Iain Posted October 17, 2017 Author Share Posted October 17, 2017 If I remember correctly it was started in 1999 - so only 18 years so far! But, hey, ho, she's slowly moving forward as and when I'm in the right mood. In latest progress I have replaced the two windows that I was unhappy about - and sealed off the main fuselage from the cockpit with a new bulkhead. Entrance from cockpit to main fuselage area will be covered by a replica curtain when I detail the rear cockpit bulkhead (one of the next jobs). Will be masking the windows internally and spraying interior matt black in next few days - then finish the 'pit and we can close the fuselage for good! Photos to follow - not easy to photograph because of the size. Oh - and appear to have lost the master pattern I made for the cockpit window/roof Iain Uilleann and MikeC 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted October 17, 2017 Author Share Posted October 17, 2017 BTW - I have copies of relevant Tech Manuals - but don't suppose anyone out there has any idea where I can lay my hands on a set of manufacturers drawings/dimensions for the cockpit windshield panels? Iain Uilleann 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Maxim Posted October 17, 2017 Share Posted October 17, 2017 You realize that we are all waiting for you to finish it so HPH can then bring out a kit of it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted October 21, 2017 Author Share Posted October 21, 2017 It's now 2:47 am UK time - and, drum roll please, I've only gone and got the fuselage all bonded up... Looking messy at the mo - epoxy resin is brilliant stuff - but it doesn't half get everywhere!! Just gone over the joints with another thin layer of epoxy to fill any gaps and letting it harden off overnight. Plan is to smooth everything off tomorrow and get the wing root area ready to accept the wings now they have the extended flap area. To say this is a *major* milestone would be a bit of an understatement and if I had a bottle of bubbly handy I'd crack it open Night all - I will take some photos and post tomorrow. Iain LSP_Kevin, MikeC, Uilleann and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonH Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Looking forward to the pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 ..........Harv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimRice Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 I have a much smaller project which has been on/off/on/off/on since mid-80s. Don't know if it is much of a claim to fame. I did actually do some work on it tonight. I sanded down the top wing in preparation for repainting. The white had slightly yellowed stored in the original box, while the fuselage and lower wing, sitting in the open on a shelf is fine. Here's link to the thread I started in 2007. http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=13130 Iain 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 It's now 2:47 am UK time - and, drum roll please, I've only gone and got the fuselage all bonded up... Looking messy at the mo - epoxy resin is brilliant stuff - but it doesn't half get everywhere!! Just gone over the joints with another thin layer of epoxy to fill any gaps and letting it harden off overnight. Plan is to smooth everything off tomorrow and get the wing root area ready to accept the wings now they have the extended flap area. To say this is a *major* milestone would be a bit of an understatement and if I had a bottle of bubbly handy I'd crack it open Night all - I will take some photos and post tomorrow. Iain BiggTim and Uilleann 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Congrats, Iain! Like everyone else, I'm looking forward to the pictorial evidence. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted October 21, 2017 Author Share Posted October 21, 2017 Piccies - not brilliant quality - bit big to photograph properly! Interior sprayed matt black prior to joining: Joining the fuselage halves - about 4 fluid ounces of 30 minute epoxy used - very, very, messy and quite stressful - even with about half an hour of working time. My wife, Anne, was very patient with me when I shouted for help holding everything together whilst I taped her up (I did give her some latex gloves to wear - did I say this stuff was messy). My big worry was epoxy running inside and marking one of the windows - but fortunately all good! Today I have mostly been sanding, and sanding, and sanding - with 80 grit glass paper on an aluminium 'T' Bar sanding bar. The epoxy is tough stuff to sand and I wanted to get the excess sanded back today before it gets tougher... Technique is to sand at almost 90 deg to the joint - heat from the process helps soften the excess epoxy and some can be peeled away. Once that was done I went over all of the joints with a very thin superglue to ensure any cracks were sealed - I'll be applying a thin layer of polyester car body filler over all of the joints tomorrow to do a final smoothing. Fuselage is now *very* solid! Note from the photos that the cockpit is still pretty empty - made decision that I'd probably damage something if I finished before joining the fuselage halves. I'll simply cut out the roof section - finish the cockpit - and then re-fit roof when ready. Also - a couple of areas around nose where plastic is missing - I can thank our Spaniel for that - she got hold of one of the fuselage halves in her mouth when she was a puppy - easy enough to let in some plastic sheet. If I get time tomorrow, my aim is to sort the wing roots so that I can dry fit the wings and, perhaps, get a photo of something that's starting to look like a Connie. Have fun... Iain Uilleann, Starfighter, Out2gtcha and 9 others 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 GO MAN, GO........Harv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennismcc Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 That is rather large, nice to see the fuselage joined. Cheers Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radders Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 You've done a wise move by blacking the interior instead of building up the interior. Whilst it's great, something this big will have an instant 'wow' factor as soon as you see it. It's going to be amazing, I honestly can't wait to see it in all it's miniature 1/32nd Connie glory. Top work getting the fuselage together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted October 21, 2017 Author Share Posted October 21, 2017 You really wouldn't be able to see anything anyway Radleigh... Well - I've now plugged the gaps around the nose - but discovered I was wise not to put everything in the 'pit as a nice blob of epoxy landed on the centre console This had now been removed for repair - not all bad... Iain LSP_Kevin and MikeC 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted October 22, 2017 Author Share Posted October 22, 2017 And - in further breaking news - the first skims of Polyester Car Body filler have been applied to the fuselage joints: *more* sanding in the morning! Also - area ahead of the tailplane is the wrong shape - so this will be removed and re-skinned. Iain LSP_Kevin, LSP_Paul and MikeC 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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