DerekB

oh yes! what a triumph over adversity!

Cap, I'm doing this in TurboCAD Mac Pro v14. It's very basic, I have no idea how it compares to those others.

...and I've made some progress on the fuselage CAD model too. Finally discovered how to create solids from surfaces, so that bodes well. Still some tricky areas to finish around the wheel fairing and the fairings between the fuselage and the horizontal/vertical stabilisers, but I'm particularly happy with the wing root fairing, particularly the aft end which has some tricky corners... I expect this should work out very nicely, so I'll probably ditch the KittyHawk T-6 fuselage sides... and I might ditch more than that in the end. Check the list on the first page of this thread for Peter Malone's suggested "new items list"... And yes, @mozart, it will be a very short step from this to a Harvard Mk.I !!!

oh wow, that looks stunning, and super-clean! nice work!

Some more digital modelling this week, I recently purchased an entry-level resin printer, so I should be able to knock up some complex parts now, despite Shapeways ending their service a while ago. So I've re-started my 3D CAD work on Wirraway bits. Here are the instrument panels (ready to go) plus some electrical panels, about to be turned into 3D versions... At the lower left is the forward cockpit instrument panel (with space for the forward guns either side of the top row of instruments), above that is the early-style rear cockpit instrument panel, and above that is the post-war style rear cockpit instrument panel. At the top right is the late model rear cockpit electrical panels, and the three panels in the bottom right are the instrument and bomb control panels for the prone bomb-aimer's position. These might be my first home-brew resin prints, since they're relatively straightforward. If they work, I'll load the STL files on my website for downloading.

A bit of work completed over the long weekend (following a short visit to Melbourne's Model Expo on Saturday morning for a quick catch-up with modelling and publishing friends)... With the fuselage frame taped securely to a flat surface (upside down) it was time to attach the floor of the aft fuselage. Some Revell Contacta Professional (?!!) made quick work of this step: It was then left to dry until this evening when I carefully cut through the sellotape and tested the fit inside the fuselage... looking good! I still need to add a few more tubes to the fuselage framework, then I can start installing "furnishings" as they called them back in the 40s...

Adding missing details to the inside of the fuselage sides, and building the floor for the rear fuselage floor. There's going to be a lot going on in the rear fuselage, with two flare tubes (with hatches), F-24 camera (with hatch), Aldis sight (for framing vertical photos), Mark VII bomb-sight (with hatch), antenna reel, bomb-aiming instrument panel, bombing control panel, and the TR.11B radio installation.

Gotta say I'm also enjoying the photography of this build too!

Those rib-tapes look excellent Sean, looks like a few more of us will be copying Malc's method. I plan to try this on the tail-feathers of my Wirraway. Plus I have a bunch of these Williams Brother's kits in my stash...

Hey @The Phantom (and anyone else interested), I've added some downloadable STL files to the following page - let me know if you're able to download them, and I'll add some more soon... https://dbdesignbureau.net/modelling-the-wirraway/

This is so much fun watching this Max! Bravo!

Hi JC, yes, I'm looking at how to correct the landing gear also. As you mentioned, it needs to be repositioned slightly outboard of the kit location. Plus I might actually mount the gear with pivot pins through the spar as in the real thing... more to come on this...

Looks like a fun conversion Kev. A dumb question: if all the canopy panes are flat glass, why does the canopy need to be thermoformed at all? Just cut from clear sheet and fold to shape? I realise the sides are pinched in the middle, but it shouldn't be too hard to form, should it?

The side frames for the aft fuselage framework are a little simpler than those for the forward frame... once again a simple jig to make a matching pair... Then assemble the rear fuselage frame upside down... Yes, the temporary cross-piece (red) is still in there... that will be removed later still. The rear frame is tapered more than the real thing, to make sure it fits inside the molded fuselage sides, which are of course much thicker than the real thing. Next step is to make the floor for the rear fuselage...

Wow, 10 years... almost as long as one of my builds!! I'm usually into things with round engines, but US jets of the 50s and 60s are just fascinating to me. Can't wait to see this progress to its conclusion!