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DH-88 Salazar, 1/32 Aerotech resin


Mach Turtle

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As my entry in this group build, I'm going to take on the DH.88 Comet that raced to Melbourne as G-ACSP ("Black Magic"). I'm going to depict the aircraft after it was later acquired by the Portuguese government, re-registered as CS-AAJ, and renamed "Salazar."

 

I'll be using the Marsh Models/Aerotech kit in 1/32.

 

Here are some pre-start pictures:

 

20170212_103703_zps4cfpeqpt.jpg

 

20170212_103709_zpsvy0xappe.jpg

 

And the scheme:

 

20170212_104648_zpsnmpwg0oy.jpg

 

Let's hope for the best. It's a great-looking kit and I hope my limited skills can do it justice.

 

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Wow! What a choice. The kit looks comprehensive from what I've read so no need for anything other than what's in the box to produce a stunning model. The scheme looks stunning as well :speak_cool:

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Thanks everyone. I hope my skills are up to the quality of the kit.

 

Yes, I think the DH.88 is one of the best-looking aircraft ever (the Lockheed Constellation is another one). Like a lot of us, I think, I built the 1/72 Airfix kit (the bagged one with about 12 parts total) some time ago, as G-ACSS (the red one, Grosvenor House). While that kit is primitive and my skills at the time weren't much better, I decided I don't need another Grosvenor House and that the Salazar scheme looks the best of all.

 

(Black Magic, by the way, didn't complete the race to Melbourne. Her crew retired in Baghdad due to problems related to bad fuel.)

 

I also have the 1/72 SBS kit on hand, so if I have time, I might do that as the Green One later in this GB.

 

Cheers.

 

 

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Great choice. Looks like a very nice kit. Looking forward to see how it comes together.

 

I will build the SBS kit in the Salazar markings in the Prototypes, Experimentals, World Firsts & Record Breakers GB (thanks god for cut and past) a bit later as I have a soft spot for Portuguese aviation.

 

Cheers, Peter

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Ooh, another excellent choice.  Someday when I'm feeling flush (if that ever happens) I'm going to track one of these kits down.  Love the scheme you've chosen, too.  And will you forgive me if I mention that I've sat in the cockpit of one? :tease:  (Bill Turner's replica, that is)

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Okay, off to a careful start here. I've taken everything out and done an initial cleanup. There was very little flash on any of the pieces, and mostly I just wanted to start to think about the assembly process.

 

The main components:

DSC_5516_zpsbpla6tzx.jpg

The photoetch and white metal pieces:

DSC_5512_zps0clfydjd.jpg

The smaller resin pieces:

DSC_5515_zpsvuivbdny.jpg

 

There are also a vac-formed canopy and landing light lens.

 

Thanks for watching.

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  • 1 month later...

Nice work on the wood grain. Sorry to hear you've had personal stuff to deal with and I hope it has all passed now.

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Thanks, guys.

I did the wood by painting a base of Tamiya Deck Tan, then streaking burnt umber oil paint on with a very cheap brush (from a kids' watercolor set) trimmed very short. It's worked for me on WWI aircraft before.

The dramas weren't particularly bad, just time-consuming.

On with the show!

I finished the cockpit (except for the shoulder belts and instrument panels, which go in from the top, and got it roughly assembled:

P1040034_zpsyrx2c6zh.jpg

 

It looks like an aeroplane now:

P1040027_zpsvi3b2w0f.jpg

 

There are plenty of gaps to fill and shaping to do:

P1040037_zpsd0fqenot.jpg

 

Does anyone know what these are?

Flaps_zpsbjj6k1eh.png

 

Are they flaps? Can surfaces act as flaps when they're under the fuselage, not the wing? Are they speed brakes?

 

Thanks for looking in.

 

 

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On 16/04/2017 at 22:58, Mach Turtle said:

Does anyone know what these are?

Flaps_zpsbjj6k1eh.png

 

Are they flaps? Can surfaces act as flaps when they're under the fuselage, not the wing? Are they speed brakes?

 

Just had a look at my (unstarted) Heritage version of Black Magic.  They are present on that kit too, if almost invisible.

I'd call those flaps (or split flaps), this page might help ... http://www.boldmethod.com/learn-to-fly/aircraft-systems/4-types-of-flaps/

 

Love the build BTW

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry guys! We have had some unusually good weather here in Sydney, and I took the opportunity to put some miles on my bicycle. The weather may be getting back to the chilly damp that is typical of this time of year, so I plan to get some bench time in this weekend!

 

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Sydney came through with damp and cool weather today, so I wasn't tempted to do anything outdoors. I made some progress on Salazar!

 

Please forgive the purple. I'm at the point of spraying, filling, and sanding, and I thought I'd use up some of my obscure paints in the process, as it's going to be black anyway. The props are just Blu-Tacked in place, and the gear isn't glued yet:

 

DSC_6111_zpstf2aldfa.jpg

 

The landing gear were scaring me, but they went together pretty well once I got going. I used blobs of clay to position everything for gluing, and just took my time.

 

DSC_6115_zpszy27al7p.jpg

 

I hope to have the first black coat on tomorrow, and also to give some attention to the vac-form canopy, which looks like a weak point in this kit.

 

 

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