Short Sandringham

[Orso]

I started this in the Nordic GB but got big problems with the fuselage joints so it didn't get finished. I restart the thread here instead.

 

The group build made me dig this one out of the stash. But as usual, building out of the box isn't for me.

 

First, I need to fill all of the small round windows. For this I will need lots of 5,5 mm plastic discs and found that a paper punch will make them, but it is hard to make them without wasting lots of plastic card.

 

A piece of cardboard was used in helping to steer thin plastic strips to minimise the waste.

 

The result was a bag of plastic discs.

 

and holes.

 

I noticed on the text moulded in the wing that this kit is 60 years old this year. I glued in the clear windows and covered them with the plastic discs to get them in level with the fuselage and now it is time to sand them down. Too bad that it will destroy the surface details. I like the very small rivets on it.

 

Started to make holes for new windows

Edited October 26, 2020 by Orso

[Grey Beema]

Can I sit in on this one?

 

I started a similar conversion years back.  I was trying to figure out how to cut all of the square windows (window configuration seems to change a lot).  My plan, if I get back to it, is to spice clear plastic card into the fuselage and mask off the windows (on the grounds I can cut tape more accurately than the fuselage plastic).

 

What mark of Sandringham are you going to do? Do you have nose and tail plugs? Are you going to replace the engines?

[Orso]

 

I Tried to post through the stupid phone (nothing smart with them) but as usual I gave up so now back at a computer I can finish my post.

I drilled the holes with a small drill and continued with larger and finished with a conical rotating drill, but I didn't use a motor tool for that. I just hand hold it to make the hole smoother.
But I realised that I got a small problem. I need radar bulges under the wings.  I had a thought of using the large drop shaped windows of the Catalina, but they seem to be too wide. 
I have a SAAB Lansen tank that I'm thinking of using as a pattern.

 

 

I wonder if the pilots came from Revell or Frog? I found them in among my spare parts.

While working on the radar problem I continue to make new windows. It was hard getting them right. They became different in size an skew as the hard plastic is not the easiest to work with.

Instead of try to hard cutting them straight i added plastic strips in the windows. As they where softer it was much easier to correct the windows and just add some more plastic if necessary.

I have problems with the joint between the body halves wanting to crack up so I need to strengthen it, but it is difficult to access inside so I cut off nose and stern for better access.

No. I do really have problems with the cracks  and now I can access it but the reason for cutting is for the new parts in the resin.
Testing the new nose and tail.

 

It must have been at least ten years ago that I bought a conversion for a Sandringham from Mystery Resin Works.
I had totally forgotten about it so it was a happy surprise to find it in the box when I picked up it to start the conversion.
I still have problems with the fuselage cracking. I dropped it and the roof joint cracked (again)
 

I haven't given up yet but are close to do that. The fuselage joint keeps cracking. I lost count of how many times I repaired it. The plastic in the roof is to thin so in a last desperate attempt to fix this I teared the fuselage apart. I am adding plastic strips to the inside to get more area for the glue to bind. If this doesn't work the kit goes in the garbage and I will get an Italeri kit instead (or skip it all together).

Finally, it is starting to look like an aeroplane.

The drastic fix seems to work. The fuselage hasn't cracked one single time after re assembling it again. It even survived a fall on the floor, so I have added the wings.
I strengthen the wings with a brass rod so hopefully they will stay put.

 

As the fuselage seems to hold, I have added the engines and some other stuff. I had some problems locating new propellers before I remembered that the Academy B-17 has two sets.
Now on to the radar.

In the end I decided to use the windows from the Academy Catalina as the starting point for the radar bulge. I skipped the idea of using the Lansen tanks.

 

Here is something I made to put inside the bulges. Most probably wrong version but they should only be visible as a shadow behind the bulge.

Here is where I stand right now. Right now I am masking the cockpit windows so I can add the easily breakable part before painting.

Edited October 25, 2020 by Orso

[TheyJammedKenny!]

Wow!  This is impressive work.  What is the color scheme you have in mind for it?  I love the pilot figures, too.  Keep at it!  This will be a fine-looking model when it's done.

[Orso]

When I bought the kit I wanted a BOAC machine but later I looked in to the Norwegian DNL but decals for any of those options was a dead end.

I am now collecting different SAS sheets and hopefully I can cobble something together from them. A problem is that I also need to get a Ju 52 out of the same sheets. 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

4 hours ago, Orso said:

I am now collecting different SAS sheets

Hi Björn

I understand that this will be a civil plane?

Cheers

[Orso]

I hope so. I don't want the British SAS troops to mess up my plane

[perdu]

Oh they might be tidy enough but I do remember mud used to stick to bergens every chance it got.

The Sandringham is a fine machine and you seem to be doing a brilliant job on yours.

 

I will be riding along.

[Orso]

I thought that I was safe and that the fuselage seems would hold, but no. It has been sleeping on the desk since October and Now I had a quick look at it and found a crack. 

I have filled it and while doing this a wing came off. I glued it back and found one of the stabilisers to be loose. There is something strange with the plastic in this kit. I feel that the glue don't bite as well as it normally do. I'm starting to wonder if there is any point continue with it.

[TEXANTOMCAT]

You're nearly there and have done the hard yards - keep going!

 

TT

[Thom216]

Keep cracking at it! (Pardone the pun!) You shall overcome!