Another Hasegawa T bolt Bubbletop, my first LSP. November 12, 2022, It is DONE at last!!!!!!!!

[Citadelgrad]

What would one step forward be without the mandatory two steps back?

 

I kept looking at those rocket surgery affixed wheels and…

 

They were wonky.   I couldnt live with it.  So i spent about a half hour wiggling, slightly twisting, gasping when i thought i was breaking the legs, long story short, they unwillingly came off.  This time i decided two things:  do a better job at squaring the plane early on the grid, and backing up what seems true with the eyeball, and second, they stay in the jig overnight at least.  I think the weight might have messed with them as it was curing. 
 

i also managed a few more things.  Ive been hesitant to glue the windscreen on, mostly because the alclad is so delicate, but as those with fat fingers know, i managed to squash the PE manual gunsight and delicate glass reflector…EVERY SINGLE TIME i handled the model.  I am not kidding, so when i did it again tonight i decided it would be better to have to spot repair the framing paint than to figure out where the entire gunsight assembly went.  
 

then i painted the bulb depressions in the wingtip lights. Then i looked again at photos and decided that the aluminum inside the lights is pretty prominent.  I experimented with a few brush paints, steel and oily steel vallejo and a gaming knihts steel, but they were way too dark.  
 

so naturally any same modeler with almost five years on a build (not really, thats just how long its been since i started, most of the work has been in the past six months or so) and who has painted the entire left side of the p,ane twice, including most markings:  i masked off the little suckers with minimal tape and fired up the airbrush for some alclad!!!!
 

it doesnt make for as interesting a post as i have had to admit in other parts of this build, but it worked out fine. 
 

on to the photos!!

patented foolproof but not me proof gear alignment, take two:

 

 

The fat finger magnet repaired and repainted the umpteenth and final time, sorry its a bit blurry

 

Windscreen in place

 

nav lights

 

nav light cutout after daring alclad application

 

And finally a few shots that sort of look like the plane i am struggling to portray, canopy and cowl just dry fit

 

 

played with the blast tubes a bit, i have the option of kit ones, quickboost resin, or metal.  The metal are distinctly thinner than the resin, and i learned that i need to drill out the holes for both sets, they are too small for the resin and the holes arent deep enough for the metsl ones. 

[LSP_Kevin]

This is turning out rather nicely despite the challenges your facing. I like it!

 

Kev

[MikeMaben]

Looks fine from here Bill  

[Citadelgrad]

Happy Sunday to all.   
 

Back at the bench after a double whammy of a cold followed by Pinkeye.  Confined to bed and couldn’t see to work on this Jug.

 

that was a week ago, and although im still wearing glasses instead of contacts, i decided to go round three on getting the gear correct.  Round one went perfectly with tamiya thin, but i wasnt happy with the wheels, so in removing them, i ended up popping the gear loose.  Round two was a total fail, i cant clean up the insides of the gear mounting holes, so round three was 5 minute epoxy.  It was s challenge getting the gear legs in place, then the plane upright and using the 1 2 3 blocks to ensure the wheels are perpendicular to the ground and the gear rake and slant was correct.  Needed about four extra hands. Some choice words were uttered.  
 

but, in the end, i think if it sets up at these angles, i can live with it.  A tip, if youre going to add brake lines and aluminum tape clamps on your gear, DO NOT screw around and mount them three times.  Live and learn.  
 

photos

 

i used the flat bottoms of the tires as a guide, and the grid to ensure everything seemed lined up.  But, of course, every time i shifted one thing, the whole mess up and moved on me.  I got it set up and got away from it to let it set up. 
 

that door for the mains confirmed that, at least at that instant, the angle of the door seemed correct. 
 

fingers crossed.  
 

i also glued up the scratchbuilt canopy brace so i can get on with the jettison mechanism. 
 

its in and its not backwards, so i put that in the win column. 
 

if the gear set up ok, i will un mess up the brake lines and move on with finishing this albatross. Im already thinking of my next build, but i have no idea which way to go on the next one.  Several great candidates in the stash. 
 

thanks for following me on this long, even filled build.   I think i see light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe its sunlight.  

Edited March 6, 2022 by Citadelgrad

[Citadelgrad]

What is is they say about the third time?

 

 

 

Sort of starting to look like a Thunderbolt. 

Edited March 7, 2022 by Citadelgrad

[MikeMaben]

Hang on Bill 

 

Stanley Kubrick 

[JayW]

Wow - sorry for the difficulties.  A good sign is that the lower edge of the strut mounted gear doors appears parallel with the ground - a good sign!  And yes it sure is looking like a Thunderbolt.

 

[JRS]

I never thought about using blocks to do that. Thank you for sharing your build, much appreciated!

[Citadelgrad]

13 hours ago, JRS said:

I never thought about using blocks to do that. Thank you for sharing your build, much appreciated!

Thanks, but it wasn't my idea, i knew what 1 2 3 blocks are, but it was Woody, of Archer Fine Transfers, who patiently told me they were perfect for this use.  I’m just the trained monkey on this task. 
 

tonight i got the wingtip lights glued up, using migs white glue, and primed the metal barrels with self etching primer. 

 

Not much progress, but not bad for a Monday night.  
 

thanks for looking. 
 

Bill

[Citadelgrad]

Some progress tonight, starting with a redo on the red wingtip light, the cutout was too shallow and it was proud of the curve of the wing.  Rather than delicately sanding off the excess, i ripped it off and deepened the opening. No photos of that. It sits OK now. 
 

then i played with the flaps and realized the left flap was way too long to fit the space molded for the flaps.  I carefully removed the eduard PE that gave some detail to the end of the flap and sanded it, a lot. I sanded until it just fit the opening.

I cant figure out now this came to be, as the flaps are just top and bottom, as are the wings.  After i took a ton off, here is the fit

 

 

this was probably almost 1/16 removed, and it is a tight fit after all that.  
 

of course, what would screwing around with the flaps be without snapping off and losing one of the actuator arms?  
 

this shot WAY under the bench, heck, it took me a few minutes to even realize what had hit the floor, and even longer to find it.  

 

If i ever re do the garage, remind me not to do the black and grey floor tiles…

 

i got the flaps to at least dry fit without looking crooked, but the left wing droops a bit at the outboard side because this brace is off

 

But at least it FITS

 

some “almost done” shots

 

 

Still need to paint and install the gun blast tubes and do something with this

 

 

by my estimation, the remaining items are:

 

paint and install tubes

plumb and install drop tank

install pitot

finish canopy jettison mechanism

unmask the clear parts

gear doors

spine antenna

paint touch up

???

 

profit?

 

thinking hard about what my next build should be.  Ive got a decent assortment, but i am not sure what fits my current abilities. 

[Alex]

Looking great and definitely "almost done"!

[JayW]

8 hours ago, Citadelgrad said:

this shot WAY under the bench, heck, it took me a few minutes to even realize what had hit the floor, and even longer to find it.  

So I nodded my head here, and smiled - I know this drill.  Has happened to me so many times.  Feelings I get:   Panic if I know the part is complicated and tough/impossible to remake.  Reassuring - I know it's down there someplace.  Anger/exasperation - I know it's somewhere but I cannot find it (did it fly into the trash can?).  Joy/relief - finding it.  Self deprication - you idiot; why can't you be more careful.  MOF, a version of this same thing happened to me just a few days ago with my centerline fuel tank hook on the Corsair - a part I spent two days making.  I found it after disassembling almost my entire work area.

 

Man Bill - you will have earned this one.  But from my eye you will also have a Thunderbolt that is competition worthy, or a least a joy to look at for years to come.

 

BTW - the part you lost and found is not the actuator, it is one of three "4-bar linkages".  The actuator links (there are two per flap) are actually closely adjacent to the inboard and mid linkage, and slaved to one another with an internal torque tube.  Hasegawa probably did not include the actuator links - They are not very easily seen.  I'm impressed they did what they did with the linkages themselves.  When I did my 1/18 Thunderbolt, I spent a ton of time researching the flap supports and actuation, as those things are a specialty I worked at alot as an engineer at the big B.

[Citadelgrad]

1 hour ago, JayW said:

So I nodded my head here, and smiled - I know this drill.  Has happened to me so many times.  Feelings I get:   Panic if I know the part is complicated and tough/impossible to remake.  Reassuring - I know it's down there someplace.  Anger/exasperation - I know it's somewhere but I cannot find it (did it fly into the trash can?).  Joy/relief - finding it.  Self deprication - you idiot; why can't you be more careful.  MOF, a version of this same thing happened to me just a few days ago with my centerline fuel tank hook on the Corsair - a part I spent two days making.  I found it after disassembling almost my entire work area.

 

Man Bill - you will have earned this one.  But from my eye you will also have a Thunderbolt that is competition worthy, or a least a joy to look at for years to come.

 

BTW - the part you lost and found is not the actuator, it is one of three "4-bar linkages".  The actuator links (there are two per flap) are actually closely adjacent to the inboard and mid linkage, and slaved to one another with an internal torque tube.  Hasegawa probably did not include the actuator links - They are not very easily seen.  I'm impressed they did what they did with the linkages themselves.  When I did my 1/18 Thunderbolt, I spent a ton of time researching the flap supports and actuation, as those things are a specialty I worked at alot as an engineer at the big B.

We appear to be either related or mentally linked.   i worked at Mcdonnel Douglas one summer, and represented Big B And Rockwell for a time, so maybe that explains it.   Your description of what i did is spot on.  
 

Exactly.  As soon as i figured out what was missing, which itself took some doing, i looked at the other flap’s 4 bar linkage and thought, CRAP, thats going to be a bear to match up. Funky shapes, 3d shaped cross sections, precise measurements, oh, MAN, did you just screw this up this late in the game?

 

ok, calm down.  Find it.  Its GOT to be down there.  WHY dont you work farther over the work surface?  When will you learn? What if its really gone?

 

ill confess the floor of my work area doubles as general garage storage.   Ammo cans.  Weight plates.  Cords for power strips. Packs of grout sponges for general model duty.  Pieces of tape i need to peel up.  Etc.

 

i always start by carefully rolling my chair out of the way, terrified i am going to smash the part with the casters.  Then i get on my hands and knees, making sweeping motions with my palms down, trying to feel for the part, pushing various things into a pile to scan.   There are episodes of me furiously flipping the optivisor out of my vision so i can see, then back down every time i find a likely piece of detritus.  Eventually I shine a flashlight parallel to the floor and looking for shadows.  Looking under stuff, then, when its not there, chastising myself for thinking it could be under that. 
 

i emptied the trash can, maybe it went in there?   I spent time carefully shaking out paper towels…nothing. 
 

then i kept expanding, and got way up under the bench, and there it was.  Relief and then the “how many times are you going to do this?” feelings come back. 
 

Thanks, Jay, i really appreciate the kind words.  Its certainly the best airplane model i have ever done.  Its got some warts, but i really like how the camo and the markings came out.  Im pretty happy with the engine, even with though its wrong.  The cockpit is pretty good but i mashed the gunsight too many times, its no longer what it was but its still hanging in there. 
 

I’m learning a lot about the order or work, because no matter how carefully you complete something, almost everything is delicate and, if possible, i will break, smash, fingerprint, or get paint on anything not very carefully protected.  
 

Live and learn, thats the whole point, right?

[Woody V]

17 hours ago, Citadelgrad said:

i always start by carefully rolling my chair out of the way, terrified i am going to smash the part with the casters.  Then i get on my hands and knees, making sweeping motions with my palms down, trying to feel for the part, pushing various things into a pile to scan.

One trick I learned is to use a flashlight held almost parallel to the floor and carefully scanning keeping your eyes glued to the beam on light. I'm sure there are other ways, but this works for me.

[mc65]

I don't wish I had discovered hot water, but since using this method my carpet monster has lost several kilos.

I bought a white chef's apron.
I wear it when I work at the table, and in case of high-risk work I block the lower end of the table at the edge. no more stains on the pants, and above all many fewer small pieces dispersed in hyperspace.