Mike Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 I thought I'd re-awaken this one that's been sat on the top of my spray booth for the last few years, since I lost interest in it for some reason. Probably the amount of filler needed to correct the horrible step in the underside of the fuselage I'm now on layer two, and it's coming together. It was one of Falcon's early vacs, so everything was vacformed, even the props, wheels & struts. Consequently, I replaced those parts with custom made resin and brass parts, plus a scratch built cockpit, dropped flaps, tail wheel with all the bays detailed, and some exhaust stubs. The wheels were made from a resin He 219 wheel that was modified and given a 4-spoke hub, then cast up. I also recreated the fabric tail surfaces and mobilised them to give the finished article a bit more interest The landing gear struts have taken a bit of damage over time, so a minor repair there, but the main thing is sprucing up the airframe before I can commit to paint. Should be fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 Interesting one Mike, I want to see this one finished Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentalguru Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 Tamiya do a really nice Mustang- why bother with that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyT Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 (edited) You know they are building a flier... Edited November 21, 2009 by TonyT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentalguru Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 You know they are building a flier... Vince and Neil build a lot of fliers too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CockneyCol Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 Anybody got a spare canopy for one of these, the old Silver Cloud kit canopy was pretty poor and mine's "kettled" touse a local phrase! I'd be very grateful and would be happy to do some sort of exchange....you can't have my first-born though! Cheers Col' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmpanther Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 The Best Fighter the RAF never had! Would have more than capable of smearing North Americans' Finest into the ground! Hope you have fun! I've got the old Pegasus MB5 in a part-built state lurking around some where. May be I need a KUTA to go and find it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted November 21, 2009 Author Share Posted November 21, 2009 Anybody got a spare canopy for one of these, the old Silver Cloud kit canopy was pretty poor and mine's "kettled" touse a local phrase!I'd be very grateful and would be happy to do some sort of exchange....you can't have my first-born though! Cheers Col' Col - I currently have a spare (Two came with the kit). If the original canopy survives being split to be posed open, you can have the spare I've got the old Pegasus MB5 in a part-built state lurking around some where.May be I need a KUTA to go and find it. I also have one of those, and if you need any spares from it, I'll happily donate you the whole lot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted November 23, 2009 Author Share Posted November 23, 2009 I had one of my far-too-frequent rushes of blood to the head today, which resulted in the remaining flying surfaces being cut out, and the detail in the flap bays removed, as I wasn't happy with it. Most of the filling of the wobbly fuselage underside has been done, and I'm also working on reinstating some obliterated or missing panel lines as I go along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osher Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 An MB-5? Beautiful aircraft, interesting to see how this build works out. I've the Silver Cloud version, which I'm frightened to even cut plastic on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted November 23, 2009 Author Share Posted November 23, 2009 An MB-5? Beautiful aircraft, interesting to see how this build works out. I've the Silver Cloud version, which I'm frightened to even cut plastic on! Don't blame you! I was given the SC version to see if any of the parts would be better than those of the Falcon kit... nothing so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stringbag Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 It will be nice to see this one in your display cabinet instead of having to move it each time I visit your workshop. How do the two kits differ Mike, apart from the obvious? Any pictures for comparison? Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted November 23, 2009 Author Share Posted November 23, 2009 How do the two kits differ Mike, apart from the obvious?Any pictures for comparison? I don't have any pictures, but the main issue is the dreadful QC on the SC kit. The cockpit glazing is about 3mm thick and as transparent as your average bathroom window (exhibitionists excluded). I've just done a quick comparison of the gross dimensions, and they're so alike that I would say that the Falcon kit was used as a pattern for the SC kit. There's a passable cockpit in the SC kit, and some detail in the wheel bays (which I copied from photos), and metal landing gear. With a spare canopy and some really hard work it could be made into a decent kit, but as I'm a long way into the Falcon kit, I'm not going to bother Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyT Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Here is the flyer http://www.thehomepylon.net/Marlins_MB5/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted November 23, 2009 Author Share Posted November 23, 2009 I remember that being built. Made using some left-over Mustang wings to save time and take advantage of the laminar-flow wing... looks too short & stubby for my liking - especially around the nose I've flipped this pic horizontally to illustrate what I mean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CockneyCol Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Col - I currently have a spare (Two came with the kit). If the original canopy survives being split to be posed open, you can have the spare I also have one of those, and if you need any spares from it, I'll happily donate you the whole lot Cheers Mike, I did think of getting a Falcon kit as well as the Silver Cloud one as this has to be one of those "Might have been" aircraft on a similar vein to the TSR2 and is certainly one of my fave aircraft so I'm looking forward to seeing this one completed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted November 23, 2009 Author Share Posted November 23, 2009 Cheers Mike, I did think of getting a Falcon kit as well as the Silver Cloud one as this has to be one of those "Might have been" aircraft on a similar vein to the TSR2 and is certainly one of my fave aircraft so I'm looking forward to seeing this one completed. Keep watching, and once the canopy is installed, just drop me a PM and I'll let you know whether No. 2 canopy is up for grabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted November 23, 2009 Author Share Posted November 23, 2009 A quick update. Rudder has been attached, after adding some strip styrene to create the "well" into which it fits, sharpening up the joint no end. I've also pinned on the horizontal tail fins, although they need some alignment before gluing. The flap troughs have been smoothed, the edges of the ailerons thinned to permit offsetting, and some bad panel lines have been filled with CA and sanded back ready for the replacements to be scribed in the correct (I hope!) place. I also tacked the resin prop bosses on with a couple of dabs of CA, just to see how it'd look It's starting to look like an MB-5 at long last Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousER99 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 I can just here the introductions now........ "Mustang, meet Wyvern. Wyvern this is Mustang"......nine months later out pops the MB-5!! Cant wait to see this shelf queen finished Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephLalor Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Hi Mike, I'm looking forward to seeing this one done. I'd say if you keep your nerve it'll be grand. I have the Silver Cloud kit myself and I hope it'll look passable some decade. I suspect that it's one of those short-run injected kits that would be easier to build as a vacform. I would certainly prefer a vac canopy. Just one question: should the flap and undercarriage bays be zinc chromate? Joseph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted November 23, 2009 Author Share Posted November 23, 2009 Just one question: should the flap and undercarriage bays be zinc chromate? Yes, I believe so... I'll probably respray them - especially after deciding to re-do the flap detail with some finer strip this afternoon. The cockpit can stay interior grey-green though... I'm not a masochist! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmpanther Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Hi Mike, quote]I also have one of those, and if you need any spares from it, I'll happily donate you the whole lot [/quote Many thanks for your kind offer Ta Darren BTW:- It was a pleasure to meet you at Telford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Fester Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Well this is a blast from the past Mike, great to see you making progress with it. My 1/32 version is still a mere dream but I will get around to it one day (famous last words) I will be following this one closely. Cheers Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitnut617 Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 I remember that being built. Made using some left-over Mustang wings to save time and take advantage of the laminar-flow wing... looks too short & stubby for my liking - especially around the nose I agree, it doesn't look right at all. What makes it look wrong is the short fuselage, small wings and the u/c folds away the wrong side of the main spar. What surprised me when I built my 1/72 Airframe kit was the size of it, not many people appreciate that the real aircraft was the same size as a P-47 or a Sea Fury, way bigger than a Mustang. But the most extraordinary thing I found about it, the wings are an almost dead ringer to the Hellcat wings, from the fold hinge line to the wingtips everything matches quite well except the wheel bays that is. Another thing that has a Grumman look to it is the tail wheel mechanism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Jones Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 I agree, it doesn't look right at all. What makes it look wrong is the short fuselage, small wings and the u/c folds away the wrong side of the main spar.What surprised me when I built my 1/72 Airframe kit was the size of it, not many people appreciate that the real aircraft was the same size as a P-47 or a Sea Fury, way bigger than a Mustang. But the most extraordinary thing I found about it, the wings are an almost dead ringer to the Hellcat wings, from the fold hinge line to the wingtips everything matches quite well except the wheel bays that is. Another thing that has a Grumman look to it is the tail wheel mechanism. No folding wings on the MB5, surely? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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