Marklo Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 Hmm let me speak on behalf of your modelling conscience, Let me try to put this diplomatically (I know of the concept, just find it hard to do) The interior etc are works of art, the wings and fuselage, notwithstanding the sweepback (which we've put behind us so to speak) are too, but your going to need a lot of vaseline on the camera lens to get those undercarriage legs on the model to look like the original...... I'm no rivet counter, but if it were me I'd be fabricating struts now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pheonix Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 Just been catching up - lots of real progress since I last dropped by. The wing sweepback problm will disappear when the top wing is in place I am sure. As for the undercarriage legs, I tend to agree with Marklo - and would be fabricating new struts. Just an opinion but I hope it helps. P 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonners Posted June 28, 2019 Author Share Posted June 28, 2019 On 6/27/2019 at 11:18 AM, Marklo said: Hmm let me speak on behalf of your modelling conscience, Let me try to put this diplomatically (I know of the concept, just find it hard to do) The interior etc are works of art, the wings and fuselage, notwithstanding the sweepback (which we've put behind us so to speak) are too, but your going to need a lot of vaseline on the camera lens to get those undercarriage legs on the model to look like the original...... I'm no rivet counter, but if it were me I'd be fabricating struts now. On 6/27/2019 at 10:14 PM, pheonix said: Just been catching up - lots of real progress since I last dropped by. The wing sweepback problm will disappear when the top wing is in place I am sure. As for the undercarriage legs, I tend to agree with Marklo - and would be fabricating new struts. Just an opinion but I hope it helps. P Thanks for the advice chaps; I appreciate your candour. I've been thinking exactly the same thing myself. Of course, it would have been better to think it before cutting slots in the spats and grafting the dodgy legs onto them with superglue! I think that I'll be doing some deconstructive surgery at the next sitting. Ho hum. I might be able to file the metal legs to a more accurate shape (ie shorter shock absorber sections and a narrower lower part), which would keep the strength. Failing that plastic cladding round a stiff wire core might do the trick. Either way, I'll have some repairs to do on the spats, but it will give a more accurate (and hopefully pleasing) result. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonners Posted June 29, 2019 Author Share Posted June 29, 2019 Okay, committed: "I must try harder next time. I must try harder next time. I must..." etc 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonners Posted June 30, 2019 Author Share Posted June 30, 2019 Attempt No1 to undo my undercarriage gashness is in its early stages: fettling the white metal strut to better represent the original item. Kit part on the left, modified part in mid-fettle on the right: I wish I'd made the effort the first time round! Jon 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonners Posted July 2, 2019 Author Share Posted July 2, 2019 Here's where I'm going with this at the moment (all parts dry-fitted and fettling still in progress): The metal main strut has been reshaped and slotted into a fairing fashioned from a piece of sprue: A second fairing was made from a piece of tube and a cocktail stick, trimmed and sanded to an aerodynamic section, slotted into it to represent the rear strut (which needs to taper more at the spat end): Another sanded cocktail stick slots into a hole drilled in the spat wall to represent the inboard strut: It looks like it will work, but accurately measuring the correct lengths for the cocktail stick struts will be critical. More fettling required, then if it works I'll have to make the other side match! I certainly think that it looks better than the kit part as supplied. Jon 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonners Posted July 26, 2019 Author Share Posted July 26, 2019 It's been over three weeks since I last indulged in any modelling, as other things have taken priority, and the Vildebeest has been glaring accusingly at me from the desk for the whole time. I've just got round to putting the various bits together to make the starboard carriage assembly: My rate of progress is abysmal - I think that I have a Desk of Doom - but now that I know this method works, and I have the strut measurements, the other leg should be fairly straightforward. Jon 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonners Posted July 31, 2019 Author Share Posted July 31, 2019 The 'beest finally stands on its own two (out of three) feet: 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted August 1, 2019 Share Posted August 1, 2019 14 hours ago, Jonners said: The 'beest finally stands on its own two (out of three) feet: ...and what big feet they are! Stuart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted August 1, 2019 Share Posted August 1, 2019 2 hours ago, Courageous said: ...and what big feet they are! Stuart The teeth didn't match, so I hear..... Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonners Posted March 17, 2020 Author Share Posted March 17, 2020 As this model has been languishing on my shelves for over 6 months since I last posted on this thread, and has been glaring balefully at me for the whole time while I've given it a stiff ignoring, it really is about time that I extracted digit and got on with it. In fairness I've had a few things going on to keep me busy in the meantime, including redecorating some of the house, refitting a shower and pipework, flight simulator recurrent training, restoring an Aero seed broadcaster (Google it!) to working condition, replacing an exhaust silencer, tyres, manifold gaskets, manifold studs and a front door on a Citroën 2CV and scratchbuilding an Avro Avocet (it's in 'RFI'). Oh, plus Christmas, numerous family birthdays, volunteering at a museum and a full-time job. As I've just completed the Avocet I haven't done a great deal to the Vildebeest other than some advanced wing fettling: The upper wing has been a complete pain; the positions and sizes of the ailerons differed between left and right, and the faff of correcting it is what caused me to put the kit aside 6 months ago. A few weeks ago I cut and added some brass main wing struts but, on picking the kit up again today, I realised that the ailerons still looked too poor to live with. To sort the issue out while enthusiasm is still in more abundant supply than Tesco toilet roll, I removed the rear struts and set to with plastic card, knife, razor saw and patience. Edges have been flattened, hinge gaps cut square, plastic card added to create hinges and plastic card shims added where appropriate to create matching sides: Not very exciting, I agree, but hopefully this project has some momentum behind it again. Right, now I have the considerable challenge of finding a shop with some loo roll still on the shelves... Jon 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 1 hour ago, Jonners said: finding a shop with some loo roll still on the shelves... or... Stuart 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonners Posted March 17, 2020 Author Share Posted March 17, 2020 It might come to that, Stuart - I failed! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pheonix Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 Good to see this one back in action. I have never attempted a vacuform but am always interested to vicariously watch others do so! P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonners Posted March 18, 2020 Author Share Posted March 18, 2020 9 hours ago, pheonix said: I have never attempted a vacuform I'm really surprised by that, Phoenix! Someone of your modelling calibre would make short work of a vac. (Not that I'm an expert, having built precisely 1 1/2 vac kits!) Jon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pheonix Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 Jon, I learned of vacuforms when they were first released and my "modlelling calibre" amounted to sticking injection moulded kits together and not doing that very well! Later I used Airmodel conversion kits (remember them?) as I really wanted to make something different but I thought that I did not have the necessary skill to do so without some help via aftermarket parts. I thought that vacuforms would still be well beyond my skill level at that time. When I started to make my own parts for conversions (new wing and tail units, and similar items from balsa wood), I continued to regard vacuforms as something beyond my ability. I bought some vac kits, but of course, like many others, they went into the stash......... When I returned to modelling after a 30+ year break I still had the psychological barrier that vacuforms would be "too difficult for me", even though my third model was a pusher conversion from an injection kit: I thought that the conversion was easier than building a vac kit because I had made conversions before. After 6 pusher conversions and a couple of injection moulded kits I started scratch building pushers and other WW1 types...... but still no vacforms. The lesson here for all (including me), is that there seems to be a psychological barrier that we have to pass through: our belief in what we can or cannot do. I still believe that making a vacform would be difficult, but then I have never tried to! I think that the same principle applies to many (most?) of us - we do not know what we can really do until we give something a try. But, and this is an important but and the reason why I am writing this, we first have to overcome our hesitation to try something new and different, and that is not easy for many. However when we do overcome the psychological barrier, we wonder what the hell it was that held us back!!! I learned this lesson the hard way - personal experience - and by spending 30+ years teaching able students who would frequently tell me that I was asking them to do something that they could not - until they did!! I know that I have still not overcome the psychological barrier of my teenage years regarding vacforms - strange as that may read to anyone who has not already gone to sleep reading this moral tale! P 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonners Posted March 18, 2020 Author Share Posted March 18, 2020 I completely agree, Phoenix, though I'm still a little surprised that a modeller who happily creates cracking scratchbuilds of complex and interesting aircraft types should be daunted by vacforms! I'm an irregular modeller (phase of life / time / job / too many competing interests) but a couple of years ago I made a conscious decision to have a go at techniques I'd previously only let myself "vicariously watch others do". In other words, putting into practice your comment that... 2 hours ago, pheonix said: we first have to overcome our hesitation to try something new and different, Looking at the many scratchbuilds (yours included) and occasional vacs here on BM gave me the confidence to try both, and I quickly realised that I had sufficient patience and skill to create something acceptable (if not exactly show-winning!). There are plenty of reasonably-priced vacforms of interesting subjects available from the various online sources; I challenge you to give one a try! Once the parts are cut out, you are basically into the realm of 'assisted scratchbuilding'! Jon 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 Great to see this one back, and also to see that you are progressing in your accepted "skill areas"! I've only done 2 vacs, on to my third now. That happens to be a pusher, finally! I have had the same issue with those as @pheonix had with vacs! Ian 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonners Posted March 18, 2020 Author Share Posted March 18, 2020 1 hour ago, limeypilot said: That happens to be a pusher, finally! Yes, and very impressive it is! Except that there doesn't appear to be much vac left in it... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonners Posted March 21, 2020 Author Share Posted March 21, 2020 Small steps, but forwards. Ailerons tweaked... and the whole upper wing given a dose of 800-grit wet 'n dry, followed by smoothing off with 1500-grit: Looks pretty manky, doesn't it? Rib tape lines then added using an Edding paint pen following a (tediously) pencilled grid... ...which went well until the pen decided to dump a puddle of paint on the starboard fuel tank. Thankfully this rubbed off okay and the lines on the tank were re-applied The plan shows these lines on the tanks but they obviously wouldn't have been rib tapes; it's just occurred to me that I should check my references to see if they actually existed! If not then they'll be easy enough to rub down. After a couple of coats of Halfords primer the upper wing looks like this: That will do for now. Once the 'fettled' lower wing is given another primer coat I'll be back on track. Now, back to the real world - where I won the shopping lottery yesterday with a 16-pack of Andrex! 👍 Jon 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonners Posted March 28, 2020 Author Share Posted March 28, 2020 Time for a break from my Berkeley scratchbuild. Lower wing fettled and rear brass struts reinstated: After fresh strut 'sockets' were drilled and cut into the underside of the upper wing, a trial fit made it look like this: Getting there. While my wife and I were disappointed to have to temporarily suspend most our various interests due to the COVID-19 restrictions,, we've agreed that being forced to stop rushing round has made us feel much more relaxed. I'd certainly normally feel guilty about indulging in so much modelling time, but I think that it's doing me some good! Still, back to work tomorrow... Jon 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonners Posted March 30, 2020 Author Share Posted March 30, 2020 A very quick update: the upper fuselage struts have been made from sanded cocktail sticks to match the lower struts: The struts were measured with dividers and glued to the fuselage with the upper wing slotted into place, so hopefully everything will fit when I eventually glue the upper wing into place. I also couldn't resist giving the front fuselage area a quick shot of Humbrol Polished Aluminium, as grey primer is getting very tedious! At some point I'm going to have to bite the bullet and create the torpedo mounting gear, but that might wait until I've painted the front fuselage. Undecided at the moment. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted March 30, 2020 Share Posted March 30, 2020 That's looking very neat and tidy! Regards, Adrian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pheonix Posted March 31, 2020 Share Posted March 31, 2020 I agree with Adrian - the fuselage struts look the part. P 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted March 31, 2020 Share Posted March 31, 2020 Ditto to those ⬆️ two. Stuart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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