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D.H.60G Amphibian, 1/72nd from Avis Models...


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Ok.  Some you know this...but this is what I am going to build...

 

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This isn't my build thread, obviously.  My goals?  To take more time with this little beauty.  Also, try to scratch some better interiors, which I usually skip.  I might try to rig it completely with EZ-line.  I think this will not be so weathered, since it was a civilian craft and not flown into the sturm and drang of warfare.  It'll be OOB, except for whatever scratch I manage to construct.  I am going o to try to make the build last 2 whole weeks...that will be tough.  Happy modelling all!

 

--John

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...Oh yes...I must say that as professional photographer with decades under my belt of all kinds of work, I cannot seem to get any decent images of my builds.  That will be another goal.  Better RFI photography.  Are you guys using smartphones?  My Leica is not good for this genre...

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Hi John, 

 

welcome to the GB! Beautiful choice of subject too!  I wish you luck with your build. It would certainly take me more than two weeks to complete but I'm a slow builder :)

 

Regarding pictures, I use my HTC smartphone and it's not too bad. The advantage is that the pictures get automatically uploaded to google photos. 

 

Cheers

 

Jaime 

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On 29/08/2017 at 02:14, John D.C. Masters said:

...Oh yes...I must say that as professional photographer with decades under my belt of all kinds of work, I cannot seem to get any decent images of my builds.  That will be another goal.  Better RFI photography.  Are you guys using smartphones?  My Leica is not good for this genre...

 

Reminds me of the R4S mod.2 that I used to have :crying:. As far as digital cameras are concerned, the best one that I have used for modelling snaps was a little Sony compact that allowed me to optically zoom in really close. Something like that or a Nikon Coolpix might be worth investigating, although you would have to check about auto-uploading to photo hosts (a mixed blessing in any case, in my opinionated opinion) since only really new models are likely to have that feature, and even then...

 

I've used other cameras such as the Canon Powershot SX1 and the iphone 7 plus cameras with mixed results, as neither gets up close enough for me, and the Canon's lens gets in the way of the flash. A ring flash would get around that - for a high price.

 

All the best with your researches,

Cheers,

Alex.

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Thanks Alex.  I have a Canon G11 that I have used for a travel camera for many years...an excellent little number.  It has a zoom feature as well.  I'll try it out.  I am also thinking of rigging up a small 'soft box' for a table lamp---tissue paper taped over the shade--to diffuse the contrast.  That might help too.

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It was a toss-up between the SX1 and the G11 when I got the former - in hindsight the G11 would probably have been better for modelling snaps, but not as good an all-rounder as the 'superzoom' SX1. Horses for courses. And it was my own silly fault that I wrecked the handy little Sony :(.

 

Cheers,

Alex. :sheep: <-- not a G11

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After the white had dried overnight, I airbrushed pretty much the whole thing with Vallejo Aluminum Air--right from the bottle at about 15 psi.  That worked great!

 

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I let that dry overnight as well and then tackled the cockpit area.  The wooden control panels were painted Vallejo Sand, then Wood Brown and the dial faces dotted in with Gloss Black.  The seats were the same wood technique except for the cushion areas.  For these, I cut out some small pieces of black gaffer's tape and used those for the seats and seat backs.  I painted them Vallejo Sky Green, then washed with a black oil wash to bring out some texture.  The safety belts are masking tape, painted buff with aluminum buckles.  The control stick that came with the kit is kind of...meh...so I used a bit of sprue and a piece of melted, stretched ear-bud plastic for the handle.  I am not sure if you can see it, but it's there!  The interior of the fuselage has been sprayed aluminum and the detail bright out with black oil wash.  I had to use a spare throttle lever since one of them didn't come off the sprue too well.  The plastic on this kit is kind of soft and brittle so I will have to be careful with the more visible pieces...

 

I'll close up the fuselage tonight and let that dry.  When I get back from Athens I'll continue...

 

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OK...after a short break, I was ready to close up the fuselage.  Or so I thought.  You'll see that I forgot the interior decking beneath the seats.  I'll have to scratch build a replacement from Evergreen.  That's ok, since I will have to do some filling anyway with putty for the seams, etc...

 

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While the fuselage glued, I drilled the holes for the rigging in the wings and attached the upper portion of the radiator.  I had to sand some in there since the radiator was wider than the space it will fill.  It left a couple of small sections that will need some putty.

 

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As you can see, there will have to be some filling and the largish rectangular piece will have to be scratched in with evergreen.  After all of this is dry, sanded and buffed I will mask off the fuselage and spray on a gloss coat of white along the flanks.

 

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A test fit for the lower wing has shown that the space given is not wide enough.  I should have tested this earlier, but as of now I think I can adjust it properly.

 

Onwards and upwards!

 

-John

 

 

 

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Thanks guys.  I'll post some new pics soon--tonight maybe--and then I am off-island until Monday evening.  One note is that the plastic seems to be kind of crumbly, which is alright for the larger pieces but makes the smaller, more delicate bits too unstable.  I may have to end up scratch building the cabane struts and almost certainly the landing gear.  Evergreen and Contrail will be my saviours!

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Thanks folks.  I am off-island (on another island actually, Aegina) until Monday night, so nothing new until Tuesday evening next week.  

 

I hope to make broad sides all next week and hope actually begins to look like something.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ok...back at it.  I want to get this little bird off the bench and in the cabinet before the Matchbox GB, so this week is a big one.  Yesterday I sprayed the white sides of the fuselage after taping it all up.  When it dried I applied the decals.  They were very thin and fragile, so in the case of the long black stripe I cut the decal in quarters.  It made for easier application.  The serial numbers went on the wings and fuselage as well.    Very very thin...Since the rigging is mostly over the top of the fuselage, this was essential  to do.  

 

The pontoons are sketchy, so I will have to work on the main one a bit.  I'll take some of what I have learned here and fix the drainage/sump openings on the top of central pod so they look better.  In cleaning it up I sanded off the moulded areas.  Oh well...this is where I need a punch...do I have one?  No...I'll have to cut out pieces by hand. :worry:

 

Now that the primary sections are all but assembled, I'll begin attaching everything tomorrow...struts, I hope, on Tuesday, rigging Wednesday, wheels, Thursday...I have given myself a two day buffer for the inevitable screw-up...

 

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I know I am not going to win any prizes.  I am in this for the fun of it!  To quote the good Doctor..."Allons y!"

Edited by John D.C. Masters
splleing
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