<-- 1/48 Mosquito PR.IX -Twin Engined Aircraft WWII

[Airframes]

Cheers Karl.
Just having a quick break from filing, shaving, sanding and scraping, and almost there with the intakes on the starboard nacelle..

 

[Airframes]

A bit more progress, with the starboard nacelle (on the right in the first photo) almost at the same stage as the port nacelle.
There's still some final sanding and polishing to do on both nacelles, once the second example is done, and then build-up the carb intakes, and improve the intercooler outlet vents.

Alarm bells are starting to ring though !
Look at the second photo, and notice the 'scooped' line along the top of the the uppermost nacelle. This is the inboard edge of the port nacelle, with that profile designed to fit around the wing surface and the radiator exit flaps. The inboard side of the starboard nacelle lacks this feature, and it should be there !
As the song lyrics go "There may be trouble ahead ......" !!!!!!

 

[Wurger]

I hope you can get it sorted out. NIce work so far Pal.

 

[Airframes]

Thanks my friend.
Hopefully, a bit of cutting, sanding, and swearing should sort it !!

 

[Robert Porter]

My eyes must be going, I for the life of me cannot see what you are referring to. However what I can see is some damn fine work! Looking great!

 

[Crimea_River]

Odd that those details are different.

 

[Airframes]

Thanks very much Robert, and yes Andy, rather strange - but the 'new' parts at least were moulded in India - on a Friday afternoon !

Robert, here's the same pic with the yellow arrow showing the 'scooped' line on the inner face of the port nacelle.

 

[Robert Porter]

Thanks very much Robert, and yes Andy, rather strange - but the 'new' parts at least were moulded in India - on a Friday afternoon !

Robert, here's the same pic with the yellow arrow showing the 'scooped' line on the inner face of the port nacelle.


View attachment 362766

Ahhhhh! Thanks, these old eyes looked everywhere but did not see that. Thanks, now I understand what you are dealing with. Will be interesting to see how you address it!

 

[Airframes]

With a ****ing big hammer if it doesn't work out !!

 

[Airframes]

Getting closer, with the nacelle intakes done as far as they can go for now (prime and paint the internal areas yet to do), the carb intake trunking built-up with 'Milliput' and awaiting final shape, and that 'missing' scooped top edge on the starboard inner nacelle carved and filed to shape.

PICS 1 and 2. How the nacelles and intakes look now, compared to what they were like OOB, and with the carb intake trunking built up with 'Milliput' and 'wet moulded' to the approximate required shape. Once fully hardened, this will be carved and sanded to the final shape.
The 'waisted' area at the front of each carb intake, between trunking and nacelle, has been increased and elongated slightly, and the intake lips given a more oval profile. The intakes themselves have been roughly drilled out further, and filed as best as possible and, as mentioned previously, this is adequate, as they'll be covered by fine mesh PE ice guards.
PIC 3. The 're-profiled' starboard inner nacelle upper edge. This glaring error in the moulding prompted me to check the 'new' upper wing parts, and sure enough, there's another error there too !
There should be a very subtle, but definite, 'notched' area from the leading edge, back to approximately the line of the rear panel joint of the radiator access hatches, as there is on the original, 1980 production FB.VI wings.
It isn't there and, if assembled OOB, there'll be a very noticeable gap, about 1.5 mm wide at the front edge, between wing root and fuselage !
The upper wing halves will need some very careful surgery to correct this error, but I'll cross that rickety bridge when I get to it !

 

[Robert Porter]

Ok, those most recent pics are awesome! What manner of magic is this you have bent to your will? Obviously no unaided mortal can perform that much of an improvement! In other words, "I'll have what he is drinking!"

Seriously they look incredible! Nicely done!

 

[Airframes]

Thanks very much indeed Robert, it's very much appreciated.
I think tonight, the excellent 2015 Merlot helped a bit - and I'm preparing to finish the bottle !!!

 

[Robert Porter]

Thanks very much indeed Robert, it's very much appreciated.
I think tonight, the excellent 2015 Merlot helped a bit - and I'm preparing to finish the bottle !!!

I just knew there was some commonality! I just finished off a nice bottle of 2015 Merlot myself! Well the wife helped a bit.

 

[Crimea_River]

I'm partial to Pinot Noir myself. Good work there Terry. I wonder if those errors you have discovered have been identified in reviews of this kit.

 

[Airframes]

Thanks again Robert, and thanks Andy.
I seem to recall seeing something about poor fit of the wings in reviews of the original issue of this kit, as the B.XVI / PR.XVI, which, from memory, was attributed to the mix of original 1980 moulds and the then new (2004 ?) parts moulded in India. Can't recall any specific mention of these two areas I've identified though.

Got a few things to do today, but there's a chance I might get the carb intakes sanded, and possibly make a start on the intercooler vents. Back later if there's anything to show.

EDIT:- Just checked the 'Milliput' on the carb intakes, and after around 9 hours curing, it's still soft. One of the problems of mixing very small amounts of two-part epoxy putties - the proportions are slightly tricky to get exactly equal, resulting in the catalyst not working 100%.
No problem though, the putty has been removed, and the job will be done again, mixing properly this time. Just means a few hours delay before any carving and sanding can be done - b*gger !

 

[Crimea_River]

Bottleneck on the production line....

 

[Airframes]

Yep.

 

[Airframes]

Finally got the carb intake trunking built-up and sanded to shape, and started on the intercooler exit vents.
After lots of experimentation, I decided that it would be much easier to make these by moulding the shape of the housing and 'shutters' in Milliput, directly onto the nacelles, and then carving and engraving the vent 'shutters' into the putty when set.
I would have preferred to have individual 'shutters', but achieving a scale thickness of each one is virtually impossible.
Not a lot to show just yet, but I'll pot pics when they're finished and primed.
Meanwhile, it's back to the FB.VI for awhile, and see if I can get the nacelles and wings done on that.

 

[Wurger]

 

[rochie]

Good stuff mate, sounds like a plan