mozart Posted January 4, 2020 Author Share Posted January 4, 2020 3 minutes ago, quang said: Max, your ‘friendly persuasion’ is making me push my Belgian comet aside and GO SILVER! Build two!!! Simples! quang and Uncarina 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alain Gadbois Posted January 4, 2020 Share Posted January 4, 2020 Very glad to see you were able to sort out the problems with the serial number and checkered markings. If you want to do a Gauntlet conversion, I think it is possible but a big undertaking! Here's an illustration from a very old book I purchased in a yard sale (the yard of the British embassy in Tunisia no less!) when I was 10 by called Flying Adventures by Flight Lieutenant. Alain Paul in Napier and mozart 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozart Posted January 4, 2020 Author Share Posted January 4, 2020 Great picture Alain! Agreed the conversion won’t be easy, but I have to have a go at it, though not immediately, too many demands on my time AND the Cold War Jets GB not too far away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMaben Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 3 hours ago, mozart said: ...which gives me carte blanche for my build! I LUV carte blanche Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozart Posted January 5, 2020 Author Share Posted January 5, 2020 (edited) 14 hours ago, MikeMaben said: I LUV carte blanche I went to a superb restaurant in the Netherlands a few years ago Mike called Carte Blanche.....there was no menu but the chef came around to each table, asked about likes and dislikes then prepared your food based on that, up to 9 courses! We had 5 I think. OK, on with the build and preparation for the low-wing monoplane becoming a biplane! Despite my fears of a spaghetti mess of rigging lines, I've glued in all the rigging for the upper wing, attempting to keep some sort of order and discipline with the aid of coils and tape: Then onto the rigging between the interplane struts, close examination of the real thing shows the wires enter through the "boots" or "fairings" at the top and bottom of each strut: So I'm carefully drilling out each then planning to use thin metal rod or plastic cut to length, stretched sprue seems favourite at the moment but this could change! Edited January 5, 2020 by mozart Alain Gadbois, Out2gtcha, Jeff and 8 others 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 Nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozart Posted January 5, 2020 Author Share Posted January 5, 2020 I thought it would be foolish to put the top wing on without at least the windshield section, so I masked up all three parts (inside and out), sprayed and fitted the rear two - don't you love MRP paints and their quick drying times! The fit of the rear sections was perfect: Sgt Smith (Cy to his friends) is looking a bit happier, his moustache has finally come to fruition! Lothar, Out2gtcha, Trak-Tor and 11 others 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TorbenD Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 Loving this build Max! Top job. Torben mozart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozart Posted January 5, 2020 Author Share Posted January 5, 2020 45 minutes ago, TorbenD said: Loving this build Max! Top job. Torben Thanks Torben. It’s a really satisfying kit to make, everything about it is right but there’s always room for improvement or enhancements, great fun! TorbenD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozart Posted January 7, 2020 Author Share Posted January 7, 2020 Time to put the top wing on. I wasn't sure about the best way to do this but the fit of the interplane struts into the top wing was very positive so I decided to glue all those in first of all. I pondered about adding the cabane struts at this point too, but figured there'd be space to get my fingers in once the wing was in place so decided not to. All worked perfectly and within no time at all I had a biplane! Chance for a bit of fun to mock up the scenario: As anticipated with just a minimum of fettling the cabane struts went in easily: And lo and behold, a solidly fixed Gladiator! The dread with biplanes is wing-twist where the upper wing is out of alignment with the lower, but thanks to ICM's thoughtful design there's little danger of that happening with this kit: Rigging up next, this will simply reinforce the strength of the structure. Paul in Napier, daveculp, Lothar and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monthebiff Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Very nice Max, upper wing looks to have slotted in with ease, I recieved one of these fir Christmas and will be using your build as reference! Regards. Andy mozart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Wow, what a beaut! Really nice work Max mozart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quang Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 A biplane... at last! Nice crew you got there, Max. Thinking of hiring some staff myself mozart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozart Posted January 7, 2020 Author Share Posted January 7, 2020 1 hour ago, monthebiff said: Very nice Max, upper wing looks to have slotted in with ease, I recieved one of these fir Christmas and will be using your build as reference! Regards. Andy Pastor John’s bringing out some interesting schemes Andy, and as you’ve seen from my thread and Quang’s the kit builds up very easily and most satisfactorily. I think I may be doing one more at some point too. 49 minutes ago, Out2gtcha said: Wow, what a beaut! Really nice work Max It’s those inter-war schemes Brian.......eye candy! Should look good alongside the Silver Wings Bulldog! 42 minutes ago, quang said: A biplane... at last! Nice crew you got there, Max. Thinking of hiring some staff myself Indeed, no longer on a wing and a prayer! The rigging is going very smoothly apart from one moment when I discovered a knot in the line, fortunately before I’d fully tensioned it so I was able to tease it out. Kagemusha 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunnus Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 I'm not a biplane builder but this one straddles the link between biplanes and monoplanes so it is not as "foreign" to me as those fabric covered WWI aircraft. The rigging is so interesting to watch. mozart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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