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Silver Wings Gauntlet II


mozart

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1 minute ago, Fanes said:

Max - would it be a good idea to modify that lower panel from SW?
Maybe you can use PE bezels from Airscale to make it look less like a flat panels with holes?

Yes that’s exactly my intention Joachim my friend.  The SW IPs are both flat and featureless so I intend adding a few knobs, switches, bezels (there are options from the AIMS pe fret) and placards just to tart it up a bit. Hoping to get a bit of time today so I can close the fuselage up and move on. 

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IPs are completed, I used Airscale dials in the end rather than the film versions that go behind the IP.  The light in this pic isn't great but hopefully you'll get the general idea:

 

3FYwg7.jpg

 

The profile of the main IP doesn't conform very well to the internal curvature of the Gauntlet fuselage so I had to come up with a crude but hidden method of sticking it securely in place....a combination of CA, resin and Blu-Tak!!  I was concerned about the width as well but fortunately it was millimetre perfect, so before I knew it the fuselage halves were together:

 

LftamJ.jpg


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I mixed up a paste of ApoxieSculpt and left it to cure overnight, then sanded smooth:

 

puyjcT.jpg


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It appears here that there are open seams, but not so!  My next job is a coat of primer just to see how good that surface actually is.  The wing only placed there but the fit looks promising.  And to finish with, another great Gauntlet shot, 46 Squadron:

 

PzILBR.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by mozart
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1 hour ago, europapete said:

Hmm....wonder what 'plane the photo was taken from? My first thought was an Anson, but on second thoughts it might not be.

No that's definitely not an Anson wing Pete.  I was going to post a warning to you since I know you have this kit.  When removing the wing from its casting resin block take care because the middle "pipe" for want of a better word has a metal rod running through it which extends through the length of the wing.  I very nearly ruined my Dspaie cutters assuming it was just a resin piece.  I don't know why the rod is there, perhaps as an anti-warp measure?  There's no location for it on the mating face of the wing stub and drilling an accurate hole for it could be tricky! 

 

1j8axV.jpg

 

This photo of 56 Squadron pilots practising a scramble has so much info in it when closely studied.....could well be the plane for me! 

 

1yTJfD.jpg

 

 

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16 minutes ago, airscale said:

Max, this model and those period pics are mega motivation :)

 

the IP looks fab

Thank you Peter, I'm enjoying this Gauntlet build like no other at the moment, it's interesting from both a modelling and a research point of view.  The Silver Wings kit is great but (I hope Simon will permit) not perfect, so I'm loving being able to dig into what documents and pictures are available and to try to make the SW kit even better.  What follows is an example! 

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The fin is in place but the rudder position needs a little extra attention.  I've added a small piece of rod to the top of the fin which is the rudder post top end, raising the rudder slightly. This of course throws the profile out slightly and, from a modelling point of raises the question of how to secure the rudder.  Looking at photographs there are two hinge points at the end of the fuselage which I'll be adding and one at the top of the hinge post, see below.  Also worth noting that the section of the fuselage below the fin is metal, not fabric covered.  I think I'll be using bare metal foil as a covering then lightly painting it.

 

GvSkyh.jpg

 

JF72KS.png

 

XFwR4k.png

 

 

Edited by mozart
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I've cleaned up this marvellous picture of a 56 Squadron Gauntlet, this will be my chosen aeroplane for the model.  Lots of lovely detail and info here!  I'll be spraying the linen sections of the fuselage shortly then cutting masks and doing the serial numbers, squadron markings etc.  All the front panels are looking anodized but many photos that I see suggest that the tail ones are shiny, could this have been the squadron thumbing its collective noses at the AM's order to stop polishing the nose panels?  Trying to match the wheel covers to the roundel suggests this might be Blue Section?

 

7RQ5ES.jpg

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