Iain (32SIG)

Hi all - long time, no speak! I've mostly been pulling my hair out trying to get the canopies to look OK in the closed position - originally I was just going to have both canopies open, which would have been a lot simpler! Booked today as holiday so I could immerse myself in the canopies. The master patterns have now been through a large number of tweaks and re-shapes to get something that looked OK - the tricky area being the fit of the rear sliding section to the tunnel between the cockpits. Once happy on with some test mouldings I then had to get some fresh mouldings I was happy with - again!! So - here's were we're at - some good mouldings (I noticed earlier there is actually less optical distortion in my vac mouldings than there is in the front sliding section - as provided by Mr Tamiya!). The tunnel section has been bonded in place - and filler applied along the joint ready to blend in once dry. The rear sliding section has had stretched sprue 'rod' bonded in place that engage with the canopy rails and hold the rear sliding section in place now - both opened and closed. Some decal damage has occurred during this work, so I have a couple of Squadron Code letters to re-apply (fortunately I have spares). Model photos are on one of the circular base/clear dome combinations - and it fits perfectly... Hopefully some more progress over Easter weekend - I need to get this finished as I've got other projects backing up... Blue Skies, Iain

Glad the material worked for you! Iain

You're all way over-thinking this/imagining issues that aren't there... The canopy *is* a snug fit (after lots of pattern tweaking) - which is why it has a tendency to sit a little higher at the rear in the 'closed' position - hence my wanting to 'locate' a little more positively in the vertical plane. I'm probably just going to add some stretched sprue to aid location on the rails... ... at the weekend. Iain

Hi Graham, Flexibility not a problem - just want to try and locate it more positively in the vertical plane. Iain

LOL - I'm afraid it's the amateur engineer in me - I like to work the numbers as this should give a solid foundation for the modifications. Oh - and I have assumed a linear transition in thickness chord ratios - from the 22% at root - to 9.7% at tip - but I can't see it being any more complex than that! Ted - yes - plan is to put together a .pdf sheet with the templates for anyone that wants to have a go. Also thinking of producing a 'kit' with drawings, laser cut formers in 2mm HIPS and rein cast replacement tips - if there's sufficient interest to make it worthwhile. Caveat - things like this take a little time - and my priorities are elsewhere at this point. Iain

Yup - all done from Supermarine drawings Graham - and access to a fuselage in a jig Internal structure is quite different to the single-seaters too! Ongoing build here. Apologies for sidetrack Tim! Iain

Finished you say? Finished? Er, no... I have to get my Spit finished - and some B-24 wings sorted... Oh - and the small matter of learning Rhino 3D Modelling software so I can do the cowls/nacelles. Iain

Looks eminently doable Tim - and the 0.5mm should do the trick! Iain

Just to add - I've used the 0.5mm on the Spitfire canopies - I'd use 1mm for anything larger. But 0.5 has been perfect for these: Blue Skies! Iain

Thanks all - lots of frayed nerves - but on final roll now (hopefully!) Going to try bonding some fine stainless rod to the insides of the rear canopy to see if I can get it to actually locate in the canopy rails - and make it 'slideable' whilst 'locking' any vertical movement. I'll need to be in absolutely the right mood to get this right - and not damage the moulding... Iain

As others have said - I've learned from experience - don't use any primer - just raw resin. Don't be tempted to fill any pin holes on the surface with filler/paint/superglue - in my experience it doesn't work and you'll get imperfections on any moulding. Best sand these back until gone - or cast another copy. Iain

Use a UV stabilised PETG - 0.5 mm/20 thou Vivac is a good brand here in Europe - not sure if available in the US? No mould release - but don't polish the surface of the pattern - if polished surface then flat back a little - I use 2000 grit wet and dry, but have heard of scotchbright etc used. That's with a cast polyeurethane resin master - as that's what I use - and don't get any separation issues. Iain

Beautiful build Jan! Iain

Hi Ron, you posted that while I was writing my last update post If I can get the next three profiles drawn up this week I should be able to post pictures next weekend - and have a wing shape that's pretty sorted - at least to my eyes, if nobody else's! My Spitfire work has had to take priority... Iain

OK - sat and worked out the thickness/chord ratios at the next moulded webs in the kit wing - working out from the root (where root is web #1) - these are (all to 2 decimal places) - with kit dimensions: Web #2 20.85% - kit wing chord 123mm - so overall wing thickness needs to be 25.65mm at this point. Web #3 19.71% - kit wing chord 115mm - so thickness needs to be 22.67mm Web #4 16.98% - kit wing chord 100mm - so thickness needs to be 16.98mm Last two are the one's either side of the gear bay - I don't think any more will be needed. I will also allow for a reduction in wing incidence - approx 1 deg less from web #1 (root) to web #4 (outer edge of gear bay). Next step is to use the airfoil generator tool to create the different Davis profiles for the three stations - thickness/chord ratios - sizes listed above - then remove the allowance for wing plastic thickness, and then mark out to fit moulded wing. *Should* be straightforward now I've done the number crunching. Once I have these done I can work out how much to taper the moulded in 'spar' in the upper wing to reduce the tip thickness. Probably doesn't mean a lot to readers at this stage - but makes sense for me to write down here as much as anywhere, so I have them to refer back to! Have fun... Iain