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EE Lightning - Echelon vacuform


mozart

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37 minutes ago, quang said:

Hah Max! Excellent idea using tin foil to make intakes. :clap2:

 

You remind me of my old friend Aidan who used to be an expert on modelling NACA intakes in 1/72 using only plasticard. The intricated parts were so tiny that he carried his entire collection in a matchbox. Aah, memories!

 

 

I can't begin to even think of doing the NACA ducts in plasticard and at that scale Quang, he must have been some kind of masochist!

 

19 minutes ago, Wegener said:

Nice work throughout Max.

 

As an alternative to lead foil (and without the oxidation risk), there is always copper sheet.  I picked up some from 4D Modelshop in London while nearby for a conference recently although not had the chance to use it yet.  Much more malleable than brass though.

Thanks Bob.  I tried very thin brass sheet but, as you say, found it not very malleable.  I guess copper is a good alternative, one I hadn't thought of but lead foil suits me and at my tender age I don't think I need be too worried about dying from lead poisoning, especially since all our pipes were lead when I were a lad!! (in the Wilds of Wiltshire!!).

Edited by mozart
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49 minutes ago, mozart said:

I can't begin to even think of doing the NACA ducts in plasticard and at that scale Quang, he must have been some kind of masochist!


The guy was REALLY obsessed by NACA intakes. He kept explaining to me how the shapes were complex. He gave me one sample to try and reproduce it in resin. To no avail. It was impossible to extract the master from the silicon mould.:wacko:

 

As for the lead foil, one option would be to use the foil used on wine bottles. You can drink the wine and use the foil for your intakes :beer4:

 

Cheers,

Quang

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3 minutes ago, D.B. Andrus said:

Stunning work, Max!

 

Cheers,

Damian

Thanks Damian, I'm pleased with the way things are going and hope it stays that way!  I've done a couple more ducts in a short session this afternoon, I'm getting quicker and more efficient with experience.....like doing quite a bit of pre-shaping and wall-thinning before putting the tube into the fuselage:

 

vApiY8.jpg

 

It probably took me longer to heat and stretch the tube to the correct diameter than it did to fit them, but it's all a learning curve! 

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1 hour ago, quang said:


The guy was REALLY obsessed by NACA intakes. He kept explaining to me how the shapes were complex. He gave me one sample to try and reproduce it in resin. To no avail. It was impossible to extract the master from the silicon mould.:wacko:

 

As for the lead foil, one option would be to use the foil used on wine bottles. You can drink the wine and use the foil for your intakes :beer4:

 

Cheers,

Quang

 

Perhaps the really classy stuff laid down years ago still has lead foil, but it's a thicker aluminium foil they use now (when it isn't plastic).

That's useable, but not as malleable as lead.

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  • 2 weeks later...

OK, back on the job!  I decided to have a look at the radar bullet assembly.  The original kit owner had made up the bullet, but a "housing body" was included in the Aires undercarriage set since the nose wheel retracts into the lower portion, but it did not include of course the pointed shock cone.

 

IAdhMh.jpg

 

lFnLdv.jpg

 

I wanted to use the Aires piece if possible because the nose wheel well has some good detail in there:

 

h37VdF.jpg

 

Question was, how feasible was it to combine the two?  The nose area on the kit is really quite complicated, comprising the intake trunking, the fuselage sides/nose with its cut out for the wheel well, the radar bullet and the intake ring.  All need to align accurately and precisely.  The 1/32 scale drawings that come with the kit are an enormous help, so checking as carefully as I could I cut off the shock cone from the Echelon kit and mated it to the Aires part - it fitted remarkably well dimensionally so I hope that means I've got it right.

 

n3t9mp.jpg

 

I know that I'm going to have to adapt the fitting of the intake ring, Iain has kindly sent me a couple of resin ones that he made, so there's room for error and bodging yet!

Edited by mozart
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You're a brave man Max for not going the easy way.

You're turning that vac kit into something special with your craftsmanship.

 

Edited by Fanes
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1 hour ago, Lothar said:

Stunning work Max, never would have imagened what this old vac kit can be turned into !!

Lothar

 

I can't let you down Lothar - it's a very enjoyable challenge but it makes my brain hurt sometimes! :blink:

 

1 hour ago, Kagemusha said:

Delighted to see the parts match up, delighted also to see more progress, the Lightning was my Dad's favourite aircraft, so has a very special place in my affections, and this double helping is a true joy.

I think the Lightning is a Marmite plane Andy; some (most) see awe and beauty in its brute force and paper thin angular wings but for others it's little more than a flying engine.  It's no Spitfire that's for sure. 

 

21 minutes ago, Fanes said:

You're a brave man Max for not going the easy way.

You're turning that vac kit into something special with your craftsmanship.

Hah, good coming from you Joachim with your detailing on your Starfighter!  I think in my case it's naivety rather than bravery....I keep telling myself it's only bits of plastic! 

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