Popular Post Natter Posted July 16, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted July 16, 2022 Matchbox's Twin Otter with the aerocraftmodels.com resin cockpit section, engine front and propellers and their brass undercarriage. I wish I had bought their wheels as well. The engine fronts and propellers are very subtly different, you could modify the Matchbox propellers fairly easily to be feathered, but the cockpit section gives the correct windscreen profile which makes a massive difference and the brass undercarriage is brilliant for a model that is quite heavy due to all the nose-weight added. I believe the skis are hydraulically retractable on the original, but Matchbox moulded them with a solid piece under the wheels. I opted to open this out and raise the skis, which made the mounting on the undercarriage very difficult and insecure: not recommended. The kit was missing the transparent sprues when it was bought (seller was honest) so the side windows are Micro Krystal Klear. Xtracrylix Red Arrows Red and Mr Color gloss black make up the main colours, with Mr Color GX112 gloss varnish to finish. Decals are Caracal and were flawless; I just wish they had the 'Ice Cold Katy' script for the cockpit doors. The aircraft are very clean in all the on-line photos I could find, but exhaust staining streaks are really heavy on the original; although very prominent on the model they really aren't overdone. 110 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke1199 Posted July 16, 2022 Share Posted July 16, 2022 That's fantastic, what a great looking model! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesa Jussila Posted July 16, 2022 Share Posted July 16, 2022 Looks good and cockpit section makes real difference. Excellent result. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted July 16, 2022 Share Posted July 16, 2022 Nice Twotter. I flew in one of the BAS ones when it was leased to Jersey European Airlines in 1985. It was a trip to Jersey and was in the same colour scheme except for the fuselage titles which was the airlinescscheme but white on red and a civvy teg G-BKBC. But I didn't know the wing and tailplabe tops were black aswell. Your model looks very nice and the unsual red bands in line with the engines are certainly different. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billn53 Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 I love it!!! I have a thing for aircraft used in polar exploration, and have an Otter in the stash that I intend to do in these very same markings. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackson Duvalier Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 Very nice model you've made, Dave. The AM bits are ever so smoothly blended in. For all its apparent fiddliness, the undercard looks well-groomed. It would catch my eye if I were a contest judge. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 Very nice, the new nose has certainly made a huge difference. It looks really good on skis too! Cheers John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Young Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 Lovely model, and the work you’ve done to improve it has certainly paid off!. I see the real aircraft (without skis) was at Shuttleworth yesterday, due to depart this morning. Not sure if it’s the actual one - did they have more than one of these? Cheers, Andy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyWessex Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 This is absolutely stunning and the very subject I intent to build. How did you find the fit of the replacement nose section? I assume the fuselage cut has to be VERY precise... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEXANTOMCAT Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 Absolutely superb well done 👍👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natter Posted July 17, 2022 Author Share Posted July 17, 2022 1 hour ago, Andy Young said: did they have more than one of these? Hi Andy - BAS currently operate four Twin Otters; VP-FAZ, -FBB, -FBC and -FBL; alongside a DHC-7 VP-FBQ 1 hour ago, NavyWessex said: How did you find the fit of the replacement nose section? I assume the fuselage cut has to be VERY precise... Hi NavyWessex, I am an average modeller who sometimes gets lucky, so you can rest assured that a very precise cut is not required. Inside the fuselage are two raised locating ridges for the cockpit aft bulkhead, which then fits between them in the standard modelling manner if you're building out of the box. I carefully ran a scalpel around the rear of the forward ridge to remove the original cockpit section and leave a lip ahead of the aft ridge, if that makes sense. I did this to both sides, then test fitted the two fuselage halves with the new bulkhead (as provided by aerocraftmodels) in place. Next I gently sanded the lip of the fuselage halves back with the fuselahe halves securely taped together and kept check-fitting the new bulkhead until it protruded slightly (as per aerocraftmodels' instructions), which aligned the new cockpit section to the fuselage. There was some care needed to get the lower grey resin section and the upper clear resin section of the new aerocraftmodels cockpit to fit together neatly and fit snugly to the fuselage, but nice and slow, a small sand here and there with a check fit every time and it was very straightforward. aerocraftmodels does state that 'some blending may be required', and this is definitely the case to get a nice smooth join between the original fuselage and the new resin parts, but this is nothing difficult, it just requires a bit of filler and patience. The nose of choice from the kit, short or long, just fits straight on to the front of the new section (though I had to cut the moulding/locating lug back a bit) and after a little more blending the job is done. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurricane39 Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 Beautiful job on a true aviation workhorse. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wulfman Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 Lovely looking Twitter, grreat build ! Wuifman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Young Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 4 hours ago, Natter said: Hi Andy - BAS currently operate four Twin Otters; VP-FAZ, -FBB, -FBC and -FBL; alongside a DHC-7 VP-FBQ Thanks Dave - I should have checked registrations! It was -FBL at Shuttleworth this weekend. Lovely aeroplane and a brilliant model you’ve made there. Cheers, Andy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 That's a stunning build and finish Natter,top work. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maginot Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 Striking paint job. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airdaniel Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 Really interesting and spectacular scheme on this beauty. Congratulation for the perfect result! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phildagreek Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 Very smart! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanC Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 A really impressive model. The paintjob looks flawless. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psdavidson Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 that's an absolute stunner. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForestFan Posted July 17, 2022 Share Posted July 17, 2022 I agree with the post above 👆 it’s a belter! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pantherhawk27263 Posted July 18, 2022 Share Posted July 18, 2022 What a beautiful build! Excellent job. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheyJammedKenny! Posted July 18, 2022 Share Posted July 18, 2022 That's all of the above! This is first-rate work on your part, making this Matchbox kit look like the real thing. Well, that does it then: I'm investing in the after-market resin cockpit at a minimum. Did you polish the paint and clear coat to achieve the spectacular finish? Best regards, Alex 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natter Posted July 18, 2022 Author Share Posted July 18, 2022 2 hours ago, TheyJammedKenny! said: Did you polish the paint and clear coat to achieve the spectacular finish? Hi Alex, the finish has a gloss varnish had some localised polishing. The top coat was Mr Color GX112 gloss varnish, though GX100 would work as well, Where there were minor blemishes or the finish was rough it was gently rubbed over with micro-mesh 12000 and then given a going over with fine polishing compound where it had been micro-meshed. If I were to make another I would leave the support struts off until after painting as the finish on the fuselage sides is not as good as elsewhere because I just couldn't get in properly with the airbrush. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troffa Posted July 18, 2022 Share Posted July 18, 2022 What an absolute cracker! Top work from you as always. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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