**** DONE: GB-44 1/48 F-5E - Military A/C of post-war time
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- #302
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks, Glenn and Wojtech.
Working on the undercart and brake lines at the moment - pics soon..
Working on the undercart and brake lines at the moment - pics soon..
Great work so far Terry!
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- #304
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Took a bit longer than anticipated, as there was some clean-up to do, including removing ejection pin marks on the nose wheel, and ejection 'pegs' on the gear legs etc.
The kit parts for the main gear legs are a very reasonable representation of the real thing, and incorporate the anti-skid brake hub detail, as fitted to the Swiss version, along with larger wheels and tyres. Comparing the kit main wheels with the True Details resin wheel set, the kit parts are noticeably larger, and the detail is more than acceptable. I'm guessing that the larger wheels on the Swiss aircraft account for the larger, and different shaped indentation in the main gear doors.
The main wheels are in two halves, resulting in a seam which needed to be sanded off and, although the nose wheel is a one-piece 'solid' part, there was a mould seam around the center of the tread area, which was also sanded off, and the ejection pin marks carefully filed and scraped smooth.
Brake lines were added to the main gear legs, using two gauges of lead wire. These should really be twin lines going into the hub, but I was struggling a bit with my darned stiff hands, so settled for a single line, which should pass muster once partly hidden under the wing.
The pics show the preparation of the main gear and wheels, with 'flats' filed onto the tyres, before separating the wheels from the legs and adding the brake lines, and fully painted and assembled. I need to re-paint the main leg on the left in the photo, as the paint got damaged due to handling, and both legs will receive a semi-gloss clear coat once fitted into the wheel bays, along with the retraction jacks, which will also have hydraulic lines added.
Again, apologies for some of the pics.
I hope to complete the undercart tomorrow, and get it attached, along with the gear doors and speed brakes.
The kit parts for the main gear legs are a very reasonable representation of the real thing, and incorporate the anti-skid brake hub detail, as fitted to the Swiss version, along with larger wheels and tyres. Comparing the kit main wheels with the True Details resin wheel set, the kit parts are noticeably larger, and the detail is more than acceptable. I'm guessing that the larger wheels on the Swiss aircraft account for the larger, and different shaped indentation in the main gear doors.
The main wheels are in two halves, resulting in a seam which needed to be sanded off and, although the nose wheel is a one-piece 'solid' part, there was a mould seam around the center of the tread area, which was also sanded off, and the ejection pin marks carefully filed and scraped smooth.
Brake lines were added to the main gear legs, using two gauges of lead wire. These should really be twin lines going into the hub, but I was struggling a bit with my darned stiff hands, so settled for a single line, which should pass muster once partly hidden under the wing.
The pics show the preparation of the main gear and wheels, with 'flats' filed onto the tyres, before separating the wheels from the legs and adding the brake lines, and fully painted and assembled. I need to re-paint the main leg on the left in the photo, as the paint got damaged due to handling, and both legs will receive a semi-gloss clear coat once fitted into the wheel bays, along with the retraction jacks, which will also have hydraulic lines added.
Again, apologies for some of the pics.
I hope to complete the undercart tomorrow, and get it attached, along with the gear doors and speed brakes.
fubar57
General
Good looking gear
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- #306
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks Geo, and thanks again for that book. The detail pics have been invaluable in this build.
Crimea_River
Marshal
Looks excellent Terry.
Wow very nice Dogsbody
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- #311
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks all.
Working on the rest of the dangly bits - pics later.
Working on the rest of the dangly bits - pics later.
Crimea_River
Marshal
Let us know when you're back working on the model.
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- #313
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Er ............ finished with the dangly bits, and back to the model !
Got the undercart on, but yet to fit the doors, which is going to be fiddly, as there are no locating points for the main well doors, and only a pin for the main leg doors.
I was going to add some hydraulic lines to the main gear retraction struts, but although these are more or less accurate in shape, they're set further into the leg bay than on the real aircraft, which has them close to the front 'wall' of the well. Consequently I didn't bother !
I'll let this lot fully set before fitting the doors, and then move on to the speed brakes and belly tank, before tackling the mirrors for the canopy.
Back later ................
Got the undercart on, but yet to fit the doors, which is going to be fiddly, as there are no locating points for the main well doors, and only a pin for the main leg doors.
I was going to add some hydraulic lines to the main gear retraction struts, but although these are more or less accurate in shape, they're set further into the leg bay than on the real aircraft, which has them close to the front 'wall' of the well. Consequently I didn't bother !
I'll let this lot fully set before fitting the doors, and then move on to the speed brakes and belly tank, before tackling the mirrors for the canopy.
Back later ................
Crimea_River
Marshal
Fantastic looking model Terry.
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- #315
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks Andy.
Still b*ggering about with the gear doors - they're a real pain to fit and align, but getting there.
Still b*ggering about with the gear doors - they're a real pain to fit and align, but getting there.
Good work so far Terry!
- Thread starter
- #317
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks Hugh, it's appreciated.
Nearly done (famous last words !), with the gear doors, speed brakes and belly tank fitted.
As mentioned, the main gear doors were a bit of a pain to attach, but got there in the end. I also had a bit of a 'senior moment' when doing the speed brakes. The actuating rams were cemented in place in the bays first, and then painted and allowed to set. Come the time to attach the brakes, and I discovered I'd fitted the bl**dy rams the wrong way round !
Out with the scalpel, prise them off, re-fit, re-paint and allow to set, and then attach the brakes !
Next step was the main leg doors, which went on reasonably OK, but I then noticed they looked very long, covering the entire wheel and almost touching the deck. A quick check of reference photos showed that they shouldn't look like that at all, as the bottom of the doors should be just above the axle point of the main wheel.
So, using the precise method of Mark One Eyeball measurement, the top edges of both doors were cut of, removing 2 mm, and then filed smooth, before fitting them in place without problems, and looking more like the real thing.
Finally, the belly tank was cemented in place, and the model put aside to fully set.
The first pic below shows the modified main gear door on the left, with the un-modified door at right, with the remainder being general shots of how things look so far.
All being well, tomorrow I hope to make and fit the antenna beneath the nose, along with a AoA probe on the starboard side, then attempt to make and fit a pair of rear view mirrors to the canopy rim, before attaching the canopy and finishing the model.
Nearly done (famous last words !), with the gear doors, speed brakes and belly tank fitted.
As mentioned, the main gear doors were a bit of a pain to attach, but got there in the end. I also had a bit of a 'senior moment' when doing the speed brakes. The actuating rams were cemented in place in the bays first, and then painted and allowed to set. Come the time to attach the brakes, and I discovered I'd fitted the bl**dy rams the wrong way round !
Out with the scalpel, prise them off, re-fit, re-paint and allow to set, and then attach the brakes !
Next step was the main leg doors, which went on reasonably OK, but I then noticed they looked very long, covering the entire wheel and almost touching the deck. A quick check of reference photos showed that they shouldn't look like that at all, as the bottom of the doors should be just above the axle point of the main wheel.
So, using the precise method of Mark One Eyeball measurement, the top edges of both doors were cut of, removing 2 mm, and then filed smooth, before fitting them in place without problems, and looking more like the real thing.
Finally, the belly tank was cemented in place, and the model put aside to fully set.
The first pic below shows the modified main gear door on the left, with the un-modified door at right, with the remainder being general shots of how things look so far.
All being well, tomorrow I hope to make and fit the antenna beneath the nose, along with a AoA probe on the starboard side, then attempt to make and fit a pair of rear view mirrors to the canopy rim, before attaching the canopy and finishing the model.
Nice !
T Bolt
Colonel
Beautiful Terry !
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- #320
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks, Karl and Glenn.
Bit of a temporary stall at the moment - woke up in the middle of the night with severe pain, as my left wrist is very swollen and extremely tender.
Hoping it will settle down later today, as can't do anything until it does, especially small, delicate scratch-building work.
Bit of a temporary stall at the moment - woke up in the middle of the night with severe pain, as my left wrist is very swollen and extremely tender.
Hoping it will settle down later today, as can't do anything until it does, especially small, delicate scratch-building work.
