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Aerotech Macchi M.39


Zero77

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Hi !

 

I've bought this kit a few weeks ago, from another nice LSP member. Since then i cant wait to build it !

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The casting is pretty good, and most small parts are in white metal. There are 2 PE sheets, one being for the very large radiator areas on the wings. The floats struts are supplied in both resin and metal, but the instructions recommend to use the metal ones as with the resin struts the build will lack rigidity.

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Sorry but i have not shoot pictures of that, but there was a kind of overthickness all around the cutting between both fuselage halves. I've sanded it clean, but then it impossible to close the fuselage halves because of the seat width. So, finally i dont know it this slight overthickness should have been removed or not... To correct it i've add some material using thin styrene sheet and adjusted it with sanding sticks. Now it's better.
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Edited by Zero77
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Unfortunately, the instrument panel was missing in the kit. But the part is not very complex and not very visible once enclosed in the cockpit. So i tried to rebuild it with sheet styrene.
The former owner help me out sending me a picture of the IP part, from another kit he still owns. I noticed that an instrument was missing on the kit part, so it gives me the opportunity to correct it.

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With the help of the ruler on the picture, i've rescaled it and print it.

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Then i've glued the print on sheet styrene :

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Then i've drilled the holes :

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And i've adjust the holes diameter with a needle file and cut the part out :

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THen, in order to make something that looks like bezels, i tried a new technique. I made a mask with sheet styrene with holes only slightly larger than the IP holes, and sprayed a pretty thick coat of alclad primer through this mask, to build up a border all around the holes. The result is far from perfect, but it looks acceptable for me :

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Now with intruments decals (from MDC, japanese instruments but who will notice that ! :) ) and a few decals painted :

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Cockpit done !

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Nice start, Nicolas. I will follow this one closely.

 

These Marsh models kits are nice, at least in the very fact that they just exist. I have all of them in the ever-growing stash... However, they are not always very fine ine detail. I suspect your seat width problem has more to do with the wall thickness around the cockpit for the fuselage halves. I guess the diameter of the fuselage at the level of the spinner will tell you whether your shimming approached was right.

 

Hubert

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Yes Hubert, that's possible and i was divided about that. I have just make my own decision in doing 50/50, the shimming is not as important as i thought first. Actually it is between 0.4 (or even less than 0.4 as i have sanded the 0.4mm sheet) and 0mm, depending on the areas. The fuselage diameter around the propeller is ok, and it is a bit larger that the nose radiator part, but the step is very light and can be corrected with a slight sanding.

Edited by Zero77
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Guest Peterpools

Nicolas.

Terrific start on Macchi M.39, as the IP and front office shaping up so nicely. Will be following with great interest.

Keep 'em coming

Peter

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Then i worked on the floats. The struts are provided in both resin and white metal, but the instructions recommend to use the metal ones. But if you do so, you still have to use the resin one for the horizontal strut between the two floats and the blocks that go into the floats.

First problem, i've broken the horizontal floats, trying to make them straight..... Ouch !

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Second problem, i've broken a pin from the rear metal strut when i was doing a dry fit to check if my drilled holes were in the good position.... Second ouch !

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Ok, keep calm..... :)

First i had to take the pin out of the hole, and it was not easy because the fit is very tight, the pin doesn't outstep a lot from the hole, and the material is pretty soft and cant be hold with pliers.

So i did the same technique than with steel, when you weld a screw on another screw to take it out. I drilled a hole in the pin and glued a broken drill bit inside with CA, and so i was able to take it out with a vise.

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Then i drilled the strut and replace the moulded pin with a bit of steen wire (0.7mm instead of the 1.5mm pin, but it's way more tough), and i did the same for the horizontal struts :

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And glued it :

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Edited by Zero77
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Then i glued the wings and tail fin. The kit is well done and it was not very difficult to have everything straight :

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There was a huge gap between the wings on the underside, so i filled it with styrene sheet, laid a thick coat of putty and sand it smooth. I think there would be a panel line between the wings, but i have no view of the underside, and it wond be very visible, so i think i will let it as it stands.

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Edited by Zero77
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I've glued the metal struts. Indeed the floats assembly is way more stiff than with the resin stuff :

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I have put some Mr Surfacer arround the glued areas to have them smooth, but i've not shot pictures of that at the moment. We will see after a coat of primer as it is anyway difficult to see anything as there is some clear CA, some grey resin and Mr Surfacer, everything mixed up by the sanding.

 

 

And with the M.39 on her floats (dry fit, but very tight, so it almost doesn't need any glue):

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And just to play, do you guess what are the 2 other builds i'm doing at the moment?

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:)

Edited by Zero77
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