1/48 Hornet F1

[Notdoneyet]

Here's my submission - a deHavilland Hornet F Mk1 - possibly the most beautiful aircraft ever built ............ well certainly the most beautiful airscrew driven aircraft ever built

Here's the gratuitous box and contents shot as a placeholder :-

I'll be attempting to do justice to the silver and red F1 (PX252) of 65sqn based at Linton on Ouse and flown by Sqn Ldr Haw in 1947.

Cheers,

Ian

Edited November 1, 2008 by Notdoneyet

[AnonymousFY21]

and at the ready.

After the mossie, my all time favorite.

rich

[AnonymousA667]

I'd lurve to see those 65 sqdn chevrons!

peebeep

[keefr22]

I'll be attempting to do justice to the silver and red F1 (PX252) of 65sqn based at Linton on Ouse and flown by Sqn Ldr Haw in 1947.

Cheers,

Ian

Well Ian, after the Jag & Toom, I don't see much chance of you failing in that attempt!

Looking forward to this one....

Keef

[Notdoneyet]

As Scale Modelworld draws ever closer I thought that I'd better make some progress with this.

First off the Classic Airframes spinners are way too short and blunt, so I rummaged around in the spares box and found something suitable to lengthen them. Luckily the outer rings of the Airfix Lightning F6 exhaust (left over after being replaced by some Aires aftermarket) fitted the bill perfectly. The required bits were hacked off with a razor saw and fitted to the rear of the CA spinner:-

After filling the holes in the spinners and a little work with a file and sandpaper the spinners now look like Hornet spinners :-

I've just got to cut the cut-outs for the blades and they'll be ready for some primer ....

Another shortcoming of the CA kit is the lack of depth to the wheel wells in the nacelles, so the lower wing has been butchered to give the well a more correct appearance. Here's a before and half way there shot :-

You will also notice that the representation of the underwing radiator exhausts are pretty poor with the added problem of a big blob of extra plastic on the stbd side. I intend rectifying this once the wells are detailed. Anyway here's the deepened well with the sides and roof fitted :-

Next up I'll be adding some detail to the wheel wells and the inner surfaces of the nacelles and moving the undercarriage door openings back a few mm.

I'd lurve to see those 65 sqdn chevrons!

peebeep

peebeep, thanks to Mal at Miracle Masks I'll be spraying all of the markings

I'd also like to thank David Collins, Project Manager of the Hornet Project for kindly sharing some photos from his personal collection Thanks also to Bex for prompting me to contact David.

Apologies for the boring update, comments welcome as ever,

Ian

Edited September 16, 2008 by Notdoneyet

[T-Tango]

Starting to look good Ian.

[Jon Kunac-Tabinor]

hi Ian - good to see a "propah" Hornet on here . I built the Dynavector model a few years ago - so it'll be interesting to see how the CA model bears out.

One thing I remember about the DV model is that it neglected to set the UC legs at their correct angle - they have a slight forward cant. Does the CA undercart represent this?

The DV model - though a vac was probably one of the nicest models, and well thought out kits, I've had the pleasure of making. Fit was excellent, and details very good.

CA have a reputation for being " bigged up" in some reviews, but actually falling flat in reality ( I'll cite the F5A here - i know - I built one). Hows the fit on this model in general etc.

Love to here your views.

Keep up the good work

Jonners

[Notdoneyet]

hi Ian - good to see a "propah" Hornet on here . I built the Dynavector model a few years ago - so it'll be interesting to see how the CA model bears out.

One thing I remember about the DV model is that it neglected to set the UC legs at their correct angle - they have a slight forward cant. Does the CA undercart represent this?

The DV model - though a vac was probably one of the nicest models, and well thought out kits, I've had the pleasure of making. Fit was excellent, and details very good.

CA have a reputation for being " bigged up" in some reviews, but actually falling flat in reality ( I'll cite the F5A here - i know - I built one). Hows the fit on this model in general etc.

Love to here your views.

Keep up the good work

Jonners

Jon,

Interesting comment, I'll try to answer your questions ......

I've not built (or seen) the Dynavecor kit so my comments here are based purely on the CA kit.

The CA kit does represent the forward rake of the U/C quite well IMHO, however the top U/C location points on the CA kit are too far forward (the U/C well is 3-4mm too far forward) so this has to be addressed by the modeller wanting a more accurate model. The CA legs are a passable representation of the real thing but reuire some additions if one is to build an accurate Hornet (missing struts and actuators). However this compromise is no greater than many (most?) scale representations.

Bearing in mind that it's a limited run kit, the fit of the CA kit is very good - I can see some sanding/filling required to get a good nacelle to wing join and the wing/fuselage join will require some care to get a good join (OOB it's a butt join). Otherwise the kit bits seem to fit together very well. Panel line and moulded detail is pretty good, the resin parts are well detailed (if a little "clunky") and provide a good canvas for the average modeller (= me!!).

The issue I have with the CA Hornet is that they could have done much better with very little additional effort. The effort I am having to put in to rectify the inaccurate wheel wells and radiator exhausts could have easily been avoided (eg with a resin wheel well insert and a differently moulded radiator exhaust).

That said it is the only 1/48 injection moulded model of the most beautiful piston engined aircraft ever build so I'm happy to put up with it's idiosyncrasies and try to build the best Hornet I can I hope I can do it justice .......

HTH,

Ian

[bexwh773]

I'd also like to thank David Collins, Project Manager of the Hornet Project for kindly sharing some photos from his personal collection Thanks also to Bex for prompting me to contact David.

Ian

Beautiful model Ian, oustanding work as always by you

Youre most welcome, glad I could help, and although I havent met Dave, Ive known him online for some time, you want any help to do with Hornets and he will help in any way he can, jolly nice chap he is

Looking forwards to seeing this one finished

ATB

Bex

[andym]

[quote

Another shortcoming of the CA kit is the lack of depth to the wheel wells in the nacelles, so the lower wing has been butchered to give the well a more correct appearance. Here's a before and half way there shot :-

Next up I'll be adding some detail to the wheel wells and the inner surfaces of the nacelles and moving the undercarriage door openings back a few mm.]

Hi,

I'd be interested to know where you found details of the interior of the u/c wells as I've managed to find nothing on these?

Thanks,

Andy

[Mike]

YAY! Ian builds one of my favorite piston engined beasties I've got the Dynavector F.3 kit, so will doubtless be using this thread & the meagre pickings of Jonners' ( ) brain when I finally get around to it in my late 70s

[bexwh773]

Hi,

I'd be interested to know where you found details of the interior of the u/c wells as I've managed to find nothing on these?

Thanks,

Andy

Andy,

PM Inbound

Bex

[Jon Kunac-Tabinor]

YAY! Ian builds one of my favorite piston engined beasties I've got the Dynavector F.3 kit, so will doubtless be using this thread & the meagre pickings of Jonners' ( ) brain when I finally get around to it in my late 70s

Hey I resemble that remark

My brain is actually like a welsh railway. One track & dirty FYI

As to the DH Hornets pulchritude - you have 100% agreement from me, that and the Sea Fury. Had WW2 gone on into 1946 - we would have won it with the best looking aircraft!!!

cheers

Jonners

PS dont get your handed prop blades mixed up on the DV model - they're marked in the casting IIRC, but I marked one set with paint so I couldnt duff it up.

[keefr22]

My brain is actually like a welsh railway. One track & dirty FYI

And I resemble that remark!! I'll have you know some of our railways actually have two tracks......

Keef

[Notdoneyet]

I guess this thread has now been derailed ....... .......ok I'll

Hi,

I'd be interested to know where you found details of the interior of the u/c wells as I've managed to find nothing on these?

Thanks,

Andy

Andy, It looks like Bex has beaten me to it - David Collins is a very helpful chap

YAY! Ian builds one of my favorite piston engined beasties I've got the Dynavector F.3 kit, so will doubtless be using this thread & the meagre pickings of Jonners' ( ) brain when I finally get around to it in my late 70s

Mike, I'll go slow then, so you'll have no trouble following

Small update - I decided to hack out the radiator exhausts next and so after a few minutes with drill, razor saw and knife the lower wing looked like this :-

I then bent some 10thou card around the handle of a needle file to produce an 'S' curve and added a lip to the rear of the exhaust opening and thinned the front flap :-

I then glued the 'S' curve to the rear lip of the exhaust opening. The front of the 'S' curve will be glued to the bottom of the upper wing. Here's a pic of everything dry fitted to check alignment :-

That now looks much better IMHO. Next up will be the addition of the carburettor intake flaps and the landing light in the port wing and the wing halves can then be joined.

Thanks for looking and any comments you may have.

Ian

[keefr22]

I guess this thread has now been derailed ....... .......ok I'll

Andy, It looks like Bex has beaten me to it - David Collins is a very helpful chap

Mike, I'll go slow then, so you'll have no trouble following

Small update - I decided to hack out the radiator exhausts next and so after a few minutes with drill, razor saw and knife the lower wing looked like this :-

I then bent some 10thou card around the handle of a needle file to produce an 'S' curve and added a lip to the rear of the exhaust opening and thinned the front flap :-

I then glued the 'S' curve to the rear lip of the exhaust opening. The front of the 'S' curve will be glued to the bottom of the upper wing. Here's a pic of everything dry fitted to check alignment :-

That now looks much better IMHO. Next up will be the addition of the carburettor intake flaps and the landing light in the port wing and the wing halves can then be joined.

Thanks for looking and any comments you may have.

Ian

That's great work Ian!! It often seems that the simple things make the most difference, & that seems like a prime example, that little bit of plastic card looks to have made a huge difference to the appearence of that bit of the model! I have the Special Hobby 1/72 Hornet F1/3 & Sea Hornet to do, & as they are often downsized CA kits, I'm going to store all your helpful hints for future reference!!

Cheers

Keef

[Notdoneyet]

After the death of my beautiful assistant Gort, with a heavy heart I've made further progress on the Hornet .....

I've added the rib, and some pipe detail as well as the front and rear bulkheads to the wheel wells :-

Close up of a rear bulkhead with strengthening strut :-

Front bulkhead :-

I've also built some oil tanks from laminated card, punched discs, sprue and Tamiya tape :-

Replaced the scribed shell ejector ports of the kit fuselage with a strip and extrusion medley :-

Next up will be adding some wiring and piping detail to the wheel bay roof, closing up the nacelles and a splash of primer and paint.

Thanks for looking and any comments you may have.

Ian

[John Laidlaw]

Ian,

So sorry to hear about Gort . Nothing else can be said.

<deep breath>

The work you're doing looks great though - keep with it, as difficult as it may be.

[keefr22]

Ian, I'm also sorry to hear the terrible news about Gort.

I also second what John says about your progress. Great looking work, hope it all turns out well for you.

Best wishes

Keith

[AnonymousDFB1]

Great detailing Ian

[Mike]

Ian... Caz & my deepest sympathies on the loss of Gort, a very lovely looking cat with the coolest name

[Notdoneyet]

Firstly, many thanks for the words of sympathy for little Gort, they are most appreciated.

I've continued my slow progress by completing the detailing of the wheel wells, adding some wiring to the roof and some "gubbins" to the upper side walls as well as fixing the oil tanks in place :-

During a trial fitting of the undercarriage I realised that by creating a full depth well I had removed the upper mounts for the u/c legs ........ so I Dremelled a "U" shaped slot in the walls and added the top u/c cross members and drilled holes in them to take pins fitted in the upper legs. I then removed the upper cross member from the kit u/c legs. Here's a couple of close ups :-

Looks a little different to the kit offering now:-

Here's a couple of pics with the nacelle fitted. As I had to move the u/c doors back some 3mm (they are too far forward in the kit) the resulting gap from the front bulkhead forward was filled with Milliput:-

And finally with the u/c leg fitted to check clearances :-

Next up will be a trip to the paint shop for some primer and then some silver paint.

Thanks for looking and any comments you may wish to share.

Ian

[keefr22]

Looks a little different to the kit offering now:-

Hmmm, yes, just a bit....!!!

Tremendous looking work again Ian. That really is a major improvement on the kit offering & you've engineered a very realistic looking undercarriage set up there!

Keef

[AnonymousER99]

Ian

Well done on the scratchbuilding man!! I cant wait to see this guy painted up!!

[Notdoneyet]

Thanks for the comments guys

Slow progress continues ..... the wheel wells are now completed, painted and the legs and nacelles glued in place :-

Getting the oil feeder(?) pipe from behind the oil tank, around the u/c leg and through the firewall was a little "trying" but some bent solder did the job ...... eventually!

I added the wingtip lights from clear sprue pre drilled and painted the "bulbs", glued in place and then shaped and polished :-

I also added the landing light under the port wing (thanks again to David Collins who confirmed its location) by drilling a hole and filling it with a length of sprue that I'd "dished" the end with my Dremmel and then covered with foil to create the reflector. I made a small indentation to represent the bulb and then filled it with a dot of black ink from a drawing pen. Once in place in the wing the hole was covered by a circle of clear plastic.

With the wings completed I've started on the cockpit, adding some more refined detail to the sidewalls from spare etch, plastic card and rod :-

The 'pit should be ready for a spot of paint tomorrow.

Thanks for looking and any comments you may have.

Ian