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1:32 Junkers Ju-52 - Spanish Civil War Bomber


Iain Ogilvie

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OK - Stage the next - sander at the ready (this projects too fragile to use the all conquering bench sander - see Constellation build) and sun in the sky - time to sit quietly in the garden and cut the rest of the pieces from the vac sheets and make a start on prepping...

Now - I very much hold with the KISS Principle (Keep It Simple Stupid) and have seen some very convoluted ways of removing vac parts from the backing sheet. When new to vacs it can sometimes be easier to allow a thin flange around each part - to act as a guide when sanding everything back.

However - once you've gained some confidence it's a lot easier to merely score around each part - right to the edge - using a fresh blade at approximately 45 degrees - this makes cutting out and prepping a lot faster.

Yes - care is needed - but with one pass of a sharp scalpel each component should simply snap free:

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This...

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To this:

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Iain

Edited by 32SIG
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So - about to start sanding - but in the mean-time, like me, some of you might be interested to see the size of the beastie:

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Now - add a 1:32 Hasegawa 109G-6 and the size starts to become apparent:

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But she's only a baby really - certainly compared to the Constellation:

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And finally - a view of the patio this afternoon - vac central - with Connie for company (who may also get some fettling today as I'm feeling inspired!)

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Remember - building vacs isn't hard - it's keeping the momentum and enthusiasm going that's the REALLY hard part! :deadhorse:

Have fun - maybe more later...

Iain

Edited by 32SIG
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see i told you it would be right under your nose Iain :lol:

men can't find things

size isn't everything you know

well that is what i keep trying to tell the ladies :blush:

nice going but don't get too distracted fettling Connie :analintruder:

this is getting verry interesting

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Cheers Walrus - Ju-52 and U-Boat top of the pile atm - and the 52 is a *lot* more straightforward than the Connie :)

Off to get some pop as vaccing is thirsty work - then more sanding - actually very therapeutic (or maybe I've just lost the plot completely - you never know!) :elephant:

Iain

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Hi Ted,

I have the Combat kit also - a direct copy (for the most part) of the Modelbau Scmitt kit - albeit a fraction smaller (resin shrinkage when the patterns were copied?). Has the benefit of Floats - which the Schmitt kit doesn't include...

I'll dig it out and post some pics...

Iain

Edited by 32SIG
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Thanks Iain,

That would be great!

I had a look at a friend's Combat issue... oh... maybe 10 years or more ago. If memory serves me right it looked pretty nice!

I look forward to seeing some pics to serve as a reminder of what it looks like (and incentive to buy it!!)!!

In the meantime I must get back to the Boomerang so I can take some more pictures for posting!

Ted

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OK - packing up shop for the day - other stuff to do - but here are some snaps showing a little more progress:

Using the Bar Sander with some 180 grit wet and dry attached (using Spray Mount) I've started 'prepping' some of the parts:

Wheel

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Spat

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Cowl rings...

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Wings

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I'm using this dry - but if the sanding gets prticularly 'heavy' going I add a little water to the 'mix' :)

Iain

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Next stage is to go straight to a flat sheet of 800 grit - why the jump rather than going down through the grades? Simple - the 800 neatens everything up nicely yet still leaves some scratches from the earlier 180 grit on the mating surfaces - allowing the Plastic Weld solvent to flow freely through the joint when parts are bonded together.

Oh - and it helps if everything flat - here I have a floor tile on my lap - then a cutting mat - then the wet and dry - again - used dry - but sometimes use a little water and detergent. Dry today as I didn't want to remove too much plastic too quickly:

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Here's one wheel 'done' and one just after the 180 grit (at left):

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Important to check depth of each part and that you haven't removed too much material - here I'm checking thicknesses:

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This last one shows that we don't yet have correct depths - not yet a smooth circle:

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Back in a mo...

Iain

Edited by 32SIG
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OK - starting to get some components ready for assembly here...

Engine cover

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Mainwheels

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Spats

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Tailwheel

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Off for a coffee now - are these photo's/updates useful - or would you prefer more abbreviated 'headlines'?

Iain

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love the patio Iain , all i have is a beer table ! 003-2.jpg view's not bad though , welcome to chateau blimp folks .

those vac flaps , ailerons and elevators make me nervous just looking at them , i usually do the wings , especially the trailing edges first with vac's , leaving the 'interesting' bits such as the fuselage for when the enthusiasm flags . :winkgrin: p.s. Iain , are you going to fill the wheels with anything to stop them collapsing ? Edited by blimp
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love the patio Iain , all i have is a beer table ! view's not bad though , welcome to chateau blimp folks .

Believe me - our patio isn't exactly anything to write home about - and I'd *love* a beer table!

Actuerly - what an inspired idea - could also be an outdoors modelling bench :)

those vac flaps , ailerons and elevators make me nervous just looking at them , i usually do the wings , especially the trailing edges first with vac's , leaving the 'interesting' bits such as the fuselage for when the enthusiasm flags . :winkgrin:

Me too usually - have made a start on the wings - but realised more realistic to get some of the smaller parts done this afternoon - and leave the wings for another day.

The flaps are actually pretty crude - not sure what I'm going to do with them - an Slaters corrugations don't go that fine - or I'd just say sod it and scratchbuild...

Also - am trying to mix fun and mundane - will be on interior detailing - including those bomb cells - over the next week - work and flying permitting.

Final pix for today showing (hopefully) that there ios some madness in my method! ;)

Parts prepped so far:

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Wings - all ready for a mega sanding marathon...

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These vac panels will form the inner wing - where the wings join the fuselage - with their wider chord.

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The flaps and tail components

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The organised bit - a bag for everything (or box for the finer parts) and everything in a bag - including all the offcuts - you never know when a few bits of scrap will come in useful!

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Have fun out there!

Iain

Edited by 32SIG
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Just stumbled upon this and WOW ..WOW .... Iain this is ONE HUGE project and it is just AWESOME reading the thread .. Cannot wait to see more.... :speak_cool:

Edited by Houston
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well done mate . you make my effort for the gb look quite megre ! :blush: all the best . blimp .

Not at all - and I owe you a beer for the bomb rack drawing! :)

Just stumbled upon this and WOW ..WOW .... Iain this is ONE HUGE project and it is just AWESOME reading the thread .. Cannot wait to see more.... :speak_cool:

Not that big really - and anything's possible if you take it step by step...

Here's hoping I can get some more done in next few weeks - would like to have a complete airframe ready for primer by mid June (GB closes end July) - which will give me a fighting chance of actually completing in the allotted time.

Group builds are great at keeping the enthusiasm going - and that's what you need to maintain on something like this! :banghead:

Have fun all - I'm off for my Hot Chocolate - then Zzzzzedds - work tomorrow...

Iain

Edited by 32SIG
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Tigger - I'll drop you a PM shortly :)

OK - Topic of Combat 1:32 vac came up over the weekend and I promised to post some pics as the two kits are very similar and obviously share common masters.

Both kits are moulded usinf Female moulds - so fairly good surface detail/finess.

Not sure what I'll do with the second Ju-52 yet - possible a single engined South American floatplane - just to be a little different! :hobbyhorse:

Having ventured into the darkest recesses of the loft I've found it and taken some pics for anyone that's tempted to have a go with the Combat kit.

Here's generally what came with the kit - caveat being this was an older version of the kit from when John Rucks (hope I've got his name right?) was owner/head honcho - and I can't vouch for the fact the 'twiddly bits' are still included.

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Here I've laid the wings from the Modelbau Schmitt kit alongside the Combat wings - parts are identical:

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And fuselage mouldings - almost identical apart from the pattern of nose vents and some structural detail on the wing root - why it's there is anyone's guess!

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Other main difference is the Combat kit includes the huge floats and a pair of skis:

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General shots:

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Canopy - slightly clearer on the Combat - but very thin - and not perfectly flat panels - these will be replaced:

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Back in a mo with some 'twiddly bits ;)

Iain

Edited by 32SIG
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OK - Back again...

Combat kit includes some crude(ish) but eminently usable white metal castings (similar to those in the Schmitt kit - except that also has white metal engines and photo-etch details for the gun ring) - plus the Combat kit I have included three Williams Brothers injection moulded engines:

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Oh - and a set of crude drawings:

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Plastic on the Combat kit is as thin as the Schmitt kit - so care needed.

Would I recommend? Yes - but for experienced vac builders given the size, complexity and thinness of the plastic used...

Hope that helps?

Iain

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Now - one of the things that's been bugging me has been details of the bomb racks (mucho thanks Blimp!) and other details of the Bomber variant.

Tonight I found a copy of some instructions for a 1:72, or 1:48, conversion kit that helps with the positioning of everything underneath - may be useful to others:

ju52cubodelabasura.jpg

Back soon!

Iain

Edited by 32SIG
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well done Iain . the general layout matches my studies so far , it just misses the small access hatch ( hidden by the bombaimers fairing ) that can be seen between the bomb cells .

*note - i havn't seen any pictures of the bomb bays open , even ' in the act ' - FRR039.jpg

were they spring loaded affairs opened by bomb weight ? :hmmm:

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