JayW Posted January 3, 2016 Author Share Posted January 3, 2016 Wingman - Do I have the guts to finish it? I could install the wings and tail now and call it done. But it would be a mismatch (and it would be gutless). No I will do something interesting with the radiator area and the tail surfaces. I may (not sure yet) scratch build the fin/rudders. Will probably sand down the leading edges and make the decision based on how well or poorly it goes. I think the outboard wings will not be all that hard although the ailerons must be scratch built. The hardest part is finding a place in my (small) house to put this monster. It is truly a giant model. Kevin - your words inspire me man. I hope to do something worthy of this fantastic site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironwing Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 JW My confidence in you was clearly not misplaced. The doors and gear are just stunning and probably the most authentic reproduction of the prototype ever done. Kudos Buddy, youve done yourself proud. Best Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironwing Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 JW Our big birds are together on page 1! I think there should be a section for super size LSP stuff, dont you? G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loic Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 Looks like you have some heavy sand paper action ahead... Keep it up, it looks fantastic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRutman Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 Still awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brahman104 Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 I'm going to have to go back to the start and read this all over again. You've done an epic job here mate; she looks every inch a P-38. Given what you've achieved with the landing gear I can only imagine what magic you're going to produce with the booms. Really makes me want to do one as well! Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayW Posted January 16, 2016 Author Share Posted January 16, 2016 Well - just an update to know I am alive. Isn't much. The radiator fairings have been puttied over to cover panel lines. The lines were literally trenches, like usual. I hope it turns out better than the wing panel lines. I am in the process of rescribing new lines that are more accurate. At the same time I am dremmeling away the outlet doors with the intention of adding in more realistic and thinner gage doors: The intake openings have new plates installed which on the real airplane serve as boundary layer control devices. On this airplane they are simple shaped sheets of plastic with epoxy serving to add some filleting: Lastly, while I really didn't have a plan last I posted, I now have a plan. First, what I showed already on the radiator fairings. But I have begun to computer model the vertical tail. I am all but decided on completely replacing the vertical tail. I will cut off the existing stuff at the canted planes where the upper and lower fin sections attach. At those planes I will be stuck with the existing contour which gives a leading edge that is too round and fat. But from there I will taper the sections toward the upper and lower tip fairings and give a shape much better than the awful sections on the toy tail. The rudder will be scratch built as well, and will actually look like a separate part as it should. The tip fairings and LE fairings are going to be big jobs whittling away at blocks of pure plastic. I did alot of that on Miss Velma as some of you know. It is painstaking work. I only hesitate on this because it is going to take alot of time, and frankly I am getting impatient to get Lucky Lady finished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brahman104 Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Good to see another update from you Jay! I was wondering what your plan for filling the "trenches" was. Will you be able to scribe through the putty okay? I've never had much luck with it, but then you have skills . I'm wondering about the LE pieces of the tail; how about carving them in balsa or something like that to the close shape then covering them with either heat moulded plastic, just pushed over the top, or coating the balsa itself in cyano and a few good coats of primer. It may be quicker? If you've already modelled the shapes on the computer, could you perhaps send them to shape ways or something and get them printed? Just a thought, although in the end whichever way you decided will come out a treat like the rest! I'm not sure if you've already said it or not, but what's your plan for the finish? are you going with paint? I'm guessing you're not about to embark on the insanity that a few of us are doing at the moment with aluminium? You're doing an amazing job mate, looking forward to seeing more Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayW Posted January 16, 2016 Author Share Posted January 16, 2016 Craig - thanks for the suggestions!! The computer modeling is inexact for the tip fairings and LE fairings. The base contour is defined, and the side profile is defined. That enables me to scribe the shapes on two sides of a piece of painted block. From there it is by gosh and by golly with heavy sanding paper at the start, and then of course light sand paper when it gets close. The balso and cyano sounds like a pretty decent alternative; will give it some thought. 3D printing - OMG now that's an idea. I guess I will see if someone is around who can do that. I would have to find a way to better define those contours though. As for panel lines on the radiator fairings - I am finished trying to scribe lines in putty. That is a disaster waiting to happen. Fortunately the old lines are inaccurately placed and I can scribe mostly on the plastic surface. You'll see. BTW - maybe a good time to ask the audience at large - how does one scribe lines on tight compound curvature? I normally use dymo embossing tape for the edge, but it doesn't wrap around compound surfaces. I can cut a very narrow piece but that is only marginally better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayW Posted January 16, 2016 Author Share Posted January 16, 2016 Ah - forgot to talk finish. No, I will not be doing aluminum! The purpose of this effort is to make an accurately shaped Lightning that looks alot like a wartime bird with some flight hours and some dirt and grit. My plans are no more gradiose than that. I have already painted what I have finished and that is with several types of Tamiya silvers. I will just continue with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 BTW - maybe a good time to ask the audience at large - how does one scribe lines on tight compound curvature? I normally use dymo embossing tape for the edge, but it doesn't wrap around compound surfaces. I can cut a very narrow piece but that is only marginally better. Jay, try electrical tape - you know, the really elastic kind. Trace your line or shape with one piece, and then overlay several more to build up an edge to scribe against. If you go slowly and gently, it should work. Kev Hubert Boillot 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironwing Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 JW It a bit more work but...take a piece (strip) of .010 card stock and wrap it around the area that needs scibing. Use tape to define the line on the wrapped card stock. Pencil the line on. If you screw it up, erase the line and go again. This gives you unlimited chances to get it perfect. Once satisfied, remove the strip and scissor cut along the line. The resultant form can then be return to the fuselage..securely taped in place and used as an edge, against which you can scribe whick is rock steady. Just go slow with light scribes and let the build up slowly. If it's in an area that will get paint, put down primer first and scribe into the primer rather than the plastic. This too gives you the option if rework if you kiss the donkey. Geterdone ole man... G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kman458 Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 (edited) How about one of these? They are made to follow contours of objects. also try thin line masking tape as it will follow compound curves better. Edited January 16, 2016 by kman458 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayW Posted January 23, 2016 Author Share Posted January 23, 2016 Ladies and Gentlemen - slowly progress is made. Masking for panel lines on compound surfaces - the suggestion was made to use electrical tape, and that worked after a fashion. What electrical tape doesn't do for you is provide a hard edge to control the line of the scriber. What it does for you though is give you the right line. So with great care one can baby the tool alongside the edge of the tape with the first pass being very slight in depth, and then grow the line from there. I will show you the finished radiator cowlings next post, where I have used electrical tape for some of the lines. Meanwhile I dremmeled away the aft flaps: Have I mentioned the plastic on this toy is very tough? And very thick? I know I have.... When I dive into this dremmeling, it sounds like a heavy construction project. I have scratch built replacement flaps out of thinner gage plastic. They will look better, and will also have control rods. Next post you will see that. I have also been investigating the wisdom of replacing the vertical tails. The existing surfaces are shaped about right, are oriented vertically like they are supposed to be, and importantly - are already there! But the lines are trenches, and the rudder is not separate, the leading edges are horrible (although they respond to sanding), and they just have no realism. Here is a reminder: I have begun a computer model of the vertical tail, and it is encouraging. It makes me feel like I have a plan: You can see the rudder isn't there yet, nor most of the difficult edge fairings. But the rudder modeling just isn't done yet; I have a good plan and I do not foresee many issues. The tip and other leading edge fairings don't really have to be modeled any further. I can reproduce the outlines on the raw material I will hog them out of, and I have the contours of the base surfaces in which they will be attached. The rest is just by gosh and by golly filing and dremmeling and sanding. The leading edge fairing modeling you see there was really not necessary. I have made one already which you will see in this picture: You also see the upper fin skin panels, the block of material for the other upper leading edge fairing, and the flapper doors for the radiator cowling (LH side boom). Fin frames and spars will follow, just like the computer model. At some point I will decide whether or not this is a good idea, and if favorable, I will amputate the existing vertical tail. But only until then! Alot of you guys really hang it out on your efforts - I should have the courage to do same. Lastly, some decalling for the tail booms and vertical tail: Actually I will paint the big "H" on the inside of each vertical tail - it will be easy. I might paint the "H" on the radiator cowlings too. The rest will be decals though. Next post will be fun for all of us. I promise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironwing Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 W Rudder and fin are looking good. You ust love hogging plastic dont you ... Anyway, Im looking forward to your next update. Show us more magic Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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