Kaeone57

Great topic!!! I LOVE  The "Rufe"!!! As a pornographic PTO lover and modeller... A "Rufe" is a must! Never been much of a "Zero" headed builder just due to lack of color shemes. Unless they were one of the field applied schemes, and from my limited understanding on "Zeros" is very few A6M2's in my combat zone of preference in the PTO, 1943ish-44ish Solomans Area of operations!
The "Rufe" just stands out to me due to it's shape in design so much so, that "basic color schemes" don't matter any more to me!😂
 
Ok. Rant over! 
 
Question for @Bob MDC is the Tamiya A6M2 kit Rufe conversion available, and if so, what would it cost to get it to Florida in the US without selling an organ? 
 
Alfonso 

Great topic!!! I LOVE  The "Rufe"!!! As a pornographic PTO lover and modeller... A "Rufe" is a must! Never been much of a "Zero" headed builder just due to lack of color shemes. Unless they were one of the field applied schemes, and from my limited understanding on "Zeros" is very few A6M2's in my combat zone of preference in the PTO, 1943ish-44ish Solomans Area of operations!
The "Rufe" just stands out to me due to it's shape in design so much so, that "basic color schemes" don't matter any more to me!😂
 
Ok. Rant over! 
 
Question for @Bob MDC is the Tamiya A6M2 kit Rufe conversion available, and if so, what would it cost to get it to Florida in the US without selling an organ? 
 
Alfonso 

I hear you on that! Postage and the pay this, and pay that after is quite a problem. Is what it is.😂
Good to know the conversion is still available!
 
Alfonso 
 

Great topic!!! I LOVE  The "Rufe"!!! As a pornographic PTO lover and modeller... A "Rufe" is a must! Never been much of a "Zero" headed builder just due to lack of color shemes. Unless they were one of the field applied schemes, and from my limited understanding on "Zeros" is very few A6M2's in my combat zone of preference in the PTO, 1943ish-44ish Solomans Area of operations!
The "Rufe" just stands out to me due to it's shape in design so much so, that "basic color schemes" don't matter any more to me!😂
 
Ok. Rant over! 
 
Question for @Bob MDC is the Tamiya A6M2 kit Rufe conversion available, and if so, what would it cost to get it to Florida in the US without selling an organ? 
 
Alfonso 

NICE!!! Great work all around going on here!
 
Alfonso 

Very NICELY Rendered! 
 
Alfonso

That wouldn't take much Max! 
 
I am drawn to these poor dilapidated machines though. Attempting to recreate the patina of age is fun. Also, it gives a huge amount of leeway and tends to disguise any shortcomings with paint or construction. A massive bonus for me. 
 
I've glued the fuselage halves together now which was largely uneventful. There will be some seam clean up but I expected that. 
Revell suggest 40g of weight but with all of the gubbins in the nose cone I think I'll add more if I'm able. It should fit behind the cockpit tub but is further aft. I'll try for 60g unless anyone suggests even more might be necessary? 
 
The next target in my sights was the windscreen. 
I chose to add a rear view mirror, AIRS magnetic compass which is quite obvious in some of my reference images plus a couple of buttons. 
 

 

 

 
As can be seen in the first reference photo above, the paintwork around the frame is pretty ropey. 
 

 

 

 
To emulate that cracked and peeling effect I'm experimenting with plumbing tape.
 

 

 

 
Additionally, I tried to replicate the delamination of the windscreen and rather dusty appearance of the glazing.
 

 
Time to colour it in. 
 
Cheers,
Guy

I suspect eventually some kind AM person will print a detailed engine and cowling set.

I just bought another!

I used the LF mask set.
 

So by all means paint and detail the engine, but perhaps keep the cylinder heads, the cowling dimples and the mounting ring paint free of paint until  you are happy with the fit. It is just about possible to fit the engine to the fuselage after assembly but it’s certainly tricky to then attach the second exhausts to the air intake scoop as per instructions. Little can be seen of that though as the cowling gap is only narrow.
 

I guess close fit is the price we pay for modern moulding excellence. Of course now the engine and cowlings is going to need to be painted en bloc, but it’s a firm solid structure now rather than a wobbly circle.

So the Cowling fit issue with the ICM Henschel seems to be my fault.
The way around problems was to completely assemble the engine without paint and mount the cowlings in sequence with glue in the cylinder head recesses so they fit snuggly. Align each in turn. Add the top two pieces as one assembly and press for alignment. 
There are 2 side cowlings that must be placed correctly as they are slightly different.
The main point of attachment is the CYLINDER HEADS, rather than the mounting ring circle.

Beautifully executed!!
 
Alfonso 

Let's start assembling a 3D printed R-2800 shall we.  We start with the engine block (you have seen this already):
 

 
It has 18 keyed holes for the cylinders, and 36 little circular depressions for the valve rod covers.
 
Now we build up the front row cylinders.  Here is one of 9 front row cylinders, fresh out of the printer, not yet freed from its many supports:
 

 
Trim away the supports (carefully), and you have a raw cylinder ready for detailing:
 
 
 
Note that I integrated the side sheet metal air deflectors (previously mentioned a few posts ago) onto the cylinder.  
 
Here is the parts kit for one cylinder:
 

 
It consists of the now painted cylinder, a 1/4 inch dia mounting tube, two rocker arm covers, and the signature inter-ear drain tube (made of .025 dia wire).  
 
How did I make that curved wire?  That was not that hard.  I designed and printed a little form block:
 
 
 
It allows the wire to be formed like this:
 

 
Note the form block has grooves in the sides to locate a proper trim.  And here is the part trimmed in the tool:
 

 
 And the finished part:
 

 
And a fully assembled front row cylinder:
 

 
It has been weathered with black wash, and will soon get a clear flat rattle can spray, and then assembled onto the engine block.
 
Here is one of 18 valve pushrod covers for the front row:
 
 
 
Note it has castellated couplings on either end - I think that is way cool.  Internal combustion engines generally have two valves per cylinder, one for intake and one for exhaust.  Almost without exception they are driven open or closed by a spring loaded rocker arm on top of the cylinder head, which is in turn driven by a long pushrod that spans the top of the cylinder head to a dedicated shaft inside the engine block (unless the engine is an overhead cam type).  The shaft is driven by the crank shaft and has machined cammed lobes that control the up/down movement of the push rod.  In a car engine these push rods are hidden inside the engine block.  In an air-cooled radial, they are mostly outside the engine block, and covered by a tube.  That is what you see above.  Look for 18 of these on the completed assembly.
 
I have mentioned side air deflectors on the R-2800 cylinders.  They also have top air deflectors.  In the picture below (from the parts catalogue), the top deflectors are items 22 and 23:
 

 
 
What is not shown in the picture is the ring they attach to.  
 
Here is my upper deflector assembly fresh out of the printer:
 

 
I chose to combine the eight (not nine, eight) deflectors and the ring into one part, and then hoped it would work out.  Here it is free of its gazillion supports, and spray painted flat black:
 

 
Yes - uber-fragile.  I was on pins and needles trimming off the supports.  That part would round out the assembly.
 
And here we are so far.  Aft side (will be largely invisible):
 

 
Fwd side (will be almost fully visible):
 

 
I mentioned eight (not 9) deflectors.  That is because that space on the bottom cylinder (number 10) is occupied by an oil sump for the cylinder heads.
 
For those of you who followed my Corsair R-2800 build a few years ago, you know it took me many months to get to this point.  That engine was not 3D printed; it was scratch built fin by fin, with a lathe and end mill machined acrylic engine block.  Here it was at the same level of completion:
 
  
 
 
I hope y'all agree my latest effort is much better (and I can tell you - much easier).  And BTW - this is engine number one.  It will be on static display on its own.  Engine number two, which will benefit from lessons learned along the way, will follow and will be installed into the P-47's cowl at some point. 
 
Next up is a little break.  Then it is on to the aft row, the intake pipes, and the exhaust extension pipes.  Take care and stay tuned!
 
 
 
    

That's Bruce Gambles' page and I highly recommend this 6 part series covering VMF-214 as there is just Soooo Much to digest via all the reels, pics when it comes to F4U-1, -1"A" Corsairs!!!
 
Alfonso
Admitted Corsair Pornographer
 

That's Bruce Gambles' page and I highly recommend this 6 part series covering VMF-214 as there is just Soooo Much to digest via all the reels, pics when it comes to F4U-1, -1"A" Corsairs!!!
 
Alfonso
Admitted Corsair Pornographer
 

Some interesting Corsair video here:
 
 
Heads up for a mid-air collision with loss of crews at 6:55.  

A "Windicator" for me, Please!
A Vindicated Vindicator... YESSS!
 
Multiple scheme options too.. eg,
-Yellow Wings
-Barclay schemes
-Lt. Gray
-Blue Gray over Light Gray
-I've read some state side Trainers were "3 toned", no pics for reference!?
- FAA schemes
-French schemes
 
Also a vote for the Blenheim and Do-17... Same as above for schemes...
 
Sheeeeeaaat, Peter, make 'em ALL! 😂

A "Windicator" for me, Please!
A Vindicated Vindicator... YESSS!
 
Multiple scheme options too.. eg,
-Yellow Wings
-Barclay schemes
-Lt. Gray
-Blue Gray over Light Gray
-I've read some state side Trainers were "3 toned", no pics for reference!?
- FAA schemes
-French schemes
 
Also a vote for the Blenheim and Do-17... Same as above for schemes...
 
Sheeeeeaaat, Peter, make 'em ALL! 😂

A "Windicator" for me, Please!
A Vindicated Vindicator... YESSS!
 
Multiple scheme options too.. eg,
-Yellow Wings
-Barclay schemes
-Lt. Gray
-Blue Gray over Light Gray
-I've read some state side Trainers were "3 toned", no pics for reference!?
- FAA schemes
-French schemes
 
Also a vote for the Blenheim and Do-17... Same as above for schemes...
 
Sheeeeeaaat, Peter, make 'em ALL! 😂

A "Windicator" for me, Please!
A Vindicated Vindicator... YESSS!
 
Multiple scheme options too.. eg,
-Yellow Wings
-Barclay schemes
-Lt. Gray
-Blue Gray over Light Gray
-I've read some state side Trainers were "3 toned", no pics for reference!?
- FAA schemes
-French schemes
 
Also a vote for the Blenheim and Do-17... Same as above for schemes...
 
Sheeeeeaaat, Peter, make 'em ALL! 😂