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RarePlane 1/72nd Seversky Vacuform kit converted to racer


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Bulkheads are fashioned. The last one closes the luggage compartment. Believe it or not one of the marketing angles for this plane was to sell it as a spiffy personal transport; but how many Howard Hughes those guys thought existed?:

IMG_2147+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

Contour gauges are very useful and affordable tools if you like to do some scratchbuilding.

Buy one that is not too big, and that has many thin "needles" instead of fat ones. The smaller the needles, the more precision is obtained in the contour.

It saves a lot of trail and error time, it's clean, and you can directly transport the shape with a pencil onto the plastic.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Moa said:

Believe it or not one of the marketing angles for this plane was to sell it as a spiffy personal transport; but how many Howard Hughes those guys thought existed?

 

Set the price high enough, and you only need to sell one.

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The wing halves are glued, previous inclusion of some resemblance of structure inside the well. The wheel covers are being prepared. Cochran's 1937 Bendix winner did have different wheel fairings -more prominent at the back and partially separated from the wing-, so if I end up using this kit instead of the one in route they will have to be replaced. Still have to work on the stab surface detail:

IMG_2150+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

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9 minutes ago, Courageous said:

Nice work in adding the wing detail. Do I see evidence of a rivet tool being used? And as for the gratuitous showing of a contour gauge (that I wish I had) with perfectly shaped formers...:envy:

 

Stuart

Hi Stuart

Yes, I have a small riveting tool with fine and closely-spaced teeth that does a fair job in 1/72. I hardly ever use it, but it´s handy when there is no detail whatsoever on the molds, as in this case.

I went off-track a few times (lack of practice) but smeared a bit of putty, sanded lightly and re-did when necessary.

But now I face the fuselage, with double curvature, my nemesis for this task, as it is very difficult to engrave and rivet with symmetry and consistency.

Wish me luck! (and I will keep it very simple).

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So here is the state of union of parts so far. The rudder has been separated. The transparencies prepared. The wing roots capped and the spars added. Surface detail has been engraved now on the tail components too. The tailwheel has been fashioned, and an isnt. pan. and seat found:

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A new engine was found that fits perfectly inside the cowl:

IMG_2173+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

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Gradually more structure and details are added:

IMG_2175+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

The cowl gills are thinned and gently pried a bit open:

IMG_2176+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

There was a very small loop antenna and a cylindrical object on the aft part of the canopy, both are fabricated. The central of the three cowl bumpy bits is hollowed as per photos, since it represents an air intake:

IMG_2177+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

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And in case you feel tempted to think: "What if I get a nice kit and do a comparative build?", just don't, that is if you were thinking of the Choroszy release of the Seversky SEV S-2 racer flown by Fuller (#77).

This kit really deserves (a term most justly employed) a separate review, but here is a (bitter) taste of it:

IMG_2178+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

Decals that have broken pinstripes and miss the nose bands (that also had a pinstripe, good luck trying to paint it) and small marks that are not really accurate:

IMG_2181+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

A surface that looks overdone, somewhat faceted:

IMG_2185+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

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No part numbers (hey, good luck finding your part!), very small, confusing, and poorly printed instruction drawings, that actually belong to the P-35, not the racer:

IMG_2191+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

Horrible -and mean horrible- under surface, with skewed panel lines that do not meet and are at different angles. Compare with plan:

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Not to mention pinholes, crumbly bits and other delicacies

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Racer number 77 did not have a window on that side hatch, nor was the hatch standing proud 4 inches from the fuselage, nor was it hinged to the front, but hinged upwards:

IMG_2188+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

Thickly framed transparencies, and, the best part, they are a carry over (as well as other inaccurate features) from the P-35 kit, as Fuller's canopy had a different framing, and a more elongated shape at the very front:

IMG_2199+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

So I deem this kit something dangerously close to a fiasco.

 

 

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15 hours ago, Moa said:

And in case you feel tempted to think: "What if I get a nice kit and do a comparative build?", just don't, that is if you were thinking of the Choroszy release of the Seversky SEV S-2 racer flown by Fuller (#77).

This kit really deserves (a term most justly employed) a separate review, but here is a (bitter) taste of it:

Now there is a good piece of resin challenge... Though I'm sure you could create something good even from these parts.

I have their kit of the Swedish MTB T11 and it looks very much like this as well.

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