zaxos345

Having watched your superhuman modeling skills for a few years now, I assumed that what you did with your Spitfire XIVe in 2017 was as good as it gets, and you must have plateaued.  After all, how do you improve upon winning every major modeling award at Telford?   Well, I can tell that you are getting even better and growing as a modeler, which is fun to witness, even at your super-high level.  One improvement I now see is that when you encounter a problem, you just fix it with no drama.  The chopped out cockpit pod is a great example of that.  Most of us would have left it as is and not taken the risk.
 
The other improvement I see is that you no longer struggle a bit to create the many complicated parts, which are usually made of metal.  You seem to know what you're going to do before you even start them and the work flow is smoother and as always excellent.  Like your other models, this one is already starting to look like a real winner and maybe another "Best of Show" at Telford in the future?
 
Cheers,
Chuck

thanks chaps - very kind
 
still adding skins to the wings, so here is where it's at..
 
along the spar on the upper wing is this long pair of panels which includes two access doors to the guns..
 

 

 
this is then added with a tape hinge & contact cement..
 
the panel above the aileron has already been added with a cutout for the inspection hatch..
 

 
..hatch added with scored ali tube for a hinge..
 

 
..tape used to derive the shape of the leading edge panel - a pencil is used with tape to determine the rivet lines and once this is removed represents the real world shape that is needed to skin this area..
 

 
..the tape is carefully removed and used to create the wraparound panels..
 

 
..that panel is then added to both wings..
 

 
..more panels & hatches added to the top wings..
 

 

 

 
..same for the bottoms, the panel around the U/C fairing is the precursor to the compound panels that will cover it, plus the ammo doors have been added..
 

 

 

 

 
..its getting close to the point where the wings are added to be able to skin the U/C areas so I may move onto fuselage skins at the tail & nose while they are seperate parts as they are easier to handle - the upshot is I want to get as much skin on as I can without putting it in danger areas for filling / sanding etc
 
until next time
 
TTFN
Peter
 
 
 
 

What a beauty!!!!!!!! 
 
John

Hi folks
 
 
thanks Kurok, will PM you & have started to make adjustmenst to the fairings
 
 
 
Wow KiwiZac, that is some build - I know many of those drawings and parts now, but the idea of basically making every part individually and then assembling the airframe from them is mind blowing!
 
I used a slitting disc to cut free the ailerons - they have a rounded nose and the cutout in the wing is much shorter at the topside vs the bottom. Once cut away a false triling edge was added from cut down brass 'L' stock and the fairing shape carefully rolled from ali - then the hinge & other cutouts added..
 

 

 
..then the first skin panel was prepared - drawing first, then that is stuck onto litho, any holes for access panels done first, then the edges scored & cut and an awl used to add each rivet..
 

 
..the rear row of rivets are raised, so these are embossed from the backside..
 

 
..the panel is added with contact adhesive both sides, and a tape rubbing used to determine the outline of the access panel..
 

 
..both wings are done simultaneously with about 20 mins work on each panel then rotate to the other until both are complete - avoids fatigue & boredom - I hate repeating a lengthy task having completed it..
 

 
..decided to do the panel above the last one as one long continuous panel (it is two) and added cutouts for gun ejection chute hatches, lending light (one side) and an inspection panel..
 

 

 
..the landing light was dremelled out and a recess created for some glazing (still with protective wrap)..
 

 
..the landing light itself was made from a bit of an old pen, some bobbins, a dome from ali shaped over a ball, and the PE cover plate..
 

 
..the ammo chute panels look like this on the real bird..
 

 
..so these were made up using PE panels etc..
 

 
..same deal, both panels worked on at the same time, so once complete, these were laid down..
 

 

 

 
..and the other side..
 

 

 

 

 
..and this is where its at on both wings...
 

 
..still about 20,000 rivets to go...
 
probably do topside & leading edge so I can get to the U/C fairings and stop short of the wing/fuselage join. I tried to do the fillet shaping, but it's impossible before the wings are on the fuselage, and for that to happen the cockpit needs to be closed up..
 
will plod on with skinning the wings and see how the phasing goes... might be a bit dry in terms of variety for a bit
 
TTFN
Peter
 
 
 

Very fine grit Mylar backed sandpaper. Very thin and weathers nicely.
https://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/hsx/hsx303.htm
 

Hi gents
thanks a lot for your feedback ,and "sharp" explanation ... Well we have several ways to represent this walkway , all are convincing  ...I thing that the Mig 's product , is very nice for current AC ( I keep it in my mind ) ....Quang :  , I like the riveted strip ,  nice effect !!! ... Mike : the thin sandpaper , is a good idea  !!! ..in any cases , thanks you guys for the tips 
Alain

Hello Alain,
Here’s how I made the walkway on my GWH Tomahawk.
 
Excerpt from the WIP thread:
“Walkways were often found on RAF and AVG Hawks. They were made from a strip of linoleum (a popular floor covering that old timers remember from their childhood days) glued to the wing and secured by a riveted strip of aluminium to keep the lino from fraying.
Mine are made from the tin sheet covering the neck of a (carefully emptied) wine bottle.

Rivets added and under a coat of primer

 
Painted


HTH
Cheers,
Quang

several method were applied
- smooth paint , P39, P51, T-6, Typhoon, Tempest...
- carborundum 36 grit  on "Black Walkway Cement" coat  on F4U, these walkway decrease the max speed 6mph, Curtiss use 30 grit (H75/P36)
- rubber sheet bonded (Wondergrip 0,7 mm thick); Typhoon early, D520, MS 406, MB 151/152, Hurricane
- linoleum sheet  1/16" thick(Armstrong Aeroflor) bonded with formica cement, P 36, H 75A1 & up, P 40....the edges are secured by metal strips screwed into the nuts riveted on the skin
- carborundum cloth bonded, T-6

I have used this
https://www.migjimenez.com/en/accessories/1937-anti-slip-paste-black-color-for-172-148.html
I used a small piece of sponge to apply it lightly and i also light sand it for the scale, to reduce the roughness!! It is a very good product in my opinion and with a small practice you can achive the outcome you want!! 
Dont use tamiya tape!!! 
 
John

I have used this
https://www.migjimenez.com/en/accessories/1937-anti-slip-paste-black-color-for-172-148.html
I used a small piece of sponge to apply it lightly and i also light sand it for the scale, to reduce the roughness!! It is a very good product in my opinion and with a small practice you can achive the outcome you want!! 
Dont use tamiya tape!!! 
 
John

Hi gents
a question : what were the non slip walkways on  WW2 RAF  fighters ( and not just )  made of ???? I suppose it was a kind of rubber !!??? riveted or glued on top of the wing root ???!!!!
we can often see this "walkway " just painted on models.. for my part I plan to represent this walkway with a bit of tamyia tape ...what do you thing about it thanks
Alain 

...waiting!!! 
 
John

Hi everyone!
I'm now on the final step stage before the painting stage.
Construction is pretty much complete but need to spend some time polishing the fuselage after all the sanding and rescribing and taking care of any possible ghost seams.
Overall fit wasn't bad at all with only the wing and tailfin to fuselage join and needing a bit of filler. 
 









 
While all open panels such as the airbrakes and gunbay covers were clearly designed to be installed in the open position it only took a bit of sanding to glue them in place closed.
 













 
I didn't bother cleaning up the fuselage half join on the underside since most of it will be covered by the central fuel tank.
The leading edge slats were also designed to be installed in the extended position.
Since I wanted to install them retracted, I sanded them as much as possible to sit flush with the wing and then fashioned my own activating struts from styrene.
 

 







 
I also replaced the ventral vent louvers with thinner ones made from styrene sheet.
 

 
Finally, for armament, I will installing the Super 530s, Magic 2 missiles and central fuel tank.
 

 
Thanks for checking! 
 
 
 

thanks Nick for the interest, the answer it is yes, I actually got back at Ferocious 2 weeks ago but have another minor project to finish before, so stay tuned to see some paint on her soon, Mustang mojo is back
Cheers
 
 

Thanks for the comments and your votes on the canopy!  Although this build is NOT a democracy, the votes just happened to line up with where I was leaning anyway so I'll be planning on open canopy option for now.
 
Still recuperating from the fishing weekend so I'll try to jump back on my builds soon!
 
 
 

Awesome work so far John!!! 
 
John

Thanks Kevin!
 
 
Thanks Matt!  I does make it look more like a purposeful machine.  Now I have to work up the motivation to rivet the rest of the aircraft!
 
 
Thanks for checking in Dennis!  Appreciate it!
 
 
Thanks Chris!
 
 
Thank you Alex!
 
 
Thank you!
 
 
Thanks Peter... almost embarrassed to have you step into my humble build!  Thank you so much for the comment!
 
After fixing and riveting the nose, I decided to thin the edge of the baffles above the exhausts.  Ignore the elongated shapes of the rivets... that's just the result of the sanding process.



 
 
Time to start closing up the cockpit.  In order to orient the oxygen hose and mask, I have glued the starboard sidewall onto the cockpit floor first.  The front and rear bulkheads were put into place temporarily as a fitting template for the sidewall.

 
 
The oxygen hose has been roughly cut to length and posed to fit the mask, which will be placed on the right edge of the seat.

 
 
I've added straps to the mask made of strips of aluminum foil and the mask was spot-glued to the right edge of the seat.

 
 
The rear bulkhead with the seat was then glued into place onto the cockpit floor.  It took some wriggling to get the oxygen hose connected to the mask.

 
 
Once that was done, I glued the front bulkhead/instrument panel into place.  The Aires cockpit fits very well together with consistent contact around all of the edges.  I simply held each part in place with my fingers and seeped thin CA glue into the joints.



 
 
The port sidewall is glued in last. The cockpit is complete!  

 
 
Now I want to check the fit of the resin cockpit into the fuselage.  I can now confirm that the Aires resin cockpit for this kit is a drop-in fit without any need for adjustments to the fuselage parts.  The forward gun deck of the resin cockpit DOES need to be removed in order for it to work with the Wolfpack resin Tei nose.





 
 
The Wolfpack resin nose is then slipped into place, again confirming the previous dry-fit assessments of a good fit.

 


 
 
I have not decided whether to pose the canopy open or closed. Here is a check of the fit of the open canopy parts.





 

Thank Kevin!  One of the drawbacks to working on simultaneous projects, especially when they are in similar stages.  I really should've done the nose surgery at the very beginning of the build but like you said, I luckily avoided the snookery.
 
 
Thanks! Happy it worked out this time.
 
 
Thanks Mark!
 
 
Thanks Dennis!  Hope to see your build soon!
 
 
Thank you Lutz!  No loss since the front deck serves no purpose on this build and would not be visible.
 
 
Thanks Matt!  Looks like the nose should fit without any major issues, which is a good thing.
 
 
Yup!  Happy and relieved to be able to move on!
 
 
Thanks Mike!
 
 
Thank you!
 
Last time, I was able to confirm that the resin nose would fit onto the surgically altered fuselage pretty well.  I spent some more time cleaning up the resin nose including tidying up this circular hatch and mismatched panel line on the bottom.

 
 
After the adjustments were made, I sprayed the entire nose with Mr Primer Surfacer 1000.







 
 
After some deliberation, I've decided to apply rivets onto this model. Using drawings from an older, Japanese-language publication, I sketched the rivet lines onto the resin nose with a soft (4B) leaded pencil.

 
 
After the lines are sketched, a rotary rivet tool (Galaxy Tools) is used to puncture rows of small holes into the resin nose to simulate rivets.

 
 
Unlike plastic, the riveting process on the primered resin does not create as big a mound of material around each hole but I still recommend sanding afterwards.

 
 
After sanding, I applied a temporary pastel wash to highlight the riveting and other corrective work on the nose. Some of the nose bits like the spinner, the exhausts, the supercharger intake and gun barrels were added temporarily for these photos.









 
 
I'm happy with the decision to rivet the Ki-61.  I think the nose looks pretty bada$$ now.

 
 

evening all
 
Thanks for your kind words - it is you guys that make me push my standards up
 
 
Hi Jay, truth is I like making them on my machines, it's the only real call I have to use them, so I always learn something I have no idea what my mini lathe can hold, the largest stock I have is about 15mm - I think it has a standard sized chuck so I guess its probably the same limitation as yours. I would like to do much more, and I love watching machining on youtube - this guy is my hero - all the kit and all the skills to go with it
 
 
 
 
so, on to some P40 stuff..
 
..in trying to get the basic airframe done, it was time to move onto the landing gear housings - unlike most aircraft of the period, the gear is mounted to the wing, only the wheel goes in a well. This means the gear leg is in this bulbous housing full of lovely compound curves...
 

 
..I couldn't find the drawings that detailed the shapes and was trying to piece together component cross sections when I contacted Waroff for help. He literally knows every nut and bolt of a P40 and soon put me onto this drawing...
 

 
..it has all the cross sections and in combination with some others, I could scale aand create them all in plastic card to make a master for vacforming..
 

 

 
..with both of them done, I sprayed them grey so when I slather them in filler and sand it back, I stop when I hit the grey..
 

 
..a quick spin in my little vacformer...
 

 
..and I had some copies - I used quite thick card as they need to be skinned so need to take quite a bit of pressure as the metal is worked, this meant the contours are a bit more vague - I might pull a thinner copy and see if I can improve them..
 
..also the tops of the nosecaps didnt come out as it's too much of an undercut so these will be done seperately..
 

 
..I was getting all set to add them to the wings when I realised there is still way too much to do to the gear bays while I have open access
 
..I had just made two big circular openings as the wheel wells will have canvas liners, but as you can see here, there is one visible bit of structure that needed adding..
 

 
..this meant chopping out quite a bit and adding that wall and the upper wing skin & stringers (Kurok was right! )
 

 

 
..this was all then primed and painted.. I had read that zinc chromate was mixed with green for airframe parts vs the more cockpity green in the interior, so I made a mix with a more yellow hue..
 

 
..the circular opening for the wheels needs defining so a subskin was made, this has a lip going into the well
 
..I use aluminium plumbers tape on a bit of litho so I can tape the skin down and CA a strip of litho to form the lip, safe in the knowledge it won't stick to the tape..
 

 
..the panel also had slots cut in it for the retraction struts..
 

 

 

 

 
..and the gear housing sort of goes here..
 

 

 
..still, loads to do, but the important thing is to get the build sequencing right so I don't build myself into a corner..
 
TTFN
 
Peter

Amazing!!!!! 
 
John

Thanks guys! 
 
Let's cobble together the cockpit components and see what the assembled cockpit looks like.





 
 
Things get a bit claustrophobic once all four walls are put into place.



 
 
Checking to see how the resin cockpit fits into the fuselage sides.  Let's keep in mind that I have not introduced the resin nose yet so that might affect things later.





 
 
Gunsight clearance seems ok with the canopy in place.

 
 
Cockpit is not quite finished.  Looking at these photos has raised some small flags that I want to explore before I call it done.

Stunning!!! 
 
John

Thank you Spyros!  Hopefully, this build will be as entertaining for you as it will be educational for me!
 
Additional futzing around the cockpit prior to the painting stage... the lap harnesses are from the Aires PE fret.  I heated them with a lighter to get them to be a little more pliable.  The pad under the buckle end was replaced with a piece of foil as the brass was too stiff to manipulate within the confines of the seat.



 
 
The port sidewall was slightly enhanced with some wiring and a throttle linkage rod.

 
 
This is the resin cockpit floor. The control stick and the larger lever have not been glued into place yet.

 
 
Some of the resin+brass components have been sprayed with a primer (Mr Primer Surfacer 1000).

 
 
The I fabbed a couple of canopy release levers because I thought the PE versions were a bit overscale and awkwardly flat.

 
 
That color illustration I posted earlier made me think about the oxygen tube.  It is shown to be attached to the mask.  Would it more interesting to have the oxygen tube connected to the mask instead of the regulator?  I didn't have a mask but I did have this head...

 
 
So I snipped and carved the rest of the head away, leaving just the mask.  So now I have a few more options when it comes to posing the oxygen tube.

 

No words...... 
 
John

Many thanks Kev! 
 
 
Thank you John!