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- #41
Crimea_River
Marshal
Thanks everyone. Good info here and I'll try a few things and report back.
**** DONE: GB-54 1:48 Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien - Pacific Theatre
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- #42
Crimea_River
Marshal
I found some lighter packaging material and replaced the thicker glass parts. The visor was accomplished with a bit of Future and water-thinned Tamiya XF-11 J.N. Green. Still not great but it passes the sniff test:
The seat belts were scratch built with wine bottle foil. Never liked those Tamiya decal belts.
And with the seat bulkhead glued in place, the cockpit is now done.
Thanks for the likes and looks guys.
The seat belts were scratch built with wine bottle foil. Never liked those Tamiya decal belts.
And with the seat bulkhead glued in place, the cockpit is now done.
Thanks for the likes and looks guys.
Nice work so far Andy!
fubar57
General
Good looking belts
looks great Andy
very Nicely done Andy.
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- #48
Crimea_River
Marshal
Thanks friends. The side walls are now done and ready for gluing the fuselage halves together. The throttle quadrant has been painted per the kit instructions (fiddley!!) and I thought about adding the linkage. However, I checked the visibility and it would not be worth the effort, especially given that the linkage would have to snake through the framing of the separate tub, which is installed through the bottom once the halves are together. So, I gave it a pass.
Here's a heads up in case anyone has this kit or is thinking of getting it. Tamiya provides a VERY basic (I think toy-like) engine that supposedly can be viewed through an open top cowl. However, no machine guns are provided so what's the point? Anyway, the instructions only address the case of installing the engine into the pin holes provided in the fuselage. If you want to leave the engine out, there's no prop shaft so you'd think that you have to install the engine if you want your prop to be held by something. BUT WAIT! There is a Santa! Tamiya provides a prop shaft substitute as shown below. The thing is, they don't tell you that. The only way I found out about it was by reading someone's build thread on another site so in went the substitute and the engine, such as it is, goes into the spares box.
More when the fuselage gets mated. Thanks for looking.
Here's a heads up in case anyone has this kit or is thinking of getting it. Tamiya provides a VERY basic (I think toy-like) engine that supposedly can be viewed through an open top cowl. However, no machine guns are provided so what's the point? Anyway, the instructions only address the case of installing the engine into the pin holes provided in the fuselage. If you want to leave the engine out, there's no prop shaft so you'd think that you have to install the engine if you want your prop to be held by something. BUT WAIT! There is a Santa! Tamiya provides a prop shaft substitute as shown below. The thing is, they don't tell you that. The only way I found out about it was by reading someone's build thread on another site so in went the substitute and the engine, such as it is, goes into the spares box.
More when the fuselage gets mated. Thanks for looking.
fubar57
General
Cool. The engine substitute is something other kit makers should look at
Vic Balshaw
Major General
Brilliant work. 
Jock Tamson
Staff Sergeant
Looking good 
dneid
Staff Sergeant
Beautiful work, Andy. Yes, I am still alive, just lurking as work and life have me very busy. I am still picking away at an Eduard P-51D-5.
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- #54
Crimea_River
Marshal
Thanks Dale. Nice to hear from you and thanks for stopping by.
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- #55
Crimea_River
Marshal
Thanks to all who are following along. It's nice to know there's interest in what I'm doing!
Today's installment shows the fuselage halves glued together and a number of examples of the beautiful engineering of this kit. First off, here's an overview with the fuselage together and the wings dry-fit in place:
Tamiya have done something smart here to avoid a seam along the spine of the model. There's a slot there into which another piece will fit along the panel lines. One only needs to watch that the insert is properly cleaned. Here's the slot and the insert installed without glue:
The wing root top and bottom, again just dry-fit. The fit was so tight that it was hard to get the parts separated again.
Behind the cockpit we need to install one of two insert options. One is for the closed canopy and the one I'm using is moulded slightly narrower to allow for a more realistic-looking open canopy. Here is the opening before and after the part is placed, again without glue.
I'm very impressed with the fit and I'm celebrating the fact that I probably won't need to apply any filler anywhere. this more than makes up for the goofy engine and seatbelt decals!
Today's installment shows the fuselage halves glued together and a number of examples of the beautiful engineering of this kit. First off, here's an overview with the fuselage together and the wings dry-fit in place:
Tamiya have done something smart here to avoid a seam along the spine of the model. There's a slot there into which another piece will fit along the panel lines. One only needs to watch that the insert is properly cleaned. Here's the slot and the insert installed without glue:
The wing root top and bottom, again just dry-fit. The fit was so tight that it was hard to get the parts separated again.
Behind the cockpit we need to install one of two insert options. One is for the closed canopy and the one I'm using is moulded slightly narrower to allow for a more realistic-looking open canopy. Here is the opening before and after the part is placed, again without glue.
I'm very impressed with the fit and I'm celebrating the fact that I probably won't need to apply any filler anywhere. this more than makes up for the goofy engine and seatbelt decals!
Vic Balshaw
Major General
That is some very nice crafting Andy, all looks so clean.
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- #58
Crimea_River
Marshal
Well, everything that was dry-fitted above got some glue yesterday so things are moving quickly now. The only place that Tamiya used that nifty insert was on the upper fuselage spine so I had a few tiny hiccups where the more conventional seams didn't quite fuse perfectly in front of the windscreen and on the fuselage underside. I did a bit of filling and polishing with Tamiya Surface Primer as the undersides will be NMF and so need to be pristine. Other than that, everything fit nice and snug - almost too snug in the case of the cockpit tub which needed a bit of coaxing to slide in place but all went well.
Here on the port side you can see the tight fit at the wing root and on the engine cowl. The latter was glued in place since I didn't install the engine. On the supercharger intake, I need to investigate if there is a distinct seam behind the grille as there is one on the model where the parts join. If not, I'll need to smooth this. You can also see a tiny bit of filler in the seam just in front of the gun sight.
Similar story on the starboard side:
Now, regarding that seam just in front of the windscreen, there might be a panel line there on the real machine according to some 3 view drawings (not all). Though Tamiya didn't seem to allow for a center panel line there with fasteners on each side of it, their instructions suggest it should be there:
So, if anyone knows for sure if this feature should be there, I'd appreciate hearing so that I can scribe this in.
Tamiya provides separate rudder actuators and a tight-fitting insert for the tail wheel:
Here's the nose area on the underside where the wing fits in place along a panel line. The seam is a bit wide and noticeable but not too bad. Again, note the bit of filler on the seam.
That's all for today. If anyone knows for sure if the panel line in front of the windscreen should be there, do let me know please!
Here on the port side you can see the tight fit at the wing root and on the engine cowl. The latter was glued in place since I didn't install the engine. On the supercharger intake, I need to investigate if there is a distinct seam behind the grille as there is one on the model where the parts join. If not, I'll need to smooth this. You can also see a tiny bit of filler in the seam just in front of the gun sight.
Similar story on the starboard side:
Now, regarding that seam just in front of the windscreen, there might be a panel line there on the real machine according to some 3 view drawings (not all). Though Tamiya didn't seem to allow for a center panel line there with fasteners on each side of it, their instructions suggest it should be there:
So, if anyone knows for sure if this feature should be there, I'd appreciate hearing so that I can scribe this in.
Tamiya provides separate rudder actuators and a tight-fitting insert for the tail wheel:
Here's the nose area on the underside where the wing fits in place along a panel line. The seam is a bit wide and noticeable but not too bad. Again, note the bit of filler on the seam.
That's all for today. If anyone knows for sure if the panel line in front of the windscreen should be there, do let me know please!
see here Andy.
looks like the panels and fasteners may be there in the head on picture
www.silverhawkauthor.com
looks like the panels and fasteners may be there in the head on picture
Warplanes of the Second World War preserved in Japan
Harold writes articles on Canadian military history, including Military Parachuting, Warplanes, Armour and Artillery, Castles, Fortifications, Sieges and Battles, Warships, The Cold War, Women in the Canadian Forces, First Nations and Black Canadian Military Service. Each article is supported by...
www.silverhawkauthor.com
- Thread starter
- #60
Crimea_River
Marshal
Yep, you're right Karl. Also just found this on Snautzer's thread so looks like I can go and scribe in this panel line.
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