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Aerotech Supermarine S5


TorbenD

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  • 4 weeks later...

Evening all - having missed the group build deadline (quelle surprise!) I'd like to move this to the main WIP section… would one of the moderators please oblige.

 

Thanks Kev, Alain, Peter and Gord.. sorry its been a while.

 

Life's been very hectic recently with little time for bench work. I've also been struggling to finalise the instrument panel. My first attempt (several pages back) didn't work out, not only due to being a fraction too big once I'd fitted the sidewalls but also the airscale dials detached too easily when the acetate flexed as I trimmed it to size.

 

Bear with the lengthy text below because I may have discovered a new technique (certainly new to me) via the medium of happy accident!

 

So, I reduced the size of the original artwork by 3% and tried again with the same technique. Using a regular (black) toner printer and photocopy-proof acetate again the design was printed in reverse on the reverse side so the back of the acetate would act as the lens when viewed from that side. I then sprayed the printed side with white primer and left it to dry. Once dry, I flooded a small area of 20thou card with a thin layer of the thinnest superglue I could find and stuck the primer-side down making sure of no air bubbles. 

 

I then cut another piece of 20thou plastic sheet to the correct size of the instrument panel to use as a template and once positioned over my printed acetate sandwich carefully trimmed with a new blade. 

 

It was at this stage that the problems began again. Basically no matter how carefully I trimmed the edges of the acetate started to bow up and peel away slightly at the edges as well as ripple across the surface. After several more failed attempts I ended up peeling off the acetate completely in a hissy fit! 

 

Low and behold underneath was a beautifully printed flat design which appeared to be printed directly on the 20thou sheet. the removed acetate had no design left on it.

 

DSC02762-X2.jpg

 

What seems to have happened is the fixed toner was more attached to the primer layer than the acetate so transferred very accurately. I quickly coated the fragile print by dipping the whole thing in Future and left to dry. After 15mins the airscale dials were then attached in position with more Future. What happed then was all the areas outside of the dials seemed to ripple up fractionally so I started to scrape it away with a scalpel blade. It came away easily in a slightly gooey soft black scrapings as the primer/superglue/toner and Future all reacted together. I have to admit I'm surprised that anything would soften the set superglue like that… any Chemistry majors out there?  

 

The end result all nice and clean… Phew! 

 

DSC02758-X2.jpg

 

BTW the spirit level was made from a trimmed down large, circular airscale lens with the spirit tube made from fine stretched sprue 

 

I now need to drop in some Microscale to make the lenses but will wait til much later.

 

All dry fitted in...

 

DSC02756-X2.jpg

 

DSC02757-X2.jpg

 

The large gunsight style compass was made in the same way with hand trimmed brass sheet as a bracket. I've only got to add a few bolt heads and the cable out of the back. I've yet to  work out where the other end of this cable will go - either through the instrument panel somewhere or tucked in around the top. Any ideas anyone?

 

DSC02761-X2.jpg

 

Thanks for looking

 

Torben

Edited by TorbenD
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Evening all - having missed the group build deadline (quelle surprise!) I'd like to move this to the main WIP section… would one of the moderators please oblige.

 

Done!

 

Great progress, Torben. Glad to see you're still working on it.

 

Kev

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Torben,

   Glad to see you're still at this one as I really would like to see it compete.  Your ability to make those small bezels and dials impresses me a lot.  I can't imagine doing it  myself.

 

Gaz

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  • 4 weeks later...

Thanks Kev and Gaz 

 

The build slowly grinds on - far too many sunny days and jobs to do.

 

Finally got everything sorted, smoothed and prepped enough) in the pit to get some initial paint and weathering on. I’ll spare everyone the first coat of primer (Ultimate Grey), subsequent cleanup (I’m far messier that I thought possible and the dust!!!!!) followed by Mr Finisher (1500 Black...what a fab top coat primer).

 

Top coat is Tamiya XF-71 thinned with Mr Color Levelling Thinner. I wanted quite a well used interior as N219 was the longest serving test bed and would have been exposed to quite a bit of salt water Initial tonal variation weathering with Game Colour Wash (Black, Dark Blue and Dark Green - Black on its own looked lifeless)

 

I tiny bit of micro chipping with graphite and silver pencils. 

 

Here’s the pics

 

DSC02777-X2.jpg

 

DSC02775-X2.jpg

 

DSC02776-X2.jpg

 

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And a quick test fit... almost impossible to photograph

 

DSC02784-X2.jpg

 

And the instrument panel as it stands - the white patch is where the compass will be attached, probably right at the end, should I ever get that far.

 

DSC02791-X2.jpg

 

With fresh eyes I think I need to add a little more colour modulation and contrast to the main interior green but at least I’m a much closer to buttoning her up so I can tackle the outside once and for all ( I reckon another year should do it! :huh:)

 

Got a busy few weeks away with work.. until next time and thanks for looking.

 

Torben

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  • 2 months later...

Gosh has it been that long. Far too much work (and travel) not enough play over the summer here so hoping to get back on this in my usual slow but sure way. To be fair, part of the break was due to needing a bit of a break from this build as it felt I needed to get a bit of mojo back as I certainly don’t want this one to end up on the SOD.

 

That said I have done a few bits and pieces recently -  I‘ve tickled the cockpit weathering and am in the process of fitting all the final bits together prior to finally joining the fuselage parts - there is a very slight warp on the top half (probably because of the carving out work I did) which means I need to drill and pin that robustly so it stays straight when I fix - more of all that in a later post.

 

I’ve also started experimenting/testing out Archer vs HGW raised rivets - again more of that in later post.

 

One thing I‘m ready to share is progress on the floats. Having polished, primed and sanded (repeat x I’ve lost count) these into a really good state.

 

DSC02800-X2.jpg

 

 

I’ve just started thinking about adding all the surface detail. For starters I wanted to replicate some of the reinforced plating on some of the faces and edges, most notably the keel line which can be seen quite clearly in images of the real thing.

 

S5A-M.jpg

 

My technique is simple and not that time consuming. First, using Tamiya’s flexible tape (electricians insulation tape will also do) I carefully taped up to the edges of the raised area. Once set out and firmly pushed to the surface I liberally applied Mr Surfacer 500 going up to and over the tape edges.

 

DSC02798-X2.jpg

 

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Once fully dry (do not skimp on this) I then very carefully sanded back parallel to the tape with various grades of firm(ish) sanding sticks until the tape is fully re-exposed.

 

DSC02801-X2.jpg

 

Sometimes after sanding back you may need a second round of Mr Surfacer 500 in a few spots which have shrunk back too far but on this occasion I got it thick enough first time.

 

Now the reveal...

 

DSC02803-X2.jpg

 

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Subtle but definitely there and will catch the light and show under a silver/blue finish although all this macro photography under hash light makes me realise I may need another small round of polishing on what I thought were very smooth float surfaces.

 

Cheers for looking,

Torben

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Thanks Kev and Juraj - I’m slowly finding a few minutes here and there to inch this one along.

 

I’ve now finished the raised edging detail on the floats but will share that when I start getting into re-riveting and scribing later down the track.

 

Back in the cockpit I’m now all but done with just the shoulder pads to scratch/sculpt and seatbelts to add now I can finally get to fixing the main fuselage together and get on with the main exterior features. For the seatbelts, after more research I’ve settle on a Sutton A harness a by far the most likely (not just a lap belt) which I plan to pick up at Telford (RB and/or HGW).

 

On with how I got to this momentous point...

 

First up, finishing the control column. What you see below is brand new (my 4th attempt) partially painted with just the silver section painted in.  I lost the previous “final” version when I was repairing the wire loops and it decided to ping off some tweezer into the cracks between the white keys on my piano which is right by my modelling bench. Ask me to repeat that feat again and the odds would be astronomical! :BANGHEAD2:. This new one was again shaped against a file whilst turned in a Dremel mini-drill. This time for strength I filed a half section out where the wire loop attachments are and inserted one piece of brass shim across the gap, filed and drilled to the correct shape. The remaining gap was then covered with a halved section of brass tube. I sounds complex and was... 3 evening and loads of swearing later I got the result I wanted.

 

Thin copper wire was treaded through the holes in the wire loops and fed trough drilled holes in the cockpit floor where a small foil washer was added to clean up the join. the wires were pulled taut and then superglued on the outside.

 

DSC02808-X2.jpg

 

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Once these were settled and painted I added the rudder control wires which I believe went down the sides as they do in the S6 for which I have photographs. After a small channel was cut into either side of the main strengthening brace,  these were fed through and again super-glued at one end, pulled taut, fixed to the other end. Then painted in black with a mixture of spirit marker and acrylic. The rest of the column was then painted. I then did another spot of micro weathering and wear whilst I had the silver, black and green paints out.

 

DSC02814-X2.jpg

 

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The control column needs twisting a fraction to re-introduce the tightness in the port wire but otherwise I think that”s it for the base interior section.. Phew!!

 

A bit more in a minute...

 

Torben

 

 

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Next up I finished of the seat cushion weathering by painting a very thin layer of yellow ochre oil paint over the black and then wiping 95% of it off so a hint of it remained in the recesses as a very subtle kind of sandy/faded/dusty effect. Once happy all was glued in. The effect in the flesh is a bit more evident than in these images.

 

DSC02828-X2.jpg

 

Finally I painted the throttle quadrant using a mix of silvers. Again these look far better in the flesh than I’ve managed to capture in these images where the Alclad steel looks almost gunmetal rather than then wonderful sheen this product renders.

 

DSC02832-X2.jpg

 

DSC02831-X2.jpg

 

I’m now ready to close up the fuselage halves... the only dilemma is whether or not I fix the quadrant and belts in before masking up the cockpit hole. I’m going to have to twist the top half of the fuselage as I fix it to the base with strengthening rods as it’s become ever so slightly warped after all the thinning I’ve done. I’m worried any twisting may break off the quadrant or accidentally crush the belts. Any advice welcome..

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Torben

Edited by TorbenD
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