Matchbox Tiger Moth RAAF Air Ambulance

[LSP_Kevin]

My hopes for more significant progress on this build have been dashed, but I can at least show some minor progress in the form of a headrest cushion, visible in the photo of the actual aircraft I posted earlier:

 

 

 

I've also been working on the rear hood. I scribed a panel line between the fore and aft sections, and created the reinforcement strips for the lower edges of the forward section:

 

 

The reinforcement strips are simply cut from Oramask masking vinyl, stuck on, and sealed with some Mr. Surfacer. The eagle-eyed among you will notice that I've managed to reveal some pin holes in the resin, which is annoying. Hopefully I'll be able to fill them in without compromising the sharpness of the new reinforcement strips. I'm also unsure if there should be a panel line at the bottom of the rear section; I think it may also have subtle reinforcement strips, but I'm thinking a petite panel line might look more the part.

 

I'd also love some suggestions about how to replicate the three latches on each side of the forward section, as I currently have no idea! They're quite prominent, and I don't feel comfortable ignoring them.

 

Kev

[mozart]

You’re right Kev, on that broad expanse of fuselage side the latches can’t be ignored. I’d try two ways; firstly fashion “something” out of lead foil, it clearly will be more representational rather than 100% accurate, or carve one from a resin casting block then take three moulded ones using “Blue stuff” and ApoxySculpt or similar.  Neither option easy I’m afraid and both might be a bit of a compromise! 

[Anthony in NZ]

Looks good Kev, let me take a look in my photoetch spares tomorrow...maybe I will have something suitable?

 

Cheers Anthony

[Alain Gadbois]

Hi!

I would use a lenth of strip styrene of the correct thickness and width and fashion the latches individually.

When one is done, cut of the finished part start the next. Use the strip styrene lenth as a handle, it is very practical and helps prevent losing the part when you drop it.

I find the shape of the latch to be a rectangle with concave sides, plus a locking lever on top. That can be just a bit of stretched sprue glued on as it is a quite small detail.

Just a thought, but that's what I'm thinking for mine.

 

Alain

[dodgem37]

Love what you're doing.

 

Hopefully I'll be able to fill them in without compromising the sharpness of the new reinforcement strips.'

You should do fine, Kev.  A little liquid filler and tape over the reinforcement strips, then sand, and you'll be all set.

 

'I'd also love some suggestions about how to replicate the three latches'

I've taken a look at the photo on the earlier page.  Max has good suggestions.  Alain, too.

 

I've done something like this on a 1/25 Centurion.

Top hook: Cut triangle from strip, trim/sand corners, bend bottom up to make hook.  Square off.  Add rivets.  Locate triangular bottom reinforcement plate.  Add rivets.

Latch: Cut/sand strip to a 'V', top wider than hook, not much, bend to shape, locate rod to top (hasp is located into rod), drop of CA on bottom to make 'ball'.  Use accelerator to fix CA into 'ball'.  Bend wire into 'U' for hasp.

 

You can also look for 1/35th scale tank latches

 

Just my take.  Good luck.

 

Sincerely,

Mark

Edited October 18, 2020 by dodgem37

[D.B. Andrus]

Tank latches...great idea, Mark!

 

Damian

[LSP_Kevin]

Thanks for your input, fellas. I have to confess that I'm struggling to visualise what you all mean, however! I suffer from poor spatial acuity, which means that I struggle to discern things in 3 dimensions, and resolving shapes is a part of that problem. In my day to day life, this means I'm pathologically clumsy, and have an appalling sense of direction!

 

I'm sure I'll figure something out, even if it's a small PE strap to represent that there's something there. The aforementioned problem, combined with my diminishing eyesight, will make anything more complicated quite difficult.

 

Kev

[mozart]

That all sounds rather worrying Kev! 

[LSP_Kevin]

2 minutes ago, mozart said:

That all sounds rather worrying Kev! 

 

I've lived with the spatial issues all my life, Max, so they're mostly no big deal - unless I find myself somewhere without a map, trapped in a knife-filled maze, or have to scratch-build 1/32 latches. It's not an official condition as such (that I'm aware of, anyway), and I really only put things together about a decade or so ago. Why do I bump into things all the time? Why is my sense of direction so poor? Why is it that I can look at a photograph of a 3D object, and not really be able to work out its shape properly? And it's not an eyesight issue, either, as up until a few years ago when I began to suffer age-related elongation of my focal length, my eyesight was better than average.

 

Anyway, I hereby name it Spatial Acuity Disorder, or SAD for short.

 

Kev

[dodgem37]

Kevin, I did a quick sketch for you.  Let me know if you need something better.

 

Top.

1. Cut triangle out of strip.

2. Round corners.

3. Bend

4. Add rivets

 

Bottom.

A.  Cut elongated triangle.  Add drop of CA at bottom.  Use accelerant.

B. Bend to shape.  Locate rod at top.

C. Bend wire to match width of rod.

D. Make bottom triangular reinforcing plate similar to catch.

 

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Mark

 

[LSP_Kevin]

Thanks for the diagram, Mark. I have no idea how you got all those shapes out of what you can see in the photo! Unfortunately I'd never be able to wrangle parts that small - the full latch in scale is less that 1mm in width, and roughly 3mm in height. I doubt I could make one successfully, let alone 6! And all the styrene strip I have is way overscale for thickness. I know it sounds like I'm making paltry excuses, but I know my limitations! I do really appreciate your input, however, and it probably wouldn't hurt for me to at least try making one along the lines you suggest.

 

Kev

[LSP_Kevin]

Being back at work full hours means I've barely been able to touch the workbench this past week or so, but I've made some token progress, so I thought I'd better post an update before this thread slips into the cheap seats. As I was getting a little sick of being stuck on the fuselage, I decided to glue the tail feathers on, in preparation for blending the spine into them:

 

 

If you look closely, you'll notice a couple of new details on the side of the fuselage. The white strip is some sort of foot step to assist with entry into the rear cockpit. Here of course it has been re-purposed for gaining access to the stretcher bed. Photos of standard Tiger Moths show one on the starboard side too, but since the modified cockpit hood opens to that side and prevents access, I decided it would have been removed in practise (probably not, but that's the excuse I'm using for my laziness).

 

The small, dark, triangular shape is some sort of rivetted plate, which I cut from Oramask using the Silhouette Portrait. I tried adding rivets with a pin, but this material doesn't take to that kind of treatment at all. Should look OK under paint, however. I decided to avoid close-ups all the same!

 

The only other thing I've achieved is to build out some token detailing on the fuselage underside:

 

 

Photos suggest that there were many variations to what was happening down there, so I went with a representative amalgam of what appeared to be typical. In reality, I think my reinforcing strips are a bit anaemic, the forward hatch plate is too large, and I baulked completely at the idea of adding all the additional nuts and bolts that seem to pepper this area. I did however add them to the hatches, and they come from a set of Scale Hardware 0.5mm brass hex nuts (SMHN-05-B). They actually look a little more petite to the naked eye than they do in this photo. I also added them around the rigging horns on the tail, but you can't really see them in the photos.

 

For the next update, I'll try to reproduce the fuselage latches along the lines that Mark describes, and report back. Wish me luck!

 

Kev

[Anthony in NZ]

That's awesome Kev....Your work looks so nice and clean and very precise.  

 

She is really taking shape now.  That conversion is certainly unique!  Very cool though

[mozart]

I’m liking it Kev! You absolutely right about variations with Tiger Moth factory builds, and the Australian builds brought in several practical mods mostly to cope with the conditions in more tropical dusty climes, so representational steps rather than trying to strive for absolute authenticity is definitely the way to go. Ultimately all modelling is a compromise too! Keep up the excellent work. 

[Out2gtcha]

Outstanding Kev!