Convair NB-36H Crusader

[daveculp]

This is the latest version of the heat exchanger vents.  At first I wanted to build the left and right vents as separate parts to simplify the fitting process, but then decided to go ahead and make them joined at the heat exchanger box.  This complicates the test fit process - once the fuselage halves are joined this part is no longer accessible.  I have to super-glue the part to one side first, then join the fuselage halves and hope the other side fits.

 

I left the box open for ease of painting.  The inside of the box will be painted black, and the vent outlets will have a green chromate color - fading to black.  I'll then seal the bottom of the box with card stock painted black.

 

[daveculp]

The bottom of the new nose.  The original nose wheel well part is used after the edges are sanded down to fit the new fuselage shape.  Lots of CA glue used here since the part is only attached at the bottom edges.  The doors behind the wheel well will be closed, so this hole needs filling.

 

[daveculp]

The cockpit interior will hardly be seen, but I'll scratch build a replacement cockpit and add the original pilot seats and pilots.  During the reactor loading process the crew is already buttoned up inside the cockpit and ready to go.  Supports are added here for the cockpit floor.

 

[daveculp]

The windows are an interesting problem.  The NB-36H had thick leaded glass windows, up to a foot thick depending on which documents you read.  There are two ways to build this that I know of.  One is to buy the 3D printed windows from Shapeways as a single part, however this part is not transparent.  Apparently you use the part to make a silicone mold and pour your own transparent resin.  The other way is to scratch build.  I might end up trying both and choosing the best result, but for now I'm working on the scratch built method using 1/8 inch plexiglass.  Gluing the parts in place will be another problem since the cockpit is a tight space and quite a reach from the back end - sort of like building a ship in a bottle.

 

Note here the roughness of the nose part.  The 3D printing surface artifacts really show up once you apply the first primer coat.

 

[Out2gtcha]

Good show!  Cant wait to see whats next............

[daveculp]

I've built a simple cockpit using the kit seats and pilots.  The rest is scratch built.  Once assembled the only thing you can see from the outside is the pilot's faces and the instrument panel shroud.  Some touch-up painting next, then the cockpit will be ready to be glued in forever.

 

 

 

The clear part has been an adventure.  I ordered the part from Shapeways and tried to polish it in hopes that it could be made transparent.  Nope.  The designer Click2Detail says they expect to print their own truly transparent part in the near future - and that will be the ultimate solution.  In the mean time I heard about some good transparent resin from iFun, so I bought a bottle to try to print my own clear part.  First I'm printing the part in my usual gray resin in order to get the dimensions just right.  Here's a photo of the test fit of iteration #3.  One or two more iterations with the grey resin and I should be ready for the clear print.

 

Almost all of the 3D printed surface irregularities on the fuselage have now been removed via many cycles of priming and sanding.  It's been a long process, especially after my first primer coat reacted with the resin and wouldn't dry!  I spent a week scraping/rubbing/sanding the bad primer coat off, then sprayed a couple base coats of Vallejo primer, then Mr. Surfacer for all subsequent coats.

 

Edited December 21, 2019 by daveculp
clarified the fuselage is the part with the irregularities

[daveculp]

Latest attempts to print the clear part have failed.  Originally I wanted to wait on the clear part before closing up the cockpit, just in case I needed to install a clear part from the inside of the cockpit, but now I'm going to continue with the build and assume the clear part saga will be solved in the future.  So, the build progresses.  Filling, sanding and scribing.

 

 

 

[Out2gtcha]

On 12/21/2019 at 1:56 PM, daveculp said:

 

 

With flat sides like that, would it be possible to use some crystal clear styrene or other type sheet and build the windscreen that way with clear adhesive?

[AlbertD]

That's quite a project. I'm looking forward to watching it come together.

 

I had a co-worker who crewed on a B-36 in the AF in the 1950s. They loved the plane. He said sometimes on long flights he would have to go through the passages in the wings to make adjustments on the engines. Sounds like fun.

[daveculp]

6 hours ago, Out2gtcha said:

 

With flat sides like that, would it be possible to use some crystal clear styrene or other type sheet and build the windscreen that way with clear adhesive?

 

It's possible, but the angles have to be exactly right for it to fit.  Other options are:  silicone mold, or wait for Click2detail to make the part.  I'll wait until the model is built to make the decision, by then Click2detail might have the part done.

[daveculp]

Finishing up the fuselage joint filling.  The main fuselage was a little out of round (not surprising I suppose given how big it is), so that area takes some extra work.  Next step is scribing across the top and bottom of the fuselage.  The test prints for the cockpit glass makes for a good mask.

 

[allthumbs]

Any recent progress on this behemoth Dave? I know from experience it’s easy to get bogged down - and have to step away for a time - from ambitious projects such as this.

 

Anyhow, I know I speak for others here when I express my curiosity! 

 

Cheers, Rich

Edited April 19, 2020 by allthumbs

[daveculp]

Well, when it outgrew my work bench I banished it to the garage work bench.  The cockpit windows problem was solved recently when Click2Detail sent me a clear part (free!).  At this point I need to sand and fill the wing seams, which is going to take a lot of time around the engine intake/cooling inlets.  Once I'm satisfied with both wings then I'll join the wings to the fuselage and do some more filling.  After that - preshading and paint.

 

In the mean time I'm working on the Phoenix project - a conversion of the Anigrand C-82 to the Phoenix from the movie "Flight of the Phoenix" (1965).

 

P.S.  I picked a good time to retire