Jump to content

'Gaboon Viper' of VAL-4 - Bin Thuy - 1971-1972


karimb

Recommended Posts

Congrats on #2000 Karim!

 

I've just pulled up a chair and grabbed some popcorn.

 

This is a kit that sits in my stash, waiting for some brass gear legs. I'll be curious to see your solution. Whichever it is, I'm sure it'll be brilliant.

 

Brother Ernie!

It's an honor to have you along for the build,

I don't know what solution i am going to find for the main gear legs, as Brian further down mentioned they have a tendency to splay out... More headache and more creative thinking to find a solution, but nothing is beyond redemption.

Can't believe how i didn't catch your PBJ build from the start, and just can't wait for the first instalment of 'plastic' work on the kit... !

Thanks again for checking in my friend!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excellent progress. Think this is the first 1/32 version I'll see of one of the grey Black Ponies.

It is a shame the kit has oddball omissions and "huh?" type areas. Don't forget the missing rear boarding step and fifth fuel tank filler point.

 

I take it you're planning to have the rear cargo door opened since you're putting in all that detail?

 

 

Don't bother spending time on that antenna, just lop it off completely - it wasn't on VAL-4 aircraft (the FM towel rack was on the USAF FACs). Check out the "antenna configuration" section in the decal instructions, this shows all the applicable antennas that were carried for VAL-4 aircraft.

 

The man himself has checked in!

Ziggy it's a pleasure to have you along. I have worked out the handholds and boarding step in the natops manual, and went through the AOA specifics with a fine toothed comb. I have modified what needs modification up to now and am still thinking about when to install the boarding step wether now or as a finishing step. I will be building it out of brass and styrene for the fairing etc. Strangely enough the kit has the moulded in opening where the step is pushed into and there is a cutout for the 'panel' that blends everything in ( you can see a good rendition of it in post#1 in the detailandscale photo i got from the internet).

Yes i am planning to have the cargo door open, until now, but i haven't yet completely decided on a yes or no, it's going to be an organic build so who know i might end up tearing the interior apart and closing off the cargo door. We'll see.

Thanks for stopping by!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good work so far Karim!   After building two of these, I found that indeed the "huh?" list was decently long. That being said, I found the kit still enjoyable, but I loved the subject a lot. 

Having build the A model for Glen as a demonstrator, I had to give it up, so Ive got my A model "Cherry 6" ready to go at some point in the future. Hopefully by then a solution will be out for the MLG.

 

Which by the way, Im sure you can come up with a fix for, knowing your skills! I was thinking about using some brass parts to sub in for the offending cantilever sections of the MLG that tend to bend and splay outward if installed OOB.

 

Looking forward to more progress! 

 

Brian my friend!

Thanks for stopping by!

The list is long indeed... just tedious stuff nothing really that makes this kit unbuildable as you mentioned. I like the bronco alot although it is not my favorite (i love the OV-1 Mohawk much much more but oh well!) and this is somehow keeping me going with the build. A twin boomed turboprop, who wouldn't like that combination!

I haven't thought something out yet for the main gear, i will have to have the whole thing built up to test the actual 'working' of the gear when the kit has its correct weight in. Brass rod reinforcement or brass substitution parts will most probably be what is required. Any chance you have a visual description or a photo of where the problem stems so maybe i can start working on that in advance?

Thanks for being part of this it's a real joy to have all of you along!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sweet! I've always loved the Bronco. Watching this, and thinking about buying the kit now.

 

Sabre!

Thanks for being along!

Be ready for some work correcting the kit if you decide to buy one!

Brian would be able to very much help you if you go through his work in progress threads for both the A and the D models which he has built here on LSP!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well gang, sorry for a late update.

Been working away on this kit on and off daily while trying to balance my medical following for the massive sinus infection that's kept me grounded for the past ten days. I have finally got my clearance and will be resuming flight duties tomorrow night with a flight to Brussels which is super!

First let me say i am thankful to everyone that has left a word on this thread as it somehow helps keeping this build going!

As Peter pointed out, to me it is really going for the best of engineering (wnw) to something much less in that category, but hey we are modelers so we adapt and modify our techniques and applications to adapt to the task at hand.

Just as a disclaimer, i am trying to build this kit as accurately as possible, but some areas are, and will be inaccurate or have 'creative' inaccuracies. I can live with that as long as it makes the kit look more interesting in some of the many lacking areas... well that out of the way let's move on!

In no particular order:

I have nursed my compressor to be able to give me short stints of ten minutes of work, so i started painting some of the bits too.

I have painted the rear section in a homebrew interior yellow green, i know it probably doesn't look very accurate but it is a mix i came up with using the phone app color mixer i usually use for my homebrews. I thought for a while about how to replicate the side padding in the cargo area, from tissue soaked in white glue to using folded over foil paper. Nothing really fit the bill as they would all have a tendency to overly show the ribbing below. I decided to go with the thicker lead foil i have from Verlinden for my armor builds. I think the material better represents the thickness of the covering and has much less a tendency to sink between the ribs. I still need to paint some marking on the covering but from the photos i have there doesn't seem to be a standard of marking, some have white squares markings, some have lighter demarcation lines painted on. I will try to come up with some sort of marking except if someone can be kind enough to post some photos here. I overpainted the coverings with a green that had a nice hue. The bottom cargo area was painted with the same interior yellow then covered with worn effects then green and chipped as i reckon the moving in and out of stuff would really scuff the paint away. This area hasn't been weathered yet and i plan to add pigments and oils. I also am still not sure wether i will keep the cargo area open or not, it depends on how the weathering ties everything in. I am also looking for information on what color the cargo net assembly would be, i am thinking something along the lines of a black lining and an orange frame? i really don't know, so gang please do chip in!

The majority of the work done on the kit these few days has been finishing the cockpit tub and rescribing filling rescribing the fuselage halves.

As Ziggy mentioned, the kit comes with a missing fifth filler port in the middle of the top wing. I have made a template from the other 4 and rescribed and riveted the fifth one to keep a certain continuity with the kit molded on details. The antenna at the bottom that goes from port to starboard has been since removed,filled and the panel lines rescribed and reriveted. The cockpit tub has been modified to take the Eduard etch parts, color and brass. I used xf82 for the interior paint as i don't have some of the required colors for the interior gray mix. It might look a bit dark but will be lightened up with oils during the weathering stages. I had to modify the back control column to fit the new position with the Eduard photoetch bottom plate. The bottom plate includes the message drop door (which is super cool!). I initially installed the trapdoor in the wrong direction, and then using debonder i resintalled it in the correct direction. I used the Eduard colored pe ip faces, of which you can't see the details until a flatcoat is laid on them. I have used this technique previously on the Eduard colored panels and that's the point at which you really notice how nice and detailed those panels are. I have also started working on the wiring bundles using a homemade jig which makes the task much less fiddly. The side panels have a different shade of gray which tends towards looking blue, so i just simply masked the black part of the panels and airbrushed the gray i used for the cockpit over the rest of the parts. After the modifications, the kit tub still fits well into the fuselage halves. I added Peter's wonderful Airscale decals to add some placards in the cockpit in random positions to make things look more interesting as there will be alot of realestate in view with the glassware. 

Also some little things done and added here and there. One thing i need you guys to help me out with is the linkage of the oxygen hose for the front part of the cockpit. What i can see is the observer section of the cockpit has a connection hose running from the oxygen selector box on the right side up the right side of the ejection seat, but i can't find anything for the front seat. I figure the same applies but i can't see where the oxygen hose connects from the seat to the cockpit side or sidewall.

Weapon sponsons have also been added, filled in and the panels rescribed on the sides. One will be open with the MGs on show and the other has been closed off.

Next project in line will be to modify the seats and cut out the seatbelts from lead sheet while still using the Eduard buckle parts. I never liked pre painted etch harnesses, or etch harnesses altogether, and as alot of you know i always use the fabric ones from HGW or whoever produces a set for the kit i am building. I think lead sheeting would replicate the folds well on the harnesses...

 

Well, here goes with the photos!

The update rate of the build will probably slow down starting tomorrow between getting back on the line, and with the wait for the new compressor as it's been shipped already.

 

 

IMG_0532-XL.jpg

 

IMG_0536-XL.jpg

 

IMG_0541-XL.jpg

 

IMG_0547-XL.jpg

 

IMG_0577-XL.jpg

 

IMG_0559-XL.jpg

 

IMG_0566-XL.jpg

 

IMG_0568-XL.jpg

 

3B7D6EB0-8876-4FC9-BBB1-E6B30C8A5933-XL.

 

IMG_0644-XL.jpg

 

IMG_0611-XL.jpg

 

IMG_0581-XL.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My only concern is that there's nothing to be concerned about - absolutely stunning build so far!!!

Can't wait until you start working on the ejection seats.

 

The OV-10 is one of my all time favourite aircraft - I still remember when they were flying

out of Sembach airbase (Germany) in pairs buzzing low level over our RC-model airfield,

the crews quite often waving at us. What a sound and sight !!

 

Lothar

Edited by Lothar
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, Karim.  Sorry I'm just catching up to this.  You know, one of the great things about this site is that it keeps you humble about your own skills, with real masters like you posting.  On the other hand, there's a lot of inspiration to continue to improve, and the techniques are truly impressive. I love that little jig you built for creating your wiring loom. I'm not a huge Bronco fan, but I will be watching this build with excitement. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...