Air Cadets, 1/72 Sedbergh T21 Vacform

[Brandy]

I was one of the lucky ones. I did my ATC gliding course on the Venture, at RAF Newton. When I hear new pilots going on about how soon they soloed I tell them I soloed in only 3 hours and shut the engine down on the downwind. That usually stops them. I may just forget to mention the powered glider bit.......at least for a few minutes! 😁

 

Ian

[Terry1954]

2 hours ago, limeypilot said:

I was one of the lucky ones. I did my ATC gliding course on the Venture, at RAF Newton. When I hear new pilots going on about how soon they soloed I tell them I soloed in only 3 hours and shut the engine down on the downwind. That usually stops them. I may just forget to mention the powered glider bit.......at least for a few minutes! 😁

 

Ian

Love it! Had a similar moment of smugness when I was doing PPL powered training. Instructor had briefed my on engine out landings. At 2000 ft over Old Sarum he cut the power and I glided to a perfect landing on the active runway after a complete descending circuit. He asked me if I'd ever done that before 😏

 

Terry

[Brandy]

The glider training has certainly been useful. I had a similar experience to yours just after my PPL. The school was based at a grass strip in Florida, surrounded by orange groves, and I decided to get checked out in a 172. On final I set it up as instructed, then commented "we're not going to make, I need to add power". I was told it was ok, the 172 was a little different to the 150. I replied again that we still weren't going to make it, to be told the same thing. So I shut up and waited for the inevitable "ok, add a little power" from the right seat! 😁

 

Even to this day, doing circling approaches in the sim, I have no problem putting it on the aiming point - the SIC calls the speed, I don't need anything else other than what I can see outside! Great fun!

 

Ian

[Rizon]

I was fortunate to attend the OT&E in the SAAF as a civilian a few years back. Course members were mostly fighter and helicopter pilots. During one lunch the conversation turned to forced landings. No one had done a real one, and everyone was dreading the concept. I cassually observed I already did 52 forced landings. 9 pairs of saucer big eyes stared at me.... Untill I mentioned all of them were in a glider, however there was a awe that remained with the fellow students.

[Terry1954]

5 hours ago, limeypilot said:

The glider training has certainly been useful. I had a similar experience to yours just after my PPL. The school was based at a grass strip in Florida, surrounded by orange groves, and I decided to get checked out in a 172. On final I set it up as instructed, then commented "we're not going to make, I need to add power". I was told it was ok, the 172 was a little different to the 150. I replied again that we still weren't going to make it, to be told the same thing. So I shut up and waited for the inevitable "ok, add a little power" from the right seat! 😁

 

Even to this day, doing circling approaches in the sim, I have no problem putting it on the aiming point - the SIC calls the speed, I don't need anything else other than what I can see outside! Great fun!

 

Ian

 

4 hours ago, Rizon said:

I was fortunate to attend the OT&E in the SAAF as a civilian a few years back. Course members were mostly fighter and helicopter pilots. During one lunch the conversation turned to forced landings. No one had done a real one, and everyone was dreading the concept. I cassually observed I already did 52 forced landings. 9 pairs of saucer big eyes stared at me.... Untill I mentioned all of them were in a glider, however there was a awe that remained with the fellow students.

Great story's guys. Sums up the skills of gliding perfectly!

 

Terry

[GrzeM]

It's so exciting thread! Vac-form build is always interesting as it is not usual injected lego-like kit, and the training glider! Training gliders are loved by all those who flew their first flights ever on them!

My first was SZD-9 Bocian (Stork), it was in 1992.

Exactly this one, SP-3042 from Warsaw Airclub:

[Jinxman]

31 minutes ago, GrzeM said:

 

My first was SZD-9 Bocian (Stork), it was in 1992.

 

 

That is a nice looking sailplane - I have an old kit in 1/72 in the stash - I now have a colour scheme for it!

 

..and very nice work on the T21, it's looking great.

 

cheers

[Terry1954]

Thanks @GrzeM and @Jinxman It's great to have so many people for whom this thread, and the T31 brings back memories.

 

Maybe after the T21, I should build another glider!

 

Terry

[longshanks]

Some interesting and imaginative building going on here

The stories of gliding experiences adding spice to the topic

 

Kev

[Mr T]

Very nice work on the glider and some interesting gliding stories. Vacforms can be so satisfyingly. 

[Terry1954]

11 hours ago, longshanks said:

Some interesting and imaginative building going on here

The stories of gliding experiences adding spice to the topic

 

Kev

Thanks Kev, glad you like. I'm trying to get this build and a similar scale sabre done, so I can concentrate on the Vosper!

 

Terry

[Terry1954]

5 hours ago, Mr T said:

Very nice work on the glider and some interesting gliding stories. Vacforms can be so satisfyingly. 

Thanks Mr T. I agree that vacforms can be very satisfying indeed. This is my third ever, and I'm planning to do something bigger for the next one.

 

Terry

[Mr T]

I am just about to embark on the Maintrack Supermarine 545, looks OK, but on the P1121 I did, the plastic was a bit thin in places. The light weight of a vacform model suits gliders well. 

[Terry1954]

4 hours ago, Mr T said:

I am just about to embark on the Maintrack Supermarine 545, looks OK, but on the P1121 I did, the plastic was a bit thin in places. The light weight of a vacform model suits gliders well. 

That's an interesting project. I don't know if you have seen this thread yet, in the Cold War section, but it might be helpful?

 

Terry

Edited September 1, 2018 by Terry1954

[TheBaron]

On 5/16/2018 at 10:19 PM, Terry1954 said:

 I found some discrepancies that were of a magnitude that will make them worth fix

My favourite kind of discrepancy!

 

Catching-up with your work here Terry has given me a new fascination with these wind-riders.

Lovely patient work. Bravo!

[Terry1954]

2 hours ago, TheBaron said:

Catching-up with your work here Terry has given me a new fascination with these wind-riders.

Lovely patient work. Bravo!

Thank you Tony. I find that happens to me regularly since joining here in earnest. Others builds inspire and fascinate, even to the point of influencing future builds. This phenomenom has recently tempted me across to the watery section with my Vosper build, albeit with the T21 and Sabre to finish yet, plus a handful of others that I've yet to confess to on here!

 

Terry

[T-21]

Hello great progress  I prefer the silver/dayglo era will go with the Cadet Mk.3. Have you tried Perfect Putty as a filler much easier to work in this scale and less sanding.

[Terry1954]

6 hours ago, T-21 said:

Hello great progress  I prefer the silver/dayglo era will go with the Cadet Mk.3. Have you tried Perfect Putty as a filler much easier to work in this scale and less sanding.

Progress is not as fast as I'd like though, due to lots of family still visiting us in sunny Dorset, and at least two other projects on the go. Still, it shouldn't be too long before I start to think about painting and applying decals, then final assembly.

 

Yes the silver/dayglo combo seems to appeal to more folks.

 

I have not tried Perfect Putty, but I'm always looking for new ideas and materials to use, so will certainly give it a go.

 

Thanks

 

Terry

[Terry1954]

Very little progress this week, mostly due to focus on the Vosper MTB over in the maritime section.

 

What little I have done has been focused on preparing the fuselage and wings for paint, although there is still the underbody skid and wheel to complete. No pictures worth posting.

 

There will be a short break in all proceedings while I pop off to Canada to visit my son and his good lady!.

 

More when I return in a few weeks.

 

Terry

[keefr22]

Have a good trip Terry!

 

Keith

[Terry1954]

Thanks Keith. I have a serious completion schedule when I return. Need to get several done for Telford!

 

[keefr22]

 

24 minutes ago, Terry1954 said:

Need to get several done for Telford!

 

You're not alone!

K

[Terry1954]

It's been a while since I did any work on the T21, partly due to distractions on other projects, but mostly due to my Holiday in Canada, which I thoroughly enjoyed. We got back on Friday, suitably jet lagged, so only really had a chance to do some modelling today.

 

The wings have been rubbed smooth and now are ready for paint, although I do still need to make the two small fixing attachments on the underside, where the underwing struts will meet with the lower wing.

 

Top

 

and bottom

 

On the fuselage, I have managed to tidy up and better shape the area around the cockpit itself, which is now closed up for eventual airbrushing, and to prevent any damage inside.

 

This shot was taken before I trimmed the liquid mask back to the edges.

 

Also did some work on the wheel housing, to take a central wheel "spindle".

 

Studying the pictures I took at Old Sarum recently (now posted in the Walkaround section) in order to get and make the front tow attachment correctly, I realised that I was not happy with the very front underside and general lower profile. This picture shows how it should be:

 

The model nose comes to a neat "point" when in fact the point (behind the tow hole) does not extend to the lower line, and the lower front fuselage is quite flat in profile, unlike the slightly boat hull shape of the model. This earlier pic shows what I have at the moment:

 

So the plan is to build up but also flatten the front profile. So first the build up part has begun with a couple of layers of plastic card, all to be shaped and blended in - the following sequence is where I am at so far:

 

That needs to set off overnight, for further work.

 

Next the wheel. The Vacform offering is not that great, so a wheel from the spares box will suffice. It still needs its profile decreased a little more around the edge of the tyre, but its a pretty good match to the plans. Some Formaplane (I think) rod forms the spindle, which will sit in the housing as shown. Once in, the ends will be shaped to form part of the housing itself.

 

This is what we are aiming for, so a way to go yet, probably need a little more depth on the lower edges of the housing as well.

 

Finally some work on the tail area. This will need smoothing into the fuselage spine a bit more

 

And these holes were drilled to emulate the prototype as best I can

 

We are aiming to get close to this really:

 

I had hoped to be painting this one by now, but there is a lot more refinement of detail to be done on the fuselage, at the front, underside and here around the tail and rudder.

 

Hopefully much more progress this week.

 

Thanks

 

Terry

[Terry1954]

A bit of further work on the nose this morning. Picture quality not great but shows what I am trying to achieve:

 

 

More cleaning up and shaping to do but I think this will work.

 

When thats done I need to build in the cable attachment and release part, which will mean drilling a small hole in from dead ahead. 😨

 

More later hopefully

 

Terry

[Terry1954]

A touch or Mr Surfacer 1200 to help fill and give visibility to where to refine/smooth etc. Getting close to the shape I am looking for now. Last picture gives an indication of actual size and also shows the nose part where the hole will be drilled.

 

 

 

More to come soon.

 

Terry