alancmlaird Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 Does opening the boxes count towards the 25% started rule? I haven't made any engine noises yet.... Which to start with though? My friend Scimitar swears by the 'production line' method, where you progress as far with one model as you can and the go on to the next while the first one is setting, drying, or warping beyond redemption. I'll give that a shot then. So..... De Havilland Construction in Sequence, DH 1.... Despite my trepidation on using this vacform, it actually seems quite good (!). The wings have only top surface rib detail, but it is nicely done, so major re-detailing will need to be to the underwings only. The fuselage (2 types - for Renault and Beardmore engined versions) is devoid of detail - but since the original was ply-covered this is pretty much correct. There is a crude representation of the Beardmore big six cylinder engine in vacform and no Renault V8, so scratch or aftermarket is the only option really for both. The strut material supplied seems perfectly acceptable, but the material for the tailbooms is very flimsy, so some brass rod will replace that. No decals are supplied - I've decided to model a Middle East campaign aircraft DH1a with Beardmore engine which will be doped PC12 (a first for me ever!). Roundels from just about any RFC 2-seater model should fit, the chord of the DH1 wing being the ubiquitous 5'6" - the same as BE2, Brisfit, RE8, Sopwith Strutter and others. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg in OK Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 VAC-FORM! You are a brave man. I will watch with interest! Greg in OK 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 Vac. The perfect medium for early kites. I'll sit up the front so that I can see what's going on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 Yikes! I'm too scared to tackle an injection moulded kit of the Dh.2 in 48th scale so have to applaud you for going with a vacformed 72nd scale kit of the .1 This will be a must-see thread. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alancmlaird Posted February 18, 2017 Author Share Posted February 18, 2017 No pressure then!!!!! (might just buy the Choroszy one and TELL you all its the Phoenix one when its finished ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAG058 Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 Now this will be interesting! The very best of luck Alan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 9 hours ago, alancmlaird said: no Renault V8, No decals are supplied You've got an early release of the kit there Alan. Later issues came with both engines and relevant props, wheels and exhausts in white metal (Aeroclub) plus decals. Might be worth pm'ing John Aero to see if he still has the bits you need? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 This is going to be an interesting challenge, and I'll be fascinated to watch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandboof Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 Very good luck indeed martin H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickE Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 Agreed, it will be an interesting one to watch. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 An excellent choice Alan Cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alancmlaird Posted February 26, 2017 Author Share Posted February 26, 2017 Just a quick update - not much time for kit-bashing just now, but made a start on the wings - cut out of the sheet and fitted stretch-sprue wing ribs. I'm trying something experimental here which might turn out to be a waste of time, so I'm still keeping my options open on building a DH1 (natural finish) or 1A (PC12). The engine options became easier as I realised I can use the V8 from an Airfix BE2c for the DH1 (slightly modded from RAF1A to Renault), and I found a white-metal Beardmore in my historic stash! I have also cut out the fuselage halves (both types are supplied in the kit), and whille the DH1 cockpit openings won't show much detail other than seats and instruments, the 1a cockpits are much more open and will have to show some structure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alancmlaird Posted April 8, 2017 Author Share Posted April 8, 2017 Okay, got to admit I've been slacking. Been experimenting with getting clear-doped wings to look transparent, so painted spars and ribs on the underside, and applied several coats of clear varnish to thicken the wing a little.. Not really successful, but as you can see from the pic - nearly there! Next time (!??!!) I won't paint the structure detail (which is on the underside) in black, but in several layers of a deeper cream colour (in enamels for opacity) as the black showed through on the cream underside as a dirty grey, and I really will have to find my Aerograph 63 (in the loft) and spray the cream coat in thin acrylic for evenness. However, I'll settle for finishing the wings as I have them now on this effort. Anyway, proceeding at a snail's pace with the fuselage internal detail - both fuselages because i still haven't decided if this will be a DH1 or a 1a. The time for prevarication is now. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alancmlaird Posted May 2, 2017 Author Share Posted May 2, 2017 Just because I've stalled on the DH1, doesn't mean I have made no progress on my Airco stash reduction programme... Remedial work required on Revell's ancient DH2: Nose too long and pointy. After assembling the nacelle sides to the wings, the nose was filed right back till it was nearly see-through (thank you for the thick plastic, Revell). This allowed the fuselage top to be moved back so the excess length was to the rear instead, and the more subtle shape of the cowling end could be cut. Adding some simple cockpit and surface details helps a bit. I cut back the existing kit plastic to expose the rear spar as it crosses the centre rear fuselage, and added the curved aluminium undertray from a bit of shaped plastic card. I wonder how many of these boxes went out with "1/144 Scale" on them? Ooops. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alancmlaird Posted May 7, 2017 Author Share Posted May 7, 2017 Painted the major parts. I usually pretty much assemble everything, then apply paint, but thought i'd try it this way this time. Hmmm......seems more chance of damaging the paint during assembly this way! Anyway - discarded the too-thick kit tailbooms and remade them out of brass rod bought from John Aero at the Perth show. Attached with superglue as per John's suggestion - never liked the stuff before - seems to have worked! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alancmlaird Posted May 7, 2017 Author Share Posted May 7, 2017 Okay, so I'll jump to DH5 now.... A nice simple kit - loads of flash - light on detail, but seems pretty accurate in outline. White metal parts a bit rough, but I'm easily pleased, so all in all not as bad as I was expecting! Made a start with some rough internal detail - its all mostly hidden by the very small cockpit opening. Just added a control column - seat and pedals already supplied. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alancmlaird Posted May 8, 2017 Author Share Posted May 8, 2017 I am still keeping to numerical order (I'm ignoring DH3 as its really just a prototype for the DH10), since I've been sanding the 'planks' off the Airfix DH4 wings, but I reckoned a pic of a pile of beige plastic dust wasn't interesting enough to post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandboof Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 A good collection forming Well done so far Martin H 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alancmlaird Posted May 10, 2017 Author Share Posted May 10, 2017 Forgot to put this DH2 upper wing and tailplane shot with the other DH2 pics. Shows where the tailplane had to be added to, while the rest of it was cut back to more accurate shape. On the wing, the location for the bread-bin shaped (!) fuel tank wass filled in, and a new tank made from laminated card plus detail from stretched sprue. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAG058 Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 It looks like you have been busy Alan! I thought it was just a DH1 you had started, but it seems a DH2 and DH5 are in too! I'll need to update the GB stats, they had slipped through the net. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alancmlaird Posted May 10, 2017 Author Share Posted May 10, 2017 7 hours ago, DAG058 said: It looks like you have been busy Alan! I thought it was just a DH1 you had started, but it seems a DH2 and DH5 are in too! I'll need to update the GB stats, they had slipped through the net. I seem to have inadvertently turned the 'Group Build' principle on its head.....one builder, but many subjects! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alancmlaird Posted May 11, 2017 Author Share Posted May 11, 2017 Excuse for delays on DH1..... .....carving approximate representation of Beardmore engine out of bits of sprue and scrap! When I became aware that I was trying to arrange the valve tappits on top of the cylinder heads into the correct firing order for a six cylinder engine (eg 1 & 6 up, 3 & 4 down, 2 & 5 mid stroke), I realised it was time to rejoin the real world 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nimrod54 Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 9 hours ago, alancmlaird said: When I became aware that I was trying to arrange the valve tappits on top of the cylinder heads into the correct firing order for a six cylinder engine (eg 1 & 6 up, 3 & 4 down, 2 & 5 mid stroke), I realised it was time to rejoin the real world So I guess that means that you won't be making the links for the timing chain then Alan. Excellent scratch work mate. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alancmlaird Posted May 11, 2017 Author Share Posted May 11, 2017 4 minutes ago, nimrod54 said: So I guess that means that you won't be making the links for the timing chain then Alan. Excellent scratch work mate. Don't be giving me ideas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAG058 Posted May 28, 2017 Share Posted May 28, 2017 How are things progressing @alancmlaird ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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