airscale

now that is a double take - it is a testament to the super high quality of your work that those pics actually look like a P47 in maintenance, not a model... superb job Jay, really top notch Peter

you make old crap look amazing... any chance of popping round and helping out Mrs airscale? great job Peter

well hello folks can't believe a month has passed since I last posted an update... I have not been idle though - I have done a lot of 3D modelling for the tailwheel, main wheels (for which I am getting help!) and the spinner (of which more later..), in between I have also released an airscale instrument panel set for the Hobbyboss 1/32 B24 Liberator and also worked with Airfix to master this airscale cockpit set for the new and mind blowing Airfix 1/24 F6F Hellcat - the decals for all the instruments & placards are in production, but the PE is done.. ..as for the P51, when I had the Hellcat PE test shot done, I also added a load of extra P51 stuff to the fret so I make the most of one-shot production, Part of that was the stainless steel side panels that surround the exhaust ports, and I also made a fold up box structure that is the structure that surrrounds and supports the exhausts themselves.. ..Also seen here are the 3D printed exhausts from Model Monkey - huge shout out for these as they are exceptional quality and amazingly are hollow so are ultra realistic.. ..these were folded and the details added before the boxes were added to the outer panels - the exhausts are not yet fitted so they can be painted & added at the end.. ..and so onto the spinner - this is one of those things that has sat in the back of my mind as a niggle since I started this build - it is unfortunately unpainted on the real aircraft so had to be made in metal - a bit like skinning a tennis ball in sheet aluminium - very tricky.. ..I actually bought the HpH 1/18 Merlin engine model hoping to cheat and get a good basis for the prop & spinner from that, but it is very crude - the spinner is a solid with four peg holes in it to take the blades - there is no reference to the cutouts on the real thing, so that was a 70 euro write off (though I think I can use the blades so may not be dead money...) I restarted my Rhino 3D programme trial and got to work modelling the Spinner... ..when I went to get it printed at Shapeways, I noticed you could choose polished Aluminium so I thought well that would be brilliant as it would save lots of messing around with skinning as I could just polish the part - so at great expense (150 euros) I ordered it with the hub done in plastic.. ..two disappointments... one - it's not polished at all, it is more like a carbide burr in texture, and two, somehow I got the hole cutouts wrong as two were in the right pitch for the blades and two were in the opposite pitch.. ..that said - it is aluminium, and after filing & polishing is just like a cast part - don't know how they do it, but it's bloody clever.. ..as the cutouts were wrong, I knew I had to skin it, so I made a tape mask and started with the lower section... ..with this skin added, I taped it to the top part to mark another tape template with where the cut-out holes were on the next bit of skinning (there are 3 - bottom, lower of the top cone, and the tip) ..this skin needed rows of 3 rivets adding so I made up a jig I could do this accurately with.. ..I was hoping after adding this I could get away with the spinner tip being the base aluminium part, but there is a lip that can just be seen.. ..in doing the tip, I nearly gave up as turning one sheet into a fully compound curve sheath without a visible seam proved very difficult - I don't have any in progress pics, but at this point the bulk of the shaping has been done and the skin runs up over the lower part - I was hoping I could just sand & file this away for a nice close fit (I should have started with the tip & made the lower panel fit it, not the other way around..) ..once it was all sanded away, I was really happy with the result.. ..the prop hub was painted and added to the base.. ..and it is a perfect fit.. ..it feels great having got that done - everything else is easy by comparison I also have the right sheet aluminium that Brian (Out2gtcha) kindly shipped from the US on my behalf so can now start skinning the airframe.. ..a milestone I think, and hopefully the start of more regular updates.. TTFN Peter

Hi Mike - they are in production so I think about 4 weeks - I am not sure of the kit release date though Hi Brian - I can't see a pilot in the instructions, so I am pretty sure it doesn't sorry Peter

just got permission from Aifix to post pictures of the new airscle F6F cockpit se test shot ..more here Peter

Hi folks I just got permission from Airfix to post images of the new F6F airscale cockpit set test shot ..this is just the PE, decals to follow hope you like it Peter

just about to PM you it Peter

Gah - just read this post after ordering @ 140 euros.. thanks for your input guys - I went with aluminium (could have had platinum at $9,400...) I redid the design 4 times as I found out more about the spinner and found one buried drawing of the correct cut-out shape which I don't feel so bad about as even David Glen made the mistake I did originally by shaping them to the wrong profile on his 1/5 P51 (don't know if he even knows that tho) so will get the backplate & cone in ali and the hub in plastic I am hoping I can polish out any coarseness, if not I will have to put it down to experience and see what they say - mind you, they won't deliver it until early April as it's ali so some time to wait.. Thanks again Peter

Hi 3D folks Looking for some guidance if I may I have just designed the spinner for my 1/18 P51 in Rhino. I kept it to just the simple shape as last time when I did the Spitfire XIV all the rivets & stuff I put in didn't really come out.. the real one is natural metal and I have been dreading trying to skin it in litho.. now when I went to Shapeways to get the parts printed, I see you can choose Aluminium or steel rather than plastic ($87 or $37 just for the nosecone eek), if I choose Steel as it's cheaper, I then get a sub-option for the finish, in which there is 'Nickel' where it says it is polished to a smooth finish.. My question is has anyone had any 3D printing done in metal, and could it actually be the answer to my prayers where I get a metal spinner I can then scribe & detail without having to skin it? Not sure how the process works at all - is this actual metal, or is it metal like 3D material? Hope someone knows TIA Peter

This build really makes me smile Not only beautifully executed, but you are clearly really enjoying yourself It rubs off, now I am enjoying myself too Wonderfully refreshing and a joy to tune into Peter

I just checked the instructions and you choose one or other option, it doesn't look to me like you can switch That said there are 200 odd stages to assembly and the PDF I have is not in step by step order as it's what goes to the printer - but I am pretty sure... Peter

Hi Jack - we do, it's right here Hope that helps Peter

bloody hell you did a good job on that! I saw the panel in the earlier pictures and thought it was beyond redemption, but you have totally transformed it! The older Luftwaffe instrument set we made had some bigger versions of some of the dials in it, I had no idea they work for 1/18 - given I have just retired them as we have just relaunched a remastered set, I might well repackage them as 1/18! astounding job and super happy you used our stuff so brilliantly Peter

Hi folks been busy working on an Airfix test kit to bring you a cockpit upgrade for when the new F6F is released.. ..will be a nickel silver photo-etch set with bespoke colour instrument & placard decals should get a PE test shot next week so hopefully have something to show then TTFN Peter

I have a lot of the kit parts and the instructions PDF now and I can tell you with absolute confidence you are going to be blown away... it is really, really good - hugely detailed and very true to the original drawings ..the IP offers two clear parts, one with raised dial detail and one with flat discs for decals (which I don't have) so I have made a cool PE set for the IP & bulkhead along with side consoles and smaller instrument clusters along with bespoke colour decals for all instrumentation & placards the kit parts are great, but I think I can do better Peter