rob Lyttle Posted May 1, 2019 Author Share Posted May 1, 2019 That was then...... This is NOW!!.... I'm going to have a go at the flaps. 😇 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted May 2, 2019 Author Share Posted May 2, 2019 I had my first go at getting decals laser printed today, for my Curtiss C46. While I was there I got them to scan and print the decal sheet for the Connie. I have some doubts about the originals still working after all this time. But of course the scan picked up all the errors and a bit of the yellowness, and faithfully reproduced it on the decal sheet. I know they will work very well - I've been decorating the C46 this evening, and I'm well pleased! But I think the clear carrier will have hints of yellowness included. Still, worth a try! I also got them to print a big panel of red, to see if I can cut usable stripes etc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted May 6, 2019 Author Share Posted May 6, 2019 I tried with the original decals first and guess what...?? They're brilliant!! Release in a minute and all the yellow remains on the paper backing. After all this time - I make it around 60 years - they work like a new sheet. I'm going to keep going with them. Some progress on the Hudson too. One wing complete with engine cowling is ready and fitted. The joint is surprisingly good. And I'm making the Lockheed style red flash on the side. 😎 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted May 7, 2019 Share Posted May 7, 2019 On 5/2/2019 at 11:45 PM, rob Lyttle said: I had my first go at getting decals laser printed today, for my Curtiss C46. How do you get that done Rob? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted May 7, 2019 Author Share Posted May 7, 2019 (edited) @CliffB A bit of a new adventure for me. Decal paper sourced online. The local copy shop does laser printing, so I got laser printer grade sheets. Fellow BM modeller helped out with the graphic design and sent it as a PDF. And they printed it. I'm well pleased with the results. No need to seal them like inkjet printed type. The scan and copy of the TWA decals was a backup in case the original ancient sheet didn't work. Turns out there's no need. The 60 years old sheet is doing the business! Edited May 7, 2019 by rob Lyttle Pic 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 Thanks Rob, I shall give that a try. I have reasonable success with an inkjet, but always feel that I could do better! Your Connie looks great - hats off to the old decals 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted May 9, 2019 Author Share Posted May 9, 2019 Tailplanes....!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted May 10, 2019 Author Share Posted May 10, 2019 The rest of the Tailplane decor applied and it's starting to look like a TWA Connie. The little reg number decal for this side seemed to just "disappear". You know...... Gone. Evaporated. So I resorted to my scanned and printed copy, and sure enough that foggy yellowness from the old paper has been printed onto the carrier film. I think I can trim the worst off around the lettering with a bit of care. Started on a wing with foil and the light grey on top. I'm going to try and get most of the painting done on the wings before attaching to the fuselage. The other wing needs carving up to get the flaps sorted. They are impressive structures when fully deployed, that's for sure, even in a scrap yard situation! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted May 13, 2019 Author Share Posted May 13, 2019 Well, I have made some progress on the Connie's wings. Looking at a few other builds and a fairly decent 3view drawing of a TWA SuperG, I realised I needed some walkways delineated on the top. Revell offers nothing on the sheet of course. Airfix, however, have copious amounts of decal black lines on most of their sheets. So I set about making the walkways with these, applied on to wet Kleer. Nearly all the lines are straight, except around the outer nacelles. My 3view also shows the TWA and Reg ON TOP OF the wings (revell says under) I'm going with Top, where they can be seen. I can use the scan print sheet for underside if required. I don't usually use Kleer over the Ali foil surface, but it seems OK so far, and it's definitely helped the lines adhere and the carrier film to disappear. The real challenge on my hands right now is making the bare metal lower fuselage and wing fillets to give me that almost- straight sweeping line in parallel with the red decal stripes. And NOT wreck everything as I do so!! THE other thing I'm thinking is that the flaps are painted with the light grey. The underside is shown to be so, and I am supposing that the upper face, usually hidden, would be painted too. Other options are bare metal on the top, or continue the wing-top stripes, and that would surely be crazy... 🤔 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted May 14, 2019 Author Share Posted May 14, 2019 The wings are on and the foil underneath the fuselage done. That's about as tricky as it gets for foil application! I got to say, the wing joints are better than I expected 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerbob Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 Having looked at your "before and after" on the Connie, any hints about removing rivets? Bleedin' obvious, I suppose, but I'd rather do it the smart way if there is such a thing! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted May 14, 2019 Author Share Posted May 14, 2019 (edited) @gingerbob there was nothing delicate or smart about the process. Heavily raised rivets and heavily indented panel lines required a fairly heavy hand, and the hand was holding 120 grit abrasive. There is not a 0 missing there. Emery sticks and even scratching with a blade around the nacelles etc. I stopped before every last panel line disappeared, and reworked the control surfaces. A bit of a smoothing before the rattlecan primer on the fuselage, and I could see the paint was coping, so another coat and then Appliance White. The Ali foil was fine on the wings. Dabs of pva white glue in the cockpit windows and a couple of portholes that I drilled previously. I think you're kit is a more modern offering (or at least not quite so ancient!)...? Can't see it on here.... You started posting yet?? Edited May 14, 2019 by rob Lyttle Addition Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted May 14, 2019 Author Share Posted May 14, 2019 (edited) This is the general idea of how the plane will sit... Wheels down, flaps down and swooping in, just before the tyres squeal. The board, and 3mm clear sprue post, was made for a Caravelle, and I think it will do fine for this too. I'm thinking a set of clear plastic discs would be a better option than the kit props in this situation. Edited May 14, 2019 by rob Lyttle Addition 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerbob Posted May 14, 2019 Share Posted May 14, 2019 (edited) Thanks Rob. My immediate interest was in an Airfix Short Skyvan, which has "old school" rivets that look rather appropriate in places, but not so much in others. But there are others in my stash that would desire the same treatment. No, haven't officially entered the Lockheed GB yet- too much other preoccupation, but I'm hoping things will settle down in another week or two. Edited May 14, 2019 by gingerbob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted May 20, 2019 Author Share Posted May 20, 2019 Trying to make something of the supplied engine cowlings. They're not good I've already removed the erroneous cooling Gills here and drilled 4 angled holes for the exhaust stubs I punched out some discs for the engine bosses That's an extension going on the front of the lower intake and some exhaust stubs added. Trouble is, you have to do everything 4 times (or more) I'm still going along with the idea of clear plastic discs for the propellers, and improved spinners. 😎 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted May 20, 2019 Author Share Posted May 20, 2019 (edited) On 15/05/2019 at 00:28, gingerbob said: interest was in an Airfix Short Skyvan I'll be interested to follow this one @gingerbob. My dad worked on the development of the Skyvan. I remember he had to work with a French engineer to marry up the prop to the engine. Neither could speak a word of the other's language but they got on fine with diagrams and maths. '63 or '64?? Great little plane, sometimes jokingly referred to as the Short Breadvan. Edited May 20, 2019 by rob Lyttle Pic 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 Very nice work on the Constellation, beautiful aeroplane. You really lucked out with the decals! Alan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerbob Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 On 5/20/2019 at 5:47 AM, rob Lyttle said: Great little plane, sometimes jokingly referred to as the Short Breadvan. It does have a strong family resemblance! (I meant design family, not YOUR family.) One of those things I got on a whim- someone had it on their list, the kit wasn't immediately familiar to me, and when I saw pics I was enchanted. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted May 29, 2019 Author Share Posted May 29, 2019 Slow and inadequate progress on the modelling front I'm afraid! But some anyway. I managed to get the starboard wing of the Airfix L14 sorted and foiled. And finally attached to the fuselage. Just let that set before any more fiddling around. You may be able to make out a red Corvette in the background. I've just finished making it into a slot car, built on a Scalextric chassis. Why....? I've no idea. Think I may have Attention Deficit Disorder.... It runs, but by no means well! I need to focus on the planes in hand. This group build does not run for ever! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted May 29, 2019 Author Share Posted May 29, 2019 Okay, so now she's starting to look like a little metal Airliner. I was pleased to get foil on the wheel hubs too, before fitting the tyres. It doesn't work well with spokes and details inside the wheel but these are quite flat and it's gone OK. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronKSJ Posted May 30, 2019 Share Posted May 30, 2019 That foil work looks ace! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted June 4, 2019 Author Share Posted June 4, 2019 The L14 is gradually inching forward. I got the props tidied up and drilled to take some Ali tube shafts. Crankcases drilled and bearing tubes fitted. I even got one of the front prop hubs done in Ali foil. And the door hung. Starting to think about the final decor, and the various antennas and fittings for a Civilian plane. Also the Connie is coming along a bit. I've done as much as I can do with the cowlings and nacelles. Each cowling has had a ring of stretched sprue fitted inside the front opening and a bigger more prominent central hub. 4 exhaust stubs on each and an extension on the intake underneath. 4 prop discs and enlarged spinners, and a dab of paint for the top intakes. One flap is attached, and the other is not far behind. For lack of any other information to the contrary, they'll be all over light grey top and bottom. I just got th 2 little inboard flaps to make and fit. 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted June 6, 2019 Author Share Posted June 6, 2019 (edited) This is the look I've decided to go for on the L14. And I've fished out the 2nd decal sheet from the MPM Lodestar kit. With a bit of cutting and cobbling I can make G-AFGL and that puts her close enough to AFGP in the reg sequence for me. The writing above the flash will be British Overseas Airways Corporation as opposed to British Airways Ltd, but I'll live with that. The fuselage lettering will take a bit of care and patience but at least I know its doable. I just noticed again that I have to make some washroom windows at the back. A little late in the scheme of things...! (Later)... That'll do it Little dab of PVA and that will do it. Just need to glue the upper fin back in place... Tsk 🙄 Edited June 6, 2019 by rob Lyttle Addition 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted June 7, 2019 Author Share Posted June 7, 2019 A closer inspection of the reference picture above reveals a little bit of an issue with the roof of the cockpit. Some other pictures online confirm the situation. So some foil is peeled off, and glazing bars will be added I was a bit harsh on the transparency previously to blend with the fuselage, but a little tlc and some Kleer ought to bring it back. The delicate operation of cutting and assembling the reg letters on the rear fuselage went OK. The picture shows the lettering is quite compact and even the hyphen is shorter than the MPM sheet example. So I kept it fairly tight. Before you know it I'll be sticking this one and the Connie in the group gallery! 😇 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted June 8, 2019 Author Share Posted June 8, 2019 (edited) Here's a little something that is worth reporting on.... a mini success. De-icing boots are required on the wings and Tailplanes. Some might say they should have been done sooner rather than later....! And they'd be right. Well, I took a good size strip of clear decal paper and sprayed it with semi gloss black. I tried a scrap later and it worked. So I measured up for the wing leading edges, and cut two slightly wedge shaped strips, and on they went!! https://flic.kr/p/2gaNbYS Regret to say, Flickr seems to be screwed at the moment, but I'll try some pics later..... Ah here we go.... I'm quite pleased with that 😎 Edited June 8, 2019 by rob Lyttle Pic 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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