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Fairchild Cornell: Combat Models vacuform


mozart

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This is a kind of pre-emptive thread for a later WIP build, hopefully starting next month in case any further information might be available about PT26s, especially in the cockpit areas.  The base model is the CM Cornell which broadly speaking looks to be OK but like all vacuformed kits has plenty of scope for improvement and detailing.

 

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This is how she will be finished: FV576 flown by my father on 20th October 1944 whilst at 24 Bombing, Gunnery and Navigation School at Moffat, S Rhodesia where he was a staff pilot.  Though it doesn't appear so in this photograph, the finish will of course be trainer yellow.
 
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Any thoughts, comments, information and advice from experienced vacuform builders will be more than welcome!! :)
 
Max
Edited by mozart
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The one bit of advice I can offer before you do any cutting is to run a Sharpie around the edges of the parts, right at the point where the part meets the backing sheet. Then, when you cut the part out, there will be a bit of white plastic peeking out from under the line- This is the material that must be removed. Sand to the black line, your part is done.

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The one bit of advice I can offer before you do any cutting is to run a Sharpie around the edges of the parts, right at the point where the part meets the backing sheet. Then, when you cut the part out, there will be a bit of white plastic peeking out from under the line- This is the material that must be removed. Sand to the black line, your part is done.

That is a very good technique. 

The best part is that you revealed why we do it that way. :hmmm:

"Then, when you cut the part out, there will be a bit of white plastic peeking out from under the line- This is the material that must be removed. Sand to the black line, your part is done."

In all the years I have been on forums like LSP this is the first time anyone has revealed why we do it this way. :clap2:

Transmitting info like that is one of the reasons we have forums like LSP.

Thank you.

Stephen

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Mr. Mozart,

I have experience with a number of Combat vacuum formed kits and the supplied extra parts.  I appoligize in  advance if you know all of the following.  I hate to bore people.

 

The sins:

Many kits were molded using plastic sheet that was to thin  (This was a common sin of the owner before Jeff).  Building a kit with parts that are too thin produces no joy. It is best deal with this before the parts are removed from the sheets (e.g., laminate from the inside, fill with foam or slosh coat the inside with resin) or do not build it.

 

Thick and deep panel lines-  Rejoice if the kit has no panel lines. (note that if you work hard to fill panel lines on thin plastic... you see the picture)

 

Rough accessory parts

 

Ensure that you sand off the extra material as described above within this post instages doing a constant compare between the mating parts (e.g., fuselage halves, top and bottom wings) as sometimes the vac patterns do not match up (wings do not match) or when sanded out cause a twist.

 

Rick

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Mr. Mozart,

I have experience with a number of Combat vacuum formed kits and the supplied extra parts.  I appoligize in  advance if you know all of the following.  I hate to bore people.

 

The sins:

Many kits were molded using plastic sheet that was to thin  (This was a common sin of the owner before Jeff).  Building a kit with parts that are too thin produces no joy. It is best deal with this before the parts are removed from the sheets (e.g., laminate from the inside, fill with foam or slosh coat the inside with resin) or do not build it.

 

Thick and deep panel lines-  Rejoice if the kit has no panel lines. (note that if you work hard to fill panel lines on thin plastic... you see the picture)

 

Rough accessory parts

 

Ensure that you sand off the extra material as described above within this post instages doing a constant compare between the mating parts (e.g., fuselage halves, top and bottom wings) as sometimes the vac patterns do not match up (wings do not match) or when sanded out cause a twist.

 

Rick

 

 

Sounds EXACTLY like what I got in my CM F7F kit.

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The sins:

Many kits were molded using plastic sheet that was to thin  (This was a common sin of the owner before Jeff). 

 

 

 

 

 Agreed. The previous owner didn't seem to care what he sent to the customer. I ordered a kit in 2008, and spoke with Jeff about my apprehensions. I had purchased a kit, a P-39, that was only mostly formed, the seal having been broken before the pull was complete from the previous guy.  He assured me that he took the molding process seriously, and included in the model that I ended up ordering was a complete, perfectly formed P-39 kit to replace the defective one, free of charge. I also have yet to receive a thin molding, so that's a plus.

Edited by Lee White
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Thanks Rick, very sound advice and most certainly not boring in the least.  The thickness of plastic appears to be fine and there are no real panel lines so there's effectively a blank canvas on which to demonstrate my inept skills!  I'm very fortunate in having a friend who is an expert (he would deny that term but he's very knowledgeable) about Cornells and those of the Rhodesian Air Training Group in particular.

Max

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