Lockheed PV1 and Lodestar in 1.48 (Civil) )

[dcrfan]

I've put my build aside for a few days so thought it was time to photograph it in the scene it will live in on a Pacific WW2 airstrip with YMCA Jeep with tea for the ground crew.  

 

fullsizeoutput_1942 by tankienz, on Flickr

Edited July 19, 2020 by dcrfan
name

[DMC]

Got me at first, all those palm trees.  Does make a nice backdrop, however.  The jeep fits nicely in the dio.

 

Cheers

[rob Lyttle]

On 18/07/2020 at 02:37, dcrfan said:

I've put my build aside for a few days

Me too, I've been sidetracked. 

The problem for me is when I hit a bit of tedious tinkering that doesn't fire my attention. 

Like seats and windows. 

I tend to find something to tinker with and then I get interested in that! 

Like this..... 

 

Lodestar seating plan languishing there while I make my latest effort at wire spoked wheels for the ancient Merit kit. 

 

I'll get over it and back on the case soon. 

Basically I need to take a run at the Lockheed and not stop till the fuselage sides are joined. 

That's always a good marker. 

 

That's a great jungle airstrip, DCR . 

I have a heavily weathered F4U-1A that could sit quite happily in front of those palms! 

Edited July 19, 2020 by rob Lyttle
Correction

[DMC]

Yeah I thought so, Rob, hanging around with that lot over in Gasoline Alley again.

 

 

 

[rob Lyttle]

On 18/07/2020 at 21:07, DMC said:

hanging around with that lot over in Gasoline Alley again.

Better have a look at the Lockheed Twins, I think! I'm starting to loose my grip on reality over on the car side.... I started making a mechanic from one of the figures supplied in the Revell Spad XIII kit in 1.28 scale by beefing up the very skinny and frail form. 

And I made a driver out of a spongy modelling stuff called Silk Clay on a wire frame.....

 

So I'm in need of some Lodestar therapy. 

Something down to earth and sensible!! 

And there's nothing more grounding than making windows and fitting them. 

 

I noticed that DMC made a "template on a stick" as an aid to hole size consistency. So I made one, but all it does is confirm that my holes have a bit of variation! 

So the template gets me in the right zone but each window is finished taylor-made to fit. 

The kit transparency goes in the front window nicely, where it is supposed to go. 

Bit at a time with these.... 3 cut and fitted and I might do a couple more and that's nearly one side done

While I'm on here, I think I ought to flag up the nose cone. It's a transparent piece and it's really quite bulbous. Some pictures of the PV1 Ventura show a bulgy shape to the clear nose. It's a fair old thickness of plastic and I honed the one on the Ventura conversion by a fair amount, but it is still a bit of a bulge. That's OK as a converted bomber. But I don't think it's ever going to make a decent looking Lodestar metal nose. 

I'm thinking that a scratch built nosecone may be in order. 

Thought I would mention it..... See what you guys think.... 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

1 hour ago, rob Lyttle said:

And I made a driver out of a spongy modelling stuff called Silk Clay on a wire frame.

A Golem!!!!!

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

1 hour ago, rob Lyttle said:

See what you guys think.... 

I would use the light of Venus, bouncing on swamp gas, reflecting on the inversion layer, and condensed into a laser beam via a Fresnel lens arrangement, to carve a piece of Green Kryptonite, that way Superman will never steal it.

 (Looking fantastic, by the way)

[rob Lyttle]

Right.... I'm on it, Moa !! 

Your ideas are always worth acting on 

[DMC]

8 hours ago, rob Lyttle said:

I'm in need of some Lodestar therapy

Good, back in the fold.  I’ll put the Camelto bed for a little while (all those rib tapes are driving me a bit do-lally) and finish the Lodestar seats and maybe experiment with the windows a bit.

 

Dennis

[rob Lyttle]

I've got one side done. 

And I've done the little rear window with the same stuff, thinking it would be better than trying a liquid type later. 

That involved getting some foil on the tail modification area and around the the window opening. It looks like it's OK! Foil picks up any and every flaw and exaggerates it, so that is a relief (so far.)

 

So.... press on and aim to get the fuselage together

[DMC]

On 7/30/2020 at 11:42 PM, rob Lyttle said:

I'm thinking that a scratch built nosecone may be in order.

Go ahead and plunge it, Rob.  

 

[DMC]

A few more seats done.  The remaining three are around 50% completed so only an hour or so left and finished.  The seats aren’t exactly uniform either but as only abour 5% will be seen that’s not a problems. And, although I’ve posed some of the seats in the reclined position that is probably incorrect as b“please return your seat-backs to the upright position” is usually heard upon landing.  

 

 

 

I’ve been mulling this business of the windows over and how I might be able to avoid having to fit each one (14 in all) individually.  I have a tube of ClearFix adhesive that I bought some time ago to simulate water in a diorama.  The diorama never got made and the ClearFix has been gathering dust on a shelf.  Until now.  At first the idea was to plug the widows with PETG without fussing over the fit that much a using the ClearFix to cement them in (this stuff is very stick).  Tried it on a piece scrap but the results weren’t satisfactory.  Next light bulb moment was just to back up the opening with thin punnet plastic CA’d on the inside and then fill the recess with diluted ClearFix.  To dilute the ClearFix I used 99.9 pure (recommenced on  a YouTube video on making water effects) isopropyl alcohol. The first mix, left window, was too thick and the result was a little lumpy.  After more thinning the mix flowed into the recess right to the perimeter.  So, on to something?  Maybe, a little experimenting will tell.  

 

Thanks for dropping in.

 

Edited August 2, 2020 by DMC
Spelling

[rob Lyttle]

I'm have a hazy vague recollection moment, Dennis. 

Did I read a thread on here that featured a method of masking tape on the outside of the fuselage and the clear stuff poured from the inside.....?? 

May have been this kind of scale, or maybe a big Airliner with lots of tiny windows. 

I've never tried such a thing, but seeing your trials has a faint bell ringing, distantly

Might be worth a test while you are trying out. 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

18 minutes ago, rob Lyttle said:

I'm have a hazy vague recollection moment, Dennis. 

Did I read a thread on here that featured a method of masking tape on the outside of the fuselage and the clear stuff poured from the inside.....?? 

May have been this kind of scale, or maybe a big Airliner with lots of tiny windows. 

I've never tried such a thing, but seeing your trials has a faint bell ringing, distantly

Might be worth a test while you are trying out. 

I remember that, it was an airliner, and done with clear resin.

I have used another approach when the windows are in a flat area: replace a section larger than the window row with clear plastic, mask the windows, blend the edges of the clear part puttying and sanding into the surrounding area.

 

[DMC]

12 hours ago, rob Lyttle said:

Did I read a thread on here that featured a method of masking tape on the outside of the fuselage and the clear stuff poured from the inside.....?? 

You just might have done, Rob  I tried using the ClearFix on its own in a “window “ with a metal backup but that didn’t work at all as it stuck fast to the metal.  It sticks to everything and I doubt the tape could be removed cleanly.  I may be mistaken but I think Adrian was going to try filling in the windows on his vacuum form conversion with ClearFix.   I doubt this is an original idea.  Nothing ever is as it seems someone has tried it or a variation before.  However, had I seen it somewhere before I would have certainly credited the originator.  

 

What I’m thinking about this method is it can be done after painting, or foiling, as long as the clear inside piece is fixed firmly in place.  Losing one inside would cause problems.

 

The stuff is perfectly clear and would certainly work well on ab airliner......with a bit of practice.  A, say, 747 might be a few windows too far.

11 hours ago, Moa said:

remember that, it was an airliner, and done with clear resin.

Missed that one, Moa, but clearly there are several ways to approach the window problem.  However, no filling, sanding, etc. with this method and curtains can be painted on the clear back-up if so desired.  

 

Also, if I remember, resin sets up pretty quickly.  ClearFix needs a few hours to harden.  

 

Thanks for the input guys.  Suggestions and advice always welcome

 

 

Dennis

Edited August 2, 2020 by DMC

[rob Lyttle]

I've got all the windows done. Well, I have one toilet window to glaze yet, but it's drilled and formed ready for the last piece of clear. 

The inside view at the top looks a bit of a mess there but it's an experiment in making curtains with PPP. 

Viewing from the outside is better, and I think it's the effect I'm looking for. 

Here's the start of the curtains trial on the port side, and I took the opportunity to fit a handrail in the fuselage doorway while the access was good. 

So, tidy up the seating and the angled floor, get the cockpit area sorted, and we're nearly there! 

Woohoo

[DMC]

Looking good, Rob, and I may end up following your lead.  Continued my experiments with ClearFix yesterday and the results were less than satisfactory.  Champagne-like bubbles in the mixture probably from too much stirring.  Not good.  Tried Kristal Klear and that might just work but it took 24 hours to clear up.  All this faff might seem like a big bother but I like solving problems and if not successful I have your method as backup.  

 

I’ll post pics later.

 

Dennis

[rob Lyttle]

The fuselage is JOINED.... 

Hallelujah

Enough with the interior dabbling, I'm trying to build an aeroplane here, 

Final rear seats done, toilet door and attendant's jump seat, fire extinguisher in the corner, and I remembered the control columns up front. 

And the wing brace - not glued. Glue can be run in from the outside later. Otherwise it's just one more thing to mess up the fit. There's enough junk in there, thanks! 

The fit wasn't as smooth and trouble free as I wanted, and there's a lot of making good to be done, esp around the tail end modification. 

But, the job is done

 

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

15 minutes ago, rob Lyttle said:

The fuselage is JOINED.... 

Hallelujah

Enough with the interior dabbling, I'm trying to build an aeroplane here, 

 

Final rear seats done, toilet door and attendant's jump seat, fire extinguisher in the corner, and I remembered the control columns up front. 

And the wing brace - not glued. Glue can be run in from the outside later. Otherwise it's just one more thing to mess up the fit. There's enough junk in there, thanks! 

The fit wasn't as smooth and trouble free as I wanted, and there's a lot of making good to be done, esp around the tail end modification. 

But, the job is done

 

 

 

You teach that model, Rob!

[rob Lyttle]

5 minutes ago, Moa said:

You teach that model, Rob!

Basil Fawlty giving his car a daim good thrashing, springs to mind 

[bigbadbadge]

The PPP curtains look good and the bits visible through the door look great and it suitably busy inside.

Good to see the fuselage halves together.

Great work

All the best

Chris

[DMC]

As I’Ve said, might end up doing as you did with inserts but here are the results of some of my faffing around.

 

Left in photo: top, you can see the bubbles. middle, more bubbles.  bottom (black) better, hardly any bubbles which might be because I thinned the mix and let it sit for a bit.

 

Right: top, Kristal Klear with the punnet plastic backup.  This doesn’t look too bad except that it’s a little concave.  Another application might bring the surface up level.  bottom:  just a blob of the Klear on plastic.   I’m liking the Kristal Klear more than the ClearFix now.  Might do one window just to make sure.

 

Seats all done and primed.  What interior colour?

 

Nice work on yours.  Reserve a seat for me on the its maiden flight.

 

 

[rob Lyttle]

Some making good on the fuselage. 

As well as the joint seams there are the various infills and the major tail mod to sort out. 

 

When everything that the fuselage parts have been through is taken into consideration, I think I got off lightly! 

This is the tail end and quite a bit of filling and levelling happening there 

I think I may have lost a little bit of the dainty tapering shape as it goes to the back, hard to tell right now. 

And the cockpit roof is on. 

I'd already removed all of the glazing bar details on the top. The dry fit looked very promising but it sat a little bit high at the centre point and the side windows were a "in". 

Rather than trying heat treatments etc to adjust the shape I opted for a pair of lugs added behind the cockpit seats, just enough to catch the corners of the transparency and hold them out flush with the fuselage sides. And that was enough to lower the mid point and bring the whole lot into alignment.. 

And glue was applied 

One of the lugs is visible there in white plastic, but it should all but disappear once the glazing bars are done. 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

19 minutes ago, rob Lyttle said:

Some making good on the fuselage. 

As well as the joint seams there are the various infills and the major tail mod to sort out. 

 

 

 

When everything that the fuselage parts have been through is taken into consideration, I think I got off lightly! 

This is the tail end and quite a bit of filling and levelling happening there 

 

I think I may have lost a little bit of the dainty tapering shape as it goes to the back, hard to tell right now. 

And the cockpit roof is on. 

I'd already removed all of the glazing bar details on the top. The dry fit looked very promising but it sat a little bit high at the centre point and the side windows were a "in". 

Rather than trying heat treatments etc to adjust the shape I opted for a pair of lugs added behind the cockpit seats, just enough to catch the corners of the transparency and hold them out flush with the fuselage sides. And that was enough to lower the mid point and bring the whole lot into alignment.. 

And glue was applied 

 

One of the lugs is visible there in white plastic, but it should all but disappear once the glazing bars are done. 

Good work and good solutions.

It never ceases to surprise me how "fish-like" the fuselage is, flattened on the sides. opposite to a more rounded cross-section, often present in passenger-carrying planes.

[Andwil]

1 hour ago, Moa said:

It never ceases to surprise me how "fish-like" the fuselage is, flattened on the sides. opposite to a more rounded cross-section, often present in passenger-carrying planes.

Aerodynamically more efficient.

 

 

 

 

AW