LVG C.VI - KP 1/72nd, injected, civil "kabine" conversion

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

A few parts are given a base coat of paint:

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

The vertical tail is glued on and the canopy is masked to deal with its seam. Fortune favored us this time, and the seam was quite good naturally, plus it is the color division line, being the upper part black:

 

The landing gear is installed at this time:

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

The Arctic Decals masks are applied to the canopy. Notice that the masks have two components: the mask for the window and then the metal "rim", very thin, to be added once painting is completed:

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

For those interested, I just posted as a completed model a Rumpler 5A2  in similar cabin configuration that I built about two years ago and forgot to upload:

 

In that build, the same aileron mechanism used in this LVG was used:

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

A coat of primer to spot potential blemishes. The interior of the masked door is painted at this point.

Notice the comparative size of the fuselage and the clothespin.

The rudder on the board is from the Wessex:

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

What a pleasure it is to work with a good kit, and how different to the struggle a bad one is.
This is a jewel, a noble and nice little kit, one of the best kits I have built lately. I confess without any shame that I bought more of them, something I very seldom do, because I favor variety (as you may have noticed 😵).
A good kit, however, does not build itself, and sometimes we need to remind ourselves of the basic principles, and this case is no exception: I had forgotten to wash the parts and therefore the paint on the wheels was lifted by the masks I used to paint the tire, so I had to strip the paint (in no time, easily with an immersion in Simple Green for a couple hours). So I washed all remaining components in anticipation for the paint stage. You may notice that the cabane struts are glued to the upper wing, as well as the water intake for the wing radiator:

[Courageous]

Looking rather cute.

 

Stuart

[clive_t]

Amazing work, I have no idea how I managed to miss this! Definitely following now 

[Herb]

"What a pleasure it is to work with a good kit..."

 

It is! You speak for us all!

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Painting proceeds:

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Painting of the other side of the flying surfaces follows, as well as the black paint on the upper fuselage and cabin access door:

 

For some complex curves, wheels, and difficult to mask places (like the chin under the nose of the fuselage in this case) I resort to commercial masks, here are some from Arctic Decals and a "canopy survival kit" that have proved quite useful (again, no commercial involvement, just showing a product that works for me and may help others):

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

I RUN OUT OF CLEAR MATERIAL TO VACFORM CANOPIES!!

I have plenty of colored sheets for the Mattel vacuform machine, but no clear plastic sheets. I already tried those two or three types offered on the Net, with unpleasant results, and nothing compares to the original ones that came long ago with the Mattel machine, and I just run out of my supply from Mike Damen, who used to produce good substitutes (he does not fabricate them anymore).

Sigh...

[Roger Holden]

27 minutes ago, Moa said:

I RUN OUT OF CLEAR MATERIAL TO VACFORM CANOPIES!!

I have plenty of colored sheets for the Mattel vacuform machine, but no clear plastic sheets. I already tried those two or three types offered on the Net, with unpleasant results, and nothing compares to the original ones that came long ago with the Mattel machine, and I just run out of my supply from Mike Damen, who used to produce good substitutes (he does not fabricate them anymore).

Sigh...

Amen !!   If anyone knows where you can get good 15/20 thou clear plastic for vacforming (which doesn't turn yellow with age), I'm all ears.  You can get good thicker stuff, but it's too thick for making open canopies in 1/72 scale....

[Martian]

Try this outfit: http://tigger-models.blogspot.com/ They are run by a chap by the name of John Wilkes. He was happy to sell me some clear stock a few years ago and may well do the same for you. I have known him for many years and he certainly goes out of his way to assist fellow modellers.

 

Helpful of Mars 👽

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

45 minutes ago, Martian Hale said:

Try this outfit: http://tigger-models.blogspot.com/ They are run by a chap by the name of John Wilkes. He was happy to sell me some clear stock a few years ago and may well do the same for you. I have known him for many years and he certainly goes out of his way to assist fellow modellers.

 

Helpful of Mars 👽

Thanks very much, Martian.

Have you actually used that stock to vac canopies, and were you pleased with the results?

Cheers

 

The masks are off. The small windows facing the pilot are a tad speculative: they can barely be seen only in photo I have, and there is no doubt that windows are there, but the shape is imprecise, and I made my best guess:

 

 

[Martian]

Just now, Moa said:

Thanks very much, Martian.

Have you actually used that stock to vac canopies, and were you pleased with the results?

Cheers

 

The stuff he sent me worked fine. I had some trouble as I was doing a deep draw but that was no fault of the material. It's the same stuff he uses on his vacform kits so there's no reason why it shouldn't work for you. Explain your predicament to him and I am sure he will advise you on the material he is currently using, 

 

Martian 👽

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

31 minutes ago, Martian Hale said:

The stuff he sent me worked fine. I had some trouble as I was doing a deep draw but that was no fault of the material. It's the same stuff he uses on his vacform kits so there's no reason why it shouldn't work for you. Explain your predicament to him and I am sure he will advise you on the material he is currently using, 

 

Martian 👽

Thanks again, Martian.

 

[Marklo]

Love the build so far. I particularly like the MAttell vac former, I've always wanted one but have never found one at the right price, so I've generally resorted to home cooked vac forming bits.

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

1 hour ago, Marklo said:

Love the build so far. I particularly like the MAttell vac former, I've always wanted one but have never found one at the right price, so I've generally resorted to home cooked vac forming bits.

I got mine after a period of waiting for one to appear also at the right price (and in good condition, there are some dogs out there).

Since then (2007) the Mattel Psychedelic Machine has been rendering reliable services, providing hundreds of vac parts.

There would be not much scratchbuilding to do for me without it.

What surprises me is that no new affordable, simple and practical (like the Mattel) vacuforming machine is in the market today. I call that progress.

My above-posted note on the conspicuous absence of plastic sheets for the existing Mattel is puzzling too: in my search for them I came across many similar requests, at diverse forums and such, so modelers need them, but no manufacturer provides good ones (like the originals), (again, the two or three types most prominently offered online haven't work for me at all).

 

 

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

The door is prepared, as well as the tailskid. The window "metal" frames are in place:

 

 The door is further detailed and the cabin curtains are prepared.
The locations for the aileron control cables are drilled on the wing:

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

The only real criticism I have for this otherwise completely exquisite kit -and it is well-deserved- is that the location of the upper wing cabane struts is not defined or guided anywhere on the fuselage surface. This is a mistake that could have been easily avoided by making small dimples or depressed areas where the struts would rest. The cabane struts are beveled where they join the fuselage, but that's absolutely insufficient to make for positive alignment and locking. Same goes for the landing gear legs/fuselage join, quite vague and insecure. This produces hesitation and uncertainty at the critical moment of gluing the parts, and most likely some glue smears (yes, marring in my case a so far neat paint job).
I know now that for the next one (I have two more) I will carve on the fuselage the anchoring points of those elements to achieve positive location and alignment, and a better, firmer, glue joint:

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Stab goes on; the absolutely beautiful lines of this design -enhanced rather than encumbered by the passenger's canopy and larger rudder- start to appear:

 

[Courageous]

Looking really nice Moa, nice touch with the 'metal' window frames.

 

Stuart

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

The lower wings and struts are glued in place, a task that requires attention.
As said above, the fact that the upper wing cabane struts do not lock positively on anything, may produce problems: if the cabane is located low, the wing struts will be too long and will force the lower wings down, if the cabane is glued too high, wing struts will align only in one pair, either exterior or interior. I was lucky and had almost no issues, but had to very slightly sand one end of the struts to get a good fit. The struts here will be the variable to adjust in any case, so take care not only of how high or low you glue the upper wing, but also which incidence (and yaw and roll). The lower wings have some play in their sockets, allowing some moderate change in incidence for them too.

Not sure why KP did not offer positive locking devices for the cabane/upper wing assembly, but it creates a general uncertainty.

This otherwise absolute jewel of a kit misses here a bit, and not an unimportant one:

[Courageous]

3 hours ago, Moa said:

This otherwise absolute jewel of a kit misses here a bit,

That may be  the case but she is looking very nice.

 

Stuart