1/18 Hawker Fury

[airscale]

Thanks ladies

 

a bit more done..

 

..the undercarriage legs are something I thought I might start without drawings as I have a fair bit of dimensional info off the 4 view I do have..

 

we can see here there is a lower aerofoil compression strut that is in a wider upper housing, with the axle (looking like a rod, but is also aerofoil) and a complex bunch of fittings either end to mount the main strut, trailing strut and bracing wires..

 

 

 

 

 

..to make the aerofoil compression strut I tried a number of things, from left to right - just compressing ali tube - fail, it just caves in the middle, then ali tube filled with balsa (by hammering it into it like a nail - getting there, but impossible to get an aerofoil section, then balsa fill with a cocktail stick rammed in to give a solid round nose cross section and a good squish of the trailing edge..

 

 

..used the cocktail stick/balsa process to make up the two struts and soldered rod into square section brass before dremelling away the waste & drilling to get two clevis mounts..

 

 

 

..the axle started as a brass rod with a number of brass fittings soldered to get the fittings for the compression strut and trailing strut..

 

 

 

..these fitting also have a tiny hole inboard for the bracing wire mount..

 

 

..to get the aerofoil section I milled the back of the axle flat and added a plastic rectangular block which itself had a slit routed into it to let in a brass rod to give a nice solid, rounded trailing edge..

 

 

..then the aerofoil was filled with P38 filler & sanded..

 

 

..and then primed with mr surfacer..

 

 

 

 

..and then some tiny bolts dry hold the all the parts in place..

 

 

 

..I just hope it holds all the weight securely later on...

 

..also hope I get some drawings of the upper mounts tomorrow as these are a much more distinctive shape..also ordered some 'O' rings that are the exact dimensions of the tyres - there is a website you just type in what you want and they find it

 

TTFN

 

Peter

 

 

 

[jenshb]

Regarding O-rings, they can also be made to your exact specification if they can't find the exact dimensions off the shelf.

[airscale]

so after an early start, I am back from my research trip

 

I spoke to Guy Black this morning and he allowed me full access to K5674 in Hangar 3 in Duxford - anyone who knows the warbird circuit will know of Guy, he is a legend in bringing old birds back to life through AeroVintage & Retrotec and operating them. It was a real privelege for me

 

Took loads of pictures - unfortunately a tonneau cover was over the cockpit and the security guy (probably rightly) didn't want to mess with it - but for the exterior I have everything

 

..these of the U/C will definately help..

 

 

 

 

..I then went on from there to meet up with someone who let me photograph a number of drawings - these are I think Hawker via the Danish Government for the Nimrods they operated - there is Danish sub-notes on them

 

I can't post or share them, but I will give you an idea of the goldmine it was for me..

 

..will probably remake the seat..

 

 

..stringer positions on the fuselage are not on the Westburg plans as a substructure so these will be really helpful..

 

 

..like digging up history

 

 

..the pictures aren't great as they were just spread on the floor in a small room one at a time, but I have many useful ones and am super happy with what I got out of today

 

..back soon

 

TTFN

Peter

 

 

[Sepp]

I have said this before on LSP, and I'm sure I'll say it again... I wish my dad was alive to see this - he'd weep with joy at the engineering in this build. Simply gobsmackingly awesome work.

[Alain Gadbois]

Fantastic visit!

The Fury is a true work of art, as shown in your pictures, and your work so far is simply brilliant.

 

Alain

[geedubelyer]

Ok, so now I'm confused. Are the images above of the actual aircraft or your model parts. I really can't tell........

[airscale]

need help chaps - does anyone have even one period picture of a Fury instrument panel?

 

..have a few of resto's & the Nimrod, but nothing like a contemporaneous Pilots notes picture showing one back in the day

 

thanks in advance (& with fingers crossed)

 

Peter

[Trak-Tor]

Peter,

 

I've found this:

Hawker Hart Technical Manual RAF

 

I'm not sure if that helps. But there's a chance something similar exists also for Fury.
 

Juraj

[Rockie Yarwood]

2 hours ago, airscale said:

need help chaps - does anyone have even one period picture of a Fury instrument panel?

 

..have a few of resto's & the Nimrod, but nothing like a contemporaneous Pilots notes picture showing one back in the day

 

thanks in advance (& with fingers crossed)

 

Peter

Peter,

 

Scale Aviation Modeller August 1997 issue did a feature on the Fury. There is a picture of a period IP on page 518. A PDF copy can be had from The Internet Archive here:

 

https://archive.org/details/Scale_Aviation_Modeller_1997-08/mode/2up

 

Cheers, and thanks for sharing your beautiful work!

 

Rockie

[airscale]

Thanks guys - Rockie that article in Scale Aviation Modeller was particularly helpful - not only for a period IP pic but also for the old three dimensional parts drawings of things like the rudder bar - thank you

 

I have been at the bench, but not modelling.. I have taken the drawings and photo's I have and have prepared the PE needed for the interior of the Fury - hundreds of parts in total. I also prepared the instruments which I will get made as decals in my next airscale stock order..

 

first the PE fret - this has an F4U panel in the corner for a fellow modeller in 1/18 who goes to the n'th degree like I try to to be accurate in every detail (you know who you are Jay...)

 

..here we have brackets, IP, anciliaries, seat bits, guns bits, rudder & control stick parts and a set of formers that surround the tube structure to give 'body' to the fuselage..

 

 

..a bit closer..

 

 

..and here is the IP taken from a drawing with the instruments I could identify for the Fury 1..

 

 

the drawing is for a Nimrod, but the only difference I could find was the removal of two switches on the left of the panel..

 

..need to get these into PPD and Fantasy Printshop for production now, while I remake the seat as the one I made differs from the drawings..

 

..that was a LOT of work...

 

TTFN

Peter

[chukw]

Just got here- fantastic as ever, Peter- cheers!

[brahman104]

I can't even begin to imagine just how many hours in are in those PE sheets Peter!!!

 

I need to get into this PE stuff

 

Craig

[airscale]

thanks guys

 

been a bit busy on the Fury - much of what I started to do has been binned and remade, so while you have seen this, you haven't seen the accurate version

 

 

..first I remade the tubular framework with squared joints which was a way Hawker managed to joint tubes in this way..  here also some of the brackets are being added (with dummy ali tubes) that support the control stick / rudder pedal assembly..

 

 

..checking the alignment again by putting both side frames together..this is crucial for everything to be true & square..

 

 

 

..also made up the fuel tank from a pen lid covered in litho sheet..

 

 

..getting the right positioning of the mounting brackets..

 

 

 

..then the seat - this was remade from drawings using sheet litho...

 

 

 

 

..then the addition of some detail parts - PPD turned around the PE in 5 days (for a premium ), they are amazing, but they did it in brass not nickel silver by mistake so while they re-do it I can use the brass bits on things that will be painted..

 

 

 

..the height adjustment lever is a complex contraption..

 

 

..and the entire kit of parts for the seat..

 

 

and dry fitted ready for painting..

 

 

..all the parts were primed and painted with alclad and MRP..

 

 

 

..and the whole lot dry fitted..

 

 

..so, as you were, but at least now I know it's right

 

..probably do the rudder bar next..

 

TTFN

Peter

 

 

[LSP_Kevin]

Amazing as always!

 

Kev

[KiwiZac]

Can we get a video of the seat height adjustment mechanism in action, Peter? 

 

I'm so excited to follow along with this build. What an inspired choice of subject! I hope a 1/18 Charlie Brown is part of the plan, to recreate the photo which triggered this project.