo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristol boy Posted September 20, 2016 Author Share Posted September 20, 2016 The good news is I am now standing on my own wheels The bad news is my nose seems to get bigger by the day, perhaps because Contrail told lies about me being the right shape for a Sparrow. It should be like this.... Which means there this much to remove Anyone of a nervous disposition should not view the next photo as it contains extreme but necessary scenes of surgery. Fortunately my owner has made me a new wooden nose And heated some plastic under the grill so it will match the rest of me Lets hope he's got lots of filler to make it fit... more soon. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 You will look much better when your rhinoplasty is over. Martian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin W Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 Cracking job this. Its great to see some propper modelling going. on. I always thhought the Harrow looked like its back was broken after a hard landing but the model actually looks quite sleek. Hope it still looks good with the short nose but it needed to be done. Colin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 Look on the bright side, at least you spotted it before you painted it! It should look much better... Ian 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 That was a brave cut there! It was looking quite racy with the longer nose - would have looked good in silver with blue cheat lines... Regards, Adrian 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_W Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 Impressive build. Looks like the wings and tail got coppied in to the Hampden? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
le wombat agile Posted September 24, 2016 Share Posted September 24, 2016 I hope that after the nose "surgical treatment" the convalescence goes well ..... You did a great job. A new nos from the wooden one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted September 24, 2016 Share Posted September 24, 2016 (edited) It (oops sorry) she looks like a Sparrow now although to be honest she looks far sleeker and much speedier with the Contrail Invented Improvements in the kit But you're not building a HP Speed Sparrow. The interior is nigh on fabulous, except fables aren't real and this is Great work with the girder ribs, the 'look' is bang on and the bench and stretcher racks are damned wunnerful I love it I like the way so many vacforms become scratch building lessons and I'm sat here with an apple for the teacher OK not an apple, I got you a bottle of very nice cider instead Reading this reminds me how fortunate we are here in BM to have John Aero in our midst, well done sorting out the props and engines for this John Edited September 24, 2016 by perdu 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristol boy Posted September 26, 2016 Author Share Posted September 26, 2016 Thanks to all for your interest and support while the Sparrow goes through a difficult period, I'm pleased to say the nose job went well and looks much better. I've never failed to complete a model yet and I'm pleased to say this Sparrow will now not be the first. It's also had a coat of Halfords u/c which showed up a few joint issues that have now been filled and sanded. Looking forward now to the fun bit of getting some paint and more details on. Debating whether to pre-shade or not? Any views? Just realised you can see my next project lurking in the background High Planes DAP Beaufreighter. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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