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RarePlane 1/72nd Seversky Vacuform kit converted to racer


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Wow Moa, this is a very neat little creation coming along here.

 

I love those old Rareplanes - I have a handful in my stash and plan to start one soon. Gordon Stevens was connected with my local modelling club, Poole Vikings, but sadly I never met him as I joined after he had passed away. His legacy lives on however. I still see plenty of examples of his work for sale at shoes, often at very reasonable prices. As you are showing us here, they can be made into superb little gems!

 

Terry 

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The later RarePlane kit of this Seversky has arrived. It is, as mentioned before, a further, much more detailed development of the kit, with surface detail and a slightly different approach to engineering. To the left the older, simpler boxing:

 

IMG_2280+%25281280x1000%2529.jpg

 

 

IMG_2282+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

Even the battery hatch on the left fuselage side is presented:

IMG_2286+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

A full interior is this time provided:

IMG_2287+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

IMG_2288+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

IMG_2289+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

The landing gear is presented in a not common way:

IMG_2290+%25281280x948%2529.jpg

 

The engine, if we take in consideration the age and media of the kit, is quite detailed:

IMG_2291+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

All the surfaces have profuse detail. Not always completely accurate, but hey, for the time:

IMG_2292+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

Gordon Stevens, in a photo he sent me when we were in touch, before his passing:

(Janet & Gordon Stevens 60th Wedding Anniversary Dinner):

Janet+%2526+Gordon+Stevens+60th+Wedding+

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10 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

Looking good fella, the model that is! Great to see the primer on .  Great work 

Chris

Thanks, Chris!

9 hours ago, Terry1954 said:

Wow Moa, this is a very neat little creation coming along here.

 

I love those old Rareplanes - I have a handful in my stash and plan to start one soon. Gordon Stevens was connected with my local modelling club, Poole Vikings, but sadly I never met him as I joined after he had passed away. His legacy lives on however. I still see plenty of examples of his work for sale at shoes, often at very reasonable prices. As you are showing us here, they can be made into superb little gems!

 

Terry 

Thanks, Terry.

See photo of Gordon above.

He was such a nice fella.

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12 minutes ago, Courageous said:

...now you've got me watching out for that newer vac P-35, a glutton for punishment me.

Looking better and better.

 

Stuart

 

But WAIT, THERE IS MORE! :

 

I got yet a third Seversky, the relatively old MPM release. It has resin, film and P.E. parts:

IMG_2296+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

IMG_2297+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

The transparency is very clear:

IMG_2298+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

IMG_2299+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

The panel lines suffer a bit from tiny blobs, and may need careful re-scribing. We can see that the anti-skid areas are overdone, and are better replaced with matte decals:

IMG_2300+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

A very complete interior is provided:

IMG_2301+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

I also acquired the Peewit set for the masks, that, to my immense joy this time, came as what it's called kabuki paper, far better than vinyl. Glorious! Well done, Peewit!:

IMG_2308+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

As most of you know, I won't be building a military version of this kit, but adapt it to obtain yet another racer/civil machine.

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3 hours ago, Courageous said:

So which would you recommend to do  Jackie Cochran's racer?

 

Stuart

Hi Stuart

Well, both need modifications, first to remove the military features (more prominent on the MPM kit) and then add the different landing gear, luggage compartment hatch, slightly different canopy, deletion of some air-scoops and addition of different ones, etc.

Both provide an interior that may need some mods, but of course a vac part can't compete with abundant photoetched parts, unless you are not comfortable with them.

So both would involve some work. That been said, practicality and common sense dictate that the injection kit would be an easier job, but for those liking a challenge, or that particularly enjoy a vac or improving an old kit to give it a second life, the vac may be the way to go.

I did not study the injection kit yet thoroughly, so take this with a pinch of salt for the moment.

I know that a vac kit at the end may not be at the level of a good injected one, still many times I chose the vac, for the sake of the challenge, and because there is a special satisfaction in taking a sad song and making it better (Lennon Dixit) opposite to just assembling parts.

Both are valid, it ends up being a personal choice, subjective, more than an objective decision. Becuase if we would be objective, we would never buy or build a kit, since a the new one coming most likely will be better.

I like to tinker, and my scratchs and conversions far surpass the number of my normal injected plastic OOB builds. Sometimes the former come out really nice, sometimes they are not as good compared with a model built from a state-of-the-art kit.

I am familiar with vacs and they don't take me more time than an injected kit, but they require more care and some extra engineering solutions many times.

There is yet another layer: I love old planes, old ships and old cars FAR more than I like modern ones. There is a particular flavor I find in a vac kit (not all, just some).

For ages I was a free-flight, radio-control and U-control all balsa modeler. I still have many of those models.

The passion for that hobby went several floors down when the field got crowded with ready-made, Styrofoam, fiberglass and carbon-fiber models.

There is such magic and artisanal gusto in balsa, tissue (or silk) and dope. Modern materials can never, ever, replicate that.

Well, enough of nostalgia!

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23 hours ago, Courageous said:

...now you've got me watching out for that newer vac P-35, a glutton for punishment me.

Looking better and better.

 

Stuart

Vac forms can be quite addictive..............🤪

 

That paint went on beautifully Moa. She's looking good.

 

Terry

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The Seversky is looking really good, I need to get back into vac form modelling at some point, I made the Rareplane Dove/Devon many years ago probably my favourite aircraft and model, its actually a very good kit and my opinion it looks better than the Amodel kit,

 

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The metal paint is sealed with Alclad Aqua Gloss:

IMG_2335+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

Wheels are added. Several locations are drilled for the Pitot, Venturi, and antenna leads. Trim tabs, and battery hatch are simulated with metal-painted decal paper cut to size. Two louvers around the nose are dealt with using Archer resin transfers:

IMG_2336+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

So many things yet to deal with: nav lights, wing landing lights and their covers, front wheel fairings, nose, canopy and the details mentioned above for which the locations were drilled.

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