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1/32 Wirraway


DerekB

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Now I'm trying to figure out how to install the internal frame...

 

The kit includes a "fake" flat cockpit floor (part D7) but in the real aircraft there is no floor, other than the top surface of the wing. So I've inserted a curved floor piece where the top surface of the wing should sit and now I'm looking at how to align the framework relative to this "floor". In the picture below the side frame is not quite in its final location (needs to move forward slightly so that the first upright tube is against the firewall).

 

28323565947_ec0fc80de1.jpg

USRSR7KgQ4uDg+xymO+Scw by Derek Buckmaster, on Flickr

 

The kit firewall is in the right location so I'll be using that after correcting the framework holes. I'll also be adding some framework on the internal wall, to simulate the interior of the fabric side panels on the Wirraway.

Edited by DerekB
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As I'm working on the electrical panels I needed to choose which specific aircraft at which specific time I'm going to model, since different versions of the Wirraway had different electrical boxes and wiring. So I've settled on A20-10, one of the earliest Wirraways produced, and the one currently held at the Australian National Aviation Museum in Moorabbin.

 

I plan to duplicate this aircraft as of late 1939 when she first joined No. 22 Squadron. She is shown early 1940 in the photo below:

 

A20_4_A20_11_and_A20_10.jpg

 

This is also the colour scheme in which we restored her back in 2014 prior to her 75th birthday party, as shown in Brendan Cowan's photo below:

 

07_09_2014_Wirraway_A20_10_Brendan_Cowan

 

Here is yours truly hard at work applying fabric to one elevator during the restoration:

 

42488171544_d7acc87812.jpg

A20-10 Restoration 128 2014-08-08 (Jahne) by Derek Buckmaster, on Flickr

Edited by DerekB
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  • 4 weeks later...

I've been looking at the Wasp R-1340 engine in the kit, and I'm thinking there must be some way to do better than this. The induction system on the back is all wrong, the spark plug leads are molded onto the front of the cylinders, and the fin detail on the cylinder heads is poor.

 

I picked up a Williams Brothers Gee Bee R, and that has a nicely detailed engine. So that's an option.

 

But then I picked up several Vector resin engines, and these are little works of art! So I'm planning to use one of these.

 

But in all three cases (the kit engine, the Gee Bee R engine, or the Vector engine) these are non-geared Wasps, so I need to do something about the reduction-drive housing on the front of the Wirraway's geared engine. This is a tapered housing, with lots of ribs and mounting bolts. Since I'm going to need several of these engines (at least one Wirraway, plus a Ceres) I decided to model the reduction drive housing in 3D CAD, and I've loaded this onto Shapeways and the first piece is being printed as I type.

 

Here's a look at the CAD model:

 

28845261837_5159743088.jpg

PW R-1340 reduction drive housing assy by Derek Buckmaster, on Flickr

 

If this works OK, I'll model up some more components to be used...

Edited by DerekB
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  • 3 weeks later...

The 3D printed reduction drive housings have arrived from Shapeways, and I'm very pleased with the results...

 

30201433128_fb6120b49f.jpgIMG_0311 by

Derek Buckmaster, on Flickr

 

On the left is an unpainted 3D printed housing, in the middle is a painted version and on the right is the crank-case for a non-geared Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp engine from the Vector resin kit. The ribs and bosses on the 3D printed version look fabulous.

 

The 3D printed part will now be attached to the front of the resin crank-case, after removing the non-geared front housing detail.

 

The unpainted 3D printed part on the left also has nuts added (as shown in the 3D model above), but they're not visible in the unpainted state.

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The next part to get the 3D printed treatment is the Hamilton Standard propeller hub.

 

I decided my attempts to kit-bash the 2-bladed Hamilton Standard 3D40 hub from the Texan kit into a 3-bladed 3D40 hub weren't going to satisfy me. After looking at the possibility of substituting a 3-bladed hub from a couple of different kits in my stash (Williams Brothers Seversky P-35 and Monogram Grumman G-22 Gulfhawk II use the same hub) I still wasn't happy, so I've drawn up the 3D40 hub in TurboCAD and sent the STL file off to Shapeways...

 

30784882338_735c9280bd.jpg

3D40 hub 02 by Derek Buckmaster, on Flickr

Edited by DerekB
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  • 4 weeks later...

Spent some time looking for better blades for the Hamilton Standard prop. The blades in the Kitty Hawk kit are far too thick, so I hunted around for some alternatives to better match the HS 6101A blade as shown in the photo below.

 

On the left (silver) is the Hamilton Standard prop from a Monogram Grumman Gulfhawk II kit. The shape is better than the Kitty Hawk kit prop, but the diameter is too small. In the middle (bluish grey) is the Kitty Hawk Texan kit prop, too thick and with an oddly tapered root section. On the right (brownish resin) is a Quickboost after-market resin blade from a Mk.Vb Spitfire. This was a Hamilton Standard propeller made under licence by deHavilland, and the blade shape correctly matches the 6101A drawing shape. 

 

29717037187_9217abdb3b.jpg

HS 6101A blades 2 by Derek Buckmaster, on Flickr

 

 

Edited by DerekB
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I like the way, you are using 3D printing. Simply, it seems, that from scratching the missing/wrong part, we can let Shapeways to print it. Good, very good... I am thrilled by the progress of the technology.

Simply, if you are not satisfied, create a 3D model and let it print. It is very well reproducible, relatively cheap, attributable.

Next time, there will be no upgrade sets physically delivered, you will just get a link to order a print copy.

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In addition to getting 3D printed parts from ShapeWays, I'm also experimenting with using my home-made Tevo Tarantula printer to print some parts at home. The Tarantula is a kit which you assemble yourself. I purchased it via a web vendor in China for about A$395.

 

Being a low-cost printer with only about 0.1mm resolution (layer thickness), I don't expect to be printing complicated parts (I'll save those for SW), but there are still a few less complex parts which should be doable with the Tarantula.

 

Here you see an almost-finished print of the engine "dish-pan" which covers the engine mount. This is a simple part with features that I'll scribe and glue into place.

 

42900620000_27a891022e.jpg

IMG_7356 by Derek Buckmaster, on Flickr

Edited by DerekB
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Some small progress this evening from aboard my floating workshop...

 

Here's my "production line" for 1/32 scale Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp engines. I need 2 complete geared engines (one for the Wirraway and one for a Ceres). On the left is the engine from the Kitty Hawk Texan kit, with all the cylinders molded integrally with the crank-case. I'm building this as a test-piece for colours and weathering. On the right are the two resin engines from Vector, with the 3D-printed gear reduction drive housings in front.

 

43827534465_afea63ea76_c.jpg

P1080572 by Derek Buckmaster, on Flickr

 

The 3D printed propeller hubs are back from Shapeways, and here is my "production line" for the Hamilton Standard 3D40 propellers:

 

43827529835_b8a5b62725_c.jpg

P1080573 by Derek Buckmaster, on Flickr

 

The nose of the Wirraway is quite different to the later Texan. I need to remove 9mm from the equipment bay to fit the new "dish-pan" at the rear of the cowl. Here I've marked the section to be removed:

 

29799372587_2bfbc8c961_c.jpg

P1080574 by Derek Buckmaster, on Flickr

Edited by DerekB
larger photos
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