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F7F-3 Tigercat - BuNo 80405 - VMF 312 MCAS - El Toro, CA 1946


Out2gtcha

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Nice work, I think the styrene was better chose than the brass. A tip when trying to shape brass like you did with the large tube is to anneal the brass first like you would with PE. Heat it with a torch till it's just cherry red then let it cool slowly. It will make the brass soft, more like copper and much easier to work with. Same with sheet. It does make it less strong but that usually isn't an issue with models.

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Thanks guys!  

 

Nice work, I think the styrene was better chose than the brass. A tip when trying to shape brass like you did with the large tube is to anneal the brass first like you would with PE. Heat it with a torch till it's just cherry red then let it cool slowly. It will make the brass soft, more like copper and much easier to work with. Same with sheet. It does make it less strong but that usually isn't an issue with models.

 

 

Yeah, I normally do, just like when/if I have to use PE belts (although I try never to use them if at all avoidable!) but in this case I was really only after an inclining if the premise was even feasible or not.  In this case most all the difficulty came from not being able to consistently make 4 identical pieces, as the transition had to be smooth, and identical.

 

The other issue and frankly the larger one, was that the size of the tube it took to get across the whole vent, meant using a tube that was so big i just couldn't fit it in the wing. If this method had proved even remotely feasible, I definitely would have annealed the brass for sure to make the oval shape easier. 

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That is a great photo.  There is so much texture.

 

 

 

I think so too Mark. Would be a cool diorama for sure with frosted/cracked canopy and all the raised access panels and what-not.  I do have a vac F7F too, but its destined for a Reno unlimited "what-if" build.   So much to do, and so little time/space!  :lol:

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Thanks gents, one and all for the comments!  Yes, Mike Im starting to wonder that myself!    Also because Im still having fun; at least at this current stage.

 

 

Beautiful work Brian, here is one picture of the inlet, I know too late :)

2008-04-11_172631_tigercat.jpg

 

 

 

Martin, actually that particular pic helps greatly!   I've been in a slight quandary as to how to paint the inside of the intake vent. Ive so far only seen interior green up to a demark line slightly before the leading edge of the wing. 

 

That pic shows what Ive been hoping to get a pic of!

 

The hope I had to see, was a pic with interior green inside the circular vent alone, and DSB throughout the rest of the vent including the curved funnel section of the vent from the circle all the way out through the vent and continuing out of the vent onto the rest of the airframe. 

 

Doing DSB throughout the vent, and leaving the interior green in the circle vent only, will make painting here, and then sanding the side seams after the fact (gluing the wing halves together) will make painting much MUCH easier. 

 

I supposed if things got really hairy, I could just make some custom FOD covers for the intakes, but I've never ever really been a fan of doing that on any models. 

 

 

Thanks my friend!

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Nice work on those intakes Brian! Me I am a bit lazy so will go with the FOD covers instead!

 

You'll have fun with the engines mounts! Think you will re-do them in brass instead of the resin things they give you! Aligning them is a real pain!

 

Keep up the good work!

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