rob Lyttle Posted October 23, 2017 Author Share Posted October 23, 2017 Little bit of progress here and there... Also, I'm going to have to get the windscreen/ canopy front on soon to get it foiled in. I have fitted the (I guess) gunsight on the cockpit decking, but I think I need to remove it. It wouldn't have been fitted to an unarmed trainer, I'm thinking! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted October 26, 2017 Author Share Posted October 26, 2017 When time is limited, I'm more likely to be modelling than typing, so this is a little bit behind. But bits of progress have been made, and I remembered to take a few pictures on the way. So the front screen went on, with the main canopy placed in position to make sure all was well. It was! Perfect moulding, perfect fit, good job Academy! Next day, foil strip applied round the glazing and join area. Bit of masking on the nose and a thinned dark charcoal washed over the area. I don't want a thick layer of paint on here obliterating all the panel work. See how that dries out, and maybe give it another wash. Bit of wash and weathering on the insides of the various wheel well doors etc and particular panels on the fuselage. It's a bit trial and error really, but one good thing about a foil job is it can take quite a bit of cleaning down and trying again. That suits me! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted October 26, 2017 Author Share Posted October 26, 2017 Here's the middle picture that for some reason didn't embed. Foil strips on glazing . 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted October 26, 2017 Author Share Posted October 26, 2017 (edited) So this is what I'm trying to achieve on the anti-glare panel... There's nothing so unconvincing as a big "blanket" of Matt Black applied on the front of a fuselage. Thought about going over the windscreen framework with anti-glare, but I'm still thinking along these lines... Now, see those little labels fastened to the metal - you could almost call them" stencils" except that's not how they're applied, Well, scraps of decal could work, but check these out, Top one is white, and it's working! The line above on the mat, is what it produces. I'll have a go, and report any progress Edited October 30, 2017 by rob Lyttle 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted October 26, 2017 Author Share Posted October 26, 2017 Any T33 boffins out there, a y idea what this feature is? Port side rear fuselage. This old bird has been round the block really, including gate-guard Duty in the UK at USAF base - possibly even lakenheath. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 (edited) Never seen that before. Pretty sure my local one doesn't have it. But i will check this weekend. Ok had a look around online found two photo’s of that odd exhaust. Both photo’s were of restored T-33’s. Actually I believe they are CT-133’s so it might be a canadian mod or production thing. I will look in my T-33 book later tonight when i get up to my office. France recieved a # of the CT-133 production. They used RR NENE 10 engines. Not the Allison J-33. So it might be something to do with that? ok had a look in my files .... zippo zero nada. Nothing but standard T-33 stuff. Im going to go with my RR NENE theory. It has to be some kind of vent for that. Edited October 27, 2017 by Corsairfoxfouruncle Additional 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted October 27, 2017 Author Share Posted October 27, 2017 9 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said: France recieved a # of the CT-133 production. They used RR NENE 10 engines. Not the Allison J-33. So it might be something to do with that? I think you're on to it. That stacks up with the background information I have on the plane . Although you'd think it would show up on these... Well, I don't plan on representing it on this one - but I'll have a go at the rectangular access panel under the Star. Thanks for the research. Always good to find out about these things! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 T-33 was one of those jets around when I started to notice them. Especially Ormond Haydn-Baillie’s black knight - always remember this one on the cover of a 70s plane magazine Kee Lee up the good work 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 Its entirely possible Rob that your plane is made up from two airframes. The forward being T-33 and the rear being CT-133 ? That might explain both the items ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted October 27, 2017 Author Share Posted October 27, 2017 The museum guy in the Car park that day was explaining how the plane had " a Spanish built Rolls-Royce turbine.. " Would it be the case that all of the Canadian output had the RR Nene, or is it all a bit more mixed up than that? Let's face it, things are seldom that simple, are they?! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 I think all canadian manufactured CT-133 were Nene powered. The first 30 were manufactured in the USA, and probably assembled in Canada. So maybe they didnt have the Nene’s ? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted October 29, 2017 Author Share Posted October 29, 2017 Pleased to report that the kit transfer sheet is working fine, although they are a little slow to release from the paper. I did a quick test as suggested, with some of the unwanted markings, and then had a go on the airframe. Position of the Red line proved debatable, but I've gone for here, just in front of the front tip of the fin saddle and on to the wing fillets by about 5mm. I've been playing around with some dark wash on the tail end of the fuselage, but I think I may have over done it. Mine is looking like this... But I can always rub down to lighten up again. Not sure what the decor is going to look like, but I think these might look good on the fin in place of the Statue of Liberty insignia. 3-Flight colour band across the top of the fin? Hmmmm 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wlad Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 On 10/26/2017 at 17:37, rob Lyttle said: Any T33 boffins out there, a y idea what this feature is? Port side rear fuselage. This old bird has been round the block really, including gate-guard Duty in the UK at USAF base - possibly even lakenheath. Hi Rob, I'm a little late joining in on this build. I'm not a T-33 boffin, but I've seen this exhaust port in every CT-133 I've photographed, and it is not present in the Lockheed-built T-33 I have in my files. I think it definitely has something to do with the Rolls-Royce Nene engine. The Canadian-built Sabres also had different scoops and exhaust ports than the US-built ones. I suspect the nose on the museum plane is from a F-80 as it has six gun blanking plates. The T-33s only had two guns. I like how you did with the wing to fuselage join. Brought back bad memories of my build from 2010. Imagine when I had the seam all sorted out my airbrush spit primer at the consistency of concrete right at the join . Cheers, Wlad 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted October 30, 2017 Author Share Posted October 30, 2017 Thanks for that,Wlad. It seems to be the answer - a Canadian feature! The airframe could well be a collection of parts. I showed a picture of the tail emblem to a RAF Lakenheath enthusiast on here, and he thinks it may have been used for battle damage repair practice, so who knows what has been knocked around over time! Airbrushes, eh! Don't you just love 'em? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted October 30, 2017 Author Share Posted October 30, 2017 I decided it's time to get her up on her feet, so working on flaps, doors and airbrakes can proceed unhindered. It was a kinda sooner or later situation, and I decided"sooner" . No sign of these actuator arms on the main gear... ... so I made a couple Just where it would attach to the main legs is a little flat like an ejection pin mark at 90' to the scissor link. So a quick whizz with a 1mm drill for a location point before fitting. Once the leg is fixed, a bit of stretched sprue with the end bent to locate the hole and up to the well roof Better than nothing, which was what came in the box! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted October 30, 2017 Author Share Posted October 30, 2017 (edited) So then there's the front leg. My reference plane has no landing lights but she does feature these, which I think are the steering mechanism. Academy have given me the lights but no steering things. So I made a start on that similar method and I'll try to make something of it as it goes on. Sorry about the picture focus. I'll try again without background to confuse the lens. One more thing.... Thought I'd try out my plan for the tail. Those are the Stars n Bars from the AeroMaster sheets, the red lines will go on later. Any better? Edited October 30, 2017 by rob Lyttle picture 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcat911 Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Hi, that's some good progress there. But may I suggest that you take your photos from a distance and then crop to the area that you want to highlight? It looks like you are taking the shots closer than the minimum focus distance of your camera and this is causing them to be badly out of focus. Aside from that, you're doing some phenomenal work on a NMF which is never easy to replicate. Keep it up! Mark 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Hello Rob ... finally finished my F.3 Lightning. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted October 31, 2017 Author Share Posted October 31, 2017 So this is a rear view of the gizmo in the front leg that I was going on about, I'm wondering now if the item in question is maybe just a steering damper, you know, to stop random wheel jitters as you rip down the runway. I had one on my Triumph Tiger 100 m/c to prevent what was known as a "tankslapper". It also looks like the little door closer arms, which are supplied as one piece to bridge the well aperture, need to be separated and applied to each door. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted November 3, 2017 Author Share Posted November 3, 2017 Well, the front leg and doors are in, but the results are not easy to photograph.... The activation arms are separated and on the doors, and the leg activator strut was too short to reach the well roof so additional sprue was added. Apart from looking better, it makes structural sense to steady the leg. Here's another little trial... You know when you stretch sprue, a circular cross section will give your stretched results a circular section? Dyou follow that ..? Well, if your starting sprue is flat strip, do you end up with something that could be used for seatbelt harness building? I think I may have a go with some of this. I've been looking at the seats off and on, wondering where to start, and where to stop (!) I got a couple of nice pictures to focus my mind. But having straps that respond to poly glue could be a bonus for me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corsaircorp Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 Nice job on the tweety bird Rob ! You did great ! Congratulations ! Sincerely. CC 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted November 3, 2017 Author Share Posted November 3, 2017 Hi CC, and thanks. Time for a quick look at the airbrakes that I cut out and boxed behind. The seats can wait.... Here's my best reference shot. Quite thick with the box panel fitted, thin front face beyond the boxing all round, Lightning holes in the inside face, and triangle flange things to take the activation arms. OK....... so I got none of That. Just need a charge up on the android here, and I'll show you what I got, so far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted November 3, 2017 Author Share Posted November 3, 2017 (edited) Right, so I got the two doors separated, and little corners removed. The 2 adjacent inner corners came out in one piece and got stuck in place on the plane straight away. Outer corners proved to be too inadequate for re-attaching so I'm using something of the right cross section and gluing it in the outer corners, The doors are curved, so I emeryboarded the back till it was flat to reduce the edges. Cut a strip of 1mm poly sheet to give an inner that's narrower than the brake face, drilled 2mm holes and glued it to the back of the brake door. Couple of triangle bits on to that and I'm up to here.... The flat sprue that I stretched yesterday proved useful, even the unstretched parts! Bit of foil and paint, and some mechanism arms and I think it's in the zone,..... ish. Edited November 3, 2017 by rob Lyttle predicted text!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted November 4, 2017 Author Share Posted November 4, 2017 Well, they're on.... Not quite as sophisticated looking as first visualised but let's face it, they're underneath, anyway!😃 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted November 5, 2017 Author Share Posted November 5, 2017 Flaps getting some foil... Fortunately the trailing edge is straight all the way along for the upper surface so the foil can fold over and the piece is done in one. Fitting, though, was a bit of a pain as access to the joint area is awkward. I resorted to poking thin things in the gap between upper and lower wing panels to press the little tabs against the lower wing... I think I got away with it! Wheels are on, tyres flattened so they don't look like black steel rollers , and she's sitting pretty with a bit more ground clearance . Not many bits left in the box! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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