Variable Geometry: the Swing Wing GB

[quote user="macattack80

I got all the bomb bay and landing gear bay doors installed last night.  I just gotta finish up the boarding ladder.  I also started the minor surgury on the windshield to get it to fit flush with the surrounding fuselage.  Just some sanding and polishing and it should be all set. 

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Got some painting done today well a little bit anyways Pics to follow soon.  

Thanks Vetteman42.   This kit was gonna win the fight a month or 2 ago.  But I managed to hang in there so far.

I got all the bomb bay and landing gear bay doors installed last night.  I just gotta finish up the boarding ladder.  I also started the minor surgury on the windshield to get it to fit flush with the surrounding fuselage.  Just some sanding and polishing and it should be all set. 

vetteman42

Macattack and Oddmanrush Looks as though you are both kickin those kits into submission quite well to both of you.

Life keeps getting in the way of my Tomcat, only a few pieces of masking tape and I can start painting. Maybe tomorrow, I hope.

Same here. Between work and family, it's busy. I have this weekend off so I really want to start this build.

Macattack and Oddmanrush Looks as though you are both kickin those kits into submission quite well to both of you.

Life keeps getting in the way of my Tomcat, only a few pieces of masking tape and I can start painting. Maybe tomorrow, I hope.

oddmanrush

Oooo, thanks for that pic Medicman. I'm telling you that is one of the best lookin' planes in existence. Say otherwise and I'll call you a liar!

Oh I agree. I've always loved the Tonka. It's a lot like the A-10 nowadays. Old and almost out of date, but keeps on trucking cause there's no good replacement for it. I got to see one up close at an airshow in San Antonio. It was great. Can't wait to see more of your build.

Oooo, thanks for that pic Medicman. I'm telling you that is one of the best lookin' planes in existence. Say otherwise and I'll call you a liar!

Here's a pic to keep you in the mood.

Don, Thanks for the info.  I will give it a go tonight.  Getting a little antsy to get all the fiddly bits on there.  I don't wanna rush and mess the model up any more than I already have.

oddmanrush, Awesome winter scheme is right!  Thats gonna look slick!   Looking forward to that.

pordoi

 

Hey Jon, looks like you've tackled the hard parts pretty well!  Filling and sanding always test my patience, but take your time.  I'm sure that you'll be satisfied with the results. 

It is a cool looking aircraft; what can we expect in the way of camo and decals?

Don

Don thanks, I'll certainly be taking as much time as I can fixing it up...hence no progress pics. The decals in the box are Italian and come with the crazy black panther scheme. That freaks me out a little bit as they are large and must contour to all the curves and edges...so I will be avoiding that! I have some spare RAF decals in 1/72 so I will be using them and will likely paint it in this awesome winter scheme...

macattack80

The bomb bay doors seem to be just a tad too long to fit in the bay for some reason.  Don, did you experience the same problem?  I am just going to lightly sand the edges to get it to fit. 

Bish

Ye its a pity, i ahve heard alot of good things about their 48th cockpits.

The Bone is looking great. I like those sensors, what colour are they going to be painted.

Thanks Bish.  I plan on painting them aluminum. 

I started putting on some bay doors last night.  I managed to get all the landing gear doors on.  The bomb bay doors seem to be just a tad too long to fit in the bay for some reason.  Don, did you experience the same problem?  I am just going to lightly sand the edges to get it to fit.  Should be fine though. 

After that I will be able to flip the beast over and have her rest on her landing gear while I finish up the top side.

Ye its a pity, i ahve heard alot of good things about their 48th cockpits.

The Bone is looking great. I like those sensors, what colour are they going to be painted.

pordoi

macattack80:

Here are some of the sensors.  I followed Don's lead and made the sensors in the nose and tail with some sheet styrene and my shiney new Micro Mark punch set.  After looking at these pics I may have to settle them down a bit.  I made the DAS sensors by the landing gear with .040 sheet stryene.  I think they turned out OK.

 

 

Kevin, it took some work to settle the disks to the curveture of the fuselage and in the end, I even sanded the edges a bit to "blend" them in.  BTW, like the armaments.

On an unrelated note;  got a Krupa in the family?

 

Don

 

Thanks for the tip on the sensors.  I will see whay I can do to get them to look as good as yours.  I like the look of the SRAMS too.   Thanks.

On the unrelated note.  I started playing drums about 16 years ago.  I haven't played them much since I had my kids.  They are not too conducive to napping babies.  My daughter likes to beat on them though.  Gene Krupa is a good inspiration.

macattack80

Here are some of the sensors.  I followed Don's lead and made the sensors in the nose and tail with some sheet styrene and my shiney new Micro Mark punch set.  After looking at these pics I may have to settle them down a bit.  I made the DAS sensors by the landing gear with .040 sheet stryene.  I think they turned out OK.

Kevin, it took some work to settle the disks to the curveture of the fuselage and in the end, I even sanded the edges a bit to "blend" them in.  BTW, like the armaments.

On an unrelated note;  got a Krupa in the family?

Don

pordoi

 

 

Oh geez!, don't blame me!  By the time I got to the landing gear, I was winging it... 

First off, not being a tail sitter is good.  From the pics you posted, alignment doesn't look too bad.  So it seems to be a job well done.

 

Don

 

Haha.  Oh no.  Not blaming you.  I was giving a suggestion a go and I didn't think it would hold.  I appreciate any help.  The wheels aligned better using your idea but there wasn't much for the gear to grip for a good hold.  Thanks for the comments.

Medicman, thanks.  Much appreciated.

macattack80

OK.  Here we go with an update on the Bone.

I got all the landing gear attached and a few more fiddly bits ie: antenna and sensors.   I didn't get a pic of her on her landing gear although I did give it a test.  Luckily it's not gonna be a tail sitter.   The main gear legs sit OK with most tires on the ground albeit a little bow-legged.  I attempted to get the gear on the way Don suggested as a fix but the join didn't seem to strong so I did what I could.

Oh geez!, don't blame me!  By the time I got to the landing gear, I was winging it... 

First off, not being a tail sitter is good.  From the pics you posted, alignment doesn't look too bad.  So it seems to be a job well done.

Don

oddmanrush

Have you ever been building a kit that you'd been so enamored with? You know, one you're excited to return to night after night. One that seems to fall into place, almost putting itself together. Well friends, this is NOT one of those kits.......heck, if it wasn't for poor fit this kit would have no fit at all!

Hey Jon, looks like you've tackled the hard parts pretty well!  Filling and sanding always test my patience, but take your time.  I'm sure that you'll be satisfied with the results. 

It is a cool looking aircraft; what can we expect in the way of camo and decals?

Don

Looking great Kevin. Very nice.

Here are some of the sensors.  I followed Don's lead and made the sensors in the nose and tail with some sheet styrene and my shiney new Micro Mark punch set.  After looking at these pics I may have to settle them down a bit.  I made the DAS sensors by the landing gear with .040 sheet stryene.  I think they turned out OK.

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That's where I am at. 

OK.  Here we go with an update on the Bone.

I got all the landing gear attached and a few more fiddly bits ie: antenna and sensors.   I didn't get a pic of her on her landing gear although I did give it a test.  Luckily it's not gonna be a tail sitter.   The main gear legs sit OK with most tires on the ground albeit a little bow-legged.  I attempted to get the gear on the way Don suggested as a fix but the join didn't seem to strong so I did what I could.

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 Here is how the gear will be aligned.  The best I could do.

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Overhead shot of the underside.

Bish

Unfortunatly, True Details don't seemto do resin cockpits in 72nd, only wheels.

I don't know why they don't have any cockpit sets in 72nd scale either.  They are missing out on a pretty big market.  Their 48th scale stuff is pretty nice.  

macattack80

  Aires sets usually require some "love".

Ye, you got that right. I have just got a couple of the CMK resin sets, but no cockpits yet, so going to see how they are, Unfortunatly, True Details don't seemto do resin cockpits in 72nd, only wheels.

Oddmanrush, Sorry for you disappointment.  I hear where you are coming from.  The F-14 is my favorite jet and the first model I ever built was one of Hasegawa's 1/48 scale Tomcats.  Frustrated is an understatment. 

Good fix on the wings though   I will agree that the Tornado is one good looking plane. 

Sanding and filling......what to say.....not my favorite past time either.  A necessary evil I suppose.

Keep it up.  Can't wait to see this one come together.

Have you ever been building a kit that you'd been so enamored with? You know, one you're excited to return to night after night. One that seems to fall into place, almost putting itself together. Well friends, this is NOT one of those kits.......heck, if it wasn't for poor fit this kit would have no fit at all!

I'll stop complaining now but its disappointing. The Tornado is one of my favorite planes so I was excited to build this but its not been favorable. Any how, since I can't articulate the wings now, I had to plug up the gaps along the fuselage side that would have ordinarily let the wings slide in while in fully swept back mode. Otherwise, you would be able to see all the way through it.

The halves are together now but I'll have lots of sanding to do...

More to come, hopefully.

pordoi

macattack80:

 

Sounds like the Bone is nearing completion, Kevin.  Be careful of withdrawal symptoms whe you finish.  After 7-8 months of effort, you might find that you've got the shakes unless there is a unfinished model in your hands.  Then again, you've joined a couple of other GBs, so that should keep you busy.

 

Don

 

I've been working on a H-19 for the Korean War GB during this GB so wouldn't get burned out of this kit.  That kit is about 70% done.  But I hear that on the withdrawl.  7-8 months of something to do.  My go stir crazy with nothing going on.

macattack80

As for those resin cockpit sets; I have used one from True Details which was a drop in replacement to the kit provided cockpit.  Aires sets usually require some "love".

Yes, I have used a True Details set and recall it was a pretty good and hassle free fit.  OTOH, I'm constantly amazed at the detail in the Aires resin sets, so a little "love" is well worth the effort.

Sounds like the Bone is nearing completion, Kevin.  Be careful of withdrawal symptoms whe you finish.  After 7-8 months of effort, you might find that you've got the shakes unless there is a unfinished model in your hands.  Then again, you've joined a couple of other GBs, so that should keep you busy.

Don

I am making progress believe it or not.  I finally have the engine nacelles all done and ready to glue to the fuselage.  All the bomb bay doors are ready to go as well.  

I sprayed another round of dull cote on the horizontal stabs.  It seemed to get rid of most of the orange peel that was on there for some reason.  I used dull cote from a rattle can the first time.  I usually use the stuff in the glass jar and spray it on with the airbrush which is what I usually do.  Oh well.  You live and learn.

I hope to get more to of the fiddle bits on the underside on tonight and maybe get the landing gear on too.

And post some pics that are long overdue.

As for those resin cockpit sets; I have used one from True Details which was a drop in replacement to the kit provided cockpit.  Aires sets usually require some "love".

Ok thanks. I should be starting soon. Have family over this weekend and work coming up but wil get some time in soon.

Gonna echo what done said about test fitting. I have done a few resin cockpits and i think on most, if not all, i had to thin the cokpit walls to get a fit. So take your time, they are worth it.

Medicman71

Thanks everyone. I will be asking for help i'm sure. The resin cockpit is new to me and is gonna be fun.

Medicman71

Thanks everyone. I will be asking for help i'm sure. The resin cockpit is new to me and is gonna be fun.

Haven't extensively played with resin parts for aircraft, but I wouldn't expect the cockpit to fit prefectly; it may require some modification of it or kit.   Dry fit is the key, then see what needs to be corrected.  Or if you're lucky, it will just drop right in. 

Don