Paul J Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 Having a go at this tasty little kit. Pics show work so far. Have found a few errors in the instruction sheet with items being show to be fitted in places where they don't go. e.g. the compass is shown to be in centre in one diagram abut then shows in front of control column port side which is more likely. Also the control columns are indicated to a position but in another diagram the rudder pedals go in the same spot. I won't be using them as they are so tiny and etched parts that I know I will lose them or they will get drowned in super glue. That goes the same for some of the other miniscule tiny parts for the cockpit. To scale maybe but far, far too tin to contemplate using them. Below a couple pics: Cockpit and fuselage floor with wings assembled. Note the compass and etch pedestal located in front of left hand control column. Primed and ready for interior colour. Haven'y decided on a scheme yet. Won't be the kit markings but possibly go for a civvy post war example if I can come up with attempting scheme. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 Hi Paul Oooooo would like one of these myself. Which marque are you looking to build? Will watch with interest. Good start fella. Keep up the good work. All the best Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted January 9, 2019 Author Share Posted January 9, 2019 A few more in progress pics: The box top of this kit. Not going t be any of the two options in the kit.. but quite likely a civvy one. Belts in place. The white gooey is PVA still drying. Fuselage joined up. The etch set includes throttle levers and knobs but they are so TINY !!! How does one handle them and get them to stick the right way???? Nah! I'll pass then by. Even the levers/handles for the entry doors are so tiny atom sized virtually that attempting to stick them to the nice transparent parts would run the risk of marring the clear areas. Just about see them anyway so they will be left off too. Unusual that you need to open up the landing light in starboard wing. Is it due to other variant maybe the Vega Gull only having the one??? Wings and tailplanes fitted. A word or several about the moving control parts like ailerons etc. There are squarish lugs on the main parts and matching cut outs on the moving parts. All these need some trimming very carefully in order for them to fit properly! Also the instructions again have part numbers transposed for the ailerons this time!! Beware if you are going to build one! The under tray to the engine has an etch part but the sides need bending to shape. The pic above shows my heath robinson bending tool A tapered rat tail file taped down to an aluminium block! I pressed down firmly with the part trapped where I wanted it and with a steel rule lifted and bent to required shape. The pics illustrate what I have done. And the result. The tiny little nubs will get filed off and the the whole part will be fixed in place ove the engine under pan enclosing the saxophone shape exhaust. I did a dry run and it fits and looks OK. Note the cut out that goes around the exit end of the exhaust. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 Not that I know anything of the subject but would the rear seats be fitted with Belts too? Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted January 9, 2019 Author Share Posted January 9, 2019 15 minutes ago, Courageous said: Not that I know anything of the subject but would the rear seats be fitted with Belts too? Stuart I would have thought so, but none are supplied in the kit. I will probably add some though while I can. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G.E.SAUNDERS Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 hi ALL , may have bin written in already .....Oh WELL ! Here goes ! The DORA WINGS 1/72 & 1/48 Vega Gull/Proctor Kits have no Paint Colour Call ups Where can I source some reference ? cheery "2019" mumbas ! Geoff F.T.G. 3156 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted January 10, 2019 Author Share Posted January 10, 2019 7 hours ago, G.E.SAUNDERS said: hi ALL , may have bin written in already .....Oh WELL ! Here goes ! The DORA WINGS 1/72 & 1/48 Vega Gull/Proctor Kits have no Paint Colour Call ups Where can I source some reference ? cheery "2019" mumbas ! Geoff F.T.G. 3156 Quite so. No painting callouts anywhere, let alone some of the misguiding instruction diagrams. The main downside of the kit. At least the plastic parts are good. I am having to guess the interior and go safe with aircraft grey green with light leathery brown for the rear and standard black dashboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Mc Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 Looks very nice - and a whole world away from the old FROG Proctor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 (edited) Nice start. I don't have referances, but am seriously doubting the compass being where you've put it. Central would make far more sense. It can be seen better, and is on the aircraft centreline so it would be less susceptible to errors in both left and right turns . Almost all compasses I've seen are central, even in modern aircraft where the back up is normally centrally mounted on the glare shield. Ian Edited January 10, 2019 by limeypilot 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 31 minutes ago, limeypilot said: aircraft centreline so it would be less susceptible to errors ...called parallax error. Stuart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G.E.SAUNDERS Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 hi Paul J, I have photos I took of Australia's G.G. Lord Casey's Proctor at Moorabbin Air Musuem Vic. (I cannot beam the photo's to BM ! ) anyway the Interior of the Aircraft is quite swish The Doors and Interior Roof are upholstered in red, the front Seats are Green Pleated Leather upholstery with beige Storage Pockets on the back of them. while the back seat is pleated Green with Armrests no less ! A hinged Headrest/Storage Locker is provided above the Rear Seat. .....could'nt find the Mini Bar and Ashtrays........ Oh yes , the Dash is Black with a colour coded 6" strip runnin' around the lwr edge of the Dash ....... dunnoo where the Compass is . cheery "2019" mumbas ! Geoff F.T.G. 3156 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastcat Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 Hi Paul, Position of compass is perfectly correct. Just Google Percival Proctor interior or look here : Linky If you search about, you should find some other good interior shots. Dave 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted January 11, 2019 Author Share Posted January 11, 2019 9 hours ago, Fastcat said: Hi Paul, Position of compass is perfectly correct. Just Google Percival Proctor interior or look here : Linky If you search about, you should find some other good interior shots. Dave Hi Dave. Great pictures and most helpful! Thanks for the link. Dora gives you a lot of miniscule atom sized etch parts for the throttles etc but I know I won't use them because they look nigh impossible to fix in place without surgical tools and microscopic visual aids. Scrolling through the link I came across nice photos of the EP9 Prospecter, One photo shows a plate declaring ownership to someone in Worthing West Sussex, where I live 20 minutes north. I suspect the aircraft was based at Shoreham Airport as I recall seeing it there quite often on my visits there. It looks to be an exciting website to browse through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastcat Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 Hi Paul, Yes, it's a good site with some great photos. There's another great site covering Australian civil aircraft with full histories of each aircraft. I came across something similar for British light aircraft with a lot of period pics but less history. I'll post a link when I can find them! Always had a soft spot for the Proctor. I used to see them often at Elmdon (it'll never be Birmingham International to me) when I was a kid. Also saw them at Baginton. Hard to think that it was 60 years ago. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastcat Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 Well that didn't take long! The wonders of the web. Linky Australian site above. Great site. Here's the British site : Linky Have a look in the photo library section. Nice because dates and locations are given where possible. It'll keep you busy when all the little parts get too much to bear. I've taken quite a shine to Dora's 1/48 Proctor and Vega Gull. Some nice schemes for the civil versions...................................... Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Aero Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 The Compass position PJ has used is correct. many of the surviving Proctors were originally fitted out as Radio trainers and were later converted for civil use and a second seat replaced the radio and the control stick had a rubber bicycle grip top. The horrid Blue interior dates from when this RAFM machine (in store) was flown as a civil aircraft. John 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted January 12, 2019 Author Share Posted January 12, 2019 On 11/01/2019 at 10:33, John Aero said: The Compass position PJ has used is correct. many of the surviving Proctors were originally fitted out as Radio trainers and were later converted for civil use and a second seat replaced the radio and the control stick had a rubber bicycle grip top. The horrid Blue interior dates from when this RAFM machine (in store) was flown as a civil aircraft. John Just noticed looking back at the above photo... it has odd joysticks. one spade grip one straight type!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 Probably, Pilot in command sits on the left, hence the compass. Plus at the base of the spade is a small grey lever connected to a Bowden cable which may operate the brakes? I'm sure I've seen old military types that had this set up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 Nice site, thanks for the link. The compass is enormous, so no danger of not being seen behind the control column! Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 Some more progress leading up to priming stage. Will probably pause this for a while while I decide on a scheme. BUT for some reason the photo links are not changing to reveal my latest pics!! Will try again tomorrow! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted January 23, 2019 Author Share Posted January 23, 2019 Still having problems with imageshack!!! The pics upload to a point and then the uploading stops followed by a message about 2 minutes laterstating a problem or something and to try again later. That was 24 hours ago and still the same issue!!! I sent a message to their customer support and only an automated reply acknowledging the message but nothing else since or any assistance. Getting really fed up with all these photo upload sites now!😡 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Aero Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 All Proctors (I. II. III) started life as military aircraft so the interiors will have been been Cockpit interior Green originally. similarly the external camouflage colors were standard paints. If I recall correctly the Czech Air force one was first used in the UK as a standard RAF aircraft. If it was repainted when it went to Czechoslovakia post war, then it will be in whatever the Czechs were then using. All the photos of this machine are of course in black and white.. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted January 23, 2019 Author Share Posted January 23, 2019 Trying again . This time using Village photos.... Wow! Some kind of success at last with images All my most recent Proctor build pics above BUT not in the right sequence alas! But at least they are here . Hopefully you will be able to figure out what I have been doing such as fitting undercart, glazing priming and rendering cockpit fir and re-prime. Thats it for now but still need to decide a final scheme. Was thinking of overall silver dope and civvy reg suitable Any suggestions will be most welcome to help with final paint job. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 I use Postimage and have never had a problem...that's done it. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted January 24, 2019 Author Share Posted January 24, 2019 51 minutes ago, Courageous said: I use Postimage and have never had a problem...that's done it. Stuart I did use it for a while until they changed to the .org bit . Not been able to use it since. Maybe if I re -enlist... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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