Cessna 172 N80118

Kinda late here, this is about week 2 of progress but she's coming along!

Need to put on decals and seal them next, along with landing gear and nose weight.  This one won't have a removable cowl since she will sit on the tail without anything up front.

Kyle

Looking good, love the seat cover. If i remember right, i think that model pretty much needed the cowling cover to be permanent... If you left it removeable to show the engine it left a huge gap.  I also remember having a hard time getting enough weight in the front...unless that was the bonanza.  One of them i had to take the engine back out.  Anyways, keep us posted.

Your 172 is looking good, impressive work with the tape.  I too have one in the stash that I intend to model after the 172 I got checked-out in.  Great inspiration!

Beauty!  I built a Minicraft Cherokee 140, the plane I learned to fly in, but didn't do the custom numbers and markings like you did.  Nice job!

I would like to see 1/32 scale kits of these civilian airplanes, as the Minicrafts are really kind of small and lacking in detail.

Simply beautiful. Cant wait to see it finished!

Very nice work!  That's some fine masking, especially when one considers how tiny that bird it.  I did the float plane version of that and kind of gave up with a nice shiny white paint job and kit decals.  The cowl fit pretty good on my bird, and I did add some details to the engine in case someone lifted the cowl off. 

Nice work!

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

Thank you guys!  I have found that I definitely need quite a bit of weight in the nose to keep her on all three.  I would love to see some in 1/32 or 35th scale, maybe even 1/18? 

I got some more done on the fuse including some of the decals (still waiting on another sheet in the mail for the bottom of the vertical stab), Nav antennas, landing gear, grab irons on the cowl, air cleaner, tail beacon.

Kyle

Looking good. I like the subtle weathering around the wheels, not overdone and it realistic.  I love doing the ga aircraft, but the two minicraft kits i had tested my patience.  I might try another one now that i am better filling with putty.... And i'll save myself further aggrevation and try a taildragger if i can find one.  Good luck with the weights, if you find something better than fishing sinkers or pellets, let me know.

Great paint work ! You're right it does need quite a bit weight in the nose. I built a 1/20 model of a 172 quite a challenge!

Excellent work! I got my private pilots license in February on a C172, and would like to model my C-GINS that I trained in. Would like to see a 1/32 scale model, but I don't think the exist. I look forward to seeing this project through.

Rob

Nice job, on a Minicraft kit that is sorely lacking in quality.  I built their Cherokee 140 that I flew 30 years ago.  Came out just OK, but I was disappointed in the lack of detail and poor fit of the kit.  I too would like to see a quality 1/32 version of those planes.

Could always cut out and reposition the elevators to simulate a student who flared a little too much on a landing and put it on the tail tie down ring.

Did you find a decal sheet and what is your method? The decals look like they match the paint color.

Great looking paint work ,very crisp lines!

For nose weight, good ol' Daisy BB's work fine.  I bought a big bottle of them for $4.50 at Walmart.  They are small enough to completely fill any compartment you put them in.  Then just dribble a little CA glue over the top of the BB's and they'll never move again!

How about a little bigger?  Like maybe for an .049 glow?

www.ebay.com/.../330758634748

www.ebay.com/.../180919948018

Or maybe 1/4 scale?   www.hostetlersplans.com/cessna172.html

Reid

Thanks guys!  Got sidetracked by a 1/350 ship but she's finally done.  I think it's a good little representation of the plane.  

I did a bit of detail adding too since the Minicraft kit desperately needed it - NAV antennas on the tail (.015 music wire), scratch Pitot tube, static wicks, position lights, grab irons on cowl, step pads on lift struts.

Kyle

She's a beaut.  Fantastic DYI numbering on th sides, great paint job.  A joy to behold.

looks very good so far - keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing the end result

Even smaller and denser than BB's is lead shot for shotgun shells.  If you know of anybody that reloads their shotgun shells, ask them for a cup or two of their finest (smallest) shot.  I got about a measuring cup full several years ago and am still using it.  It flows into places that BB's won't fit, and like stated above, a little CA glue over it keeps it in place.

I have built Minicraft kits of both planes I used to fly the most - the 172 Skyhawk and the Cherokee 140.  I had visions of recreating the Cherokee that I got my license in until I saw how small the actual model was in 1/48 scale, so instead just went with the kit decals on both of them.

Great work on the painting and the numbering!

Great job!