AdrianMF Posted November 7, 2019 Author Share Posted November 7, 2019 15 hours ago, JWM said: Can you offer vac fuseages I need to see if I can make them first... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMC Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 Litho plate it, Adrian. But what a job that would be. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 I’ve only just discovered this, Adrian - and immediately followed it; epic stuff, and being executed with aplomb! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 (edited) I've dug through my copies of Wonders of World Aviation, a partwork issued on the runup to WW2. The Empire Flying Boats get a bit of coverage inside. I hope these shots will help in some way with your build. The shot of Canopus is a double page spread and looks magnificent in the flesh. The Magazines are full of really good period shots of the current planes, there's a lot of Civil aviation stuff, possibly more than the military entries. There's usually a double page centerspread and quite a few issues have three page colour foldouts. Bound volumes, there's two, come up quite frequently on that online auction site and usually don't fetch a lot. I got my bound volumes and a loose set as well for under £30 the lot! There's another period partwork available, Wonders of World Engineering, that also feature the Empire boats. I don't have any copies though. link here... https://wondersofworldengineering.com/flyingboats.html Tony. Edited November 8, 2019 by TonyW 7 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted November 8, 2019 Author Share Posted November 8, 2019 9 hours ago, TonyW said: I hope these shots will help in some way with your build. Thanks Tony! Very useful. And thanks to @spaddad too for some pm’d info too. One sleep to Telford. Time to start on my vacformer: I need to find a 20mm wood drill (I know I’ve got one in the garage somewhere) and stick it all together. The triangular bits are to stop the top and bottom sucking inwards when the vac is on (although I think I need more). I’m hoping that 280 1.5mm holes will provide enough suck. Time to write my list for Telford. No kits, just materials and paint. Although if I see a Dora Wings Lysander I could be tempted. I guess there will be a Britmodeller meet up at the Brum stand at 1? Thanks for looking, Adrian 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 This gets better by the minute. The vac form machine is really interesting, don't spare the pictures here. Your prototype work will be stolen at the earliest opportunity. 😉 The whole thread is shoving me towards a project I've wanted to have a crack at for years now. Apologies for the hijack, but this big bit of paper has been daring me to do something with it for ages now... [/url I'm going to have a stern word with myself here. In the words of Outraged of Cheam, Somthing must be done about this! Thanks for the 8 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 (edited) Then of course there is always the militarised Short G Class boats - those BP turrets could come from the Airfix Defiant kit which could then be turned into a target tug or something! Pete Edited November 8, 2019 by PeterB 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greggles.w Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 Enjoy the show! Apparently there’s a ‘splash’ display with a full suite of Schneider Trophy racers to be seen .. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted November 8, 2019 Author Share Posted November 8, 2019 2 hours ago, TonyW said: big bit of paper That looks like a classic plan in the spirit of Aircraft of the Fighting Powers Vol1. I think I’d have to stare at a bunch of photos before I trusted it. I’m starting to realise the Empire is really well documented compared to Maia/Mercury and the G class. It seems so weird to build a whole flying boat of a unique design just for a short flight to carry the Mercury to cruising height, but I guess that’s what they’re doing now with SpaceShip Two and the Stratolaunch. I’d like to get my hands on the person that decided to destroy all the Short bros drawings... But in the meantime I’m more than happy to share my upcoming vacform adventures... Regards, Adrian 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted November 8, 2019 Author Share Posted November 8, 2019 39 minutes ago, greggles.w said: splash’ display I will be looking for that! (and I am aware of the phrase “pictures or it didn’t happen”...) Regards, Adrian 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonners Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 Adrian, I've just emptied a bookcase to move it as I'm redecorating my lounge, and I've discovered the July 2015 back-issue of Aeroplane Monthly. The subject of the 'Database' feature is the Short Empire series - have you seen/got this magazine? If not, are you interested? Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted November 10, 2019 Author Share Posted November 10, 2019 5 hours ago, Jonners said: The subject of the 'Database' feature is the Short Empire series Jonners, I have not seen this. I would be interested. Would it be possible to scan it? Had a great day out at SMW yesterday, more of which anon, despite the appalling weather driving back. Back to work on the vacformer: It was only after drilling the 20mm hole for the vacuum cleaner pipe and thinking it looked a bit small that I realised I’d mis-measured and I don’t have a 30mm drill. Grrrr. Thanks for looking, Adrian 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 Such one? - i will not be difficut to get... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted November 10, 2019 Author Share Posted November 10, 2019 So, SMW was a grand day out. @perdu held the 1pm Britmodeller gathering at the Birmingham table (thanks Bill!) and @CedB brought the American contingent as part of their UK tour, and it was lovely to meet up. Before SMW I was having issues with these: With a lot of sanding and trimming and scoring and chiselling, and a copy of a FROG Blenheim Mercury, I’d got to here, and didn’t much fancy having to do it again three more times: My daughter came along with me for the road trip. When we got to Wonderland Models stand she pointed out a group of guys rummaging through some boxes on the floor. The man from Wonderland told me that they were scrap Italeri sprues, at £2.50 a pop or five for a tenner. After I joined in the rummage, lo and behold: Two immaculate Italeri Sunderland sprues, four engines, cowlings and props with a pile of other goodies! I was dreading the engines and propellers on this, now it looks like a walk in the park... I also found two similar Stirling sprues for an upgrade to my Airfix kit and a Canberra wing sprue to upgrade my Old Airfix wing with the too-small engines. A tenner well spent! Those sprues and a Dora Wings Lysander were all I bought on the model front. The rest was supplies: Milliput, tape, tube, strip and some more roundel decals, so it was a very modest outing. Thanks for looking, Adrian 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted November 10, 2019 Author Share Posted November 10, 2019 1 minute ago, JWM said: not be difficut to get ...just impossible on a Sunday afternoon in the UK. There go my plans for having a go tonight! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 1 minute ago, AdrianMF said: ...just impossible on a Sunday afternoon in the UK. There go my plans for having a go tonight! Some years ago there was a break into the old house which our family has in country. Nobody lives there, so I discovered it during Sunday visit for sight seeing. I called police but I need a padlock to close house since the doors were destroyed. An it this small (3000 inhabitans) town 100 km east of Krakow I have found a Chineese shop operating on Sunday afternoon! I am sure that in a "town" like London there must be some open Chineese or Jewish shops around even on Sunday evening! By leavenig jokes apart - the great luck with spare parts for almost free! I have to learn the vacu technology, it is very usefull, so I will look carefully how you do it. Cheers J-W 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonners Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 Great ‘win’ with those sprues, and I really like the vacformer design. Might have to give that a go myself one day... 1 hour ago, AdrianMF said: Jonners, I have not seen this. I would be interested. Would it be possible to scan it? That was my plan, if you didn’t have it. I’ll see if I can do it this evening. Jon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pheonix Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 Looking at your vacuform setup that looks like a piece of heavy engineering to me. What we do in order to make models! Looks very good BTW - I will be very interested to see how well it works. P 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 Again, monumental, magnificent work, Adrian. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted November 10, 2019 Author Share Posted November 10, 2019 Well this is the state of play: I need a bigger hole (going to be interesting because flat drills and hole saws rely on the middle being there to stay centred), and the hull needs another round of fill-sand-prime and halving. Then I can vac it. If I get vac’d before Wednesday I can take it on my next work trip and model in the evenings, if not then KUTA beckons! Thanks for looking, Adrian 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMC Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 Epic, Adrian, epic! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonners Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 Adrian - PM sent. Jon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted November 12, 2019 Author Share Posted November 12, 2019 Vac Day... Halves split without too many tears, 40thou/1mm spacers added to allow air under: New hole, same size as the vac nozzle now! The halves are blutacked to the board and the cockpit roughly filled. The glue should have done its job, but a bit of packing tape to seal the box edges: Note the vent holes behind the steps and in the concave curves. Plastic card secured to frame with staples and heat resistant aluminium tape: Two minutes under the grill, vac on and KABOOM! Removed from the mould: Some mould damage: Stuck to the plastic: Main problem is that it didn’t get down to the corner over the flat top (but it’s a flat top so fixable): Time to test fit: I don’t know what to think yet: * mould damage * somewhat wavy surface * failure to get the top corner (put at an angle next time?) * maybe make a tougher plaster mould from this one But it looks more like an Empire than a blob of melted plastic. Thanks for looking, Adrian 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandboof Posted November 12, 2019 Share Posted November 12, 2019 Awesome work Martin H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristol boy Posted November 12, 2019 Share Posted November 12, 2019 I'm mightily impressed by that! If you fancy going into production I'd be happy to purchase a fuselage from you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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