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Another Southern Cross...almost OOB...


John Masters

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For my first contribution, I will be building the famed Fokker VIIb3M 'Southern Cross'.  The kit is all FROG but alas, the decals were so old and brittle...I have taken the decals from the Valom kit and will be using them instead.  I hope that's alright!

 

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As you see, I have another Fokker currently on the bench!

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Nice to see another example of what is probably Australia's most famous aircraft. The old Fokker really is the stuff of legends and it pioneered an Air Corridor that seems almost effortless to today's travellers. That new decal sheet should lift it another notch.. now why arent I building one of these?  

Cheers and all the best with your build.. Dave    

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  • 3 weeks later...

Here's a good shot.  I have assembled the wing pieces.  I have primed almost all of the smaller bits.  I will keep it simple and build it.  From what I see so far, this is a much better kit than the Spitfire.   Better plastic, better moulds, better detail.  I assume this has to do with the generation of the kit itself.  I am guessing that the original Spitfire Mk.I from FROG was better than the Eastern Express knockoff.  In any case...all in the past.  Onwards!

 

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I had a restless night last night so what better way to pass an our or so before falling back asleep?  Back to the bench!

 

I have primed all of the pieces and actually painted quite a few.  Motors, props, struts, cockpit, seats...all Vallejo or Vallejo Air hairy brushed.  The seat harnesses are masking tape.  Once the fuselage is closed up the inside won't be visible really, so the cockpit is quite basic.  I am impressed by some fo the little detail touches on this kit, like the strut mount plates beneath the wing.  Very nice.  

 

I have fully assembled the wing and I must say, if this is an accurate depiction, that is quite the airfoil.  Anything would fly with that attached to it.  I am assuming that for the long flight, the wing was full of fuel?

 

 I have glued in the side windows.  I'll mask them before I spray.   I'll get the fuselage assembled, primed and ready for the blue...I'll mask the wheels for some 'black rubber'...Hmm...

 

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--John

 

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3 hours ago, John D.C. Masters said:

 I am impressed by some of the little detail touches on this kit, like the strut mount plates beneath the wing.  Very nice.  

 

I have fully assembled the wing and I must say, if this is an accurate depiction, that is quite the airfoil.  Anything would fly with that attached to it.  I am assuming that for the long flight, the wing was full of fuel?

John, good progress and it looks like you got all the small bits OK like the pitot tube, wind generator and the tailplane struts (one of mine was missing).

Fitting all the struts will be a fiddly job so good there are the prominent location points under the wing. (I found out that the wingspan was 71 feet 8 1/2 inches - full cantilever internally braced three-ply wood construction. The maximum chord of the wing was 12 feet 6 inches and the maximum thickness 33 inches. In the wing itself there were fitted four tanks, each holding 96 gallons.

Hope you keep continue with 'good flying weather' for this build. All the best. Mike

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And I move along....

In looking at some reference images online I noticed that there is actually external rigging on this bird, and being one who cannot resist a bit of rigging, I will take on the challenge.

 

Control horns and guides are from Evergreen rod and strip and some Contrail tube cut on a bias...

 

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That big silver wing, courtesy of Humbrol rattle-can Silver...

 

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And the blue fuselage.  I used Vallejo Air UK Mediterranean Blue for this and it is much more blue than the photo suggests.  Engine nacelles too.

 

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Everything is painted.  Ready to assemble tomorrow!

 

--John

 

 

 

 

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7 hours ago, Ray S said:

a well-moulded kit there.

It certainly is.  Judging by the box it is on of the earlier mouldings so everything is pretty sharp.  Very little flash.

 

6 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Great progress

Thank you Rabbit Leader!

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Ok...landing gear assembled and on--both sides!  This was a fiddly operation and once I began I could not stop easily to take pictures, so you'll have to believe me that all the little strut pieces do fit and they really do hold the aircraft/nacelle/wheels together.  

 

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Obviously the wing has been attached too!

 

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Decals this afternoon, rigging tonight.  Best case scenario.

 

--John

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Decals...I had to do some snipping to make the 'Southern Cross' pieces fit around the rigging mounts.  Same with '1985'...

 

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But it looks alright from both sides!

 

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Now...what to do with these two, quite out-of-scale, heroic aviators?  I think they are closer to 1/60th, than 1/72nd.  Not quite 1/48th.  Hmmm...

 

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A little varnish on the aircraft is next and then the rigging later.  

 

--John

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One need not spend a lot of money for a fancy rigging jig.

 

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9 points on each side get a wee drop of CA.  The .005 monofilament is carefully attached and lightly stretched.  Note the big glue spot above the 'O' in 'Southern'...this was cleaned up after the rigging was done!

 

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Control horns...4 of them...

 

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Generator...

 

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I have the Valom kit (I used its decals) on the shelf and without that kit as a guide, I would have missed some very important aspects...some minor scratch building...

 

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A little clear red and green, some holes drilled...

 

Starboard:

 

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And port:

 

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And that, my friends, is that...I will take better images of the build tomorrow in better light.  A very fun and extremely satisfying model kit.  I suggest we all build one.

 

What I want to know...who's got the Alcock and Brown Vimy? 😉

 

--John

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by John D.C. Masters
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That's another beauty, John, great build. Glad to hear that the undercarriage and other struttery goes on without too much of a fight as that's what is looming for me. I'll pop across to the gallery now for a look. All the best. Mike

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This is a great build John and as a resident Brisbane-ite really hold this model and subject in high esteem. You've done justice to a very special Australian icon.  

Cheers and very well modelled.. Dave  

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