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Pacific Aerospace (Victa) CT-4A Airtrainer (Plastic Parrot)


Romeo Alpha Yankee

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My entry will be a Kiwi Resin Models CT-4A from 1 FTS, RAAF Point Cook, Victoria. They were knick-named 'Plastic Parrots' in service due to the yellow/green delivery scheme. Later they were painted in an orange/white 'Fanta Can' scheme (one the kit box). This will be the scheme I will be building.

 

It is a full resin kit with a Falcon vacform canopy. I will be doing one of the aircraft I flew in as a Navigator trainee back in November 1990. I managed a whole 7.6 hours in 4 flights, the last log entry includes a landing (for lunch) at the halfway point (Horsham, Victoria).

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I also have a Flying High Decals sheet that will allow me to do any of 3 from my logbook, now which one? A19-043, the first I flew in (with some stick time), or perhaps A19-056 with the longest flight time? I suppose I will decide at decalling time.

 

To my surprise, I found a second (more basic) kit in the same very small box. This kit lacks a lot of interiors parts and a nose wheel and strut

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The kit supplied in the box is more detailed with cockpit detailing parts and separate flaps. It is missing one of the main gear legs and some plastic tube for the exhaust pipes which I could use from the other kit or make up from card and my spare tube stocks for the exhausts. Again I will decide when the time comes.

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The instructions a very basic, they include a list of parts and a note to use epoxy or superglue. No assembly sequence included. A painting guide for both schemes is included with some painting notes for the prop and gear legs

 

Comparing the 2 you can see the dimensions of the 'bagged' CT-4A are off, too long and too skinny, the tailplane of oversized as well. The wings are correct though.

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Nice to see such a personal project happening :thumbsup: 

 

As for that simpler, skinier, kit that also came with it; perhaps it's a CT-4B? A tandem two-seat COIN development of the type ;) 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

I have had a little spare time from my other builds to pay some attention to the CT-4A, I have managed to separate the parts from the poor stubs and cleaned most parts up

 

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As you can see I have a few bubbles to fill and a couple of parts to scratch build as the resin parts were poorly formed or missing.

 

I am not used to working with a model so small after building an A400M and a couple of P-3 Orions.  Those grid squares are 1cm square

 

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Just for fun, I put one of the horizontal tailplanes from my C-17 build next to the CT-4. you could park the CT-4 on the stab without worry!

 

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Some progress, this is how it stands now, these are a couple of phone shots I took. Some more intermediate steps shot on my camera are to be uploaded.

 

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Things done in the in-between steps have included:

  • Pinning the wings to the fuselage
  • Pinning the tailplane and vertical stab to the rear fuselage
  • Reshaping the rear fuselage behind the canopy
  • Drilling out the nose piece and fuselage forward of the cockpit and adding weight
  • Cutting the fuselage behind the cockpit and drilling the forward and rear sections out to lighten the back end

The result of the last 2 steps were carried out to prevent a tail sitter. 

 

 

 

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Here are some pictures of the construction process.

 

I drilled holes on the wings and rear flying surfaces and added pins from brass stock I have.

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I drilled out the forward fuselage and engine cowl and added weight

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I also reprofiled the fuselage behind the cockpit

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The weight was not enough, so out with the saw and the tail came off, I then drilled these parts out to lighten the tail section.

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Then it was put back together.

 

I have since been working on the gear. I decided to replace the kit main gear parts with ones made from styrene and pinned with brass.

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Did I tell anyone I don't get along with vacform canopies?

 

Well now you know, I managed to take too much off when removing the excess, I will be able to recover the over removal. The other issue is that it is not a straight slot in affair. I need to rework the area under the windscreen to make it look like it is supposed to be there.

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I made up a new instrument panel that is closer to what is in the actual aircraft.  I hope it will look OK under a lick of paint.

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The seats have also been replaced as the supplied ones were a little undersized.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Nice work Ray. This certainly isn't a quick and simple project but you are making light work of it. Well done!

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Thanks guys, not much visible progress to report. I have added the control columns and primed it, which has exposed some issues.

 

I am just about to paint the internals so I can get that canopy on permanently get onto the paint stage.

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Some progress!

 

Internals fettled and painted, added some tape belts. The interior is a tad boring being grey and black.

 

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Canopy has been fitted, there was a huge gap under the forward edge

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which I filled with some painted rod, this will be puttied over once the future on the canopy is set and I have masked it.

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I also need to tidy the join around the other seams and fair them in with some putty

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