1:32 Scale Chipmunk

[freemodeller]

 Hi gentlemen here is the update.

 After test fixing the wing and tail plane, glue than in place and seal gap with putty.

 

 

 

 

 

Next cover the cockpit follow by spray grey plastic primer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see here the top front fuselage moulded with wind screen works very well, joint are easily seal and smooth out, all the moulded detail remain intact.

 

 

The Chipmunk is ready for painting. I plan to paint this model in silver with yellow band ( Portuguese or RAF) any suggestion?

Till the next update, cheers.

 

Robin

Edited February 9, 2016 by freemodeller

[Iain]

Robin - you're such a tease!!! 

 

Seriously - coming together beautifully - a testament to both your pattern making and modelling skills

 

I've spent a lot of time around Chippies - and yours looks just right.

 

Iain

[Loic]

Comes together very nice 

[Kagemusha]

 

The Chipmunk is ready for painting. I plan to paint this model in silver with yellow band ( Portuguese or RAF) any suggestion?

 

 

I'm biased, but RAF. Looks fantastic so far.

[geedubelyer]

This is very exciting Robin.

Thank you for keeping us posted on your progress.

You appear to have achieved a very smooth finish, congratulations.

I'm eager to see what you do next.

 

Cheers

[Rod Blievers]

 

I plan to paint this model in silver with yellow band ( Portuguese or RAF) any suggestion?

 

Robin,

 

I personally really like the RAF scheme, but (you just knew there would be a but coming from me, didn't you?) the longeron strengthening plate (correctly and well portrayed on your model; sort of a "T" shaped plate lying on its side, located immediately aft of the firewall at the same level as the windscreen's lower edge) simply wasn't there until 1983, by which time no RAF Chipmunk was in the overall High Speed Silver/yellow trainer bands scheme.

 

Now I'm not sure if FAP Chipmunks ever carried this mod either! I can't locate any photos showing one in active service with the plate, even as late as the withdrawal from service in 1989. The one exception is Kagemusha's photos of "1305" in a museum, which puzzles me as this aircraft was always in the FAP inventory and would seem to have gone directly to the museum, and never passed into private hands.

 

I mention the "private hands" issue because this mod was universally applied worldwide to all Chipmunks, regardless of who owned them (except, on photographic evidence, the FAP) in the years following promulagation in 1983. Chipmunks registered in the Experimental Category in the USA also escaped this mod. Neither of these should be a surprise, the FAP seemed reluctant to incorporate any of the British changes into their fleet, while "anything goes" applies to US Experimentals!

 

So, if you're going to retain those plates, then for an RAF Chipmunk you're "stuck" with the second permutation of the Red/White/Light Aircraft Grey scheme. But then you run into another possible chronological anomaly!

 

RAF/AAC/RN Chipmunks all initially had a dual 12V battery installation, accessed by two identical rectangular hatches on either side of the upper rear fuselage (as you have depicted):

 

 

In 1972 the battery was modified, essentially a new larger single unit (actually this was a rather elegant solution; 2 batteries in the one box) - the access panels were now too small, so the LH upper fuselage was re-skinned, with a larger trapezoid shaped hatch now located rather lower down the fuselage. The RH hatch was retained unchanged. Like all of these mods it wasn't immediately actioned; my brother-in-law's Chipmunk left the RAF 3 years' later and still retained the two identical hatches, for instance.

 

 

I'm sorry this isn't the best quality shot, note the new panel line/rivets crossing just above the central ring of the roundel and then curving upwards to a vertical join.

 

Cheers,

 

Rod.

Edited August 23, 2014 by Rod Blievers

[FunkyZeit]

Awesome machine! Great work! Anyone in the GTA area , they have an amazing one of these at the bombardier factory.

[Iain]

Some great tech info there Rod! 

 

Iain

[Guest Peterpools]

Robin

Wonderful progress and looking mighty fine

Keep 'em coming

Peter

[Rod Blievers]

Robin:

 

I've been mulling further over your desire to model a Chipmunk with the overall silver/yellow bands RAF scheme. This then encompasses the first decade (only) of the Chipmunk's service. Service introduction was in 1950, while in 1959 the yellow bands were replaced with DayGlo (initially painted panels, subsequently adhesive strips) although the yellow bands were still to be seen until 1961. This period also involves several changes in the Chipmunk's appearance.

 

1. Instrument flying screens:

The frames (for the 2 tone screens) for these were readily obvious on the front cockpit side panels; Chipmunks left the factory with this feature and they were seemingly all removed by 1955.

 

2. Rudder:

To improve rudder power, a broad-chord rudder was designed to replace the earlier narrow-chord rudder (see photos of both in Post #29). This "new" rudder had a more curved trailing edge and a distinctive kink where the rudder met the fuselage - looking at your collection of components, this appears to be what you've depicted. While this was trialled in 1950, and issued as a modification in 1951, DH produced ALL Chipmunks with the earlier narrower chord rudder, then once production was complete in 1953 started providing the new rudder as a retrofit item(!). By this stage large numbers of Chipmunks were stored in MU's in either the UK or Rhodesia awaiting disposal; understandably these aircraft were not modified. From photographic evidence, narrow chord rudders were still to be seen on active RAF Chipmunks as late as 1956.

 

3. Strakes:

A 1958 change. There were political forces at play here; questions were being asked about the eight fatal RAF spinning accidents and the MoD had to be seen to be doing something (anything), so that by 1959 all service Chipmunks had the strakes.

 

4. Ventral NACA-type air scoop:

Again, you have cleverly made provision for this feature. This was another 1951 change that appears to have been incorporated post-production, so that it started appearing from 1953 on. The parallels with the rudder issue are obvious. There is a dearth of clear underside photos from this period, so if you're depicting a Chipmunk in the "grey area" of 1953 to 1956, who is going to say you're wrong if you have/don't have this feature?

 

 

This is WP975 in 1953 - the "kink"' at the lower trailing edge of the rudder is apparent, note also the diagonal framing for the two-tone blind flying screens attached to the forward cockpit side panels.

 

I hope trhis helps Robin,

 

Rod.

Edited August 26, 2014 by Rod Blievers

[alaninaustria]

This is such a beautiful build! Really nice mate!

Cheers

Alan

[freemodeller]

Hi gentlemen, I decided to paint the Chipmunk in silver with dayglo orange tail No.WD285.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rod I would like to thank you for your time and advice, it was so much to learn about the Chipmunk. Modeller going for this model need to consider the different modification, and I really enjoy building it.

 

I paint the firewall silver because some photo show the early aircraft paint it silver, any confirmation ? Please note that I add scratch build strengthening plate on the firewall.

 

Till the next update,cheers.

 

Robin

Edited February 9, 2016 by freemodeller

[Kagemusha]

Well I can't knock your choice of markings, a Mancunian Chippy!

[rafju]

Wow! what a pretty "thing"

[Rod Blievers]

Robin:

 

Thank you for putting up with my comments!

 

I really like your choice of colour scheme - the painted panels look much better, IMHO, than the later strips. The Day-Glo paint had all sorts of problems though, prone to rapid fading/weathering and also HIGHLY toxic to spray, which is why it was relatively short-lived and the adhesive strips came into vogue. I suspect you could be correct with the silver firewall for an early Chippie...

 

That SAM article, 23 years old now, still the best single reference to UK Chipmunk colour schemes. Note the variations in the shape of the black anti-dazzle panel, accurately shown in the drawings.

 

Cheers Robin,

 

Rod.