Andwil Posted January 11, 2020 Share Posted January 11, 2020 May be a lighting angle thing, but does the seat in those cockpit shots have a lighter coloured edging? AW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted January 18, 2020 Author Share Posted January 18, 2020 OK, let's get on with actually building this baby. For some reason the instructions have you start with the cockpit - crazy, I know. I don't normally follow the instructions but I figured I'd give it a try this time. So here we go. First, the instrument panel. Very nice pre-painted photoetch (with backing) is included with the kit. The fret says Eduard on it, so you get an idea of the quality. I think it looks pretty good. I like how Eduard printed the instrument faces in black, and the panel itself in a dark grey. That works quite nicely, I think, in making the instruments stand out. The overall panel is not flat, having symmetric folds on each side for a minor wraparound effect. CMR cast a lot of detail into the fuselage sides, which can be further detailed with microscopic photoetch. This is 1:72 after all. Those of you who voted black for the cockpit, please avert your vision now. I painted the interior of the fuselage and the cockpit itself with Gunze C364 from their Aircraft Interior Color (sic) Set, which I had to travel all the way to Old Blighty to purchase. I picked out some details with a 3/0 paintbrush, a silver prismatic pencil, and a light Future wash. Everything was then covered with Alclad Flat. Finally, the cockpit itself received photoetch harnesses and headrest support. The armoured panel is resin, and is part of the cockpit casting although it is very thin and delicate. The harnesses go through tiny slots in the headrest support. The rudder pedals and control column are resin - I don't normally add the control column until I'm just about finished as I'm afraid I'll knock it off when masking off the pit. Maybe this time I'll be careful. The seat adjuster controls on the starboard side of the seat are PE, as is the hydraulic hand pump handle (which should be attached to the floor, but the seat was much more convenient). Before closing up the fuselage, I need to make a mount for the compass (there was one as part of the compass, but I broke it off) and also for the gunsight. CMR actually cast the gunsight with its mounting bar, but it also was broken during shipment (I didn't do it this time!). I've built a few CMR resin kits, and this is the first where I've seen this much damage. And there's more to come (flap rails on the wings, for instance). But somewhere on my CV it says I'm a modeller... I've also been spending a LOT of time getting my new telescope ready to go. She's an ultra-light 16" f/4.5 Newtonian/Dobsonian with a sandwich mirror. I'm installing Bluetooth encoders on the azimuth and altitude axes at present. In-between spurts of modelling, of course! Cheers, Bill 27 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corsaircorp Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 On 1/6/2020 at 10:25 PM, Navy Bird said: Hi mates, Taking a breather from my Javelin mania, and what better way to recover than a resin kit from CMR? This will be my fifth CMR kit after two Buccaneers, a Scimitar, and a Sea Venom. Hmm...all FAA subjects, including this new one. What does this mean? The CMR kit comes in its typical heavy duty cardboard box which, even when empty, could crush any of those end-opening, gotta save money, flimsy boxes. However, even though the box is in great shape, some of the more delicate resin pieces suffered some damage (more on that in a moment). This is the "early" scheme boxing, and as such has some late-40s Temperate Sea Scheme markings. Interesting indeed. The wing is cast in one piece, and the undercart and flap bays are very cleverly engineered. Plus, there is some nice detail on the cockpit sidewalls. So that's what we're starting with. As you can see from the above photo, a couple of fellow Britmodellers contributed research for this kit. Mr. White graciously provided me with some help already, and I'm hoping that @tonyot will be along to keep me on the straight and narrow as the build progresses. I will need the help, I assure you! Cheers, Bill It mean that you're a man of great taste !! FAA and USN are a proof of a great taste !! Nice choice !! I'll follow since I've a 1/48 resin one !! Go ahead Sailor ! CC 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Very nice start Bill, those internals are looking great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Very nice start Bill, looking forward to watching this come together Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 On 06/01/2020 at 21:25, Navy Bird said: There has got to be a better way. There is Bill - I built the Aki Firebrand a few years back, and it's quite an amazing resin kit as most parts are on runners just like an injection kit! No more clean up than an injection kit needed and no damaged parts, The way it was presented in the box was one of the reasons I actually bought it - and it was actually possibly the best fitting kit of any material I've ever built! Just a shame that to my knowledge they only ever did two kits, the Firebrand and Sea Fury. Link below of a pic on modelling madness of the bits if you're interested; https://modelingmadness.com/review/korean/previews/tmcfbpa.jpg Anyway Bill, however the CMR bits were put in the box, they will soon be transformed into another magnificent model with Navy Bird's magic skills - the interior work already shows how nice this thing is going to turn out! Keith 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corsaircorp Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 On 1/7/2020 at 10:28 AM, Daedalus72 said: Can't wait for the 1/48 version It's done, I've got it. Resin kit, I'll be back with references... Next year, they will issue a Blackburn Shark.... Sincerely. CC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonC Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Today looking cockpit Bill, nice work. J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
71chally Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Beautiful rendered Bill, even down to the subtle seat colouring. Great info on the Ski kit @keefr22, I hadn't realised that it was that good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 15 hours ago, corsaircorp said: It mean that you're a man of great taste !! FAA and USN are a proof of a great taste !! A man of great taste? You should hear what my friends and relatives say about that! I think the most common epithet is "weird." 6 hours ago, CedB said: Very nice start Bill, those internals are looking great How did you get access to my recent endoscopic ultrasound? There are privacy laws in this country governor! 5 hours ago, Hamden said: Very nice start Bill, looking forward to watching this come together 4 hours ago, keefr22 said: There is Bill - I built the Aki Firebrand a few years back, and it's quite an amazing resin kit as most parts are on runners just like an injection kit! No more clean up than an injection kit needed and no damaged parts, The way it was presented in the box was one of the reasons I actually bought it - and it was actually possibly the best fitting kit of any material I've ever built! Just a shame that to my knowledge they only ever did two kits, the Firebrand and Sea Fury. I know all about Aki. Did you miss my build of their Sea Fury? I made the same comments as you just did! I tried to find their Firebrand kit but didn't have any luck, so I settled for the CMR kit. Aki also made kits of the Kawanishi E15K1 Shiun and the Nakajima Ki-12, in addition to a couple of small aircraft carriers. Their method of having the parts on runners requires, as I understand it, high-pressure casting which in turn means more expensive equipment and tooling. This is the reason why most resin kits are made with low-pressure casting. 3 hours ago, corsaircorp said: It's done, I've got it. Resin kit, I'll be back with references... Who makes that? I was only aware of the Magna vacuform. Cheers, Bill 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corsaircorp Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Hello Bill, Hello @Daedalus72 Here we go !! when I look at the parts, they seem to be as precise as the one of your kit !! Can't wait to start it !! Both variants are done the -4 and -5 and so on... They are now Working on the Blackburn Shark.... Dreaming now of an Avro Bison !! 2020 will be the Firebrand year since Roy Sutherland show the test sjots on his FB page ... If my memory did(nt fail, it will be an injected one !! I'm with you on grey green for the internals... Even after '48 there still was green interiors, even when the TSS scheme was changed for the sly and EDSG scheme.... Rule Britania is only for foreign countries, inside britania, the rule is... No rules... Who said Great Scotch ??? Weird ??? So, landing an aeroplane on a ship can be considered as a weird idea ??? Sincerely. CC 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Laidlaw Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 18 hours ago, Navy Bird said: I've also been spending a LOT of time getting my new telescope ready to go. She's an ultra-light 16" f/4.5 Newtonian/Dobsonian with a sandwich mirror. I'm installing Bluetooth encoders on the azimuth and altitude axes at present. Oooh! I am not going to bombard you with questions, but that sounds like the sort of light-bucket I have always wanted, but could never justify with the local light pollution. Enjoy! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Lovely cockpit, Bill Ciao 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Agreed, your meticulous style continues to amaze, Bill - perfect. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Oboy, oboy, oboy! Looking very good so far, Bill! Sorry to hear about the damaged parts on your kit- guess I better check mine! 20/20 hindsight being the norm, I wish I had snagged the Aki Sea Fury and Firebrand when they were available. Can't wait to see how yours turns out! 👍 Mike 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 6 hours ago, John Laidlaw said: Oooh! I am not going to bombard you with questions, but that sounds like the sort of light-bucket I have always wanted, but could never justify with the local light pollution. Enjoy! Bombard away! A little thread drift never hurt anyone. I had to sell my old scope (which I built myself - 12.5" f/5) because I'm old. The heaviest part was the mirror box (with mirror) and it weighed 65 lb. That's too much for me and my bad back. I almost always take my scope to a "dark sky" site, so portability is important. On the new scope, even though it's a larger diameter mirror, the mirror box is only 35 lb. Much easier for me to handle. Cheers, Bill 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 9 minutes ago, Navy Bird said: Much easier for me to handle. Should definitely make detailing cockpits and wheel bays a whole lot easier, methinks! 😜 Mike 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Laidlaw Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 1 hour ago, Navy Bird said: Bombard away! A little thread drift never hurt anyone. I had to sell my old scope (which I built myself - 12.5" f/5) because I'm old. The heaviest part was the mirror box (with mirror) and it weighed 65 lb. That's too much for me and my bad back. I almost always take my scope to a "dark sky" site, so portability is important. On the new scope, even though it's a larger diameter mirror, the mirror box is only 35 lb. Much easier for me to handle. Cheers, Bill Righty-ho! It's amazing how the technology has progressed in the last 40 or so years, isn't it? My first 'scope was an 8" f/7 (a Henry Wildey mirror - he was an institution in Britain for beautifully-figured parabolic mirrors) which weighed a ton, so I can sympathise. Please tell me the 16" is not an Obsession, or I'll cry, and that's not a sight anyone wants to see. I assume from the encoders comment that this is a "push-to" 'scope? No ticking stepper motors like my little NexStar 8 SE? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted January 20, 2020 Author Share Posted January 20, 2020 58 minutes ago, John Laidlaw said: Please tell me the 16" is not an Obsession, or I'll cry, and that's not a sight anyone wants to see. I assume from the encoders comment that this is a "push-to" 'scope? No ticking stepper motors like my little NexStar 8 SE? No Obsession, their 15" ultra-light was still too heavy for me. The new scope is from Hubble Optics from Hong Kong by way of Texas: http://hubbleoptics.com/UL16.html The mirror "test report" that came with the scope was a document that simply stated the results of their testing, it did not have any interferograms like the leading mirror guys. It says P-V 1/15 wave, RMS 1/50 wave, and a 0.98 Strehl ratio. I'll believe that when I see it! Those are some pretty crazy numbers. I'll be happy if it's diffraction limited. Fingers crossed. I selected this scope almost entirely based on the weight, but not until I had talked to a few folks who own one. They were all pretty happy. There is a bit of "tweaking" one has to do in order to get the scope the way you like it, so it's certainly not like an Obsession which is sweet right out of the box. After assembling the new scope, it seems to be pretty good and solid mechanically, but its motions could be a bit smoother. Push to, for sure. That's what I'm used to. I can use a tablet to connect via Bluetooth (so they say, haven't tried it yet), and do my alignment and target selection on the tablet. I'll probably use Ski Safari Pro. Gotta get a sheet of red film to put over the screen though... Cheers, Bill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Laidlaw Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 22 minutes ago, Navy Bird said: No Obsession, their 15" ultra-light was still too heavy for me. The new scope is from Hubble Optics from Hong Kong by way of Texas: http://hubbleoptics.com/UL16.html The mirror "test report" that came with the scope was a document that simply stated the results of their testing, it did not have any interferograms like the leading mirror guys. It says P-V 1/15 wave, RMS 1/50 wave, and a 0.98 Strehl ratio. I'll believe that when I see it! Those are some pretty crazy numbers. I'll be happy if it's diffraction limited. Fingers crossed. I selected this scope almost entirely based on the weight, but not until I had talked to a few folks who own one. They were all pretty happy. There is a bit of "tweaking" one has to do in order to get the scope the way you like it, so it's certainly not like an Obsession which is sweet right out of the box. After assembling the new scope, it seems to be pretty good and solid mechanically, but its motions could be a bit smoother. Push to, for sure. That's what I'm used to. I can use a tablet to connect via Bluetooth (so they say, haven't tried it yet), and do my alignment and target selection on the tablet. I'll probably use Ski Safari Pro. Gotta get a sheet of red film to put over the screen though... Cheers, Bill Crikey, those are nice specs. I've always taken exceptional test results as an indication of quality, rather than computer-like performance... diffraction limits everything, and the slightest waft of body-heat, stray light, atmospheric cells, or high-altitude moisture (eww) will reduce performance to a fraction of capability. But, yes, fingers crossed! I haven't yet met a 'scope that doesn't require at least some work to get it working the way the owner likes. It's a bit like tuning the carbs and timing on a car. A bit of a faff, but worth it. Enjoy, Bill. It sounds like you're onto a winner with that setup :). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted January 20, 2020 Author Share Posted January 20, 2020 Oh my God. I just spent yet another 200 quid at Hannants. Is there group therapy for this disease? Cheers, Bill 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 57 minutes ago, Navy Bird said: Is there group therapy for this disease? Sorry Bill, no, and it's incurable 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 Actually, there is a group therapy, it's called Modelling Club; but it only makes it worse... Ciao 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedders Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 Oh no, I'm late for lessons again. But I'll catch up quickly I promise. On the Firebrand, the cockpit canopy looks all Sea Fury to me, all restrained and shapely. But the tail seems like it was designed on a Friday afternoon before the summer holidays, or was borrowed from a Vultee Vengeance, and could have done with a bit more...refinement! Good luck. And I'll be following. Justin 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted January 21, 2020 Author Share Posted January 21, 2020 3 hours ago, Bedders said: On the Firebrand, the cockpit canopy looks all Sea Fury to me, all restrained and shapely. It's not just the cockpit canopy that look all Sea Fury, check out the engine installation: The hinged access panels and exhaust area, are all very similar. It's almost like the Centaurus engine installation and cowling were a standard "sub-assembly" that was bolted onto different aircraft. Cheers, Bill PS. Off to close up the fuselage... 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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