John Masters Posted July 7, 2020 Author Share Posted July 7, 2020 Some more components and some cockpit decals and details... Turbines, intakes, etc... And some cockpit details. I think I am going to mask all the larger clear pieces, since some of them are structural, and give them some primer so I can better see what I'm doing when it comes time to assemble. --John 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 She's coming along very nicely John, the cockpit looks great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted July 7, 2020 Author Share Posted July 7, 2020 Thanks Craig. Once the whole thing is closed up, there won't be much to see. Next steps are masking the glass bits. Regarding a GB Chat question...are STOL aircraft allows in this GB, specifically Storch or Porters? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 9 minutes ago, John Masters said: Regarding a GB Chat question...are STOL aircraft allows in this GB, specifically Storch or Porters? Not involved in hosting this GB John but I don't think so, strictly stuff that goes straight up I think, I'm sure Pat ( @JOCKNEY ) will let you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 57 minutes ago, John Masters said: Thanks Craig. Once the whole thing is closed up, there won't be much to see. Next steps are masking the glass bits. Regarding a GB Chat question...are STOL aircraft allows in this GB, specifically Storch or Porters? Sorry John Yes I'm afraid thats outwith the scope of the GB as originally intended. Going by the number different builds there is no shortage of options available as it is. cheers Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted July 8, 2020 Author Share Posted July 8, 2020 8 hours ago, JOCKNEY said: Yes I'm afraid thats outwith the scope of the GB as originally intended. That's what I thought. I was just making sure. And, yes...so many options! I might actually try to build my first Harrier! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandboof Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 Looks like you will be busy. Best of luck Martin H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted July 8, 2020 Author Share Posted July 8, 2020 This is an intimidating piece of instruction so I decided to break it up into several parts, thus reducing the number of pieces into components. I hope that makes sense. I think it will simplify the construction and add support strength to each piece. First, I masked all the glass areas since parts 180/181/182/184 are structural as well as clear and need to be treated as such. Part 180, for instance, is very strange. In the instructions it looks as if the cross-hatched areas are supposed to be panes of glass. This is not so, as the box art illustrates. I also punched out the round masks for the portholes. Next, I jumped ahead to page 8 and assembled the tail section with its rear decking. I discovered something that was an easy fix. The decking, combined with the fuselage (#39 and 16, respectively), needs to be augmented a bit to insure a clean fit and edge. This was accomplished with a bit of sprue spreading out the fuselage walls a tad. But first I assembled the tail halves. No problems there despite the lack of locating pins. And the aforementioned tail/decking dilemma and solution... Turning back to the front half of the fuselage, I decided to add the engine section to the top of the fuselage, after having glued the fuselage halves together. The amount of gaps that need to be filled here is massive, much more than you see and will require a fair amount of Milliput and careful sculpting. That will most likely be a post in itself! With that accomplished, I glued the forward intakes to the cockpit roof and attached the first two pieces of structural glass into place. In doing so I have begun to say "goodbye" to the cockpit... So here we are, with a rough dry-fit just to get an idea of the size of this thing. I have discovered that there will be large gaps in the area where the two halves meet, so large that plastic shims will be necessary, perhaps even strengthening supports on the interior. All very do-able. It looks more like I have just come from the fish mongers and am filleting my supper... --John 11 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 Well you really are knocking this huge beast into shape aren't you John. Very nice work and a good fix with spreading the rear fuselage, saved a lot of work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted July 8, 2020 Author Share Posted July 8, 2020 Just now, modelling minion said: a good fix with spreading the rear fuselage, Thanks. I might have to do a smaller bit like that in the front. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr T Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 That is an impressive kit and you look to be doing justice to it. That is a hell of a lot of fuselage to be suspended under a single rotor, I bet the people who did the stress and load calculations for the rotor head double checked their figures! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted July 8, 2020 Author Share Posted July 8, 2020 1 hour ago, Mr T said: That is a hell of a lot of fuselage to be suspended under a single rotor, I bet the people who did the stress and load calculations for the rotor head double checked their figures! And will require a fair amount of paint too! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted July 10, 2020 Share Posted July 10, 2020 Looking great john,i like it so far , I'm sure you can polish and shim it up, it doesn't put me off getting one Glynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted July 10, 2020 Author Share Posted July 10, 2020 1 hour ago, Hewy said: it doesn't put me off getting one Thank Hewy. Please get one. It is a satisfying kit if only to deduce building priorities. It's a bit pricey though... Tomorrow I'll investigate shimming and so forth... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted July 13, 2020 Author Share Posted July 13, 2020 OK. Let's get this together, fill some gaps, etc... The first thing-- I had to figure out the gap and connective issues with the fuselage. You can see my dilemma below...at least it looks mostly even. And this was my solution! I removed about 2mm of the decking using a variety of tools. And the result was this: Not so bad. The underside had a bit of a gap which was easier to rectify than the curved wall of the fuselage exterior. Plastic shims worked here... With the nose sections all assembled, the fuselage in one piece...a quick look shows some gaps, pre-primer... I decided to give it some primer to highlight the gap issue--yikes! I went through with Milliput for the main fill. I'll go back with the Revell paste to smooth things out, especially in the fuselage area. In the meantime, I forged ahead with one side of the landing gear. What a pain this is. The instructions are not very instructive yet after some blue language and some glue-y bits, I think I wrangled it into shape. The key, as I see it, is to make sure the other side looks the same! There are 17 of these little hand rails. They are all this thin and small. I understand @zebras reluctance to use them. It's tough getting them off the sprue let alone cleaning them up! So the legs are on the starboard side...minus the wheels, of course. During this section I felt like I was building an Eagle from Space:1999... I'll leave it there until this afternoon. More legs, more filler, more blue language to come! --John 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planebuilder62 Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 Dear John Cracking job, looking forward to seeing all 4 legs touching the ground. 🙂 Do you have a cunning plan ? regards Toby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted July 13, 2020 Author Share Posted July 13, 2020 2 hours ago, Planebuilder62 said: Do you have a cunning plan ? More filler and CA. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockeyboy76 Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 You are fighting the good fight with this one John. Coming together nicely, in typical Amodel style, gaps a plenty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandboof Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 Top marks for persistence Watching with interest Martin H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForestFan Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 Looks like hard work! Well done so far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted July 13, 2020 Author Share Posted July 13, 2020 6 hours ago, Hockeyboy76 said: You are fighting the good fight with this one 4 hours ago, Grandboof said: Top marks for persistence 4 hours ago, ForestFan said: Looks like hard work! Well done so far Such high acclaim! Many thanks fellows...Pushing ahead, making decisions, etc... I have completed the scaffolding landing gear legs. Looking very much like a large insect has landed on the work bench...Oh yes...assembled the wheel halves to make wheel wholes. I am happy that the box art is so large and nicely painted. It is as much help as the instruction sheet for this build. From beneath... At this point I will jump ahead a section or two and attach all the terribly thin and breakable hand rails and antennae. The cargo platform is a separate build and can be assembled as well. How that attaches to the underside of the helicopter is best left for the very end of the build. I'll post some instruction sheets to prove the point. --John 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andwil Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 Good work getting all that undercarriage struttery lined up square. I built an A-Model Mirage III a few years ago, it was a nightmare I and vowed that I would never build another of their kits. I still another mirage in the stash, probably never will build it. AW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halcyonjet Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 Immense! -not just the size of it, but especially the quality of your build. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted July 14, 2020 Author Share Posted July 14, 2020 3 hours ago, halcyonjet said: Immense! -not just the size of it, but especially the quality of your build. Thank you Dave. I am flattered. Let's wait to see the final outcome. It is big. I have a shelf big enough for everything but the rotors--I think. 4 hours ago, Andwil said: probably never will build it. I have few of those. Thanks Andwil! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desert falcon Posted July 14, 2020 Share Posted July 14, 2020 Fantastic work so far 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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