Avro 504k - so it begins.....

[mackem01]

After some research (not very successful) and lots of help and advice from you guys I've rather blindly set off on an adventure. It's a case of I know what I want but don't know

how to get there! I did originally want to build an early 504 but the old Merit kit that I'm using was proving very difficult to modify. So I've decided to go with the kit variant and

add some bits and pieces. I have the Airwaves detail set which I can use quite a lot of, and a couple of Brassin Lewis guns and if I can find a suitable subject I'd like to finish her as

an armed "Zeppelin killer". If you chaps know of any good schemes I would appreciate a heads up. Got a couple of starting photos to show tonight:

I've given the inners a coat of greyish fabric with the red representing the scuffing through to the dope. The ribs either side of the lower wing cut out set the height of

the cockpit floor so I couldn't take them out to alter the fuselage sides to represent an earlier mark.

 

Next I cut off and repositioned the control surfaces, a personal choice as I think it makes the model look more dynamic. It's a strange plastic to work with as it's both

rigid and workable at the same time. You can tell it's an old kit when you cut the stuff.

 

Also made a start on the coockpit using some of the Airwaves bits. It works well despite having to be cut about to fit the limited space available. I have since gotten a

little further with the build, but I'll keep that until the next episode. Any profferings of advice will be greatly accepted. Once again, thanks for dropping by.

 

Cheers.....

[bigbadbadge]

Ooooooo this looks great.  Nice work so far.  I have the Smer  kit in the stash and so will watch with interest. 

All the best 

Chris 

[matti64]

I'll be watching too. The Merit/SMER kit is  very basic, but a good blank canvas.

 

[Darby]

21 hours ago, mackem01 said:

 If you chaps know of any good schemes I would appreciate a heads up.

One of the RNAS machines which bombed the Zeppelin sheds on November 21st 1914 was my first thought.

[matti64]

Just an example of what  varietyyou can get from this kit.

Edited July 11, 2018 by matti64
#trying to add text.

[pheonix]

There were some schemes for anti-Zeppelin aircraft in an old edition of Airfix Magazine - I cannot remember the full details at the moment but if you want a copy pm me and I will go into the roof and get the article down and send you a copy.

 

P

[mackem01]

Well, it's been a while since I've posted in this one. TBH it's been a while since I've picked this little fella up! The last pics showed the repositioning of the wing control surfaces and the cockpit. Since then the fuselage has been closed and the lower wing glued into place.

 

 

At this point I was starting to think it may have been a mistake to use the Airwaves cockpit, it was a tight squeeze and I could see internal structure where I didn't want it. At this point I thought a little filling and sanding was in order:

 

A peculiarity of this kit was the fact that the inner struts were moulded with the forward instrument panel and when I tried to fix it in place it was clear the Airwaves structure was definately in the way! It took quite a bit of maneouvering to get it in place resulting in a messy end product. Oh yes........and yet again I lost a strut!! After a couple of rounds of fill, sand, repeat I was happy with the end result and tonight I have put a little detail on the engine:

The kit engine was really poor but I had to use it as the replacement was too big to go into the cowling! Hopefully it'll not look too bad when installed. Even more fun was the purchasing of a tin of Khaki drab which to my eye looks passable and as of tonight this is where we're at:

 

I've been a bit of a bad lad and chosen a scheme from a profile drawing 😲 - risky I know but I do like thecolour scheme. Hope you were mildly entertained by tonight's installment, hopefully more to follow. Thanks for looking in.

 

.......until next time.

Edited August 6, 2018 by mackem01
messy!

[mackem01]

Looking for some advice re this build, so thought I'd post it here. Two queries, firstly - what colour would the upper wing fuel tank be on a 504? Khaki drab as the rest of the machine or plain metal? Secondly, the machine I'm building is from the early 20's - will the blue in the fin flash be a lighter colour or the standard blue? Will try to post progress pictures later if anyone's interested.

 

Cheers.....

[mackem01]

Hi boys 'n girls, update as promised (a little late though). The first item on the agenda was to finish painting. I know alot of you don't like Humbrol enamels but I have to say I get along well with them:

 

After a couple of undercoats and top coats I'm quite please with the result. Also painted the cockpit coaming in black as a little variation, probably should have been a dark leather colour but I wanted some variation. I have also started fitting the undercart - that was fun! You all know the problem only two hands when you really need four! Despite the arm shortage, I just about managed:

 

I also took the time to sort out the (for me) eye-catching part of the build............the cowling:

I used the Xtradecal striping sheet for the most part but the front of the cowling has been touched up with paint as the decal would not lay flat on the double curve. Not perfect but I'm happy. I'd like to finish the undercart and attach the engine and cowling this weekend if time and SWMBO allows.

Thanks for dropping by.........

Edited August 18, 2018 by mackem01
layout.

[Martian]

It is going to look very tasty with that cowling.

 

Martian 👽

[matti64]

Coming along really well.

[mackem01]

So, after planning a nice long camping weekend in Dorset only to be rained off and literally blown off the campsite, I returned home to get an extra day's modelling

under the belt. I have literally gone as far as poss until I source some markings, but I am happy with where I'm at:

Feel this is going to be fun rigging:

 

Some general views :

 

 

I think the cowling colours set her off nicely:

 

One deep breath and one last push, and we have this:

 

Got to try and find some roundels now, so it may be a while before I get anymore done. I do have an idea, so if your a WWI / Interwar buff please take a look at my

post in the wanted section. Hope you liked what you saw, thanks for looking.

 

Until next time.....

[mackem01]

It's been a while, but thanks to the invaluable help of fellow member Dave Flemming, I have been able to source some decals - so let battle re-commence. I was looking

for first war, white outlined roundels that proved almost impossible (for me) to source, but with measurements provided by Dave, I realised I could do something with

Pheon's Triplane decal sheet. Duly purchased and arriving on Friday, I have moved on so:

 

 

 

 

Hopefully if all goes well, we may see a coat of satin varnish, and perhaps some rigging!

 

C & CC's gratefully accepted, thanks for looking.....

[dnl42]

This may be a little late, but I just found these scans of a parts list for a 504k at the Muzeum Lotnictwa Polskiego  (Polish Aviation Museum) site.

 

-- 

dnl