Z M Douglas A1-H Skyraider

[Phartycr0c]

Coming along really well Matt.

 

Looking at the engine detail, is it difficult to assemble as the engine displays all the relevant piston positions. I assume that the inclusion of the minute internal detail would allow a "cutaway" aircraft to be built, however with such a lovely kit, I personally cannot see any reason why someone would want to throw effectively half a kit away.

 

Keep up the good work.

[Out2gtcha]

Thanks for all the generous compliments guys. Very nice of you.

 

 

Coming along really well Matt Brian.

 

Looking at the engine detail, is it difficult to assemble as the engine displays all the relevant piston positions. I assume that the inclusion of the minute internal detail would allow a "cutaway" aircraft to be built, however with such a lovely kit, I personally cannot see any reason why someone would want to throw effectively half a kit away.

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Yeah, actually there is really only 1 possible way the engine halves go together. ZM did/does a really great job on making complex things fit together well with pins and slots. The engine halves have pins and also have "caps" at the top of each cylinder that prevent you from sticking the two parts together any way but 1. If it fits wrong............you did something wrong I found.

 

Yes I too have no clue why you would want to chop the airframe up at all, as to be honest certain things (such as the wing ribs especially) ive found are really not in scale and would need PE subbed in in order to give any kind of scale appearance what-so-ever.

 

I kinda wish ZM would re-think their "shtick" (I.E. meaning there seemingly inherent need to make kits in silver,black and grey plastic as WELL as their need to include the above mentioned internal components) and maybe take a "poll" or something similar to gauge how many people who have the kit ACTUALLY built the internal OOB details to be visible in the final build; Id venture to say VERY, VERY few are doing it.

 

I truly and wholeheartedly wish ZM would rethink this process and spend some of the obviously large amounts of R & D money they spent getting things in the kit like engine pistons, fuel tanks, radio gear, wing structure, ect, ect, and instead spend them on including the weighted wheels, cannon and especially the weapons set.

 

Alas, I think this is what most modelers would have wanted, but will not come true. All that being said it still is a really wonderful kit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didnt have much time to work on the big guy this weekend, but I did manage to get some more work on the engine. The engine is not by any means complete, as I still have a LOT of touch up painting to do on the rocker arms, and push rods/rod ends.

 

Here is what I have so far:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

Brian

[Harold]

Sweet engine..

[LSP_Ron]

Sweet engine..

 

Looking good Brian. Although I don't have this kit I certainly share your sentiments regarding the multi colored plastic and semi scale internal details. I'd gladly see those unnecessary bits like engine pistons and wing ribs omitted and add some armament along with all that aftermarket PE details included.

[A.Wolf Grant]

That, sir, is very sweet.

 

 

Grant

[Out2gtcha]

Thanks guys.

 

Looking good Brian. Although I don't have this kit I certainly share your sentiments regarding the multi colored plastic and semi scale internal details. I'd gladly see those unnecessary bits like engine pistons and wing ribs omitted and add some armament along with all that aftermarket PE details included.

 

Agreed. I am especially not a fan of the silver 70's era look alike plastic. Although it isnt actually soft in detail and does look good in paint, It doesnt sand well and looks like the detail is quite soft.

 

Brian

[LSP_K2]

Does the manufacturer offer the option to have internal cowl flaps open?

[Out2gtcha]

Does the manufacturer offer the option to have internal cowl flaps open?

 

Yep.

The cowl itself comes OOB from ZM in 3 - 4 separate pieces, then a front ring attachment although no "open cowl braces" come with them to display them open. There are two separately molded nose flaps. One molded open and one closed. I am not a cowl open guy, so I guess most of the work I did on the engine will never be seen, however, I will have the nose flaps open.

 

If the nose flaps are modeled shut you will see (literally) nothing of the engine (except maybe a tiny bit through the two cutouts at approx 3 & 9 positions for the magnetos -

 

 

 

So, theoretically, if one was not inclined to put any effort to painting or detailing the engine, one could model the nose flaps closed and save quite a bit of work. The post sticking out of the 11:00 (ish) position is the indicator for the nose flaps; red and white all out = nose flaps closed. Red section not visible = nose flaps open. Im not sure yet if ZM includes this indicator or not........Ill have to check.

 

Ill be modeling my nose flaps open since I put some time on painting the engine, but one still needs to pay attention to which position their flaps are in and affix the indicator in the appropriate position.

 

Brian

[Marek]

Wow! It is realy great looking engine

[Out2gtcha]

Thanks again guys. Didnt have a lot of time last weekend to work on the big guy, but I the time I did spend was on the exhausts. ZM provides nicely molded exhaust pipes OOB, but they are not hollow (apologies for the gargantuan size of the pic ):

 

 

(PIC COURTESY OF PRIME PORTHOLE)

 

 

So, I proceeded to just take my time (ended up being more like 5 or 6 hrs over the course of the weekend) and remove the pipes from the trees, cleaning the mold seams up on each side of each pipe, then trimming the sprue tags off, then drilling out the end pipes and then thinning and sanding the end of the pipes till thin and smooth.

 

Next I painted them with MM rust, followed by a dry-brushing of MM burnt Iron. I followed that up with Tamiya Weathering Pallets (TWP) light rust and orange rust. I then took and used TWP snow on the tips. This was all sealed in with a 2 coats of MM clear flat lacquer -

 

 

 

 

 

Im not 100% sure how much of the exhaust you'll be able to see on my final model, but I will have the flap ring open and wanted to make sure all was squared away.

I also still have yet to paint the inside of the exhaust pipes, which I will hit with some MM exhaust metalizer.

 

 

Ill likely pick things back up this weekend, as Id like to start on the wings and center fuse sections.

 

Cheers,

Brian

[LSP_Ron]

Nice pipes Brian!

[Phartycr0c]

Lovely pipes !

[Out2gtcha]

Thanks guys!

 

Ill be taking off next thurs, as well as the thurs after that, (got to use up some vaca time before my re-up in June) so I should have some more significant progress soon. Assembling and completing the engine is not needed to move onto the next step so hopefully soon I should have something more interesting to look at

 

 

This weekend is obviously Easter on Sun, so I may get a chance to work on the SPAD later on Sun after the family brunch.

 

Saturday however, is Omacon 2012, where I will be entering my SU-30 in the 1/32 Jet class, as well as my P-40E in the 32nd prop class (they seem to be sticking to fairly straight forward categories in 32nd still), so Ill be tied up there. I hope to see some great models and maybe even get a podium place if Im lucky.

 

Ill take and share some pics of what I see...........

 

Cheers,

Brian

[LSP_Kevin]

Saturday however, is Omacon 2012, where I will be entering my SU-30 in the 1/32 Jet class, as well as my P-40E in the 32nd prop class [...]

 

Good luck Brian!

 

Kev

[Budman]

Thanks for all the generous compliments guys. Very nice of you.

 

 

 

 

Yeah, actually there is really only 1 possible way the engine halves go together. ZM did/does a really great job on making complex things fit together well with pins and slots. The engine halves have pins and also have "caps" at the top of each cylinder that prevent you from sticking the two parts together any way but 1. If it fits wrong............you did something wrong I found.

 

Yes I too have no clue why you would want to chop the airframe up at all, as to be honest certain things (such as the wing ribs especially) ive found are really not in scale and would need PE subbed in in order to give any kind of scale appearance what-so-ever.

 

I kinda wish ZM would re-think their "shtick" (I.E. meaning there seemingly inherent need to make kits in silver,black and grey plastic as WELL as their need to include the above mentioned internal components) and maybe take a "poll" or something similar to gauge how many people who have the kit ACTUALLY built the internal OOB details to be visible in the final build; Id venture to say VERY, VERY few are doing it.

 

I truly and wholeheartedly wish ZM would rethink this process and spend some of the obviously large amounts of R & D money they spent getting things in the kit like engine pistons, fuel tanks, radio gear, wing structure, ect, ect, and instead spend them on including the weighted wheels, cannon and especially the weapons set.

 

Alas, I think this is what most modelers would have wanted, but will not come true. All that being said it still is a really wonderful kit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didnt have much time to work on the big guy this weekend, but I did manage to get some more work on the engine. The engine is not by any means complete, as I still have a LOT of touch up painting to do on the rocker arms, and push rods/rod ends.

 

Here is what I have so far:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

Brian

 

I think if we put the exhaust on that puppy we can fire it right up!!!

 

Great work, what neat detail and you are doing it sooooo fast.

 

Bud