mick b Posted August 29, 2019 Share Posted August 29, 2019 (edited) Hi All, Some of you may have seen me asking questions regarding colours for various bits of the early Car door Typhoons as I am slowly building the Airfix beast. It is a masterpiece of design and engineering however the parts do require a great deal of cleaning up to remove mould lines and a great deal of test fitting to ensure all is square before committing to glue. Generally spraying the major assemblies with Tamiya cans and various shades of black to try and provide some contrast in the interior and on the engine a little. Also applying the Roy Sutherland home made wash to lift some details. I am often referring to the revised How to Build guide by Brett Green which includes a car door build by James Hatch and I would recommend the book to anyone attempting this... Apologies for the standard of images RB Productions radiator grille used which is an improvement on the kit version. Airscale individual instrument decals used Eduard seat belts fitted but maybe a little two dimensional in hindsight? Some other parts in progress; next stage is to attach the radiator and then the lower wing to the main cockpit assembly. All comments welcome. Mike Edited March 30, 2020 by mick b 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phildagreek Posted August 29, 2019 Share Posted August 29, 2019 Looks impressive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Tip Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 😲 This is one of these times when a "like" - button isn't enough... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.1127 Posted August 31, 2019 Share Posted August 31, 2019 Lovely start, especially the instrument panel. Looking forward to watching this progress. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted August 31, 2019 Share Posted August 31, 2019 Ah, the big beast in all it's WIP glory! Great start in the cockpit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pale Rider Posted September 2, 2019 Share Posted September 2, 2019 Nice work, & i have one in my "to do pile" so will be watchin with interest.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thom216 Posted September 2, 2019 Share Posted September 2, 2019 Some great work on that 'pit. And from that angle the seat belts look perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick b Posted September 2, 2019 Author Share Posted September 2, 2019 Thank you all for your kind comments, this evening some more progress with various pipes, ignition harness and the radiator fitted, to be honest some pipes were a complete bugger to fit and some that are totally hidden have been omitted as I intend to have the starboard side covered and port open as per James Hatch’s model which, as he says, helps keep some of the brutish shape of the Tiffies nose intact. Again apologies for the standard of my images taken with my iPad in artificial light. Undercarriage fixing points also fitted as can be seen here, next stage is to attach lower wing. Mike 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted September 3, 2019 Share Posted September 3, 2019 Those dreaded oil pipes strikes again! Totally the correct decision to leave them off... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick b Posted October 13, 2019 Author Share Posted October 13, 2019 (edited) Hi All, another month passes since my last post and some progress to report. Lower wing and separate tips added together with gunbay detail on the one side I will have on view, painted out to represent the leather lining although this is disputed but it breaks up the aluminium finish a bit. Also added fuel tanks, again the colour of which is often debated but I went with the early war finish of brick red as opposed to black ( seen on Hendon example) or the aluminium suggested by the instructions. I later realised I should not have drilled out the recognition lights as seen either side ahead of the wheel bays for an early car door tiffing. I will fill in at some point. Some more detail added to the engine including ignition harness and more pipes. These are the kit ammo boxes and Eduard Resin Hispano cannons. The latter were said to be superior to the kit examples and this is the case as it avoids having to remove seams from the kit versions but my resin barrels were warped and needed straightening after dipping in hot water. I have also had to rub down the barrels as can be seen in order to get them to slide through the holes in the wing spar but that section will not be seen. I intend to build a short cannon shroud version which will have the recoil spring on show hence me buying these and apparently the Master versions although probably better again are not the best of fits? All comments welcome, moving onto the fuselage fitting stage soon so will update soon and hopefully before another months passes. Cheers Mike Edited October 13, 2019 by mick b 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phildagreek Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 This is impressive stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick b Posted December 9, 2019 Author Share Posted December 9, 2019 (edited) Well I was wrong and over a month has passed 😂 The Eduard cannons have been more work than I expected and a real pain to fit in some respects, getting the feed drum close to the bulkhead is the main issue as the hole in the spar isn’t wide enough to accommodate the extra detail on the eduard resin, so you need to decide to either widen the hole in the spar or remove the detail on the cannon and I chose the latter as it was the easiest option. If the drums aren’t snug then the the ammo boxes and shells won’t line up with the feed chute, in hindsight maybe more work than they are worth but live and learn... In an earlier post I mentioned I wasn’t overly keen on the eduard seat harness either and so at Telford I bought the HGW set. This has proven to be fiddly with the seat in situ already but I think it’s an improvement in the 3D stakes, the remainder will be fitted at a later stage. Pretty much ready for the fuselage and upper wings now! The fuselage has been glued along the majority of its length but the forward end around the engine firewall left unstuck in order to get a better fit and not stress the joint so much prior to fitting. The rear deck relevant for the car door has been fitted and a little milliput applied to fair in . Cheers Mike Edited December 9, 2019 by mick b 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick b Posted January 4, 2020 Author Share Posted January 4, 2020 (edited) Another year over...and still plodding on with this beast. Upper wing panels and fuselage on, generally an excellent tight fit, a little fettling required. Leading edge lights fitted prior to the panels and now protected by tape whilst sanding down the join on the wings. Also temporarily taped together the long cannon shrouds to protect the resin barrels. This model has now become noticeably heavier and a handful! All comments welcome. Mike The joint above the oil tank that was left unstuck before allowed some flexibility in fitting the fuselage to the wings, it was quite springy so held together with tape and liquid glue run in. Fuselage just needs fitting of belly section to be complete, the tailplanes, elevators, ailerons and rudder are ready to put on also so not far off completing the main airframe. Edited January 4, 2020 by mick b 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony in NZ Posted January 4, 2020 Share Posted January 4, 2020 Lovely work Mick, pleased to see progress on this. Keep it up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick b Posted March 29, 2020 Author Share Posted March 29, 2020 Hi everyone, hope you’re all keeping safe and well. Two months passed since my last post and the monster’s progressing still and becoming increasingly difficult to manhandle. Wings now virtually complete with flaps, ailerons fitted with minimum fuss and only a little filler required, tailplane and rudder also on again with milliput to fill some gaps and even the surfaces. More milliput and plastic putty on the underside as I had a sizeable gap between the rear radiator assembly and the main panel. Close up of cockpit area and wing roots again showing where I felt filler was required, the main cockpit coaming is known to be a poor fit but this maybe down to the sit on the instrument panel, a bit of fettling was required for a better fit and rivets and panel lines will need reinstalling at a later stage. The front panels also need some persuasion to fit, thinning down of mating edges and smoothing in with milliput. Despite having bought and fitted the Eduard resin cannons it transpires that the airframe I am building had the flat recoil springs model of Hispano which means the recent purchase of the exquisite Master miniatures was necessary. Thus the cannon shrouds are cut back by 4mm to facilitate the fitting of the detailed ends. Milliput added to fair in once dry. Maybe wasted my money on the Eduard cannon but the breeches and ammo feed drums are better than the kit version so not a complete waste. All comments welcome Mike 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick b Posted April 18, 2020 Author Share Posted April 18, 2020 Hi, Hope you’re all staying safe and well... A little progress to report on the Tiffie; the modified cannon shrouds have been fitted with a wipe of plastic putty around the joins. Another engine cowling panel was eventually fitted after some thinning down of the internal frame, it’s my intention to fit the top one too so the brutal lines of the Typhoon can be appreciated from one side. Although a great deal of detail will be lost I know it’s there and had fun building it.. I am building R7713 PR -Z which was often the mount of Johnny Baldwin and, having consulted Typhoon expert Chris Thomas, come to the conclusion that the machine did not have the fishplates at the time of the photograph I am working from but probably the steel band that preceded the fishplates modification and so I have taped off the fishplates with the intention of filling the gap between with milliput and sanding down to replicate the doped fabric covered steel band. Many thanks to Chris for providing an image of this to work from as well as lots of other very useful info for this particular machine 👍😊. I have added some of pipework details to the wheel wells and these proved particularly fiddly for my sausage fingers and there is still more to go in And finally I used some coloured navigation bulbs from a CMK set to put in the wingtip lights held in with Kleer. All comments welcome Mike 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick b Posted May 13, 2020 Author Share Posted May 13, 2020 (edited) Hello all, Some more progress, in the previous post I mentioned that this early airframe is likely to have had the steel band fitted in an attempt to strengthen the tail and according to Chris Thomas and his records probably never had the fishplates fitted. So having filled the gaps in between the moulded fishplates with milliput, sanded down etc I have a fairly acceptable result. The bands were doped over so I won’t add in rivets and there is very little info on these bands and am purely judging this from a photo that Chris kindly supplied. I sprayed the area with Tamiya primer to highlight any defects. As I wanted to show the brutish lines from one side of the model I added the topmost engine cowling panel which needed some persuasion to fit and a little perfect putty at the rear edge. View from port showing what is to be left on display The armoured glass panel was glued to the backrest and the area sprayed Tamiya NATO black. Again as as this is an early machine I needed to remove the cockpit vents moulded on both sides of the fuselage, two on port and one starboard. The latter actually produced a hole once removed so this required filling. The wheel wells were completed with regards the wiring and struts and oxygen bottles. And finally some work done on the cockpit glazing and doors. I had resisted buying the Eduard cockpit interior set but thought the doors are really lacking detail so recently took the plunge and have also added some of the supplied placards etc in the cockpit also. I added some evergreen rod to extend the winding handles and the circular frame fitted to the windscreen actually fitted better once I had accidentally snapped it in half ! 😂 All comments welcome, stay safe everyone Cheers Mike Edited May 13, 2020 by mick b 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick b Posted June 11, 2020 Author Share Posted June 11, 2020 (edited) Hi All, Some minor progress but getting close to finishing... Finished fitting the HGW seat belts using gorilla wood glue, modified the Eduard securing point on the turtle back by replacing their belt with spare HGW strap. Aerial fitted and having looked at a couple of photos decided the lamp in the kit was too puny so I cut a section off the clear sprue in the kit and shaped the top and polished with sanding sticks, painted a black band around the bottom and glued in position having removed the supplied option. Also the gunsight is painted having had mould lines removed and sanded and polished. Currently painting the two doors, so next stage is fitting of the windscreen, rear canopy and port door ready to begin the enormous task of painting this beast. Belts complete, gunsight fitted. New lamp fitted HGW belt used to replace Eduard PE strap. Belts will have a wash applied to reduce their brightness in due course. All comments welcome Mike Edited June 11, 2020 by mick b 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Bradley Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 Nice work, Mike! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 This is looking great. Great to see a car door one being built. really neat work so can't wait to see the paint on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick b Posted June 11, 2020 Author Share Posted June 11, 2020 2 hours ago, Paul Bradley said: Nice work, Mike! Thanks Paul👍 4 minutes ago, woody37 said: This is looking great. Great to see a car door one being built. really neat work so can't wait to see the paint on Cheers Neil, to be honest painting this monster is going to be the biggest hurdle! 😂 Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 9 minutes ago, mick b said: Thanks Paul👍 Cheers Neil, to be honest painting this monster is going to be the biggest hurdle! 😂 Mike Hope you've stocked up on paint rollers from B&Q? 😂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick b Posted June 11, 2020 Author Share Posted June 11, 2020 11 minutes ago, woody37 said: Hope you've stocked up on paint rollers from B&Q? 😂 Yeah and a tin of magnolia for it 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick b Posted February 13, 2021 Author Share Posted February 13, 2021 (edited) ,Well after 8 months (!) I have managed to get back onto this and now preparing for the paint. Masked off and sprayed with Tamiya grey primer to highlight any gaps and blemishes plus the need to rescribe a few panel lines and rivets ( both achieved with RB products) around the nose area where filler was used to blend in. The wheel wells were covered using the unused wheels up doors and also the lower nose panels on the port side were made to fit with a Dremel to help mask off those areas. Port side cannon bay covered temporarily with unused panel for masking. The cartridge chutes were filled with Kristal Kleer to prevent paint getting up into the one open cannon bay. I intend to try the Tamiya acrylic rattle cans, even though I do have an airbrush, for the main colours due to the size of the beast, wish me luck! 😀 Mike Edited February 13, 2021 by mick b 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flounder_al Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 Just had a catch up on this Mike. Looks fantastic 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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