Radleigh Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Great to see you posting here Neil and thank you for doing all these conversions. As I said, I will have two DC-7C's to be built as fire bombers... something I have wanted to build for a long time. All the Britannia stuff is also great too... very tempted by the CL-44J! PS, Any chance of a Carvair conversion for the Revell DC-4? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnuag Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 A Carvair is possible, when I have time ! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnuag Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 (edited) The DC-7 conversions are now on the Hannants web site as future releases. Edited October 18, 2018 by tnuag 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homebee Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 (edited) - ref. TWC72034 - Douglas DC-7 & DC-7B Conversion (3350 turbo-compound engines) for Heller DC-6B kit Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/TWC72034 - ref. TWC72035 - DC-7C conversion set - (designed to be used with the Heller DC-6 kit) Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/TWC72035 - ref. TWC72036 - DC-7 non-radar nose - (designed to be used with the Heller DC-6 kit) Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/TWC72036 - ref. TWC72037 - DC-7B long range fuel tanks - (designed to be used with the Heller DC-6 kit) Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/TWC72037 V.P. Edited October 20, 2018 by Homebee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radleigh Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 On 10/17/2018 at 11:43 PM, tnuag said: A Carvair is possible, when I have time ! Music to my ears...... !! No rush of course as I will be ploughing through DC-7's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnuag Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 As a thought on the water bomber DC-7 conversion, it seems that there are probably more 7 or 7B conversions than 7Cs. Also, anyone using the Heller Douglas DC-6 Securite Civil variant will get a water tank for the belly in the kit, although I do not know how close it is to the DC-7 size. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radleigh Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 There were x4 7C airfames converted, one or two used different registrations duing their service and tanker numbers but I know them as these listed below. Two sold and went to Spain but never got a contract, one then scrapped & the other one was restored and is now on view in Cordoba. Not sure on the two that stayed Stateside... none flying though sadly. N9734Z Tanker 32 DC-7C N90804 Tanker 28 DC-7C N90802 Tanker 15 DC-7C N5903 Tanker 35 DC-7C As for tanks, the 7C's used larger tanks similar to the Heller tank but longer with x2 more doors and a tank that is quite long and different shaped to the Heller tank (more square). I'm using a Cloudmaster kit as a base and scratch built tanks.... If I had the time, I'd build all 4, but I will settle for two for now... maybe I could pick up 4 conversions and hope I get the time.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Puff Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 More stuff on my Hannants' watch list ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janneman36 Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 (edited) On 10/19/2018 at 11:06 PM, Radleigh said: There were x4 7C airfames converted, one or two used different registrations duing their service and tanker numbers but I know them as these listed below. Two sold and went to Spain but never got a contract, one then scrapped & the other one was restored and is now on view in Cordoba. Not sure on the two that stayed Stateside... none flying though sadly. N9734Z Tanker 32 DC-7C N90804 Tanker 28 DC-7C N90802 Tanker 15 DC-7C N5903 Tanker 35 DC-7C As for tanks, the 7C's used larger tanks similar to the Heller tank but longer with x2 more doors and a tank that is quite long and different shaped to the Heller tank (more square). I'm using a Cloudmaster kit as a base and scratch built tanks.... If I had the time, I'd build all 4, but I will settle for two for now... maybe I could pick up 4 conversions and hope I get the time.... @Radleigh i found a little more info about those tanks you mentioned! Tanker 28 NN90804 is the only 7C with that longer tank and more short drop doors you referred too. This aircraft is fitted with two rows of drop doors in the full lenght and those rows consisted 6 smaller doors in each row. Whereas the Aero Union tanks have four rows of drop doors on the ful lenght and each row consisted two doors. https://www.air-and-space.com/19811230 GBIRMA/34 DC-7C N90804 tanker 28 left rear l.jpg Tanker 32, tanker 35 and tanker 115 are 7C's with the Aero Union unit similar to the Aero Union/Securite Civile DC6 tanks they even have the same drop doors. https://www.flickr.com/photos/egcb_egcc/6783164661/ The DC-7 in general was certified for carrying a total load of 3000 gallons and the DC-6 with that same tank was restricted to 2450 gallons... This is a logical thing when you look at the difference in power... That there only where 4 DC-7C's converted in the tanker role was due to the fact that it had the same weight restriction as the DC-7b . Therefore the extra weight carried by the DC-7c due to it's lenghtend wing and fuselage made it an economically impopular conversion.. So if you want a 7C tanker you can still use the Heller tanker version except for tanker 28 that needs to be build from scratch. The Heller tank however is not entirely correct as the inlet on the underside at the front of that tank should be placed reversed ( forward air inlet to the rear ) Cheers, Jan Edited October 20, 2018 by janneman36 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnuag Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 Can anyone come up with drawings and dimensions for these tanks ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janneman36 Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 No drawings from my side, i never have seen these anywhere..sorry!! I only have the Heller tanks in my posession and for me that is good enough.. The thing is that there was enough variation in thanks fitted to those DC6 and DC7 tankers, so you need to have some reference of the actual aircaft built .. Hope it helps, Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallyinoz Posted October 21, 2018 Author Share Posted October 21, 2018 Work continues on the DC-7 B and C conversion set designs, Neil Gaunt of AIM has sent me these for broader dissemination. Firstly on receipt of new reference material, the engine nacelle and saddle tank design previously published is being tweaked to more accurately represent these items. The centre section design is quite complex and is still a W.I.P.DC-7 centre section-bottomDC-7 centre section-top Two propeller designs, round and square tipped with deicers incorporated.DC-7 prop-rnd tipsDC-7 prop-sq tips 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Puff Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 Mine will be done as an SAS DC-7C. Am I right in presuming that SAS aircraft would have had the saddle tanks? It appears so from the photos I've seen, but they're not clear enough to confirm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janneman36 Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 42 minutes ago, Admiral Puff said: Mine will be done as an SAS DC-7C. Am I right in presuming that SAS aircraft would have had the saddle tanks? It appears so from the photos I've seen, but they're not clear enough to confirm. The SAS 7C had those fitted as all DC-7c's these were optional on the DC-7b.. Cheers, Jan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Puff Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 Thanks, Jan. I thought that would be the case, given the length of the legs the company's aircraft flew, but it's nice to have it confirmed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallyinoz Posted October 23, 2018 Author Share Posted October 23, 2018 work continues, DC-7 No.1 saddle tank-outboard upper view by wallycacsabre, on Flickr revised nacelle / tank 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fightersweep Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 On 10/17/2018 at 11:43 PM, tnuag said: A Carvair is possible, when I have time ! That would be fantastic if possible. I have a big BAF Carvair shaped hole in my collection! Best regards; Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnuag Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 I was thinking about Carvairs a long time ago, and lost interest because it was one of the projects I shared with my late wife. Interest is stirring again, but first we need to deal with the Douglas and Canadair models. Here are a couple of early screen shots: 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janneman36 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 Brilliant Neil that Carvair conversion..it allready looks great!! Can't wait can't wait haha, allready placed the 7C on backorder... Cheers, Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Puff Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 Two Carvairs, please - one for each of the Ansett schemes ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radleigh Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 🤩 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallyinoz Posted October 24, 2018 Author Share Posted October 24, 2018 latest work DC-7 engine by wallycacsabre, on Flickr DC-7 engine core by wallycacsabre, on Flickr DC-7 engine cowling by wallycacsabre, on Flickr DC-7 engine-rear face by wallycacsabre, on Flickr 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aukebruins Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 On 10/18/2018 at 12:43 AM, tnuag said: A Carvair is possible, when I have time ! That would be great ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnuag Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 (edited) On 10/17/2018 at 10:44 PM, janneman36 said: The upperside of the fuselage at the rear is also wrong, the Revell DC4 is more correct in that area.. But in the end i don't mind it, as it is almost neglectable if your plane is build up and shining to enter your cabinet.... As Neil's friend said, it still looks like a DC6.. I have reached the last item in the conversion, i.e. the fin and rudder. I am working from a general arrangement drawing which checks out well against photographs and the fin shape matches almost exactly. I then put a scan of the Heller rear fuselage into the drawing and I agree that there are numerous discrepancies around the rear fuselage. It almost looks as though the rear fuselage should be cut off and rotated to drop the point of the tail cone by 4.9mm, which is a lot of work and is also error prone, so I will ignore that aspect. The DC-6 leading edge profile is slightly too great in chord and very rounded. I will therefore do a complete new fin. The leading edge can have the profile modified to improve accuracy for the 7 and 7B (which will also apply to the DC-6 kit itself).. The decal options I am considering are: DC-7 Braniff DC-7B SAA - saddle tanks, non-radar nose Pan Am - saddle tanks Delta Eastern DC-7C BOAC KLMSASDC-7CF Affretair The following table gives the parts in the conversion sets plus optional parts. Components DC-7 & 7B DC-7C Remarks Wright 3350 engine FOUR FOUR Propeller - round tip blades FOUR FOUR Propeller - round tip blades OPTIONAL OPTIONAL Saddle tanks OPTIONAL FOUR Pan Am & SAA only Fuselage plug ONE TWO Taller fin & rudder NOT APPLICABLE YES Extended centre section NOT APPLICABLE YES Non-radar nose OPTIONAL NOT APPLICABLE Edited October 26, 2018 by tnuag Additional information added Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnuag Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 The design is now complete and for interest I have been looking at what I wrote, when Aircraft In Miniature reissued the J & L kit a quarter of a century ago. History of this kit It was originally issued by J+L in the seventies, as a set of vac-formed parts, together with decals for Northwest Airlines. In the early eighties the moulds were acquired by MHW models of Leeds, England and were issued as one of their `Formaplane' range. Aircraft In Miniature Limited purchased the moulds in mid '93 and it was felt that this kit would be significantly improved by the use of heavy (2mm) plastic, together with the addition of those features which have made Transport Wings kits so popular - highly detailed metal parts and high quality decals. Because cowlings are always a weakness of vac-formed kits, we have added injection moulded examples and to complete the package, injection moulded engines. About the real aircraft The DC-7C was the ultimate developement of the big Douglas piston-engined airlines. Powered by four Wright Turbo-Compound engines, these aircraft were displaced at an early age by the first generation of jet airliners (707 and DC-8). Consequently, many examples were converted into freighters and it is in this guise that they may still occasionally be seen today. The decals provided with this kit are for two DC-7C/Fs operated by Air Trans-Africa during the Rhodesian UDI period. This is the screen shot showing all the components (without duplication) for the new conversion set. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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