Grumman Goose

[825]

I've decided to have a go at all three of my choices, but this will be the most challenging. 

 

 

There's four options in the box and I'll be going for the FAA version. I'll have to do a bit of research as it's down as an RAF aircraft but my initial research suggests that only the FAA received a supply of them. 

 

 

Comes in a nice bag with two sprues, some resin (seats, engines, exhausts), fairly cloudy fuselage windows and a two piece cockpit canopy that looks a nightmare. 

 

Edited November 12, 2018 by 825

[825]

Overall shapes look good and the mouldings, with one big exception, are fine. Typical short run AZmodel, reasonably fine detail mixed with some 'soft' engraving but marred by some fairly chunky ejection pins.

 

 

Most I can deal with quickly with the snipper and a whoosh with a sanding stick. But these in the undercarriage well will take more than a bit of time

 

 

Anyway some paint on  I've gone for a bronze green interior 

 

[825]

After a bit of drilling, scraping, gouging and sanding, these look a lot better. 

 

 

There's a little bit of filing and a final sand needed. And there was no cursing or swearing involved. 

[825]

A fair amount of paint on and the interior started. 

 

 

Had a busy old weekend with 825 junior back from uni for the weekend so less done than expected. But a little done. 

[825]

Interior assembled. 

 

 

Then fuselga closed up. The dry run was fine. Why does it become troublesome when you add the glue. Maximum clamping, along with tape. I'll leave it overnight to cure before looking in the morning. There will be sanding and filling no doubt. And I suspect there will be a few glue smudges and fingermarks too. Also one of the passenger seats did an impression of an ejector seat and ejected itself out at speed and was found several feet away. At least it was one Nil me versus the carpet monster. 

 

 

 

[dnl42]

Looking good!

 

I built Czech Models' 1/48 version and it had almost the identical wart!s in the wheel bays!

I see the kit has a spray rail. USAAC/USAAF and USN aircraft didn't appear to have them. Dogsbody posted some pics that also show it missing. AFAICT, it's a later feature.

[825]

 

4 hours ago, dnl42 said:

Looking good!

 

I built Czech Models' 1/48 version and it had almost the identical wart!s in the wheel bays!

I see the kit has a spray rail. USAAC/USAAF and USN aircraft didn't appear to have them. Dogsbody posted some pics that also show it missing. AFAICT, it's a later feature.

Thanks for the info on the spray rail dnl. Photos of wartime Gooses (or should that be Geese?) don't seem to show the rail so my feeling is not to add it. Your information is useful in confirming this. I wouldn't think that Grumman would build the British aircraft any different from the US ones. The only changes were British kit such as radios and I think these were added after delivery. 

[825]

Needed a bit of filler and some sanding down. And yes there were a few glue smudges but not as many as I expected.  After cleaning up doesn't look too bad. I'll crack on later but I suspect a little more tidying will be needed on the nose and upper fuselage once a layer of paint reveals the flaws. However, in anticipation of there needing to be some work in getting a smooth joint for the wing and canopy, I'll leave this till later.

 

 

 

[825]

Wings assembled. Dry fitted to fuselage and fit is not bad. Only thing is the seems to be a tendency for the wing to slip forward so will need some taping up. 

 

 

The engine fit to the wings is a bit vague, so a little bit of thinking will be needed. 

[JWM]

Hi, 

 

In isntruction of my Sword model (which is basicly the same plastic, only in Sword you have vacu main canopy and blisters - for post war machines - and in RS it is as I can observe (?) - injection plastic) the openiongs for u/c doors on the bottom side are written to cut some triangle which result in keystone form of opening, not rectagular. Still you can cut it out to mach the gear doors. Please note also small openings outside engines on the leading edges and de-ising installation.

 

Cheers

J-W

 

 

[JWM]

P.S.

[825]

On 11/24/2018 at 4:00 PM, JWM said:

Hi, 

 

In isntruction of my Sword model (which is basicly the same plastic, only in Sword you have vacu main canopy and blisters - for post war machines - and in RS it is as I can observe (?) - injection plastic) the openiongs for u/c doors on the bottom side are written to cut some triangle which result in keystone form of opening, not rectagular. Still you can cut it out to mach the gear doors. Please note also small openings outside engines on the leading edges and de-ising installation.

 

Cheers

J-W

 

 

Thanks J-W. the instructions mention cutting out the slot for the undercarriage doors and I've done that today, as well as fit the wings and tailplane. No photos yet as it's sitting letting the glue cure. It did need a sliver of plastic card to fill a small, but noticeable gap at the rear wing/fuselage joint but that was straightforward. 

 

The intakes on the front of the wing, I assume the holes are some form of intake, are moulded as discs on the AZmodel kit. I'll do a bit of research and probably drill them out. I don think the de-icer boots on the leading edges were part of the British war time fit. Your four photos seem to confirm this. 

 

Thanks again. 

 

825

[gingerbob]

Note the blue sidewalls- that ain't "overspray"!

[JWM]

5 hours ago, gingerbob said:

Note the blue sidewalls- that ain't "overspray"!

So you think it is not "intermediate blue"? 

J-W

 

[gingerbob]

Intermediate blue, but intentional.  I've seen this picture before, but don't remember noticing the tires before.

[825]

On 11/26/2018 at 4:57 PM, gingerbob said:

Intermediate blue, but intentional.  I've seen this picture before, but don't remember noticing the tires before.

Since starting the Goose build I've looked at dozens of images on the web and no other picture have the tyre sidewalls painted. I wonder how f this picture was posed and created for some publicity purpose. 

[825]

Underside with cut outs as noted by J-W. Some paint on which has reveale the need for a little more filler. And the tail wheel, as is traditional, has broken off. 

 

 

Upperworks, and again a bit of filling and polishing needed. 

 

[825]

Got a bit more paint on. The underside is complete and the first couple of coats of Dark Slate Grey are on. I'm painting by hand at the moment as the fuselage side/hull edge is pretty sharp and the hull shape complex which would be challenging to mask. Let's see how it goes. Resin engines trimmed off the moulding slabs and the cowling glued and cleaned up. 

 

 

The resin engines are nice but the paint on the gearbox housing has flaked off a bit so will need a touch up. 

 

 

[825]

A it more work done. Main airframe complete and painted. Engines added and await a coat of paint on the cowlings. You will see that as is usual in my builds the tailwheel,has broken off. I've drilled the mount and strut out for inserting a piece of wire to reaffix later in the build. 

 

 

[825]

Some more work, floats on and some paint 

 

 

 

 

My pot of Sky is near the end. And I'm not happy with its performance; too many bits to be sanded/smoothed down after drying, coverage is poor and it's a bit flat. I will tidy a few bits up but I've started on a new pot and it's a lot better. 

[dcrfan]

On 11/27/2018 at 5:57 AM, gingerbob said:

Intermediate blue, but intentional.  I've seen this picture before, but don't remember noticing the tires before.

Perhaps it was painted while the aircraft was jacked up with wheels retracted into fuselage?

[825]

Painting of airframe completed. 

 

 

Canopy masked and fitted. A bit fiddly due to tight space, and the side windows needed slight trimming. Glued on using Tamiya Extra Thin to give a bit of strength. I've added a seal of PVA glue which I'll paint in the interior colour before adding filler to fair in. 

 

 

[825]

Canopy faired in, needed a bit of fettling and filling. There were a couple of 'dents' on one side which took a bit of careful filling. I think they still need fairing in but I'll see what they look like after a coat of paint. When I had the Mr Surfacer out I filled a couple of other almost invisible seams. 

 

[JWM]

The canopy is injected mould, isn't? If "yes" it looks that it is the only diffeence between Sword and  AS moulds of Goose. In Sword it is vacu.

Cheers

J-W

 

[Paul J]

59 minutes ago, JWM said:

The canopy is injected mould, isn't? If "yes" it looks that it is the only diffeence between Sword and  AS moulds of Goose. In Sword it is vacu.

Cheers

J-W

 

I have two unbuitl Sword kits .One in the later style box, with 'wood' effect on lid and has injected canopy but my other one is earlier, open end style box different decals and picture but has vac form canopy.