iang Posted November 3, 2022 Author Share Posted November 3, 2022 I've been working on this at a snail's pace. The cockpit is about 80% done now and it's got to the stage where I want it finished to move on. i've added a radio, which swings out like the original, TAG seat with belts, Lewis ammunition drums, observers bomb aiming hatch and controls, folding Observer's seat, Vickers gun stock to pilot's cockpit port side, pilot and observer's instruments, belts for the observer. I still need to add the stick, throttle controls, Vickers ammunition box and to paint the pilot's seat cushion add belts and height adjustment controls. i the end, I added a TAG seat similar to the one found in the Swordfish as I could not find a photograph showing the seat 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted November 3, 2022 Share Posted November 3, 2022 Looking good Ian , the info is a great find too. Keep going you're doing a great job. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mahavelona Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 Looking excellent so far 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iang Posted November 16, 2022 Author Share Posted November 16, 2022 I've pretty much decided upon S1307 as a subject - either as a float or wheeled version (more of that later). It's a well photographed aircraft as a wheeled version: However, it has the rear cockpit divided into separate Observer and TAG stations, which means further modification to the Wellsprop kit. I made a top deck divider from aluminium sheet as I found that my first attempt from plastic card wouldn't hold it's shape well enough. The photos I've seen seem to show leather edging to each cockpit. I tried fabricating the leather edging from Green Stuff sculpting putty, but found Crystal Klear better: The Crystal Klear is not quite dry in these photos except for the Observer's cockpit: More progress has been made on the cockpit, which is very nearly finished. More on that later. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted November 16, 2022 Share Posted November 16, 2022 Just read through the whole thread (I've been AWOL for a while) and will follow from here with great interest. Been contemplating making a cockpit coaming from aluminium so it's good to see it can be done. It looks great! I like the Krystal Klear leather cockpit padding. Been wondering about what to use for that too. I tried milliput before, a very messy and ugly result it was! Richie 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted November 16, 2022 Share Posted November 16, 2022 Great work on the cockpit coaming that looks fantastic. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iang Posted November 17, 2022 Author Share Posted November 17, 2022 The cockpit is complete as it is going to be other than the harness for the pilot. It's a concoction of fact and fiction. I can't recall ever building a model where so much guesswork was required. Despite a few rough areas, once enclosed in the fuselage it gives a sufficiently busy impression. The next step is to join the front section and start detailing the fuselage exterior. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted November 17, 2022 Share Posted November 17, 2022 Guesswork or not, the cockpit looks convincing, no rough areas are apparent to me. Job well done I reckon. Richie 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted November 18, 2022 Share Posted November 18, 2022 Love the cockpit work and as you mentioned, looks busy. Floatplane version would be my choice 'cos I have lots of floatplanes to build. Stuart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mahavelona Posted November 20, 2022 Share Posted November 20, 2022 Fantastic work and a brave modification to the base kit! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iang Posted November 30, 2022 Author Share Posted November 30, 2022 I've had to carry out some significant repairs to the fuselage caused by carelessness - hence the lack of updates. The whole project nearly ended in the bin as I managed to drop it twice. The resin shatters very easily when dropped from even quite a low height (we have wooden floors). I repaired the rear fuselage a while back, but the front fuselage was trickier to get back together, as it shattered into numerous pieces. The results can be seen below after re-scribing the panel lines: I took the opportunity to attend to the two teardrop cut outs on the underside of the nose. These were moulded as depressions in the original, but I replaced that part of the nose section with a piece of aluminium sheet. And fitted: I think I have the teardrops slightly too far apart, but it will have to do now. Having repaired the fuselage, I moved on to the tail, separating the elevators from the tail plane and rudder from the fin. This is necessary to be able to model the cut out in the rudder (at the point that the elevator controls pass through). I considered drilling this, but decided that separating the two surfaces would make it easier and also have the advantage of allowing me to pose the rudder in a slightly deflected position. Separating the elevators and rudder was unproblematic, but I did snap off the extreme rear end of the fin, where it joins the rudder. In this photo the tail plane is resting on it's brass pins (as is the fin), but I haven't yet modified the rudder. The damage to the fin has been repaired with with milliput. All the surfaces have been roughly sanded to remove the striations: All of these surfaces will need to be detailed, but I want to check out the fit of the airframe before I start this process. Moving on to the lower wing, I have sanded each part to remove striations and pinned with brass rod: I found that making oversized holes allowed me to slightly adjust the alignment before glueing. The photo below shows the fuselage after repair and re-scribed, and the wings glued in a rough state. All I have done here is glue them and adjust the size of the tips, which were slightly too large: It is going to be quite large when assembled. The dihedral I set by eye, to give a slight positive sit to match the available plans. However, I am concerned that they will sag overtime with the weight of the resin, but time will tell. The next task is to finish the wings to give a smooth surface before adding the ribs. I'm still undecided whether or not to separate the ailerons and flaps. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted November 30, 2022 Share Posted November 30, 2022 So glad this didn't end up in the bin after all the careful work and planning so far. Excellent work on the repairs to the shattered fuselage, that must have been very stressful! I've never built a resin kit before, it looks a delicate business but you're doing a grand job! Richie 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted November 30, 2022 Share Posted November 30, 2022 Some great progress Ian, looking good and great work on the repairs. Like the extra inserted panel under the nose too. Great work Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britman Posted November 30, 2022 Share Posted November 30, 2022 Great work here iang. I am a little ahead of you in 48th scale also by Ben. Do you find the medium a little brittle? I am enjoying the build and seeing how you deal with things. Keith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iang Posted November 30, 2022 Author Share Posted November 30, 2022 1 hour ago, Britman said: Great work here iang. I am a little ahead of you in 48th scale also by Ben. Do you find the medium a little brittle? I am enjoying the build and seeing how you deal with things. Keith Thanks Keith. Yes, it's quite brittle and snaps very easily. A drop from any height seemingly guarantees major damage. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learstang Posted November 30, 2022 Share Posted November 30, 2022 Excellent work so far! Its brittleness is one reason why I rarely work with resin kits anymore. I had a RS He 46 which I had almost finished, but which dropped from some height then broke like it was made out of glass (it was a heavy model with a solid fuselage). I repaired it, then dropped it again. This time I gave up (I'll build an IM plastic kit of the He 46 instead). Good repair work on yours, and here's to keeping it straight and level on firm ground (or deck). Regards, Jason 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iang Posted November 30, 2022 Author Share Posted November 30, 2022 44 minutes ago, Learstang said: Excellent work so far! Its brittleness is one reason why I rarely work with resin kits anymore. I had a RS He 46 which I had almost finished, but which dropped from some height then broke like it was made out of glass (it was a heavy model with a solid fuselage). I repaired it, then dropped it again. This time I gave up (I'll build an IM plastic kit of the He 46 instead). Good repair work on yours, and here's to keeping it straight and level on firm ground (or deck). Regards, Jason It certainly is a more challenging medium. I've only finished two resin kits: a 1/48th Model Design Construction Blackburn Swordfish, which took me years on and off, but turned out fine eventually and this 1/32 Fisher Sea Fury. It's hard to find superlatives adequate to describe the quality of the Fisher kit. I've also been working on a 1/32 Silver Wings Sea Gladiator on and off for a few years and an HPH 1/32 Walrus, which is a challenging build. However, I think that this IIIF is going to be the toughest of them all. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony in NZ Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 I am really loving this build and taking lots of notes for my one in 1/32 as well. You sure have the skills to pull this off, just wonderful! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iang Posted December 3, 2022 Author Share Posted December 3, 2022 The lower wing has been smoothed and the aileron, flap and the wing fold lines recut. I used superglue to fill the joints, rubbing down soon after application so that it remained fairly soft. It took several goes to fill all the join lines. I decided against removing the flaps and ailerons so as to be able to position them on the grounds that it would add more time to the build, though I haven't passed the point where I can't change my mind. The maintenance manual has a diagram of the lower wing with the ribs marked. There are twenty full chord ribs between the wing-fold and the wing tip and I've been experimenting with various methods of replicating the ribs. I tried to replicate the ribs with circuit board tape and micro-strip, but settled on Slater's 10 thou rod. I may still try decal strip for comparison. In the photo these are attached with Tamiya thin, which melts the rod just sufficiently to adhere to the resin, but mistakes can easily be rectified. The next step is to super glue them before attaching the the part-chord ribs at the leading edge, as they are not stable enough to be rubbed down at present. One wing surface done - seven to go!! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted December 3, 2022 Share Posted December 3, 2022 Nice rib work, crikey there's a lot of work there. Great job Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britman Posted December 3, 2022 Share Posted December 3, 2022 4 hours ago, iang said: The lower wing has been smoothed and the aileron, flap and the wing fold lines recut. I used superglue to fill the joints, rubbing down soon after application so that it remained fairly soft. It took several goes to fill all the join lines. I decided against removing the flaps and ailerons so as to be able to position them on the grounds that it would add more time to the build, though I haven't passed the point where I can't change my mind. The maintenance manual has a diagram of the lower wing with the ribs marked. There are twenty full chord ribs between the wing-fold and the wing tip and I've been experimenting with various methods of replicating the ribs. I tried to replicate the ribs with circuit board tape and micro-strip, but settled on Slater's 10 thou rod. I may still try decal strip for comparison. In the photo these are attached with Tamiya thin, which melts the rod just sufficiently to adhere to the resin, but mistakes can easily be rectified. The next step is to super glue them before attaching the the part-chord ribs at the leading edge, as they are not stable enough to be rubbed down at present. One wing surface done - seven to go!! That's what I ended up doing on the upper surfaces and found it easier to manage. I didn't get involved with the intermediary ribs as in 48th they look a bit too messy. It is very encouraging to see how you are getting on with essentially the same kit as me albeit in a larger scale. Keith 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Ogilvie Posted March 11, 2023 Share Posted March 11, 2023 How did I miss this! Great work so far - will look a peach when done. Any more progress? I did express interest in the kit when it was being developed - but I appear to have missed ordering one - I guess I'm too late now... Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony in NZ Posted March 12, 2023 Share Posted March 12, 2023 5 hours ago, Iain Ogilvie said: How did I miss this! Great work so far - will look a peach when done. Any more progress? I did express interest in the kit when it was being developed - but I appear to have missed ordering one - I guess I'm too late now... Iain No mate you’re not. Mike Swinbourne (serian01) is going to sell his one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Ogilvie Posted March 12, 2023 Share Posted March 12, 2023 Thanks Anthony, Having slept on it - I might go a different route at some point in the future. Really enjoying seeing this one come together though!! Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iang Posted March 12, 2023 Author Share Posted March 12, 2023 On 11/03/2023 at 20:03, Iain Ogilvie said: Great work so far - will look a peach when done. Any more progress? Iain Thanks. Only a little progress. I've been busy at work, but in a couple of weeks the busy period should be over and I plan to get back to it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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