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1:32 Douglas A-26 Invader from Trumpeter/Hobbyboss?


Iain

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On 7/14/2020 at 4:08 PM, Fencer-1 said:

Guys, here is 1/32 drawing I made from original blueprints. I think it is good to check the model fuselage accuracy. Just download and print. To be informed, actual turret diameter is 40 inches. Nose section profile is true either for 6-gun nose or 8-gun nose, only panels layout differs.

50111286613_e90228e58a_b.jpg

 

Thanks for posting this drawing. My kit finally arrived, and after some inspection, it seems to be way more challenging than I thought. To say that the wrong engines are disapponting is an understatement. But I was aware of this when I placed my order, and at least, they can be replaced. The fuselage cross-sections are way more problematic in my eyes.

Looking at the forward cross-section between the nose and the main fuselage-part, there is a bit of discrepance when comparing with the drawing. Being a tolerant and forgiving man, I would be inclined to say that it is close enough, if there were no other problems :D

 

CPtIRX6.png

 

The real problem is all along the fuselage-area where the bomb bay is located.

 

dj2zKh3.jpg

 

GtWFNt8.png

 

The red line is the cross-section of the kit. On the kit, the fuslage side is pretty much vertical, and starts to curve at the higth of the canopy. Consequently, the canopy-sides are curved, too, so there isn't much similarity to the real thing, where canopy sides are angeled, but flat.

 

In my eyes, there seems to be no easy fix to this, like some little cuts and sanding here and there. On the contrary, the front half of the fuselage would have to be made completely new :doh:

 

gHGx1FR.jpg

 

That's it for now.

 

Cheers

Alex

Edited by AlexM
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Well thanks for that cheerful news, Alex!* So basically the kit is an irredeemable piece of crap! Great, so we can wait another 5-10 years for someone to come out with one...

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

 

*Yes, yes, I know I'm shooting the messenger...

Edited by Learstang
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10 minutes ago, Learstang said:

*Yes, yes, I know I'm shooting the messenger...

 

No hits taken :D

 

It's really a pitty, as at first, I was impressed how well the two main fuselage parts fit together. I also like the surface details. But the fuselage shape is a no-go for me. Once I start to tackle this kit, I'll see if there is any reasonable solution. I guess this won't go without some major surgery. Maybe In the end I'll drawi and 3d-print a whole new fuselage section. But at the moment it is rather likely the box will be but to the stash and stays there for quite some time.

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Yeah that is pretty hugely off and is very discouraging. I can overlook a fair amount of error but sheesh. For a fix, you would almost have to do a plug that covers from the front glass to the rear and includes the wing root/attachement and at that point not sure it is worth it.

 

Anyone have the Tigger vac form? Just curious how the fuselage is on that? Maybe some sort of vac-injection kit could be attempted?

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1 hour ago, petrov27 said:

Yeah that is pretty hugely off and is very discouraging. I can overlook a fair amount of error but sheesh. For a fix, you would almost have to do a plug that covers from the front glass to the rear and includes the wing root/attachement and at that point not sure it is worth it.

 

Anyone have the Tigger vac form? Just curious how the fuselage is on that? Maybe some sort of vac-injection kit could be attempted?

My vacform will be here next week

I will take a look at it but I'm not a expert on those things

 

Mark

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On 7/14/2020 at 3:17 PM, Fencer-1 said:

The best way in this "A-26" hopeless case, I think, is to re-make a whole thing from the beginnning.

In many ways I do agree......BUT how much will that all cost in injection moulded????

I have a few ideas to fix some of the areas, and I shall be offer individual sets NOT one huge set, so modellers can decide if a certain fix warrants the price for them.

If you are happy for me to do so I would like to make use of the information that you have supplied above, to add to what I have already.

 

Thanks Ali

 

Well Guys, I do not give up easily BUT I spent 5-6 hours yesterday redesigning the cowl, as the first one that we had drawn in 3D was not correct (a long story mainly my fault), back to research and model in hand and pencil, and black markers etc........

Came home earlier and spent another 2 hours on look and checking things to get information to go back to my friend tomorrow to redraw the cowling and quite a few other items and then I stopped in my tracks................I came up with the same error that AlexM has pointed out.......and yes others (especially Fencer-1) did try and warn me and all of us earlier but sometime you need to find out for your self as it were. 

 

I now need to agree with Fencer-1........THIS IS A START ALL OVER AGAIN PROJECT.

I am now seriously consider what I do release for the kit, I have some rather cool wheels ready for production and will probably do a set of brass u/c but backdated to the B/C type not like the sort OF K ones that are in the kit, but that might be all.

 

In summary as has been shown, above and in various posts the following is wrong

fuselage section

incorrect position of wing (that broke my will today, a few hours ago, at much the same time AlexM put his post up

incorrect wing profile, and plan view, as shown by Fencer-1

the clear parts are all wrong

the cockpit is all wrong

the prop blade is way too short (I see Harold has done new ones, but not sure without seeing his new ones next to the kit ones how much he has changed them, and I assume he has them correct)

the engine cowl as we know is incorrect, and now that I have looked into even more the backend of the engine/ cowl is not correct and needs changing as well, see picture below, added to this the engine is incorrect as we all knew for quite a while, however there are no exhausts provided either.

 

My summary now is I have spent on estimation 30-40 hours of my time on this and in the region of £400-£500.00 on purchasing the kit, references, getting items drawn and printed, and now really have to wonder if it is really worth the effort............to continue.

 

I think to those that want an A-26 Invader buy it and build it, and if you can or want to fix what you can and or buy some add on products just to make it look a little better.

 

I am sorry for the disappointment as I had promised much and doing new clear parts etc. did not phase me too much, and I had fixes for things but when I realised earlier that the position and wing geometry was so bad I really just thought no matter what I or others do it is never going to look right, well without having to almost remake the model entirely from resin add ons.

 

Oh well I will take the rest of the evening off and start fresh again with some of the other projects that will be challenging but hopefully a little easier.

 

cheers for now Ali

 

see below where the cowling at the rear is incorrect, the spacing that is marked need to have 6 exhausts in the area, it can only fit three, it not symmetrical in layout as Hobby Boss has it.

 

 

A-26 Cowl

 

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9 hours ago, Alburymodeler said:

It is almost like they took a little plan out of "Aircraft of the Fighting Powers, 1944" and blew it up to 1/32. So much wasted effort as they can do good kits if they choose.

 

 

An example is the Il-2 - they made some (easily correctable) mistakes on it, including some common ones like the metal-paneled rear fuselage, but the shapes were good and accurate, and without too much work it builds into a very impressive model of the Il-2. This A/B-26 does seem like a very wasted effort. Since this has now been kitted, which other manufacturer will touch it? Tamiya? At what price and when?

 

Regards,

 

Jason

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Just been reading through this tail of woe - so many disappointments in one kit.

 

I will be getting one when they hit the UK - to pick up on a Counter Invader project I started from the ID Vac waaaay back in the mists of time.

 

Forewarned is forearmed, as they say...

 

Iain

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Is there a single reference book if you want to correct the most visible errors? Just to get the idea and some drawings before you start cutting styrene?

 

Regards

- dutik

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2 hours ago, dutik said:

Is there a single reference book if you want to correct the most visible errors? Just to get the idea and some drawings before you start cutting styrene?

 

Regards

- dutik

In one word: No. To me the best reference for a modeller (plans + walkaround pics + TM views) is probably the Warbird Profile 1 from Francis Gallemi. This booklet with a landscape format was published in Canada by Aries publications. 

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