Vickers Viking - Royal Flight, make that VL247

[Mjwomack]

On 6/30/2022 at 8:48 AM, TheyJammedKenny! said:

I would only caution that the plastic thickness on the fuselage top and bottom can vary between the right and left halves, which means that you might get an uneven surface after you assemble it, so check your fit carefully.

That's what I'm going to say happened! Though exactly how the thickness changed after the dry fit I can't explain🤔. Everything was amazingly good when I tested it, but somehow it went wrong once cement was applied...

 

Not disastrous though- I've had mainstream kits with worse seams, though the bottom was somehow worse and needed some packing

 

Again, think it can all be cleaned up well enough.

 

This though is 'interesting' or in management speak 'challenging'

 

Yep the windows into the spartan cabin are indeed very large and very clear- an interior is really needed; shame it isn't going to happen! Worse though, in what can only have been a senior moment, I fixed the windows with decal fix rather than clearfix and only realise my mistake when they started falling out. Inevitably this wasn't until after I'd joined the fuselage  together which makes inserting them a hoot. They are an impressively exact fit as well for added merriment.

 

Wings glued together, again with deceptive ease- that is to say I rushed the second one and didn't pay enough attention to the alingments so needs some cleaning up.

 

Thanks to @TheyJammedKenny! for all the helpful nacelle and engine info- at least there's something useful in this thread for serious modellers now! I'm just going OOB with this one.

 

So, there it is, some progress and all-in-all going well enough indeed probably better than I expected.

 

 

[TheyJammedKenny!]

This is pretty serious modeling on your part!  Keep at it!

[Black Knight]

How are you getting on with this?

Are you winning?

Did you get the cabin windows re-afixed?

[Mjwomack]

All good questions!

Made it to LHS today and now have fresh stock of clearfix so optimistic of getting back on it very soon. Ok Friday realistically

Be thinking a few things through ready for paint etc when the time comes 

[Mjwomack]

It always comes as a huge surprise to me when one of my ideas actually works! In this case, how to fit snug fitting cabin windows back into an already closed up fuselage...

 

 

As you can see, I fixed the cabin window to some masking tape, a dose of clearfix around the opening. The masking tape stopped it falling through if I pushed too hard. My only fear was, would clearfix also fix masking tape? After a nail-biting pause while it cured, it was time to take the tape off and lo, it worked! I was so impressed I poked at all the windows to see if anymore wanted to fall out. A couple did and were encouraged to exit through the cockpit front.

And then I outfoxed the carpet monster; one cabin window had been lost, but as this shares the transparent sprue with the Valetta, there was a spare window just waiting to go in. Huzzah, take that carpet monster!!

 

[Mjwomack]

On 6/30/2022 at 8:48 AM, TheyJammedKenny! said:

The engines themselves are a little squirrelly when it comes to keeping them on the wing. 

You're not kidding! Flushed with my success at outwitting the carpet monster, I've moved onto the engines and quite simply can't get.my head round them 🤷

I'm not trying anything fancy, just straight oob yet the engine seems way to small for the nacelle and 'sits' a long way forward. Looking at photos the nacelle does seem a lot bigger and there is a pronounced dip, but even so🫣😢

Any tips from Viking/ Valetta experts, or decent photos of the engine area really appreciated

 

[TheyJammedKenny!]

On 7/27/2022 at 10:44 AM, Mjwomack said:

Any tips from Viking/ Valetta experts, or decent photos of the engine area really appreciated

No photos readily at hand, unfortunately.  The engine gear case at the front should sit back 3mm (1/16") from the leading edge of the cowling face.  On the real thing there is a spinner back plate that covers the engine and is visible only when you remove the spinner body--though some airlines removed this back plate when they removed the spinner.  Bottom line is you're not going to see the engine detail with the spinner in place, so just paint the insides black and be done with it.  

 

Hints for mounting Valom's poor interpretation of the Bristol Hercules: 1) assemble the engine cowling.  2) file and sand the engine cowl flaps until they are exactly straight up and down, without the curvature at the top. 3) insert the "engine" piece from the rear, center the gear case in the cowling, and brace it with scrap plastic in back.  

 

Hints for mounting the engine power egg to the wing:  Note there are three attachment points: 1) engine back-plate to wing assembly (the tapered surface); 2) oil cooler on the underside; 3) carb intake on the topside.  Get your engine alignment right when viewed from the side and top and cement to the wing assembly, trimming the assembly back to ensure "squareness."  Attach the carb intake on the top and ensure it makes contact with the engine cowling; add cement to brace the cowling.  Attach the oil cooler to the underside, sliding forward or back to make contact with the engine cowling and cement to brace the cowling from the bottom.

[Mjwomack]

After an extended period of procrastination, of course I mean reflection; this is going to be my first KUTA candidate!

In the end the only way could see to get the engines to connect to the wings was to take the hacksaw to things, which seemed (and was drastic). Then settled upon just gluing things on and not worrying too very much about the wrongs and rights of detail.

Back in the autumn though

[Mjwomack]

At the (next) break, this is the state of affairs

 

 

Engines on using a 1962 standard eyeball (post-delivery mods over the years by numerous opticians) but they look OK to me (I suppose they would. Oh yes, the spar was too chunky for the wing and split it, hence the clamp while repairs take place.

At least the tails on.