Building a Heller 1/72 Connie

[Challenger350Pilot 684]

Thought I'd share a work in progress...this is the Heller 1/72 scale Super Constellation; planning to finish this one as a blue window striped KLM "The Flying Dutchman," scheme flown circa 1958, though I have not decided on a specific aircraft reproduction. The project is coming along, and beginning to look like a Connie...but lots more to do. I am using quite a bit of detailing parts not included in the kit: Fisher engines and props, Scale Aircraft Conversions metal landing gear, and Plus Model wheel bays. Enjoy......

 

 

 

Had to do quite a bit of puttying and closing of seams, with tons of sanding. I closed the windows, because I'll use 3D window decals in the final version.

 

 

Here you can see the pre-prime "chop-job" of the outboard engine nacelle, so that the Fisher engines fit properly to the model. I'm pretty new at sawing and hacking major parts off the original model, and in this process, managed to damage the nacelle...but nothing that more putty and more sanding couldn't solve.....

 

 

Here's an underbelly pic of the main landing gear bays prior to detail installation.

 

 

This is the left main landing gear wheel bay, with details installed, prior to priming and painting. Hydraulic and electrical lines added using small gauge wire.

 

 

Main landing gear detailed and primed.....

 

 

Nose gear detail....

 

 

Main gear detail...

 

 

Engines, props, and gear all primed....

 

 

Prep for Alclad airframe aluminum....

 

 

Engines almost completed...need to attach cowl flaps, which I mount slightly open...

 

 

Fuselage and wings primed, gray wing panels and radome painted....

 

 

[Biggu 163]

HOLY !!!!! This is NICE !!1  Those wheel wells are gorgeous, is all that P/E ?/ Any resin?   Those engine nacelles look great too....... I am following from just north of you  and a long way west here in British Columbia.......this is great, I'm looking forward to the next update...

cheers

Jeff

[Azgaron 1,233]

Very nice work so far!

 

Håkan

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle 14,981]

 Beautiful Connie so far ... Keep up the great work.

[k5054nz 1,072]

Beautiful's the word I want to use too! I do love a Super Connie and it's great to see so much attention being lavished on it.

 

Bravo!

[stevehnz 7,791]

Looking quite super. I always enjoy a good build of the most elegant airliner ever, to my eye, & this build appears to be shaping up beautifully.

Steve.

[Beggsy 786]

Wow, those are some awesome looking engines!  I love the Connie, great subject!

[Graeme H 1,341]

Having some of those Fisher engines, really interested in this one, love the detail you are putting in really shows  

[Moa 23,320]

Nice work, looks really good.

[David H 687]

Wow! Somehow i missed this. Now i know 3 people who are tackling the Heller Connie!

 

-d-

[bigbadbadge 4,077]

Wow this is gorgeous.  I have the Airfix kit in the stash. You're doing a cracking job.  The U/C bays do look fantastic along with the U/C legs.

 

Great work. 

All the best 

Chris 

[Challenger350Pilot 684]

Thank you, EVERY one for your kind encouragement.

 

I've gotten the upper fuselage white painted, allowing it to cure for a few days before masking it for the Alclad black base coat on the bottom and wings. I did discover a major blunder while painting...that the left outboard engine nacelle was cut unevenly (by me) when removing the original kit flashing. Left as is would result in the left outboard engine drooping when mounted, so the preliminary thought for a fix will be to add a small shim to the nacelle before painting to lift it, thereby making it even and level with the inboard. I'm planning to use leftover PE brass cut to fit. I'm nearly positive it won't be noticed at all, and won't be seen when painted.

 

 

Upper fuselage painted with Tamiya TS-26.

 

 

Also finished the engines with attaching the cowl flaps in the slightly opened position.

 

 

[rob Lyttle 4,215]

Oh... Okay. Now I see how it's supposed to be done...!

 

Think I'd better click on the follow box here, and hope that some of the Magic rubs off on me, just by hanging around...!

[bigbadbadge 4,077]

Gorgeous simply gorgeous. The engine cowlings are amazing. Great work. It all looks lovely.  

All the best 

Chris 

[stringbag 1,320]

That looks stunning.  Those engines are a must have for any Connie build, but yours are the best I've seen.

 

Chris.

[Challenger350Pilot 684]

Thanks everyone for your comments encouragement. I do enjoy sharing the progress here, because everyone is so positive and encouraging.

 

So here's the latest update with the latest pics....I've repaired the uneven nacelle mount for the left outboard engine, using Tamiya modeling putty and a small piece of styrene plastic glued in for support. Finished sanding and priming for Alclad airframe aluminum, and applied. The pics below show the completed major painting. I have not begun to polish the natural metal surfaces yet, nor have I touched up overspray where the masking tape leaked, or sharpened lines around the landing gear door mounts. Final application of the decal cheat lines will cover a multitude of sins...like raised paint lines where the aluminum and the white meet, and where some of the complex curves are not even. Overall, I am pleased so far...no major catastrophes in spite of dropping the whole assembly onto the floor while masking small curves, tipping over and spilling half a bottle of Alclad onto the workbench, and a pressing tool slipping along the upper wing surface creating a huge scratch in the primer. Oh well...its just a hobby!!!

 

The last items to be attached, after landing gear and all the apparatus that goes with them, will be the solid resin Fisher engines. I am open to suggestion and advice from all as to how to attach them...should I use plastic cement, Zap Gap super glue, quick drying epoxy?? Ideas are welcomed!

 

 

[AdrianMF 12,402]

Love that metallic finish!

 

Regards,

Adrian

[JosephLalor 501]

This is excellent, great finish!  I've made a start on this kit, and it's nice to know that the aftermarket items can be installed after the wings have been assembled.  I'll be on the lookout for them now.

[Azgaron 1,233]

Nice work! Looks very nice and shiny!

 

Håkan

 

[Lanmi 605]

Using aftermarket is a proper way to build this model. Especially the engines provided in the kit are useless and, I am very interested in this build progress. I love how you done the engines and detailed undercarriage. I also salute the decision for using 3D decals depicting windows, since I am also not very satisfied with the look of the transparencies. Looking forward to see it finished it will be great sight!

[Rui Silva 478]

Beautiful work, congrats!

[rob Lyttle 4,215]

The fuselage is looking brilliant.

That's an impressive paint job, for sure!

The light coloured nose band behind the black cone caught my attention. White is often given in instructions and schemes, so what's the story on this?

Obvs quite different to the fuselage white.... is it the grey that is painted on the wings?

Or something particular to your choice of scheme?

[Thom216 2,787]

Sweet chrome!

[Challenger350Pilot 684]

4 hours ago, rob Lyttle said:

The fuselage is looking brilliant.

That's an impressive paint job, for sure!

The light coloured nose band behind the black cone caught my attention. White is often given in instructions and schemes, so what's the story on this?

Obvs quite different to the fuselage white.... is it the grey that is painted on the wings?

Or something particular to your choice of scheme?

Thanks, Rob. Actually, the entire radome on the Connie was often painted...the forward section was non reflective black, and the band behind the black was often light gray or sandy color. The gray I used to paint the band behind the black is the same gray used on the wing panels. Its Testor's Modelmaster enamel Japanese Navy Gray, mixed with some lighter stock gray I had in my paint stash to closely resemble the KLM livery.

[Challenger350Pilot 684]

Hello All...

 

Here are some update photos. Finished the landing gear, and attached them...she's standing on her own 3 legs! Taking a great shape so far! The gear doors are completed, but as yet unattached. I'll get to those this week sometime. Finished the touchup around the gear bays, and the aluminum polishing, but sill a long way to go on the finishes required before she can accept her colors and livery. probably won't post for a while, until she's made some progress putting her "clothes" on. Engines will be attached as the last step....

 

Thank you again for your encouragement and kind words...