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Aircraft I've Flown Part II - 1/144 Cityflyer ATR-72


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As my workbench is getting empty again, I have decided to start a new kit and build another model of an aircraft I have flown. This time it is the turn of the ATR-72, which was the first aircraft I flew when I became an airline pilot for Cityflyer back in 2000.

 

This kit will be my first foray into the world of resin, which is a completely new material for me to work with. All I really know is don't inhale the dust - is there anything else important I should know?!

 

The kit is the 1/144 offering from F-RSIN. Here's the obligatory box shot:

 

box.jpg

 

The contents inside look a little sparse - decals, fuselage, wings, flap fairings, tailplanes, engine nacelles, propellor sections and undercarriage components:

 

kit.jpg

 

I'm hoping this one will go together quite quickly! At some point in the past I have applied some filler to the fuselage, which is dotted with minor pinholes - apart from that, the kit is untouched. My first job will be removing and cleaning all the components, followed by filling and sanding.

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7 hours ago, Back in the Saddle said:

I'm hoping this one will go together quite quickly!

 

Ahahahahahah! (sorry, bad Moa!)

 

7 hours ago, Back in the Saddle said:

All I really know is don't inhale the dust - is there anything else important I should know?!

 

I guess you know this too, but just in case: cyano glue and epoxies are used to glue the parts.

A good wash to remove demolding agent before starting construction.

 

Very interesting project!

Following.

Cheers

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23 hours ago, chrispisme said:

Nice to see someone else take a beating from an ATR kit, although mine was 1/72 and vac form.

Will pull up a chair for the build.

Thanks Chrisp, welcome along!👍

 

17 hours ago, Moa said:

Ahahahahahah! (sorry, bad Moa!)

Now I'm worried...! I'm guessing resin might not be as straight-forward as I expected!😆

 

17 hours ago, Moa said:

I guess you know this too, but just in case: cyano glue and epoxies are used to glue the parts.

A good wash to remove demolding agent before starting construction.

Thank you, all good advice for a resin newbie!

 

17 hours ago, Moa said:

Very interesting project!

Following.

Thank you!

Not a huge update... I applied some primer which showed the filler has worked. It also showed plenty of new areas that need filler!

 

fusp.jpg

 

More filler applied, which will get sanded tomorrow. I think I'd better get some more components cut out too - I guess they will all need the same treatment...

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Hello Matt !!

I love resin !! I use it on a regular basis !

Now a full resin kit...

As Our Shaolin modelling monk said, Cyano or in some 2 components glue are necessary..

Bubbles !!! Aaaaaargh bubbles !!! welcome in the resin's world....

Nice job and nice choice of subject !!

I take a seat at the bar if you don't mind it !!

Sincerely.

CC

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On 26/10/2020 at 22:17, The Spadgent said:

Get some wings on for heavens sake.

All in good time - I have to fettle first!

 

On 26/10/2020 at 22:17, The Spadgent said:

I’ll tag along too of course. 🤩🙌

You're very welcome!

 

On 27/10/2020 at 00:17, corsaircorp said:

Nice job and nice choice of subject !!

I take a seat at the bar if you don't mind it !!

Thanks CC. 👍

 

I'm glad to have some experienced modellers on board with this one - I think I'll be picking your brains a bit!

 

I'm OK with the basic concepts, such as filling, sanding, priming and getting the 'major' components to look as they should. However, I looked at the props and undercarriage today and don't know where to start?! This is what was supplied:

 

tiny.jpg

 

The cocktail stick on the left is just for scale. I think the undercarriage will clean up and look acceptable, but I'm not so confident about the prop blades, which have varying lengths and some are also slightly bent... I might be better off picking the best couple of blades and trying to use those to mold some new ones - but I've never tried that before! On the plus side, both spinners look good - it is just the blades which leave a lot to be desired.

 

So my question is this - what would you recommend to fix this problem? All suggestions are welcome!

 

In the meantime, I will plug away at the bubbles...😁

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Oh, my.

Awful quality.

Modernish airliners are not my cuppa, others surely know better, but I would browse the aftermarket scene for replacements, or any second hand injected kit that may provide the bits, even if some adjustment is needed.

So we don't unjustly bag all manufacturers or media together... there are resin kits, and then there are resin kits.

 

Dances With Sandsticks

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7 minutes ago, Moa said:

Oh, my.

Awful quality.

Thanks Moa, it’s actually reassuring to know it’s poor material - I was starting to wonder if dealing with this sort of thing was just part of the whole resin experience...

 

I will try and source these items from elsewhere. Failing that, I will attempt a silk purse from a sow’s ear!

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34 minutes ago, Back in the Saddle said:

I was starting to wonder if dealing with this sort of thing was just part of the whole resin experience...

Not at all, but like with anything else, there are companies that deliver higher or lowers standards. This one squares with the latter.

I often work with old/poor/basic kits, I don't shun them, and I try to improve them as much as I can (I just posted a Seversky racer made from a VERY basic vac kit), but we have to recognize them for what they are, and do so too when they are exceptionally good (SBS models resin kits, to name just one)

I think you are perfectly capable of pulling this one off, but it will take some work. It's not the media, it's the kit what will demand more from you.

Cheers

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Aftermarket is definitely an option but as the size is to your advantage here you might be able to use plasticard to scratch build using a good one s as a template or by adding extra to a short shot one and sanding back.

 

good luck whichever path you choose.

 

Johnny

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14 hours ago, Back in the Saddle said:

All in good time - I have to fettle first!

 

You're very welcome!

 

Thanks CC. 👍

 

I'm glad to have some experienced modellers on board with this one - I think I'll be picking your brains a bit!

 

I'm OK with the basic concepts, such as filling, sanding, priming and getting the 'major' components to look as they should. However, I looked at the props and undercarriage today and don't know where to start?! This is what was supplied:

 

tiny.jpg

 

The cocktail stick on the left is just for scale. I think the undercarriage will clean up and look acceptable, but I'm not so confident about the prop blades, which have varying lengths and some are also slightly bent... I might be better off picking the best couple of blades and trying to use those to mold some new ones - but I've never tried that before! On the plus side, both spinners look good - it is just the blades which leave a lot to be desired.

 

So my question is this - what would you recommend to fix this problem? All suggestions are welcome!

 

In the meantime, I will plug away at the bubbles...😁

As this is oftenly the case with prop blades in resin, even when I did my own blades....

Wrapped is not a problem, you straight it in the vapor over a kettle and it's done...

But when bits are missing....

I sometimes fix it with resin but it's boring, 

What I'll do is choosing the best of it all and compare it with other aircrafts ones

Once you've found an acceptable match, take it in aftermarket, Quickboost and Barracuda cast have the best ones IMHO.

 

Example; I bought quickboost Corsair -5's prop blades, and will usr it as a template to rectify the shape of the academy and HB ones...

I hope it help, even in my broken english.

 

PS; the same stand for wheels... if needed...

Sincerely.

CC 

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I know your pain, frsin kits are not quite the best resin you can get. Compared to AWM, RusAir or Authentic Airliners, they are trash. I started their ATR a few years ago and put it aside. However may continue once, since I got a resin 3d printer, and could now design and print any spares for me. Already did that very often for my builds, and my daughter won silver medal in 7 to 12 year olds category with a fully 3d printed 1:144 models (dinosaurs diorama) last year...

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On 30/10/2020 at 22:02, Moa said:

It's not the media, it's the kit what will demand more from you.

That should be a motivational quote!

 

On 30/10/2020 at 22:02, Moa said:

I think you are perfectly capable of pulling this one off, but it will take some work.

I think you are 100% correct. There’s a decent model hiding in there somewhere...

 

On 31/10/2020 at 06:52, The Spadgent said:

good luck which river path you choose.

Thanks Johnny. Having looked at the pieces again, I will try to clean them up - I think they are salvageable.👍

 

On 31/10/2020 at 07:40, Tim R-T-C said:

I've eyed this kit up a few times so keen to see how this develops...

Me too! It’s been in the stash for years, mainly due to trepidation. I think it will be a longer project than I expected, but it should look good with some effort.

 

CC - thanks for the tips!

PetrOs - 3D printing? An elegant solution, but one that is beyond my skill set! 😁

 

It’s a kit that is demanding more thought than I realised. I think my first step, having already cleaned up the components, is to wash them and apply primer - I can then find out how much filler is needed to fix the pinholes...

 

As mentioned, I think the propeller blades are salvageable - I will have a better look at these next time, as they are not really at the top of my priority list at the moment. Wings, tailplane and fuselage will get my attention first!

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57 minutes ago, Back in the Saddle said:

PetrOs - 3D printing? An elegant solution, but one that is beyond my skill set! 😁

Its actually nothing complex. Basic resin 3D printers like Anycubic Photon can be found for under 200 Euro, there is finally odourless eco-resin available for them, and you can find thousands of 3d models online. I had a look, for ATRs I found both 4 and 6 bladed variants for free in good detail. Extracting the props would be a childs play there. 

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16 hours ago, PetrOs said:

Extracting the props would be a childs play there. 

Sounds like this might be an excellent option if I cannot salvage them.👍

 

All the components have had a spray of rattle can can primer today and are currently drying in the shed. I will take a look at them tonight and apply strategic filler wherever I find a pin hole!

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  • 2 weeks later...

This one has been on the back burner lately, as I wanted a change from constantly filling and sanding! I bit the bullet this afternoon and gave the model a very thorough rub down:

 

cross.jpg

 

As with many of my builds, I'm hoping that I'm done with filler - for now... The reality is that when I spray the next coat of primer I'm sure more blemishes will come to light - hopefully a lot less than last time though.🤞

 

 

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On 11/11/2020 at 20:09, 71chally said:

you look like you're winning with it!

It doesn't feel like that at the moment!

 

I glued the engine nacelles into place today and the fit is 'interesting'. Here's the right engine:

 

2.jpg

 

And the left engine:

 

1.jpg

 

As you can see, there is a huge step at the top, where the nacelles meet the wing. I dug out a diagram to see how it should look - a flat line from the top of the nacelle to the top of the wing is required:

sideview.jpg

Yet another job requiring filler - I'm going to need to buy some more soon! I think my best plan is to simply build the nacelles up and blend them in as best as I can...

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Oh, my.

Of course, nothing is final, and this can be corrected.

I guess you may have thought about sanding the mating surfaces a bit and thus helping the pod to sit higher up? Not sure about accuracy if you have done that, reducing the volume of nacelle under the wing. Just a thought.

Some Milliput or similar filler seems in order.

The good news: no need to go to the gym*, as this is providing enough exercise.

 

*That is if you could go to the gym.

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The gym closes on Friday for three weeks, so my exercise will certainly involve sanding this into submission...!

Here's the next issue - tailplane sections of varying thickness:

 

tp.jpg

 

The one on the left is 2mm thick; the one on the right is almost 3mm... Whatever happened to the quick project I was expecting!?😁

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