Shagbat! Mr Mitchell's other design classic...

[Pete in Lincs]

That reminds me. Time for your dried frog pills.

Baaaa

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Taking a break from the interior while a few things dry, I have been working on the engine - one of the nice things about an aircraft like this is that you can treat it as modular project (engine, fuselage, wings all completely separate).

 

This is what we are trying to reproduce (one of my photos from the FAA Museum earlier today):

 

Eduard provide a PE ignition wiring harness, but this is one of the places where I find flat PE doesn't really convince, so I drilled 18 holes and added some 0.3mm lead wire (the Eduard part at least gave me accurate dimensions!).

 

Then a combination of Vallejo Metal Color Steel 50:50 with Duraluminium for the bare metal parts, Tamiya X-18 Semi-Gloss Black for the black parts, and a light coat of AK Interactive Engine Oil wash.  The contrast between the colours is greater with the naked eye than this makes it appear:

 

What is harder to show you (because I forgot to photograph it at the right moment) are the Eduard PE plates that add nice detail to the end of the cylinder heads, and the 36 (!) valve rocker arms I added from 0.2mm Nickel Silver rod.  These, plus the ignition harness, busy the who engine up nicely (thought the OOB Airfix job is pretty decent).  You can see some of the rods reasonably clearly in this view - I have picked them out in a much paler colour, as they are on the real donk.

 

...and seen from behind, the ignition comes more into view.  I painted it Tamiya XF-18 Medium Blue; I am not convinced by the colour of the museum versions, and I wanted them to stand out a bit, but without being (say) bright red.  If you can find conclusive proof that my Dad's cab didn't have blue ignition shielding, then I will tip my hat to you... and still not change it!

 

Finally, a second shot of the real thing, this time without flash (thus ever-so-slightly out of focus, given the very low light levels in there; even with a tripod I couldn't quite get it as sharp as I'd have liked - to get this I had to crank the ISO up to stupid levels, so the colours are very washed out... but you at least can see the details of the engine, which was the point):

 

I have put this up to show the exhaust arrangements, which are pretty odd.  Airfix give you the section at the bottom (which was probably once roughly circular, but has been bashed out of shape by some hefty Grubber boot at some point in the last 80 years!) - but that only covers the lowest pair of cylinders.  The other 7 seem to have 2 individual exhausts per cylinder - the flattish pieces sticking out at odd angles.  Even more oddly, these have sealed ends, and slots cut into them to allow the exhaust gas to escape - crude silencer??  If you look carefully at the top (flash) photo of the real engine, you can just about see some of these slots.

 

These exhaust sections are not represented at all in the kit; however, if you look at the Hendon Walrus, you will see that it doesn't have them either (suggesting that Airfix took the engine design at least from Hendon - they thank both museums in the instructions, so I guess they looked at both aircraft).  

 

To reproduce 14 of those odd-shaped mini-exhausts would be a right faff, and I am far from convinced that they were a standard fit… so I am leaving the model as it is.  Incidentally, don't look for the exhaust in the pictures of my engine, because I haven't installed it yet!

 

Quite a lot of work here, but the engine is extremely visible on a Walrus, so worth the effort, I think.

 

More soon

 

Crisp

 

Edited November 15, 2017 by Ex-FAAWAFU

[Martian]

I think Crisp is enjoying this build, you can tell, can't you?

 

Martian

 

 

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Oh yes!  He certainly is...

 

Another pic, this time with the exhaust added - I think I need to tone down the rust a bit.  [The engine is just dry fitted to the nacelle]

 

…and happy that you can see the ignition harness!

[Pete in Lincs]

Splendid Donk, old chap.

And I think we should explain that 'Donk' is a military term for

an engine (of any type) and is short for Donkey.

(Yes, we even used the term in the Crabs). (RAF).

[Massimo]

That engine looks very convincing!!!

Ciao 

Massimo

[perdu]

The donk looks amazing

 

I WAS certain the exhaust must have been a museum piece aberration with only that bottom segment piped in but subsequent research shows countless examples of in service machines so adorned

 

I suppose the lower cylinder exhaust gases were controlled to keep stinky gases out of the face of the AG in the back and to prevent carbon monoxide filling the back end

 

Wonderful old bird the Walrus, yours certainly is becoming so

[amblypygid]

That's a terrific mini-model in its own right, very neat work.

[TheBaron]

Liking that engine.

Very much.

It reminds me of a mechanical lion in that shot for some reason:

2 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

 

 

 

[71chally]

12 hours ago, perdu said:

I suppose the lower cylinder exhaust gases were controlled to keep stinky gases out of the face of the AG in the back and to prevent carbon monoxide filling the back end

My understanding is that the primary reason that the exhausts of the two lower cylinders passed through a T piece tube/manifold, was to provide in flight heat to the carb forward of it.

The other cylinders generally had open stubs but sometimes had the above baffles fitted, my guess would be as flame dampers.

 

Edit, just noticed on the FAAM Walrus that it even has those individual baffles fitted to the lower cylinder exhausts, just aft of that manifold.

 

Another very slight variation on the theme

 

 

 

 

Lovely work on that motor Crisp!

Edited November 16, 2017 by 71chally
added pic

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Thanks, James - it appears there were almost as many types of exhaust as there were engines.  I hadn't thought about carb heating, but that makes perfect sense.

 

Anyway.  To other parts of the airframe.  I know that some people are allergic to PE, and I certainly acknowledge that it can be a right PITA.  Equally, there are times when the finesse and detail it provides makes it worth the effort; I think this is one of them:

 

You won't get that kind of detail out of styrene any time soon!  

 

Apart from folding unfeasibly small pieces of brass, today has been… well… odd.  I have lost part of my model.  Not the sort of carpet monster yomping so familiar to us all with tiny pieces - and particularly to those of us who dabble with PE; this is a large piece, about 2" long - to be precise, the section on top of the nose, seen taped in place in the phot below.   I have turned my workbench upside down over the course of a couple of days, and there is simply no sign of it.

 

The only explanation I can think of is that it somehow got snarled up in something (maybe some kitchen roll during painting?) which I subsequently threw away.  I even went through my bin at one point, but no sign.

 

So top marks to Airfix/Hornby; I contacted them this morning and they have despatched the parts forthwith (it is actually three parts, since two pieces are glued to the thing you see above).  Of course the moment the parcel arrives I will find the original.  But it is all rather odd.

 

Anyway; more later!

 

Crisp

Edited November 16, 2017 by Ex-FAAWAFU

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Piles of thin masking tape - this can only mean that I am getting close to finishing the inside (because if you recall, I masked all the mating edges):

 

I have not quite done yet, but it's close.  I have gradually been weathering the insides, mostly using oils.  I now need to wait for the oils to dry completely - which should be a couple of days even in these low doses.  Once that's done, I'll seal it once final time and then add some metallic stuff to represent wearing through to bare metal.

 

The Observer's seat hasn't been added yet, but his chart table has:

 

So has the actual (as in yer akshul pilot) cockpit (though it was only dry fitted in this picture, glue has been added since):

 

I have some Eduard belts, which will also go on as soon as the oil is dry.  (Incidentally, the line of bare grey plastic visible at the join between floor and wall above is only because it's dry fitted).

 

The TAG's seat also awaits more weathering (and belts), but you should get the general drift here:

 

Seen from aft, you get a nice feel for how busy it all is in there.  N.B. Eduard printed PE for the TAG's radios:

 

For completeness, here is the other side of the fuselage:

 

I am pleased with how this is developing.  Airfix's excellent ribs allow you to add "dust" (pale brown oil) on the upper side and shadow underneath, which is what I was after.

 

More soon

 

Crisp

Edited November 16, 2017 by Ex-FAAWAFU

[Hamden]

 

That interior is a work of art

 

  Roger

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Thank you!

 

Yet more kudos to Airfix; this is their instrument panel, just painted NATO Black (with Sky Grey compass housing), and then the transfers added - despite having the Eduard pre-printed PE version, I actually think this is superior (not least because you if you use Eduard it becomes 2D).  

 

 

Of course, until Airfix get the replacement nose to me, I have nowhere to put this, but even so!

[TheBaron]

Gorgeous interior work Crisp - the dust and shadow aesthetics are very nice indeed. I can't help goggling at that compass in your IP array there; you weren't joking about the quality of this kit!

[Kallisti]

4 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Thank you!

 

Yet more kudos to Airfix; this is their instrument panel, just painted NATO Black (with Sky Grey compass housing), and then the transfers added - despite having the Eduard pre-printed PE version, I actually think this is superior (not least because you if you use Eduard it becomes 2D).  

 

 

Of course, until Airfix get the replacement nose to me, I have nowhere to put this, but even so!

 

I felt exactly the same with the instrument panel on my build. The decals fit over the raised detail so beautifully I see no need for aftermarket replacement.

 

[perdu]

We need a 'GOBSMACKED' likeylike for this forum

 

I know you've a reasonable amount of 'afters' in there but wow Airfix, what a great set of mouldings to get us started

 

The smiley isn't for that though, its for the generally brilliant modelling you are doing with it Crisp

 

W O W !

[Murdo]

That is incredible work on an incredible kit. Sheer stunning work.

[zebra]

Great work Crisp, it's looking very good indeed. 

[71chally]

Superb work on that interior, and your PE skills just leaves in me in awe to be honest!

 

This is the cockpit of the FAAM Walrus, it's quite a lurid green, interesting to know if it was the original colour, or something found in the nearest can of paint!

I suspect the latter looking at some of the tucked away metalwork areas down in the bilges, also note the standard green/grey painted throttle quadrant.

Supermarine Walrus I L2301 by James Thomas, on Flickr

Edited November 18, 2017 by 71chally

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

I have that photo & a few similar companions, and I too am pretty suspicious of the green colour.  

 

I think a number of things are going on; for a start, flash close-ups tend to wash out “real” colours (whatever they are!).  The internal bits of that airframe that can be seen do not look that alarming colour to the naked eye!  Plus there is the “what was available when it was acquired” factor; the airframe - like many museum pieces - had a checkered history before the FAA Museum acquired it... and even after it became part of the collection it wouldn’t be out of the woods; museums were not always as enlightened about authenticity as they are now.  If you read detailed accounts of the restoration/conservation of the FAA Museum’s Corsair or its Martlet, both talk about undoing well-meaning coats of generic (& completely inappropriate) Pusser’s Blue paint.

 

David Morris’s book “KD431: The Time Capsule Fighter” is fascinating (I’d say indispensable if you want to build a UK Corsair IV) - particularly so about how things have changed in the approach of museums... and how much there is that they simply don’t know from only 50 years ago 

Edited November 19, 2017 by Ex-FAAWAFU

[TheBaron]

1 hour ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

particularly so about how things have changed in the approach of museums... and how much there is that they simply don’t know from only 50 years ago 

It makes you realize how institutions - whether museums or otherwise - have always relied upon the idea of 'authority' to transmit representations of the past as reality to the host society. 

 

In an absence of evidence of course this is simply a genuine fissure where recorded knowledge peters-out and a well-intentioned guess has to  be substituted, and sometimes - like  national narratives - where details are susceptible to  amplification  and suppression for ideological reasons. I was appalled to reread part of one of my old school history books from the late 70s a few years back. Talk about selective.....

 

And sometimes, as you say Crisp,  it might be the only tin of paint available.

 

Of such is history (re)constructed.

 

 

 

 

[perdu]

Even in that flash swamped picture there are enough pieces of original cockpit green on display

 

Such as inside the little hole where there is a frame rib/brace, the little upstand to the left of the pedal as well as the throttle bracket previously referred

 

I saw the Martlet being de red-ded when I went to Yeovilton a couple of years ago, I expect she is pristine by now...

 

😉

[71chally]

I took that using my Mrs mini Olympus thingy (my DSLR was flat on batts) so flash was the only option sadly.

Very valid points made above, ironically the inside of RAFMs Seagull looks too far the other way.

 

That picture reminds me, be great to see a Walrus flying again, I wonder what the current status of G-RNLI is?

 

David Morris' books are indeed masterpieces of the subject, I do enjoy a good natter with him whenever I visit FAMM.

 

 

[Harley John]

Stunning work.