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HKM Meteor, with T7 Conversion


Dpgsbody55

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Exellent explanation, I have the same subject on the worktable but it is still at the stage of correction of the different parts before starting assemblies.
For gunsigh, it's not because there are no guns that there are none in the cockpit, it can be used for schooling too.
On the different documents that I found, he is present.

 

Courage.

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21 hours ago, Babs said:

Exellent explanation, I have the same subject on the worktable but it is still at the stage of correction of the different parts before starting assemblies.
For gunsigh, it's not because there are no guns that there are none in the cockpit, it can be used for schooling too.
On the different documents that I found, he is present.

 

Courage.

 

I hope you will display your model when it's done.  I'd love to see it.  I've done a little more research on the gun sight and I tend to agree now with your viewpoint.  Most of the cockpit photos I've seen have either a gun sight in that place, or a control box of some sort instead.  Either way, something should go there.

 

20 hours ago, Out2gtcha said:

Looks great so far!  Paul makes some great stuff..............I hope he starts producing again at some point

 

Thank you.  Yes, Paul does make some great stuff and I hope he manages to get them back in production.

 

20 hours ago, Trak-Tor said:

Great progress and report.
Just keep it coming, please!

 

Juraj

 

Will do.  I'm busy with the resin/plastic joint at the moment.  Although I got the cut close to perfect, the resin kit is a little off on one half.  I'm going to have about 15 to 20mm of filler at one point to get the contours to line up, so that will take some time.  I've never attempted a resin conversion like this, so it's a learning process, but one that I'm enjoying. 

 

8 hours ago, mozart said:

Thank you Michael for taking the time to write what is a very readable and interesting progress report, you’re doing a brilliant job of the build. I look forward to further episodes! 

 

I'm pleased you find my updates readable.  I find many other people's updates very helpful, so it's gratifying to know that people like what I write.

 

6 hours ago, Kagemusha said:

Looks superb, the brass u/c is great, but like you said, postage is a killer these days. 

 

I got an email from Hobbylink today to say that the legs are on their way to me.  Hopefully I'll get the package by the weekend after next.   Yeah, postage is a killer, but I find that postage from the US to Aus is often the most expensive.  I'm also looking for a set of 1960's books on cars at the moment, and I saw one I'm after at USD$28, plus USD$50 postage, which translates to ~AUD$75 just for postage.  So I'm going to keep hunting and maybe I'll find one at a more reasonable rate from the UK.

 

 

Cheers,

Michael

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Not so much progress to report in this update, but progressed the model is.  The resin/plastic fuselage joint is done, though you can never say that for sure until you’ve got paint on it.  The cockpit is now complete and it’s approaching the point where I’m starting to consider painting.

 

Here’s some shots of the resin/plastic fuselage joint.  I used Tamiya white filler and Mr Surfacer 500 to finish it off.  Some CA glue had also been applied before that.  The worst area was the lower fuselage and the upper “shoulder” area on each side, but I didn’t worry too much about the top of the fuselage as this will be covered.

 

K3s3AN.jpg

 

 

2yJyU9.jpg

 

K9mxR8.jpg

 

After this, I spent a little time scribing on lost panel lines before adding the rear cockpit wall and canopy fairing, which are the parts shown below.  The picture immediately above shows 2 small flutes filed into the fuselage to help with the fitment of the canopy fairing.

 

N99amR.jpg

 

Here they are in place.  A little more Mr Surfacer has been used again, but the joint is fairly good anyway.  The rear cockpit wall goes in first as this helps with the placement of the canopy fairing.

 

V1Mkw7.jpg

 

Next up, I finished off the cockpit by installing the rear seat and the shoulder harnesses.  I’ve also added the gun sight, using the resin Fisher part.  The kit part looked a little under done and over large, but both were lacking the glass reflector so I sourced this from my scrap box.  I’ve painted it according to some pics found on the net, but I’m not totally happy with it as it’s missing the glass reflector supports that these gyro sights had.

 

soLhWm.jpg

 

Last up are two pictures showing where it is now.  The windscreen has been added as has the pitot.  The kit part is a little thick, so I cut this off and made one from 1.0mm brass tube, with a shorter piece of 0.5mm brass tube inserted.  I fitted the kit part first, then cut of the kit pitot, then drilled a 1mm hole glued my brass pitot into place.

 

GMPHba.jpg

 

kjkvBZ.jpg

 

Next up will be to fill the gap around the windscreen which doesn’t sit well at the rear, particularly on the left side.  However, it does line up well with the main canopy which is why I’ve gone the filler route rather than the filing the windscreen route.  After that, I’ll do a little more joint finishing, then basic masking and priming to see if all my work looks any good.  If so, more masking, painting the first colour, mask again, paint colour #2…  I’m sure you all know that part of the build. :lol:  Hopefully, next time you see this, it will be painted.

 

Cheers,

Michael

Edited by Dpgsbody55
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  • 2 weeks later...

The bulk of the painting is now done.  I still have to paint the wheel wells and touch up a few details but that's a ways off at the moment.  First up, masking.

 

Here's a picture of the plane with the canopy masked.  How on earth the student pilot and instructor were supposed to see out of this while flying is a mystery to me, especially as the British aviation industry could make an appropriate single piece canopy as on the later Meteor NF14.  Cost cutting gone mad!!

 

iku2MF.jpg

 

Here we are with the cockpit masked and the first colour on.  This is Mr Color flouro red (171) airbrushed on.  It took quite a bit of painting too, so as to build up the colour properly.  Half the bottle was used.

 

QN3NW8.jpg

 

Lastly, a couple of pictures with the second colour on.  The flouro red (dayglo, as it was known) was masked off which took quite a bit of time, especially around the curve on each nacelle, as well as making both sides symetrical.  Then the model was sprayed with Tamiya rattle can gloss black.

 

4MFqnx.jpg

 

Brass undercarriage arrived, but needs a little fettling.  I'm using the kit plastic undercarriage temporarily to keep the painted model clean, and the kit parts are standing up to the abuse quite well.  My previous "Meatbox" is still fine after more than 2 years on the plastic legs, so I'm wondering if they're really needed, and I live in a hot climate.  However, having bought them, I will use the brass legs.

 

UWHmgQ.jpg

 

As you can see, this will be an eye catcher!! :D    Next up is to apply a coat of gloss varnish then apply the markings before another coat of gloss.  More at that point.

 

 

Cheers,

Michael

Edited by Dpgsbody55
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On 11/27/2019 at 6:55 AM, Alain Gadbois said:

Wow, an eye catcher for sure! 

Very nicely done conversion!

 

Alain

 

Thank you, gentlemen, for your kind words.  I'm pleased so far with the way this model is turning out.  Alain, yes it is a nice conversion.  It's also the first one I've ever done, too.  Paul Fisher's conversion kits are certainly well engineered from what I've seen on this forum, and now from my own experience.  I do hope he gets back up and running again.

 

More progress, but it's been a trial.  I now have the markings on.  Firstly, I glossed the dayglo areas with airbrushed Tamiya enamel gloss.  Next, I painted on the 3 prominent stripes that point to the hand and foot holds on the left side of the plane.  Somehow or other here, I got into trouble as a cloth with thinner white paint contacted the right side of the cockpit and adjacent engine nacelle.  I let it dry and then attempted to remove the marks with 5000 grit polishing sticks which got a lot of it off, but a repaint was needed.  Half an hour to mask, then 10 seconds to paint with the Tamiya rattle can :BANGHEAD2:.  Don't you hate that???  Here's a couple of pictures showing what it now looks like.

 

CGtKOY.jpg

 

fS8j7d.jpg

 

The plane has now had a second coat of varnish, but I haven't yet taken any pictures as I'm going to let it dry thoroughly before going any further.  And the second gloss coat gave me heaps of grief too.  I realize now that I should have used acrylic gloss on the first coat but I didn't have any, hence the enamel gloss coat before I put the markings on.  Since you can put enamel over acrylic, but not acrylic over enamel, I was committed to using enamel for the second coat.  But I wasn't sure I had enough to do the entire plane, so I went out on Saturday while I was shopping and dropped in on a hobby store not too far away.  They only had Revell enamel gloss, so I bought 2 tins of this.  That night I airbrushed this on the underside, but no way could I get it even.  On each part of the model that the airbrush had not been able to hit the model square on, the surface cloudy and dull.  Had another go on Sunday thinning it differently and using different a pressure setting with even worse results.  So today I went out to another shop (there's not many in Perth and only 2 that I know of on the north side of town where I live) and while they had plenty of Tamiya enamel paint, no gloss was in stock.  I finished up with Humbrol which I haven't used in decades and had another go this afternoon.  Success :clap2:.  So presently, the model is sitting on my bench drying which you wouldn't think would take long in the 40 degree C weather we're having now, but I've found clear gloss takes a while to harden which is what I'll let it do before I go any further.  All this because I wanted to avoid rattle can clear varnish..   :angry2:

 

Next up will be the undercarriage, but I need to paint the wheel bays first.  Then on to the canopy which has a bit of work needed before adding the last small parts and it will be done.  I sometimes think that modelling is a little bit like writing decent computer code.  The first 90% will get you a good idea of how the final product will look, and the second 90% is what really makes it. :lol:

 

Cheers,

Michael

 

 

Edited by Dpgsbody55
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8 hours ago, Out2gtcha said:

Oh yes, that will be a standout!  Well done

 

I sure do hope so.  The part I'm most sweating on is the canopy.  It has parts to add inside, as well as more framing to paint inside.  The worst bit is that with Paul Fisher out of business at the moment, my chances of getting another canopy if I stuff it up are just about zero.  So I have lots of bits crossed, at the moment :lol:

 

 

Cheers,

Michael

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