1/72 Super Connie HARS Livery

[N4521U]

I just can't stop starting. Do I have more on the bench than anyone else here??????

My call for a kit didn't go unanswered, a member of the museum had one gathering dust. When I went in today to pick it up and arrange for other projects, here is what I found! What the heck am I going to do with the other three? But he did have the QANTAS aftermarket decal kit in the box. I'll just have to come up with the name CONNIE all over as QANTAS cannot have their name on the plane. Not being persnikity about it, just a legal thing.

So tonight I have worked on the tail and have both sides, horiz and vert together. They have raised panels lines and I may sand them down flush. Some misalignment and fairing size differences on the verticals which have to be remedied, no problem there.I finished off the props, removed mold flashing, one blade on two of the has a weak point at the hub and cracked.

This is going to have to be an out of the box build, and a quick one so it will be ready and in the cabinet for the Opening of the museum in a month, or so.

 

[swampyankee]

I just love Connies. I'm old enough to remember them and DC-7s flying in and out of Bradley, back when they were still in commercial use in the Continental US.

 

[N4521U]

I remember them as well. I lived near the Oakland CA air port from 45 to 55.
So many missmatches, so many shapes gone wrong.

wing alignment is not all that great

Have to check the real shape of the tip tanks.

Alignment of vertical stab to fairings on horiz?

Cowling too long, prop cone too long, blades wrong shape, engine?

 

[Lucky13]

......and when you're done, Academy will release the perfect Constellation in 1/72!
Looking forward to it matey....

 

[N4521U]

Ain't that tha troooooooth!

 

[meatloaf109]

I got 6 going right now, how many do you have?

 

[Airframes]

Good stuff Bill. If my memory is correct, this kit was originally released by Heller in the late 1950s, hence the problems.

 

[N4521U]

The days when the plane type was most important.
I have found a correction aftermarket set, props, cowling, engine faces, tip tanks.................. $45 US........!

Now that I am putting the kit together, it's a serious walkaround Connie next time I am there. Then see what I can do with the kit cowlings. I can make a mold of the nose piece of the B-24 engines and stickem on the Heller engines, which may help. The prop blades are gonna be the headache. I'll have to see if anyone at HARS can tell me if them blades were used on any other type and then source just the blades. Tip tanks I can build up since there are just two.

Found this picture............. shades of Vic eh?

 

[woody]

Nice start Bill.

 

[Wayne Little]

Glad you got sorted Bill!

 

[Crimea_River]

Good stuff Bill.

 

[N4521U]

Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn, damn.....................

Then I thought I would make sure the windows are correct.......................... Ohhhhhhhh noooooooooo! That would be toooooo much to hope for! None of the windows, not even the crew side door, or the front passenger door.

So it's a 1950's kit you say? Shite!

 

[N4521U]

Here's what I've been doing, and my window problem...............

I had to fill a huuuuuge gap under the wing between the tip and inboard portions.

Filling and blending the fairing on the tails.

So far on the tails.

Compare the kit windows with the real thing. I plugged the window in the door with a dot from my punch set. I'll have to make a steel template of a window so I can cut and shape new ones in the proper locations. Fortunately the interior is of no importance. But filling the old ones is agonna be a nightmare.

And I thought this was gonna be an outa-the-box build....... Har har har.

 

[Wayne Little]

You seem to be having fun Bill...

 

[ccheese]

Yea, Bill. How can one person have so much fun ?

Charles

 

[N4521U]

I don't know............ at this point I am OverLoaded with funnnnn....

This is, any ideas how to cover all them windows without melting the plastic???
Keeping in mind I will have to cut in on most of the filling of, so it has to withstand all the carving without cracking off.
Can't hardly take a slice out of the whole length because of the curved surface.
Brain taxing this is........... sounding like Yoda.

 

[N4521U]

To give an idea of what has to be done to the starboard side alone........... the tape indicates where the windows Should be.... I sure got my work cut out for me...... But is it's gonna be an accurate representation of the plane in the hangar!

And how I plugged two windows and a porthole using a rectangle and a plug of styrene.

 

[fubar57]

Found a bunch of airliner decals which looked really cool with window shades pulled down in different closed positions and window glare. HOWEVER...all theses windows are longer in the vertical while yours, in the horizontal. Off to a great start, Bill. Sailor on.

Geo

 

[Wurger]

 

[T Bolt]

Bill, I'd just glue in the kit windows, put thick CA on the outside and file flush with the fuselage sides and sand smooth. Fogging the windows with the CA doesn't matter because you're gonna be painting them. Lot of work and you're gonna loose all the raised panel lines, but that may not be a bad thing.