Mjwomack Posted January 4 Posted January 4 (edited) Probably going to look small amongst all the 1/72 B707 that are on the ramp for this one, but here's my L749 standard Constellation... This box was quite big enough for me. The instructions Pretty standard fare, except the main language in Dutch, which seems fitting as this is the KLM liveried version so probably more for the Dutch market, which is where this came from once upon a time judging by the shop sticker on the end of the box. Here are those deals and some reading material Like me, they're old, tired and faded- sure we'll get on famously! And the humungously big parts... There's a Humbrol paint pot in there for size. Not too many parts, and no likelihood of extras as I seem to have signed up to way too many GBs this year, maybe a strict OOB regime will help me avoid the rabbit holes which are best left to my dog. First is going to be grey primer all over, to even out the base for the KLM finish rather than any 2-tome livery which would have been more suited to this 'almost Matchbox' approach. Edited January 6 by Mjwomack Catalogue numbers added 27 3
2996 Victor Posted January 4 Posted January 4 Excellent choice! And welcome with the first WiP thread! Cheers, Mark
Wez Posted January 4 Posted January 4 Great choice, I still have mine in the original Air France boxing. Looking forward to this beauty coming together. Good luck! 1
Mjwomack Posted January 4 Author Posted January 4 19 minutes ago, 2996 Victor said: Excellent choice! And welcome with the first WiP thread! Cheers, Mark First to post last to finish I expect Can we try for an extension yet? I mean, we Ll know it's going to happen 😏 1
2996 Victor Posted January 4 Posted January 4 Given my track record from completing builds, I'm up for an extension 1
TheyJammedKenny! Posted January 4 Posted January 4 Compelling subject, and a big build. I built my first one in 1981, and it was the biggest thing I'd built till then (I was in my teens). I built my second in 1990 and managed to finish it in 1993, though the clear coat cracked on me almost immediately, which was my first warning about airbrushing too many coats of Future on a humid day. It goes together well, but you'll want to take your time with it. You'll need a whole lot of weight in the nose unless you choose to display it gear up or with a clear rod supporting the tail. 2 1
Enzo the Magnificent Posted January 4 Posted January 4 1 hour ago, Mjwomack said: extension 1 hour ago, 2996 Victor said: extension Come on, chaps! Have a bit of optimism!!! If you take this attitude, you know that you'll fail. <Harry Enfield> Is that wot you want? 'Cos that's wot'll 'appen! </Harry Enfield> 2
TheyJammedKenny! Posted January 4 Posted January 4 For a little reading pleasure about all the fun you missed by not flying on the L-049 (immediate predecessor to your kit's L-749): https://airscapemag.com/2015/03/02/constellation-crossing/ 1 1
TheyJammedKenny! Posted January 4 Posted January 4 (edited) Actually the artwork on the box is for an L-049, not the later L-749--which KLM DID use in these colors--so don't let that put you off! They had different engine nacelles and internal differences. Vintage Flyer decals offers an entire mask set for all the clear parts that allows you to protect all the windows from paint. Edited January 4 by TheyJammedKenny! accuracy 1 1
Mjwomack Posted January 5 Author Posted January 5 14 hours ago, TheyJammedKenny! said: I built my second in 1990 and managed to finish it in 1993, My sort of timescale! 14 hours ago, TheyJammedKenny! said: You'll need a whole lot of weight in the nose unless you choose to display it gear up or with a clear rod supporting the tail. Thanks for the heads up about the tail down! I'm expecting a lot of fishing weights to go in there. 11 hours ago, TheyJammedKenny! said: For a little reading pleasure about all the fun you missed by not flying on the L-049 (immediate predecessor to your kit's L-749): https://airscapemag.com/2015/03/02/constellation-crossing/ Oooh goody, a distraction and we haven't even started yet. 11 hours ago, TheyJammedKenny! said: Actually the artwork on the box is for an L-049, not the later L-749--which KLM DID use in these colors--so don't let that put you off! They had different engine nacelles and internal differences. Vintage Flyer decals offers an entire mask set for all the clear parts that allows you to protect all the windows from paint. And my first rabbit hole as well- no, must be strong and stick to OOB; don't want to incur the wrath of the noodle eating one by asking for an extension (this early). 3
TheyJammedKenny! Posted January 5 Posted January 5 Build the kit out of the box and you can't go wrong! It builds into a nice L-749, which KLM used in these colors. 1
Mjwomack Posted January 7 Author Posted January 7 1 hour ago, vppelt68 said: I wonder if this one will need weight in the nose? I'm expecting to put a significant stellar object in there. Seems to be plenty of space for it 2 1
Caerbannog Posted January 7 Posted January 7 Oh nice - have one in stash and started to rescribe it, when I was planning to build it in BOAC livery. My kit is in the hangar among piles of others as I was missing some reference material, which was not as vast for this type as I hoped for. Will follow with interest 4
TheyJammedKenny! Posted January 7 Posted January 7 6 hours ago, Caerbannog said: I was planning to build it in BOAC livery. Using whose decals? Do you have the old Cloudmaster set? 1
MrB17 Posted January 8 Posted January 8 Very nice to see this classic kit leading the pack. Certainly the sexiest 4 engine propliner ever IMHO. I have to agree with you on OOB, I have been put way behind by trying to fix everything for the GB’s. I kit bashed a 1049 H on commission for a retired Air Canada pilot who flew them. I used the 749 and the 1049 and a fair amount of scratching. I have this kit in my stash with some sub assemblies built so I don’t know if it will qualify for this GB, I’ll have to drag it out and see what I’ve done. I see the state of your decals, Heller was kind enough to send me a new decal sheet for it(AF & TWA) at no charge, (I offered to pay for it). Their new decals are far superior to the original ones. You might consider contacting them for a new decal sheet, the colours are more vibrant and the carrier is thin and shiny, not the flat carrier of the old sheets. The Flying Dutchman is still up on their website, so chances are good they will have extra sheets. I’m looking forward to this one. Cheers Jeff 1 1 1
Caerbannog Posted January 8 Posted January 8 12 hours ago, TheyJammedKenny! said: Using whose decals? Do you have the old Cloudmaster set? No - I was drawing my own artworks for decals and masks. 2 1
Mjwomack Posted January 8 Author Posted January 8 6 hours ago, MrB17 said: Very nice to see this classic kit leading the pack. Certainly the sexiest 4 engine propliner ever IMHO. Lovely curves- has the top line of a dolphin and loads of fins! 6 hours ago, MrB17 said: I have to agree with you on OOB, I have been put way behind by trying to fix everything for the GB’s. Whilst resisting New Year's resolutions, my 'approach' this year is to leave rabbit holes to my dog and just try to bash 'em out like a wartime assembly line! 6 hours ago, MrB17 said: I have this kit in my stash with some sub assemblies built so I don’t know if it will qualify for this GB, I’ll have to drag it out and see what I’ve done. Why not put a photo in the chat thread for an adjudication? I, and possibly @Snafu35, would love to see how this is meant to be built. 6 hours ago, MrB17 said: Heller was kind enough to send me a new decal sheet for it(AF & TWA) at no charge, (I offered to pay for it). Their new decals are far superior to the original ones. A very handy hint, now to practice my French! 6 hours ago, MrB17 said: I’m looking forward to this one. Thanks, but it's not going to be a touch on your amazing work 1
Snafu35 Posted January 9 Posted January 9 On 08/01/2025 at 10:36, Mjwomack said: On 08/01/2025 at 03:53, MrB17 said: I have this kit in my stash with some sub assemblies built so I don’t know if it will qualify for this GB, I’ll have to drag it out and see what I’ve done Why not put a photo in the chat thread for an adjudication? I, and possibly @Snafu35, would love to see how this is meant to be built. oh Yes, this will be very useful! And you can imagine the buzz in the newspapers: AWESOME! Three Heller Constellation builds on the Britmodeler forum! Regards, Eric-Snafu35 3
stevej60 Posted January 9 Posted January 9 Nice one MJ.alas my attempt at the Warning Star was an epic fail in a previous Heller GB,big old kit this one. 2
Jur Posted January 16 Posted January 16 Ooh nice, a Vliegende Hollander! I wish you good luck with the build and I will keep an eye on it to cheer you on! If you need any help with the Dutch instructions, just ask! Happy to help 🙂 1 1
Mjwomack Posted January 17 Author Posted January 17 14 hours ago, Jur said: If you need any help with the Dutch instructions, just ask! Happy to help 🙂 Thanks for the offer, just for once the pictogram instructions seem to be multi-lingual. Alas Heller don't have any spare decals to replace the damaged one, so it'll be very classic. 2
Mjwomack Posted January 20 Author Posted January 20 REMEMBER- If you want to know how to build this properly you're in the wrong thread and need to be following Plus @Romeo Alpha Yankee and @MrB17 might be along soon. If however you enjoy the bloodsport of man versus craft knife versus plastic then stay tuned.. Is my priority but the interaction of kitchen knife, butternut squash and blood thinning tablets means I'm unable to do any of the details work on that at the moment, so I've let the chunky bird take up squatters rights on the bench Nice big easy to hold parts on the main; and being very friendly with the Friendship which would fit lengthways inside the tail assembly! Grey primer everywhere but I think I can tell what goes with what- more detail on the Welsh Model's! The Heller tyres are an incredibly snug fit and push together (nearly opened up the cut) but look more like racing slicks that aircraft tyres. I know this year's motto is 'bash 'em out the box', but I will sand them to a better profile at the very least (OK that'd all I'll do) Took me a while to figure it out but the tail assembly is keyed in some strange way so the slots overlap inside the fuselage (I think) I can see the fuselage being awkward after the dry run because the Friendship seemed to have better alignment - but it is a fraction of the length and age. Now I know I said I wouldn't stay from OOB but I [m wavering already; the fins have a pronounced demarcation line for the deicing boot, lovely for painting it, but wrong and prominent. To sand or not to sand, that is the question? Where are those voting buttons when you need them? 11
MrB17 Posted January 20 Posted January 20 1 hour ago, Mjwomack said: the fins have a pronounced demarcation line for the deicing boot Yes, if those massive ridges delineating the deicer boots were in scale, the airspeed would drop as well as the lifting capacity! You don’t need to sand them completely off, just make them flatter and paint the black up to the front edge. I think they’re supposed to represent the aluminum strips that secure the boots in place. I’m not planning on going crazy on mine, just a standard Air France 749. BTW you can have my TWA decals if you want them. Cheers Jeff 1 1
Mjwomack Posted January 20 Author Posted January 20 34 minutes ago, MrB17 said: Yes, if those massive ridges delineating the deicer boots were in scale, the airspeed would drop as well as the lifting capacity! Laugh out loud moment! Having convinced myself that the Connie didn't have L/E flaps the ones on the main wings can come off as well! 35 minutes ago, MrB17 said: You don’t need to sand them completely off, just make them flatter and paint the black up to the front edge. That's what I've sealed on... Before and after time. I'm not using the aged Heller decals for the Dutch bands but smoothing them off makes it a lot easier for getting the masking tape on for hand painting, if I was using the decals I doubt they'd have been able to negotiate the ridges though. 37 minutes ago, MrB17 said: ust a standard Air France 749. BTW you can have my TWA decals if you want them. A very kind offer, and Air France is the 'correct' choice for Heller Classic GB but my default setting is KLM! It's a few centuries back but we have Dutch roots. 11
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