Latecoere: 28.5 into 290, scratch conversion of SBS resin kit (1/72) - plus scratch build of Latecoere 281!

[JWM]

Hi,

Not many times ago I have bought the Latecoere 28.5 resin kit bu SBS (Hungarian company). The kit is presenting a floatplane variant  of basically mail plane in livery from an era of long range pioneers flights. Exactly it is Latecoere 28.5 "La Fregate". 

The short description of the type is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latécoère_28

Here is a in-box scheme - just to see how it looks like:

 

I was not cheep, so I bought only one. One day I should like two variants of the Latecoere 28 (and his development - Latecoere 290).

One will be a Spanish Civil War transport machine 

 

 

 

 

So you can play the game "find 100 details which differs those pictures".... 

There was very limited series kit of Latecoere 290 

it is really difficult to get. 

 

I hope the passenger/mail  variant will appear one day so my target machine is torpedo-bomber Latecoere 290.

Thisiis my starting point: the model and three books (plus Internet)

I scaled the drawing from books (two are same) in 1/72, they agree very well in all dimensions (or I overlooked something)

 

 

Few days ago I started work on wings, fuselage and the main task - much bigger floats. However unexpected  construction problem appeared.  The resin block in a place where Late 290 had windows. So I have to remove this block 

I cut it  like that: 

 

Using driller I removed the block

The window in rear part of fuselage is blinded and openings for new windows are drilled out. 

I glued together wings and ailerons

I started to wok on enlarging of floats . If I failed I will go to wheeled Spanish version

 

 

The other parts in resin, PE and very nice decals. 

 

To be continued

Regards

J-W

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 10, 2023 by JWM

[Vesa Jussila]

I was looking this same kit some time ago. I was more thinking civil version. But definitely I will follow your build as always.

[JWM]

29 minutes ago, Vesa Jussila said:

I was looking this same kit some time ago. I was more thinking civil version. But definitely I will follow your build as always.

Many thanks! I really think that SBS can release the wheeled variant, only the fuselage has to be re-designed due to plenty of windows and of course undercarriadge. I am not sure how it is with engine.

BTW, I finished today the sventh  Junkers, the 188. This the last of series of Ju 88 family,  so this Latecoere build  will be a nice change...

Regard

J-W

[JWM]

Hi ,

I am trying a new for me technique with floats. i sanded all surface details and wrapped around a piece of plastic card 0.25 mm thick, gluing them together using CA glue. We will see if it will work.

The advantage is that now the surface is a plastic card, so anything can be glued on this with normal glue. We will see....

 

The second thing is the engine. Though a long distance 28.5 and Latecore 290 had the same Hispano Suiza engine the inlets to carburetor sre different - in 28.5 it six 2x3 circular inlets on sides, in case of 290 this is a pair  of more modern looking inlets.

First I cut two slots, one on each side of engine and prepared four small plastic triangles 

after some fine corrections I glued them forming inlets

So you mas see also glued propeller. 

Then I added shaft to prop and piece of tube to be a bearing

 

The Tamiya tape is to enlarge a bit the  diameter - my drill appeared to be a bit too large for the tube I have...

That is all for today,

It will be continued

regards

J-W

 

 

[Roger Holden]

On 26/03/2023 at 23:27, JWM said:

 I really think that SBS can release the wheeled variant, only the fuselage has to be re-designed due to plenty of windows and of course undercarriadge. 

Not so, I'm afraid. The landplane had a different wing of narrower chord, as can be seen in your profile of the Spanish aircraft.  The floatplane wing was re-designed to give it greater area.  That SBS kit is actually quite poor. The wing is like a thick plank with a radiused off leading edge and tapered rear portion, nothing like the correct refined aerofoil shape of the original. The nose is also too short and Renaissance makes a correction nose. 

[JWM]

I glued engine after some work on modified inlets of air to carburetors 

 

To gle I have used a 5 minutes epoxy glue, not the CA. The big parts of resin kit I like to glue using epoxy glue. 

I was happy.... And then suddenly at today morning I've read what Roger wrote above: 

17 hours ago, Roger Holden said:

The nose is also too short and Renaissance makes a correction nose. 

Gosh!!!  The engine looked so nice that I even did not thought at all, that anything can be wrong with it! I measured and this is true!  With help of sharp knife I separated the nose (surprisingly easy! - I would be much difficult I use CA glue. 

This is difficult to illustrate but indeed some 2.5 mm the nose is to short. I will try modify it, not buying the replacement ... 

 

I checked other basic dimensions and the wings are ok (I agree with Roger, that the aerofoil could be really donme better!, but I will left it)

 

The floats (after extension) are more or lest of right dimensions

 

The tailplane / stabilzer have to short chord, but only that. I am intending to add basic element from resin, so I put tailplane into silicone, left two sprues  near leading edge. Now I will fill it with resin glue, than do sanding etc. This will be the firs approximation.

 

To be cont.

Regards

J-W

 

 

 

[JWM]

I did the nose extension by 2 mm 

 

Started to fill the gaps in hope of making the insert invisible 

This is not a one evening process...

On the bottom side I will try to modify area around the cooler 

 

Of other points - the floats got some putty,,,,

To be cont.

Regards

J-W

 

Edited March 29, 2023 by JWM

[JWM]

Hi,

I started from careful look how the engine fits with canopy and decided to cut a piece of engine, glue to canopy and then lost the difference in height on joint. I looked on the engine and more differences and the biggest in a different look of a side radiator. 

I did the interior

 

I removed one raised panel before the side radiator (oil, I presume)

 

 

I glued in side windows and small outlets on engine fairing 

 

 

I added the side doors

I realized, that on all but the prototype Late 290 there is no window below the canopy on left side, so I blinded it

 

The oil cooler is made of scratch

I drilled out the opening for the dorsal gunner turret. The turret itself I will take from Heller Potez 540. 

 

The oil radiator was corrected and painted 

 

To be continued

Regards

J-W

 

[VG 33]

Hi Jerzy-Wojtek

 

This is a very interesting build.  I am lucky enough to have both Air Magazine kits of Late 290 and 294. It seems that your cockpit is better equipped.

 

Patrick

[JWM]

Hi Patrick

The cockpit is indeed the best part of the kit. Quite impressive. I will left opened door to make it better visible in case. 

I an a bit jealous sorry for having the TMA Replica/ Air Magazine Latecores  

The 294 is still available in Aviatiomegastore as for today for some 76 euro (https://www.aviationmegastore.com/en/modelling/latecoere-294-hydravion-torpilleur-editionstma-r004-99205.html), but the Late 290 is available only on ebay for 550 USD!  (https://www.ebay.com/itm/201336762538) . So I've got new motivation for constructing it! 

However, the 294 was a sole prototype as also the 296 was, so I can live without it, even if it is a nice machine... 

I have check also availability of the engine set by Renessainse . Looks that it is available, https://www.renaissance-models.com/ter/index.php/avions-toutes-echelles/echelle-1-72/produits/2803-latecoere-28-3-comte-de-la-vaulx for 12 euro + PP.

They sell it together with canopy. I am just thinking that having those parts the scratch build of Late 28 from Spanish Civil War will not be very difficult (fuselage is square box, mostly the wing is a challenge), 

Regards

J-W

[JWM]

Hi, 

I glued the wings and canopy. Before gluing I painted inside of canopy with diluted (thinned) Tamiya gloss varnish (acrylic) - this improved the transparency of the resin cast canopy. 

I had to add a piece of plastic sheet (0.25 mm thick) and some putty, because the fuselage ended on wing top  with some 0.5 mm step 

 

 

And bottom side

 

I use Humbrol 144 to see how the all modification on engine cover looks like:

Tomorrow will be time for some modification

To be con.

Regards

J-W

 

 

[JWM]

Hi,

Some remarks and doubts regarding the painting. Here is the set of photos described as done in 1940 (only for discussion purposes),    

 

From first it is clear, that no alu engine cover was present and the props and spinner are black. No individual markings seen. 

The second photo shows machine without national insignia and with unit emblem on tail  - it is describe as June 1940, so it should no posses unit emblem and should heve national insignia on fuselage. So I doubt that it is really June 1940.... However - there is a bomb under fuselage. 

 It is after accident which happened in June 1940 killing one, and has removed engine. But this is the scheme I am going to build. 

 

I added struts. I drilled the holes in place, where the other struts (absent in Late 28.3) are crossing that one. 

 

 

 

I enlarged the stabilizer/tailplane adding and then sanding a Milliput on the leading edge and made some sanding/filling work on floats.

 

Comments welcome, to be cont.

regards

J-W

 

[VG 33]

Hello

 

I think the engine area was dull aluminium. The other differences of the grey paint should be due to variations from fabric or wood under.

 

Patrick

 

[JWM]

1 hour ago, VG 33 said:

Hello

 

I think the engine area was dull aluminium. The other differences of the grey paint should be due to variations from fabric or wood under.

 

Patrick

Hi Patrick,

Thank you! For sure it is for all pre-war photos, however I suspect that some it might be changed like it was in cases for land based French machines, where the pre-war not painted engines were covered with camo. The top photo from my previous post shows the nose and the demarcation between grey and alu should be right before the canopy starts and it is not there. The other difference is black spinner and prop - pre-war were both in alu. I have to look more on photos from Cherbourg machines from 1939-40...

Regards

J-W

 

[JWM]

Here is another profile with painted nose (from Avions Hors serie magazine) ... 

1. 

[VG 33]

I have scrutinized the same picture on Air Magazine N°35 and yes the engine covers could be grey. Something like Laté 298.

 

Patrick

[JWM]

I have to confess, that a temptation come to me to do a scratch work on Latecoere 281, someway as an aftermath of this conversion. I have just bought the  Renaissance nose (and canopy is enclosed there as well) - as a staring point. This will be a Spanish Civil War machine following that photo

 

This is an ex-French civil F-AJVB or F-AJVI (the other were F-AJHS, F-AJPG and  F-AJPC ) since the "V" from original French registration is still visible on left wing underside. What might look as  traces of "J" is the Pitot tube and final Letter (B or I) could be over painted by red strip. Some more info is  here https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/spanish-civil-war-republican-air-force-fare.25733/page-2

 

I will report this in the same WIP, if I decided to go...

 

Regards

J-W

 

[JWM]

HI,

So I added to this thread today a scratch build of Latecoere 28-1 from Spanish Civil War, the Republican side. 

First - the wing. 

The wing of Late 28 is the same span as 290 but smaller chord. Since I do not have another SBS kit I ahve to go on with scratch. I cut out a layout of a wing from a 1 mm thick plastic sheet.

The chord is smaller by about 5 mm only

 

I would like to use the upper sides of upper wing of a vintage kit  of An-2 made by VEB Plasticart (GDR) . This was a kit which I constructed when I was perhaps 10 years old, could be in 1969....  The remains of it I have still in a drawer. The inner side will give me the concave shape of air foil

 

 

I glued it  together and pressed to get concave  bottom side 

 

Then on the upper side I filled the empty spaces using Milliput

 

I massive sanding will come to it later...

The second item is fuselage. AS I mentioned I bought the aftermarket engine (by Renaissance) - so it will be the core of this scratch work...

So the fuselage I am scratching is only the part aft the engine. It is a rectangle in section, what makes work relatively easy. 

I cut the bottom and upper parts from 1 mm thick white plastic sheet (or card, perhaps this is the proper term?)

The sided I cut out from a clear sheets (cards) - in aim that windows I will get only as a result if proper masking followed by painting. 

 

On the above photo one side was with a failure, I cut it the second time. 

I cut the rectangular parts (rabbets?) from a 1.5 mm card,  leaving 1 mm each space in side for the side panels. 

 

The rear rabbet is sloped since the floor will be bent. With Tamiya tape I masked the place for windows

 

The fuselage is glued together

 

To be frank I could use all the tail from SBS kit here, however I already enlarged the chord and the span of tailplane (stabilizer) to have it in right dimensions for Late 290, so I have to scratch it here. But  I can use the fin/rudder directly from SBS kit.

 

 

BTW - the Spanish Late were adopted to the bomber  role, so I expect they have some defense armament (like for example DH 89 had), but I did not seen any photo or drawing showing it...

Any suggestion on that will be much appreciated.....

 

To be cont.

Regards

Jerzy-Wojtek

 

 

 

[JWM]

Besides asking on BM  Interwar section

I have sent a letter to Spanish Museo del Aire Cuatro Vientos (at Madrid) with question on the armament uses in Spanish Latacoeres. Initially they were used as bombers, so some defense weapon was likely installed. 

On this photo 

there is an object seen right from the left main gear wheel (so the right one on the photo) which could be the MG, as well as the light spot could be a wall of opening getting light due to the similar opening for a dorsal MG. But unfortunatelly it is right on the edge of the hangar behind, so it could be some background object as well. Moreover, the Latecoers has a control cables to the tail going in the middle of the fuselage hidden ia a double roof above the passenger compartments

The ventral opening is simple but installing the dorsal opening would require a change in the  position of the controlling cables . This is a more serious intervention in the construction of airplane then just cutting out a piece of fuselage surface ...This was done later in case of Lacecoere 290 (which had a regular dorsal turret).

Regards

J-W

 

[IPMS19]

- As a rarity it is a rarity, it is a never seen model according to me....Good show

[JWM]

Hi,

Today a canopy and engine for Latecoere 28 came from Renaissance. 

A fault was in the resin engine: 

As you may see on the top surface a sudden step for perhaps 0.5 mm happened. I think that the maybe their  silicone form is perhaps broken...Any way I decided to go on with it - I mean to repair it. I assumed that it is right side incorrectly too high. 

So I cut a kind of the socket below it using saw and drilling machine

 

You may see the canopy an above photo as well.  I drilled the opening for the mechanism which will allow the prop for rotation. Here (above) you see the rear larger opening which will house the secure cup.

 

On side I made a cut

 

This construction allowed to squeeze the too high engine cover and unified it height. 

I put the slow fixing epoxy glue inside and left it overnight in squeezed position to be glued.

 

 

The second unpleasent finding was, that my scratch worked fuselage seems to be a perhaps 0.5 mm too wide for both canopy and  engine. Since it is much easier to correct the width of fuselage, than that of canopy I made a deep cut in fuselage, till the point when it already goes thinner, use a file to get 0.5 break and then glued it again. 

 

I used  Tamiya tape to keep it but also a caliper to hold it in aim to assure the parallel walls 

 

On above you may see the wing after twise sanding/fitting

Here it better seen

 

The last thing I did with Late 281 this week-end is set of main struts. I cut them from a 1.5 mm thick card following the dimensions of that from SBS kit

 

I did also some progress with Latecoere 290. Namely, I constructed the tail elements (elevators, fin and rudder)

 

 

The surface details will be added later

I was also sanding the floats

 

 

To be continued

Comments welcome

Regards

Jerzy-Wojtek

 

 

 

[JWM]

I cut out from a plastic card 1.5 mm thick additional (ie not preseny in Late 285) struts, gave them proper form with a file. 

 

Using a 3 mm wide tape a masked fin and ruddder,  left  narrow distances between the tape bands. Then spread on this Tamiya putty. After drying O removed the tapes and sand  it a bit with 600 grid paper. The result: 

 

With similar method I restores some surface details on floats. Then I painted them black (a thin first coat)

And bottom side: 

 

So current status:

Bottom side

and from top

 

No work today on Late 281 except sanding of the filler on the bottom of fuselage...

 To be cont

Cheers

J-W

 

 

[JWM]

Hi,

I had to dismount this small additional struts, since on a photo I've noticed, that upper their ends were tapered. So I have to do this and re-install them. 

 

There were also rods between the struts (and riging, not done yet)

 

I drilled the openings in floats for the struts or legs.

 

I used again the masking tachnique to get ribs on the bottom of the wing of Late 281

The top side is just sanded and I will mask it later

 

 

Please also note, that I cut out the ailerons plus flaps

 

To be cont.

Regards

J-W

 

 

[JWM]

Hi

Similar I masked with 3 mm tape upper side of wings for Late 281

 

Then cover all with a smeared thin layer of Tamiya putty

 

After removing of tapes:

 

I applied Humbrol 26 as a kind of  a primer 

 

It revealed some places for corrections....

 

Bottom side does not need corrections:

 

I stated painting works on fuselage - mostly of insides. But also fro out side to avoid transparency of basically opaque areas. 

 

I have found in drawer a proper size wheels. They are likely from a Vildebeest. I constructed also a prop 

 

I did also rigging (not present in 281) for 290:

 

More painting....:

 

To be continued

Regards

J-W

 

 

 

 

[Donald]

An interested and unusual subject. There is an account of flying a Latecoere aircraft in one of Saint-Exupery novels.