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Lockheed 10 Electra Earhart, Special Hobby conversion, 1/72


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Special Hobby models belong to that kit category that could be best described as "I am glad they kitted it, I am glad it does exists and I can buy it and build it, I only wish it would have been a little bit better". Hey, I am grateful for some of their releases, I have built a few. But they sometimes present some issues:

- Instruction of the type of "This part goes somewhere in this area, you figure it out" (as in this kit's landing gear).

- Sprue gates that are often located in places that compromise fine detail (as in this kit's props, for example).

- Wishful thinking (as in this model, where drawings -more like sketches- of Earhart's plane are presented, but you have no alternate parts (fuel tanks for the interior, nose lights, antenna loop, different LG mechanism, for example), nor details or instructions good enough to serve as a guide for the adaptation.

- Resin bits that, if welcome, present occasionally fit problems.

- Oversize small parts (in this case the dorsal fuselage vents)

- Vacuum-formed canopies difficult to trim and blend with the surroundings.

- No masks whatsoever, even if this canopy needs it, nor templates to make yours.

- Inaccurate color calls or details (Earhart plane had International Orange painted areas).

- The fit is not the best on some parts.

- No locating devices per se, but there are marks for some parts.

- Ejector towers and the occasional sink marks are present. Not difficult to overcome, but annoying.

 

Yes, I know, they are short run technology. But somehow they give you a long run.

 

Now, this was released in 1999. Later kit releases from SH have showed improvements.

In any case, the two other Electra kits that I know of (Execuform and Dekno's) would require quite a bit of effort themselves.

 

The model came to me with no resin bits, so some cheeky monkey at some point sold it second hand -to the friend that finally got it for me- without them. Thanks very much, you despicable rat. Not terrible, since the engines are very common (P&W R985 Wasp Junior) and can be ordered from different manufacturers of your choice if need be. The best, by far, are the Small Stuff (72113) ones. White metal "Vintage" Aeroclub (E012) and resin Engines & Things (72021) are options too. The instrument panel can be made; the seats, control column, etc., can be sourced from the spares bin or manufactured. The Earhart particular bits (mainly long range fuel tanks, navigator station and miscellaneous details) will have to be fabricated.

 

We'll see if this one has better luck than its full size homologous and manages to arrive to its more discrete destination, the boxes where I keep all completed models.

So nothing you don't know about:

IMG_5156+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

 The particular bits pertinent to Earhart's version are fashioned, plus the parts needed to replace the missing resin bits.
Fuselage long range tanks, first console, parts to make the LG accurate:

IMG_5168+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

IMG_5169+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

General view. Some parts fabricated, some from the spares bin, some adapted or made better (like the props)

IMG_5170+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

 You can see I didn't use the kit's bulkheads, which are inaccurate at least for this version, or the kit's props, which are quite so-so.
Lenses for the nose, navigator station accoutrements, miscellaneous bits:

IMG_5172+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

 

Edited by Moa
to add info
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58 minutes ago, Moa said:

Now, this was released I think around the year 2000, so it is not a newly released kit. May be they have improved. There is always hope.

 

Make that 1995. One of their very first kits.  They have improved out of sight. Recent kits are mainstream quality from metal moulds, but more mass-market subjects than their earlier efforts.

 

But you can get good results from that L10 kit. See here (would be happy with that one myself) :

http://s15.zetaboards.com/72nd_Aircraft/topic/812071/1/

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3 minutes ago, Roger Holden said:

Make that 1995. One of their very first kits.  They have improved out of sight. Recent kits are mainstream quality from metal moulds, but more mass-market subjects than their earlier efforts.

 

But you can get good results from that L10 kit. See here (would be happy with that one myself) :

http://s15.zetaboards.com/72nd_Aircraft/topic/812071/1/

Good news, Roger, thanks for the update.

And yes, splendid model!

(Fortunately not the same I am attempting!)

 

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3 hours ago, Roger Holden said:

Make that 1995. One of their very first kits.  They have improved out of sight. Recent kits are mainstream quality from metal moulds, but more mass-market subjects than their earlier efforts.

Hey Roger, where did you find that date?

Here it says 1999:

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/132017-special-hobby-sh72015-lockheed-model-10-electra

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6 hours ago, Moa said:

Hey Roger, where did you find that date?

 

It's my approximate memory of when I bought the kit.  They did a few experimental WW2 aircraft first; then the Orion and L10. It was definitely in the 90s. i normally write the purchase date on the instructions, but that one is buried in the loft....

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7 hours ago, Roger Holden said:

It's my approximate memory of when I bought the kit.  They did a few experimental WW2 aircraft first; then the Orion and L10. It was definitely in the 90s. i normally write the purchase date on the instructions, but that one is buried in the loft....

I corrected the date above to reflect 1999.

Apparently I was one year off, and you four.

 

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Ohhh, famous pilot aircraft! I'm interested in doing this aircraft some time in the future, so I'll sit quietly taking notes and asking stupid questions, if I may.

 

DennisTheBear

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8 hours ago, DennisTheBear said:

Ohhh, famous pilot aircraft! I'm interested in doing this aircraft some time in the future, so I'll sit quietly taking notes and asking stupid questions, if I may.

 

DennisTheBear

Of course, Dennis.

I had many questions myself.

After a very large number of hours on the Net and studying photographs, lots and lots of photographs, one can see that this same plane went through a large number of small modifications during its life.

Window arrangement: window pane present or not on door. Additional large window aft fuselage right side or not.
Landing gear: Retracting hydraulic jack or circular (likely electrical) retraction gear.

Wire antenna: connecting wire to fuselage from mast to side or later from one of the wires midspan.

Loop antenna: First faired directional finder, then small thick loop.

Cowls: painted in Purdue University colors for Bendix race.

Color trim: Like above, or no color anywhere: just aluminium airframe overall; or -likely- International Orange on L.E. (above and bellow) and upper surface of stabilizer, bordered with very thin pinstripe, likely black.

Props with and without spinners.

At one point at the beginning of its life the plane's pilot's hatch opened (quite stupidly) to the other side (hinge on the left instead of on the spine).

And a large number of other details.

 

Study your references and chose according to place in timeline represented!

 

Cheers

Electrified

 

Edited by Moa
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Some elements of the interior are assembled:

IMG_5246+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

The nose tip is cut to later represent the hatch:

IMG_5247+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

The plastic is thick, so some thinning is necessary:

IMG_5248+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

Shaving little amounts at a time from the inside with a rotary tool:

IMG_5250+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

The nose tip halves are glued. A vacuum-formed, thinner part will be later produced from it:

IMG_5251+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

Bulkheads for the nose compartment and the back of the restroom are fashioned:

IMG_5252+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

 

 

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The kit's windows are clear, but the sprue gates are rather thick. They have converging sides, not only facilitating demolding at the manufacturer, but also helping with press-fit:

IMG_5253+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

Only two of the windows remained in Amelia's plane, plus the one at the door and a larger added at the back where the restroom was on the right side (that are not present at certain stages, earlier -the door window- and later, the aft-most added window which was blanked).  So the blanked windows are pressed-in and secured form inside and out with cyano glue. I will leave the "clear" windows for later addition:

IMG_5254+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

Edited by Moa
to correct typo
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The windows are covered with putty and sanded flush. A new door is made with its window opened:

IMG_5255+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

 Drawings describe a canister for the physiological needs of the occupants, so one is made from metal:

IMG_5256+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

In consideration of the lady pilot, a wood seat is provided:

IMG_5257+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

Long trips require ample supply of...commodities. Here the toilet roll is being made from tissue paper:

IMG_5258+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

IMG_5259+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

IMG_5260+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

My test pilot, Alain Gilbert, approves of the installations with a sigh of relief:
IMG_5262+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

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The parts that represent structure on the well are glued:

IMG_5264+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

 The left rudder was the one with the trim tab, so don't misplace it:

IMG_5265+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

The cap for the nacelle is too large...

IMG_5266+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

..and the walls of the cowl too thick:

IMG_5267+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

The cowls' trailing edges are thinned down:

IMG_5268+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

Now those caps fit in, but I think I will make other arrangements:

IMG_5269+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

The lower wing halves are glued on. Their chord is slightly shorter than on the upper wing half:

IMG_5270+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

A pass with the sanding stick takes care of the difference:

IMG_5271+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

The lower halves of the nacelle are glued at their spine:

IMG_5271b+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

And positioned on the wing to set at the right width:

IMG_5272+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

 Elevators are separated. This is not easy at all, the plastic is very hard, and the stab quite thick:

IMG_5274+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

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