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1/43rd scale DH Hornet Moth scratchbuild.


GuildAero

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Hi all,

Here's my scratchbuild of a DH Hornet Moth in the silly scale of 1/43rd, 7mm -1ft, British O gauge, etc.  Why?  because I like to put stuff in a scenic set-piece and have made so many master patterns for 1/43rd scale collectors' model kits that I want to display 'plane with car where possible.  I also have 1/43rd scale small buildings which can double as small airfield offices, caffs, etc.

 

Having sought, found and had my son print to size suitable drawings, I started by pricking through onto 60 thou styrene sheet to get the side profile and base shape of the "box" which is most DH fuselages.  With the Hornet Moth the cabin has a very weird shape, mainly thanks to the tops of the doors. Angles in plan and in section tend to fight each other until you have it in your head.  Good luck with that!

 

I could just jump in the car and toodle off to Felthorpe, my old flying club and inspect the one they have in the back of the hangar, but in this heat it's too damned hot and too much petrol, so I'll go along with a few pictures I took last time I was there.

 

The longerons are there to support the skins of 10 thou. styrene that I will make the surfaces from.  The frame showing through the surface is done with a ballpoint pen drawn along the back of the styrene with varying pressure to represent the varying tightness of the fabric covering over the varying framework scantlings.

The cowl side panels and the doors are made in 16thou. K&S Metal Centre because it is the nicest aluminium I know and I have a veritable library of the stuff, from crispy hard litho plate to soft as muck malleable on a roll.  K&S allows you to hand beat some tight shapes and compound curves, so I carved a Ureol hammer form of the lower nose tray (not all DHs have them) over which I hammered the shape in K&S ally.  Filed to trim and glued beneath the nose support structure which was made of various bits of styrene to simply back up and support essential items, like the Ureol nose piece, which will be foiled in Sellotape aluminium tape as it's just a little too much to hammer sheet over.

 

Here, despite PB acting up are a couple of shots so far.

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Cheers,

Martin

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One more pic for today. Carved the prop from Steamed pear, my favourite wood and did some shape changes with Milliput, my equally favourite filler.  There is a rise up at the back of the fuselage, which is very similar to the Dragon Rapide I know so well, but it was not obvious on the plans, so I added that prior to a file up to shape. I never use sanding methods except for final finish. I'm a file man. I have a cute mini Spot-On roll cab full of them. My No 2 son bought me the cab. off the actual Snap-On man one Christmas.  It contains files, chisels, punches, drills , broaches and  grinders and the bottom drawer has everything else that doesn't fit the other drawers.

 

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The boss of the prop needs to be filed into a conical section, I notice from pictures and a small ally spinner turned to fit in with the conical theme.

 

Milliput also provides U/C leg fairings.

Annoyingly those legs have to fit into their mounting holes at this inconvenient stage as the side panels fit OVER them.

 

 

Cheers,

Martin

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Here's the other side skin added and the ally spinner turned and fitted to the finished prop (apart from sanding sealer/varnish).

The seat has been made and engraved with pleats and the luggage shelf added behind the seat back with ribs on it to avoid damage.

IP is also added.  Painting the interior won't be easy!, but then it shouldn't be exactly easy should it?

 

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What certainly ISN'T easy is getting a decent close up, even in good light, from my POS camera!  Sorry, but that's all it'll do.  But then I only paid 7 quid for it!  'Phones these days take better pics, but I don't possess such a contraption and seem completely unaffected by the lack of one. Someone tell my grandchildren.

 

Martin

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Thanks, Shawn.

Here's a rather better pic of the Hornet Moth, now with roof panel (with skylights), u/c legs made from nickel silver, odd his'n'hers control column, prop in Steamed Pear with ally spinner, front side panel and door on the st'b'd side and the fin/rudder combo.  Rudder ribs represented by 5 thou. Microrod, which I can no longer seem to get.  Any ideas?

 

002_zps8zuegvsr.jpg

 

Cheers,

Martin

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Here's today's work.  Grandson's birthday, so not so much done.

 

U/C mounted and soldered up, wheels and tyres made.  Why ally?  Why brass?  It's what I had at the time.  I waste very little!  Oh and rudder sanded down and fitted with dummy hinges.

 

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Cheers,

Martin

Edited by GuildAero
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Marus, Jim, many thanks for your kind words and interest.

 

It is a pretty bird, especially in that lovely green livery.

 

BTW, I hadn't noticed that I had two identical pics., so I changed the lower for what it should have been!

 

Cheers,

Martin

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