1:32 Hawker Siddeley Andover E.Mk 3A - 3D Print

[Iain]

Phase II of 'Operation Dart' - prepping the LACI parts for trial fitting.

 

I'm just working on the starboard side at present - partly an experiment with wing mods, and also to trial fit the LACI set with the One Man Model parts.

 

As opposed to the FDM/ABS prints of the One Man Model, the new LACI parts are LCD printed in a UV sensitive resin.

 

This means that the first thing to do is remove the resin parts from their print supports:

 

 

Ladislav is a seasoned designer and printer - and this shows in the quality of the prints - and relatively low number of supports.

 

If these supports weren't there, or where fewer in number, the print would fail - as anyone who's played with this technology will tell you from experience!

 

For this I'm using a very sharp pair of Tamiya side cutters - with a fresh scalpel blade where needed:

 

 

This leaves you with some nice, chunky, components that just need the support attachment areas cleaned up with the scalpel and the surfaces dressed off with a sanding bar and files.

 

This meant I could try a quick test fit - and, bearing in mind the mating surfaces still need a little tweaking, is excellent for an LCD/resin 3D print!

 

 

 

 

Iain

 

 

[Iain]

'Operation Dart' - Part III

 

Back to the One Man Model inner wing sections...

 

The leading edge pieces of the starboard wing inner section have been bonded to the main/rear section - using Plastic Weld cement liberally flooded into the joints:

 

 

You'll probably notice something else...

 

If you look at the rear of the opening where the upper cowling has been removed, the printed in flaps have gone:

 

 

The trailing edge on the flaps - and ailerons - is quite thick - and the strengtheners are the wrong shape - so I'd decided a while back that I'll draw up new flaps and print them.

 

This meant removing the moulded-in sections, before we can start on building up and strengthening the inner wing sections again:

 

 

 

Next stage will be to 'box in' the section where the flap section has been removed.

 

But, in the mean-time - a quick test positioning of parts on the inner wing before the latest progress.

 

Width looks spot on compared to the One Man Model parts - but some tweaks will be needed to the fit of the LACI parts to the wing cross section:

 

 

So, all pretty positive just now.

 

I'm hoping for some more news later in the week which might really move things forward! 

 

Blue skies...

 

Iain

[LSP_Kevin]

Really enjoying your updates on this one, Iain!

 

Kev

[Iain]

Hopefully of use to anyone contemplating a 3D printed 'kit' Kev...

 

Today looking at orientation on wing - thrust line, alignment in vertical plane from the front etc.

 

Some tweaks needed - but given the parts weren't designed for this model, or scale - actually pretty good!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a final 'overview'...

 

 

Have fun!

 

Iain

[Anthony in NZ]

Wow, yeah that looks amazing!!

[Iain]

OK - looks like an Andover kind of weekend...

 

Photos to follow - but flaps and ailerons now removed from starboard outer wing - ready for cleanup and joining to the inner section.

 

Images will explain - but skin thickness of print really thin (to reduce weight) and easily damaged - a fresh scalpel blade is a must!

 

Once these sections are bonded I'll reinforce the areas where flaps have been removed with some styrene sheet.

 

But, in bigger news, Ladislav at LACI has sent me another box of engine goodies - which looks like it will arrive today.

 

Stand by for an update later... 

 

Iain

[Iain]

Well - parcel arrived from Ladislav @ LACI - and, one word - WOW!!

 

Here's what he's sent me - all parts re-done to accurately represent the engines and cowls - as well as an accurate set of props and spinners.

 

I'm really quite amazed.

 

Ladislav was mortified that we wanted to use the 748 engines as the basis for the larger and modified Dart cowlings/nacelles on the HS 780 Andover C.Mk.1 and E.Mk.3 - and immediately said he was off to create new designs.

 

I believe our own Anthony photographed and measured up an airframe in New Zealand last weekend and sent that information to Ladislav.

 

And here are the results - and I'm hugely impressed with Ladislav's customer service. I was more than happy to take the 748 parts as a basis for modification - and accept they were blown up from the 1:144 designs. But here we have a full set for the 780 - with correct shapes - and with panel lines refined for the larger scale.

 

 

More to follow later today - but this, absolutely, ticks off one of the big boxes of things I wanted to deal with on the One Man Model kit - and it saves an awful lot of work!

 

A quick snap showing the rear cowl/nacelle differences - 748 at left, 780 at right.

 

 

If you haven't seen the LACI range of 3D printed detailed accessories, take a look here. Quality products!

 

Back soon...

 

Iain

[Iain]

OK - having a break now after all day on the Andover - and progress. We'll come back to that.

 

Some more images of the LACI parts.

 

Lower nacelles - now a single component - and with the revised profile on the front section.

 

New part top, 748 below:

 

 

Main cowling (closed version - 780 top, 748 below):

 

 

 

Note larger diameter at the front (780 left, 748 right):

 

 

New undercarriage doors:

 

 

And some prop blades - to go with some really nice HS780 spinners (prop units are different to the 748 - in shape and size):

 

 

Shapes all look very good! 

 

Want to try the fit of the new nacelles/cowling as Ladislav has also tweaked the shape of his parts to match the One Man Model wing more accurately - but the wings are currently frying after some major works today - but, hopefully, I can do a test fit tomorrow...

 

Iain

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Iain]

Now, back to the wing...

 

Port wing sections as provided by One Man Model:

 

 

Starboard inner section that I started modifying last week - here I've removed the upper rear section of the flaps:

 

 

Starboard wing outer section - aileron and flap removed carefully with a sharp scalpel and placed back in situ:

 

 

And removed:

 

 

And underneath view - when you think you've cut through everything needed to remove the section - you find there's more inner webbing from the print process.

 

Care and patience required!

 

I've also now done the same with the Port wing.

 

 

 

 

Need to start putting everything back together - as it's all a little 'flexible' just now!

 

And that's what I've started this afternoon - along with the Port wing, which has also had the cowling/nacelle removed with a razor saw.

 

Lots of stuff drying just now - and a discovery that the Revell Contacta (the stuff in a bottle with needle applicator), that I've been using with great success on my P-8A Poseidon project, also appears to work well with the ABS printed parts in the Andover kit.

 

More tomorrow.

 

Iain

 

 

[Anthony in NZ]

Just Wonderful Iain!

I see you’re going to drop the flaps too…I will take notes. I must go back and take a look at the ‘kneeling’ main gear as I might do that too.

Ladislav is an awesome guy!!!

We really need to support people like him who are so generous with his help 

 

cheers

Anthony

[Iain]

Hi Anthony,

 

Yes - Ladislav has absolutely pulled a perfectly formed rabbit out of the hat! 

 

Re. flaps - not dropping them - but replacing them.

 

Two reasons - trailing edge thickness, and also the external stiffeners - what are far too prominent and wrong cross-section. Plan is to print replacements on the resin printer.

 

For now I've be been assembling the wings - and will box in the flap areas for added strength - and ready for replacement flaps.

 

Iain

[Gazzas]

That is amazing...   the potential of 3d printers can satisfy any modellers most remote fantasy.

[LSP_Kevin]

Fantastic work, Iain, and even more fantastic service from Ladislav. I really wish I could buy some of his stuff, but his shipping to Australia is outrageous quite frankly, and definitely a deal-breaker if you only want one or two sets.

 

Kev

[Iain]

Both wings have been re-forced internally with polyurethane casting resin - and brass rod.

 

This is to stabilise everything before cutting away more of each wing to open out the main undercarriage bays - which are open up to the underside of the engine exhausts.

 

Had I cut this out before backfilling with resin, each wing would have been too flexible to guarantee everything square again afterwards!

 

Wings now look a mess - but they are a relatively strong mess! 

 

Want to get the base wings ready to test fit the new LACI units.

 

In other news - the main fuselage halves have been bonded front to rear - still in two halves, but I can now make a start on getting the interior sorted...

 

Will try and get some update photos later in the week.

 

Blue skies!

 

Iain

 

[Iain]

OK - those wings...

 

Upper surfaces of the joined inner and outer wing sections - leading edges filled with casting resin and brass rod:

 

 

And undersides. Casting resin has been used to fill and stabilise the area where the 3D printed cowlings/nacelles have been removed. This is essential if we are to preserve some strength in the wings - especially as some of this area will be cut back to form the wheel wells:

 

 

Here you can see casting resin used as a filler on some holes/joints - and a hatched area that approximates the area to be removed. I have a Jewellers' Piercing Saw on the way to cut this area out:

 

 

Note the numbered, and colour-coded port.starboard, flap actuator covers - these will be removed and bagged whilst I square everything off and box in the upper flap areas with styrene sheet.

 

Iain