LSP_Kevin Posted April 9, 2015 Author Share Posted April 9, 2015 I sympathise with your woes, Kev ... This engine is really ugly, not because of your efforts, but because of Trumpeter's design. Indeed. I'm not especially happy with it, and post my photos with a mix of trepidation and disdain. I've seen it built and enhanced quite nicely by better modellers than me, but I'll be happy if it looks acceptable from the front. I'm a bit concerned about how much of it will be visible through the open cowl flaps though, and may elect to go the closed route if I can. Kev sandokan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monthebiff Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Personally I think your doing great Kev, don't let the the poor Trumpy engine bits get you down as most wont be seen, as a whole when its all finished it won't detract from the finished article. Regards. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted April 10, 2015 Author Share Posted April 10, 2015 Thanks for the vote of confidence Andy. It's amazing how deflating it can be when your efforts at the workbench don't measure up to your expectations, so it's nice to have a bit of encouragement to keep me going. Kev Volture 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volture Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Keep the good job Kev.....we are follow you!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted April 10, 2015 Author Share Posted April 10, 2015 Keep the good job Kev.....we are follow you!!! Thanks Philippos. The engine wiring is nearly done - and just in the nick of time too, as I've just run out of 8 amp fuse wire! At least then I can move on to a more rewarding part of the build. The question is, will it be cockpit or wheel bays? Kev Volture 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volture Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 yeah!!!!!!!!!!.....Great!!! The answer is clear...:yes...the cockpit and wheel bays is an very nice area for improvement from you Kev!!! Your big experience is the best weapon against the midquality of the trumpeter kit!! When you done in a hard way ...the reward is bigger!!!! Cant wait!! Respect!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Great work so far K1. Although the engine is not maybe what you want in the end this is not a birdcage the "easy" way, so looks like its living up to its thread title a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 Thanks chaps. I've officially given up on the wiring, and am going to move on. I thought I had it all done and dusted last night, but as I was doing some paint touch-ups on the engine, they started falling off again! And then another one fell off while I was taking the photos! So, enough is enough. Here's what the engine looks like from the front, embedded in the cowling, and with incomplete wiring: The lighting makes it difficult to see it all clearly, but I reckon I'll get away with leaving it as is. In fact, if I had my time over again, I would have skipped the wiring altogether (in the absence of a better method for securing them). Here's a slightly angled variation of the above photo: The cowling in the photos is in fact the LSP resin upgrade, mastered by Chris Sherland, cast by D.B. Andrus, and with photo-etched bits by Radu (not shown). It fits beautifully: Keep in mind that it's ever so slightly out of kilter in the photos due to resting on the surface and being pushed aside a little. When mated together in a free fashion, it's perfect. Nothing to worry about here! Now, cockpit or wheel bays next? Kev Kahunaminor, Sparzanza and sandokan 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Bummer buddy. It looks so naked. Hope befor your done, give it one more go.......Harv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 Yeah, I'm definitely not happy with it Harv, but without starting again, I don't think it's worth any more work. I do have their F4U-4 kit in the stash though, and assuming they've used the same engine moulds for both, I could conceivably give it another go with that one (since I plan to replace the engine in that kit entirely). That approach would stay within the spirit of the challenge, which is to use what was supplied (the unwritten rule being, no additional aftermarket). I'm just not sure if I can be bothered! I'm happy to take some advice and tips on how to do the wiring better though, and if I can hit upon a method that looks like it'll be successful, I might just give it a go. I think I first need to follow Brian's tip, and find some more malleable material to start with. Kev sandokan and Out2gtcha 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 I've just had a look at the engine that comes with Trumpeter's F4U-4 kit, and it's pretty much identical to this one, other than the rear exhaust arrangement and the front gear reduction housing. The latter is a bit of a showstopper unfortunately, as it's clear that the later style is not appropriate for this build. The engine won't be fitted for some time yet, so there's still plenty of time for another solution to present itself. And in reality, I'm happy to leave it as is if necessary. Kev sandokan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 Nice engine Harv! Given that my problem revolves around getting the damn wires to stick, I'm wondering if using a heavier gauge, with more surface area for bonding, might be helpful. Perhaps even having an attachment point at the other end, too, so they're not swinging in the breeze, so to speak. One thing's for sure, I'm not going to be able to get any wiring into the spark plug holes I drilled into the cylinders, as the borked orientation means none of them line up like they should. And to think, I started with the engine first because I thought it would be the easiest bit! Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 I thought, for the sake of clarity, I'd take a couple of photos of the completed engine outside the cowling, as it was a bit hard to see it properly in situ. But of course, while I was positioning the engine for the photo shoot, I knocked another wire off! I'm surprised there's any left: Here's a view from the side, showing how I've merely draped the wires over the edge, so to speak: I'm wondering if the way to go might be to drill some mounting holes into the centre section behind the engine, and anchor the wires there as well as attaching them to the ignition harness. Perhaps they'd be more resistant to being knocked off that way. Or, are they simply supposed to anchor into the cylinders below? I can't really tell from photos of the real thing, but if that's what's supposed to happen, I may be a bit stuck, as I'm not sure I'll be able to drill those holes into the lower cylinders with the full engine already assembled. You can tell I've only ever added wires to a radial engine once before, eh? Kev Iain, sandokan, 109 and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Ron Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Looks good to me Kev, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 Looks good to me Kev, Thanks Ron. To be honest, if the wires I added had just all stayed in place, I'd be happy to leave it alone. But given that several of them have already fallen off, and more likely to fall off before the end, I think I have to start again. I'm just going to set it aside for now and work on other areas of the build, and revisit it later - perhaps when I've had a chance to buy some lead wire. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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