US CARRIER AVIATION GROUP BUILD 2013

jbell...wow!  Great work!  She is one sweet build!

Eagle90

checkmateking02

It wasn't too hard to touch up again, but it got me thinking--do you paint first, then install; or do you install first, then paint?

Whenever possible--particularly with belts & harnesses--I try to bend the parts to shape first, then remove and paint, then install. Doesn't always work, but most times it's do-able.

That's sounds reasonable, Greg.  Thanks for the insight.  I'll try that next time.

I'm calling her DONE!  Remember, these are my first builds in a very long time. 

The weathering on the wings didn't turn out as nice as I would like, but hey.  And yes, yet another cheesy attempt at backgrounds.  If I had a better camera (or should I say at least had a camera!), I'm using my phone, they might turn out a little better.  Thanks for checking her out!

Eagle90

She turned out great, Eagle! You mentioned decal problems, I see rivets through the decals, they look good from where I'm sitting.

You are probably sick of my mentioning the airbrakes, but one last time, all that tedious drilling really paid off.

It's been fun watching this one progress. Lots of fun, really. Hope you had as much fun doing as I had watching! :)

Well done.

It looks good, Eagle--especially the dive brakes.  You did more drilling there than Ewing Oil!

With codes that have a lot of clear carrier film around them, I usually cut closely around the image.  It's all too common to have that film appear on the model, and I haven't found much way to eliminate it--except to cut it off.

I have a couple of these in my stockpile.  Just finishing up an Airfix Devastator for the 1/72 GB, so I'll be giving the Dauntless a whirl one of these days.  Your build is a helpful reference.

Nice job! 

Greg

She turned out great, Eagle! You mentioned decal problems, I see rivets through the decals, they look good from where I'm sitting.

You are probably sick of my mentioning the airbrakes, but one last time, all that tedious drilling really paid off.

It's been fun watching this one progress. Lots of fun, really. Hope you had as much fun doing as I had watching! :)

Well done.

Thank you sir!  The airbrakes were a labor of love!  I'm very glad I took the time to do them now. 

I had a blast with this kit.  I'm using all the 1/72 estate sale kits I have to get back into the groove of things and they are proving to be challenging, but fun!

Thank you again for the kind words!

Eagle90

checkmateking02

It looks good, Eagle--especially the dive brakes.  You did more drilling there than Ewing Oil!

With codes that have a lot of clear carrier film around them, I usually cut closely around the image.  It's all too common to have that film appear on the model, and I haven't found much way to eliminate it--except to cut it off.

I have a couple of these in my stockpile.  Just finishing up an Airfix Devastator for the 1/72 GB, so I'll be giving the Dauntless a whirl one of these days.  Your build is a helpful reference.

Nice job! 

Hey Checkmate!  Thank you so much!  You know, I had thought about cutting close on the decals AFTER the fact, but you have confirmed that this will be done from now on!  Great tip!  Do you use scissors or a hobby knife?

You'll have a blast with your Dauntless and I can't wait to see it!  Thanks again for the kind words!

Eagle90

shivinigh

Eagle your build turned out great I like the background it doesn't look cheesy at all. The extra work you put into those airbrakes most deffinately paid off they make the kit pop. Very well done.

Hey Shiv,

Thank you very much!  The backgrounds I've done I have just goggled what I wanted in the background, printed them off and took pics.  I think they would look better using a real camera, but they are fun to line up and take.

After doing the airbrakes on this kit, I saw I had a 1/48 Dauntless and checked to see if they had holes....looks like another drill party for the 1/48 Dauntless! It's a Hasegawa kit and looks real nice....just no holes!  Thanks again for the kind words!

Eagle90

Eagle90

checkmateking02

It looks good, Eagle--especially the dive brakes.  You did more drilling there than Ewing Oil!

With codes that have a lot of clear carrier film around them, I usually cut closely around the image.  It's all too common to have that film appear on the model, and I haven't found much way to eliminate it--except to cut it off.

I have a couple of these in my stockpile.  Just finishing up an Airfix Devastator for the 1/72 GB, so I'll be giving the Dauntless a whirl one of these days.  Your build is a helpful reference.

Nice job! 

Hey Checkmate!  Thank you so much!  You know, I had thought about cutting close on the decals AFTER the fact, but you have confirmed that this will be done from now on!  Great tip!  Do you use scissors or a hobby knife?

You'll have a blast with your Dauntless and I can't wait to see it!  Thanks again for the kind words!

Eagle90

 

Both and either--depending on the job.  Scissors for most things, but for fussy and small objects, a knife and usually a straightedge to guide it.

checkmateking02

Eagle90

checkmateking02

It looks good, Eagle--especially the dive brakes.  You did more drilling there than Ewing Oil!

With codes that have a lot of clear carrier film around them, I usually cut closely around the image.  It's all too common to have that film appear on the model, and I haven't found much way to eliminate it--except to cut it off.

I have a couple of these in my stockpile.  Just finishing up an Airfix Devastator for the 1/72 GB, so I'll be giving the Dauntless a whirl one of these days.  Your build is a helpful reference.

Nice job! 

Hey Checkmate!  Thank you so much!  You know, I had thought about cutting close on the decals AFTER the fact, but you have confirmed that this will be done from now on!  Great tip!  Do you use scissors or a hobby knife?

You'll have a blast with your Dauntless and I can't wait to see it!  Thanks again for the kind words!

Eagle90

 

Both and either--depending on the job.  Scissors for most things, but for fussy and small objects, a knife and usually a straightedge to guide it.

 

 

Thanks Checkmate!  Now the decals will only get better!

Eagle90

Welcome, Eagle!  I have to admit, sometimes I get lazy with the close cutting and don't always do it

--and often end up regretting it

Sorry for the late reply. I was sleeping already when you posted the pics, Eagle!

Your Dauntless is looking really good! I can't notice any of the decal problems you managed. The dive brakes with all those tiny holes really add to the model and make it stand out! I like the background as well! Now there is only one thing left to do: Build the 48th kit! Do it!

I added your build to the front page.

SchattenSpartan

Sorry for the late reply. I was sleeping already when you posted the pics, Eagle!

Your Dauntless is looking really good! I can't notice any of the decal problems you managed. The dive brakes with all those tiny holes really add to the model and make it stand out! I like the background as well! Now there is only one thing left to do: Build the 48th kit! Do it!

I added your build to the front page.

Thank you sir!  The dive brakes turned out well.  It was tedious, but I am so glad I did it now.  As for the 1/48!  Well, I did take it down and look at it for some time.  I ALMOST started to drill the holes in the dive brakes too!    Thanks again!

Eagle90

Do it!

Yes Eagle, looking really good. Back in the saddle, eh?

This morning getting ready for work I had a brainstorm. Or maybe a drizzle.

I have been wondering how I was going to make my slats for my Whale. Like many early slats implementations, the A-3 had passive (?) slats - i.e. the air pressure held them closed at cruise, but when the aircraft slowed enough, they deployed automatically, via gravity.  So a bird at rest had its slats deployed.

I had started down this road on a previous project, but didn't have the right tools to execute it, so I set the project aside.  This morning it hit me that my cool new 'The Small Shop 5 Speed' PE tool might just be the ticket. I have been looking at buying a PE tool for about 10 years or so, finally screwed up my will and decided to get a bigger version, not so uch for the length, but for all those cool bending fingers.

Tonight I set aside the boring detail work and tried out a new technique. It's not quite perfect, but I think it will work with a bit more engineering.

I make a pattern of the slat off the wing, and then trace it onto an aluminum can that I cut apart. Then I cut out the slat blank, and bend it into an airfoil

Bottom to Top:

• First attempt at starboard slat. the bend is up, and you can see the green print from the outside of the can. The bend was a bit sharp and the upper surface got some extra embossing, so did another.
• Paper pattern that I use to draw on the aluminum
• Wing with the second starboard slat sitting about where it will when complete
• The 5 Speed 

Man I'm glad I had hte whole length because I needed about 4.5 inches.  Next I will have to cut the plastic slats off the wing and figure out what the wing components will look like in the gap where the slat is extended.  

Eagle, that looks sweet. And good on you for doing those airbrakes. Those Airfix decals from these older kits are not the best to work with. You have got them over the rivets really nicely.

See, it does work.

Seems I need to do a bit of catching up here. Some stunning work. jbell, great work on the pit. What did you use for the yellow/black handles.

Greg, the Avenger is a real stunner,

Check, you still amaze me with these kits. Its bad enough putting stencil decals on a 72nd aircraft. Great work.

Thanks, Bish.  I'm not planning any more 1/700 planes in the near future, but I've got a couple of ships in the pipeline for other GB's.

Bish, how nice of you to take the time to catch up on so many pages of this  GB thread. I truly appreciate your nice comments about my model. Thank you!

I have a question to you guys:

Is there any 1/48 kit of an BTD-1?

Thanks Bish.... the ejection handles are from the Eduard color pe cockpit set

Marty, very creative scratchbuidling there! never would have thought to use an aluminum can. You earn the creative thinking award this morning! Did it flatten out nicely for you?

I wanted to buy a jig from the Small Shop earlier this year, but ended up with one of the other brands because I couldn't find one in stock. The build quality looks better than the one I got.

Will look fwd to seeing how the slats look installed. If you happen to think of it, would appreciate if you post some details of how you attach them when you get there.

Greg,  I will post progress on attaching. That is another thing I've been noodling on for a couple of years from time to time trying to figure out my earlier project, a 1/72 F-107. Current thoughts are to somehow get styrene into the leading edge of the slat, glue the actuators to that, and then extend into the interior of the main wing.

I am very impressed with the quality of the 5 Speed.  Base is anodized aluminum and solid. The twin hold down screws did a good job with the can stock, so it appears nice and solid.

As to flattening the can, it doesn't really work, as the aluminum has memory.  I actually cut the slat blanks horizontally, so they had a wicked curve prior to bending.  But getting that crease in the slat straightens them out nice.  

The biggest challenge is that as you work with the slat to get the airfoil right, the bends introduce slight curvature to the slat.  I'm still trying to figure out the kinks, pun intended!

Can you form the aluminum parts on the kit plastic?   I've had some small success in the past using brass or copper sheet formed on kit parts, but that aluminum just might be too 'springy'.

Will look forward to your progress, Marty. Thaks for the info on flattening the aluminum and it's characteristics!

I fussed for months how I was going to attach the PE flaps to my last build (first PE flap try). In the end, took me about 5 mins. A few spots of BSI gel, held in place, eyed the angle, x4, done. :)

I have no doubt your work will be much more prototypically correct. :)

Sorry I have been absent. Everyones builds are looking really good. I like the aluminum can idea.

Got some bench time and finished the base coat on my Cutlas

Good to see you, shiv. Glad you finally got some bench time. Good looking base coat. I look forward to seeing how the red on the leading edges play into the finished model. Are those extendable leading edge slats? Sorry, I'm not very familiar with military or any heavy aircraft.