**** DONE: 1/30 Grumman Hellcat - Carrier Aircraft GB

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I'm sort of hung up on the construction of the wings..... trying to make some supports for custom scratch built landing gear struts, so I decided to mask off the canopy. Also did some sanding on both wings and fuselage to get a good dry fit. The Hellcat is a mid wing monoplane, and sliding the wing into the hole is a chore, if it don't fit right.

Charles
 

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Like the look of it, Charles

Me Too, Karl ! Just finished installing the solid balsa blocks in the wing, to support the gear legs, then covered the entire wing with tissue. It's been sprayed with water and is hanging in the garage. By morning it will be nice and taut. Then I will give it several coats of my 50/50 mix, and try a dry fit. If it looks good I will attach the wing and the tail ass'y, and start painting the whole thing with the 50/50 mix. By late tomorrow (Tues.) it will look like a Hellcat with the gear up.

While I'm waiting I attached the cowl and the stabilizer.

Cheers, Lads....

Charles
 

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Looking good. I can imagine all kinds of challenges with sliding that wing in as if there's any hint of misalignment it'll get magnified quite a bit at the wing tips.
 
Great stuff Charles. I like the way these kits now have plastic parts, such as engine cowls. The last time I built a balsa model (think I told you about the Tempest), the cowl had to be carved from a block of balsa which had the rough outline in profile only. Methinks the Hellcat kit could be a good one for me to skin, and add detail to, when I eventually get around to doing one.
 
Mated the rudder and stabilizer to the fuselage, and after careful sanding, slid the wing into the fuselage and glued it by going into the cockpit. After careful measuring, the left wing is one mm off..... aft. It just will not move forward. Oh well, I have to live with that. As promised, here are pic's.

The balsa blocks in the wings, just outboard of the fuselage are to anchor the scratch build gear legs, which are a-building.

Gotta work on the prop, and fiddly little things. Cheers....

Charles
 

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Nice job Charles. I'm thinking that I need to try one of these balsa and tissue planes in the future.
 
Nice job Charles. I'm thinking that I need to try one of these balsa and tissue planes in the future.

Let me know when you're ready.... I'll help all I can.

Got another coat of the 50/50 mix on today. Going to work on the prop tomorrow., have to carve a three blader.

Charles
 

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