Grant Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 For SMW 2016 the SPLASH SIG has the theme of “Turbo Splash” and I thought now is the time to bite the bullet and convert the Hobby Craft Otter to a Turbo Otter with the Khee-Kha conversion set. The bullet that needs biting is, extending the floats 4.6mm, drooping wing leading edge and remodelling the wingtips – all not included in the conversion! First off – here is what you start with. The floats where straight forward enough. Then after a bit of thought, and probably a bit over-sized, the wing leading edge. A strip of 2mm rod stuck to the lower leading edge and some thin(ish) plasticard to fair it in. The first wingtip was built up frame plasticard frames and green putty. The second I am using layers of plasticard, as the green putty maybe fragile – particularly the trailing edge. Maybe I should cast them in resin when done…. And with the nose cut off to accept the new resin piece, the first week of modelling was effectively chopping it to pieces!! Cheers Grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Hmm. Another Vazar Turbo Otter on the go. Have you seen my Harbour Air one that is nearly done? There is quite a lot of descrepancies with the fuselage of the HC kit. Especially the cabin side windows????!!! Link:http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235003267-vazar-turbo-otter/ PS: Just a question: your bottom pic with the wing tip mod, have you got it the right way up/down? It seems to me the holes for the hinge parts are missing and the hole visible is for the wing fence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted June 28, 2016 Author Share Posted June 28, 2016 Hi Paul, Yes, I have just spotted your build - very nice too. This is not quite a full Vazar build - the windows on this RUST aircraft are un-modified - lucky me!! I have just re-checkd the original wing tip photo and that is definitely the underside - but the tip is not stuck in yet anyway. I'll wait 'till I have a pair I am happy with, then will try and make some resin copies - probably. I think mine is going to end up on a snowy beach. cheers Grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radleigh Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Cool build.... I'm hunting for this conversion but can't find it... funny how two are now on the forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 I found it straight away, after the previous thread. Trouble is I'd need the current Harbour Air markings before considering it. http://www.mtaonline.net/~zdk/#shops 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radleigh Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Just seen on Pauls thread... Will order over the weekend! Thanks guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snapper_city Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Watching with interest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted June 28, 2016 Author Share Posted June 28, 2016 I picked it up at Telford a couple of years ago. There was a table full of them tucked into the corner of Hall 3 - snapped one up. I think I did see some last year, so you might get lucky this year. Yes, that is the link where I originally spotted it. Good luck! cheers Grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Hi Paul, Yes, I have just spotted your build - very nice too. This is not quite a full Vazar build - the windows on this RUST aircraft are un-modified - lucky me!! I have just re-checkd the original wing tip photo and that is definitely the underside - but the tip is not stuck in yet anyway. I'll wait 'till I have a pair I am happy with, then will try and make some resin copies - probably. I think mine is going to end up on a snowy beach. cheers Grant Ah. I see now where you have cut the wing tips to. Re the windows Its the spacing of the windows in the kit that is not right. They are almost paired in the kit, whereas they should be more evenly spaced out. The 2nd one along is a bit too far forward and the 3rd one a bit aft. But the overall length and size of the fuselage is at odds. BUt very tricky to correct. Anyway however its built your red one will look smart. Graham: Itoo would like to see the new style markings done in decal form but somehow I very much doubt it unles a new tool kit comes along. By the way, you mention flying next to the pilot. Well back in 2002 on my first visit to Canada, I flew in a beaver of Baxter Aviation (Now long gone and swallowed up by first West Coast Air and then Harbour Air) and sat next to pilot up front!!! Brilliant hour and a quarter trip flying up to a lake 6000feet a.m.s.l. landing on for a few minutes before going off again back down to Vancouver. Looking forward to going back in the coming September...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_opland Posted February 20, 2017 Share Posted February 20, 2017 Hi Paul, I just noticed your conversion today. Neatly done! Engine & nose cone from a Matchbox Twotter? I never would have thought of that! My apologies for being just late enough with the resin set to put you through the extra work, but that seems to be another corollary to Murphy's Law: somebody, somewhere, has to be doing it the hard way before a kit will be released. About riding in the front seat, when you get into something like a Beaver, it's all about weight & balance. If the pilot thought the plane would fly better with you in the back seat, that's probably where you would have ended up. For a ride in a Beaver down Lake Clark Pass to Lake Iliamna, I was once put in the right seat & my boss was put behind the pilot, because at 220 lbs. I was just slightly lighter... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 A highly unusual and interesting project! Martian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 Thanks guys. Sadly it looks like I did not keep up with the WIP, or post an RFI. I will check when I get home this weekend, as I did finish it and take loads of photos. cheers Grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted March 3, 2017 Author Share Posted March 3, 2017 Apologies for not keeping this up to date. I just didn’t seem to get around to it somehow. The Tour de France and Olympics did get in the way quite a bit. So, a quick catch up… I did master and cast some new wingtips. The nose went on fine. Some filler required, but that was down to my cutting, not the replacement nose! Then I needed a beach. Ready mix plaster, some sand and some flocked grass and then I was ready for the clear resin. The decals from Artic Decals worked fine. I thought the big one down the sides might fight back but no, it just settled down nicely. So, it got there in the end! Apologies for the loooong delay in updating, and thanks for reminding me. More photos here. Cheers Grant 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 (edited) Sorry to resurrect the thread, but it seems that I might be doing a very similar or the same conversion sooner or later. I flew on C-GVIX today (has a brand new engine conversion being used, the first one. I believe it is externally identical to what you modelled). I got the copilot seat, which was very enjoyable. Do you still have the molds for the wingtips? Unfortunately, this all depends on me finding a set of markings for the model, I can't find anything on an initial Google search... Edited August 19, 2019 by Adam Poultney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 Arctic Models did a set for Harbour Air scheme . The earlier yellow stripe vintage. I used these for my build a couple years ago with the resin conversion within the set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggu Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 http://opland-freeman.com/khee-kha/extras.htm#kits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggu Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 https://www.arcticdecals.com/products.html?id=21443/243976 https://www.arcticdecals.com/products.html?id=21443/243977 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted August 19, 2019 Author Share Posted August 19, 2019 18 hours ago, Adam Poultney said: Sorry to resurrect the thread, but it seems that I might be doing a very similar or the same conversion sooner or later. I flew on C-GVIX today (has a brand new engine conversion being used, the first one. I believe it is externally identical to what you modelled). I got the copilot seat, which was very enjoyable. Do you still have the molds for the wingtips? Unfortunately, this all depends on me finding a set of markings for the model, I can't find anything on an initial Google search... Hi Adam, Lucky you! I am very jealous. Yes I do still have the molds, somewhere, I might even have a spare set of tips lying around. PM me contact details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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