++ **** DONE: 1/48 WYVERN S.4 - Military Conflicts of the 1950's

[Wurger]

Getting the shape.

 

[Airframes]

Yep, it's progressing nicely Geo.

 

[fubar57]

Thanks. The next piece of the puzzle is the horizontal stabilizer/elevators spar.

Not sure how I feel about this method over traditional tab on the stabilizers. The fit here is quite sloppy compared to the cockpit and the gluing surface is the 2 vertical bars and a bit of horizontal ledge. I added tube glue to the fuselage, attached the spar and pummeled the fuselage halves together, hoping this would help while the spar set up. It doesn't. It was at this time that I noticed something didn't look right with the spar so I unclipped the tail feathers from the sprue, taped them together and placed them on the spar. Well sir....apparently there is a front and back to the spar not mentioned anywhere so I unpummeled the fuselage, reversed the spar, repummeled the fuselages, refit the tail feathers and all is right with the world.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Crimea_River]

Doing well Geo. I never realized this bird was so big. The Hellcat provides good scale and that was a large plane.

 

[Capt. Vick]

Holy cow! You're right about the size!

 

[fubar57]

Thanks all. Just noticed we have are own GB thread now or am I still a little slow? Anyhoo....adding brake lines to the main landing gear, tail wheel in the background. Again, on this aircraft, everything is large.

 

[Wurger]

 

[fubar57]

Any photos of a Mk.8 rocket launcher rail Wojtek? While looking for pics of rocket armed Wyverns with the wings folded, I found out: A) this was unlikely, and B) rockets weren't carried during the Suez Crisis, only 1000lb. bombs though the rails were still carried. On that note, Trumpeter has a ring attached to the tail of the bomb and the only photo I have for this time frame shows no ring. Trumpeter's rendition of the rockets attached to the rail. I'll cut along the line...

 

[Wurger]

I found this only... Also I'm not sure if the missile launcher had any rail there. As memo serves the Mk.8 laucher was of the zero length rocket launcher type. I have to check something and let you know.

 

[fubar57]

This is the only photo I have of the Suez aircraft and notice the rail between the pylons...

and this of another aircraft...

 

[Wurger]

Yes I know these pics. The Mk.8 launcher was of the type I mentioned above. It seems that the rail was a pipe that was attached while no rocket there. I would say it was a kind of a protection.

Here is a pic and a diagram of the same laucher attached to a Sea Fury... see...

 

[fubar57]

Bueno, looks like an easy fix. Cut above what I though was a rail and add some round stock

 

[Wurger]

Yep,, here is an enlarged part of the shot above..

 

[fubar57]

Thank you sir

 

[Wurger]

My pleasure.

If there would be any doubt... the rail had to be attached when the missiles were there too ( the red bar in the clipped pic below). But the pic of the Wyvern shows no the rail there while there are missiles racked..

 

[fubar57]

Glued the engine thang to the front of the fuselage and tape the fuselage halves together to ensure everything lines up. There are two pegs to glue this to on each half and if you add the 4 of them together it might equal 2mm. While waiting, we move to the next step: the centre wing parts. Trumpeter has made the model so that the flaps are in the down position even though 99.9% of the time they are up unless taking off or landing. From the reviews I've read, this is a royal pain in the keester to correct so I'll leave it. I've search for several days and managed to find one photo of the flaps down and the wings folded. Don't know if this was for maintenance or a fluke but it's good enough for me. The first step is gluing the flap mounts on...

Next we flip it over and join the two top pieces. Trumpeter was kind enough to make sure part of one mold ejector mark was visible. This was better looking than the other side.

I was able to remove the majority of the mark using an 1/8" of a small round file

After this was done, I read that the inner covers of the landing gear were almost always closed on the ground though I have seen a few pics of them down. Posing them closed will cover the mark

 

[Airframes]

Good stuff Geo. It's going to be an impressive model when finished.

 

[Crimea_River]

Good progress and nice info exchange on the rails.

 

[fubar57]

More flap mounts and I filled in some ejector marks that will be visible if you turn the model over.

I've been slowly moving my model stuff from a tiny room which SWMBO informed would become a wash-room. Everything will be moved into what was once the kids playroom and for the past few years served as the daughters storage space until she and her husband bought a house which is now done. I was told not to get too comfy as this room will be the last part of the house innards to be renovated. The first step was to utilize an old computer desk. This took the better part of an hour to move as I had to negotiate it over a crap load of building supplies by myself. Should be all moved by next days off.