1:32 Trumpeter TBM Avenger Build

[JKim]

Although you didn't get it to work, the preliminary fabrication on the hinges was pretty cool. Nice work on the tail. I also have issues attaching brass parts with CA glue. Sometimes the parts stick like crazy and sometimes they don't want to stay together.

 

[Builder 2010]

Thanks Guys!

Worked today finishing up the Eduard PE on the outer wings. There are more gussets in the outer wing. The last two are very small with the very last one, almost microscopic. On the first wing I attempted, both flew into the rift. I did get them both on the second one and was quite surprised that I did. When folded, these details are not easy to see. When un-folded, they're buried in the wing. Notice that I drilled the plastic behind the open hole on the wall PE. AMS rearing it's head again.

I painted those inner wing areas dark sea blue now since they'll be very hard to air brush when assembled. Tomorrow I'll pick out the silver details in the joint area and paint the flexible hoses rubber black.

While this was all drying, it was time to work on the main landing gear. I reinforced the main shaft with a piece of 0.021" brass rod, and then after assembling the oleo links, drilled the their pivot points and again used the brass wire to reinforce and make the joint more realistic.

On the opposite side of the wheel hub is a tie-down ring. The first one I was going to place blasted out of my tweezers, but lo and behold, I actually found it. I glued it in and carefully glued in the second. I wanted to take a picture and guess what? The first ring glue joint had let go and it disappeared again. This time it successfully went into the Rift and was lost. So, even though I had found it and glued it in, it still disappeared. So I made one out of brass that luckily was exactly the same gauge. I took the opportunity to put the brass all the way out to the other end, thereby strengthening the wheel hub.

There were tiny nuts and washers that Eduard wanted me to glue on the pivot ends of the oleo links. I actually tried to put these on. They were so small that my very expensive jeweler's tweezers could barely grab them. One actually got stuck under my fingernail. Ultimately, I realized that any detail so small that magnification was needed to see it, wouldn't be missed on the model. You've got to draw the line sometimes.

The last thing I did was add the gear doors. There's a little Eduard folded PE bracket that goes onto the top of the door. Nice little detail...

With this done, the hiatus has to begin again. The additional parts for the distillery arrived today and I'll be working on that project until its completion (or when paint is drying).

 

[Tony Hill]

Nice detailing.

 

[vikingBerserker]

I agree, well done!

 

[SANCER]

With all , great scratch work !!

 

[Wurger]

 

[JKim]

Great detailing!

 

[Gnomey]

Looking good so far!

 

[Builder 2010]

Just checking in...

I've been working like crazy on trying to complete the Bernheim Distillery diorama for Heaven Hills Distilleries' Evan Williams Bourbon Experience in downtown Louisville. I finished the main building today and started work on the "wooden" shed covering the railroad track in the building's front. I have the base plate routed out so the track will be inset and only the track will extend above ground level like most spur tracks are. Just as a reminder... this building was a picture on a wall of HH contemporary distillation plant in Louisville. I designed it on SketchUp, then Adobe Illustrator and finally got the parts laser cut. This is the second time I built this. The first resides comfortably on my railroad.

I have about two weeks' work left and then I'll do some TBM work before starting the next model railroad project: a Plastruct Petro-Chemical plant that will go on the last unfinished area on my layout.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Crimea_River]

Cool.

 

[Gnomey]

Nice!

 

[Builder 2010]

Well... the Bernheim project for Heaven Hill Distilleries is complete and waiting for delivery. It is supposedly going to be on display at their Bourbon Experience attraction in Downtown Louisville.

So today, after a little cleanup, I went back to work on the TBM. I'd like to finish that up over the next couple of weeks because I have some more big model railroad projects to complete.

Today, I glued in the main gear, completed the tail feathers and then glued on the main wing tops. Before I left it, I applied Tamiya filler to any gaps and let it dry overnight.

I was able to use Trumpeter's questionable hinging method on the elevators and it worked. There's a very fragile plastic rod that attaches the right and left elevators to syncronize their movement. It also worked, but it's really fragile and probably shouldn't be played with. With the greater and stronger gluing area on the smaller parts, their hinging system stays put long enough to sandwich them in. On the main wing things just more around too much.

I need to detail the main gear now that they're installed, and attach the wings and bomb bay doors. There's a few added details like antennas and then it will be time to mask and paint this beast.

 

[Crimea_River]

Great looking building. Not sure if your rudder is glued on yet but it looks like it needs to be pushed in more at the top.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Builder 2010]

The rudder suffers from the Trumpeter ridiculous hinging scheme problem. If I push it in properly it stays awhile, but it it's moved it pulled away from the top. I'll have to glue it in to position it permanently.

Today I got the main landing gear decked out with their hydraulic and brake lines. I used foil to "chrome" the oleo struts and wine bottle foil for the tubing clamps on the structs. I had a choice of 0.016" or 0.010" iron wire to use. I chose the larger since it would show up better when it was all painted. The large scales out to 1/2" and the smaller to .31". I don't think the scale brake lines were a half inch.

The wine bottle material is a bit thick and you have to overlap it a bit to get it to adhere right. Painted you won't notice it. And these gear get painted the same dark sea blue as the rest of the craft.

I sanded down yesterday's filler and made the small leading edge seams sand made them disappear. I also glued in the ailerons and flaps on the main wings and then snapped them home. As I noted before, I completely gave up on getting the main wing flight surfaces workable with those Trumpeter hinges. The wings will be folded so all the hinge details would be on the inside away from the viewer.

You need no glue to fasten the main wings. They literally snap in and will not come out without breaking a lot of stuff.

Tomorrow when I come back from the doc's I'll finish up adding all the remaining doodads and start getting it ready for painting. Lots of Eduard glazing masks to apply...

I had an episode with atrial fibrillation that lasted for about 11 days. I got a beta blocker and blood thinner to reduce the impact and then 10 days ago it just stopped and the engine was firing normally. I'm going to get an ECG tomorrow to see if my heart has converted back to sinous rythym. If it has, I'm not sure why that is, or what if anything, you have to do going forward.

 

[fubar57]

Looking good and good luck

 

[Crimea_River]

Good luck from me too. I think you are right about the brake lines not being 1/2". Somewhat less.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Gnomey]

Good work so far!