Heather's Workbench - building a Civvie Auster

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Excellent progress and good solutions to the challenges, Heather.

Cheers

[Heather Kay]

21 minutes ago, Moa said:

Excellent progress and good solutions to the challenges, Heather.

Cheers

Thank you. Coming from such a master, that is praise indeed. 
 

 

Basic brushed aluminium coat everywhere. It’s hard to tell from the two photos of the plane I’m (not quite) building, but the belly tank could be a darker colour. Then again, it may as well be shadows at play, so I’ve gone with aluminium. The wing struts do appear to be a different colour, though, and my interpretation is a blue like the registration code. 
 

That reminds me I need to get some clear transfer sheet in so I can have a play at printing my own registration for this model.

[LorenSharp]

2 hours ago, Heather Kay said:

Cheers chaps!

 

 

Lego has been deployed. Starboard wing and struts glued - I hope. As you can also see, the port struts didn’t survive extraction. I think there was actually a tiny mould flaw that gave rise to a weakness where it broke.

 

Walking away now to avoid the temptation of fiddling before the glue has set.

Excellent solution with lego rig.  As the wise man said  "Invention is a mother.... when it's a necessity"

[John Aero]

I note that your Auster spent some time in Kenya and met it's end in a mid-air collision with a Forney F.1A Aircoupe in 1969. A sad ending.

 

John

[Hamden]

 

Your Auster is coming together now and really looks the part

 

 Stay safe         Roger

[Heather Kay]

22 minutes ago, John Aero said:

I note that your Auster spent some time in Kenya and met it's end in a mid-air collision with a Forney F.1A Aircoupe in 1969. A sad ending.

Indeed. Both pilots were killed in the accident, sadly.

[Bengalensis]

Lovely little project and very nice with the personal connection. Good work, will be interesting to follow.

[AdrianMF]

Nice work! It’s looking lovely.

 

Regards,

Adrian

[Heather Kay]

No piccies just now. All the parts are fitted now. I’ve decided to chicken out of the wind generator and pitot tube, but I could always revisit them later. Some final paint touching up to do, and then a wait while I source some transfer sheet so I can make the registration markings.

 

I rather feel I rushed this build. Then again, it’s not a complicated kit, despite the lack of location points. Most of the parts fit well, and the only filler I used was on the belly. I suspect I could have done a better job, but Best Beloved will like it.

[Martian]

This is turning into a little gem Heather. It has even got me wondering where my Sword 1/48 kit is.

 

Martian 👽

[Anthony in NZ]

Very inspiring indeed!  I am rebuilding an Auster T,7 WE552 back to flight, and am loving see what you are doing....The Auster needs more love!

 

Oh how I would love a 1/32 scale kit of one...

 

Keep up the great work!!

 

Cheers Anthony

[Heather Kay]

13 hours ago, Martian Hale said:

It has even got me wondering where my Sword 1/48 kit is.

I think it’s fair to say the larger scales suit these little planes. It’s such a tiny thing at 1/72nd it makes a Miles Magister positively palatial!

 

 

 

 

These will do for a temporary RFI until I get the transfers sorted out.

 

Thanks for watching everyone, and pitching in with information and details on the planes. I am afraid it’s back to aggressive types again.

[Martian]

What size of decals do you need Heather? I have a good selection of Aeroclub British registration decals and might have something that will do the job.

 

Helpful of Mars 👽

[Heather Kay]

14 minutes ago, Martian Hale said:

I have a good selection of Aeroclub British registration decals

If you see the photo of the real plane earlier, you can see the letters on the tailplane. I guess they’re going to be no more than 2 or 3mm high. I think they’re in a blue, as well. 
 

If you have anything that fits that bill, I would be grateful.  I have been meaning to have a crack at making my own transfers for a long time, and I still hope to see if I can make them for this build anyway. 

[John Aero]

Your Auster was in truth a bit of an odd bird. It started life as G-ALUE the final production Autocrat. It went to Kenya as VP-KKG and later returned to UK where it was converted as an Auster J1S by the fitting of a Chipmunk Gipsy Major 10 engine, whence it became G-AMVN.

Heather, I might be able to help with suitable letter decals from my personal stock if you would like to contact me.

 

John

Edited April 26, 2020 by John Aero
Further info.

[Martian]

I would agree about the colour being blue although red could be a possibility. Did the aircraft have wing registrations and if so, any idea of size there? They would probably be bigger.

 

Martian 👽

[John Aero]

I would suggest the aircraft carried the required Port under and Starboard upper wing registrations plus the vertical tail..

 

John

[Heather Kay]

29 minutes ago, John Aero said:

Your Auster was in truth a bit of an odd bird.

 

Heather, I might be able to help with suitable letter decals from my personal stock if you would like to contact me.

You've saved me asking if you might know the history! Best Beloved and I had sort of worked out it probably had the Gipsy Major, by a bit of deduction based on the photos. Despite working through the Auster Heritage Group's web site, G-MAVN didn't show up, so we assumed it had been registered overseas, or had another registration at first. 

 

Thank you for the offer of the lettering. As with Martian, shall we say I'd like to leave it for now until I find out whether I can make my own successfully?

28 minutes ago, Martian Hale said:

I would agree about the colour being blue although red could be a possibility. Did the aircraft have wing registrations and if so, any idea of size there? They would probably be bigger.

With only two photos that we could find, it wasn't clear if there were underwing registrations at all. We've assumed it unlikely, but always open to better knowledge. Like I say to John, shall we leave it for now? Once I've worked out if I can make custom transfers satisfactorily or not, I'll be in touch. 

8 minutes ago, John Aero said:

I would suggest the aircraft carried the required Port under and Starboard upper wing registrations plus the vertical tail.

That makes sense. Oh for better photos!

[CedB]

Very smart Heather - I like that, a lot!

 

Good job  

 

Good luck with the transfers - worth getting the hang of it IMHO. My only advice would be to get some 'proper modelling' paper. I bought some cheap stuff designed, probably, for decorating mugs and the like and it was pretty useless.

[Heather Kay]

3 minutes ago, CedB said:

for decorating mugs and the like and it was pretty useless.

Noted, ta. That's what I have ordered, so we'll see what happens. 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

 Looking really nice, Heather.

good job!

[John Aero]

Heather. the Port under and Starboard upper plus tail (in lieu of fuselage letters) would be mandatory and required by Air Law. The P Ud & S Up, replaced the full span  plus fuselage sides, registration requirement.

 

John

[John Aero]

This is a pretty standard layout.

 

John

 

[John Aero]

Here you can see the topside. This modern restoration doesn't have the top registration but it does show the difficult to see cabin to wing fairings.

Both my pictures at Old Warden.

 

John

 

[Brandy]

I was going to say I thought you had the wings attached at the wrong angle. If you look at the top of the canopy, the side-to-side "metal bar" about halfway back is the wing spar, so the wing upper surface should be level with the top of the canopy at that point. John's pic above confirms that.

Otherwise looking great!

 

Ian