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1/32 IAR 80


Radub

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Thanks Kagemusha. My father is a fairly skilled craftsman (it must be in the genes) and did a good job on the wooden moulds.

 

I was wondering if you new anything about this 1/24th IAR kit.

http://www.modelism.ro/html/aviation_models.htm

 

GSNeil, I have that kit (I actually have two). It is a mixed bag. It is a IAR81C Series 301-450, the same as the one I am building here. The main parts are vacformed and the detail parts are in resin. The cockpit is not 100% accurate - for example it has a flat floor, but the IAR80 had a rounded bottom like the Spitfire. The instrument panel is a bizarre photo-etched part that just makes no sense - it is accurate in detail and dimensions but it is poorly executed. The engine is OK but can be improved. The decals (at least in my examples) are printed with a laser printer onto white paper label paper. You need to cut them off the sheet and stick them on - it is just not right.

It is a great starting point. If I were to build it someday, I would scratchbuild a new interior and engine and detail some of the rest. I like it, but I like the IAR80 anyway and this one is not too bad.

Radu

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have been working on the fuselage halves for the last few days. I still have a good bit to go. Here are some photos in the meantime.

I had to do a bit of shimmying to make the fuselage halves meet properly and get the right width (the parts were vacformed slighly short).

The engine mount ring was turned on my lathe and inserted at the front. It will have to faired in with miliput.

post-683-1212941155.jpg

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View from the back. The cockpit needs to be opened and I need to refine the spine a bit. Also, the bulges at the tailplane roots need to be refined.

post-683-1212941311.jpg

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And a view from below. The small depressions for the exhausts on the nose are in the wrong place and need to be a bit higher by about 4mm. Miliput again.

More photos soon.

Radu

post-683-1212941465.jpg

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excellent work radu. but i was wondering how did you and your father make the master for vacuforming. did you just sand down a block of wood and then split it in two? and the wings and tail ? i'm just trying to understand the process of making a vacuformed kit and i would appreciate any enlightenment.

 

regards,

chris

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Salut Chris,

The masters were made by carving the "male" parts from wood. We used pine, but it was not a good idea because the grain was too coarse and it eventually showed through during vacuforming.

These were carved using chisels, knives, planes and a lot of sandpaper. It was very dusty work. It took two weeks of hard work for my father to make them.

Then, the parts were vacuformed in plastic using one of these machines: http://www.warmplastic.com/avf.html I have the Kingston Junior. It is OK, but I would really like to get a proper vacuforming machine someday. I also have a Mattel Vac-U-Form that works beautifully but it was too small for this.

That is all there is to it.

Here are some pictures of the masters. There are also some smaller parts for the tailpanes and the engine cowl, but these are the main parts.

Radu

post-683-1212956258.jpg

post-683-1212956276.jpg

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mersi radu. so he made each half individually, always checking to see the fit with the other one. maaaan ... he must be a patient man. what do you think he should've used instead?? what kind of wood is good for making a master?/ would balsa work??

 

HAI ROMANIA!!!! ROMANIAAAAA !!!! ROOOOMANIA!!!

ROMANIA - FRANCE 1-0

 

chris

 

 

post-3674-1212993158.jpg

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Thanks lads.

Spyromania, balsa wood may work better, but it needs to be sealed. Any relatively soft wood with fine grain should work.

Romania to beat France? :lol: I guess it is soccer. I have to admit I am not watching and did not even know they were playing. :lol: (I am more of a rugby man).

Radu

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