A-10B Desert Storm: 2/28 Taking a break

[EmperorKai]

Thanks for the encouragement folks!

 

Has been near impossible to get some time in front of the computer the last couple of days, but alas, I have an update...

 

Still working on the right side, I thought I might be able to work with the kit scoop parts despite the fact that they look quite off.  However, they are simply too angular and just don't look right no matter what is done to to them.  So I rebuilt the scoops from scratch.  Here, the upper scoop and its roughed-in replacement.

 

The upper scoop was then shaved off (which filled in the indentation) and the new scoop glued in its place.  It was then carefully sanded to its final shape (easier now that there was something to hold onto without the risk of crushing it).  Here, the difference in the shapes is evident, the replacement with a properly rounded end.

 

Here, both scoops on the right side replaced and proofed with a coat of gull grey.

 

Work was then started on the left side.  Here, the forward section with the vents around the gun bay.  There are two scoops on the left vents that I've left off until after the nose work is done so they don't get damaged.  The slots were drilled out and a backer painted black glued behind it.  I'll be posing this with the door for the step ladder closed, which required that the door be enlarged slightly as it is too small.  Finally, the vent on the right needed to be lowered slightly, and the vent texture filled in with CA.  Looking at it even with Opti-visors, it looks okay- the camera is not too kind here    

 

The backside of the gun bay area.  As before, the fuselage has been thinned.

 

Moving further astern on the left side, the hood, vent and a view into the NACA ducts

 

Same but with a view of the scoop and another panel with slots opened up and backed.  The red dot on the left is my to-do marker for the AOA vane.

 

The back side of the left fuselage.

 

There is another vent on the bottom of the left side as well.

 

Lastly, the slit opening at the rear of the avionics hump has now been opened up completely.  It will still need some final clean up after the fuselage halves are joined.

 

So, with this installment, the forward section is ready for whatever is going to happen with the nose.  While the gun shroud will be replaced, not sure yet exactly what work needs to address the nose shape or if it will make a difference.  However, I think I'm going to take a break from the fuselage work to finish the clamshell canopy next.

 

Thanks for looking!

 

Kai

 

 

[EmperorKai]

Big update this evening

 

First- Finished up my vacuforming experiment

Second- It's official- this is going to be an A-10B with a clamshell canopy!

 

As I haven't done this before, I wasn't sure if the heat from the vacuforming process would damage the styrene canopy plug or not.  Not wanting to risk it, I decided to go ahead a make a plug from a material that would be heat safe.  Back in the 90's, I did a lot of resin casting, but upon digging into my old supplies, I found most had gone bad.  So starting about a week ago, I poured a plaster mold of the styrene canopy plug to make a one-time-use mold.  Here, the plug, which has extensions at the front, rear and bottom built out after it was removed from the plaster mold.  Vaseline was used as a release agent.  Air dry time was about 3 days, though it would have gone faster if I had used a fan.

 

Once the original plug was removed, I used an entire package of Milliput Silver, which worked out perfectly.  After about 10 minutes of kneading, it was pressed into the mold, again with Vaseline for a release agent.  At first, just the corners were filled, and then eventually the entire cavity.  The screws were embedded so there would be something to pull on when it cured.

 

After letting sit overnight, I tried to removed the Milliput plug, but it didn't want to come out.  Not too much of a surprise as I had a feeling this would happen, so I went ahead and knocked the plaster mold free (a process I learned back in the early 80's casting silver sculptures).

 

Here, the raw Milliput plug with the original styrene plug.  The form is all there and plenty good for what I need it to do, but if fine detail was needed at this stage, I would have had to use an RTV mold and Alumilite resin. 

 

The plug was then sanded to as smooth as it could get, and then it was coated with about 6-7 layers of CA.  This was then sanded and polished with Novus 3 part, which resulted in a very nice glossy finish.

 

After some experimentation, I learned two important lessons in vacuforming.  The first, illustrated here, the undercut.  My first few attempts had too much "tenting" along the sides.  Raising the plug up gave the sheet positive encapsulation around the bottom of the plug. 

 

Here, the sheet holder with a 6x6 inch sheet in place for illustrative purposes (it still has the protective wrap on it).  The sheet holder is 1/4 inch plywood cut out in the shape of a paddle.  The machine bolts are held in place by drilling the holes slightly tight on one side, and enlarged on the second paddle so it can be removed easily.

 

Here (in the garage), the sheet paddle tightened up with wing nuts and in place on the electric griddle.  The second lesson I learned is how long to heat the PETG sheet.  In this case, with .040, and with the griddle at 400 degrees, it needs to heat until it starts to sag (at 90 seconds).  Then lift the handle so it doesn't touch the surface of the griddle, and continue to heat for 30-45 seconds.  Keep in mind I'm at 6000' and its 30 degrees out, so mileage may vary. 

 

The resulting canopy cut from the cooled sheet.  Not perfect, but I think it will work, and should only get better once it has been dipped in Future.

 

Where it sits as of this evening.  This is after my first pass at fitting and hastily taped in place (dusty finger prints and all).  Some fine tuning and a final decision as to the lift mechanism at the rear are my next steps.  As can be seen here, the clarity is pretty good with just a few distortions.  I might also mention that after all has been said and done, I think the styrene plug would have been fine to use as the sheet cools really fast (about 10 seconds).

 

So, that was my little adventure- hope this helps anyone who might want to try the same without investing a lot of time and money on a formal vacuform machine (there's some really nice homemade ones on Youtube as well).

 

Thanks for looking!

 

Kai

 

 

[Guest]

ALL RIGHT !!. Good show Kai......Harv

[alaninaustria]

Interesting to see the different techniques here... great job so far bro!

Cheers

Alan

[Guest Peterpools]

Kai

Just finished catching up and what an amazing project. Kudos on the incredible detail and research.

Keep 'em coming

Peter

[dodgem37]

Dang good modelling!

 

Sincerely,

Mark

[Loic]

Excellent !!

[Viper Enforcer]

Well done canopy Kai, nice. This is shaping up quite nice.

 

Mike V

[EmperorKai]

Thanks so much for the kind words!

 

Spent most of today working on alot of the miscellaneous fuselage stuff that needs to happen before it can be closed up.

 

A little catch-up.  I have been picking at the nose gear area along the way.  Here, some Eduard photo-etch  in the nose gear area.

 

...and some more

 

The area was painted Model Master Light Gray and then a was was applied.  Looks like crap, but it will clean up nice with a second pass with the airbrush.  I decided to add a couple of missing details in the bay- here, a couple of tanks made from styrene and lead strip.

 

 

The shroud for the Gatling gun was also cut away.  

 

The shape of the lip on the intake for the gun bay was also corrected.  The kit has angled uprights, but they should be vertical with a curve as shown here.

 

The time finally came to deal with the nose weight.  I generally prefer to add weight as far forward as physically possible so the minimum amount of weight is added (and stress on the landing gear).  This also presented an opportunity to tape alot of it together and get that first feel for how big it will be.  Big and beautiful- getting excited.  After this pic, I also taped all flaps, elevators, etc in place.  I left the resin dashboards and metal nose gear off, which will add to my "forgiveness" factor.

 

Definitely a tail sitter, but there is plenty of room in the nose to add weight.  The kit calls for weight to be added inside the ammo drum, but I won't be installing this part.  The drum also sits farther back, under the back seat.  Adding weight at the ammo drum requires over 3 ounces of weight, while adding the weight in the nose will only require 2.25 ounces.  Reloaders out there will probably recognize the lead I am using here, but for those that aren't, I'll explain.  For nose weight, I use #12 lead shot that is used for reloading shotgun shells.  Each small ball is about 1/2 mm and pours almost like powder.  A 10 pound bag goes for about $40, but is a lifetime supply.   In this pic, I've stuck sprue legs in the holes for the landing gear so the plane pivots as needed, and taped a small ziploc baggie on the nose where the weight will go.  I add small spoonfuls until the plane tips proper onto its nose.   

 

After adding a bit more weight for "forgiveness", it is mixed into a paste with Elmer's white glue.

 

The paste is then poured into place.  Once dry, I'll run a bead of thin CA to lock the mass into place.  This works really well, especially with the small lead shot as it can be formed around various details as needed and generally keeps whatever shape you make.  Kinda looks like lead caviar...

 

Also spent some time on the cockpit.  Here, the base coat, wash, correction and base detailing.  Need to add a few remaining parts and then clear coat and oils.

 

I also washed the canopy in Future and have set it aside to dry.  As I will be masking and handling it quite a bit, I'll let it sit for a couple of days to harden up.

 

That's it for tonight- Thanks for looking!

 

Kai

 

 

[Guest]

Thanks Kai !........Harv

[marauderdriver]

:bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:

 

 

NICE!

 

watch'in you

 

jack

[Guest]

Jack, I take it you like it?.........harv

[EmperorKai]

LOL!  Thanks guys!

 

Well, it took about 4 sessions with the airbrush, a couple of sessions with oils and a whole lot o' gluin', but I got the front fuselage together today.  As Navin R. Johnson once said, "things are gonna start happening now..."

 

First up, the completed barrel shroud assembly.  The muzzle can will mount on the short tube, which sleeves into the larger tube and will be much easier to adjust before gluing into place.  

 

All the pieces posed together.  Note that the end of the shroud is angled slightly, not a perfect perpendicular cut.

 

A reference shot of the disc (barrel ring) assembly as the base of the shroud, which is not represented in the kit.

 

The tub glued into place.

 

The right side of the nose gear bay all cleaned up.

 

The fuselage now together and here a shot of the front seat with the dash and instrument panel in place.

 

The dash from the front quarter with a good view of the F-15E HUD, which fits perfectly inside the Squadron windshield.

 

For a before and after, here's a way back picture of the Verlinden dash when it was originally built out-of-the-box. 

 

Here, the WSO's instrument panel.

 

and a slightly different view.  Still some work to do in the cockpit, but at least the front and rear fuselage halves can be joined now.

 

Lots of clean up on the seam line, and still need to install the nose gear bay, but moving along now.

 

Thanks for looking!

 

Kai

 

 

[Youngtiger1]

Good work Kai. I know the amount of work it takes before the forward fuselage can be closed. Your cockpit is looking awesome

[dodgem37]

Good show, Kai.

 

Sincerely,

Mark