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Hart Swedish-style - 1/72 AZmodel


Patrik

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The finishing works on the Genet Moth require some technological breaks, which I decided to fill in with new build = new thread. The original plan was for decreasing the number of vacforms in my stash and building the beautiful Blue Rider/Phoenix AW Atlas. But then the postman brought this book to me:

 

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with this profile inside:

 

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and my modelling future for the next weeks was laid.

 

The kit is is typical AZmodel shortrun back from 2007, with some resin and PE parts. Including trademark AZ features, like the kit designer not talking to the instruction's guy, which sometimes makes you feel the instructions were meant for different kit. But hey, we all need some fun now and again, so no complains here.

 

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The kit contains (on first sight) useful decals:

 

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Right on the second sight one finds out the sizes and colours of the national insignia are all wrong and the font used by the decal designer for the numbers was probably the first one in alphabetical order, with no respect to the known facts. But I was lucky, because I have been lazy selling the remaining decals from the excellent SBS Model Gladiator sheet after completing the Swedish Gladiator earlier this year. Well OK, I cannot make exactly 4-54, but 4-58 or 4-59 will do too.

 

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The kit is not without some faults, the most serious one being wrong upper wing. It has just one fuel tank instead of two, and it displays strange gull wing profile. Fortunately, both of it is corrected by Kora resin replacement set.

 

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The Kora set contains for some reason also new vertical tail, which is in my opinion not that bad in the kit, Nevertheless, the resin part is nicer, and I am going to use it too

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Started cleaning the major parts and working on the interior. I had rummaged the spare parts' box yesterday, found some quite useful stuff and so the details are combination of modified kit parts (seat, floor, pedals), resin observer seat, PE for the fuselage gun (with added spent cartridges box) and the throttle quadrant, plus the scratchbuild control column and trim wheel. I am particularly proud of unearthing the Aeroclub white metal Browning gun, which - properly modified with the Mini World gun barrel - is going to be welcome replacement for the random cluster of polymerized molecules supplied in the kit.

 

Otherwise typical shortrun, like in "name five things you do not like on shortrun kits":

1. The fuselage halves are of different plastic thickness - yes ... tick.

2. The panel lines do not fit along the fuselage halves joint ... tick.

3. Interior parts do not fit in the interior ... tick.

4. Cockpit openings are potato shaped ... tick.

5. Symmetric parts are all but symmetric ... tick,

However, I am not complaining, no one has forced me to start the kit and I am sure the result will be fine after a couple of weeks of hard work.🙂

 

Oh, and I forgot to mention I solved the resin fin and rudder enigma. The resin part features the correct fin offset. To starboard, because Bristol Pegasus rotates the other way round compared to RR Kestrel.

 

20201025-DSC-0006.jpg

Edited by Patrik
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To illustrate one of the points above. I had to make extra bulkheads to fit the otherwise very nice PE instrument panels.

 

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As it is apparently not the instrument panels that are wrong - compare with the Modeldecal sheet below - I can only assume that the kit (internal?) cross section is a bit bulkier in the shoulders than necessary. I am sure the fuselage must have been more or less identical with the Kestrel engine Harts, for sure from the cockpits back, and most probably even from the wings back.

 

20201028-DSC-0015.jpg

Edited by Patrik
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Watching with interest! Having built one of their Harts if you have a look at plans the lower wings need a much increased dihedral to be accurate which will help with the wing  struts which are too short (why two part!!) 

 

the recipe for the perfect Hart series is IMHO a kitbash of Airfix/AModel/Avis and Aeroclub but the Kora set looks pretty good!

 

best of luck with the project 

 

TT

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  • 2 weeks later...

Completing the interior and decided to share the front instrument panel with you, before it is hidden in the cockpit depths forever. The instruments were printed on a film foil, which is not exactly my preferred solution, but it looks fine in the end. The compass was scratch build.

 

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Fuselage halves ready for assembly.

 

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Kora produces four correction sets and three weaponry sets for the AZ kit. Unfortunately, I was unable to find details on the differences between the weaponry sets. However, I am sure I can appreciate the value of the corrections sets now, having been working on the kit for some time.

1 - Interior set. Judging from the Kora Hart family kits in my stash, would be similar to the Turret Demon I build earlier and therefore most probably more detailed than the partly scratch build one above, But in my opinion not completely necessary.

2 - Wheels. Again, judging from the Kora Hart family kits in my stash, they would be no real improvement over the resin wheels from the kit. Meaning the ones in the kit are quite bad, the Kora replacement not much better.

3 - Upper wing + fin + rudder, introduced above. I am afraid, this one is practically inevitable.

4 - Engine set. Well, this one may be useful too. The engine assembly in the kit promises just "blood, toil, tears and sweat" with rather dubious results. Nevertheless, I am no coward and I decided to wrestle something presentable from the kit parts in the next couple of days. Would not feel right to replace the majority of the principal parts anyway.

Edited by Patrik
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  • 2 weeks later...

Fuselage halves joined, filled, sanded, panel lines rescribed, lower wings on. Rather chubby, compared to the sleek Kestrel Harts.

Modifying the lower wing roots for the the wings to a) have no sweepback, b) allow correct dihedral, was pretty laborious. The kit provides no lead, using scale drawings is therefore inevitable. Despite careful preparations, there has been quite some work left, especially from the bottom side.

 

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The multimedia assembly of the empennage. I still have to add the PE control horns (which will further rise the multimediality).

 

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Edited by Patrik
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Photo taken on the occasion of test-fitting the wheels. The axle holes had been about twice wider than necessary, so I filled them with plastic plug and drilled them anew.

 

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And working on the missing details, while successfully procrastinating the moment I have to turn my attention to the engine. Funny thing with the oil cooler. Six elements from one side, but only five from the other one. One would say, it should be easier to mould it equally on both sides ...

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

The engine assembly has been a genuine mojo assassin so far. Here the first reasonable test fit.

 

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After attempting to clean up the mould seams from first of the (expected circular) exhaust pipes, and ending up with a pipe that looked like a victim of an elephant herd stampede, I decided to give up on the kit parts and make both pipes from scratch.

 

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Modified the exhaust ring. I hope the workflow is clear from the pictures below. Right the second try to stretch the sprue was the one I liked, and then I needed seven more to create acceptable twin. I will add the copper pipes later, when the engine is assembled with the fuselage. It will be much easier to test fit - correct - repeat with the engine fixed in its place.

 

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Edited by Patrik
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Excuse me while I go & hide mine a bit deeper. ;) :D I'm full of admiration with how you're handling this & giving some great tips along the way for others that have these kits, like me. I can see the end result being impressive for all the hassles you're getting with it. :) 

Steve.

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On 12/21/2020 at 12:35 AM, stevehnz said:

Excuse me while I go & hide mine a bit deeper. ;) :D I'm full of admiration with how you're handling this & giving some great tips along the way for others that have these kits, like me. I can see the end result being impressive for all the hassles you're getting with it. :) 

Steve.

Thanks, Steve. I always try representing my builds in a way that they become inspiration (or warning) for the next generations😉. I had been warned, that the AZ Hart was not the easiest one, which I can now confirm for a certainty. However, if you keep the basic short run building rules, which means always test fit/modify/test fit several times, do not make more than one build step at given time, test fit between the steps and do not use the glue too soon, because even the best test fit often does not survive the first encounter with reality, you will find the kit quite enjoyable. Excluding the engine, which has been really annoying.

Edited by Patrik
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First post in the year 2021.

I read the interplane struts were too short, so I had to quick check as soon as the progress allowed. In my case, they are long enough, so I think it is only crucial to maintain the correct dihedral of the lower mainplanes. Unfortunately, I managed knocking off the tailskid in the process🙁, but not before taking the photo below.

 

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Edited by Patrik
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Absolutely no magic, Toby. Brush painted Revell 90 enamel, which I selected 20+ years ago as the colour closest to my own idea of Silver Dope. By the way, it is the one and only Revell enamel I have ever used.

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