1/72 - Airco DH.9A & Polikarpov R-1 by Clear Prop Models - released

[Patrik]

1 hour ago, Paul Thompson said:

Same here. And 36 of the PE parts are bomb fins, which no-one forces you to use.  Just as well. I'm firmly in the don't like it but will use it if it makes sense camp for the PE, and most of the Clear Prop parts are for things that on the KP kit look toy like (seatbelts and control horns for instance). Still, each to his own.

I counted 39 PE parts (apart from the 36 bomb fins), including spares. All of them useful as far as I can say, but then I am no enemy of useful PE parts. By the way, the instructions say the kit contains 383 parts. I am not going to count them all, however the number seems completely unbelievable to me. Even if I count all the decals and stencils to it.

Edited February 5 by Patrik

[Paul Thompson]

27 minutes ago, TheKinksFan said:

I don't have the kit yet, waiting mojehobby to get it in stock. I might have to order from Ebay. I'm not exactly a friend of PE either, but what worries me more is the struts and attaching the upper wing. I'm new in the hobby and have very limited experience with biplanes. I've got a HobbyZone biplane jig, it's primarily for 1/48 & 1/32 , but a 1/72 DH.9a is just big enough to fit. 

One aspect to consider is that by buying a Clear Prop kit you are supporting a struggling Ukrainian manufacturer, at least in a small way. 

If new to biplanes then a DH9a isn't the best place to start, at least not in this scale.  Before tackling a relatively expensive kit it might be worth practising on a relatively disposable one, something with just one bay of struts like a Sopwith Camel . I note that although the Clearprop strut locations are clearly marked with shallow holes, and the corresponding small pegs on the ends of the struts are well defined, the holes are too shallow to make it easy. Drill them out to twice the depth and life may become a bit better. The centre section struts have good locations on the fuselage, so my plan will be to attach those first, using Revell Contacta. That cures quite fast, so after a minute or two you can then position the struts at the right angle. I'd just do it by eye but have a lot of practice, so you may want to make a little card template to set the angle. Then when the struts are nearly set but not quite, invert the model and glue the struts to the top wing. I'd stop the thing from going out of alignment using Lego blocks and coffee cups, whatever, while it sets. Then you can spring the interplane struts in afterwards.  Or you use your jig, but it will be harder than what I've just described. Should work okay if you take your time though.

 

Paul.

[Paul Thompson]

1 minute ago, Patrik said:

I counted 39 PE parts (apart from the 36 bomb fins), including spares. All of them useful as far as I can say, but then I am no enemy if useful PE parts. By the way, the instructions say the kit contains 383 parts. I am not going to count them all, however the number seems completely unbelievable to me. Even if I count all the decals and stencils to it.

Enumeration is failure.

 

Paul.

[Patrik]

12 minutes ago, Paul Thompson said:

If new to biplanes then a DH9a isn't the best place to start, at least not in this scale.  Before tackling a relatively expensive kit it might be worth practising on a relatively disposable one, something with just one bay of struts like a Sopwith Camel . I note that although the Clearprop strut locations are clearly marked with shallow holes, and the corresponding small pegs on the ends of the struts are well defined, the holes are too shallow to make it easy. Drill them out to twice the depth and life may become a bit better. The centre section struts have good locations on the fuselage, so my plan will be to attach those first, using Revell Contacta. That cures quite fast, so after a minute or two you can then position the struts at the right angle. I'd just do it by eye but have a lot of practice, so you may want to make a little card template to set the angle. Then when the struts are nearly set but not quite, invert the model and glue the struts to the top wing. I'd stop the thing from going out of alignment using Lego blocks and coffee cups, whatever, while it sets. Then you can spring the interplane struts in afterwards.  Or you use your jig, but it will be harder than what I've just described. Should work okay if you take your time though.

 

Paul.

I am quite sure the Clear Prop Ninak is not a kit for biplane novice. However, biplane freaks would love it. I do.

[KRK4m]

1 hour ago, TheKinksFan said:

One aspect to consider is that by buying a Clear Prop kit you are supporting a struggling Ukrainian manufacturer, at least in a small way. 

 

I am in no way negative towards Ukrainian manufacturers in general or Clear Prop in particular.

Last year I bought 21 kits from Ukrainian manufacturers - mostly UM, ACE, Amodel, ICM and Roden, but there was also 1 Clear Prop - the brilliant I-16.

I just prefer to help Ukraine (or rather Ukrainians in exile in Poland) by other means than by hammering nails under my fingernails.

Cheers

Michael

[TheKinksFan]

1 hour ago, Paul Thompson said:

If new to biplanes then a DH9a isn't the best place to start, at least not in this scale.  Before tackling a relatively expensive kit it might be worth practising on a relatively disposable one, something with just one bay of struts like a Sopwith Camel . I note that although the Clearprop strut locations are clearly marked with shallow holes, and the corresponding small pegs on the ends of the struts are well defined, the holes are too shallow to make it easy. Drill them out to twice the depth and life may become a bit better. The centre section struts have good locations on the fuselage, so my plan will be to attach those first, using Revell Contacta. That cures quite fast, so after a minute or two you can then position the struts at the right angle. I'd just do it by eye but have a lot of practice, so you may want to make a little card template to set the angle. Then when the struts are nearly set but not quite, invert the model and glue the struts to the top wing. I'd stop the thing from going out of alignment using Lego blocks and coffee cups, whatever, while it sets. Then you can spring the interplane struts in afterwards.  Or you use your jig, but it will be harder than what I've just described. Should work okay if you take your time though.

 

Thanks for the advice Paul, much appreciated. If I get the CP DH.9a, I'm not planning to build for a long time, it goes to the stash (and maybe stays there for all eternity). I've got a Roden 1/72 Sopwith Camel, which cost 7€, so if the build ends in a failure, it's not the end of the world. But it's missing two holes on the underside of upper wings, those for the aft cabane struts. The Ship's Camel has them, so I reserved one, and will order it later. I've also read that the cabane struts are too long, or maybe the interplane struts are too short, so I'm not too confident about the build. And the fit of the lower wing is poor, according to what I have read.

Soon I will start an Airfix B.E.2c, but it's going to be much more straightforward as there's a jig for the struts. I wish every manufacturer would provide one. A-model Hs 123 comes with a plastic template to determine the angle for the interplane struts, that's a nice touch from them.

[TheKinksFan]

5 minutes ago, KRK4m said:

I am in no way negative towards Ukrainian manufacturers in general or Clear Prop in particular.

Last year I bought 21 kits from Ukrainian manufacturers - mostly UM, ACE, Amodel, ICM and Roden, but there was also 1 Clear Prop - the brilliant I-16.

I just prefer to help Ukraine (or rather Ukrainians in exile in Poland) by other means than by hammering nails under my fingernails.

Cheers

Michael

And I hope that you didn't think that I was suggesting or insinuating that you were, as that was not the case. It was aimed at those who are still thinking about either of the kits, some might even not be aware that Clear Crop is from Ukraine.  Me too, big portion of my last years purchases were from Ukrainian manufacturers. Not because I'm so noble, but because so many of the subjects that interest me are released by some of them. It's just an added bonus if it helps in a very small way. 

 

[Paul Thompson]

6 minutes ago, TheKinksFan said:

Thanks for the advice Paul, much appreciated. If I get the CP DH.9a, I'm not planning to build for a long time, it goes to the stash (and maybe stays there for all eternity). I've got a Roden 1/72 Sopwith Camel, which cost 7€, so if the build ends in a failure, it's not the end of the world. But it's missing two holes on the underside of upper wings, those for the aft cabane struts. The Ship's Camel has them, so I reserved one, and will order it later.

 

 

 

I've also read that the cabane struts are too long, or maybe the interplane struts are too short, so I'm not too confident about the build. And the fit of the lower wing is poor, according to what I have read.

Soon I will start an Airfix B.E.2c, but it's going to be much more straightforward as there's a jig for the struts. I wish every manufacturer would provide one. A-model Hs 123 comes with a plastic template to determine the angle for the interplane struts, that's a nice touch from them.

 

Careful, not all Camel wings are equal........... Easier to eyeball the missing locations and drill them. I've built both Camels and recall no strut problems, but it was a while back and I may have forgotten. I do remember that I used the many leftover parts to upgrade a Revell Camel, which is the one that does have overlong struts (both 1/72nd and 1/72nd kits). Lower wing I'm pretty sure fits okay (as opposed to their Fokker D.BII series, which takes a lot of effort). Usual thing with Roden I find is that you need magnification when doing preparation work to make sure you trim off everything that isn't supposed to be there. I've built several of their kits where the Internet is awash with people moaning blue about fit problems they've had, and in each case pinned it down to flash that isn't obviously flash, to the naked eye.

 

The Airfix Be is a nice kit, but if I were you I'd ignore the Airfix jig. You don't need it. So long as you're careful installing the centre struts then the top wing goes on dead easily and aligns automatically with the lower wing.

 

Paul.

[TheKinksFan]

7 minutes ago, Paul Thompson said:

Easier to eyeball the missing locations and drill them.

I think I need your experienced eyeballs. I check the alignment of horizontal stabilizers almost obsessively, but still too often they're not at 90 degree angle.

 

10 minutes ago, Paul Thompson said:

Usual thing with Roden I find is that you need magnification when doing preparation work to make sure you trim off everything that isn't supposed to be there.

I'm using magnifying glasses most of the time when I'm cleaning parts. That kind of fine flash or extra plastic is easy to miss, the Roden parts look very crisp at first glance.

[Paul Thompson]

6 minutes ago, TheKinksFan said:

I think I need your experienced eyeballs. I check the alignment of horizontal stabilizers almost obsessively, but still too often they're not at 90 degree angle.

 

 

You'll note I never said I got it right..................

 

Paul.

[TheKinksFan]

16 minutes ago, Paul Thompson said:

You'll note I never said I got it right..................

Scale models should be observed from a safe distance, looking too closely and you will notice everything that is asymmetrical or misaligned. I just started to suspect that my Tamiya Spitfire Mk I has too little dihedral .

[alt-92]

Dug this one out from my ancient high school stuff:

 

 

 

No joke. It's come in handy a couple of times already.