Correcting Heller DC-6 1/72

[Vesa Jussila]

Hello fellow modellers,

 

When I was looking very nicely made conversion of DC-7 in ready for inspection section I remember that I have one Heller kit waiting in stash.  I built one years ago and that I remember that list was not short.

There was instructions in Finish magazine Ilmailu. I don't have any notes anymore left about that, so I need to now trust you dear fellow modellers.

I couldn't fine list from this forum, only some generic discussions.

Something was wrong in engines, but what else?

 

Waiting your comments.

[Graham Boak]

There's something a bit off with the shape of the rear fuselage in the tail area, but no idea what it is.  There was, IIRC, an article mentioning it in an old Scale Aircraft Modelling, when the kit came out. 

[CarLos]

There is a two-part article by Ian Huntley in SAM abour correcting and converting the DC-6. I have it scanned on my disk. Send me a PM for a link!

 

Carlos

[Vesa Jussila]

Thanks @CarLos PM in your box.

[TheyJammedKenny!]

Dear @CarLos: would you mind sending me a link too?  I have drawings for the DC-4 I was thinking of scaling up to 1/72 to get the lower curvature on the DC-6 fuselage right.  I have a long-term plan to build G-SIXC.

[CarLos]

I taped together the Heller DC-6 and the Revell DC-4. The difference is a lot bigger than that shown in the article, so is the DC-4 also a little off in the other way? Anyone has access to any drawings quoting the distance from the elevator to lower line of the fuselage?

Anyway, assuming that Revell is right, correting the DC-6 can be done making a cut as marked in the photo bellow and rotating a little the lower back portion. Easier than adding filler, in my opinion.

 

 

 

 

Thoughs?

[Admiral Puff]

That might work ...

 

Part of the Heller kit's problem is that rather than being a smooth curve from the tail unit to the wing trailing edge, as shown in the Huntley drawing. the lower fuselage is a straight line from the tail, blending to the lower line of the rest of the fuselage in a fairly sharp curve. That will still need to be addressed, although what CarLos proposes will probably make the job easier. 

[Moggy]

But then the elevators have been moved off position.

 

Cheers, Moggy

 

[TheyJammedKenny!]

Hmmm.  IF you're willing to sacrifice the C-54 kit, you could give the Heller kit a new rear fuselage, or better yet, turn the C-54 into a DC-6 (not a DC-6B), through a fuselage extension, new engines (HaHen), revised tail, and new cutouts for the pax windows!