Iain

Could you guys post photos of your displays ???

well.... i am doing it - the main parts will be IM
 
great for you guys, but sad for me - this lovely wing for example... scrap... weeks of work...
 

 
..I can use some of the design as templates, but IM has very specific rules for successful mould separation and surface detail, none of which is complied with in this design..
 
back to the drawing board..
 
 
I would love to, but that's even more design & complexity so to keep a reasonable timeframe I have not chosen to do open panels, or an engine - much as I want to
 
 
 
clearly it is, surely...well maybe, well maybe not... I know what I want to do next which will be Biblical if I can pull it off
 
Got to stay focused and get on with the rebuild..
 
Peter

thank you for your considered points of view chaps
 
couple of things - firstly only the wing surfaces (incl. belly) and fuselage halves will be injection moulded - absolutely everything else will be 3D printed. I have indeed spent a lot of time thinking about it and doing my research, some of it one of the world's best kit designers so I am comfortable the output will not be 'a limited run kit' kind of vibe - these will be IM parts of the highest quality if I design them right. 
 
in fact Brett Green had this to say about their last production "Although this is still technically a limited run kit, the quality really is very good. The plastic parts are well moulded with no sink marks or other obvious flaws. Flash is minimal
Surface texture is particularly good. The fuselage accurately depicts overlapping panels, while the rest of the kit features crisp and consistently recessed panel lines and rows of rivets."
 
That, with the quality of the Defiant clear parts is enough for me in terms of it being the right choice in terms of mouldmaker. In terms of why do it at all, I think that even though I did my best with the Defiant, there are (and will always be) layer lines - fine if you can have at it with a sanding sponge as there is recessed detail, but it is very hard to work around anything raised. that, plus my inability to get clean mating edges AND surface detail in the same print (I got one or other in testing) means for the end user - you guys, IM parts for the main structures is a win, win. All that plus I can make more means it is a compelling reason to redesign
 
I will soon know if I was right or not, if my sanity lasts that long that is
 
Peter

Hi all,
I had built and painted the engine and was about to add ignition leads to the spark plugs.
However, at this stage of the engine build I found an apparent error in the molding of the front bank of engine cylinders.
As can be seen in the following photograph, the spark plugs on both banks of cylinders face left.   The kit instruction manual at step 67 shows the cylinders with plugs fitted at the left and the right.
Further to that, Step 68 shows the engine with what appears to be two spark plugs fitted in each cylinder.
Also, the Caudron G.3's in the RAF museum, Hendon, UK and and in the Brussels Museum, Belgium show two plugs per cylinder.
      As the engine halves J8, 9, 10 and 11 are keyed, they can only be fitted together one way.
Therefore, the locations of the spark plug on the models engine are confusing.     So, modification to the front cylinder spark plugs may be required,
Lacking definitive information, I'll go for single, left facing spark plugs on all cylinders,   Mike

Hi all,
I've had contact from Copper State Models and others and have found more reference photographs.
 
The only references available are period photographs, museum engines and aircraft and the kit instruction manual. 
Period photographs show limited, if any, engine detail.
As most know, museum displays can be misleading due to reworking and display requirements, so they are not always authentic.
As examples, the Caudron G.3s in the RAF Museum in Hendon, UK and the Museum in Brussels, Belgium have two spark plugs fitted to each cylinder on their Anzani engines.
 
However, photographs of Anzani engines clearly show the spark plugs fitted to the right side of the left cylinders and left side of the right cylinders.
This configuration matches the illustrations in the kit instruction manual, but not on the completed model of the engine. 
 
Therefore, the completed model engine would appear to have four spark plugs located on the wrong side of their cylinders, being on two front cylinders and two rear cylinders.
Those spark plugs are highlighted in the following photograph and are the ones that I will either reposition or replace,
 
Mike
 

 

 

 

Hi all,
Rather than have some kit molded spark plugs and some replacement plugs, I chose to replace all plugs.
That way there would be no mismatch of plugs.
The kit plugs were cut away and replaced by Albion Alloy's 0.5 mm diameter Aluminium tube (MAT05).
These will have copper wire ignition leads added,
 
Mike
 

Hi all,
The basic engine is complete.
I've replaced the spark plugs and added ignition leads.
I've also added what I assume is an oil supply pipe to the engine crankcase.
The carburettor fuel supply pipe and control rod can only be added after the cabin has been assembled,
 
Mike
 

 

I'll second Dave on this - I've had exactly the same happen to me...
 
Iain

I'll second Dave on this - I've had exactly the same happen to me...
 
Iain

I'll second Dave on this - I've had exactly the same happen to me...
 
Iain

Not completely. Even with the cover on, if the printer is exposed to direct sunlight, it can and will cure the resin in the vat. Had it happen to two printers at my old house as they were on a shelf next to a window.

Not neglecting the Norton bikes. I printed dozens and loose about 3/4 if the print botching them during cleanup. The connectors and parts are just too dekicate. I only need 2 complete and intact prints! Almost there and then ready for primer.
 

Things are getting lined up. Be it painstakingly slow… My hands are itching to get back to some other builds, but this will be finished first!
 

Another rare one here. Let’s go swept wings . (And right, no one makes an injection molded kit in 1/32) Tigger made a vacuform kit and I think some effort to make a 3D print is out there somewhere, idk. Anyway, I’m feeling up for a challenge much in the spirit of the Vigilante. Probably no 3D. Possibly rob parts from a 1:32 Thunderjet . I’ll do a take on the plane’s history tomorrow . Isn’t she beautiful though? 
 

 

 

 
The plan is to surface model it with epoxy clay. To keep it reasonably light,I’m building a balsa subframe under the epoxy clay. And I’m pretty confident I can final surface it with aluminum tape. I don’t think this is going to be mind blowing in detail, but should still present pretty well much like my Fury.
 
 

A few good hours. I think it’s going well but it’s not very pretty. Faith required! 
 
13 hours in. 
 

Hey easy! I’m sensitive while it’s getting some form. Haha! 

I also got this and a few other books a couple of weeks back from the Jerry Crandall's reference collection. It was expensive, $80 or $90 if I remember right, but it included signatures of the author and five aces, including Galland's. I missed out years ago on a signed copy of Galland's autobiography, so I decided to not miss this one:
 
Here are the signed pages at the front of the book:

 
I was happy, but then I turned a couple of pages and found this in front of the title page:
 

 
And flipping through the book, found other aces, such as Neumann, signed at their photos...

 
And others, such as Rall, signed the first page of the chapter about them:
 

 
In total there are 23 aces' signatures, plus the authors! 
 

Well, let's take this as another reminder to buy the kit(s) you want in time, as long as available 
 
Kits go OOP, manufacturers close down, but your stash is yours for lifetime.
 
Regards
- dutik

Looking absolutely fabulous Peter!!
 
Iain

I think enthusiasm might be getting the better of you, both are B wings, fingers crossed they do indeed produce a Vc, a Malta defender Vb special boxing first, with pilot figure. 

Looking absolutely fabulous Peter!!
 
Iain

Looking absolutely fabulous Peter!!
 
Iain

The nose landing gear parts are cast metal.  The two lower arms had cast stub axles that didn't meet in the middle and were a bit small, so the nose wheel was pretty wobbly in there.  I cut off the two stub axles, and drilled out a 1 mm hole to run a 1 mm brass rod through, to serve as a new axle that goes all the way through.  
 

 
But the bore in the nose wheel is 2 mm.  So I cut some brass tube to 4 mm lengths, and drilled them out, to slip over the 1 mm axle to give me a 2 mm OD.  Now the position of the nose wheel is much better defined and overall things are stronger.  
 

 
Mike
 
 
 

I pulled the F-8 off of the shelf-of-doom to try to get it across the finish line.  While it's only been 8 and a half years since the last post, a lot of things have happened in the mean time.
 
   Here's a quick shot to show where things currently stand.  The cockpit is done, fuselage is closed up, the first coat of primer is on.  The white on the underside is on.  Last night I adjusted the fit of the resin front windscreen, by dipping it in hot water.  The front end was a bit narrow and the aft end a bit wide.  It took a few tries going back and forth to get it ok.  Then it got a dip in Future.  
 
   I'm also working on the interface between the wing and fuselage.  The wing will be posed down, but here the putty is drying so I've just placed the wing on top.  
 
Mike
 
 
 
 
 

Hey guys its Ernest; thank you for the kindness you have shown my daughter on this thread!  Ani knows I post builds on the forum and she asked to post the house we built together.  I thought it was a neat idea and hopefully seeing how much support she is getting from the master level craftsmen, many of whom I feel I now and consider my friends as well as having a huge amount of respect for each of your very high skill levels, will inspire her to continue down the craftsmanship route. 
 
Ernest