Simmo.b Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 So, it's been a while since I have posted a WIP here, mostly due to the great photobucked debacle which sapped my will, but with the multi-engine group build comming up I had to get motivated! This WIP is a test of smugmug as much as anything, I have been beating this kit into submission for several months now and I say that because just about everything needed adjustment, shimming and flat out scratchbuilding, but that's why this is modelling not assembling right? HpH provide the instructions in the form of rather crude (compared to mainstream) line drawings unlike their other kits that feature in progress photos, it is a must to obtain a copy of the Windsock datafile for the Macchi M5 which I found to be invaluable. Here is a prime example, the horizontal stabilisor is about 2 mil too short when offered up to the fin, I added a shim, blended it in then replaced the lost rib tape detail by masking alongside the existing rib tapes and applying Mr Surfacer to build up the lost detail. Most of the pit was scratchbuilt, new IP as the supplied PE item looked too small, I glazed the 2 holes in the top deck as HpH do not supply clear parts and I figured that the holes are to allow light into the pit so that the instruments can be seen and would be glazed to keep water out. I must say that the seat and hgw belts are lovely. I will let the pictures do the talking from here. The wood sections were created by spraying black through the ZM photo-etch wood grain stencil then spraying MRP red wood. The only decal used was the serial all other markings including the zig zag pattern on the fuselage were sprayed on using custom masks kindly creared for me by Eric G, MRP was used througout. More to follow, thanks for stopping in! Out2gtcha, 109, Iain and 11 others 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 Beautiful work, Brent! Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericg Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 Lovely work mate. Glad to see you persisting with it and more importantly getting your WIP on here. Eric. LSP_Kevin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Ray Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 Wow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitey Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 Very nice mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TorbenD Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 Lovely stuff, a quite wonderful aircraft. I’m a very happy user of Smugmug - very easy and good value. Torben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fvdm Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 What a nice aircraft. Looks good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattlow Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 I have this kit and know some of the effort you are/will be putting into it after reading through Des's excellent build over at WW1 Aircraft Models. I bought a set of manual drawings from an online seller in Italy for a very small charge and found several interesting things out... main one being that the radiator has a set of shutters on it's rear face that HpH failed to bother with... I don't think this represents their finest hour kit-wise.... Yours is coming along really well and I think that the effort is worth it for such a beautiful airframe... Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 Super nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simmo.b Posted January 1, 2019 Author Share Posted January 1, 2019 Thanks guys!! On to the motor, HpH supply a nice motor for this kit however they have missed a fair bit of detail, no magnitos, spark plugs and wires as well as those radiator shutters that Matt pointed out. HpH also supply the engine covers however it is my firm opinion that they never intended them to be fitted to the model as they don't even come close to fitting...seems to be a pattern with this kit! Not wanting to scratchbuild all of the missing engine components I opted to fit the engine covers especially as most photos of the M5 operating show them in place. Here we see before and after pics of the timing gear, as can be seen the detail is soft so I cut the part up, drilled through the various bits and inserted a brass tube. Before. After. The engine recieved Tauris spark plugs and solder leads before being painted in various shades of Alclad. The engine cover was cut in half, fitted to the engine then all gaps shimmed with plastic strips, all seams and rivets were completely filled before the detail was reapplied with a scribing tool and ponce wheel. I painted the covers MRP italian red over a dark green base coat, here is the end result. Thanks again for stopping in! Fvdm, 109, Jan_G and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted January 1, 2019 Share Posted January 1, 2019 Great stuff, Brent! Happy New Year, mate. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petrov27 Posted January 1, 2019 Share Posted January 1, 2019 Looking great - love the dark wood fuselage with white underside and Italian roundels - fantastic! Have this one in the stash as well but a little afraid of it - test fitting seemed to indicate a lot of likely challenges and the vertical tail on mine is a bit twisted to boot.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simmo.b Posted January 12, 2019 Author Share Posted January 12, 2019 thanks for the kind comments guys!! MORE PROGRESS The engine mounts as supplied by HpH will leave the engine tilted to the rear as the rear legs are too short. looking at plans the forward leg should meet the fusalage at 90 degrees, to allow this the rear legs needed to be extended by about 4 millimeters. To achieve this i visited my local model engineering expert Eric G for advice! The solution was to rip out the wire HpH inserted into the resin peices and insert longer items into the castings, I then roughly formed some plastic stock into aerofoil shapes, drilled holes into them and slipped them over the extended wires, gluing them with super strength epoxy. Once dry (3 days). the plastic stock was sanded to shape and the peices painted MRP dark sea grey. The engine mounts were then joined to the fusalage with super strength epoxy (3 more days!) and music wire cross braces added making the whole structure very strong. Finally I offered up the engine, gluing with yep, super strength epoxy. I will let the pictures do the talking from here. Moving to the moment of truth, fitting the upper wing, which I don't expect to be easy seeing as how nothing has fit, but we will see! LSP_Kevin, Whitey, cib2265 and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 Beautiful work, Brent! Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fvdm Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 Great work and problemsolving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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