Airfix 1/48 Supermarine Walrus MkI - Silver Wings COMPLETED (finally)

Thanks Steve.

Here's the bad news:

1) As you may be able to discern from the photos above, the port side was not fitting up against the main bulkhead behind the pilot's seat.

2) When I attached the top of the fuselage (I've not posted those pix yet) I thought I'd be able to get the sides to fit with a liberal amount of glue, clamps, and rubber bands.

3) After overnight drying, no such luck. Popped back open after a short amount of gingerly handling the model.

So, last night I went overboard and practically poured in "Professional Plastic Welder" (from Micro-Mark) and this morning it looks like it might hold but I'm not very confident that it will.

If it doesn't hold I'm trashing it. For one thing I now have really obvious marks on the fuselage sides, top and bottom where my clamps were and, if I'm going to spend time trying to fix the worst of the "gouges", I want to be absolutely certain that it won't pop open at the seam again. I'll give it a day before I work on it again ... I'm hiking Triangulation Peak in the Cascades today so I'll not be stewing about it.

My theory as to why I couldn't get it to close properly has to do with my perhaps not having seated the parts to which the pilot seat is glued (on my kit they are parts D28 and D36) deeply enough in the hull. I'm not really sure. It's difficult to dry fit ahead of time with this kit - at least for me it was - since one would need several more hands to hold everything in place as you're checking for proper placement of the afforementioned parts.

Enough whining. I'll carry on tomorrow and see if it holds.

Just a heads up for when you get to your kit.

P.S. Yes, if I get that far I'll be rigging it.

So far, so good as far as the pieces holding together goes.

I've progressed in my puttying and sanding to where I'm satisfied for the moment. I still have some more to do around the bow area and the seam on the vertical stabilizer but I'll get there.

I am still really concerned that it'll all pop open down the road ... but after about a year's hiatus from the bench, I'm finding the process satisfying. That's what counts for me.

Mike,

You shall persevere, I just know it. It’s looking good and you’re getting me thinking I need to build this sucker! Thanks a bunch bud! 

Steve

Steve and Waikong,

Thanks for the kind words.

I'm not sure how inspiring my build will be but I'm going to continue unless it pops apart at some point - however unlikely that may be as of now.

I'm also debating how to configure he completed model for display. I'll not say much now since I need to do more thinking on that subject.

Very small update. I've put the top forward section of the fuselage/bow on. I used one of my little LED flashlights to try to light a bit of the forward interior when taking the photo.

Here's another update.

Thanks to you guys who responded to my query (in a recent thread about monofiliment) I've been able to do the rigging between the upper and lower wings that attach to the engine.

I did use my soldering iron and, unfortunately, got too close to two of the wires ... one of which I've replaced, the other of which I'm leaving as is since it doesn't bother me much.

I've still got lots of touch up work to do (puttying, sanding, etc.) but I'm about ready to spray this part of the aircraft before I move on to painting, gluing on the struts, attaching the bottom wings and rigging them.

Looks sloppy I know but, as I said, some touchup work to follow.

Here's one more update.

I've airbrushed Vallejo Metal Color (aluminum) as a base but will have to respray once I've finished all the rigging and attempted to remove the glue gobs near the attachment points.

I'm about 1/2 to 2/3 finished with the rigging which I thought was important to do at this stage since I tend to mess final paint coats up when I have gluing left to do. I need to attach and rig the wing floats as well as finishing rigging the forward/aft rigging on the outside most struts of each wing. I will also have to rig the radio antenna at some point.

I need to be very, very careful when I build and attach the engine! I've alread had to rerig several wires on the wings ... I'm such a klutz!

I'm finding my soldering iron to be quite effective in tightening the monofilament with the caveat that I've already gotten a bit too close on one of the lines but I'm finding my technique is improving .... I'm now holding the iron with both hands, etc.

Here are some of the pictures from today.

OK, done (for now) with all the rigging. It's turned out to be both an interesting, enjoyable learning process (never tried monofilament before) as well as very frustrating and, almost, depressing. At each step of my rigging when I think I have it finished, I find one more piece that needs tightening. Then I proceed to attempt what has been fairly successful for me using my soldering iron to heat and stretch the line ... at which point I've experienced a few snapped lines and have had to rerig while the floats are attached. It's the old 2 steps forward, one step back routine. Kind of demoralizing ... but onward and upward.

Those lines that are not looking very taught as of this point will stay that way. Just too much time invested already for me to possibly screw up so much that I have to trash it.

So, next up the engine, landing gear (folded up to the wing), deciding which canopy to use, decaling, painting touchups, etc. The "etc." includes whether or not I'm going to do what I'd thought about for this kit ... show the aircraft in the water - maybe even with a raft of downed RAF personnel which I've seen done somewhere on the 'net.

Sorry I missed this Mike.  Stellar work so far.  That rigging is most impressive. 

Thanks Joe.

Coming from you that's very gratifying but "Stellar" is not how I'd describe my progress ... more like "dogged".

The soldering iron is a good idea. Dumb me would've went in there with a match and melted a wing!

Just catching up to this Mike. I see this is an old thread...I'm glad you brought it back out to finish it. Don't be so hard on yourself, you've got a fine build shaping up here. Not your typical subject either! Keep on Keeping on Mike. 

That rigging is making it look the part for sure. =]

Thanks waikong.

Not quite the final stretch ... going for a diorama - at sea. The painting is partly done (it was, after all, all metal finished). The engine still needs to be added along with some other parts and I still have to paint whichever canopy I use .. not sure yet. I also have to try to mix up some aluminum colors on various sections of the fuselage/hull as well as maybe the ailerons (no flaps on this puppy) add decals and do some weathering. After that I'll begin work on the base (12" x 16" from Michaels) and the raft with RAF personnel. After fitting the raft and aircraft on the base I'll be done.

Chad, any way you can control the heat next to the monofilament is a good way. As I mentioned I've already hit the line in several places and have replaced one. The other damaged line looks OK - I'll call it wear and tear - for the moment.

Thanks for chiming in.

bvallot,

No, it's not your standard aircraft for sure. That's partly why I chose it ... it grew on me. It's not a huge aircraft but it seems to have contributed good service during WWII. I'm planning on displaying it picking up a downed aircrew on the water.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-2UAXblTUE

I have done little for a while simply because A) I'm lazy in my old age and, B) The weather has been too nice to be indoors so I've been out and about.

I've started on the decals. They always try my patience if there are a bunch a small ones ... and there are! (32 footprint decals to mark, I suppose, the walkable area on the fabric covered wings.)

I should have done some of the decals earlier .. would have saved me some headaches .. but so much for planning ahead .

I've stripped the paint on the mullions of the canopy I'd sprayed because I'd obviously not seated the masks properly. I have another mask set and will do it over. I also have to mask and paint the alternate canopy (open) since I'm not yet sure which I'll use in the end.

Still have the prop to paint and attach along with (maybe?) the tail wheel/rudder. Also have to figure out how to tone down the whole paint job .. and then do some weathering.

I wish we'd get a few days of rain so I would get back to the bench!

Here are the final pictures.

I am cursed with being a "sloppy" modeler but even with all the mistakes and sloppy work I like the concept. It did not turn out as badly (nor as well) as I had thought (and hoped). Still, it's been a learning experience and working on it for the last week or so has taken my mind off the hazardous air here in Salem - at one point this last week, the worst air quality in the world!

Hopefully I'll be neater on my next build - Kitty Hawk's 1/48 UH-1D Huey.

Ehh, we learn something new every time and if we continue to improve then be proud! I really like your silver paint. Looks smooth and not blotchy like silver sometimes can. Those big decals on the wings look like they settled down nicely. Looking good!

Cool concept and interesting subject. Well done!

The Mongoose,

Thanks.

I learned several things while building this diorama. 1. How to melt hours of work rigging a biplane by getting too close with a soldering iron . 2. On some kits it pays to dry fit several times before gluing. 3. Order of applying paint should be thought through before picking up airbrush or hand brush. 4. When in doubt, think about it some more .

Thanks Hoss WA!

Well I think it looks wonderful. You've tackled two difficult components. Number one being a biplane with rigging, and number two, the metallic finish. I would say this is definitely one to show off and be very proud of

Thanks Chad.

I used Vallejo acrylic metal colors for airbrushing and thought they were just fine.

Thanks Waikong!

It's certainly not an original idea - I saw a similar diorama with the Walrus some time back on the 'net. I'm happy enough with the way the idea turned out.

Now if I could just be neater!

Mike,

I think you did a stupendous job on her. Hopefully I can do as well as you when I get around to building mine. Well done sir!

Steve