1/72 Short Stirling BIII - Heavy Hitters II GB

[pattle]

Also I notice that the fuselage windows seem to have an inner frame and to be divided vertically in two halves, I never noticed this before and I think that this is to smaller detail to show on a 1.72 model anyway.

 

[rochie]

very nice Glenn

 

[T Bolt]

Thanks for the pictures Pattle, I have no idea what that black around the window frame is but it looks like it's on the inside. Some one around here should know the answer. Too late to do anything about it now, and I don't know how much I could have done in 1/72 scale anyway.

 

[Lucky13]

Great work Glenn!

 

[fubar57]

Echo all the above. Just how tough is the clear film on the windows. I used some to make a photo window on an F-5 Lightning and once it set,I never breathed around it. Just curious seeings how you're going to pop them out.

Geo

 

[Airframes]

Those 'black lines' around the canopy glazing are mainly rubber sealing strips, of the type that used to be used on car windscreens, before direct bonding came into being. Some of the individual panels, such as those seen on the port side on the rear view, were set in separate sub frames around the Perspex, which in turn where then fitted to the main canopy frame, which was part of the fuselage structure.
What appear to be vertical frames, centrally placed on the smaller fuselage windows of the cockpit area, are actually just gaps between the partly-drawn blackout curtains.

 

[T Bolt]

Thanks Terry

 

[T Bolt]

Thanks Terry, When I said someone would know I was pretty sure it would be you with the answer

 

[Airframes]

I've just had another look at those smaller, cockpit fuselage windows. They do seem to have vertical central frames, but I haven't seen these on internal photos, or most of the other pictures. It may be that some aircraft did have frames here, either added, or omitted, on later aircraft, so I'll check it out further.

 

[pattle]

Thanks for the info Airframes, and T-BOLT there are plenty of pictures of Stirling canopies without the black around the windows so it doesn't matter if your Stirling doesn't have them. I have also noticed that the copper and steel exhaust collector rings (if that's what they are called) are painted black on some pictures, I think they look better in natural metal finish but it would make life easier just to paint them black. I know that at some point in the war some windows (especially in the rear turret) were blacked out with paint and that reflective surfaces such as on undercarriages were also blacked out. The black around the inside of the canopy windows look like they have got to be rubber seals and not paint though.

 

[N4521U]

What pray tell is Krystal Klear??? Is it liquid mask?

Nice work Glann

 

[Airframes]

Bill, Microscale 'Krystal Klear' is basically refined PVA adhesive (white, wood-working glue), packaged and sold for making small windows, or for gluing canopies in place etc.
Put a small 'blob' on the tip of a cocktail stick, and place this on one edge of an aperture, then draw it across the aperture, until a 'skin' forms. Wipe off any excess with a wet finger tip and, once the KK dries, it leaves a clear 'window'.
It can also be used for making light lenses, beacon domes and so on, by 'extruding it to a peak which, when it dries and shrinks back slightly, will be dome-shaped. If, for example, you wanted a red anti-collision beacon, then paint the base red, the make the dome with KK, and when set, it will look like a beacon.
A good quality PVA will do exactly the same, at a fraction of the cost of KK.

 

[Lucky13]

I've just had another look at those smaller, cockpit fuselage windows. They do seem to have vertical central frames, but I haven't seen these on internal photos, or most of the other pictures. It may be that some aircraft did have frames here, either added, or omitted, on later aircraft, so I'll check it out further.

You've been 'framed'...

 

[Airframes]

Jan's been at the Wine Gums again folks ....

 

[N4521U]

Terry... thank you for that.

So Glenn you are using it to Mask? Will it peel off when you are finished painting???

 

[T Bolt]

Yes Bill, it peels off pretty easily. The one difference between Krystal Klear and PVA is that the Krystal Klear doesn't dry hard like PVA and remains a little rubbery so when you peel it off it's kind of the same as pulling off liquid mask, but not quite as easy. I'll take some pictures when I pull it off.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

A couple of good tips there folks................thanks.

 

[destrozas]

magnific job glenn, i like kristal klear too

 

[Rogi]

I picked a bottle last week when I saw it at the LHS, really cool stuff, can't wait to try it out Thanks for the recommendations and tutorial

 

[Wayne Little]

Good on ya Igor it's good stuff...