Civil aviation group build Mar 3, 2007 to Dec 17, 2007

telsono, sure you can join in, I don't know what a PZL-104 is but if its a civilian aircraft welcome, I'll add you to the list.

Frank (Daywalker) sorry the stratocruiser didn't work out, you are still welcome to re-join if you find a project that works for you. 

Some great builds so far, hopefully I'll get to start mine Sunday or Monday night.

Thank you Aaronw;

The Wilga is a four place sport aircraft that PZL started production in the early 1960's. It is also used for liason purposes in several military organizations. If my Polish is correct, the name means "Thrush" and it has a compact shape, but much versatility.

Here's some links to some more information on it.

http://www.swaviator.com/html/issuema03/Wilga3403.html

http://www.thaiflyingclub.com/linkwilga.html

http://www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/wilga.html

I started the kit, it was my first from this company (AModel). Its a short run kit with all the problems associated with that. Fit and flash are problems, also out of scale parts. Some of the parts I scratch built are control sticks, and wing balance weights from thin copper wire. Dabs of superglue were used to make the bulbs for the wing balance weights. Of course fill and sanding is ongoing, but it is starting to take up shape ok.

I'll have photo's next week. My digital camera doesn't have good focus up close and I might try my old 35mm to do it. For thast camera I have diopters and such for close in photo's.

Mike T.

I did get my old 35mm camera to work and my local Walgreen's has the ability to throw the pictures onto a disc. Here we go. These are early views, the cockpit is enclosed , the wings are dry fitted.

Note the wing balance weight, this was metal wire with a spot of superglue to make the bulb.

The model has be given a primer coat of semi-gloss white and sanding and filling is in progress.

The Wilga is coming right along, telsono, and it will be great to finally see one of these kits come together!       I got to see a Wilga do her maximum performance thing in Knoxville several years ago, and always thought that would be an awesome bird to fly!

My Cap20L is still under the box curing from it's fresh coat of slick stuff, in the meantime I'm busy modifying a Heller 1/72 T-28S Fennec, into an early T-28A in Test Pilot School livery.

Take care,

Frank

Looking AWESOME guys.

Great idea for your diorama, oldhookster.
Love the dog!  The whole thing just seem to
fit the lightheartedness a sport plane to me.

Frank,

Thanks for the encouragement. Good luck with your Cap20L. Short run kits like this Wilga can be alot of work, constant dry fiting is needed to make sure everything fits right. I did see on used in a movie, but I forget which one, some spy movie, but it was flown in the states. California to Nevada if I remember themovie plot at all.

IL2windhawk wrote:

idea for your diorama, oldhookster. Love the dog!  The whole thing just seem to fit the lightheartedness a sport plane to me.

Thanks!      I think I'm going to go with that layout.... (although a Staggerwing or J-3 would really crank it up a notch!!)

-----

Speaking of the Wilga, have a go at this airport in Fan Rock, WV!

(taken from http://www.airfields-freeman.com/WV/Airfields_WV_SW.htm)

You'd think you'd need a Wilga to get in and out of there, aye?     Mr. Swope reportedly operated a Beech Baron from there for years!     Wheeewww!!!

Frank

Hi Everyone......... Here is a drawing of the SM-71. Last night I started it and will soon send some pics.....This plane was the first Italian Transport to fly from Rome to Argentina in 1932.

Ok, I am in with a 727-200 flown by Braniff Airways in the mid-70's.  But this will not be the normal 'flying colors' that you think of with Braniff.

mph34, added you, what scale & company is the 727 kit?

Well I've got the bench set up so I'll be getting started tommorow night after work. Never seen one of the Wilgas before, looks interesting.

Do228-100 UPDATE: Painted scratch-built interior. 

A set of skis, a fire extinguisher, and first aid kit mounted to rear wall.
I focused most of my efforts on the rear section, where the doors
were cutaway to be displayed open.  The shag carpet is a felt material.
As you can see, I have some touch-up painting to do on the aft bulkhead.

The view looking forward, with some sort of scientific equipment crate.
Basically, I'm just trying to fill the space with stuff you'd see in a
National Geographic documentery, or something.

I didn't focus much on the forward faces of the seats, because they
will barely be visible through the small and rather-opaque windows.   

The interior of the Do228 is looking NICE!     Little details like that really make it stand out, thanks!!

 Take care,

Frank

Aaronw wrote:

mph34, added you, what scale & company is the 727 kit?   Well I've got the bench set up so I'll be getting started tommorow night after work. Never seen one of the Wilgas before, looks interesting.

It is a 1/144 Acadamey Kit of the 727-200

AARGH! I ran into a problem with my Wilga. I lost the front canopy. Luckily, I had an extra kit and the sheets to slam a new one. After careful trimming I was able to get it to fit. I'll let it cure well before trying to mask it and paint.

Mike T.

I'm still plugging away on the Guppy too.  I build slow (see sig). 

One thing someone might be able to help me with.  I'm looking for a good picture of the Allison Turboprop engine from the back.  Preferably in its nacelle mounted on a wing.

All right!!  I finally have something to take a picture of for this group build.  I have the interior pretty well together, except for a little needed touch up which I of course couldn't see until my goofs were immortalized in photos..I'm thinking I need to photograph all of my work so I can see where I've messed up, it is so much more obvious in the pictures.  It may not work if I don't expect other people to see it, though...

It is the 1/48 AMT Staggerwing.  I added a film instrument panel drawn in Corel and Autocad, based on scanned photos of instruments, and a rear bulkhead behind the seats so that in the unlikely event that the windshield is clear enough to allow it, will prevent seeing the back end of the fuselage.  I've done a lot of trial fitting and filing so far, but the fits are much better than the 1/48 MPM P-63 I just built.

A little more on the Staggerwing.  I'm putting an Engines and Things R-985 in it, and spent a few hours today putting push rod housings on it.  Now it's on to the ignition wiring.  The airplane is assembled and I'm working on seams and gaps, trying not to lose the fabric detail.

Next step, and bumping.

John,

The Staggerwing is looking GOOD!!     ... and what a nice job you done on the engine and the Spinner!!   (that's REAL nice!!!)     There's just something about those old classic aeroplanes, and I certainly am enjoying seeing yours come together!

My camera's being used by my offspring this week, so in-progress shots of my Cap20 will have to wait, but I will show the other project I'm doing; kitbashing a 1/72 Heller T-28S Fennec into a T-28A of the Air Force Test Pilots School.   

(my first time using aluminum foil as the finish)

Take care,

Frank

IL2windhawk wrote:

That foil job looks amazing.  More pics please :D

Thanks.... it did turn out a lot better than I had expected!     You can follow the progress of that particular build (along with more pictures) on the other thread in the Aircraft Forum here: /forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=771826

The foil sure does add to the realism of the whole thing, and opens up all kinds of possibilities on future builds where metallic paint just won't do!

Take care,

Frank

Aaronw wrote:

When you say foil are you using bare metal foil or actually aluminium foil? It looks very good.

It's regular household aluminum foil, not the "heavy duty" kind.     It's kinda cool.... you get your greasy fingerprints all over it, and all you have to do is buff it with a kleenex and it shines like new money!      

Already, visions of the old Monogram Cessna 180 in natural metal are dancing in my head!

Take care,

Frank

I've heard of people using gum wrappers or aluminium foil, but never seen it done. How do you get it to stick?

Well I finally have something to post, got started on the Twin Otter

as a bonus a Twin Beech (C-45) I bought on ebay finally showed up, I thought I'd been had since it had been a couple of months, but it showed up in the mail the other day. Since this is what I originally wanted to build I'm going to do both. The Twin Beech was used by smokejumpers until the 70's.  

Aaron,

Your two builds are looking good, it would be a lot of fun having them two to work up!     And the Beech 18, that's the Aurora kit?

When applying the foil, I masked off the area of application and used the tape line to trace the lines.... then using that tracing, I carefully cut out a piece of aluminum foil to maych it.    Then I sprayed on a thin layer of Testors Glosscoat to the bare plastic.     After an hour or so (plastic is tacky from the glosscoat), I applied the piece of foil, smoothing it as I went.   

How well dose it hold?    Well, I actually got to see..... I accidently damaged part of the surface on the right side beside the canopy...

     I removed the foil from that area and will patch over it... but, I had to hold my hobby knife sideways and scrape the foil from the plastic!

Take care,

Frank

Well the foil looks great, it doesn't sound as hard as I expected either but I think I'll stick with BMF for now.

The Beech is actually a military C-45 which is a slightly modified Beech 18. The kit is 1/72 made by Pioneer 2, not a great kit but actually looks a little better than the reviews I've read of the Hobbycraft kit. At least the canopy is clear and almost fits (there is a slight gap I will have to fill) I think I payed $10 so I can't complain and it should look ok when its all done.

Just letting everyoen know that I haven't flaked on the group build - I am finally NEARLY finished with that F.M. PV-1 Ventura kit (I've been working on the @#!##& thing since before Xmas!) and I'll be starting the Williams' Amelia Earhart kit soon and I'll post prog pics, I promise!  Everyone's work is looking so great!

Brian 

Don't feel bad I started this build and didn't really get any building done until we were almost a month in.

I don't hear much good about FM models, some good subjects but sound like frustrating kits to build.