XS-Models Hughes H-1

[LSP_Kevin]

I would think you could hammer out a prop boss with some brass tubing and a bit of plastic pretty easily?

 

Probably Ron, but I just don't want to! I will though if it comes to that.

 

Kev

[RacerDave]

I have several pictures of the replica when it was at Oshkosh in 03. I'll have to dig a little bit to find them if you are interested.

Edited January 27, 2013 by RacerDave

[LSP_Kevin]

I have several pictures of the replica when it was at Oshkosh in 03. I'll have to dig a little bit to find them if you are interested.

 

Thanks for the offer Dave, but Roland has already sent me dozens (possibly hundreds!) of photos and computer renderings of the entire aircraft. The cockpit is actually quite busy, but I'm going to try to resist adding much more detail than is already in the kit, for fear of getting bogged down and risking not enjoying my first attempt at a resin kit. The kit is certainly heavily simplified in terms of detail, but that's understandable. If I don't stay close to OOB on this one, it may never get done!

 

One thing I still haven't come across yet though is an image of the seat. I'm not that fussed about the shape or design with respect to the kit part, but nothing so confirms the colour for me. Aluminium or a NMF of some kind, I'm guessing.

 

Kev

[LSP_Kevin]

I've now heard back from Andreas at XS-Models, and he's happy to send me the missing part, and possibly a new cowl ring too. He also sent me an annotated, high-res version of the cockpit image in the instructions, and this makes things much clearer! Thank you Andreas!

 

I've been pushing this thing around the workbench on and off all afternoon, but mainly did some painting. I started with the fuselage side walls:

 

 

The main colour is my favourite workhorse NMF paint: Tamiya AS-12. As an experiment, I painted the ribs with Mr Metal Color "Stainless", just to break things up a bit. I also used it on piece with the lightening holes in it. The contrast is bit more obvious in the flesh.

 

Here's the main instrument panel:

 

 

Again, difficult to photograph, but should look the biz in place. The seat's got a damn pin hole in it that I can't get rid of:

 

 

I've given it about 3 cycles of Mr. Surfacer out of the jar, followed by the no-sand wipe with a cotton bud moistened with Mr. Color Thinner, but when I'm done, it's back! Grrr...

 

Next up I started work on the engine. AS-12, followed by a wash of Payne's Gray oil paint:

 

 

Front bit (whatever that's called) painted in Gunze RLM 02 (seemed a good match with photos to me), and the push rods done in Humbrol gloss black:

 

 

I also tried painting the distributor ring (or whatever it's called) with Mr. Metal Color "Brass", just to add a bit more variation, but it didn't really work out. Still, it doesn't look awful either. The engine's pretty rough, but Andreas tells me there's a much better multi-part one available as an optional extra, should you be up for it. This will do me for now though. I'm not going to add any additional wiring to it, as I don't want to complicate this build beyond the challenges already present in the box.

 

I've also spent some time refining the surface texture of the major components, starting with the wings. First, I brushed on a rough coat of Mr Surfacer 1200:

 

 

I should really have used 500 (didn't have any unfortunately), and I really should have applied it with a wide, flat brush, so there's a lesson for next time. Anyway, once it was dry enough I sanded it back with a combination of wet-and-dry and some polishing sticks:

 

 

They're quite smooth now, but will need quite a bit more work. I'll move on to the spray cans after this. I want to do as much surface prep as possible before joining the parts together so that I don't place undue strain on the joins once assembled.

 

Thanks as always for looking!

 

Kev

[A.Wolf Grant]

Nice job Kev,

 

bet your arms would Popeye to shame by now.

 

Grant

[csavaglio]

Kev,

It's looking good. Bummer about the missing parts, but I don't think it'd be too hard to scratch from mostly rod stock.

 

Drop me a line with your email. I took about 20 pics of the real aircraft (in it's final, long wing configuration) at the Smithsonian a few years ago. I can pass them your way. They include some very good pics of the prop hub at different angles.

Chris

[Le Diable Rouge]

For the base, you could laminate a nice piece of veneer (a piece of natural mahogany would compliment both the blue and silver nicely). Or, perhaps a piece of picture frame matting scored and weathered to look like concrete?

 

I seem to remember a turf substance that was made from individual fibers that simulated grass very nicely...but that was a really long time ago.

[Daywalker]

Nice to see you going to town here Kev! This is one beauty I am really looking forward to seeing more of.

[LSP_Kevin]

Drop me a line with your email. I took about 20 pics of the real aircraft (in it's final, long wing configuration) at the Smithsonian a few years ago. I can pass them your way. They include some very good pics of the prop hub at different angles.

 

Chris

 

Thanks Chris, I'll get a PM off to you shortly.

 

Kev

[LSP_Kevin]

For the base, you could laminate a nice piece of veneer (a piece of natural mahogany would compliment both the blue and silver nicely). Or, perhaps a piece of picture frame matting scored and weathered to look like concrete?

 

I seem to remember a turf substance that was made from individual fibers that simulated grass very nicely...but that was a really long time ago.

 

Thanks for the suggestions mate. Still considering my options at this stage, but I'm going to try to use one of the bases I've already got (unless they really turn out to be terrible for the job).

 

Kev

[LSP_Kevin]

Nice to see you going to town here Kev!  This is one beauty I am really looking forward to seeing more of.

 

Thanks Frank!  Well, only a small update, this one.  Firstly, I've got the upper wing surfaces looking much better:

 

 

The lower section has quite a few moulding flaws though:

 

 

I've improved it quite a bit since taking that photo, but I'm not too bothered by the forward section, as it needs to be blended in with the fuselage at some stage anyway.

 

The underside of the starboard wing has some awkward resin flow marks that I haven't been game to deal with yet:

 

 

Just in case it's not obvious, there's a slight ridge running through the flap housing detail, and across the aileron. Hmm...

 

Most of the work on this model so far has been such that my wife has given me a new name: Phil Sand.

 

Kev

[Daywalker]

Most of the work on this model so far has been such that my wife has given me a new name: Phil Sand.

 

[Old Dog Flying]

Kevin: If you use 5 Minute Epoxy, you can save an awful lot of sanding and filling if you allow the epoxy to set for 3-4 minutes then use denatured alcohol and a Q-tip to clean up the excess before it fully cures. If you recall I used this procedure when building all of those AIRShowModels about 10 years ago.

 

The excess epoxy also makes for great seams once cured.

Barney

[LSP_Kevin]

Thanks Barney. I've found in the past that Araldite succumbs nicely to white spirits and turps. The nearest thing to denatured alcohol that I have ready access to is methylated spirits, but I don't recall trying that. Not sure if it would work. Andreas at XS-Models has recommended sticking with CA, but I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that. I think there'll be plenty of filling and sanding on this model no matter which glue I use!

 

Kev

[LSP_Kevin]

Back at work, and suddenly not a lot of time to model anymore. As a break from all the filling, sanding and priming, I thought I might do some Alclad tests on an old paint mule. I've never used the stuff before, so I thought it wise to come to grips with it before committing it to this model. Obviously there's only one scheme for this aircraft, and it involves quite a deal of highly polished metal!

 

Anyway, I've only got a single bottle of Alclad in my stash, that being Airframe Aluminium, so that's what I used. The subject is an ancient Nichimo 1/48 Mustang that I gave up on (yes, I do occasionally give up!). I started by sanding and polishing the previous paint work back, then applied a heavy coat of Mr Surfacer 1200, followed by more sanding and polishing, and then some continuous misting of Humbrol Gloss Black.

 

I also gave that some polishing treatment, but I still wasn't convinced that the surface was perfect. Never mind, Alclad would tell me! I misted about 3 light coats on with the airbrush pressure dialed right back. I can't tell you the PSI, as my compressor only goes down to about 20 or so, so I use one of those little inline adapters that fits on the airbrush hose.

 

Anyway, the results:

 

 

 

 

It looks quite a bit more convincing in the flesh (don't they always?), but it does prompt a few questions for me. If you look closely you can still see some micro-scratches from the sanding and polishing. In context I think they're quite effective in providing a bit of a realistic metal texture to the surface, but I probably want to eliminate them on the H-1. I'm guessing Eric's Dremel polishing routine would be the go here. I'll have to have another try on the other wing and see how we go. Is the polishing compound required Eric? At this stage I've got some real concerns about being able to get the surface finish on the H-1 up to snuff.

 

Secondly, the effect has turned out rather dark. For the H-1 I'll be after a brighter, more highly polished finish. Is this result from not enough Alclad being applied, the black undercoat, a combination of the two, or a feature of the particular shade of Alclad I used? Is there a shade of Alclad that is better suited to the highly-polished, gleaming result I'll be shooting for?

 

Sorry for all the questions folks!

 

Kev