KP 1/72 Airco DH-9A "silver wings"

[AdrianMF]

I'm down to one current build, the Airfix 1/600 Ark Royal for the NMCZ GB, and I found myself pulling this one out to delay resuming it...

 

I fondled the plastic a bit, read all the posts in Rumourmonger about this vs the ClearProp version (KP didn't win) and took a photo of the kit:

Although it came off second best and needs a bit of work beyond just throwing it together, it looks like a nice kit and I'm looking forward to building it.

 

I should set a good example and get on with the Ark Royal, and I will resist the temptation to start until the ship is properly under way. So this is just a placeholder for now.

 

Must....

 

Resist...

 

Regards,

Adrian

[Marklo]

Welcome Adrian. Should be a great build. A WIP of only two…..

[AdrianMF]

18 minutes ago, Marklo said:

A WIP of only two…..

I haven't forgotten the Airfix DH4! Although the Pegasus one is lurking in my stash...*

 

Regards,

Adrian

 

* that's "instead", not "and". Sorry Enzo!

 

🙉

Adrian

[AdrianMF]

So, @Paul Thompson and I have been chatting about this kit, and he has pointed out that it's too narrow in the rear fuselage. This is partly because it's slightly too narrow in the front fuselage, and partly because it tapers too rapidly from the pilot's cockpit on. I don't want to mess with the front end width because it would ruin the wing/strut alignment and radiator fitting, but I can improve the back by inserting a wedge to slow down the taper, pinching the end of the fuselage together under the tailplane:

 

This is a 2mm wedge, and when it's dry I can tidy it up and make it work around all the openings and features in the rear fuselage. The main benefit  of doing this is that it allows the rear cockpit and Scarff Ring to be enlarged to something more like its proper size.

 

It's ironic that the fuselage is too narrow when everything else is a couple of percent or so too big, because apparently the mould was based on the CMR resin kit masters (and plastic shrinks less than resin during manufacture).

 

This will still be less work and more accurate than the Alan W Hall approach from the 1960s of chopping up an Airfix DH4 and adding FROG Wallace wings!

[Paul Thompson]

9 hours ago, AdrianMF said:

So, @Paul Thompson and I have been chatting about this kit, and he has pointed out that it's too narrow in the rear fuselage. This is partly because it's slightly too narrow in the front fuselage, and partly because it tapers too rapidly from the pilot's cockpit on. I don't want to mess with the front end width because it would ruin the wing/strut alignment and radiator fitting, but I can improve the back by inserting a wedge to slow down the taper, pinching the end of the fuselage together under the tailplane:

 

This is a 2mm wedge, and when it's dry I can tidy it up and make it work around all the openings and features in the rear fuselage. The main benefit  of doing this is that it allows the rear cockpit and Scarff Ring to be enlarged to something more like its proper size.

 

 

I knew you couldn't resist if you knew about it.  I hope the rear fuselage closes up without too much fettling.

 

 

Paul.

[DaddyO]

Took mine off the shelf the other day Adrian and did the 'maybe? face' so will be following with interest how you get on with this (Too many other projects on the bench at the moment to start another, although speaking of CMR kits I did fiddle about with the CMR Hans Brandenburg so that might stay on the bench for a while . . . ) 😉

 

Paul

[CliffB]

I missed the start of this Adrian, so a belated 'welcome' from me.  

Funnily enough, the DH9 always looks too thin and gangly to me - even without extra help from the kit manufacturer 

[AdrianMF]

Well I've just had a pleasant afternoon doing the interior and setting up for making a spinning propeller:

 

It is very nicely detailed and the fit is on the good side for a short run kit. I've been peeking at the Wingnut instructions too just to keep me on my toes.

 

A bit of paint next, then I can close it up. But before that I need to do some more Ark Royal - this was my reward for drilling out all the portholes!

[AdrianMF]

A bit of paint has been applied:

The interior is really good OOB. I have added only seatbelts from wine bottle foil.

 

I also like the exposed engine crankcase, the pilot's bombsight and the camera aperture giving some more interest underneath:

 

The last two will need some squaring up after I finish up cleaning up the wedge insert.

[AdrianMF]

Did someone say "clamps"?

[CliffB]

Wow, that really is a big change to the width of the fuselage!

[John Masters]

On 5/15/2023 at 12:08 AM, AdrianMF said:

This is a 2mm wedge

Thank for this Adrain.  The I get around to building mine, I'll try to follow your path. Looking really great.  Lovely interior!

[AdrianMF]

Pottering on alongside the Ark... Fuselage join nearly cleaned up and I've removed the inaccurate aileron horns from the lower wings:

 

There are too many cutouts in the wing roots and under the fuselage to run a brass rod across. I might try drilling into the front locating pins to get at least a bit of support in there.

[AdrianMF]

The 1960s Airfix Magaizine conversion article suggested using the Airfix DH4 fuselage and FROG Westland PV6 "Wallace" wings. FWIW, here's a comparison:

 

Not too bad by 1960s standards. The Wapiti (predecessor to the PV6 and the Wallace) used the DH9A wings as a cost saving measure imposed by the Ministry specification.

[Peter Lloyd]

A very enjoyable thread here, Adrian.

[AdrianMF]

Second coat of aluminium dope applied:

 

More work required on the fuselage seam!

[81-er]

Other than the seam, it's looking very nice Adrian

 

James

[John Masters]

On 5/15/2023 at 12:08 AM, AdrianMF said:

This is a 2mm wedge

Adrian...the wedge...is it 2mm at its widest point?  How long is the wedge itself?  Thanks...😃

[AdrianMF]

It starts at the front of the pilot's cockpit and it is 2mm wide by the time it gets to the front of the tailplane opening.

 

Regards,

Adrian

[John Masters]

9 minutes ago, AdrianMF said:

It starts at the front of the pilot's cockpit and it is 2mm wide by the time it gets to the front of the tailplane opening.

 

Super.  Thanks!

[John Masters]

Just checking in on your build so far Adrian.  Any news?

[AdrianMF]

Hoping to get to it this weekend. Life has been getting in the way, with lots of work (just finished a morning's worth of overspill today) and medical stuff. But I'm going to concentrate on this and my Ark Royal build, and hoping to get some time off work in the next couple of weeks. Also desperately trying to resist starting a cheeky Southern Europe/Classic Italian build

 

I have been quietly fixing the rear decking seam and getting the overall silver dope finish up to snuff, so it's not all doom and gloom.

 

Regards,

Adrian

[John Masters]

On 7/8/2023 at 2:57 PM, AdrianMF said:

Also desperately trying to resist starting a cheeky Southern Europe/Classic Italian build

I have only one classic Italian kit.  An ESCI SE.5.  I might skip it.  I have a lot on the bench and the Desert GB is about to start...

[AdrianMF]

Well, I've finished my NMCZ GB build so I can get back on the case with this. Looking forward to resuming something with wings in the One True Scale, I must confess!

 

Regards,

Adrian

[AdrianMF]

On 23/07/2023 at 19:39, John Masters said:

An ESCI SE.5.

If it's the old Marusan/Eldon tooling that I bought when I got the Italeri Albatros DIII/SE5 dogfight double a few years ago, I wouldn't bother!

 

Regards,

Adrian