NA Harvard IIa (1/32 KH T-6)

[galgos]

I've only just found out about this GB so I'm a bit late to the party, but I'd like to contribute a 1/32 Harvard.  It will be one based at 20 SFTS Cranborne in S Rhodesia, where my father gained his wings in 1944.  I've already modelled one Harvard that he flew using this kit: 

 

but this one will be in-flight and yellow, definitely one that is in Dad's logbook and perhaps one flying in this balbo:

 

Hope to make a start later today when gardening is finished.....or I'm finished off!

Max

 

[Col.]

If the yellow one turns out anything like as well as your silver one we're in for a treat here  Great to see a subject with such a personal connection.

[galgos]

Thank you Col, with a bit of luck the model should see a few improvements on the first one!  As I usually do, I've started with the engine.  The mouldings have a lot of inconveniently placed pour stubs that have to be removed:

 

 

The main bits ready for assembly:

 

 

The representation of the HT leads isn't very convincing so they had to come off, to be replaced later with lead wire:

 

 

More later I hope........

........getting there.....

 

Max

 

 

[Col.]

There seems to be plenty going on by way of engine parts alone so I'm thinking this will make for a long and involved but worthwhile project.

[galgos]

1 hour ago, Col. said:

There seems to be plenty going on by way of engine parts alone so I'm thinking this will make for a long and involved but worthwhile project.

Once the engine and cockpit are done, the rest is plain sailing......apart from the numerous additional details which are entirely self-imposed! 🙄

[galgos]

Engine nearly finished, a couple of pushrods needing slight re-alignment:

 

 

Max

[Col.]

On 3/25/2019 at 8:36 PM, galgos said:

Once the engine and cockpit are done, the rest is plain sailing......apart from the numerous additional details which are entirely self-imposed! 🙄

Isn't that always the way  

[galgos]

I've started working on the pilot figure (Dad) and the cockpit area.  The trainees were a rather rag-tag bunch out there when it came to flying garb:

 

 

so I'm putting together this chappie:

 

 

I doubt that flying boots were ever issued in S Rhodesia so a little licence is taken here!

 

The basic cockpit structure is quite a complicated assembly, to which I'll be adding a few control rods etc.

 

 

but it's starting to look OKish:

 

 

More later I hope.....

Max

 

 

[Col.]

Good work on 'dad' there

[galgos]

Yep, he's coming on Col.  I've done a bit of detailing to the cockpit, now building up the structure:

 

 

Max

[galgos]

Progress with the cockpit area and a test fitting in the fuselage:

 

 

I could complain about quite a few areas of the KH T-6 kit, but to be honest I'm so grateful to have a T-6/Harvard in my preferred scale, so any perceived inadequacies are simply dealt with.  One such is the absence of the control mechanism for the rudder as seen here on one of the CWHM Harvards:

 

 

so the first step in achieving this on my model is cutting the slot below the tailplanes for the cabling:

 

 

Another small point is the absence of the "wheels up" landing warning system (electronics and horn) fitted on the roll-over pylon:

 

 

I've been doing some research about which Harvard I'm doing; I see from his logbook that Dad flew a Balbo on 14th October 43 in AJ617.  The AJ serial numbers were the slightly earlier ones, the later delivered ones were EX coded, and from my research most of the latter were natural metal finish.  So, AJ617 will be yellow, if you follow my logic, but I can't tie a specific SFTS number to it.  I know "99" was yellow, so I'm opting for AJ617, coded 99.  It could even be this one coming in now:

 

 

Max

[galgos]

So the fuselage is together with no problems, which is more than can be said of the curved panel between the cockpit and the tail.  Why KH decided to mould this piece separately rather than as part of the fuselage halves is beyond me.....the damned thing just doesn't fit!  It's slightly too small width wise and despite trying to pinch in the fuselage sides an annoying ridge inevitably exists all around it, so the filler will need to come out:

 

 

The aft control surfaces, rudder and elevators are of aluminium construction but covered with doped fabric.  KH's attempt to replicate the metal frames under the fabric is rather clumsy:

 

 

Look at the real thing for comparison:

 

 

I sanded the lines off one side of the rudder then tried an experiment with riveting the sticky side of tape, after an hour's labour and a coat of primer and trainer yellow I decided to abandon it and go for the sanded "clean" look:

 

 

Max

[galgos]

The offending panel area after some serious filling and sanding.  Fortunately KH's excellent riveting detail was preserved:

 

 

Another rather "lazy" area from KH was the face of the engine compartment air intake, just a blank lump of plastic.  I drilled and hollowed it out and took a piece of radiator grill from a Bf109, trimmed to shape and fitted.....looks much more like it:

 

 

Planning to do a few fuselage refinements around the tail end today.

Max

[Basilisk]

This comes along nicely.

15 hours ago, galgos said:

I sanded the lines off one side of the rudder then tried an experiment with riveting the sticky side of tape, after an hour's labour and a coat of primer and trainer yellow I decided to abandon it and go for the sanded "clean" look:

 

Max

What was the reason you abandoned the experiment? It looks promising to simulate rib tape over the stitching.

 

With ill-fitting parts like yours, it is sometimes better to saw them in half and then attach the parts to the fuselage half as it is much easier to correct the joint on the spine after the fuselage is assembled.

 

All in  all a great effort.

Cheers, Peter

[galgos]

Thank you Peter, you're quite right, cutting that panel in half may have been a better option (I'll do that on my next Harvard!!).  The rib tape on the rudder looked a bit too obvious in my opinion, all a matter of scale appearance and to my eye it was too pronounced.  I haven't given up on simulating the stitching completely but I need to have a re-think.  

Max

[Basilisk]

A shame it did look too stark. Did you take a picture after you painted it?

 

HGW made some wet transfer rib tape in 1/72 and 1/48 scale. It was a great idea but didn't work and now only the 1/72 scale sheets are available and they are useless

 

Here a picture on them on my DH 88 kit.

The black dot should represent the stitching and I assumed they are raised like the HGW rivets. Unfortunately this isn't the case and they just look like a thick decal.

They are also a bit too large for 1/72 scale.

 

I thought that the 1/48 version may work well on 1/32 models, but they don't make them any more.

 

Another option is to add 0.13mm thick plasticard stripes as I did on this 1/48 P-40.

The idea was to then apply the HGW rib tape transfers over the stripes. But haven't done this yet.

 

Whatever way, it looks like a fiddly job as you know already

Cheers, Peter

 

[galgos]

Looks like we're singing from the same hymn sheet when it comes to detail Peter!  I hope this is the answer, had these for ages but never used them, but I hope they'll be just right once they get a coat of primer and paint on them.  I use MRP paints, which are very thin so the raised rivets shouldn't be obliterated:

 

 

Staying with the aft end, the rudder horns have been fitted:

 

 

and a but of panelling added:

 

 

Max

[galgos]

Not too much wrong with that in principle at least!

 

[galgos]

Not a great deal of bench time today, though the rudder and elevators are nearing completion.  I spent a while on the Silhouette cutter designing the code numbers this morning, maybe do the serials later, but in the meantime I've made a small start on the wings.  The first job is to drill out those nasty fuel filler caps, I'll be making some of my own so that they more closely resemble the one shown below:

 

 

Max

[galgos]

The KH wheels (shown on the left) are completely wrong for a wartime Harvard.  The NA Mustang and Texan/Harvard shared a lot of common features, including the wheels, so a set of Brassin Mustang wheels fit the bill:

 

[galgos]

The centre wing assembly fits beautifully with the fuselage section: (the cowling is merely resting in place)

 

 

Time to think about the IPs, again as supplied they are wrong for a WW2 RAF Harvard, so new ones have to be built:

 

 

Still work in progress but coming along OK:

[galgos]

The pilot's IP finished and fitted to the front coaming.  

The white plastic lump is there as additional support for the radio aerial; it's tall and has little to securely anchor it to the top panel, so I'll be drilling the mast and adding a length of brass wire which will then go through the "box"

Max

[galgos]

Progress on this build on Britmodeller is discontinued.

[bigbadbadge]

Max great work so far fella. Sorry to hear the build is discontinued.  I hope you are okay fella. 

 

All the best

Chris

[Basilisk]

Sorry to hear that you don't continue your build here. I too hope you are ok.

 

Keep at it as you did some great work so far.

Cheers, Peter