Jump to content

Short Sunderland in 1/32nd scale


Recommended Posts

Every time you post an update on this I think back to my visits to my "local" (5-6hr drive away) Sunderland and how I have to crane my neck to look at certain components. I love this build so much.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Alan P said:

Those stabs are probably the same size as an average model's main wings! Looking very impressive indeed.

 

Alan

 It is indeed a large model, Alan - here's my daughter (she's 5) 'modelling' it for you to see how big it is!

 

IMG_1587

 

All the best,

Tom

  • Like 19
  • Confused 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, GrahamS said:

Wow, that is big! Love these big builds.

 

Your daughter a Westworld robot? 😁

 

Graham

Ha ha! We’re really careful when it comes to publishing pictures of our children on the internet. If they want to post images of themselves when they’re older that’s their decision, but we’ll never publish any identifiable images of them online.
 

And I’ve actually been lying to you all along. My daughter is actually a midget and this is only 1/72nd scale!

 

All the best,

Tom 

  • Like 2
  • Haha 9
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, cngaero said:

I'd love to see how and where you display all your wonderful creations. 

They all live in the attic on shelving in the eves. Far from glamorous but reasonably dust free and out of the way.
 

My smaller models all go in IKEA crates and are stacked on top of each other which makes getting to a model at the bottom of the stack a bit of a chore but they’re well protected and again safe from dust and knocks. 
 

Room is rapidly running out now unfortunately and this Sunderland, my 1/48th B-52 and 1/32 Shackleton will take the last available spaces. A rethink will then be needed as I’ve got a few more large ones lined up such as the HK Lancaster and HB B-24, and I’ve also got a vacform 1/32 Stirling and 1/32 Catalina lined up too. Fun times!

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Deano353 said:

Very impressive model probably one of the largest I've seen! That would look great in a base with resin water in my opinion.

Indeed it would - it’s just the display base would need to be 4ft x 4ft as a minimum and the wife might get a bit excited about that. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Afternoon guys and gals,

 

Another update for you - can you tell I'm a teacher on school holidays? :)

 

I've been working on the last of the major airframe construction which has been the vertical stabiliser. Here's how it comes in its raw form:

 

51343337869_9473194895_b.jpg

 

As usual, I had to scribe on the surface details and then I set about making some internal reinforcements. Being such a massive fin, I made some beefy spars from plastic card and used some old scrap sprue to reinforce and help the bonding of the leading edge. The spars were made to protrude from the base of the fin, as they would then be attached through the top of the fuselage and secured to the spar for the stabilisers using Araldite Epoxy glue for a really solid joint:

 

51341876087_d9e15dc36f_b.jpg

 

51343611805_eb5d574008_b.jpg

 

51343611850_9fcf5cd925_b.jpg

 

The fin was then blended into the upper fuselage with car body filler, polished and then the missing and damaged panel detail reinstated. Unfortunately, the distinctive curved fairing at the lower rear of the fin was missing in the kit, so I fashioned the basic shape of the fillet from plastic card and blended everything in with filler - see the red arrow below. This will still need some more tweaking when I work on the turret as it's actually quite a complex shape at the back end:

 

DSC_0309

 

I've also added some Evergreen ribbing on the rudder in an attempt to match the elevators - this has since been sanded right back and is much more subtle:

 

DSC_0306

 

It's now looking more and more like a Sunderland:

 

DSC_0304

 

DSC_0300

 

DSC_0299

 

It's good to get the main construction done and I've been on a bit of a roll... the next logical step will be the engines so I'm off to do some head-scratching about how I can convert a 14-cylinder Hercules engine (from the Revell 1/32nd Beaufighter) into a 9-cylinder Pegasus. Should be fun!

 

Until next time,

Tom

  • Like 17
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, tomprobert said:

 

Another update for you - can you tell I'm a teacher on school holidays? :)

 

Just wait till you retire and think of ALL the time you have for modelling :analintruder::analintruder:

 

Dick

Retired teacher.

 

Anyway, brilliant as ever. I really cannot get over the size of it. Should be interesting displaying it at shows. Mind you the old venue for Southern Expo did have a pond out side...... :whistle:

 

Dick

 

Enjoy the break👍👍👍

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, jenko said:

 

Just wait till you retire and think of ALL the time you have for modelling :analintruder::analintruder:

 

Dick

Retired teacher.

 

Anyway, brilliant as ever. I really cannot get over the size of it. Should be interesting displaying it at shows. Mind you the old venue for Southern Expo did have a pond out side...... :whistle:

 

Dick

 

Enjoy the break👍👍👍

Retirement... that's unfortunately a long way off yet but during the summer holidays it's as if I am!

 

I remember that pond well - I haven't done a buoyancy test with this yet as it won't fit in the bath. I may have to get the kids' paddling pool out...

 

All the best,

Tom 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Max Headroom said:

Photos or it didn’t happen! 🤣

 

Trevor

I genuinely think it will float as it’s so light - whether the hull is watertight or not is another matter 😬

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, tomprobert said:

Afternoon guys and gals,

 

Another update for you - can you tell I'm a teacher on school holidays? :)

 

I've been working on the last of the major airframe construction which has been the vertical stabiliser. Here's how it comes in its raw form:

 

51343337869_9473194895_b.jpg

 

As usual, I had to scribe on the surface details and then I set about making some internal reinforcements. Being such a massive fin, I made some beefy spars from plastic card and used some old scrap sprue to reinforce and help the bonding of the leading edge. The spars were made to protrude from the base of the fin, as they would then be attached through the top of the fuselage and secured to the spar for the stabilisers using Araldite Epoxy glue for a really solid joint:

 

51341876087_d9e15dc36f_b.jpg

 

51343611805_eb5d574008_b.jpg

 

51343611850_9fcf5cd925_b.jpg

 

The fin was then blended into the upper fuselage with car body filler, polished and then the missing and damaged panel detail reinstated. Unfortunately, the distinctive curved fairing at the lower rear of the fin was missing in the kit, so I fashioned the basic shape of the fillet from plastic card and blended everything in with filler - see the red arrow below. This will still need some more tweaking when I work on the turret as it's actually quite a complex shape at the back end:

 

DSC_0309

 

I've also added some Evergreen ribbing on the rudder in an attempt to match the elevators - this has since been sanded right back and is much more subtle:

 

DSC_0306

 

It's now looking more and more like a Sunderland:

 

DSC_0304

 

DSC_0300

 

DSC_0299

 

It's good to get the main construction done and I've been on a bit of a roll... the next logical step will be the engines so I'm off to do some head-scratching about how I can convert a 14-cylinder Hercules engine (from the Revell 1/32nd Beaufighter) into a 9-cylinder Pegasus. Should be fun!

 

Until next time,

Tom

This is looking amazing Tom👍 ike manyI cannot wait to see the finished Model.

In spite of 50years a modeller, I have never had a Sunderland in any scale🤫 

Ironically this is one aircraft  I should have a model of. My late uncle Stuart was REME during National Service, but attached to the RAF, working on Sunderlands at Pembroke. Eventually he became a Trustee when the RAFM's Sunderland was first  kept at Pembroke. Being an electrical engineer, he built  a system for the rear turret, which played the sound of machine guns when the triggers were pulled.

I'd love to find out if this is still in place or was removed when taken into RAFM care.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, Radpoe Spitfire said:

This is looking amazing Tom👍 like many I cannot wait to see the finished Model.

In spite of 50 years a modeller, I have never had a Sunderland in any scale🤫 

Ironically this is one aircraft  I should have a model of. My late uncle Stuart was REME during National Service, but attached to the RAF, working on Sunderlands at Pembroke. Eventually he became a Trustee when the RAFM's Sunderland was first  kept at Pembroke. Being an electrical engineer, he built  a system for the rear turret, which played the sound of machine guns when the triggers were pulled.

I'd love to find out if this is still in place or was removed when taken into RAFM care.

I've never had another Sunderland other than this one too - to be fair a 1/72nd version would be far more manageable...

 

And a great story about your uncle - I too wonder if the turret is still 'operational'..?

 

3 hours ago, AdrianMF said:

Hopefully you won’t have to spend the rest of the summer hols adjusting ballast so that it floats on the right waterline…

 

It is looking splendid!

 

Regards,

Adrian

Ha ha - that's something I didn't consider when I was building the fuselage and I'm not willing to take it apart to rectify that now!

 

Tom

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...