Eduard 1/48 Spitfire Mk IX - late version
- Thread starter dneid
- Start date
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Crimea_River
Marshal
Great work so far Dale.
- Thread starter
- #23
dneid
Staff Sergeant
Hey, guys,
Thank you for all the comments and reference asssists! I do appreciate you all taking the time to stop by.
Ok, I have the side walls tacked into place. Why will become clear over the next few posts. I did add cabling from the throttle quadrant (left side) and added a priming pump (right side). The pump is three pieces, 2 of stretched sprue and a spare handle thingy from some left over PE. God, do I love Gator Glue! made getting that damned little handle into place real easy. I am going to let everything setup overnight and start the cockpit assembly tomorrow night. My reasoning for tacking the side walls into place will become clear once I start that step.
Pics:
Thank you for all the comments and reference asssists! I do appreciate you all taking the time to stop by.
Ok, I have the side walls tacked into place. Why will become clear over the next few posts. I did add cabling from the throttle quadrant (left side) and added a priming pump (right side). The pump is three pieces, 2 of stretched sprue and a spare handle thingy from some left over PE. God, do I love Gator Glue! made getting that damned little handle into place real easy. I am going to let everything setup overnight and start the cockpit assembly tomorrow night. My reasoning for tacking the side walls into place will become clear once I start that step.
Pics:
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Crimea_River
Marshal
Good stuff Dale. In your last pic, the molded part on the forward upper sidewall that looks like a trident and that you painted black is actually meant to represent a spare light bulb holder. On the Spitfire site you posted with the excellent MkV cockpit pics, you'll see one or more pics showing this detail and you'll see that the bulbs are white. Also looks like you lost the connecting tube between the tops of the two tanks on the port side.
- Thread starter
- #27
dneid
Staff Sergeant
Hey, Andy,
Thank you for the catch on the spare bulb thing. As for the connecting tube, so far it has survived my manhandling and is still in place. I guess it got lost in the picture snapping through the magnifying lamp.
Cockpit is about 3/4 finished. I did add the additional line for the priming pump and I have both routed now. I did get everything together nice and square. I will post some pics tomorrow with more information on my reasoning for tacking the side walls in place before the bulkheads/IP/floor were in place.
Thank you for the catch on the spare bulb thing. As for the connecting tube, so far it has survived my manhandling and is still in place. I guess it got lost in the picture snapping through the magnifying lamp.
Cockpit is about 3/4 finished. I did add the additional line for the priming pump and I have both routed now. I did get everything together nice and square. I will post some pics tomorrow with more information on my reasoning for tacking the side walls in place before the bulkheads/IP/floor were in place.
T Bolt
Colonel
Very nice detailing Dale. Can you post a pic of the Gator Glue you use. I have some I used to glue a broken concrete statue back together and it made such a mess I can't imagine using it on a model. Must be different types of the stuff.
- Thread starter
- #30
dneid
Staff Sergeant
Hey, Glenn,
I was going to PM this to you, but I decided other folks may want to see this as well. This is the PVA glue I always talk about.
- Thread starter
- #31
dneid
Staff Sergeant
Ok, I have the cockpit lower side walls, the IP, and seat bulkhead glued up and now removed from the fuse sides. I went this way due to a concern of keeping everything aligned and, more importantly, squared up. The first picture is a scan of page 2 of the cockpit assembly.
Pic 1:
What concerned me was getting everything to line up and square and to STAY that way. So, I decided to use the fuse halves to keep everything squared up and aligned. What I did was:
1) tack the lower walls into the fuse halves with PVA
2) Settle the fuse halves together and then tape the tops only:
3) Wrap the fuse halves with rubber bands to just add some tension to hold the fuse halves together
4) I then slipped the seat bulkhead and IP into place carefully and slowly and glued them only to the lower cockpit walls.
5) I then removed the rubber bands and tape from the fuse halves. I then used my handy needle on a stick (dubbing needle for you fly tiers) to gently pry away one cockpit wall from one fuse half, then the other. As you can see, the sub-assembly is nice and square and aligned now. I do need to make sure I push the pressure tank connector back into place just prior to placing everything back into the fuse.
I need to finish the final detailed work on the cockpit then reinstall it all.
Ok, a question for you all... did the Mk IX ever have the flare rack on the front edge of the seat? Terry's pics indicate they did not. I am asking as I just drilled out the flare rack and shoved some rod through to mimic flare cartridges. I want to be sure before I finish that piece up and improperly use it.
Pic 1:
What concerned me was getting everything to line up and square and to STAY that way. So, I decided to use the fuse halves to keep everything squared up and aligned. What I did was:
1) tack the lower walls into the fuse halves with PVA
2) Settle the fuse halves together and then tape the tops only:
3) Wrap the fuse halves with rubber bands to just add some tension to hold the fuse halves together
4) I then slipped the seat bulkhead and IP into place carefully and slowly and glued them only to the lower cockpit walls.
5) I then removed the rubber bands and tape from the fuse halves. I then used my handy needle on a stick (dubbing needle for you fly tiers) to gently pry away one cockpit wall from one fuse half, then the other. As you can see, the sub-assembly is nice and square and aligned now. I do need to make sure I push the pressure tank connector back into place just prior to placing everything back into the fuse.
I need to finish the final detailed work on the cockpit then reinstall it all.
Ok, a question for you all... did the Mk IX ever have the flare rack on the front edge of the seat? Terry's pics indicate they did not. I am asking as I just drilled out the flare rack and shoved some rod through to mimic flare cartridges. I want to be sure before I finish that piece up and improperly use it.
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T Bolt
Colonel
Thanks for the pic of the glue Dale. Defiantly not the stuff I have. I'll have to keep my eye open for it.
Great job fitting the cockpit by the way.
Great job fitting the cockpit by the way.
Nicely done so far!
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Far as I know, the seat flare rack wasn't normally fitted after the early MkI. That said, there were exceptions, when a replacement seat was fitted, and even some MkIX and MkXIV had the very early metal seat retro-fitted, after the composite seat collapsed after high g actions. Normally though, the flare rack was not present as a standard fit.
- Thread starter
- #36
dneid
Staff Sergeant
Thanks, Terry. I decided to go ahead and remove the flare rack fiddly bits. Cockpit is about done. I will be getting it installed and the fuse closed up today.
Donivanp
Major
Looking really nice there Dale, you do some real nice work there.
Donivanp
Major
The Gator grip glue Glenn used is like Gorilla glue, it expands and even comes with gloves to use it with. Gator's Grip can only be bought via the guy, you have to email him. He makes it himself.
Doin' a great job Dale!
Donivanp
Major
Sorry to hear of the demise of the spit, sounds like it got a FW-190D on it's tail. we will all hold a moment of silence for it. I would play taps but well you know.
