Wouter Posted January 27, 2018 Author Share Posted January 27, 2018 Thanks guys! The Ip is in production with Shapeways. Estimated shipping date is the 31st of January, so I can probably show it sometime next weekend. If I'm satisfied I will consider putting it up for sale. One of the most important things for this build is the canopy. I've scratched my head many nights on how to tackle this. One of the problems is that the canopy consists out of two parts which join eachother on one side. But there's virtually no connection between the two. Just the thickness of the vac material itself, i.a. less then one millimeter. So I needed to come up with a solution to create a bigger contact area. And lest not forget, to hide the seam. Besides that, the canopy framing on the real thing is very present, but due to the nature of the vac material some definition on this frame is lost. Luckiliy John provided not two, but three canopy's. Maybe some of you remember, there are some fitting issues. But I managed one of the pairs to get a decent fit. Not wanting to ruïn that one I thought, why not try some techniques on one of the discarded vac canopy's. First up the framing on the outside. I'd had a few options, plastic strip, bare metal foil, masking tape and photo etch. After some debating and asking the question here on LSP I settled down for masking tape. Styrene strips where just to thick, bare metal foil is not easy to paint and someone mentioned it won't stick to vac's. Photo etch would be to thick too and I dind't felt enough confidence to try that either. Well, masking tape is obvisously easy to cut, can be adjusted and paint will hold. I'm a little uncertain about the ability to hold over time, so the end's of each strip got a drop of cyanoacrylate. Here's the result after painting. It's done pretty quick and the definitive version needs some more attention but I think this will work. For comparison, here's a close up from the real thing. The other thing I did, was the framing on the inside. I used styrene strips (0.5 x 0.5 mm) for this.The strips give some depth to the canopy and more importantly the required thickness where the two parts meet, to glue them together! And the seam can be hidden with a piece of masking tape. Ok, that's it. Please let me know what you think. I'm open for suggestion for a better solution or further improvement. Cheers, Wouter Piprm, sandokan, fab and 9 others 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monthebiff Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 Nice thinking on the frame work Wouter, I am guessing you will be adding the whole canopy or the painted masking tape at the end of the build for fear of lifting that masking tape you have applied. Very cool idea indeed though!! Regards. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Ray Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 Nice work! I think the canopy looks good with the strips and tape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzas Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 Wouter, I think you have done as good a job on the tape as could be done with tape. The problem I see is where the strips intersect. The resulting raised lump just doesn't look correct, or aerodynamically clean. If I was in your shoes, I would shore up the interior as you have done and either try clear decal film that has been painted, or a thicker application of a stable paint that is well masked. Good luck! Gaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reuben L. Hernandez Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 Great looking and very interesting build. Can't wsit to see the end results!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattlow Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 I think the tape looks good. Maybe the overlapping areas are a little pronounced.. However, if you look at the photo above, you can see that the finish on the real a/c looks like it is some sort of tape, as a piece is hanging, very tape like, from one of the lower frames. Maybe a thinner tape, aluminium tape or decal film would give the thinner look required? Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Ray Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 If you look close, the real thing is tape and besides the peeled piece, there is overlap at the joints, just like Wouter's. I think tape is the way to go. Tamiya's new vinyl tape with the ends carefully hit with a little CA should work wonders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozart Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 This could well be the answer to my Bf110 canopies Wouter, thanks for posting such a clear explanation of how you achieved this very difficult canopy so brilliantly. Max Wouter and monthebiff 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monthebiff Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 Think you are spot on the money Wouter as it looks like the original was taped up, also would it be worth expeimenting with a dip in future to seal everything in, however it would then need masking for a dull coat but will also protect it from any fogging if you are adding any parts internally to it with cyno! Regards. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandokan Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 Really special fantastic wip!!! Super tech in antennas building! Wow! Wouter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgem37 Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 Nice problem-solving. Makes for a more rigid structure. Sincerely, Mark Wouter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wouter Posted January 28, 2018 Author Share Posted January 28, 2018 Nice thinking on the frame work Wouter, I am guessing you will be adding the whole canopy or the painted masking tape at the end of the build for fear of lifting that masking tape you have applied. Very cool idea indeed though!! Regards. Andy Thanks Andy, that might be a good idea. The canopy wasn't painted in the same color as the rest of the plane. So attaching later might be the way to go. Will keep it in mind. Wouter, I think you have done as good a job on the tape as could be done with tape. The problem I see is where the strips intersect. The resulting raised lump just doesn't look correct, or aerodynamically clean. If I was in your shoes, I would shore up the interior as you have done and either try clear decal film that has been painted, or a thicker application of a stable paint that is well masked. Good luck! Gaz Thanks Gaz, the intersections do create a bump, but they where also there on the real thing. But I think your right that it looks a bit of. More so, because this test canopy has much less pronounced framework then the one I will be using on the build. I think I'll stick to the masking tape solution, but instead of intersecting the tape I will cut them, just to give the illussion of intersections. Great looking and very interesting build. Can't wsit to see the end results!! Thanks, me neither ;-) I think the tape looks good. Maybe the overlapping areas are a little pronounced.. However, if you look at the photo above, you can see that the finish on the real a/c looks like it is some sort of tape, as a piece is hanging, very tape like, from one of the lower frames. Maybe a thinner tape, aluminium tape or decal film would give the thinner look required? Matt Hi Matt, see my answer above at Gaz's post. i'll have to think about that decal. I have never tried something like that. If you look close, the real thing is tape and besides the peeled piece, there is overlap at the joints, just like Wouter's. I think tape is the way to go. Tamiya's new vinyl tape with the ends carefully hit with a little CA should work wonders. Thanks Ray, that's what I was thinking. But i'm still debating on it, though I feel the answer is almost there. This could well be the answer to my Bf110 canopies Wouter, thanks for posting such a clear explanation of how you achieved this very difficult canopy so brilliantly. Max Glad to be of service Max! Think you are spot on the money Wouter as it looks like the original was taped up, also would it be worth expeimenting with a dip in future to seal everything in, however it would then need masking for a dull coat but will also protect it from any fogging if you are adding any parts internally to it with cyno! Regards. Andy Hi Andy. Was just thinking about that. Dipping in future would probably also help with sticking the tape to the vac canopy. Though I think I would dip in future before painting, so a dull coat won't be necessary per se. Really special fantastic wip!!! Super tech in antennas building! Wow! Thanks Sandokan Nice problem-solving. Makes for a more rigid structure. Sincerely, Mark Thanks Mark. It's certainly much better to handle now. sandokan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wouter Posted February 4, 2018 Author Share Posted February 4, 2018 (edited) Bit late tonight, so not a full update, but here's a sneak peek! Cheers, Wouter Edited February 7, 2018 by Wouter sandokan, Greg W, Spads57 and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunnus Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 Amazing work! I think the canopy frames look fabulous. As long as you can remove all traces of the Tamiya yellow! Wouter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Ray Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 Good to know the vac canopies fit so well! Wouter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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