CarLos Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 Following the recent discussion about the KP Cessna 180/185 kit where several errors were pointed out, I decided to start my kit along with the vacuformed one by Khee-Kha. I have started Lars Opland beautiful kit a few years ago but due to a stupid mistake in cutting the wing the project stalled. Last week, while watching football on the computer, I've cut another kit and I will use it as a comparison with KP. To summarise, the main problems of the KP kit are: In the wing, the leading edge of the centre section should be straight in plan view; The outer panels miss about five mm in span. The fuselage is not deep nor long enough the back. Is the plan correct? you may find a good profile photo taken from a distance (I used this one): Then use your favourite graphics program to scale it in the screen of your computer (or better yet, print it scaled to 1/72) and compare: (I tried to align by the door posts and by the upper profile) I think it is clear enough. The same comparison proves that the Khee-Kha kit is spot on (also showing that the fin and rudder edges are slightly off in the plans). Please feel free to comment! I already started correcting the wing, but I'll leave it to another post. Carlos 14 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borisz Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 Heyy! 14 minutes ago, CarLos said: Following the recent discussion about the KP Cessna 180/185 kit where several errors were pointed out, I decided to start my kit along with the vacuformed one by Khee-Kha. I have started Lars Opland beautiful kit a few years ago but due to a stupid mistake in cutting the wing the project stalled. Last week, while watching football on the computer, I've cut another kit and I will use it as a comparison with KP. To summarise, the main problems of the KP kit are: In the wing, the leading edge of the centre section should be straight in plan view; The outer panels miss about five mm in span. The fuselage is not deep nor long enough the back. Is the plan correct? you may find a good profile photo taken from a distance (I used this one): Then use your favourite graphics program to scale it in the screen of your computer (or better yet, print it scaled to 1/72) and compare: (I tried to align by the door posts and by the upper profile) I think it is clear enough. The same comparison proves that the Khee-Kha kit is spot on (also showing that the fin and rudder edges are slightly off in the plans). Please feel free to comment! I already started correcting the wing, but I'll leave it to another post. Carlos 16 hours ago, CarLos said: My way to correct the wing. Progress in a dedicated thread very soon. Carlos As I see, you cut the shortcoming section and you inserted some pins. Will you reatach the original piece, in the correct position, right? And then what? Fill it with putty, or previously insert a triangle shaped piece of plastic? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smudge Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 Great work. Looking forward to following this one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 Helpful stuff. One can see that the rear end of the fuselage is the wrong shape compared to the side view colour photo as well as the length. The wing leading edge is a pain but with planning could be sorted ... and the wing tip. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis_C Posted August 26, 2022 Share Posted August 26, 2022 15 hours ago, Borisz said: My way to correct the wing. Progress in a dedicated thread very soon. Hi, a reasonable way to fix the leading edge. But should it lead to a problem with front screen alignment at a later stage? Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangseat Posted August 26, 2022 Share Posted August 26, 2022 Really good research! The wingtips though - in fairness to kp these tend to vary from airframe to airframe as owners buy aftermarket cambered tips. Possibly neither is wrong? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Russell Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 On 8/26/2022 at 7:35 PM, Bangseat said: Possibly neither is wrong? Quite likely as there are several varieties of tips - check my picture in the Rumourmonger section for a variety of plans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarLos Posted September 17, 2022 Author Share Posted September 17, 2022 Some progress was done already but time to post has been scarce. But here we go... The wing: as shown previously, I opted to correct the leading edge by inserting some plastic card wedges. We need to be careful and overdo a little, as the affected front edge is not straight. Be also very careful with the vertical alignment, or you risk ending up with an incorrect wing profile. Some photos: As a side note, perhaps packing with strips of plastic card at the front and sanding would be easier. May be I'll try that approach in another kit... To extend the outer wing panels, I started by cutting the tip according with the plans. Then I made the extra groves of the aileron by scoring lightly with an hobby knife and then with the broken tip of a round file. Not so bad without a macro lens, but far from perfect. I added a square to straighten the tip where it was round, but forget that the extra tapering in thickness would be noticeable, so I corrected that with extra plastic. Not difficult, but I should have anticipated the problem and simply cut a slice of the tip up to the aileron and carve some thick plastic. Again, live and learn. Tips will be added later, after deciding which machine I will make. You can notice clearly that the groves of the aileron are not parallel to the flight direction. This is the kind of thing that once noticed I can't "un-notice". No way to correct this unless you want to 3D print new ailerons. And, to have a consistent aspect, new flaps rudder and elevators! The fuselage benefited from the experience of correcting the Airfix Yak kit. After comparing with plans, photos and with the Khee-Kha kit at hand I scored carefully along the lower panel line from the rear up to the door, and then along the lower door contour. You need a new blade for this. After a few passes, twist the plastic carefully and a shadow white mark will turn up at the interior. Now score very carefully along that shadow mark and after a few twists you will have an almost perfect cut. Insert plastic, reinforce by the interior, make new fuselage ends, file, sand, putty, sand again and at the end you will have a much better Cessna 180 fuselage. Not perfect, but a lot better. And this is not the end of it, instead it's only the beginning of a model! Here the fuselages are aligned by the firewall panel: The interior is not very nice to see... but better safe than sorrow. I would like to assure you that this *is not* a difficult task. It took me a pair of evenings for the wings an another for the fuselage. As I acquired another kit I'm sure that it will take a lot less. If you can make the KP Cessna without corrections, go for it! I simply can not. Carlos Oh, the Yaks! One day... 14 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billn53 Posted September 18, 2022 Share Posted September 18, 2022 This is my kind of modeling! Hack and slash, until the kit surrenders and does what you want. (I mean this in the best way possible ) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarLos Posted September 22, 2022 Author Share Posted September 22, 2022 On 9/18/2022 at 2:21 AM, billn53 said: This is my kind of modeling! Hack and slash, until the kit surrenders and does what you want. (I mean this in the best way possible ) I would go lion taming, but few opportunities here... Anyway, better than accountancy! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted October 4, 2022 Share Posted October 4, 2022 Elsewhere I have started a post of my build and looking here now, I can see the fuselage work needed and the wingtips I was wondering if the sporty wing tips in the kit can be used to correct the original tip profile. Its something I'll to deal with. The fuselage depth is another matter. I'll keep tabs on this thread to get some ideas if you don't mind that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greggles.w Posted October 6, 2022 Share Posted October 6, 2022 Confident work here - you show that fuselage who’s boss!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smudge Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Hi @CarLos. I was very interested to see how you got on with this project. I have a couple of these KP 180/185's and I'm wondering how to go about building them. Did you get any further with this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarLos Posted January 26 Author Share Posted January 26 7 hours ago, Smudge said: Hi @CarLos. I was very interested to see how you got on with this project. I have a couple of these KP 180/185's and I'm wondering how to go about building them. Did you get any further with this? No, I haven't... It is near the desk, but I'm trying to finish other builds. The Manchester conversion, the Mosquito for the Frog GB and the Supermarine 224... And I am very slow! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smudge Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 No worries. I know how that is. I've got a few on the go myself. Good luck with all your projects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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