Airfix Stirling III

[mike romeo]

48 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

Set scriber on table at the desired height.  Place the cowling face down and turn it around, scribing the line as you go?

 

Tape around cowling and scribe line freehand?  Or just a thick paint for the plate so a ridge remains when you lift the tape? 

 

Vacform a new slightly over-size cowling and trim away all but the front?

Thanks, Graham. 

 

I'm planning on using  your scriber tip to get the lines around the cowling.  I suppose if I cover the front of the cowl in masking tape beforehand, I could also create a neat circular mask which, with the front portion removed (and the cowl opening bunged up with blu-tak or similar), could then have primer applied to create the raised portion.

 

Most useful.  Thanks again.

 

Rgds

 

Martin

[Graham Boak]

I haven't tried any of them, so I'll be interested in your results.

 

 

[woody37]

1 hour ago, mike romeo said:

Any ideas how I create the raised lip at the front of the engine cowls?  (Baffle over the exhaust collector ring?)

Another way could be to first scribe as Graham suggests then use the flexible Tamiya masking tape To mask off behind it then apply a few thick coats of primer to build the front lip up. Personally, in 72 scale I wouldn’t bother, the scribe would probably be enough but I’ve used this technique to do raises details

[mike romeo]

13 minutes ago, woody37 said:

Another way could be to first scribe as Graham suggests then use the flexible Tamiya masking tape To mask off behind it then apply a few thick coats of primer to build the front lip up. Personally, in 72 scale I wouldn’t bother, the scribe would probably be enough but I’ve used this technique to do raises details

Yep, that'd be another way.  Will see how the spirit moves me (and I'll have to order the flexible tape). 

 

I've got plenty to do in the cockpit in the meantime anyway!

 

Regards

 

Martin

[woody37]

1 hour ago, mike romeo said:

Yep, that'd be another way.  Will see how the spirit moves me (and I'll have to order the flexible tape). 

 

I've got plenty to do in the cockpit in the meantime anyway!

 

Regards

 

Martin

If you don’t use the flex tape here, it will be a valuable addition to the workbench

 

[mike romeo]

Just now, woody37 said:

If you don’t use the flex tape here, it will be a valuable addition to the workbench

 

Indeed!  I need to get some.  Another thing I really need to invest in is a punch and die set.  It's just the cost that puts me off that.

 

Rgds

 

Martin

[Paul J]

Nice nostalgia build. I recall that boxing.. one Christmas I ended up with two!!!   I wouldn't worry too much about the rivets as I recall they weren't too heavy at all.

[fatalbert]

On 4/19/2020 at 1:50 PM, mike romeo said:

Indeed!  I need to get some.  Another thing I really need to invest in is a punch and die set.  It's just the cost that puts me off that.

 

Rgds

 

Martin

Me too but the price of them is ridiculous.i have made one but with mixed results,i might have to have another go when i return to work.

[mike romeo]

Just a minor update for the moment

 

Made a floor for the lower cockpit area from wine bottle foil.  If you look closely, you can see I've embossed rivets into it.  Also added the front part of the heating duct, and legs to support the nav's table. Tomorrow I'll have a crack at the cylindrical tank that sits below the co-pilot's seat.

 

 

Turning to the flight deck, I have finished the co-pilot's seat and primed the IP.  I need to paint this, then add some of the Eduard spray-painted etch set I have.  Bot sure I want to faff about with rudder pedals.  . .

 

 

 

Last and least, I have sanded, filled and painted the main wheels.

 

 

Hopefully more soon.

Regards

 

Martin

 

 

 

[Wince]

Lovely. I’ve just splurged on an airfix Halifax and Lancaster to do when I’m furloughed but mrs wince won’t let me get a Stirling so will watch this build instead....

[AdrianMF]

Sorry, redundant post. Enjoying the build.

 

Regards,

Adrian

[Martian]

2 hours ago, Wince said:

Lovely. I’ve just splurged on an airfix Halifax and Lancaster to do when I’m furloughed but mrs wince won’t let me get a Stirling so will watch this build instead....

Have you considered disobedience?

 

Martian 👽

[mike romeo]

5 hours ago, Martian Hale said:

Have you considered disobedience?

 

Martian 👽

That may work in Martian relationships, but . . .

 

 

[Wince]

16 hours ago, mike romeo said:

That may work in Martian relationships, but . . .

 

 

I’m on thin ice as it is....

[Martian]

4 minutes ago, Wince said:

I’m on thin ice as it is....

So accept that you are going to fall through it anyway so you might as well get the kit.

 

Martian (Relationship counselling to the Galaxy)

 

Martian 👽

[Wince]

58 minutes ago, Martian Hale said:

So accept that you are going to fall through it anyway so you might as well get the kit.

 

Martian (Relationship counselling to the Galaxy)

 

Martian 👽

You are a bad influence. I like it! 

[Martian]

 

Martian 👽

[mike romeo]

Hi folks,

 

I've been making slow but steady progress on the Stirling.

 

Here's the status of the flight deck:

 

 

 

IP and pilot's seat are just blu-tacked on at the moment.  I can see some bits that need a bit of touch-up, the seats need some harnesses, and add some weathering.  There are a number of further bits of pe that I may  or may not use.

 

Here's the back office:

 

 

I may add some wiring, and all this still needs to be weathered.  I need to add a crawl way up front for the bomb aimer and a bomb sight.  What does the bombsight on the Stirling look like anyway, btw?

 

This is it all together:

 

 

It just about fits.  Should look ok with the glasswork on.

 

And the other area of current work; the tailwheel bay:

 

 

Got to trim the bulkheads to fit, add some structural detail, a roof and somewhere to fit the tail wheel legs securely.

 

Rgds

 

Martin

[bbudde]

Maybe something like this:

http://sas.raf38group.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1866

[mike romeo]

Thanks, @bbudde for the picture of the bombsight.  I'll see what I can do in that regard in due course.

 

Quick update: nearly finished what I'll be doing to the cockpit.  Close ups do no favours, but I'm broadly happy with it and after a bit of dry-brushing, dirtying and the addition of the nav's seat, should look ok under the canopy.

 

 

 

As I mentioned in my last post, I have also added a tail wheel bay, with some inaccurate gizmology therein, and 2 mahoosive mounting points for the fragile resin tail wheel legs.

 

 

So, hoping to get the last fuse additions done in the next couple of days and then join the fuse halves!

 

Rgds and keep well.

 

Martin

[mike romeo]

Right, you 'horrible lot, that's as good as it's going to get.  Time to get this fuselage buttoned up:

 

 

I find that without a flash, my work looks a lot better.  However, here's how it really looks:

 

 

And the tailwheel bay:

 

 

So, the fuse is now partially glued together and will be finished in stages tomorrow.

 

Rgds

 

Martin

[mike romeo]

Work has slowed ("what!  Further?", I hear you say.)  Well, yes.  

 

I glued the fuse together in sections.  Despite this, I was left with some reasonable mismatches although the fuse is at least straight.  Anyway, I have slathered on layers of sprue soup to try to level up the worst of the joints and, perhaps, add extra strength to the join.  I now have to wait a couple of days to let this cure before sanding, making good, and rescribing the fuse.

 

In other news, I have located the main gear structure, started de-seaming, filled some sink marks and ejection pits with the aforementioned soup, and thinned one mudguard with a sheet of micromesh wrapped around the ol' Swann Morton as shown as, despite the somewhat industrial u/c design of the Stirling, the kit representation was a bit too industrial for me.

 

 

On a variation on a theme, the sprue soup has also been used on some truly well-like sink marks on the wing (check out the remains of the one on the nearer wing fillet).  These will also be left to cure before sanding, rescribing and trying to sort the wing bend.  Incidentally, the rivets, although extensive, are very fine and I wouldn't have minded leaving them extant.  However, given the somewhat challenging fit, this was never really an option.

 

 

So, as long as one realises this is a marathon (obvs run by someone in a fancy-dress outfit rather than Mo Farah) not a sprint, progress is being made.

 

Next jobs will be to get the u/c units together, sand and rescribe fin and stabilizers, and worry about what I'm going to do with the turrets!

 

Hope you're enjoying the build.  More in due course.

 

Rgds and keep safe.

 

Martin

[Massimo]

This kit brings memories back!!!

I'll be following ith great interest!!!

Massimo

[mike romeo]

3 minutes ago, Massimo said:

This kit brings memories back!!!

I'll be following ith great interest!!!

Massimo

Nice to have you along, Massimo.  You'll have to be patient, though!

 

Rgds

 

Martin

[Paul Bradley]

HI Martin - mind if I pull up a self-isolated chair at the back? 

 

I built this old beastie a few years back now, and it was a trial. Looks impressive when its done though!  You've done some fine work in the cockpit; looking forward to the rest.