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Airfix Short Sunderland to Empire


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A while ago I acquired an Airfix Sunderland from a well known auction site for a very reasonable sum indeed:

4803-D6-DB-EB6-E-4659-B12-A-FCAE88-F189-

 

 It was not in the best condition but I thought it might do for a long term daydream that I have. More to follow...

 

Regards,

Adrian

 

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45 minutes ago, AdrianMF said:

This is not going to be out of the box. First baby steps taken:

2-D7-DC943-ACF0-403-B-A02-A-E658-C610645

 

Thanks for looking,

Adrian

The scope for fuselage interior detail is huge - much much more than my Shackleton, should you feel that way inclined. I will watch this with considerable interest.

 

Pete

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20 hours ago, JosephLalor said:

Empire?

Well done that man!

 

I have no-o-o-ooo idea how this is going to go. I have scaled up and traced round the Brian Cassidy plans and I have a far fetched notion of plank building with plastic card round a profile and bulkheads, with lashings of filler to fill in the gaps. I’m going away for work for the next two weeks so I might take some stuff for the two weekend days I am not working or on a plane. Although I will probably end up working.. :(

 

if it all all fails I will just find a gigantic lump of balsa...

 

Regards,

Adrian

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Ah yes, an Empire. I had considered this conversation myself some way back but bottled it when I discovered how much work it would take.  There is a thread somewhere on the Classic modelling page with advice and suggestions I was given.

 

Well worth following, Adrian

 

 

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...although there are many (no doubt posed) photos of very relaxed and informally-dressed passengers on board. The artist has captured the “box with rounded corners” aspect of the fuselage, a feature that I hope will help me when construction begins.

 

I’m still at the stage of trying to understand the  shape before I start cutting anything. It is quite a lump from some angles, but then it looks really graceful from others.

 

Regards,

Adrian

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Definitely in on this. I was good friends with an ex Imperial pilot who flew the boats pre-war. Ended up as flight engineer on the Comet and flew the inaugural flight to Cape Town. Sadly missed!

 

Ian

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15 hours ago, DMC said:

Perhaps you’ve already seen it

Dennis, thanks for the link. I have had a look at it (with the Sunderland fuselage in my hands) and I am going to try a different approach.

 

Regards,

Adrian

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3 hours ago, AdrianMF said:

I am going to try a different approach.

 

Regards,

Adrian

So might I, I think.  This conversation just won’t go away.  I thought I had put it permanently to bed but here it pops up again and I am looking at Sunderland kits on eBay.  And I’ll wager I am not alone.

 

One more link and I promise to just watch and learn.

 

 

https://www.modelflying.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=75111&p=1

 

Dennis

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2 hours ago, DMC said:

This conversation just won’t go away.

I know exactly what you mean. I had the same moth-to-a-flame dance with the Frog Beaufort for several years before diving in.

 

I have looked through that link too and even watched all the videos!

 

Regards,

Adrian

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Just seen this Adrian. I have no doubt at all that you will be able to pull this one off - but whether it will be by the end of this GB might be a little more in doubt given the huge amount of work involved. I will be following along though.

 

P

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I'm glad the last fortnight is over. Two weeks, three states (CO, CA and NY), half a dozen customer and prospect meetings and a two day trade show. And in the middle of it all our car got broken into in a busy car park and we lost four laptops, two phones and my passport, all out of sight in the trunk, in under ten minutes. Too much fun.

 

Back home at last at the bench, I've started cutting out some bulkheads. These probably won't make it into the final model but I want to try to get a feel for the shapes:

20191020-112202.jpg

 

Thanks for looking,

Adrian

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Glad to see you back, Adrian, but what a dreadful ending to your trip. 

 

While led you were away and prompted by your build,  I bought a copy of Corsairville, The Lost Domain of the Flying Boat.  @Turbofan recommended the book to me back when had inquired about the possibility of a Sunderland/Empire conversion.  Lovely little book with many contemporary photos if you ever need a mojo restorative.

 

Following with interest.

 

Dennis

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