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DerekB

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Posts posted by DerekB

    1/32 Wirraway

    in Works in Progress

    Posted

    2 hours ago, Cap'n Wannabe said:

    Which CAD program are you using?  I'm looking for a better surface modeller than Inventor and Solidworks..

     

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

    1/32 Wirraway

    in Works in Progress

    Posted · Edited by DerekB

    ...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...

     

    54617537372_9ae89e3276_b.jpg%5B

     

    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 !!!

     

    1/32 Wirraway

    in Works in Progress

    Posted

    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...

    54612077922_6762dfd54a_b.jpg

     

    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.

    1/32 Wirraway

    in Works in Progress

    Posted

    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:

    54579656211_8bec60ebfe_b.jpg

     

    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!

    54579877303_bc83914240_b.jpg

     

    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...

    1/32 Wirraway

    in Works in Progress

    Posted

    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.

    54574276976_49dc62b9d5_b.jpg

    Gee Bee 'Zee'

    in Works in Progress

    Posted

    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...

    1/32 Wirraway

    in Works in Progress

    Posted

    On 4/28/2025 at 6:44 PM, jcweston351 said:

    Derek, are you going to or do you need to relocate the landing gear location for the Wirraway?

     

    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...

    1/32 Wirraway

    in Works in Progress

    Posted · Edited by DerekB

    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...

     

    54477003838_fa32b375fd_b.jpg

     

    Then assemble the rear fuselage frame upside down...

    54477239111_66c1b3c1f4_b.jpg

     

    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...

    1/32 Wirraway

    in Works in Progress

    Posted · Edited by DerekB

    And what a relief... it fits! A test-fit of the basic fuselage framework (the forward section) inside the fuselage shows that it fits snugly. The photo below shows it sitting in the starboard fuselage half, mating correctly with the upper skin of the wing centre-section. 

    54462694747_6b6563a520_b.jpg

     

    Next I need to finish adding all the tubes along the "floor" of the framework, add some smaller tubes to the side-frames, add the roll-over truss, plus build the rear section of the framework. But it's great to confirm this is heading the right direction!

    1/32 Wirraway

    in Works in Progress

    Posted · Edited by DerekB
    update

    The landing gear bays on the Kitty Hawk Texan are a poor approximation of the real thing, and they should really be stripped out and corrected for an accurate model.

     

    Being an early member of the T-6 family, the Wirraway has some minor differences, so these need to be incorporated too.

     

    The first problem with the Kitty Hawk kit rendition of the undercarriage bays is that the aft edge of the opening for the landing-gear leg is at a slight angle relative to the forward spar, when on the real thing this edge is parallel to the spar. It is also too far aft. The forward edge of this opening is also wrong, but we'll get to that later. Correcting this problem will be don in two steps. First, I've filed the aft edge to be parallel to the spar (shown in the photo below). Next I'll add a strip to move the edge forwards, so it's only slightly aft of the aft edge of the wheel opening (not shown below).

    54461719561_e97f1ee67b_b.jpg

     

    That might seem like a simple problem to fix, except that Kitty Hawk decided to include an incorrect rendition of the front face of the forward spar above this edge. So that had to be removed as well. The photo below shows that incorrect spar face removed, and a new full-length spar fitted, carrying all the way across the centre-section, just like on the actual aircraft. This is just sitting in place to test for fit and size, and it will now be detailed with stiffeners and rivets. You can see how different this is to the unaltered piece next to it...

     

    54461285616_a881c5b0bc_b.jpg

     

    Here's another view from the rear. You can see I've also removed a section of false spar from the upper portion of the wing centre-section, the piece at the left of the photo.

    54460447512_0b9b8d9777_b.jpg

     

    And the photo below shows where all this is heading, a view of the port undercarriage bay on Wirraway A20-687 at the RAAF Museum, Point Cook (painted to represent A20-561)

    54461594328_f796cfa58e_b.jpg 

     

    The front face of the forward spar is very prominent, all the way across the two wheel wells.

     

    And for comparison, here's what a later Harvard IIa wheel well looks like... the front spar is still prominent. The Kitty Hawk kit doesn't come close to this, and even the photo-etch kit by Eduard doesn't correct the problems...

    4783265302_4bccfedef8_b.jpg

    1/32 Wirraway

    in Works in Progress

    Posted

    Before I continue work re-shaping the nose, I need to close up the fuselage... so I'm starting on internal details. First step is to add a floor in the cockpit... just the top surface of the wing centre-section actually. I'm not planning to add much detail, as it will be hidden by all the internals. The photo below shows the floor in place, glued to the starboard fuselage side.

     

    54459754354_75742700e5_b.jpg 

     

    And I also need to complete the fuselage framework... so I made up a jig to hold the two side-frames at the correct distance so I can glue in the cross-pieces. The photo below shows the jig with the side-frames clamped in place, ready to start adding the cross-pieces of the frame.

     

    54459926970_ec074d2356_b.jpg

     

    More coming...

    1/32 Wirraway

    in Works in Progress

    Posted · Edited by DerekB

    On 3/11/2025 at 10:35 AM, The Phantom said:

    Derek. Anychance we can buy these shapeways bits?. I actually have the A20-10 Camo panel on my wall, ill send a pic when I take one

     

    Phantom, sadly ShapeWays went out of business (edit: actually they're back, but not doing the same type of things). But if someone wants to offer 3D printing services, I could make the files available for downloading...

     

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