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Tchaika!


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Room for one more? I bought this SMER Polikarpov I-153 off eBay, thinking it was

a repop of the Heller kit. I was quite surprised to find it wasn't! It's my first group build

and I've not shown any of my builds here, so at least you might all get a laugh!

I'm building SFTB in a winter camouflage, like this-

GB01Polikarpov.jpg

Here are the kit's mug shots-

GB01Polikarpov001.jpg

GB01Polikarpov002.jpg

GB01Polikarpov003.jpg

GB01Polikarpov004.jpg

GB01Polikarpov005.jpg

Right, tovarischii! To work like Stakhanovites!

Edited by MadNurseGaz
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  • 2 weeks later...

Progress, comrades!

Assembly of the glorious Tchaika fighter, which possesses 2 sets of wings

where the capitalist lackeys of the Imperialist West make do with only one,

is proceeding. Images obtained at great human cost by our secret camera

show progress.

Here is the pilot's office.

GB01Polikarpov009.jpg

And here it is fitted.

GB01Polikarpov012.jpg

A dry-brushed instrument panel. (Shows up better in the (original)pic than in the plastic!)

GB01Polikarpov013.jpg

Closed and clamped.

GB01Polikarpov015.jpg

It has now been "set aside to dry"!

Adhesives by Revell Contacta.

Paints by Revell and Humbrol, all enamels, applied with a hairy stick.

Edited by MadNurseGaz
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soo cute! :wub:

like the look of them there clamps!

Yeah, they're brilliant. They are the fabled Berna Assemblers

or "Berna clamps". Bought them a couple of years ago at SMW.

<(oozes smugness and sips a wee dram.)>

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Hola, amigos! Oops, sorry, that's the wrong GB!

Anyway, I've made good progress today. Here

is the fuselage.

GB01Polikarpov0016.jpg

And upper and lower wings assembled

GB01Polikarpov0017.jpg

That means............

Test fits!

GB01Polikarpov0018.jpg

GB01Polikarpov0019.jpg

Big gaps at lower wing roots and at front & rear of the upper wing centre section.

Igor, break out the Milliputski!!

Having got to this stage, I'm now running around the room, holding the model at arms' length,

making "Nneeeeeoooowww" noises! (really must control these urges!)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Greetings, Comrades!

Further progress has been made in constructing the glorious icon of

Soviet high technology that is the Polikarpov I-153. The airframe parts

have been assembled.

007.jpg

008.jpg

In order to achieve the smoothest contours of the surface texture of this heroic

aircraft, Milliput filler has been employed to ensure that the flaws created by

Western saboteurs are destroyed.

009.jpg

The Lycra thread for rigging has arrived from the Imperialists at Aeroclub, and

seems well suited to the job.

A further report will follow soon.

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Further progress. I have now applied some colour coats.

The underside in Humbrol Russian Blue- will be drybrushed

in a lighter blue later. And touched up (oo-er, Mrs) where

the hairy stick slipped!

temp001.jpg

Annnnd.... the uppersurfaces in Humbrol Dark Green (30), just to give a "camouflage"

undercoat for the winter white finish.

temp002.jpg

Don't these big pictures show up every flaw!! These images are actually bigger than

the model!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just a quick progress report. White colour coats on the upper

surfaces are beginning to achieve coverage, but apart from that,

I have to report that I haven't touched the Tchaika since new year.

I've been in touch with Aeroclub, who are out of stock of the cyano

accellerator that is essential for the rigging technique I want to try.

I've never rigged a biplane before, so the rigging may have to wait

as they don't expect to restock before the GB ends. Still, I'll press

on. Does anyone know a good source for cyano accelerator (liquid,

not aerosol)?

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Just a couple of pics of the white colour coat going on:

pix004.jpg

pix005.jpg

A couple more coats, then a touch-up session, decals, rigging and final bits adding,

and we're done. Not a lot if you say it quick!!

Only 18 days till

:poo: :poo: :pray::frantic: and feel like a :banghead:

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Nearly done, now! Here are some more build pix. The paint to the main airframe is done.

pix001.jpg

and

pix003.jpg

The decals (always a weak point for me!......Just one of many!) are on as well.

pix004-1.jpg

pix005-1.jpg

and that's where we're up to!

Clear coats and detail parts next then it's all over.

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...nearly there and looking good!

Thanks, Walrus!

Just paint touch-ups (I was always a bit enthusiastic with the

Revell Contacta Pro) and then.............

........ :frantic: the rigging :frantic: to go now!

I-153005WinCE.jpg

I-153001WinCE.jpg

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well, I've been attempting "The Rigging" this evening. I started out using Aeroclub's lycra thread, but in the

end had to give it up as a bad job. Not having the proper Cyano/Activator combination meant that I was

mostly sticking the rigging wires to my tweezers rather than the model!

So, I stretched some sprue and used that. That's why I have no pictures! I will need to use the "match trick"

to tighten the wires up. Plus I need to clean up the mess I've made of the finish with all that glue.

Still, it's my first attempt at rigging for many, many years- about 30, I think! And I do think the Tchaika

looks better for it (or she will once I fix the mess I made!)

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