Floats and Boats: Amphibious Aircraft Group Build

Hi Steve, a bit more info on using that particular putty for the padding.  I rolled a section to an appropriate thinness, (the length can be trimmed after it's in place).  I also put a bead of super glue around the cockpit opening prior to laying down the putty.  Some final shaping was done with a round metal tool, dipped in water, as the putty is tacky.

In larger scale work, you could use the flat end of a small drill bit to make slight indentations to simulate an upholsterd  look.

regards,

Jack

jgeratic

Used green stuff putty to create the padding around the cockpit (lost this detail from sanding and opening up the front end more).

What a great idea! I have some plastic tubing I was going to try, and planned to buy some surgical tubing if that didn't fit. I have putty on hand, and may give it a shot.

It's nice to know after all these years that I can still pick up tips from other modelers.

Thank you BrandonK and Steve.

Yeah, the body (including rudder and cowl) is about three inches.  Lower wing span is four inches, and main wing comes in at four and 3/4 inches.

regards,

Jack

Jack,

You always do just unbelievable work. Watching your WIP's are always enjoyable and mindboggling. Most of the time I just don’t have any words.

Steve

Jack, that is simply amazing work. That kit looks like a 1/48 or 1/32 scale but it's got, what a 3" inch wingspan? Fabulous stuff. 

BK

Thank you BrandonK and Sailor Steve.

Yeah, the engine was built over three days, and good thing they give you a few more than required of the small parts -  of the 6 extra spark pugs, 5 were used, and of the push rods, three of the six extras were needed.

So construction is pretty much complete.  The wind shield will be added at the very end as a finishing touch, and there is a PE nose plate to add to the prop center once painted.

Final bits of detail ... cut and shaped some short pieces of hollow brass rod for the intakes.  With the larger cowl, needed some better attachment points for it to sit on, so bent up some brass brackets (4).  The Clerget engine does rotate on it's pin, but still a snug fit inside the cowl. 

Used green stuff putty to create the padding around the cockpit (lost this detail from sanding and opening up the front end more).  The machine guns are lose for now, to be attached after painting.  To facilitate their placement, a pin was drilled into the bottom of each,  and a corresponding location hole made in the fuselage.

Final construction shot of the main parts dry fit.

regards,

Jack

Looks like you did a better job on that 'Small Stuff' engine than I ever could. If the problem with fit proves too difficult one option might be to have the plane up against a pier with the cowl beside it or opened up (part on the plane and part on the pier). Those little engines are great models all by themselves.

Dang Jack, that is some crazy detail work you have going there. The fact that it is that small just astounds me. AWESOME !!

BK

Bit update on the cowl and engine, and experiencing same problem I had when building the Peashooter earlier this year.   The after market resin engine doesn't fit inside the kit provided cowl, even after taking the grinder to the insides.  

So my plan of attack was cutting the face section off the cowl, followed by cutting both these into roughly four equal quadrants.  To increase the circumference, one end of each new piece was glued to plastic sheet, and cleaned up for reassembly.  The above photo also includes the resin engine with spark plugs in place, and a few push rods.

The side sections were rebuilt around some sheet plastic that was cut with a circle compass cutter - this helps with a round alignment. 

Cowl is now back together, and has been puttied and sanded.  Will need a primer coat for a final look over.  Engine construction is all but complete, just need to trim some of the tabs off the ends of 8 push rods.

regards,

Jack

LOL, that is funny.

Thanks Steve,

I'll go with the gel....my setting will have the aircraft more towards the open water compared to a shore setting. Thanks again, Master Obi Wan

Hunter,

The Acrylic gel is more forgiving and but it depends on your scene. If you want deeper water or movement with waves the gel is the way to go. If you want shallow water that you can see the bottom with small ripples, resin is your best bet.

Just MHO.

Jack,

First, thank you for your kind words. Second, great eye...I totally missed those round injection spots. Luckily once the seats where placed you can not see them. I will make sure to look for that going forward. Thank you again for pointing that out.

Steve,

I am going to stick to the outline that "Chris" explained in the FSM. I have both gel and resin. Which one do you think would be best since it's my first attempt at water? I will have a one inch insulation base notched slightly to show ripples in the water.

Your thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you Brandon,

I just untaped it and applied putty to the fusilage, pontoons and certain spots on the wing. And you are correct...a lot of surface detail.

Thank you GH, the instructions called for a white/biege two tone interior. I preferred a white/gray/black. The exterior colors will be orange/white/black. Thank you  again for your kind words.

Hunter, that is awesome progress after the setback suffered from your first entry.  Two tone interior looks like a great idea.  Just wondering about some of those injection marks - really won't be visible unless taking a hard close look through the windshields?

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Thanks BrandonK, Scott, and Hunter.

scottrc

Man Jack, I did not think that kit was so small.  I'm am just in admiration of the amount of detail you are giving it.  Now I am really wanting one someday.

If it's the Hanriot HD.2 that appeals to you and not necessarily the scale, you might try and seek out the Eduard boxing in 1/48.  Could be rare find though, being released back in 1999.

regards,

Jack

I agree with Goldhammer, that interior definately benefitted from two tone color. And yup, it looks like a cessna and its coming along nicely. Looks like it has nice surface details also. This should paint up and take a wash nicely. Looking forward to seeing floats on it.

BK

I like to two-tone idea on the interior, most of us probably wouldn't have thought of it.  Nice job so far on her.

Hello everyone, 

Had acouple of hours tonight and got started on the Cessna. It has been an easy and straight forward build. I got to the point where I am going to let the fusilage glue fully cure and then apply the exterior color. It is going to be a orange and white paint scheme with Canadian ID lettering. So far the kit has been clean with little to no problems. 

I did a two-tone paint color on the interior with black seats to highlight this. Tomorrow I will assemble the engine, floats and nose before going to the paint booth. Any and all tips and suggestions welcomed.

Jack, 

Wonderful job thus far. In awe on how small the kit is and how well you have done on it.

Man Jack, I did not think that kit was so small.  I'm am just in admiration of the amount of detail you are giving it.  Now I am really wanting one someday.

Another update, the only supplier I found that claimed to have .010" thin graphic design tape emailed me saying that its out of stock and may not be filled for 6 to 10 WEEKS  Plan B would be to take a roll of vinyl tape, set it up on my lathe and cut my own strips. Plan C would be to scribe the panel lines, which I am far from being even a amature at doing.

Wow Jack, I must not have paid full attention to the kit, but it is far smaller than my eyes were telling me it was in scale. I am even more impressed with the work so far. Crazy good job, awesome!

BK

Crown, good tight work on that interior.

Scott, that is a lot of tlc on the surfaces, but is looking great, as is the scenic idea. 

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Thanks guys.  Yeah hope to start painting soon, maybe two weeks?  

Now that the floats are done, still to go are the machine guns and associated  fairings, fix the padding around the cockpit, windshield, prop, and build the resin engine.  Plan is to leave the floats separate for painting.  Hopeful nothing bad happens till then, as the structure won't have it's full potential strength until solidly attached to the fuselage.

From underneath, showing some cross wires added.  Probably fooling myself, but went with actual steel instead of EZ line in hopes it adds some rigidity to the area.  Also added a couple detail strips as seen in a period photo.

As has been alluded to, the framework for the floats is a bit fragile.  I ended up rebuilding most of the original kit parts, keeping only the four sections that angle inwards from the tops of the pontoons.  These were slightly widened with steel wire super glued on the back edges.  (The kit parts broke on me while trying to correct the raked back look when viewed from the sides).

- test shot with fuselage and floats.

regards,

Jack

scottrc

Thanks Hunter, although I think the bigger hurdles are yet to come. While my spot glazing is drying, I thought I'd play around with the layout.  Yup, I want to put it in water and have it tied up to the dock.  

 

Scott - 

That is going to look very cool. Great idea!!

Thanks Hunter, although I think the bigger hurdles are yet to come. While my spot glazing is drying, I thought I'd play around with the layout.  Yup, I want to put it in water and have it tied up to the dock.  

Scott - 

A job very well done friend. You did such a wonderful job over coming all the hurdles of this kit. I can't believe how well it looks. Awesome job!!

Thanks Brandon.

Looking at all the curves on this plane, I am considering using tape for the panel lines.  I found some .010" wide graphic tape that will work.  For those who are not familiar with this process, you do one base coat of primer, then draft out where the panel lines will go, lay tape over the lines, then spray several coats of primer. Once dry, pull the tape and you now have recessed panel lines.  I've done it many times on 1/4 scale rc aircraft, but never on a 1/48 scale model, so it could be interesting.

scottrc

And here is where I am at this morning. I just filled the pinholes and gaps around the wake guard.  Then the plane gets another bath, mask everything up and its off to the paintshop for priming.  The plastic is so soft that even 900 grit sandpaper shows horrible scratches, so I'm using a filler primer, then wet sand, then plan to re-scribe the whole plane.

 

BK