Crimea_River
Marshal
Good work. Good thing the plastic is thick enough that there is still some left after sawing off those blisters.
Meteor NF.12, 46 Sqn, RAF, 1/48th scale.
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- #22
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks Wojtek, Karl and Andy.
Yes Andy, I was pleased to see that the 'blister' was in fact 'solid' plastic, and that its outline didn't follow the edge of the parts, with a 'hollow' inside. The thick plastic made it a bit tiring on the wrists, having to saw, file and sand, but it's much better than having to back and fill a hole, then sand it to match the contours.
I've got quite a bit more done, although nothing worth showing yet, as it's mainly been checking fit of the fuselage and nose section, and a bit more sanding around the inner surface of the fin, in order to provide a more accurate alignment for the nose section, when it's fitted, which I'll admit sounds a bit strange - sand the tail to allow the nose to fit !
However, as the starboard side of the tail area includes the fin and rudder, up to the 'bullet' fairing, and the port side has the upper section of the fin and rudder, together with the rudder trim tab (below the fairing) as a 'solid' part, it's essential to ensure that the parts fit as tightly as possible against the trim tab, and the rudder hinge line, otherwise a very slight gap in this area will translate as a very small 'step' at the front fuselage, where the nose cone joins, which would, of course, throw the nose cone out of 'true', and create an uneven gap at the joint as well.
Work is also underway preparing the resin parts for the cockpit and nose wheel well, which are the first stages of assembly, and there are lots of casting blocks to be removed, some of which are quite thick, and resin parts to clean-up, followed by lots more test-fitting.
The instructions are not that precise, in indicating where each part fits, and there are absolutely no locating pins, ledges, lips or marks to aid in locating and fitting the cockpit sub-assemblies, so it's vital to check all this before any actual attempts at fitting.
It's this area, and the locating and fitting of the resin engine front ends and tail pipes, which will take the most time, but once that's all done, the rest should be relatively straightforward, allowing, again, for the lack of locating pins on the fuselage, wings and engine nacelles.
Having checked-over the resin parts (which were still sealed in their original cellophane bag), I'd already noticed that some were missing from the smaller parts casting block, but, apart from the gyro gunsight, which had broken off from the mounting frame, there were no loose parts in the sealed bag when opened !
This is not a major problem, as some of the parts are not required for the conversion to NF.12, and some, such as very thin antenna posts, I intended to replace with stronger material anyway. But one of the missing resin parts is the control column which, looking at the parts diagram in the instructions, and checked against references, is the later-style 'pistol grip' type. There is a plastic part for the column, which is the earlier, circular 'Dunlop' grip type, similar to that found in the Spitfire, for example, so that will have to be used instead, possibly as provided, in order to save some time, at least. As the heavily-framed canopy will be fitted in the closed position, the difference will be hard to see anyway !
So, a fairly long post, with nothing much of interest but, now that I've finished messing about with my PC, and spending a couple of hours on the 'phone attempting to sort out my Internet connection problem (which should be rectified with the arrival of a new, state of the art 'magic box' on Tuesday - I hope !), I can now grab a couple of hours kip, and then get back to the model, with a view to making some positive constructional progress.
Tonight, I was supposed to be going to a 'leaving party' for a young chap who has to return to Greece for his spell in the Hellenic Armed Forces (the long arm of Conscription knows no boundaries !), but, having lost so much time today, chasing around sorting out the 'net connection problem, I won't bother, and I'll carry on with some more work on the 'Meatbox'.
As it's a long, hard job posting pics at the moment, due to the 'net connection problem, I'll only post some when there's enough of interest to show, some time over the weekend.
Thanks again for the interest in this project chaps, and toodle pip for now !
Yes Andy, I was pleased to see that the 'blister' was in fact 'solid' plastic, and that its outline didn't follow the edge of the parts, with a 'hollow' inside. The thick plastic made it a bit tiring on the wrists, having to saw, file and sand, but it's much better than having to back and fill a hole, then sand it to match the contours.
I've got quite a bit more done, although nothing worth showing yet, as it's mainly been checking fit of the fuselage and nose section, and a bit more sanding around the inner surface of the fin, in order to provide a more accurate alignment for the nose section, when it's fitted, which I'll admit sounds a bit strange - sand the tail to allow the nose to fit !
However, as the starboard side of the tail area includes the fin and rudder, up to the 'bullet' fairing, and the port side has the upper section of the fin and rudder, together with the rudder trim tab (below the fairing) as a 'solid' part, it's essential to ensure that the parts fit as tightly as possible against the trim tab, and the rudder hinge line, otherwise a very slight gap in this area will translate as a very small 'step' at the front fuselage, where the nose cone joins, which would, of course, throw the nose cone out of 'true', and create an uneven gap at the joint as well.
Work is also underway preparing the resin parts for the cockpit and nose wheel well, which are the first stages of assembly, and there are lots of casting blocks to be removed, some of which are quite thick, and resin parts to clean-up, followed by lots more test-fitting.
The instructions are not that precise, in indicating where each part fits, and there are absolutely no locating pins, ledges, lips or marks to aid in locating and fitting the cockpit sub-assemblies, so it's vital to check all this before any actual attempts at fitting.
It's this area, and the locating and fitting of the resin engine front ends and tail pipes, which will take the most time, but once that's all done, the rest should be relatively straightforward, allowing, again, for the lack of locating pins on the fuselage, wings and engine nacelles.
Having checked-over the resin parts (which were still sealed in their original cellophane bag), I'd already noticed that some were missing from the smaller parts casting block, but, apart from the gyro gunsight, which had broken off from the mounting frame, there were no loose parts in the sealed bag when opened !
This is not a major problem, as some of the parts are not required for the conversion to NF.12, and some, such as very thin antenna posts, I intended to replace with stronger material anyway. But one of the missing resin parts is the control column which, looking at the parts diagram in the instructions, and checked against references, is the later-style 'pistol grip' type. There is a plastic part for the column, which is the earlier, circular 'Dunlop' grip type, similar to that found in the Spitfire, for example, so that will have to be used instead, possibly as provided, in order to save some time, at least. As the heavily-framed canopy will be fitted in the closed position, the difference will be hard to see anyway !
So, a fairly long post, with nothing much of interest but, now that I've finished messing about with my PC, and spending a couple of hours on the 'phone attempting to sort out my Internet connection problem (which should be rectified with the arrival of a new, state of the art 'magic box' on Tuesday - I hope !), I can now grab a couple of hours kip, and then get back to the model, with a view to making some positive constructional progress.
Tonight, I was supposed to be going to a 'leaving party' for a young chap who has to return to Greece for his spell in the Hellenic Armed Forces (the long arm of Conscription knows no boundaries !), but, having lost so much time today, chasing around sorting out the 'net connection problem, I won't bother, and I'll carry on with some more work on the 'Meatbox'.
As it's a long, hard job posting pics at the moment, due to the 'net connection problem, I'll only post some when there's enough of interest to show, some time over the weekend.
Thanks again for the interest in this project chaps, and toodle pip for now !
Lovely work so far Terry!
Totalize
Tech Sergeant
That is some thick styrene. Good start though Terry, too bad about the sink marks but with your skill I am sure this will be a non issue.
- Thread starter
- #25
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks Kirby.
Yep, I'm not too concerned about that sink mark, as it's in the area where I'll have to clag some 'Milliput' anyway, when I make the fin fillets.
Yep, I'm not too concerned about that sink mark, as it's in the area where I'll have to clag some 'Milliput' anyway, when I make the fin fillets.
Crimea_River
Marshal
Get some sleep Terry. That's Dave you're talking to.
- Thread starter
- #27
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Er ...... oops !
Had sleep, refreshed, and will start work again just as soon as all the tiresome domestic chores are out of the way.
Had sleep, refreshed, and will start work again just as soon as all the tiresome domestic chores are out of the way.
- Thread starter
- #28
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
A little bit to show, after a lot of work, preparing the resin parts for the rear, Nav/Radar cockpit, removing them from their casting blocks, starting construction, and a lot of test-fitting.
The rear cockpit has to be assembled first, as it is used to fit and align the front cockpit and, as there are no location points on the fuselage parts, it's important to get this bit right first time, to avoid messing-up the entire build.
PIC 1 Shows the resin parts for the rear cockpit, along with both the seats. Some nice detail which, sadly, will be mostly hidden, as the canopy will be fitted in the closed position, in order to prevent damage in transit, and whilst on display.
PIC 2. This shows a side view of the rear cockpit floor, with the large casting plug which needs to be removed. The plug measures 30 x 23 x 3 mm, and that hefty lump of resin took some time to remove, carefully, without damaging the floor itself.
PIC 3. Having started with a fine razor saw, then attacking the plug with an Xacto pad saw, the 'big guns' had to be brought to bear, in the form of a 'Junior' hacksaw, in order to cut though the thick resin !
It took almost 30 minutes of sawing with the rather aggressive (in modeling terms) hacksaw, before the floor and plug were separated !
It's probable that the floor is a common part shared with the 'Classic Airframes' kits for the Meteor trainer versions, as the elevator and aileron control run 'tubes' are noticeable, along with rudder pedals and a location point for a second control column, but this will hardly be noticed once the fuselage is closed-up, and especially with a closed canopy.
PIC 4. A razor saw and scalpel were used to remove the rear bulkhead from the casting plug, and trim-off the thin 'flash' on the upper 'shoulders'.
PIC 5. The cockpit walls were easily removed from the casting block with repeated scoring with the scalpel, and the starboard wall, and rear bulkhead, have been attached to the floor with CA adhesive, ensuring the parts were carefully aligned after test-fitting.
PICS 6 and 7. The port wall and the front bulkhead, complete with radar, radio and 'Gee' equipment, were then test-fitted, with the fit of parts being excellent, and the assembly was then trial fitted into one fuselage half, in order to check fit and mark the alignment points.
There is also a rear 'shelf' and upper bulkhead to fit to the rear of the cockpit fairing ( not shown here), which has to be done after fitting the main cockpit assemblies.
Next step is to paint the part-assembled rear cockpit and the port wall and radar bulkhead, pick out the detail as required, and then paint and fit the remaining parts, and the seat, with the latter having the harness added from either lead foil or thin paper, before repeating this exercise with the front cockpit.
So far, although some time has been spent in removing casting plugs and test-fitting, things have gone smoothly and, quite surprisingly, somewhat quicker than I anticipated. If things continue in the same vein, then the build should run to plan, and possibly be finished with time to spare - and I really hope I'm not tempting fate by declaring that !!
More soon.
The rear cockpit has to be assembled first, as it is used to fit and align the front cockpit and, as there are no location points on the fuselage parts, it's important to get this bit right first time, to avoid messing-up the entire build.
PIC 1 Shows the resin parts for the rear cockpit, along with both the seats. Some nice detail which, sadly, will be mostly hidden, as the canopy will be fitted in the closed position, in order to prevent damage in transit, and whilst on display.
PIC 2. This shows a side view of the rear cockpit floor, with the large casting plug which needs to be removed. The plug measures 30 x 23 x 3 mm, and that hefty lump of resin took some time to remove, carefully, without damaging the floor itself.
PIC 3. Having started with a fine razor saw, then attacking the plug with an Xacto pad saw, the 'big guns' had to be brought to bear, in the form of a 'Junior' hacksaw, in order to cut though the thick resin !
It took almost 30 minutes of sawing with the rather aggressive (in modeling terms) hacksaw, before the floor and plug were separated !
It's probable that the floor is a common part shared with the 'Classic Airframes' kits for the Meteor trainer versions, as the elevator and aileron control run 'tubes' are noticeable, along with rudder pedals and a location point for a second control column, but this will hardly be noticed once the fuselage is closed-up, and especially with a closed canopy.
PIC 4. A razor saw and scalpel were used to remove the rear bulkhead from the casting plug, and trim-off the thin 'flash' on the upper 'shoulders'.
PIC 5. The cockpit walls were easily removed from the casting block with repeated scoring with the scalpel, and the starboard wall, and rear bulkhead, have been attached to the floor with CA adhesive, ensuring the parts were carefully aligned after test-fitting.
PICS 6 and 7. The port wall and the front bulkhead, complete with radar, radio and 'Gee' equipment, were then test-fitted, with the fit of parts being excellent, and the assembly was then trial fitted into one fuselage half, in order to check fit and mark the alignment points.
There is also a rear 'shelf' and upper bulkhead to fit to the rear of the cockpit fairing ( not shown here), which has to be done after fitting the main cockpit assemblies.
Next step is to paint the part-assembled rear cockpit and the port wall and radar bulkhead, pick out the detail as required, and then paint and fit the remaining parts, and the seat, with the latter having the harness added from either lead foil or thin paper, before repeating this exercise with the front cockpit.
So far, although some time has been spent in removing casting plugs and test-fitting, things have gone smoothly and, quite surprisingly, somewhat quicker than I anticipated. If things continue in the same vein, then the build should run to plan, and possibly be finished with time to spare - and I really hope I'm not tempting fate by declaring that !!
More soon.
parsifal
Colonel
nice resin parts interior. Good work terry. I hope you make it
Crimea_River
Marshal
Made lots of dust there but worth it in the end.
JKim
Senior Master Sergeant
My what big saws you have!
- Thread starter
- #33
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks chaps.
Still working on the resin cockpit parts, and might have it all done by tonight, with luck and a following wind !
Still working on the resin cockpit parts, and might have it all done by tonight, with luck and a following wind !
turbo
Staff Sergeant
Now you've done it.
parsifal
Colonel
something mildly disturbing about that comment.....
- Thread starter
- #37
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks all, and you know Kirby, I think there is something seriously wrong here ..... it's actually going better than I expected, and I'm actually slightly ahead of the estimated build schedule !
Considering my recent performance, or at least the run of mishaps and bad luck, I really expected to have to fight with this one, especially as it's a 'limited run' kit, with all that entails, and the pre-build inspection and trial fitting suggested I might have a lot of work and fiddling to do when it came to fitting the cockpit.
OK, there was a bit of fiddling to do, of which more later, and there's still some way to go yet, with time for more than one c*ck-up along the way, but overall things have gone quite smoothly and, so far, there haven't been any paint problems, fit foul-ups or alignment alarms.
With mixed-media kits of this nature, extra work, and especially planning and multiple trial fitting, is to be expected (if 'instant model' is a desired goal, then buy a die-cast !), and the quality of production in this kit certainly helps in reducing the work load in those areas, at least. But if I had to single-out one area where the kit could be improved, it would be the instructions.
These are illustrated in the common format of 'exploded' drawings, with the numbered parts shown with arrows indicating where the parts locate, along with 'scrap view' side or plan elevations to aid alignment in some areas, which are useful.
However, as there is a total lack of locating points for the internal parts fitting, within both the fuselage and engine nacelles, some additional notes providing spacing measurements, or even alignment reference points for these, would be very welcome.
When fitting the cockpit assemblies, the rear 'tub' is relatively simple to align and fix in place, with a large area of contact between the tub side walls and the fuselage. The front cockpit assembly however, is far from straightforward, as the instructions drawings are relatively vague, and the areas of contact extremely limited.
As it was impossible to actually see where the sidewalls contacted the fuselage, if indeed they do make contact at all, and with the only visible contact being a very narrow, horizontal strip between the front and rear tubs, and along the bottom edges of the nose wheel bay walls, it was necessary to make numerous test fittings, checking the fore and aft and vertical alignment by eye, whilst at the same time trying to 'dry fit' the other fuselage half over the assemblies, without the aid of locating pins to hold the fuselage together.
This exercise was essential, as it was the only way to establish reference points for the alignment of the front cockpit tub, allowing for the raked angle of the instrument panel, the fit and alignment against the front bulkhead of the rear cockpit tub, the correct positioning of the nose wheel bay, and the alignment and clearance of the nose wheel mounting frame, which protrudes from the forward edge of the main fuselage section at this stage, making it very vulnerable to damage.
Bearing in mind the fairly delicate nature of some of the resin parts, especially the vulnerable nose wheel frame, and the fact that the sub-assemblies have to be fixed in place using CA adhesive (or the messier, but slower-setting 2 part epoxy), meaning very little time in which to glue, locate and align, it would have been extremely useful to have some hints or a guide as to where/how/when etc to fit these assemblies.
This may seem to be slightly 'nit-picking', and of course I do appreciate that these kits are designed and intended for the use of experienced modellers, and notice to this effect is actually included on the box and in the instructions, but these stages are fundamentally crucial to the remainder of the build, as the fit and alignment of the nose section, and some other parts, could very possibly be compromised due to even slight incorrect location and / or alignment of the cockpit sub-assemblies, and I suspect the same will be true of the internal components for the engines - a stage I have yet to reach.
This is not meant as a criticism, but rather as an 'observation', which might help others tackling this kit, or one of the other CA Meteor kits which utilize some common parts, and I can't help but compare the CA instructions to those of the Magna Models Stirling conversion kit I just finished, where guidance notes and measurements, along with locating diagrams, are clearly presented to aid correct fitting of he conversion parts.
Anyway, after that diversionary ramble, it's back to the build, and the (quicker than expected, despite the above) progress to date, with the cockpits assembled, painted, and fitted into the starboard fuselage half.
PICS 1 and 2. An 'Oops' moment when removing the resin seats from their casting block !
The small well in the base of the seat, designed to protect the seat-type parachute pack closing pocket and the 'ripcord' pins inside it, from damage, had its base destroyed on one seat, as the resin here was wafer thin, and peeled of as the seat came free from the block.
This was very easily repaired, by using CA adhesive to attach a thin scrap of resin 'flash' to the seat underside.
PIC 3. This is the rear bulkhead for the nose wheel bay, with the finely cast 'tubular' nose wheel mounting frame, in the process of being removed from its casting block. Around 18 mm of solid resin had to be sawn through, which took around 20 minutes with a razor saw, carefully checking that the cut was accurate and not infringing into the bulkhead itself. The two diagonal braces were early casualties, which I half expected due to having to hold the part by the frame whilst cutting.
Both of these snapped off, fortunately with clean breaks at each end, and were easily re-attached with CA once the part had been cleaned-up and fitted to the front of the cockpit floor. This was another part with very little contact area on which to apply the CA adhesive, and fairly vague instructions as to exactly where it should fit but, after trial fitting, when the center line was marked, in pencil, on the bulkhead and the cockpit floor, it was fitted in place and glued without any major hassle.
PIC 4. Assembling the front cockpit, with the nose wheel frame repaired. As with the rear cockpit assembly, this was assembled up to the stage shown, and then the parts were painted and detailed, the seat harness added from painted paper and the seat fitted, before modifying the plastic control column from the kit (the correct shape resin part was missing from the sealed bag), painting it, and fitting it in place.
PIC 5. After comparing the plastic instrument panel with the resin part, I decided there wasn't much advantage in using the latter, and in order to save time and effort, removing the resin part from the block, the plastic part was painted and some very basic detail picked out and the instrument faces glazed with Humbrol Gloss Clear.
PICS 6 to 8. The front cockpit was painted overall in the 1950's vogue colour scheme of 'Restful Black', using 'scale' black for the main structures, with individual consoles and fittings painted in 'true' black, and then given a coat of semi-gloss clear after picking out switches etc in various lighter shades. Some paint wear was applied, by stippling and dry-brushing, using a mix of very light grey with a touch of silver.
The kit (plastic) control column had the Spitfire-type circular grip, which was cut down and carved and shaped to more or less resemble the 'pistol grip' type fitted to the later Marks of Meteor, and the column thinned down to a more scale appearance, before painting and fitting in place. The seat was then glued onto the mounting frame, and the port wall fitted and glued with CA.
The instrument panel was fitted immediately before final fitting of the cockpit assembly into the fuselage, in order to avoid damage when test-fitting.
Attention then turned to completing the rear cockpit assembly, and fitting it into the starboard fuselage half, before commencing the long and sometimes fiddly task of trial fitting the front cockpit assembly, using the rear cockpit as an alignment reference, shown in the next post.
Considering my recent performance, or at least the run of mishaps and bad luck, I really expected to have to fight with this one, especially as it's a 'limited run' kit, with all that entails, and the pre-build inspection and trial fitting suggested I might have a lot of work and fiddling to do when it came to fitting the cockpit.
OK, there was a bit of fiddling to do, of which more later, and there's still some way to go yet, with time for more than one c*ck-up along the way, but overall things have gone quite smoothly and, so far, there haven't been any paint problems, fit foul-ups or alignment alarms.
With mixed-media kits of this nature, extra work, and especially planning and multiple trial fitting, is to be expected (if 'instant model' is a desired goal, then buy a die-cast !), and the quality of production in this kit certainly helps in reducing the work load in those areas, at least. But if I had to single-out one area where the kit could be improved, it would be the instructions.
These are illustrated in the common format of 'exploded' drawings, with the numbered parts shown with arrows indicating where the parts locate, along with 'scrap view' side or plan elevations to aid alignment in some areas, which are useful.
However, as there is a total lack of locating points for the internal parts fitting, within both the fuselage and engine nacelles, some additional notes providing spacing measurements, or even alignment reference points for these, would be very welcome.
When fitting the cockpit assemblies, the rear 'tub' is relatively simple to align and fix in place, with a large area of contact between the tub side walls and the fuselage. The front cockpit assembly however, is far from straightforward, as the instructions drawings are relatively vague, and the areas of contact extremely limited.
As it was impossible to actually see where the sidewalls contacted the fuselage, if indeed they do make contact at all, and with the only visible contact being a very narrow, horizontal strip between the front and rear tubs, and along the bottom edges of the nose wheel bay walls, it was necessary to make numerous test fittings, checking the fore and aft and vertical alignment by eye, whilst at the same time trying to 'dry fit' the other fuselage half over the assemblies, without the aid of locating pins to hold the fuselage together.
This exercise was essential, as it was the only way to establish reference points for the alignment of the front cockpit tub, allowing for the raked angle of the instrument panel, the fit and alignment against the front bulkhead of the rear cockpit tub, the correct positioning of the nose wheel bay, and the alignment and clearance of the nose wheel mounting frame, which protrudes from the forward edge of the main fuselage section at this stage, making it very vulnerable to damage.
Bearing in mind the fairly delicate nature of some of the resin parts, especially the vulnerable nose wheel frame, and the fact that the sub-assemblies have to be fixed in place using CA adhesive (or the messier, but slower-setting 2 part epoxy), meaning very little time in which to glue, locate and align, it would have been extremely useful to have some hints or a guide as to where/how/when etc to fit these assemblies.
This may seem to be slightly 'nit-picking', and of course I do appreciate that these kits are designed and intended for the use of experienced modellers, and notice to this effect is actually included on the box and in the instructions, but these stages are fundamentally crucial to the remainder of the build, as the fit and alignment of the nose section, and some other parts, could very possibly be compromised due to even slight incorrect location and / or alignment of the cockpit sub-assemblies, and I suspect the same will be true of the internal components for the engines - a stage I have yet to reach.
This is not meant as a criticism, but rather as an 'observation', which might help others tackling this kit, or one of the other CA Meteor kits which utilize some common parts, and I can't help but compare the CA instructions to those of the Magna Models Stirling conversion kit I just finished, where guidance notes and measurements, along with locating diagrams, are clearly presented to aid correct fitting of he conversion parts.
Anyway, after that diversionary ramble, it's back to the build, and the (quicker than expected, despite the above) progress to date, with the cockpits assembled, painted, and fitted into the starboard fuselage half.
PICS 1 and 2. An 'Oops' moment when removing the resin seats from their casting block !
The small well in the base of the seat, designed to protect the seat-type parachute pack closing pocket and the 'ripcord' pins inside it, from damage, had its base destroyed on one seat, as the resin here was wafer thin, and peeled of as the seat came free from the block.
This was very easily repaired, by using CA adhesive to attach a thin scrap of resin 'flash' to the seat underside.
PIC 3. This is the rear bulkhead for the nose wheel bay, with the finely cast 'tubular' nose wheel mounting frame, in the process of being removed from its casting block. Around 18 mm of solid resin had to be sawn through, which took around 20 minutes with a razor saw, carefully checking that the cut was accurate and not infringing into the bulkhead itself. The two diagonal braces were early casualties, which I half expected due to having to hold the part by the frame whilst cutting.
Both of these snapped off, fortunately with clean breaks at each end, and were easily re-attached with CA once the part had been cleaned-up and fitted to the front of the cockpit floor. This was another part with very little contact area on which to apply the CA adhesive, and fairly vague instructions as to exactly where it should fit but, after trial fitting, when the center line was marked, in pencil, on the bulkhead and the cockpit floor, it was fitted in place and glued without any major hassle.
PIC 4. Assembling the front cockpit, with the nose wheel frame repaired. As with the rear cockpit assembly, this was assembled up to the stage shown, and then the parts were painted and detailed, the seat harness added from painted paper and the seat fitted, before modifying the plastic control column from the kit (the correct shape resin part was missing from the sealed bag), painting it, and fitting it in place.
PIC 5. After comparing the plastic instrument panel with the resin part, I decided there wasn't much advantage in using the latter, and in order to save time and effort, removing the resin part from the block, the plastic part was painted and some very basic detail picked out and the instrument faces glazed with Humbrol Gloss Clear.
PICS 6 to 8. The front cockpit was painted overall in the 1950's vogue colour scheme of 'Restful Black', using 'scale' black for the main structures, with individual consoles and fittings painted in 'true' black, and then given a coat of semi-gloss clear after picking out switches etc in various lighter shades. Some paint wear was applied, by stippling and dry-brushing, using a mix of very light grey with a touch of silver.
The kit (plastic) control column had the Spitfire-type circular grip, which was cut down and carved and shaped to more or less resemble the 'pistol grip' type fitted to the later Marks of Meteor, and the column thinned down to a more scale appearance, before painting and fitting in place. The seat was then glued onto the mounting frame, and the port wall fitted and glued with CA.
The instrument panel was fitted immediately before final fitting of the cockpit assembly into the fuselage, in order to avoid damage when test-fitting.
Attention then turned to completing the rear cockpit assembly, and fitting it into the starboard fuselage half, before commencing the long and sometimes fiddly task of trial fitting the front cockpit assembly, using the rear cockpit as an alignment reference, shown in the next post.
- Thread starter
- #38
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Painting and final assembly of the Navigator /Radar Op's cockpit followed the same sequence as the front cockpit, with the addition of some small areas of colour to the radar display, 'Gee' receiver and radio/nav aid equipment, and the oxygen bottles etc.
Again, switch panels and consoles were painted 'true' black and given a coat of semi-gloss clear, with all painting done by brush. The upper sections of the fuselage cockpit area was also painted 'scale' black.
Once both cockpit assemblies had fully set and dried, the rear assembly was fitted and glued into the starboard fuselage half, using CA adhesive along the side wall and the edge of the rear bulkhead, aligning the assembly with the curve of the fuselage at the 'step' up to the rear 'shelf', the resin part for which was fitted later.
Test fitting, or maybe that should be test fiddling, then started with the front cockpit assembly, and after numerous attempts at alignment, it was eventually decided that some slight modifications were needed, in order for the cockpit to fit in place and align with the rear cockpit tub, whilst being correctly located fore and aft and vertically.
To this end, the inner edges of the wheel well aperture on the fuselage halves were filled down, as was the area immediately aft of the aperture, and the resin wheel well 'box' had the edges chamfered.
There was still some very slight interference in the area where the curve of the instrument panel touched the inside of the fuselage, just below the front face where the windscreen base would meet the fuselage, which was preventing the front section of the fuselage halves from joining fully, and was also tending to push the instrument panel out of line, from its raked position, to almost horizontal, so this was very lightly filed on the inside, using a 'rat's tale' jeweler's file. The instrument panel, which had become detached a couple of times during these 'exercises', was finally fixed in place, after trimming the very thin resin cockpit side walls slightly, allowing a much better fit - this minor problem could very well be due to using the plastic panel, instead of the resin part.
A final test-fit showed that the assembly would now fit, and the fuselage halves would close properly and cleanly, and all that was required now was to ascertain where exactly to apply the CA adhesive and how, as well as exactly how to actually hold the fuselage and the cockpit assembly, persuade it, or more correctly, cajole it into position, apply the glue without at least one hand becoming a permanent part of a Meteor model, whilst at the same time ensuring the assembly remained in the correct position whilst the glue was applied, and stayed there until set enough to let go.
Being an average human being, I only have two hands, one of which only works at about 25% normal, and the other at about 80%, with both being stiff and, by this time, aching and inflamed around the wrists, and an extra two or three hands would have been extremely useful !
However, and heaven knows how, I managed to accomplish this task with only a few curses and obscenities (OK, a lot !), and got enough CA in place around one edge of the wheel well walls, using a piece of stretched sprue as an applicator, held in my teeth (!), to hold the assembly enough for me to be able to re-position my now very stiff and sore hands, and add more CA around and under the bay walls, and then at the rear 'cross member' of the rear bulkhead.
All this, from initial test-fitting to final alignment and fixing in place, took around two hours, but at last, the cockpits were in place !
An initial 'dry fit' of the modified nose cone section, suggests that a little sanding may be required around the edges of the wheel bay bulkhead, and also, perhaps, on the underside of the extreme front section of the wheel bay walls, in order to prevent a slight 'step' at the joint of the nose cone and main fuselage. But this can be checked and carried out, if required, once the fuselage halves have been joined and allowed to fully set.
And that stage can wait for a little while, as I now need a rest to let my hands and wrists to recover, and I think perhaps a small dose of medication might help in that respect - I have a bottle of 12 year old 'Scottish White Wine' somewhere not far from where I'm sitting, and I think it's getting lonely !
PICS 1 to 3. Show the Navigator /Radar Op's cockpit painted and assembled, with the radar display dominating the forward bulkhead, an below and to the left, the 'Gee' indicator, with the NavCom unit in the center. Not visible here, below the main equipment, are the R/F units and remote controllers and the transformers and electrical services cabinet.
The grey 'cylinders' on the port wall are the oxygen bottles, with the smaller, black cylinder the oxygen regulator bottle.
PICS 4 to 7. The two cockpit assemblies in place and glued with CA adhesive. The small upper rear bulkhead and 'shelf' will be painted once the fuselage halves have been joined. There is also a resin frame and gun sight support to fit into the 'V' opening at the front of the cockpit, with the gyro gun sight being a separate resin part, which will need a reflector screen to be made from clear sheet and fitted in place. This will be done later, in order to prevent damage or loss during the remainder of the build. According to a large 'cutaway' drawing I have for the NF.12/NF.14, the gun sight was retractable, but I haven't yet discovered how this worked, or why.
Thanks to all for your interest so far, and apologies for these two rather lengthy posts - with luck, given that things proceed as smoothly as they have so far, the next posts should be less complex !
Back soon with another underwhelming installment of "Honey, I've glued my hands to the table" !!
Again, switch panels and consoles were painted 'true' black and given a coat of semi-gloss clear, with all painting done by brush. The upper sections of the fuselage cockpit area was also painted 'scale' black.
Once both cockpit assemblies had fully set and dried, the rear assembly was fitted and glued into the starboard fuselage half, using CA adhesive along the side wall and the edge of the rear bulkhead, aligning the assembly with the curve of the fuselage at the 'step' up to the rear 'shelf', the resin part for which was fitted later.
Test fitting, or maybe that should be test fiddling, then started with the front cockpit assembly, and after numerous attempts at alignment, it was eventually decided that some slight modifications were needed, in order for the cockpit to fit in place and align with the rear cockpit tub, whilst being correctly located fore and aft and vertically.
To this end, the inner edges of the wheel well aperture on the fuselage halves were filled down, as was the area immediately aft of the aperture, and the resin wheel well 'box' had the edges chamfered.
There was still some very slight interference in the area where the curve of the instrument panel touched the inside of the fuselage, just below the front face where the windscreen base would meet the fuselage, which was preventing the front section of the fuselage halves from joining fully, and was also tending to push the instrument panel out of line, from its raked position, to almost horizontal, so this was very lightly filed on the inside, using a 'rat's tale' jeweler's file. The instrument panel, which had become detached a couple of times during these 'exercises', was finally fixed in place, after trimming the very thin resin cockpit side walls slightly, allowing a much better fit - this minor problem could very well be due to using the plastic panel, instead of the resin part.
A final test-fit showed that the assembly would now fit, and the fuselage halves would close properly and cleanly, and all that was required now was to ascertain where exactly to apply the CA adhesive and how, as well as exactly how to actually hold the fuselage and the cockpit assembly, persuade it, or more correctly, cajole it into position, apply the glue without at least one hand becoming a permanent part of a Meteor model, whilst at the same time ensuring the assembly remained in the correct position whilst the glue was applied, and stayed there until set enough to let go.
Being an average human being, I only have two hands, one of which only works at about 25% normal, and the other at about 80%, with both being stiff and, by this time, aching and inflamed around the wrists, and an extra two or three hands would have been extremely useful !
However, and heaven knows how, I managed to accomplish this task with only a few curses and obscenities (OK, a lot !), and got enough CA in place around one edge of the wheel well walls, using a piece of stretched sprue as an applicator, held in my teeth (!), to hold the assembly enough for me to be able to re-position my now very stiff and sore hands, and add more CA around and under the bay walls, and then at the rear 'cross member' of the rear bulkhead.
All this, from initial test-fitting to final alignment and fixing in place, took around two hours, but at last, the cockpits were in place !
An initial 'dry fit' of the modified nose cone section, suggests that a little sanding may be required around the edges of the wheel bay bulkhead, and also, perhaps, on the underside of the extreme front section of the wheel bay walls, in order to prevent a slight 'step' at the joint of the nose cone and main fuselage. But this can be checked and carried out, if required, once the fuselage halves have been joined and allowed to fully set.
And that stage can wait for a little while, as I now need a rest to let my hands and wrists to recover, and I think perhaps a small dose of medication might help in that respect - I have a bottle of 12 year old 'Scottish White Wine' somewhere not far from where I'm sitting, and I think it's getting lonely !
PICS 1 to 3. Show the Navigator /Radar Op's cockpit painted and assembled, with the radar display dominating the forward bulkhead, an below and to the left, the 'Gee' indicator, with the NavCom unit in the center. Not visible here, below the main equipment, are the R/F units and remote controllers and the transformers and electrical services cabinet.
The grey 'cylinders' on the port wall are the oxygen bottles, with the smaller, black cylinder the oxygen regulator bottle.
PICS 4 to 7. The two cockpit assemblies in place and glued with CA adhesive. The small upper rear bulkhead and 'shelf' will be painted once the fuselage halves have been joined. There is also a resin frame and gun sight support to fit into the 'V' opening at the front of the cockpit, with the gyro gun sight being a separate resin part, which will need a reflector screen to be made from clear sheet and fitted in place. This will be done later, in order to prevent damage or loss during the remainder of the build. According to a large 'cutaway' drawing I have for the NF.12/NF.14, the gun sight was retractable, but I haven't yet discovered how this worked, or why.
Thanks to all for your interest so far, and apologies for these two rather lengthy posts - with luck, given that things proceed as smoothly as they have so far, the next posts should be less complex !
Back soon with another underwhelming installment of "Honey, I've glued my hands to the table" !!
Last edited:
parsifal
Colonel
nicely done terry
