Patrik Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 (edited) I have been craving to build really contemporary mainstream kit for some time. Unfortunately not that easy with my modelling focus, however in the end the selection process unearthed this: To be built using all these: So it is going to be the Airfix Tiger Moth, the appropriate Eduard etched set and Kora floatplane conversion set. Building the Airfix kit on wheels just OOB would feel probably too cowardly to me. In fact I am afraid I would have to use the fuselage below too (picture courtesy LF Models web site) for the kit to be really correct. But hey, where would the fun of building a modern Airfix be then? And I am really looking forward to see how the result compares with the Pavla shortrun that I built - what seems like - eons ago. Edited March 11, 2018 by Patrik 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 Looks very interesting and what a nice looking Tiggie you built too. Will watch with interest. Good luck with your build. All the best Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 First on the front . Now Patrik, keep away from your lamp, we don't want any structural failures on this build . Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted March 30, 2018 Author Share Posted March 30, 2018 While trying to save my Nightjar after the spraying disaster in another thread, I will use this one as a counterweight to keep the balance between salvage operations and some constructive work. I decided not to use the etched interior framing from the Eduard set, the original plastic representation seems fine to me. However I had to fill in the quite prominent ejector pin marks (at least for an open cockpit biplane), which were placed exactly when one could most probably see them later one. And also the eight intentional cavities provided for the eventual opening of the cockpit doors. The seats with some of the etched parts installed are in the background. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted April 28, 2018 Author Share Posted April 28, 2018 Some progress to show after a while. Interior complete, the etched details make it pretty crowded. I just changed the colour of the instrument panels from black to wood - seems more appropriate to me for an nearly 30's Moth. And I also changed the colour of the floor plate from Eduard Green to Interior Green. In general the fit of the interior plastic parts is more on the shortrunish side of the scales than expected, meaning you cannot avoid dry fitting and some minor modifications in order to make it fit in a satisfactory manner. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huvut76g7gbbui7 Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 I'll pop in now and again if I may? My grandfather was at sea in the Moray Firth one day when a floatplane Tigermoth crashed a short distance from their fishing boat. They changed course to rescue the crew only to find that there weren't any..it was a Queen Bee. 4 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 Nice looking interior. Martian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killingholme Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 Always quite fancied doing this conversion- I have a soft spot for Norway 1940 aircraft, and I think a DH.82 floatplane was used by Norway during this campaign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huvut76g7gbbui7 Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 1 hour ago, Killingholme said: a DH.82 floatplane was used by Norway It looks smart too! (couldn't find a photo,only drawing) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted May 18, 2018 Author Share Posted May 18, 2018 (edited) Fuselage halves joined and the lower wing is on. The need for filler and the plastic insert around the cockpit was entirely my fault. The interior fit was very tight to begin with and then I forgot to count in the thickness of the side buckles from the etched harness. Notice I filled in the toylike grooves for the windscreens too. On the other hand the fit of the lower wing central part is nothing for Messrs Airfix to be proud of. Edited May 18, 2018 by Patrik 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azgaron Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 Interesting project and good work so far! Håkan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted June 1, 2018 Author Share Posted June 1, 2018 The lower wing central part filled and sanded plus some Eduard etched parts. The fin-fuselage joint (and the tail in general) is another part of the kit that requires more care than expected. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 Nice to see you back in the Moth. Making good progress. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted June 9, 2018 Author Share Posted June 9, 2018 The solution for the cabane struts' connection to the fuselage seems quite clever, until one finds the hole is by far too big for the plug. So hole filled in and the plug sawed off. I believe the joint will look much more realistic later on. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Coming along nicely. I have always wised Airfix would do a 1/48 version. I find the 1/72 is just too small to show the real look of the plane. I built the earlier 1/72 kit many years ago and was disappointed with the result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted June 17, 2018 Author Share Posted June 17, 2018 Work goes on slowly, and there has been no time for posting last week, so the whole sequence of the floats' attachment at one whack. The floats were a bit on the "lump-of-resin" side and required significant care, with the starboard one featuring nice selection of bubbles of various sizes to fill (Kora can do much better as far as I can say). Only the rear V-struts survived from the set after a lot of carving work, all the rest was not worth removing from the cast. All strut attachments were reinforced with copper wire. In the absence of hard evidence, common sense was used when attaching the struts to the fuselage. Unfortunately most of the available data refer to the civilian floatplanes, which differ in the configuration of the struts compared to the military Moth. Notice the "ingenious" float jig. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 Slow progress is better than no progress. She's looking good on her floats. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 This is a fascinating build which has me thinking of larger scales. Martian 👽 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huvut76g7gbbui7 Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 53 minutes ago, Martian Hale said: which has me thinking of larger scales. A Matchbox kit in the stash perhaps? 3 hours ago, Patrik said: Work goes on slowly, No rush on my part. It's starting to look the part now isn't it? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 2 minutes ago, Scimitar said: A Matchbox kit in the stash perhaps? Not yet. Martian 👽 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmas Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 This is looking very nice and the resin add ons look good. I love everything about the Tiger Moth. It's a lovely looking aircraft that seems pretty, delicate and rugged at the same time. It looks particularly good on floats too. Some floatplane mods to wheeled aircraft look a bit ungainly to me, but this is so 'right' somehow. The photo at the top demonstrates it. I've got one of the new-tool Airfix ones in my stash and I'm watching with interest. Nice work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted July 1, 2018 Author Share Posted July 1, 2018 (edited) The fit of the cowling had been the most problematic part so far, quite a lot dry-fitting and sanding was needed before the part was ready to be fixed. Nevertheless I can't help the feeling the upper curve is somehow "untigermothish". As you can see in my previous post, I added also the lower part of the engine bulkhead from a plastic sheet (and painted it silver). The central section of the upper wing ready, with some extra detailing by Eduard and myself. And at the bottom as a surprise the four resin wheelbarrow wheels for the land manipulation after rather laborious cleaning. Were they simply classical wood + iron hoop? What do you think? Edited July 1, 2018 by Patrik 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry1954 Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 Joining this one now. A fascinating project which I will follow with interest. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 Looking rather smart that is. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaCee26 Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 On 4/29/2018 at 12:28 AM, Scimitar said: It looks smart too! (couldn't find a photo,only drawing) Hi, A little trivia of this Tiger Moth "159". It was flown from Norway to Finland on wheels and ended to the Finnish Air Force as MO-159. Cheers, AaCee 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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