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CAD design and 3D print - suggestions


wellsprop

3D Print Suggestions  

10 members have voted

  1. 1. 3D Print Suggestions

    • Heston Napier Racer
      3
    • Westland Dreadnought
      1
    • Supermarine S6
      4
    • Supermarine S5
      1
    • You choice not here? Comment below and I'll add it!
      2
    • Fairey Delta 2
      6
    • Bristol 188
      3


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Hi all,

 

A few of you may have seen my 1/48 CAD and 3D print of a Fairey IIIF that I'm offering as a limited run kit, I'm now looking into other aircraft types.

 

I would like some suggestions of what aircraft people might be genuinely interested in purchasing as a limited edition it (please read the suggestions requirements below).

 

There are a few requirements for an aircraft type to be modelled, it must be;

  • Not available to buy as a kit/not a planned future release,
  • Detailed plans including cross sections of the fuselage and aerofoil must be available,
  • About 30cm in 1/48 scale,
  • Have enough people interested to make my time designing it worth while 

 

I'm really looking forward to the suggestions, if there is enough interest and suitable plans, I'll add it to the to-do list!

 

Please comment your suggestions below, I'll then add them to the poll to be voted on.

 

Cheers,

Ben

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Hi Ben

Always wanted a de Havilland Drover.

AIM Transport Wings/RugRat Resins were going to do one in 1/72 and 1/48, but the pattern maker has been waiting years for a cataract op.

At this rate I'll be pushing up daisies before it appears.

Cheers

Frank

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  • 2 weeks later...

Can I suggest you have a look at the prices achieved on ebay for some obsolete vac/resin kits - in some cases fairly attrocious renditions to boot!
I'd have suggested many of de Havilland's designs have a pent-up demand, though it looks like the Eastern European manufacturers are catching on here.
I'd also urge caution on pricing. Failing to get price points right can so limit the number of sales they could render the production of a kit pointless.
I feel that Wingnuts - absolutely the benchmark for quality in their area - may have just exceeded the price:disposable income ratio for most modellers to continue purchasing after the first few. I suspect (though I will admit to error if challenged) that Rugrats wonderful and totally desirable range might suffer the same problem, by comparison to some other resin manufacturers price points .

If all you want, however, is to produce a model you've always wanted and then offer a few to like-mnded enthusiasts at whatever price you need to make it worthwhile, then by all means enjoy your hobby and have fun! There is a great tradition in 'limited edition' issues. I'll be watching with bated breath for my must-haves to turn up.

Which bring me to my list (which I believe also have commercial possibilities in both 1/72 and 1/48)

Auster AOP9

DH Leopard Moth (though I imagine someone has a 1/72 kit prepared already - there is a 1/48th scale one)

DH 6 (a biplane - is that a problem?)

DH 10 (ditto but larger!)

Piper Aztec (Monogram kits make good money for a pretty poor rendition - and the moulds were destroyed)

Piper Apache (Same as above but only available in 1/64th!)

or how about a conversion kit of a Thruxton Jackaroo for Airfix's Tiger Moth?

 

I surmise, that in years to come, there will be 3d printers in most homes, and we'll buy a one-time-only file from someone like you to download and print at home.

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Blimey Ben, @wellsprop quite the :worms: you've just opened! For every answer you get there'll be 5000 others!

Firstly, I'd suggest you have an email conversation with Alan @Icelandic Fine Art. While Alan works with resin he hasn't gone down the 3D print route.........YET!

As long as you are aware of each other, and you can talk, it'll save you both time, effort and heartache, once Alan's production restarts.

With your list at the top of the post, I sense you have a liking for 20's / 30's slightly off the wall prototypes / one off's?

Think you'll find there has either been a recent addition to the S5 / S6 stable in 72nd? or there's one imminent. There's also been an S4? S5 or S6,

Gloster IV or VI (can't remember which) Heston Napier and a few others in 48th in resin, something in the region of £160 - £200 per.

 

Now, back to your original question, for me, a 1/48th Fairey Delta 2. One was planned by either Special Hobby or CMK but the idea has now been shelved or cancelled.

Another suggestion would be an early mark De Havilland Vampire in 48th, last one I can remember was kitted (vac-form / mixed media?) by John Adams @John Aero

and is now as rare as hens teeth. One of my mates and also a club member would love a Westland Wasp, bigger the better! as he was trained on 'em and Sea Kings.

(NEVER a Scout, NO wheels! as he's a retired R.N. WAFU!)

 

Going forward, I wish you all the success in the world for your new venture. Just filter the 'wish list' VERY carefully! 

 

Paul

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The Heston Napier is next on my list with the Fairey Delta 2 after that!

 

Auster J5 and Aeronca Champ are on the list too. Although, I am unfortunately realising that juggling my modelling, CAD designing and 3D printing is a big task...

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1 hour ago, PhoenixII said:

Another suggestion would be an early mark De Havilland Vampire in 48th, last one I can remember was kitted (vac-form / mixed media?)

Alley Cat did a series of early Vampires.

https://www.alleycatmodels.co.uk/alleycat-aircraft-kits-148-scale-322-c.asp

The Aeroclub was mixed media, but Trumpeter did do a injection Vampire, albeit poorly.

1 hour ago, PhoenixII said:

here's also been an S4? S5 or S6,

Hawk/Testors did an S6B,  OOP, but findable. but,  there is a S5 out, by AMP

https://modelingmadness.com/review/civil/racer/tcs5.htm

they may do some more.

 

1 hour ago, PhoenixII said:

Heston Napier

was a resin kit, but OOP.

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/heritage-aviation-models-heston-napier-racer--206263

 

Suggestions, 

Hurricane prototype. 

Differs from the standard Hurricane in so many  ways that an accurate conversion is A LOT of work, even if there was a fabric wing Hurricane available in 1/48th.   I can link threads on just how it differs if you wish.

 

 

Less work, but again, work, Spitfire prototype.  There was a conversion by Paragon, but still  require major rescribe. The conversion is long OOP.

Forgot, Alleycat do one.

 

Bf109 V-1,  the Kestrel engined one, there was a resin kit many years ago that was not very good.  

 

Upper wing with slats, for Airfix new Sabre, as they are not planning on a slatted wing, but the kits looks to have a set up with a lower wing with front cutaway that a drop fit slatted wing would be an easy conversions, or even a full blown F-86A,  which is really quite a different beast in many ways, the only kit is the ancient Lindberg 50's era one, which is erm, what you'd expect.

I'm sure @Sabrejet  has information on this (he did a F-86A conversion on here)

 

On the early jet, the XP-80 Shooting Star,  very different than the F-80 in the fuselage/intake area. Not an easy conversion of F-80

Still exist at NASM as well. 

XP-80FirstFlightConfiguration.png

 

Some of the pre war competitors to the Spitfire and Hurricane maybe of interest, 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloster_F.5/34

1280px-15_Gloster_F.5-34_Fighter_Bristol

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vickers_Venom

 

Vickers_Venom.jpg

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Type_146

Bristol_Type_146.jpg

 

I assume as these were all built and flown, there must be data for them, or there was. 

 

And, i forgot, there has not been a kit of the MB.3, 

MB3.jpg

 

 

there have been ones of the MB5 and MB2 though, but the MB5 is an OOP limted run by Silver Cloud, or a hard to get vacform by Falcon.

 

 Wyvern TF1

800px-Westland_Wyvern_TF1_137_(688338086

 

Just a few ideas.  

 

hope of some interest.

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2 hours ago, wellsprop said:

The Heston Napier is next on my list with the Fairey Delta 2 after that!

 

Auster J5 and Aeronca Champ are on the list too. Although, I am unfortunately realising that juggling my modelling, CAD designing and 3D printing is a big task...

I am rebuilding an Auster T.7 to flight if you need drawings...that would be awesome in 1/32 😉

 

But a Baffin, Saro Cutty Sark, Fairey Gordon or Miles Aerovan would be pretty awesome

 

Cheers Anthony...keep up the great work buddy, we are all watching!

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15 hours ago, PhoenixII said:

a Westland Wasp, bigger the better!

(NEVER a Scout, NO wheels! as he's a retired R.N. WAFU!)

 

Haven't S&M models announced both in various (but not all the popular) scales? I can't remember which is in what and I'm not googling them at this time of the morning as I don't know whether the old ticker will stand some of the pictorial results that might come up...!! 🤣

 

Keith

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I would love someone to produce a decent range of common light aircraft, an area very much neglected by the kit industry, even though such aircarft are very, very common. I prefer 1/72 but 1/48 is probably more suitable for such aircraft.

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@Troy Smith had forgotten the Alleycat release for the Vampire, many thanks. The S6 / S6.A and S.6B were released by Pavla in resin back in 2010 to 72nd scale and still available from the Big H. The brand that I was trying to bring to mind was Aerotech Resin, they do a raft of between the wars speed machines but are all 32nd scale so outside the area of Ben's request, but do include S.4 / S.5 / S.6(B), Heston Napier also the Gloster VI, and again are all available either direct or via the Big H.

On 9/25/2020 at 9:42 AM, keefr22 said:

Haven't S&M models announced both in various (but not all the popular) scales? I can't remember which is in what and I'm not googling them at this time of the morning as I don't know whether the old ticker will stand some of the pictorial results that might come up...!! 🤣

Thanks for that Keith, my excuse? been to bed since the last 'Nationals'!

S&M were hoping to release the 72nd version back in April (nothing on their web page) with the 48th version this November, so I'm thinking 'Watch their space'.

Think your ticker would stand the pressure, the missus on the other hand.........:angry:

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