Airfix 1/24 Mustang wheel wells

[Pete Roberts]

 

I see Model Monkey have released wheel wells for the Airfix 1/24 scale kit. They look quite good.

 

Link: 

 

https://www.model-monkey.com/product-page/1-24-p-51d-p-51k-and-mustang-mk-iv-wheel-well-inserts-for-airfix-kits

 

$32 a set

 

PR

Edited November 4, 2019 by Pete Roberts

[BaldEagle]

Looks brilliant. I could have done with this five years ago when I built mine. That's when I discovered I wan't that good at scratch-buliding!

 

I hope it fits ok - there's not much room in there.

[R Palimaka]

1 hour ago, BaldEagle said:

Looks brilliant. I could have done with this five years ago when I built mine. That's when I discovered I wan't that good at scratch-buliding!

 

I hope it fits ok - there's not much room in there.

 

According to Steve from ModelMonkey, the wheelwell was designed using dimensions from North American Aviation drawings, and then tweaked and adjusted to fit in the Airfix wing. It should fit just fine...and it looks simply amazing. No way I could scratch build that!

 

As for timing, yeah, I could have used this a couple years ago too. Just means I'll have to build another one using all the ModelMonkey 1/24 Mustang correction parts.

 

Richard

Edited November 5, 2019 by R Palimaka

[Anthony in NZ]

Yep, that's a work of art!  The more you look the more you see how accurate and detailed it is

 

Beautiful work Steve

[Pete Roberts]

So what chance a 1/24 cockpit and wheel wells for the Airfix Spitfire Mk I kit?

 

PR

Edited December 2, 2019 by Pete Roberts

[Model_Monkey]

On 12/2/2019 at 3:48 PM, Pete Roberts said:

So what chance a 1/24 cockpit and wheel wells for the Airfix Spitfire Mk I kit?

 

PR

 

I hope to pick up an Airfix Spit to do exactly that in 2020.

 

There will be a cockpit for the classic Bandai 1/24 scale Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden Kai.  Research is complete.

 

Still have several projects in the queue to complete before I get to those.

 

Thanks, all, for your kind comments and encouragement!

Edited December 7, 2019 by Model_Monkey
Corrected N1K2-J manufacturer's name.

[dodgem37]

Any chance of you producing the well with separate ribbing as what Tamiya offers?

 

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Mark

[Model_Monkey]

3 hours ago, dodgem37 said:

Any chance of you producing the well with separate ribbing as what Tamiya offers?

 

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Mark

 

Hi Mark,

 

Thanks for the interest!

 

I regret to say, no because, short answer, the cost would skyrocket.

 

The long answer: offering the wells with separate ribbing significantly complicates the design with regard to printing it.  A more complicated design takes longer to print and requires more resin to produce it.  Those two factors drive up the cost.  As designed, the entire well can be produced in one 7-hour printing cycle.  Separating the ribs from the well increases the printing space required to produce it.  Since 3D-printer workspace is small, a second print cycle would be needed to produce a single well.  Two cycles makes for a 14-hour production run per well, crippling production given current order volume.*  Since time = money, that cost in time would have to be captured by a much higher model price.  Aggravating cost even further, the separate ribs would have to be supported by a second printing "raft" and supporting sprues.  Rafts require a lot of expensive resin.  The additional resin needed to produce the second raft and sprues would significantly add to the price of the model.

 

Hope this explains the rationale behind the model's configuration and that modelers will find the wheel well model satisfactory as designed.

 

Thanks again!

 

 

* Customers are presently ordering more models per day than can be printed in a day (thank you, dear customers, for your patronage!).  Another $4000 3D printer is on order to help speed up production.  We hope to receive it and have it fully operational this month.

 

Edited December 3, 2019 by Model_Monkey
Clarity.

[John1]

From the directions -

 

To use this 3D-printed model, your Airfix kit's wing must be modified to have increased dihedral.  No wing modification instructions are provided.

 

Are the wings on the kit botched?  How do you correct it since apparently MM won't tell us. 

[dodgem37]

The wings are not molded with the proper dihedral.  I've seen a correction somewhere on line, but since I have Construction Drawings I didn't pay as much attention to it as I should have.  Rodney Williams' P-51B was corrected, which can also be applied to the D.  To me, it stands to reason that this insert would correct the dihedral, if, its' dihedral is correct.

 

MM, Got it all.  An option would be nice.  Expensive tho it may be.  To try to do to these wheel wells what I did to the wheel wells of the Tamiya Mustang in my signature would be cumbersome at best with the ribbing in place.

 

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Mark

Edited December 3, 2019 by dodgem37

[GrahamF]

1 hour ago, Model_Monkey said:

 

* Customers are presently ordering more models per day than can be printed in a day (thank you, dear customers, for your patronage!).  Another $4000 3D printer is on order to help speed up production.  We hope to receive it and have it fully operational this month.

 

 Not too late to cancel your order I presume?

You just need to make one good master then cast them....

 

Graham

 

 

[Model_Monkey]

 

4 hours ago, GrahamF said:

 Not too late to cancel your order I presume?

You just need to make one good master then cast them....

 

Graham

 

 

 

Hi Graham,

 

Although resin casting copies of a wheel well master seems at first very attractive, the geometry of this model is not suitable for casting in a mold.

 

Although it may seem that casting resin copies of a 3D-printed master would cost less than just 3D-printing the models, it's actually not true.  That's because to do both 3D-printed masters and casting copies requires two production processes, two sets or equipment, and two labor efforts.  Each process is costly.   As you know, resin casting as a production process is extremely labor and time intensive and the pressure vessels needed to do it properly are expensive.  Been there, done that.  Presently, I can handle one production process, but not two.  In choosing which type of process is best to build a business, I choose 3D-printing over resin casting for a host of reasons, hands down. 

 

IMHO, it is better to use time not spent 3D printing, cleaning, packaging and shipping models in researching and designing new models.  And better to use available funds in buying more printers to increase production capacity. 

 

 

4 hours ago, dodgem37 said:

The wings are not molded with the proper dihedral.  I've seen a correction somewhere on line, but since I have Construction Drawings I didn't pay as much attention to it as I should have.  Rodney Williams' P-51B was corrected, which can also be applied to the D.  To me, it stands to reason that this insert would correct the dihedral, if, its' dihedral is correct.

 

MM, Got it all.  An option would be nice.  Expensive tho it may be.  To try to do to these wheel wells what I did to the wheel wells of the Tamiya Mustang in my signature would be cumbersome at best with the ribbing in place.

 

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Mark

 

Mark, your 1/32 P-51 Mustang is absolutely stunning.  Compared to the 1/32 scale wells you fantastically detailed, the 1/24 scale 3D-printed wheel wells are huge with lots of room within to work for those who would like to further detail them.  A modeler of your skill and attention to detail would likely work magic with the larger wells, even with the ribs in place.  Here's a photo to help show just how big the 1/24 scale model wheel well is.

 

 

For those concerned about modifying the Airfix kit's wing dihedral, there are several ways to do that.  Of the many techniques one could try, here's one worth considering: cut a shallow groove along the center of the lower wing part's upper (interior) side from front to back.  This will create a seam to help ease bending the wing to the proper dihedral.  Gently bend the wing to match the 3D-printed wheel well. 

 

Worked for me, took just a few minutes.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited December 3, 2019 by Model_Monkey
Typo.

[GrahamF]

1 hour ago, Model_Monkey said:

 

Although it may seem that casting resin copies of a 3D-printed master would cost less than just 3D-printing the models, it's actually not true.  That's because to do both 3D-printed masters and casting copies requires two production processes, two sets or equipment, and two labor efforts.  Each process is costly.   As you probably know, resin casting as a production process is extremely labor and time intensive and the pressure vessels needed to do it properly are expensive.  Been there, done that.  Presently, I can handle one production process, but not two.  In choosing which type of process is best to build a business, I choose 3D-printing over resin casting for a host of reasons, hands down. 

 

Hi Mark,

I've been modelmaking professionally since 1988 and one of the first things you learn is about time taken to do tasks above anything else as it's a traditional skill pitched against a modern world and short time frame.

I also recently spent a year solidly 3D printing for Wes Andersons 'Isle of Dogs' film using two Formlabs 2 machines wheras normally I am familiar with CNC machining and hand skills, one of the things I noticed with 3D printing is although it seems a 'hands off' way of doing things there seemed to me to be a lot of finishing to do on each part to get it to be acceptable, which was OK for the film as money was no object and the maximium amount of duplication was at most 20 or so. 

That piece your doing would take me 10 minutes to cast and the rubber mould to make would take about 1 or 2 hours max which would be good for 40 up to maybe 50.

The equipment to do this costs less than the 3D printer.

For example today I've made 5 Trolley accumulator kits and three 'E' Type Bomb Trolley kits. That first Trolley kit was prototyped by CNC six years ago [ took about a week to design and machine] and all I've had to do is remould it in rubber which is all set up as the parts are mounted on sprues in their perspex boxes for moulding again.

You wouldn't be handling two processes because the prototyping part would probably be just a days printing for the first master and the cleaning up. Also don't forget the cost of the electricity, the expensive resin and other consumables [ periodic print tray replacement?]

 

Graham

 

 

  

[Model_Monkey]

Thanks for your thoughts, Graham.  I appreciate your advice and your experience.  I am an admirer of your work and products.

 

With over 2000 products designed and available for sale, over 1400 printable in-house, I'm very comfortable with the decision to grow a 3D-printing business rather than a resin casting business, or a combination of the two.  I do recognize and concede that resin casting can and does produce great models and could be a help with production rates for those designs that are suitable for a mold.   I am amazed at the fine quality and detail of the products you produce.

 

As demand for products continues to increase and funds permit, I'll add more printers to meet demand (currently using Formlabs Form 2 with a Form 3 on order).  I am encouraged by rapidly maturing 3D printing and resin technology, expensive though it is, as well as the push by various industries to improve 3D-printing technology.  I am confident that as the tech continues to mature, even better, cheaper and faster 3D printers will become available, efficiently producing great models with more precision in the very near future. Perhaps the future Form 4 and Form 5 will be blazingly fast and dirt cheap.

 

Love your "E" Type Bomb Trolley.  It is a wonderful design and hope it is a good seller for you.  Any hints on what you will be offering next?

Edited December 3, 2019 by Model_Monkey
Typo.

[coogrfan]

15 hours ago, Model_Monkey said:

 

There will be a cockpit for the classic Bandai 1/24 scale Nakajima N1K2-J Shiden Kai.  Research is complete.