TorbenD Posted February 19, 2017 Author Share Posted February 19, 2017 (edited) Thanks Thor, really appreciated.. she's a loveable old bird and I'm really enjoying the research and modelling challenges. Talking of which... as ever, slowly does it. I'm all but there on the cockpit sides now having added further detail and paint. I wish the final finish was a bit neater/cleaner but there's only so much my poor eyes can cope with even with optivisors and I'm still getting the hang of washes and varnishes etc. That said the macro lens and harsh lighting take no prisoners! Starboard side: I pre-painted and bent stretched sprue for the emergency door release handles - much easier than trying to paint this in-situ Post panel wash - Nearly there bar a bit of weathering and silver pencil chipping. The flare release handle is more stretched sprue, the plumbing behind made from Albion Alloys tubing Port Side wall: Further detailed and painted as the starboard. The final touch a bent sliver of acetate (pie packaging window) as the switch guard. More flatly lit: For those interested, the switches where again created with my trusty stretched sprue. After pondering how to replicate these super fine rod switches (and give myself some sort of glue area) I worked out the following simple technique. By holding a suitable diameter piece of light grey stretched sprue at the end of some flat sided fine tweezers I left a short length exposed which after careful application of heat mushroomed back like a rivet head. Because the tweezers where flat sided the head had a nice square profile and after a very light swipe of a very fine sanding stick I had a perfect miniature fine switch with a flat, circular head. This head was glued with thin CA to the appropriate mounting spot and once dry the switch rod can be cut back to the correct length - the flat head simulates the ring around the base plate. A final wash of black filter helps define the switch/base plate detail and visually reduce the scale thickness down to an even more pleasing effect. On the enlarged right hand side of the above image above, for comparison, I've included and earlier attempt, on the right of my final flat head version, where I didn't hold the sprue with the square sided tweezers when heated which produced a more tapered join with the mushroom rivet end (the head has not been sanded flat on top either) Finally, my cat Pip inspected the work and pronounced himself satisfied (I think ) Thanks for looking, Torben Edited August 12, 2017 by TorbenD MikeC, Hubert Boillot and mikeblack 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 NOICE !!......Harv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wunwinglow Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 How on earth did I miss this!!?? What a fascinating project! TorbenD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TorbenD Posted February 19, 2017 Author Share Posted February 19, 2017 Thanks Harv - always nice to get a NOICE!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TorbenD Posted February 19, 2017 Author Share Posted February 19, 2017 Thanks Terry, much appreciated. One of the joys of this forum is stumbling across builds that one misses along the way - much to my wife's chagrin as I can get lost for hours back tracking through a newly discovered build thread. Cheers, again, Torben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guyman1 Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 This is a really great build here mate the attention to detail is really interesting looking forward to more updates. Guy TorbenD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TorbenD Posted February 20, 2017 Author Share Posted February 20, 2017 Thanks for the comments Guy - I wish I had more time to crack on a bit faster but such is life so slow and steady does it. Not helped by the fact that I've started this micro-detail scratching nonsense so I'm determined to try and do a proper job The canopy's the next major item on the list, plenty of chunky internal framework and bolts. I'm leaning towards adding the missing internal armoured windscreen, assuming they would have kept that for this particular aircraft... unless anyone knows differently? Torben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TorbenD Posted March 10, 2017 Author Share Posted March 10, 2017 (edited) Bit more micro-switch progress... After a pin wash of black (and Future) the scale appearance improves. I know these are still well over scale but I wanted just a bit of extra visual texture and by the mark one eyeball these seem to do the busy-ness Cheers for looking, Torben Edited August 11, 2017 by TorbenD MikeC 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monthebiff Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Not sure how I have missed this, just read the whole thread and what a fantastic build!! Regards. Andy TorbenD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgem37 Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Excellent. A spent match head offers more control. Just sayin'. Sincerely, Mark TorbenD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TorbenD Posted March 14, 2017 Author Share Posted March 14, 2017 (edited) Thanks Andy, very much appreciated - I'm slowly getting it together - my first aeroplane model in many years. Thanks Mark for the tip, I'll try that next time although I had a proper production line so needed a long lasting heat source. Finally managed to get on to the canopy... The Airacobra has quite a prominent inner tubular-style frame with some equally prominent covered bolts attaching it the plexiglass so I wanted to try and reproduce this in some form. Before starting I took the decision to dip the clear part in Future as I knew I'd need to use CA and Tamiya Extra thin to attach the framework. Secondly, I'm glad I invested in a set of pre-cut masks, what a god send! After the frame was attached then came the covered bolts... lots of the little blighters made from stretched sprue tacked on with Medium CA and accelerator. Once set I carefully trimmed off the excess. My references also included a frame strengthener over the pilot's head - cut from my thinest plastic card, the lightening holes via my punch and die set. A couple of sessions later and much replacement of ones that pinged off and some verrrry gentle sanding with a nearly smooth stick - Ta Dah!!! I'm not really intending to add any more structural detail in 3-D apart from maybe the upper door handles - any other bolts will probably be done with paint. I may try some archer rivets first to help out but that way surely madness lies? Nearly all the fogging visible is a pre-prep sanding for the paint of the frame areas. That said, I really hope the Future has done it's protecting work and no glue fogging has bled under those masks! Thanks for stopping by, Torben Edited August 11, 2017 by TorbenD Hubert Boillot and MikeC 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClumsyDude Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Love it Torben ... you're a man after my own heart. Jim TorbenD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 Torben Excellent progress on the P-39 front office, IP and the interior framing of the canopy: brilliant. Keep 'em coming Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark64 Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 Nicely done. TorbenD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cees Broere Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 Hi Torben, Very nice detail you have put into the canopy, can you still reach the back of those frames with an airbrush or will you be using a hairy stick? Cees TorbenD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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