Handley Page HP42/45, Contrail vacuformed 1/72

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

1 minute ago, limeypilot said:

Re the slats, I meant in your pic it looks as though they are slightly longer than the slot they fit in, bit it could be perspective!

 

Ian

Thanks Ian, I will chek.

 

[Martian]

13 hours ago, Moa said:

My wife says she wasn't aware of that law, now she claims she could never take me to the UK again.

13 hours ago, Andwil said:

No no no!  Keep the loincloth for pity’s sake! 🤮

 

AW

Now look what you have done, started a planet wide panic! 

 

Martian 👽

[Bronzemeister]

What's up with the rigging / strut in the last bay?  Is this some variation between the HP42 & 45?

I think it's just some sort of ploy to run  you out of Contrail strut stock faster.

[bentwaters81tfw]

On 18/07/2019 at 23:01, busnproplinerfan said:

Yes it's to bad no one makes strut shapes, wold be nice to have once in awhile. Or in combination with the brass, would make realistic strut mounts.

Well I still have a batch of Contrail struts, plus an unopened pack of Mike Eacock's brass 'Strutz'. These will go into my resin HP42 and Supermarine Southampton I suspect.

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

2 hours ago, Bronzemeister said:

What's up with the rigging / strut in the last bay?  Is this some variation between the HP42 & 45?

I think it's just some sort of ploy to run  you out of Contrail strut stock faster.

No, the strut was there in one of the planes at the beginning in the first built, but later replaced for the wire rigging.

The first built did not have initially mudguards, the lower elevator had a cut-in, the tail had a slightly different rigging, etc.

HP were trying things.

Many other details changed from plane to plane (there were eight) and even during the lives of each plane.

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

2 hours ago, bentwaters81tfw said:

Well I still have a batch of Contrail struts, plus an unopened pack of Mike Eacock's brass 'Strutz'. These will go into my resin HP42 and Supermarine Southampton I suspect. 

Lucky man.

If you don't mind: every time I see those 3D printer-produced kits the surfaces (in the photos) look very rough and "dotty".

Is that how the final product looks like when sold?

 

[bentwaters81tfw]

1 minute ago, Moa said:

Lucky man.

If you don't mind: every time I see those 3D printer-produced kits the surfaces (in the photos) look very rough and "dotty".

Is that how the final product looks like when sold?

 

I'll let you know when it arrives, it's now in the UK, so I should get it next week sometime.

[busnproplinerfan]

You sure you don't have a steam powered time machine and are just taking detail pictures as you go?

The few 3d parts I have vary in finish. Depends on the program and printer used. Some have that layers look, some look pebbly and some are fine. I'd only use it for very  small emblems or very hard to make parts. Mind you, I'm really looking into a 1/72 Blue Thunder conversion kit, but it's $70 :( But then it'll take at least seven hours to make myelf or longer and times that by a sweat shop wage to myself and it's worth getting.

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

3 hours ago, busnproplinerfan said:

The few 3d parts I have vary in finish.

I was referring more specifically to the product of the Japanese person that fabricates those kits, because I haven't seen them personally, but the photos posted make me very hesitant; but who knows, may be the photos I have seen are of an unfinished product.

Hence the question to a first hand owner of those kits.

 

[busnproplinerfan]

1 minute ago, Moa said:

I was referring more specifically to the product of the Japanese person that fabricates those kits, because I haven't seen them personally, but the photos posted make me very hesitant; but who knows, may be the photos I have seen are of an unfinished product.

Hence the question to a first hand owner of those kits.

 

I've just seen they vary a little and sometimes need a bit of clean up. I guess try it out.

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Finally, the paint stuck on the energetically scrubbed surface of the resin:

 

 

The minuscule lettering included in the decal set:

[Andwil]

That’s very nice and the dustbin and broom are a wonderful touch.

 

AW

[Martian]

Preiser do or did some period passenger figures that would look pretty cool in a diorama with this.

 

Martian 👽

[Marklo]

My workspace, hmm based on Moa's law that puts me in the midrange modeller categry (personally i blame the Cat)

 

He looks cute and he's very very old, but he delights in sitting on my cutting mat and swatting my stuff on to the floor.

 

Love the half track by the way.

Edited July 22, 2019 by Marklo

[Stevejj]

3 hours ago, Martian Hale said:

Preiser do or did some period passenger figures that would look pretty cool in a diorama with this.

 

Martian 👽

 

I think that the Preiser figures are HO scale (3.5mm to the foot) would this make then a little small given the size of the aeroplane? 

There are period figures available from Dart castings and other model railway  suppliers, although I will admit some of  these will need painting. As they are 4mm they are a larger and will I think look better.

Just my ramblings lol

Steve

[bentwaters81tfw]

On 20/07/2019 at 18:45, Moa said:

Lucky man.

If you don't mind: every time I see those 3D printer-produced kits the surfaces (in the photos) look very rough and "dotty".

Is that how the final product looks like when sold?

 

 

On 21/07/2019 at 00:32, Moa said:

I was referring more specifically to the product of the Japanese person that fabricates those kits, because I haven't seen them personally, but the photos posted make me very hesitant; but who knows, may be the photos I have seen are of an unfinished product.

Hence the question to a first hand owner of those kits.

 

OK, my 3D printed HP 42 has arrived!

First impressions? Well it's all there and was thoughtfully shipped, so the Revenue men let it go without 'let or hinderance'  .

All the parts are bagged up, and this is not going to be an in depth review - I'll have a word with Julien and see if he will put it up in the review section, as I think a few people have reservations.

 

On with the contents of the box. I have seen 3D printed parts elsewhere, and was reluctant to part with my cash as they looked rough.

These do not, although they will require some cleaning up. Surface texture I would put as the appearance and feel of very finely and tightly woven silk, in fact if this was a model of a fabric covered airframe, it would be perfect. I suspect under a coat of primer, there would be little cause for concern. Some parts come on a 'backing sheet' like resin, and will require careful removal and cleaning up.

 

Fortunately I have some experience of cast resin models, and this will be a help.  Shimizu-San has enclosed 4 sheets of various grades of sanding materials.

There are no locating tabs, but the major components have been drilled and brass wire is supplied.

Clear acetate sheet is provided for the glazing, or there is 0.1mm sheet 'die cut' plastic parts. I might try Clearfix or Kristal Klear or similar. Masks are also supplied.

The interplane struts come on handed sheets, correctly laid out, and will require careful removal and cleaning up, they are a bit rough. They are square in section! . 3D has it's limits after all. Personally I will replace these with Contrail or brass 'Strutz'.

The decals are in fact the press on type (very thin). If I can get a sheet from Arctic Decals (not currently listed) I will replace them. (Or camo it). The props are 'adequate' but if I can find replacements, it will save some fiddly work.

 

It will be an interesting build. If you can handle a resin kit, you can handle this. It comes without printed instructions, but they are on pdf on Shimizu-San's site.

[Marklo]

Now 3D printing is something I do know about. I use it quite a bit for my work stuff, but have made a vow not to use it for my modelling. There are two basic technologies FDM where a plastic filament is melted and laid down in a series of slices ( this was invented by a man with a glue gun btw) this gives what I call a corduroy finish( depending on filament size, material used, fill density and nozzle) this will vary to some extent, but it’s never going to be smooth. But it can be sanded etc post printing. The second technology is SLA where a laser is used to cure a liquid resin. This can produce parts that are almost to a molded standard. The down side is the resins are more expensive and can also degrade over time. 

 

In in my professional capacity I’ll use FDM parts for functional applications and SLA for prototypes and show and tell.

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

There is a small boarding ladder that has the lettering for it included with the decal sheet, I think I will go for it (photos from the Net):

 

 

[bentwaters81tfw]

Was the Arctic Deals sheet a stock item or a custom print?

They don't list it and I think it would be better than the stickers that OMM supplies.

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

42 minutes ago, bentwaters81tfw said:

Was the Arctic Deals sheet a stock item or a custom print?

They don't list it and I think it would be better than the stickers that OMM supplies.

I commissioned the set, but my understanding is that it will be released as a stock item, for all registrations in individual sets.

You may ask the owner, the site iirc has a contact form.

Cheers

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

In this webpage at the beginning you can see photos of Hengist with annular exhausts on the lower engines.

I found more on the Net with the same type of arrangement (and the normal one for the same plane).

Interesting how many details are there to be noted.

https://travelforaircraft.wordpress.com/2013/03/18/handley-page-h-p-42-eight-that-made-history-write/

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Another coat of primer after all the patching and sanding:

[Jinxman]

Every time I drop in on this build it looks less and less like a vacform, and more like an injection moulded kit - testament to the care and attention lavished on it I reckon.

 

Looking forward to seeing some 'silver' paint or foil on it - what will you use for that?

 

cheers

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

43 minutes ago, Jinxman said:

Every time I drop in on this build it looks less and less like a vacform, and more like an injection moulded kit - testament to the care and attention lavished on it I reckon.

 

Looking forward to seeing some 'silver' paint or foil on it - what will you use for that?

 

cheers

You are exceedingly kind.

Actually today I sprayed the final (let's hope) coat of primer before laying the base (gloss black) for the Alclad paint.

I have used that paint before and I like it.

My plan is to use the various shades offered by that brand to differentiate the various materials employed on the plane: polished aluminium for the nose, aluminium for the front fuselage (not the belly, that was mainly fabric-covered), white aluminum for the rest of fabric-covered areas, touches of airframe aluminiun and dark aluminium in some spots (metal skin on specific areas of the engine nacelles, fuel tanks, metal sheet mount of the tail unit, fuselage aft tip fairing, etc.)

But first the not small task of finishing the struttery and get the top wing to align as a dry-run, plus providing the tail unit of some anchoring device (it will be painted separately, since it needs quite a lot of small struts and rigging after that).

Still quite a road to travel, but I have all the remaining accessories ready, plus a magnificent decal sheet.

Details I need to work on: the eight snaky engine exhausts, and a few of the gizmos that decorate the plane's surface (haddock detector, tea-time broadcasting alarm, posh-waves radio emitter, "rule Britannia" speakers, bathroom sounds suppressor, and the like).

 

 

[Jinxman]

I wonder - do the speakers also have the facility for playing 'Land of Hope and Glory'? I hope so!