Socata TB9 Tampico 1:72 - 3D Designed/Printed

[Bangseat]

“A Cherokee done over by Club Med”.

 

Here is my latest 3d printed special, the Socata TB9 Tampico, in the colours of SevenAir, which is an aviation company in Portugal, doing flight training amongst other activities:

 

The Socata TB may be unfamiliar, and I admit I had only vaguely heard of them when I started looking out unusual subjects to CAD design and 3d print this year. I sometimes wonder if there is a reason why certain aircraft never get a model kit... so yes, maybe the TB isn’t the most interesting plane in the world, but it does have a certain elegance, and the quipping aviation journalist was right – it is a lot nicer looking than a Cherokee. I have however been unable to find anything remarkable that a TB9 has ever done. It doesn’t go fast, it isn’t particularly dangerous, and has a fairly conventional construction. Oh, it is unusually wide, making it suited to the ‘fuller framed’ pilot!

 

CADing the plane was a good project for honing my skills, not too many challenges and a nice easy ‘Hershey Bar’ wing, but I was able to suss using guide curves in lofts for the curvy profile (this will make sense to the initiated. I made this design before the Pipistrel, which definitely required a bit of witchcraft). This is the model in digital form:

 

Construction was fairly simple, but as ever parts preparation is key with a resin printed kit. Very fine layer lines are visible, so all parts are lightly sanded, filler primed, sanded again and rescribed. I’ve missed a bit (for educational purposes 😉) on the underside so you can see what it is that needs dealing with. The glazing was also 3d printed, which is a difficult process to achieve. This time I gave the part a coat of 2k clear which was an improvement on previous efforts, however there are still layer lines visible on the part. My next project I think will be an advance on this – my ambition is to be able to see the yoke from all angles!

 

So my 3d printed stable of unfairly neglected and un-kitted aircraft is growing...

Thanks for stopping by,

Harry

[JWM]

Very interesting result and for me novel technique. I have to study your threads...

Regards

J-W

 

[billn53]

This is great. I did my private pilot training in a Tampico (two of them, in fact), see photos below.  It’s a nice training plane... performance isn’t great but it’s more roomy inside than a Cessna 152 or 172. 
I’ve sent a PM inquiring about purchasing a copy.

 

 

 

[swralph]

Very nice model.

[Spitfire31]

A very promising harbinger of what's going to be a standard procedure among modellers in a couple of years!

 

After the jaw-dropping initial impression, I can see that the resin (?) is prone to warping, viz. the stabilizer and the port wing. Can it be permanently rectified by just heaing and careful bending, or will it eventually return to its original, slightly warped shape?

 

I'm very impressed by this kind of trailblazing pioneering work!

 

Kind regards,

 

Joachim

[Bangseat]

Hi Joachim! Yes, I have had this with certain parts, and I think there may be issues if the part is not cured in a very specific way. When the part comes out of the printer, it is a solid, but has flex. After cleaning it should be exposed to more UV at 405nm, ideally in a dedicated wash/cure machine with the part hanging off the build plate. These parts I think I just cured on the window ledge in sunlight, so that would have possibly led to an uneven cure. 

 

In terms of fixing, I would be wary as the parts can be brittle. I didn't make any serious attempt here as I have snapped parts before - just resolved to work harder on my post curing process!

[SAT69]

Definitely a beautiful model!

[Sky Keg]

Great job Harry!!!!! 

 

Mike

[HOUSTON]

SUPERBLY  finished Trainer. 

Love the color scheme... looks very  PRISTINE. 

 

   

[J.C. Bahr]

On 10/31/2020 at 8:13 AM, Bangseat said:

These parts I think I just cured on the window ledge in sunlight, so that would have possibly led to an uneven cure. 

Most likely the culprit, as I keep seeing it recommended to use a dedicated curing box, or in the case of a "homemade" box, using some sort of turn table... as the curing light needs to be able to get at it from all angles/sides.  Could also depend on type and color of resin used, as it does not appear that all photo-polymer resins/colors are created equal unfortunately... and another problem there-in, is that even the supposedly good name brand stuff can have "bad batches!" 🙄

 

Very nice build and creation though... keep it up! 👍

[klubman01]

That is a really good model.  Well done using such pioneering techniques.

Trevor

[Wulfman]

Lovely looking model, great to see light aviation models !

 

Wulfman

[Team Aer Lingus]

That's a real eye catcher very nicely done

 

thanks for sharing

 

regards

 

Eamonn

[noelh]

Looks great and not likely to be a commonly modelled type. I'm familiar with the Tampico but never managed to fly one. I remember when one arrived, new and out of the box at my flying school back in the 80s. It looked so modern complete with an up to the minute interior. It made the American spam cans look so dated. Not to mention the practically archaic Rallye 100s I was flying at the time. 

Edited December 7, 2020 by noelh

[billn53]

Now that I’ve finished my dual-Phantom build, I’ve cleared the bench and am about to begin the Tampico that Harry (Bangseat) printed up for me. I hope mine turns out looking as nice as his. Stay tuned for my WIP.