Listening to the Solstice

[Stalker6Recon]

I think that the manufacturers probably cringe when they see you begin to work on one of their kits. They must know that you will inadvertently shred their molds with all the minute problems, and some flaws that defy logic. The bottom/belly of this kit wasn't just off by a tiny bit, but by giant chunks when measured to scale, how could they have missed all that detail? How can they claim accuracy when it's clear they barely captured the shadow of the real aircraft? I almost pity them, almost.

 

As always, total masterclass for the minions.

 

Anthony

[Heather Kay]

15 minutes ago, Stalker6Recon said:

The bottom/belly of this kit wasn't just off by a tiny bit, but by giant chunks when measured to scale, how could they have missed all that detail?

It was 1962. Now, I know that’s making an excuse, but times were different then. Consider the Defiant, which hails from about the same time, which was a mere caricature of the real aircraft. Yet, both these kits, bad as they were, were all that was available and they had to do. The mere fact Airfix under different owners continued to squeeze money out the moulds until the new millennium just compounds the felony, really.

 

Another factor is how many variants and marks of the Anson were there in total? The early Anson had more or less all been consigned to history, so perhaps Airfix could only measure up a later mark which would have been a very different beast to the MkI. Again, it seems strange now, but pocket money Saturday teatime builders probably weren’t aware or didn’t really care about the accuracy as much as we do now.

[Stalker6Recon]

2 hours ago, Heather Kay said:

It was 1962

I forgot all about that. I thought it was a modern kit, but now it all makes perfect sense, thanks for clearing that up for me!

 

Anthony

[Heather Kay]

2 minutes ago, Stalker6Recon said:

I forgot all about that. I thought it was a modern kit, but now it all makes perfect sense, thanks for clearing that up for me!

Ah, that makes your comment make more sense.

[Stalker6Recon]

1 minute ago, Heather Kay said:

makes your comment make more sense.

Sometimes I am a little slow, my memory isn't what it used to be. I forget what day is my birthday🤔, so thanks for cutting me a bit of slack! I always wondered how they made models before the age of CAD, and other modern techniques. What they did back in the day, must have been similar to how they made automobiles, literally carving them out of clay before they went to the production line. 62......I wasn't even born then, it took another 8 years before my daddies flicker in the eye, made a baby😁!

 

Thanks again for setting me on the straight and narrow, until the next time I forget anyway😳

 

Anthony

[Brandy]

6 hours ago, Stalker6Recon said:

How can they claim accuracy when it's clear they barely captured the shadow of the real aircraft? 

It's early Airfix. They didn't! See also my Fairey Battle build.

 

Edit:

After reading the rest of the post I see Heather has already explained that. I'll retire to the corner. Make that the bar.

 

Ian

Edited August 15, 2019 by limeypilot

[keefr22]

7 hours ago, Heather Kay said:

pocket money Saturday teatime builders probably weren’t aware or didn’t really care about the accuracy as much as we do now.

 

Some of us still haven't really grown up though - accuracy, whatdatden....?!

[Stalker6Recon]

15 hours ago, limeypilot said:

Make that the bar.

 

Meet you there, I don't drink anymore, but won't complain if there are a few cold beers waiting for me, something with a little bite!

 

Anthony

[TheBaron]

On 8/14/2019 at 6:04 PM, CedB said:

Nice work on the belly Tony (fed up with commenting on your bottom)  

Looks like you had a good time before and at the concert. 

Thanks Ced.

(Mercifully my bottom was on a seat throughout the gig so no members of the public were unduly disturbed.)

On 8/14/2019 at 7:07 PM, keefr22 said:

Doesn't look too bad? Looks flippin' marvellous to me!!

Most kind Keith.

It took a while but I finally got the profile of the rear section sorted (symmetrically) where the sides curve upwards to meet the fuselage. Some light carving required with tiny scalpel blade held 'twixt thumb and forefinger (for sensitivity) as well to ensure the interface worked accurately from all angles...

First time trying that 'ribbing' technique and mightily impressed by the elegance of it as a solution to an important problem.

On 8/14/2019 at 7:07 PM, keefr22 said:

Hope we get some moody night shots of the finished article Tony, will suit the subject perfectly!

Don't worry - I've plans in that dept.! 📷🌃

On 8/14/2019 at 7:36 PM, giemme said:

Amazing Tony, just amazing

 

On 8/14/2019 at 8:57 PM, Martian Hale said:

Lovely plastic card work Tony.

you two - it wouldn't have worked out half as nice without the wonderful expertise available in the hive mind here to suggest approaches to such issues.

On 8/14/2019 at 9:54 PM, Spookytooth said:

The Richard Thompson gig looks a cracker mate.

It was!

His support act - Katherine Priddy was equally sensational in music and mood - she was selling copies of her CD in the foyer and I regret not having time at the interval to buy a copy. Truly accomplished.

 

On 8/14/2019 at 10:19 PM, bbudde said:

As all above Tony. Dem ist nichts hinzuzufügen.

Es gibt immer mehr zu dem Flugzeug hinzuzufügen, wie es scheint Benedikt....

On 8/14/2019 at 11:19 PM, corsaircorp said:

Irish Flaktower ?? Pretty funny indeed !

At least they clearly labelled the country in WW2 CC!

On 8/15/2019 at 9:10 AM, Stalker6Recon said:

How can they claim accuracy when it's clear they barely captured the shadow of the real aircraft?

 

On 8/15/2019 at 9:33 AM, Heather Kay said:

It was 1962. Now, I know that’s making an excuse, but times were different then.

Heather's dead right Anthony. Sometime back in the mists of this thread I posted a digital overlay of the kit fuselage against an engineering drawing and (belly aside) Airfix were exact to the millimetre in terms of accurate shape from nose to tail.

Astounding quality of early 60s!

 

The flat belly may have been a production decision in order to have a flat floor to the cockpit, meaning less parts and so keeping within unit costs, but I'm just guessing here.

 

I've huge affection for this particular kit (as I suspect do many on here) partly due to the character of the Anson itself, and partly the nostalgia of building the kit when a nipper. 😁

On 8/15/2019 at 11:45 AM, Stalker6Recon said:

I always wondered how they made models before the age of CAD, and other modern techniques.

Mee too. Some real craftsmen back then:

On 8/15/2019 at 9:33 AM, Heather Kay said:

pocket money Saturday teatime builders probably weren’t aware or didn’t really care about the accuracy

Summed me up back then perfectly Heather! Tea, a spot of Airfix, waiting for that bloody teleprinter with the bloody football results to bugger off and then Dr. Who would be switched over to.

On 8/15/2019 at 3:42 PM, limeypilot said:

I'll retire to the corner.

Old modellers never retire Ian. They just grow increasingly obsessed by detail...

On 8/15/2019 at 4:41 PM, keefr22 said:

Some of us still haven't really grown up though

And hopefully never will Peter Pan...

 

Been grabbing time here and there to keep the momentum going, though having other things to take care of has meant that I've been slowly ticking items off the snag light and attending to many of those minor but necessary details. I also noticed that I'd been clumsy drilling out the small circular windows in the top of the nose and that they weren't symmetrical - the starboard one was too high. Redrilling meant having to drill partly into the existing window but after punching a replacement out from an old Barradcuda canopy section with the RP Toolz set:

 - a lower version was added:

I discovered after the glue (GS-Hypo) had cured that I'd pushed the glass lens in slightly below the level of the surface. Too lazy to bother dig it all out to start again I pinched @Martian Hales technique of blobbing a bit of CA on and polishing it down flush. Worked as required.

 

Whilst on a window jag I also drilled out the two openings on the lower starboard section of the nose:

There was iirc some discussion while back on @Navy Birds handsome Annie build about the purpose of some of these openings but I can't for the life of me remember which ones and whether there was a consensus:

There are in fact three holes in the lower nose sections as you can see; the foremost one being a circular door which can be opened to poke out a drift sight. I'll simply add that as a circular piece of foil later. As to those rearmost two, I have no idea as to their function. The bomb-aimer's floor would obscure any view out so possibly this is to see in though as to why to windows, there's nothing in the maintenance manual indicating a possible function. Apart from their visual similarity in photographs as windows, there is a shot (I'll see if I can find it) from the Nhill restoration that has those openings shown with the same protective plastic covering material as other windows, so I'll run with that reasoning.

 

May just try a couple of blobs of CA on that later to make the window material as those holes are so small.

 

Other holes have been added for the pitot under the nose and a couple drilled out in the roof to attach the various antennae to later:

I've mentioned before that I've no evidence as to whether the radio modifications made to N9945 involved any exterior additions or alterations in the radio dept. so will just build this with standard Mk.1 fittings to the roof.

 

It was also time to go back and finish the rudder, which I haven't touched since Christmas if memory serves. Aside from getting the correct shape there was the small matter of the prominent mass balance and aerial mast which combine at the top of the rudder in a manner that requires a more robust approach than plastic. Some scraps of brass tubing and sheet were then gathered into play:

The longer mass balance part is a short section of 0.7mm tubing soldered onto the end of a 0.5mm shaft, which has in turn been soldered and crimped inside a piece of 0.2mm sheet. After that shot was taken the sheet was ground down and a shorter aerial formed sticking-up perpendicular to the mass balance. Out of caution I also solder a piece of 0.4mm tubing below it to act as a locating pin and drilled out the rudder to provide a good solid mounting method using epoxy as both glue and filler:

Noticing some damage to the tip of the fin I also used some left over epoxy to replace the missing section To stop the glue running in the wrong direction down over the parts I propped both of these upside down overnight:

Both the rudder:

 - and the fin:

 - were then sanded and filed this morning to their correct profiles. You can see also in the above shot that I stuck some scrap plastic on to reinstate the height of the tail apex, some of which was lost during the original (clumsy) cutting-off of the rudder.

 

As well as filing that down to the correct height for the rudder to sit on, you can see that whereas on the actual aircraft that tail apex narrows to a fine blade at the top, the kit profile is a  it too square:

That got some attention from needle files to sharpen it up:

Iirc there's a light needed on the very tip of that as well.

 

A few test-fits and sands and I was happy with how that tail section now looks:

Particularly pleased with the visual where the lower rudder sits into the opening of the fin:

There's a trim tab on that rudder somewhere as well that I need to have a look at.

 

Last detail today.

Remember that I'd knocked off the replacement nose I'd made?

Rummaging in the spares box one of the 'milk bottle glasses' windows left over from the Do18 build leapt out as a possible replacement:

That's been stuck on now with Contacta, which, with both sides being plastic should give me a stronger bond than the GG or epoxy on PETG that kept previously cracking-off.

Sanded-down to the nose-curves and with some Milliput in a few places that will hopefully give me a definitive answer to that problem also.

 

Off for a cuppa and an afternoon nap and poss. Mr. Loznitsa's latest later:

Hope you're all having good weekends!

Tony

 

 

 

[keefr22]

5 minutes ago, TheBaron said:

At least they clearly labelled the country in WW2 CC!

 

I thought at first it was an order - read it as FIRE....!!

 

K

[Brandy]

I think it did say fire, it was to make sure the locals could identify what one looked like!

😁

 

Ian

[CedB]

Nice work Tony  

 

Those videos were interesting too - especially the model making one, obviously. I had to  watch the 'wood effect' bit a few times but I'm not sure I can replicate that without a LOT of practice, just like the lady applying the long fuselage decal in one swipe!

 

By the way, anyone know how to get rid of those annoying pop-up windows that appear at the end of YouTube videos and obscure the last few minutes?

[giemme]

Brilliant job on the rudder, Tony - I'm well impressed!  

 

Ciao

[pheonix]

As usual Tony your modelling skills never fail to impress. I am another modeller who has fond memories of this kit, having made one in the mid 1960's....and I too gave b....r all about the accuracy. All I wanted to do was to get it built so that I could use it to bomb the enemy!! How times have changed! Now I struggle to stick pits of plastic, wood, metal etc together to make something which is probably nowhere near as accurate as this old kit and certainly nowhere near as accurate as you are making your model.

 

Simply marvellous - what a terrific build log. Must be the standard for future reference.

 

P

[TheBaron]

23 hours ago, keefr22 said:

 

I thought at first it was an order - read it as FIRE....!!

 

22 hours ago, limeypilot said:

I think it did say fire,

Somebody seemed to take them at their word judging by what appear to be two craters just above the sign!  #boredaircrew

22 hours ago, CedB said:

By the way, anyone know how to get rid of those annoying pop-up windows that appear at the end of YouTube videos and obscure the last few minutes?

You probably have to buy into the premium service Ced- - a carefully-calibrated business model of 'get the feckers entangled then make them pay up to get rid of the crapverts.'

 

Whenever you see the word 'entrepreneurship it's often such a Jesuit/bitcoin crossover.

 

Never like that when Ted Moult used to be on TV selling double-glazing...

 

18 hours ago, giemme said:

Brilliant job on the rudder, Tony - I'm well impressed!

Thanks Giorgio. That rudder/mass balance thing is such a component of the overall character of the aircraft that it would be like leaving the eyebrows off the Mona Lisa not to do it.

I think....

...not sure where I was going with that analogy tbh!

17 hours ago, pheonix said:

Simply marvellous - what a terrific build log.

From someone of your skill and sensitivity Mr. P that means a lot.

Thank-you.

 

Ace fun first thing this morning nearly knocking myself unconscious on the angle of wall where the bedroom window sticks out through the roof. Only just recovered from that when one of the kittens decides it would be great craic to leap up on my lap and sink it's claws into the old GSE (gentleman's special equipment). Alternately stunned and scratched I decided beat a retreat into the workroom with coffee and spend some time ticking off the copious list tasks I'd accomplished from the snag list to cheer me up. Didn't exactly work as instead of satisfyingly ticking off of a huge swathe now done, only those highlighted have been actually gotten to:

Nothing for it but to stream some banging 90s techno from an online video channel and nod away at the bench like a fool as if the previous hour hasn't happened.

 

Dornier windows: for when an Anson's nose just isn't enough:

Annie's smiling!

By far the best and most robust of all the solutions I'd attempted. I think this was the third go at getting that right if iir and after sihrscing and sanding to the required profile, this polished up a treat:

What was most appealing this time around was being able to achieve that slightly convex look to the circular window at the front. Not every Anson seems to have had that window variant installed but I rather like it. (I'll add all the foil framing for those front window parts later when masking up for paint as I've already managed to rub the initial set off during handling since they were applied a few weeks back).

 

Determined not to stop today until I'd got something actually ticked-off of the snag list I had a crack at the landing lamps (type H: ref. 5c/773) embedded in the port wing just outboard of the engine. There are two of these lamps side-by-side and I reckoned that the middle-size from this definitely-gorgeous Marabu set would do very nicely in there:

Having had (unsatisfactory) experiences in the past with using CA on such small parts (in terms of strength and durability) I decided it would be best to solder those front and back sectionstogether. After using the doming set to make concave the rear reflector, a 2mm disk of adhesive foil was added to express its reflective surface:

The brass lip was left free in order to solder the bulb holder on at the front. Prior to doing that however I soldered both lamps onto a small rectangle of brass so that this would give me a strong surface to mount them into the lamp recess with later on:

Tacked into place with some Blutak for an appraisal:

Once painted and with a transparency over that I reckon that will do in the lighting department.

Why is it some jobs like that feel so satisfying to do eh?

 

Off to Dublin for a couple of days tomorrow so catch you later in the week.

Tony

 

 

 

[hendie]

Wonderfully impressive soldering skills Tony, especially on something so small.  I would have been afraid to even attempt that.

 

The Annie is really blossoming recently what with all the additions, balancing masses, nose polishing, and a very exciting rib tickling episode thrown in for good measure.

 

 

34 minutes ago, TheBaron said:

Why is it some jobs like that feel so satisfying to do eh?

 

Because Fly had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with it in any way, shape, or form?

 

 

[Brandy]

Thanks for showing me how to do those landing lights Tony! I have that Marabu set, guess what for?

 

Ian

[giemme]

How can you solder such tiny and complex things? Must be sorcery....

 

Ciao

[Terry1954]

19 minutes ago, giemme said:

Must be sorcery....

I think you have it exactly Giorgio, this is sorcery of the most exacting standard!

 

5 hours ago, hendie said:

Because Fly had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with it in any way, shape, or form?

There speaks a man who knows stuff..........

 

Great work Tony. Did this really start as the Airfix Anson?

 

Terry

[CedB]

Very nice lights Tony, they look really good in place  

 

I didn't articulate my YouTube problem properly I don't think - it's not the ads I'm moaning about (this time), it's the 'watch this associated video' boxes.

I may need to RTFM…

[corsaircorp]

19 hours ago, giemme said:

How can you solder such tiny and complex things? Must be sorcery....

 

Ciao

sorcery ?? To burn To burn !!! 

Medievil CC

 

[corsaircorp]

Hello dear Baron...

Just another little demoniac temptation !!

I drop it here 8

And IT IS NOT a photoshoped pic 

See you later !!

Sincerely.

CC

[Fritag]

On 8/18/2019 at 8:14 PM, giemme said:

How can you solder such tiny and complex things? Must be sorcery....

I think he's fibbing.  By the application of logic; as I don't believe what he's done is possible - he must therefore be fibbing......

 

Or sorcery I s'pose.

Edited August 20, 2019 by Fritag

[CedB]

I think it's some kind of sorcery… and it's catching!

I looked at the reference shot of the Whitley I have as my desktop picture and the landing light is prominent.

Better get out the tools and scratch one then I thought - normal (for builds where I'm trying, a bit)

Took out the Marabu landing lights and pondered on whether to use the 2, 2.5 or 3mm ones - normal.

(There's a hint here - there biggest are 3mm)

Thought about soldering them like wot Tony did - WHAT! ABNORMAL! Or Abby Normal as us Young Frankenstein fans would say.

 

I reckon he's cast a spell… that can be the only reason  

 

[corsaircorp]

On 8/18/2019 at 3:09 PM, TheBaron said:

 

 

Determined not to stop today until I'd got something actually ticked-off of the snag list I had a crack at the landing lamps (type H: ref. 5c/773) embedded in the port wing just outboard of the engine. There are two of these lamps side-by-side and I reckoned that the middle-size from this definitely-gorgeous Marabu set would do very nicely in there:

Having had (unsatisfactory) experiences in the past with using CA on such small parts (in terms of strength and durability) I decided it would be best to solder those front and back sectionstogether. After using the doming set to make concave the rear reflector, a 2mm disk of adhesive foil was added to express its reflective surface:

The brass lip was left free in order to solder the bulb holder on at the front. Prior to doing that however I soldered both lamps onto a small rectangle of brass so that this would give me a strong surface to mount them into the lamp recess with later on:

Tacked into place with some Blutak for an appraisal:

Once painted and with a transparency over that I reckon that will do in the lighting department.

Why is it some jobs like that feel so satisfying to do eh?

 

Off to Dublin for a couple of days tomorrow so catch you later in the week.

Tony

 

 

 

And now that send my attempts with these landing light to the Kindergarten toying...

I was glad of my results ... But now...

Congrats Dear Baron !! One more lesson of modelling !!

Sincerely.

CC