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Need help for MPM 1/72 Hudson cockpit.


SeaVenom

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I found the windows were a close but tight fit generally, probably a touch too tight as I did have to repair a crack in the fuselage.  

The fit of the front glazing is utter pants though.  The cockpit glazing and the orifice it fits into also took a fair amount of fettling.

Fettling is the main occupation in building this kit.

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On 11/6/2020 at 3:08 AM, Andy G said:

I've just built this - 

As others have said it's a PITA to build.

 

For fitting A33 - fit A44 to A3 first - there's a ridge on the lower side of A44 that will locate against the edge of A3.  A33 now fits into the jaw of A44 with the tab resting on A3.  I kept knocking this off as there is very little gluing surface.

A6 fits on top of A36 which in turn fits on to A3 straddling A44 and A33.  You may find it easier to leave this until much later in the build.

Here's mine - 50363202328_d0797eb26c_b.jpg

 

 

As for the others, this photo of mine may make it clearer

2020-05-17-17-06-11-004

I must 'process' the RFI photos of mine and put them up.

 

Cheers

 

 

Nice clear photo.   I've stuck all those parts now (obviously not the fuselage together yet ) but I find it helps to keep checking how it's coming together by using unglued main parts (such as A8) etc.  Hopefully I get it all to line up.

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On 11/6/2020 at 3:13 AM, Andy G said:

 

Hadn't seen that.  Good stuff.

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4 hours ago, Andy G said:

I found the windows were a close but tight fit generally, probably a touch too tight as I did have to repair a crack in the fuselage.  

The fit of the front glazing is utter pants though.  The cockpit glazing and the orifice it fits into also took a fair amount of fettling.

Fettling is the main occupation in building this kit.

 

Shame to hear that.   I noticed in the instructions (and remember reading a review years ago) that you need to put a 1mm strip of plastic before joining the fuselage halves so the nose fits on ok.

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19 hours ago, Fifer54 said:

I'm currently wrestling with the Revell boxing of this kit at the moment, and I'm approaching the fuselage windows with some trepidation. As I'm a careless and lazy kit assembler(!), I don't fancy all the shenanigans described above to get a

satisfactory result. I've been considering leaving the glazing out until after completing the build and then using KristallKlear to glaze the windows. I've used KristallKlear to glaze aircraft before, but these windows are a bit bigger than any I've

done before using this method.

Has anyone tried this on this kit? If so, was it successful? Were the results satisfactory? (bearing in mind I have low standards, and I'm easily pleased!!)

 

I found a photo in my copy of Aircraft of the Fighting Powers (vol.1) showing an in-flight view of a turretless Hudson with the turret position faired over, finished in what appears (B & W photo!) to be standard DG+DE camo, but I can't make

out the underside colour. It should be aluminium/silver, but some of these were delivered with Night undersides. The machine in the photo carries A1 roundels in the usual six positions, and no fin flashes. RAF aircraft with Night undersides

shouldn't have had roundels under the wings, but I believe (can't remember where I read it!) that some Hudsons were delivered with undersides in Night with A1 roundels under the wings. If I can determine the finish of the aircraft in that photo,

I'll model that machine with no squadron codes, no legible serial etc.

 

 

They are a bit daunting yes but I can only speak for what worked for me (on the previous page).   Again I did get some tiny bits of glue on 1 or 2 windows but I found that after slightly scraping away each aperture so the fit wouldn't be too tight and putting a very thin bit of glue on each surface with a cocktail stick the smudging of glue was very minimal.   Have a read of what I did and give it a go on 1 window to see how comfortable you are with doing it that way.   I found that once I started and got the hang of it I managed to finish it in 1 night (which I was surprised about).

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2 hours ago, SeaVenom said:

 

 

They are a bit daunting yes but I can only speak for what worked for me (on the previous page).   Again I did get some tiny bits of glue on 1 or 2 windows but I found that after slightly scraping away each aperture so the fit wouldn't be too tight and putting a very thin bit of glue on each surface with a cocktail stick the smudging of glue was very minimal.   Have a read of what I did and give it a go on 1 window to see how comfortable you are with doing it that way.   I found that once I started and got the hang of it I managed to finish it in 1 night (which I was surprised about).

If you use KK - or even just PVA woodwork glue (the non-waterproof variety) - as your glue then you can remove smears with a wet cotton bud or tissue after it has set. I use KK as a filler for critical gaps this way, build it up and then use a wet cotton bud to fair it in. You can make smooth curves out of ugly steps this way and avoid the "stuck on later" look you see on many windscreen frames that really were part of the fuselage structure.

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8 hours ago, SeaVenom said:

 

Shame to hear that.   I noticed in the instructions (and remember reading a review years ago) that you need to put a 1mm strip of plastic before joining the fuselage halves so the nose fits on ok.

Even with the strip the fit isn’t good.  I think the problem is the fuselage not being consistent.  I got around it with plenty of filler and sanding.

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On 11/7/2020 at 12:58 AM, Andy G said:

 The cockpit glazing and the orifice it fits into also took a fair amount of fettling.

Fettling is the main occupation in building this kit.

I think that's typical of many earlier MPM/Special Hobby kits.
 

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On 11/7/2020 at 7:21 AM, rossm said:

If you use KK - or even just PVA woodwork glue (the non-waterproof variety) - as your glue then you can remove smears with a wet cotton bud or tissue after it has set. I use KK as a filler for critical gaps this way, build it up and then use a wet cotton bud to fair it in. You can make smooth curves out of ugly steps this way and avoid the "stuck on later" look you see on many windscreen frames that really were part of the fuselage structure.

 

 

I've seen people saying about PVA before but when I've tried it it just hasn't stuck the plastic.  It doesn't weld like styrene glue does from what I've experienced.  Same with Clearfix.  

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6 hours ago, SeaVenom said:

 

 

I've seen people saying about PVA before but when I've tried it it just hasn't stuck the plastic.  It doesn't weld like styrene glue does from what I've experienced.  Same with Clearfix.  

 

No, it's no a solvent type glue so it's no good where you need strength but that's not often the case when attaching clear parts or fairing in wing joints which you've already solvent glued. Much easier and less damaging to get a damp ear bud into an awkward wing root than try to sand conventional filler without scratching surfaces you don't want scratched.

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43 minutes ago, rossm said:

Much easier and less damaging to get a damp ear bud into an awkward wing root than try to sand conventional filler without scratching surfaces you don't want scratched.

Or, if you want something less rubbery, vallejo plastic putty. Also cleans off with water.

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9 hours ago, alt-92 said:

Or, if you want something less rubbery, vallejo plastic putty. Also cleans off with water.

That has become my ‘go to’ for filling involving clear parts as well as any other narrow joins requiring filler. Cleaning up is dead easy with a damp Q-tip.

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6 hours ago, Chuck1945 said:

That has become my ‘go to’ for filling involving clear parts as well as any other narrow joins requiring filler. Cleaning up is dead easy with a damp Q-tip.

 

Well, I never knew that! I've got some in the tool box, must give it a try.

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On 11/10/2020 at 2:49 PM, alt-92 said:

Or, if you want something less rubbery, vallejo plastic putty. Also cleans off with water.

Yes, it's good stuff, but I do find it suffers from excessive shrinkage

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On 11/6/2020 at 11:58 PM, Andy G said:

I found the windows were a close but tight fit generally, probably a touch too tight as I did have to repair a crack in the fuselage.  

The fit of the front glazing is utter pants though.  The cockpit glazing and the orifice it fits into also took a fair amount of fettling.

Fettling is the main occupation in building this kit.

Fettling? That's a real understatement! This MPM/Revell Hudson is, how can I put it, challenging. I'll persevere with it. I have to say, I didn't expect to find MPM plastic in a Revell box. I should have known better- I bought a Revell Heinkel He70

last year, expecting to find Matchbox plastic inside (I enjoyed building Matchbox's He70!) but it too was MPM and a rather more challenging build than the Matchbox . . .

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Another suggestion for fiddly windows which might take some of the stress out of them is to forget about KK all together and simply fit the windows to the fuselage half before any painting or even before you glue the two halves together using regular glue. Gently scrape off any obvious glue on the clear part, then once they are dry and firm, sand the surface of the window with progressively finer grades of sandpaper. On the outside of the fuselage, this will also ensure that you get a smooth surface and join.

 

Once that is done, paint the windows with Tamiya gloss clear and let dry - done! On the outside, do this after masking and painting the rest of the plane. 

Same technique works for navigation lights and other similar clear parts.

 

 

Edited by Scott_
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Even though I haven't stuck it yet I tried fitting the main cockpit floor part (with the seat and joystick parts etc all glued on to it} but I noticed the joystick actually bends when you put it in position as it goes right up against the cockpits left side and the seat goes up against the main cockpit rear so that the whole floor part bends down at an angle.   Anyone else have trouble with this?   It looks like I'll have to remove the stick and glue it elsewhere and the seat.  It also looks like the joystick will interfere with the main cockpit dashboard.

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The light/medium Lockheed twins have control columns, but you can't call them joysticks. All joysticks are control columns, but many control columns are not joysticks.

A joystick moves left and right for aileron control, whereas Lockheed's control columns, like many, only move fore and aft for pitch, with roll being via turning the spectacles or wheel at the top of the column.

 

On the Lockheed 10 / 12 / 14 / 18 family each pilot has a wheel in front of him mounted to an arm which is rigidly connected to a control column positioned outboard of the pilot's legs 

Lockheed_Electra_cockpit.jpg

Edited by Work In Progress
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