ZachP319 Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 (edited) Well I started on this at the same time as my DH9A in the hopes they could tag team each other when I hit a wall or need to let something sit for a little while. The scale on this one is 1/39 so I am calling it an LSP. It is much closer to 1/32 or 1/35 than it is to 1/48 and it dwarts the Revell 1/48 stearman so LSP it is.... The kit is everything you would expect from old Revell but it is pretty nice actually. Detail is raised but that is not inappropriate in this case. The strut mounts are clunky and overscale. I may try to thin them a little but with this many struts I may accept some clunkiness in favor of positive location. Detail is decent for a kit of this age but then again there was little "detail" t the actual flyer save for a birds nest of rigging and that I believe is where this kit will live an die. However the first big challenge here is the plethora of ejector pin marks (It's almost as bad as the KH T-6 ) I also got a start on the engine. Looking at photos of the real thing, I think Revell gives you a good starting point here. This should be fun and if painted and rigged competently it should be pretty eye catching on the shelf (takes deep breath.....) Zach Edited September 6, 2017 by ZachP319 CANicoll, AlexM, Gigant and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maurice Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 I'm totally in with this one. I have the same kit, a friend of mine gave it to me. So this will be a bis lesson for me, specially the painting process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CANicoll Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 I've built some of the old Revell kits recently - this looks VERY familiar. Hang with it and if I had any advice to offer it would be - take what the kit gives you, but don't expect TOO much. As you said, it is appropriate for when it was released. Good luck and have fun! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 Well, here's something you don't see built too often! Good luck with it, Zach. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martinnfb Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhbama64 Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 My model club restored the 1/2 scale 1901 Wright Flyer for the Thronateeska museum in Albany, Ga about 10 years ago. We had to take creative liberties with the front skid because all attempts at bending wood were unsuccessful. We ended up using metal brackets but stayed true to all the references. Total rebuild of the entire rear section. You are correct that rigging this sucker is daunting. I lost most of my build pics but these may help you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZachP319 Posted August 28, 2017 Author Share Posted August 28, 2017 (edited) Love the 1/2 scale replica!! I should probably mention that I am likely to be branded a heretic for this build. I live in sunny East Central Connecticut and in CT the state legislature has formally recognized Gustave Whitehead of New Haven CT as the first to fly. He allegedly did so in 1901 but apparently forgot to alert anyone with a camera and I have to say that his design though fun seems aerodynamically dubious to say the least ( that looks like a rowboat but to me🚣â€â™€ï¸). In truth there was a newspaper article that purported to offer eyewitness testimony of Whitehead's August 14 1901 flight but despite this his claim to first in powered flight is often dismissed. No photos of Whitehead's No. 21 in flight are known to exist but some claim that there were contemporary photos presented at the time. I think I might get tarred and feathered for promoting the Wright Brothers in Connecticut 😠At any rate in looking at some reference photos I think this longitudinal spar needs blending. I saw a build of this kit where the modeler paintied it wood colored because it really looks like a spar set atop the linen. Photos say no. My solution is to smear it with a healthy dose of surface primer and then blend it some with medium grit sand paper. There is a corresponding spar in the top wing which I will also blend but the bottom of the top wing is currently undergoing ejector pin facelift Zach Edited August 28, 2017 by ZachP319 Whitey 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clunkmeister Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 NICE! I built this, (or attempted to, anyway) many, many years ago. I don't recall the final result, but I'm sure it was much less than memorable, if it even was completed. I'll try again sometime in the future with a 1/16 Hasegawa kit, but in the meantime, watching you work your magic on this will be a real treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigant Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 NICE! I built this, (or attempted to, anyway) many, many years ago. I don't recall the final result, but I'm sure it was much less than memorable, if it even was completed. I'll try again sometime in the future with a 1/16 Hasegawa kit, but in the meantime, watching you work your magic on this will be a real treat. As an "Old-Gummer", I built this kit when it was first released. Because I liked the colors the multi-colored plastic came in, that included wood-brown propellers, I just put it together OOB. As I understand, the newer kit also includes rigging materials and info the old one did not. Frankly, the size of this kit makes the most sense for me. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZachP319 Posted September 6, 2017 Author Share Posted September 6, 2017 Had a busy week so no progress right at the moment. This issue did include string for rigging but I will likely use a combination of monofilament and ez line Zach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZachP319 Posted September 6, 2017 Author Share Posted September 6, 2017 First off I will apologize for the cheesy pun in my revised title. - I am personally deeply disappointed that I did not think of that in the first place. I will try harder next time I assure you. So I have worked a little more on getting the wings to look a little better. As molded the fabric effect is very overdone to my eye so I wanted to tone that down some. here you can see the bottom wing which has been worked on quite a bit versus the upper wing which has not. The big task here is blending the horizantal spar which looks much too prominent. The ribs are as bad but more subtle as they are thinner. My approach here was use thinned tamiya putty along the spar and then start blending with sandpaper. In this picture the lower wing has gone through this treatment and the upper has just begun the journey. Leave it to me to essentially create seemwork on an aircraft kit with literally no seems........ Here is the upper wing after I have finished with the sanding and blending. the fabric effect looks better to me. Primer coat will inform as to my success in blending the spar succesfully. The doped linen final coat will be fairly unforgiving of blemishes I think. And here are two of the major spars for the cannards. They are going to need a LOT of clean up and one will need some straightening. I am not sure whether I will clip the bent peice and add a new one from stock plastic or try to straighten this one. It doesn't seem that the estate of Gustave Whitehead has discovered me yet as no cease and desist letter has arrived. That's all for now folks Zach TorbenD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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