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Kitty Hawk OS2U Kingfisher - S.O.D. resurrection


Grunticus

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I am trying to research the Temperate Sea Scheme that was supposedly applied to some Kingfishers in RN service, after delivery in Intermediate Blue / Gray. Finding info turns out to be a hard nut to crack. No clear images seem to exist of Kingfischers in TSS. With the help of some fellow modellers over on HS I managed to find these. In the B&W photos one might observe that the main float stubs are all-light colored. If this aircraft were to be in Intermediate Blue / Grey one would expect a demarcation line three-quarter up. Could it be sky? Could the very faint lines in the paint here and there be EDSG/Dark Slate Gray demarcations? Hard to Tell..

 

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3 hours ago, MARU5137 said:

Grunticus, 

 

EXCEPTIONAL  workmanship. 

:bow:

It looks SPLENDID so far.

 

:clap2:

 

Thank you Sir! I’m afraid compared to most talented master-modellers on this great forum my work fades, but I am learning and get better in time. Meanwhile I created a new tubular structure for the float stub, this time made from stretched sprue and leftover PE bits from KH’s F-86K which I used as mounting plates (A real nice kit BTW). I thin the new one is far better than the first. 

 

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Edited by Grunticus
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Today I (okay: Google) discovered two well know photos of RN Kingfisher which I think undispudetly show that in fact the Temerate sea Scheme was carried by at least some RN Kingfishers. I post the links here and not the photos itself as I know Getty Images is a bit iffy in this regard. 

 

https://www.gettyimages.nl/detail/nieuwsfoto's/the-vought-sikorsky-kingfisher-was-a-type-of-nieuwsfotos/615312788?adppopup=true

 

https://www.gettyimages.nl/detail/nieuwsfoto's/vought-sikorsky-kingfisher-of-765-squadron-over-poole-nieuwsfotos/159138039?adppopup=true

 

You can click on the arrows for a large version. For those interested.

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Today I spent some time putting paint on the float, and sprucing up de beaching dollies.

 

First I sprayed pattern of MRP Dark Slate Gray, and when that was dry (pretty quick with MRP paint) I started masking a pattern with paper masks.

 

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To get a good soft edge I leave space between the masks and the parts. I use little pegs which are cut-off toothpick points to set the space

 

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Then I airbrushed the MRP EDSD.

 

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They are all glossed up now (MRP High Gloss), and I started on the weathering, using Tamiya weathering liquid, in these small square bottles.

 

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The kit comes wit rather barren beaching dollies. One PE part is provided, but this hardly does them justice. Looking at some photos I saw they were left and right handed so they were not reversible. Lots of things going on on the dollies:

 

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This is what you get. Just one of whatever that is in the center, there should be two. No handbrakes, which are a prominent feature, and no cable-lashes. So I will add them myself.

 

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From evergreen I made two triangular supports, and from left over PE sprue I made the brake handles (using a Dremel and sandpaper). The latching mechanism was made from stretched sprue. The tiny box-shapes pieces came from the spares box, drilled out to accept the cable lashes. It’s all not exactly to scale but my purpose was to make it busier and look more interesting.

 

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Under a coat of white paint (the dollies had various colors: white, black, natural metal. I chose white for contrast):

 

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Already looking somewhat better. The end result looks good with the cables-lashes and KH supplied PE eyes added. The wheels are on loosely so I can adjust them with the flattened  tire area flat on the ground as soon as the float is completely assembled. I applied a little weathering as my reasoning is they saw bleaching sea water regularly and would look clean most of the time. Were these used for land take-offs or just to get them ashore?

 

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Thanks for watching!

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7 hours ago, Out2gtcha said:

Looks great!

I've built two of these.......how many times have you broken the main float interstrut braces?

I think before making my own on the second, between the two, I probably broke them 4 or 5 times.

:D :D:D Mee too at least five times, in different places too. The last one I could not glue in way it stays invisible. Just this morning I was thinking about how to replace the whole thing with something stronger.

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To answer your question about beaching gear, it was used to haul the airplane in and out of the water but not for takeoff and landing on terra firma.  Not sure the attach points on the floats would have held up to the rigors of ground ops and trying to land the thing on such narrow gear would have been a nightmare.  As I’m sure you know, kingfishers could be de-floated and put on wider taildragger landing gear to operate off land.

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Today I felt like it was PE-day. Now, PE and I haven’t become friends yet, but we are getting to know each other, so to speak B)

 

Eduard thinks this is enough of an instruction for folding the bomb-fin.

 

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To handle this part:

 

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I may be a bit dense, but it took me some time to think it through. That is what the engine-debacle thought me. Eduard have you fold all of it in one go, but I found it way easier to make two parts.

 

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The end result compared to OOB. The are still two tiny windmill-props to be added to the front and back of the Eduard one. I noticed top-fin alignment was a bit oof, and corrected. I found you can easily detach and clean superglued parts with a old-school Gilette razor blade. 

 

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The holes to attach the bombs are now obsolete (see bomb-rack below) and have to be filled. Instead of utilizing the usual Tamiya filler which requires drying time today I did it like this. When glued in, saw them off, file, sand, and gone are holes with no filler needed at all. Takes literally just minutes.

 

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And lastly the assembled bomb rack. Look pretty nice I must say.

 

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It was a good PE day. The other half for tomorrow :beer:

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29 minutes ago, Alain Gadbois said:

Excellent work and very interesting build information on this kit.

 

Alain

 

Merci! In this stage I am really enjoying this one. Dry fitted the wings today: no gap whatsoever, perfect fit.

 

6 hours ago, Oldbaldguy said:

To answer your question about beaching gear, it was used to haul the airplane in and out of the water but not for takeoff and landing on terra firma.  Not sure the attach points on the floats would have held up to the rigors of ground ops and trying to land the thing on such narrow gear would have been a nightmare.  As I’m sure you know, kingfishers could be de-floated and put on wider taildragger landing gear to operate off land.

 

Thanks for answering! The beaching gear looks quite strong in 1/32, and it made me wonder. I knew they had interchangeable land gear / floats but wondered IF it could be used on land. Quite a multi-role feat for those days.

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