LSP_Kevin Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 Matty gave me this kit many years ago, and I've been looking for the right opportunity to build it. I have a thing for float planes and flying boats, so the subject is right up my alley, and the scale at least fits in with the airliners I build. So when I needed a test subject for my recent review of the new True Metal product from AK Interactive, this seemed to fit the bill nicely. You can check out the review for how things went with testing True Metal on the assembled wing - a process that hasn't completely finished yet, and will be incorporated into this thread. For additional info on using True Metal, refer to my review notification thread in LSP Discussion - some good advice there from David Parker. I actually don't have any new photos or progress to post yet, however, but I thought I'd get the topic started anyway. Hopefully I'll be back with photos later in the week. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_K2 Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 Interesting subject, Kev. We don't see nearly enough flying boats here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 Agreed, its a lovely looking flying boat. The Type 97 is a very elegant looking flying boat We do INDEED need more flying boats! We need a Bv 138 in 32nd............. The Dude 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 That's pretty close to the scheme I'm doing Brian. Looks like the one in your photo is the Hasegawa 1/72 kit - quite large in its own right! I'd love to get hold of one of those, too. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted February 11, 2015 Author Share Posted February 11, 2015 Photos as promised! Here's the main fuselage/hull, with a smear of putty around the problem areas: Most of the side portholes are flashed over, and the kit instructions would have you open them up and fill them with the supplied clear parts. I've elected to use Kristal Klear at the end of the build instead. And here's the poorly-fitting forward support frame for the wing: You can see the large gap at the top of the forward 'A' frame, where it's meant to interface with the wing. I've worked out a plan for fixing it, but just not quite the materials to use yet. Not much of an update, I know, but hopefully I'll be back with more progress soon. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BradG Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 Do an Indonesian one, or in surrender markings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted February 11, 2015 Author Share Posted February 11, 2015 Do an Indonesian one, or in surrender markings. Nah, straight out of the box for me. I just hope the kit decals behave! Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BradG Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 Aw come on, be adventurous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted February 11, 2015 Author Share Posted February 11, 2015 Aw come on, be adventurous. Trying to get True Metal to behave on this beast is adventure enough for me. Kev Kahunaminor and LSP_K2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 Kev Looking mighty good and it's amazing, there seems to be always something that needs to be fixed or corrected. NMF and she wouod look superb in a small vignette, moored at the dock. Keep 'em coming Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_K2 Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Perhaps one of the reasons I tend to avoid WIP threads, is the fact that they seem to distract me from projects I'm already working on. Now I have an urge to resume work on a long abandoned Monogram PBY, done up as a Lend-Lease Russian machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radders Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Big fan of Jap float planes, will have to watch this one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 Well, I finally managed to squeeze in a tiny bit of modelling time this weekend, during which I set about tackling the large gap at the top of the main wing support pylon (shown earlier). I decided to try a variation on Paul Budzik's CA technique, but using Milliput instead. Easier to explain as we go. The first task was to lay down a scrap piece of Bare Metal Foil (chrome, in this case) to act as a temporary barrier: Then, I mixed a small amount of Milliput and pressed it over the mounting hole for the support pylon: It was then a simple matter of pressing the pylon into place, securing the wing, and cleaning up the excess: The idea here is that the Milliput should stick much better to the plastic pylon than the BMF, and when I remove the pylon from its mounting socket, the Milliput should come away from the foil with it, having formed a perfect mating contour with the wing. Of course, it didn't work. At all. The Milliput actually stuck much better to the foil than the wing, and for two reasons I think. Firstly, the foil I used was a slightly grungy off-cut, and not especially smooth any more, and I suspect it offered the Milliput a bit more 'tooth' than it was supposed to. Secondly, I think the wing had moved slightly during handling, and prior to me setting it aside to cure, and in the photo above, you can see a slight crack between the Milliput and the plastic. I suspect the Milliput actually wasn't all that well attached to the top of the pylon in the end. After this failure, I decided to repeat the process, but replacing Milliput with a thick mix of CA gel and talcum powder. This was just as successful. I still had trouble removing the CA-covered pylon from the BMF, and once I did (finally), the CA 'plug' lost all its shape, and seemed as if it hadn't fully cured yet. Since I left it for about an hour, I figured it should have been enough. Anyway, at this point I've decided to abandon this approach, and simply back-fill the gap using traditional methods once the wing and fuselage have been permanently joined. This is supposed to be a quick build, not a tortuous one! Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 Thanks for the tips Dan. I'll certainly look into that Selleys putty. I think the main reason for my defeats so far has been that I can't seem to keep any pressure on the join while it sets up, and consequently, the pylon has a tendency to pull away from its mount point slightly, compromising the bond with the filler material in the process. I think either of my previous attempts could have worked if I'd been able to clamp the join, and I suspect any new material I try with this approach will also fail unless I can address that aspect. I think it's just easier to do it the old-fashioned way at this point. In other news, I've also got a coat of AS-12 on the wings, but have just noticed some small but prominent raised bumps in the plastic, so I'll have to take care of those before proceeding. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Hi Kev Sorry the two attempts didn't work but I do agree that some times, the old way of filling and sanding might be the best approach. I' have my fingers crossed filling and sanding and #3 will be the charm. And now bumps and lumps - seems like my builds for sure! Keep 'em coming' Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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