Jump to content

Boeing 314 Pacific Clipper 1/144


Recommended Posts

Because my Condor project will be more demanding that I planned. I will start also second project. This will be mostly painting training and using kit as it is.

 

So target is make old Airfix kit OOB and just replace decals in this case. Decals look totally un-usable.

 

Pacific Clipper have interesting side note in it's history and that reason I decided to build that.

 

Pacific Clipper was in scheduled flight to Auckland when attack to Pearl Harbour happened and basically normal route wasn't available anymore. Crew got instructions to return US other routes and that basically meant flying west. Route ended to be: Auckland - Gladstone - Darwin - Surabaya - Trincomalee - Karachi - Bahrain - Khartoum - Léopoldville - Natal - Port of Spain - New York.

During this flight one issue was get 100 octane fuel. And part time was used lower octane fuel due to availability. And service was limited also.

 

Here is link to story: https://medium.com/s/story/the-long-way-round-the-plane-that-accidentally-circumnavigated-the-world-c04ca734c6bb

 

So basically project is started.

 

yQGxUce.jpg

 

 

Some small fitting issues are in this kit, but but nothing major one. Like some filling in rudder that just don't fit like new Tamiya or similar.

 

XcJfmTf.jpg

 

 

And some filling in nose. Unfortunately better putty is now in 600km wrong location and I don't plan to cross border the time.

 

5rrSUZ4.jpg

 

 

And As I wrote, i don't think that I can use any of decals.

 

VUxCOTC.jpg

 

So stay safe and continue modelling 🙂

 

  • Like 12
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Such a nostalgic kit for me, I had one sitting on a little black stand in my childhood bedroom until the post-university clear out got rid of it.

Great story of a great piece of aviation too!

I'll follow with delight 😊

 

 

Jack

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Vesa Jussila said:

And As I wrote, i don't think that I can use any of decals.

Actually, it isn't that hard to tape the decal sheet flat on a cutting mat and using a new X-acto blade cut around the codes and the stripes, as the decals themselves look OK, it's the carrier film that has yellowed. On a lot of old but usable kit decals, I pretty much do this anyway, as it really cuts down on silvering- the only exception being serials and lettering that are too small to cut out each numeral or letter individually. Before doing that, you might try soaking one of the decals you're not going to use, like the 'Boeing 314 Clipper' one,  to see if the decal stays in one piece and doesn't break apart.

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Lightpainter and @72modeler, thanks for advice. I am aware of sunlight trick and I have used this cutting trick earlier. So let see what I will do I need to modify anyhow register number from NC-18605 to NC-18609. And I was thinking scanning current sheet and modify it and then reprint that..

 

Br. Vesa

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Vesa Jussila said:

I need to modify anyhow register number from NC-18605 to NC-18609. And I was thinking scanning current sheet and modify it and then reprint that..

I have messed around with my own decals for many years, and in my experience it is difficult to get a scan of a decals sheet that is good and "clean" enough to reprint in descent quality, especially on clear film like here.

 

On the other hand, this registration looks quite easy (relatively speaking at least) to draw from scratch in CAD (what I would use) or some graphics program like Corel Draw or similar, which would give you a nice clean artwork to print, in less time and with better quality than a scan would allow.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fabulous subject! I'm looking forward to this! :popcorn:

 

Agree with @Bengalensis, use the scanned artwork as a basis for a proper vector drawing. Inkscape is an outstanding open source tool available for whatever OS you're using. I don't think it would take too long for this artwork, especially given the many outstanding tutorials. I use Inkscape to draw masks and drive a cutter as well as making decal artwork. My approach would be to cut masks. Perhaps if you just printed the registration numbers and use that to manually cut masks onto Frisket Film or Tamiya masking tape sheets?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, Bengalensis said:

On the other hand, this registration looks quite easy (relatively speaking at least) to draw from scratch in CAD (what I would use) or some graphics program like Corel Draw or similar, which would give you a nice clean artwork to print, in less time and with better quality than a scan would allow.

I fully agree this comment. Need to look what is good program for my usage. But this is good practicing project. I think largest challenge is create Pacific Clipper name in this scale.

 

@dnl42 need to check this Inkscape. Thanks 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A Clipper! Here are links to the WIPs for mine (Pan Am and BOAC) if it helps:
 

 

Looks like you are making good progress already. Only thing I'd look out for is the RDF bulb-thing wasn't on the centre line, it should be offset to starboard to clear the walk area. I also binned the glass and used plastic strip and Krystal Klear instead, worked well.

 

I have spare NC-18605 decals but they are from the same boxing as yours so pretty yellow and I didn't trust them, I got a re-release (the WIP) and then used its decals to build two 314s. But I can post them to you if you are feeling brave.

 

Edited by TallBlondJohn
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This project is not stalled 🙂

 But cleaning this takes lot of time. 

 

lWePo1G.jpg

 

I said that parts fit quite well, but there is some work anyhow. Like this:

 

jBIfaGG.jpg

 

Fitting around engines is bad in my case. So this will take some time to get it in reasonable level.

Edited by Vesa Jussila
typos.
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe I should put this in other topic but looks that new Alclad primer is behaving oddly.

 

Yesterday I noticed problem with primer and cleaned airbrush totally. Today I did second layer of primer and below you can see what I needed to take out from airbrush.

 

8i6u0Dc.jpg

 

 

So this is primer I am using. Not same that I used previously from metal can.

 

CpNxSs8.jpg

 

 

 

 

  • Confused 1
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, shortCummins said:

oh dear, that doesn't look to good, did it just clog up the in paint cup?

 

rgds

John(shortCummins)

Yes that is from paint cup and not all of that what was there. I have little old primer left , I will try that next.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/13/2020 at 3:05 AM, Vesa Jussila said:

Yes that is from paint cup and not all of that what was there. I have little old primer left , I will try that next.

Did you suffer a paint-thinner incompatibility?

 

Could also be a bad batch in the new bottle. I've confirmed the few such cases I've suffered by pouring and filtering a sample. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, dnl42 said:

Did you suffer a paint-thinner incompatibility?

 

Could also be a bad batch in the new bottle. I've confirmed the few such cases I've suffered by pouring and filtering a sample. 

I think this is paint batch in new bottle. I have used same thinner with previous batches in metal can and in class bottle without problems. Good that I had unopened old bottle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/04/2020 at 15:04, Vesa Jussila said:

This project is not stalled 🙂

 But cleaning this takes lot of time. 

 

lWePo1G.jpg

 

I said that parts fit quite well, but there is some work anyhow. Like this:

 

jBIfaGG.jpg

 

Fitting around engines is bad in my case. So this will take some time to get it in reasonable level.

 

Looks like my experience - everything fitted nicely until the glue came out. I suspect the secret to building one of these things is to put the upper half of each wing to the fuselage first, maybe even with clips or bolts ot get it just right before adding extra thin glue. Then do the same with the lower wing, then glue the wing halves  together and fill the wing gaps as they wont be so obvious. Maybe only then close the fuselage? (Its a good idea to reinforce the fuselage join, I had some cracking. Then again I did drop it on the floor several times.)

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Stopped due to lack of orange paint?  I do not know if you are lock down in Warsaw or in Berlin, but if it is the first case, the internet model shops in Poland works well those days... :)

Regards

J-W

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...