TorbenD Posted March 11, 2018 Author Share Posted March 11, 2018 (edited) OK, I get it!! Had a hard time visualizing what was off, I see now. That's a lot of work, but it wouldn't look right if you left it alone. Great progress!!! Don Thanks Don, it took me quite a while (and Hubert) to get it too - much happier now so worth the effort. As I make so few, I want to get this right. Great work, Torben! Kev Thx Kev, always appreciated. Great show! Juraj Thx Juraj Wow Torben! It is fantastic to see how much you care to achieve the correct shapes for this model. It is interesting to see a way many of us seem to take when making a model. At first, we tend to trust what is offered us as essentially accurate, then when work and knowledge of the subject progresses, we find more and more problems with the kit. Some problems, like the exhausts in your kit, might only become obvious when it is all assembled and you can compare to the real subject! After all that, we can decide what we will do...live with it, or take things apart and start over like you have. I'm glad you did and the results speak for themselves! Still wonder if starting with a square block would take less time in the end! Keep up the great work! Alain Thx Alain - great comments and how true! I'm working my way up to a full scratch build at some point. To be fair I'd still be staring at a square block instead of what now looks like an S5 if I'd not had the Aerotech to base everything on. I love all the research but sometimes it is a curse as it stops things being far more straightforward as I find it difficult to un-see and ignore the extra detail or incorrect shapes. Edited March 11, 2018 by TorbenD Alain Gadbois and dmthamade 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TorbenD Posted March 11, 2018 Author Share Posted March 11, 2018 Ok, I take the blame ... Can I the also take the praise for achieving a much better-looking front fuselage ? No, I think all the praise should be for you, Torben ! Hubert Ha! Hubert thank you! You can take blame and prise in equal measure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TorbenD Posted March 12, 2018 Author Share Posted March 12, 2018 (edited) Torben, You're just about scratch building this kit. Great progress! Gaz thanks Gaz - talking about scratch building I'll have to show you my new legs tomorrow as a bit late tonight! Cheers, Torben Edited March 12, 2018 by TorbenD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TorbenD Posted March 12, 2018 Author Share Posted March 12, 2018 One area where the kit is genuinely a bit on the chunky side is with the float legs. Looking at every photo reference the legs are much more slender. Although cast in pewter(?) for strength I'm guessing if the kit'd legs were to scale thickness they would be prone to warping. Indeed when my first trial to thin them started with an attempt to sand the metal back I broke one of the them near the top. So, first job was to cut some lengths of some thick gauge brass wire. The gauge was approx 2/3rds the width required, the length, the correct scale length plus extra to allow a very secure anchor point at both ends. I also drilled out the holes in location points of the floats so they were nice and deep and had a bit of wiggle/adjustment room. Taking some strips of 20thou I carefully bent these in half lengthwise around the edge of a steel ruler using a little heat from a candle. The outside of the fold forms the leading edge of the aerofoil shaped legs. I inserted the wire inside the fold which bows the sides out and then pinched the rear ends, clamping and sticking the inside edges together with CA. The thickness of the plastic card is key as it needs to be thin enough to flex nicely to create a nice aerofoil profile but thick enough not to kink when tensioned around the wire. This left me with legs of a similar depth and thickness to the originals. Once the CA was fully set I filled the remaining cavity in front and behind the wire with gap filling CA which was then left to set. This CA was there not only to add extra strength and rigidity but also allowed me to sand back the legs beyond the thickness of the plastic card and retain a sharp rear edge. Talking of which out with the sanding sticks. The depth was reduced down from about 8mm to 6mm and much thinned at the sides to nearer the thickness of the wire. As you can see the CA pretty much takes up the rear section of the leg which has a fine fairly sharp edge that is far more sable than the same thickness of plastic card. N.B these images are not the final, profile which was further refined and straightened after the photos were taken Repeat four times… Add two sessions of primer with sanding in between and I ended up with something I was much, much happier with. More in a mo' Hubert Boillot, Seversky, Trak-Tor and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leaning_Dog Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Brilliant! Cheers! John. TorbenD and KiwiZac 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TorbenD Posted March 12, 2018 Author Share Posted March 12, 2018 Next stage was to set up a jig so everything could be aligned properly. This was aided by using the ready made trolley frame that comes with the kit which lines up the floats in the correct position. Talking of which Aerotech have accurately caught the offset nature of the floats very nicely (the starboard set 8†further out to counter the torque of the propeller) and so using the original legs as guide the rest of the jig was formed from foam board and mount board using the original legs as a guide. Once set I offered up the new legs Then, although not glued yet I couldn't resist a look see without the jig - Whilst in this unglued set up the rear port leg is slightly twisted I have to say this is looking pretty promising! Phew!!!! Certainly much, much better scale thickness and strong too. Like I said I still need to fix everything accurately and then sculpt some fairings but at least I feel I've cracked the last of the major structural fixes. Thanks for looking, Torben Hubert Boillot, LSP_Kevin, Alain Gadbois and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TorbenD Posted March 12, 2018 Author Share Posted March 12, 2018 Brilliant! Cheers! John. Thx John, much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 That's brilliant! Kev TorbenD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzas Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Torben, I have to say the new legs look much better than the kit legs. Thank you for the lesson. Gaz TorbenD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgem37 Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Much better. Good luck with the skirts. Sincerely, Mark TorbenD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiZac Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 As much as I hate problem-solving, watching you do it is a real joy, Torben! Congrats on the new legs! TorbenD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLWP Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Amazing what you can do with a bit of card and glue, isn't it Here's a similar challenge from one of my (currently stalled) projects It makes me really happy to see this project progressing Richard KiwiZac and TorbenD 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monthebiff Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 Excellent work Torben, nice to see some more progress.......going to be a stunner!! Regards. Andy TorbenD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alain Gadbois Posted March 15, 2018 Share Posted March 15, 2018 No comparison between the old and new! Fantastic work! Alain Shawn M and TorbenD 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiZac Posted March 15, 2018 Share Posted March 15, 2018 Is that a Tabloid/Schneider? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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