meatloaf109
1st Lieutenant
Me too!
**** DONE: 1/72 Supermarine Seagull V - Heavy Hitters II GB
- Thread starter parsifal
- Start date
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Wildcat
Major
Yep, looking good mate.
- Thread starter
- #64
parsifal
Colonel
Ive sealed up the fuselage , put in the PE turret rings, filled and sanded the seams that joined the two halves, and now am working on the engine mounts. The engines need to be fitted before the wings go in, and they are a bit tricky. They have four mount struts, that have to go in together, at a certain angle and position. There are no guides of marks on either the engine nacelles, or the fuselage to tell you where to put them. The struts themselves have little lugs that are supposed to fit into small pin holes, but these pin holes just arent there. That makes working out where to place the struts a bit problematic.
Ive started by carefully marking up where I think the anchor lugs of the lower support struts onto the fuselage. Ive drilled blind holes into the fusleage roof, just above the wing, and test fitted the struts into these holes. ive made the holes just a bit too big, which means that the struts flop around a bit and wont stay at the right angle whilst i attempt to measure and mark the lug holes in the engine nacelles, which will be located at the other end of trhe fourstruts. Its tricky. But I can "stiffen" the dry fitted struts so they stay where they need to, whilst I measure the drilling points on the engine nacelles, with some tape I think. I hope.
If the engine goes in wrong or crooked, it will have a disastrous effect, so Im going at this very carefully. The professional reviews that I have seen have all complained about this aspect of the model....its a very poorly thought out element of the build, and a critical one to get right. There is no hiding a dodgy engine fit.
After the engines struts and nacelle (without engine fitted) are attached to the fuselage, i plan to do the stringing for the engine ( not the wings). The stringing of the engine struts will be very awkward if the wings are in place.
Fitting the wings and the engine subassembly, and then the bracing that goes with this model are both the best parts of the build, but also the most difficult IMO. , .
Ive started by carefully marking up where I think the anchor lugs of the lower support struts onto the fuselage. Ive drilled blind holes into the fusleage roof, just above the wing, and test fitted the struts into these holes. ive made the holes just a bit too big, which means that the struts flop around a bit and wont stay at the right angle whilst i attempt to measure and mark the lug holes in the engine nacelles, which will be located at the other end of trhe fourstruts. Its tricky. But I can "stiffen" the dry fitted struts so they stay where they need to, whilst I measure the drilling points on the engine nacelles, with some tape I think. I hope.
If the engine goes in wrong or crooked, it will have a disastrous effect, so Im going at this very carefully. The professional reviews that I have seen have all complained about this aspect of the model....its a very poorly thought out element of the build, and a critical one to get right. There is no hiding a dodgy engine fit.
After the engines struts and nacelle (without engine fitted) are attached to the fuselage, i plan to do the stringing for the engine ( not the wings). The stringing of the engine struts will be very awkward if the wings are in place.
Fitting the wings and the engine subassembly, and then the bracing that goes with this model are both the best parts of the build, but also the most difficult IMO. , .
Good luck with getting it right....take it nice and easy..
Vic Balshaw
Major General
Hoping it works out for you Michael, and yes, take it slow and easy.
- Thread starter
- #67
parsifal
Colonel
so far so good. I would always like these sort of tricky operations to go better than they do, but its good enough for me not to cringe when i see it. The biggest challenge are the cable stiffeners, which are proving a bit difficult
I will try and post photos tonite
I will try and post photos tonite
A4K
Colonel
Looking forward mate, and yep, worth taking the time with the fiddly stuff, nothing worse than rushing and ruining.
Fingers crossed....
N4521U
Colonel
Goin great guns there Michael.......
but put the parts to shoot in light shade, and use a flash! Try it once mate.
but put the parts to shoot in light shade, and use a flash! Try it once mate.
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
I agree with all, take it nice and steady Michael, checking and double checking each stage. There's no rush - it'll be done when it's done!
- Thread starter
- #72
parsifal
Colonel
Its very late, so only a quick diary entry. The attachment of the engine nacelles to the fusleage is completed, including the wire bracing. I worked out the best method for me of attaching the bracing was to drill the lugs holes all the way through the plastic, poke the invisible thread and secure it with the strut, and glue. Then once dry, I would I lay the modl on its sideand position the thread so that it just touched the the top of the opposing strut. I could pull the thread tight and then tape everything to the bench so that it wouldnt move. The bracing is, of course longer than it needs to be so all this taping down and tensioning doesnt affect the bit I wanted to keep. Next I applied a drop of glue to the end of the strut. Wait half and hour, then trimeverything do that there is no messy threads hanging about.
Unfortunately my earlier efforts were not as well organised and I didnt do as well. Not too bad, but not as good as the later renditions.
But Im still fairly happy
Now Ive put the lower wings onto the fuselage. However, only the upper hal;f of those lower wings. Before I fastyened these wing sections I glued lengths of Bracing to the wing innards (where they cant be seen) and looped these bracing lines around through the wing roots and just taped the line to the upper surface of the wing (temporarily). These bits of line are the makings of the wing assembly bracing. So far, so good. its working....im amazed....
Unfortunately my earlier efforts were not as well organised and I didnt do as well. Not too bad, but not as good as the later renditions.
But Im still fairly happy
Now Ive put the lower wings onto the fuselage. However, only the upper hal;f of those lower wings. Before I fastyened these wing sections I glued lengths of Bracing to the wing innards (where they cant be seen) and looped these bracing lines around through the wing roots and just taped the line to the upper surface of the wing (temporarily). These bits of line are the makings of the wing assembly bracing. So far, so good. its working....im amazed....
A4K
Colonel
T Bolt
Colonel
Nice work so far. The new compass looks much better. Love to see pics of how the nacelles went.
meatloaf109
1st Lieutenant
Yeah, I want to see the rigging!
Catch22
Major
Nice!
Nicely done so far!
- Thread starter
- #80
parsifal
Colonel
Be patient guys...stil working on the rigging. Its a difficult job, coming together okay (though I broke one line and have to now go back and re-do it). I have to go very slowly at this. Looks okay to me, given that this is the first biuplane Ive ever attemtped.....
I hoping to have the rigging more or less in place by the end of the weekend, and from there will post some long overdue progress shots
I hoping to have the rigging more or less in place by the end of the weekend, and from there will post some long overdue progress shots
