1/72 Broplan ATR 72 500 to ATR 42 300 vac. kit

[chrish]

I bought this kit 2 years ago and have been picking away at it now and then. It's really picked up momentum in the last week going from probably never getting finished to, possibly finished in this lifetime to, possibly finished this year. I will add details (I've got a lot of walk around type pictures here) of the gear bays and (I hope) cast my own engines.

I've got about 20 pictures but this is basically where the project sits now.

Edited June 23, 2019 by chrish

[chrish]

Thanks a lot!

Yes it's a big airframe in 1/72 but I wanted it in that scale to do my employers colors and put it up with the Beechcraft 1900's and 200's.

A learning experience at the same time as well, mistakes have been made...

[chrish]

Puttering away (imagineering) on the landing gear sponson. It just looked...bad. I cut open the wheel relief area and added some textured plastic sheet to make it look like some kind of structural surfacing in the bay, nowhere near accurate but once the landing gear shocks and struts are in there it should be hard to see up inside anyway. The aircraft has landing gear very similar to F 18 legs, so big beefy stuff will need to be built to represent that assembly. At this time I've got the landing light parts added, the a/c ducting in and some detail work is starting.

  

Thanks for looking.

[Out2gtcha]

Wow, that looks great, accurate or not.     It makes the MLG pod look way more scale overall. 

[chrish]

Thanks!

I appreciate the encouragement!

[chrish]

Thank you kindly!

I've spent a bit of time tonight cleaning up some flash on the included injection molded parts then just kind of gave up and started doing my own thing. I'm working from my own walk around pictures (A benefit of walking past these aircraft every day) In doing so I find myself having to fix many issues as I go (A disadvantage of walking past these aircraft every day)

Case in point here, the flap actuators, the Broplan ones and my own attempt at scratch building them.

There's a bit of flash on a couple of parts....yaaaaa.....riiight. anyway here's the Broplan parts tree

Building my own flap actuators 

[chrish]

Thanks for the support!

I spent some time at the bench making molds and doing some test casts of the masters for the flap actuators, wheels, engines, props. etc... Some parts worked perfect others, as suspected will need a tweak or two...or five. 

So I may finally be ready to start putting the flap actuators on, the gear legs. As well, 2 (of 4) wheels are done and both props are ready, seen here with the master, (not being used on the model) borrowed from Revell's 1/72 CL-415 and a perfect fit to the ATR. The windows are filled with Micro Crystal clear in anticipation of priming the model for gloss white paint...a step I never thought I'd be doing!

Thanks for looking

[LSP_Kevin]

Nice work, Chris!

 

Kev

[Gazzas]

That is some cool work, Chris!  I really like the underbelly pod!

 

Gaz

[chrish]

Thanks guys!

I've managed, after 3 attempts to get a good engine mold and now I've begun casting my engines and props for the ATR.

I think I can now return to normal model building on this project for a while...maybe?

[Out2gtcha]

Great work!

[Gazzas]

Wow!  Do you have a pressure pot for molding?

[chrish]

Thanks!

Gaz, no I don’t. I make a 2 part mould knowing the bottom 1/2 will (most probably) be sacrificed to bubble damage but is necessary without a pressure pot. Once the bottom 1/2 cures I pour the top 1/2 then turn the mould over and remove the bottom 1/2 discard it and pour a new mould but with the whole issue now inverted the new mould becomes a new top 1/2 again, but with no bubbles on the master now.

I’ve also made some tricky moulds by using disposable brushes and brushing the silicon rubber material on to the master, allowing it to cure then putting that item in a box and pouring the mould silicon on to the cured rubber, as it will bond to cured stuff with no problem. The main point being to have the part situated during curing so that any bubbles rise away from the master, I don’t care if the mould has air, just not in contact with the master.

thanks for looking and taking time to ask the question

[chrish]

I've finally got the engines glued onto the model. These pictures have them glued in place and being faired in with Tamiya putty. The props aren't attached yet but pressed into place. The landing gear sponson (belly pod is also having it's final attachment points refined as closely as I can get. 

 

[mustang1989]

Looks like you're doing a great job on this bird. I simply cannot believe all of the flash on those parts! That's alot of work to remove all of that in itself. My hat goes off to you.