Floats and Boats: Amphibious Aircraft Group Build

Well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This build has gotten interesting.  I thought this was a pretty straitforward kit, but it is not.  There are a number of problems to overcome.  First, the gating on the trees is extremenly thick and there are no alignment pins nor are the parts numbered.  Its going to be like a vacume form kit.

Major problem is the 1/8" high ejector marks that need to be sanded down.  Even a greater issue is one side of the fuselage is larger than the other side.  Thus, fit issues up the whazoo.

scottrc

Well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This build has gotten interesting.  I thought this was a pretty straitforward kit, but it is not.  There are a number of problems to overcome.  First, the gating on the trees is extremenly thick and there are no alignment pins nor are the parts numbered.  Its going to be like a vacume form kit.

Major problem is the 1/8" high ejector marks that need to be sanded down.  Even a greater issue is one side of the fuselage is larger than the other side.  Thus, fit issues up the whazoo.

 

Scott - 

Sorry too hear that you are having a rough start of it. Which brand of kit is this? And have you had issues before with this brand in the past? With alittle patience and putty you'll have it looking great. 

BrandonK

Toshi, it is amazing how you build at such warp speed and still produce such fine work.

BK

 

Toshi

Well Scott, it wouldn't be much fun if they all just fell together. Sometimes it's good to have a challange. I know you'll pull it off and I'm lovin' watching it.

BK

BK

I will be jumping in here pretty soon with my Jake. My bench time had been limited due to family duties But I will squeeze some time in here.

Hey Hunter, this is a JRF Goose by Czech Models.  Its a limited edition kit that is currently sold under Squadron.  I would say it would be for an experienced modeler. I never built a kit from this company before. 

Brandon, thanks for the confidence, this one is really forcing the old tricks to come out of the closet, and for as long as I have been from aircraft modeling theres a few cobwebs in the tricks box.  This kit is forcing me to think ahead, especially when installing the front windscreen.  Attaching the wing is also going to take a lot of time test fitting and sanding to get a good fit.

Here are pics of what the rest of the weekend will entail, a date with files, a nice sharp knife, and sanding sticks and sandpaper.  Its time to form, fit, sand, and fit some more, just like building an old vacuform kit.

Looking really good, Toshi. You are moving right along as usual. There is a lot of surface area there that needs some love, ie all that sanding. This is gonna be one fine looking bird. 

BK

Looks good Toshi, I am looking forward to doing the same process on my old floatbird.

I gave up on mine the wheels dont line up you have to drill a hole in both plastic and resin engines  you know the little things I spent 6 months on a revell GTO who knows how long with this czech kit spent more on sanding sticks i guess

BrandonK

Looking really good, Toshi. You are moving right along as usual. There is a lot of surface area there that needs some love, ie all that sanding. This is gonna be one fine looking bird. 

BK

 

Toshi

scottrc

Looks good Toshi, I am looking forward to doing the same process on my old floatbird.

 

Toshi

Here is my progress for Sunday.  I can't believe the length of the wing, it's approximately 25 inches.

Toshi

Toshi,
Yes, the PBY had/has a HUGE wing. It's nice to see you on our GB. Sorry I didn’t welcome you earlier, I have been very busy in my new position (I'm doing part of my old position and all of my new) at work and have been wiped out in the evening. Things are smoothing out and my boss is hiring someone to take my old position, so things will back off soon.

Toshi - 

Looking great sir! Always amazed on how well you do and the quailty and detail of your builds. Great Job Toshi! 

modelcrazy

Toshi,
Yes, the PBY had/has a HUGE wing. It's nice to see you on our GB. Sorry I didn’t welcome you earlier, I have been very busy in my new position (I'm doing part of my old position and all of my new) at work and have been wiped out in the evening. Things are smoothing out and my boss is hiring someone to take my old position, so things will back off soon.

 

Steve - 

Tell your boss to hurry up and hire someone! (lol) It's not the same with you not in here on a normal basis.

Hunter

Steve -  Tell your boss to hurry up and hire someone! (lol) It's not the same with you not in here on a normal basis.

LOL Thanks Hunter, I miss you guys too.

To my fellow forum members,

Here is Monday's progress.  If you know about this how to putty section in the next paragraph, please disregard reading it.  I'm sure many forum members know about or utilize this already.  I read/saw this in a FSM article.

Take a piece of tape, get as close as you can to the gap or area to be putty, then do the same on the opposite side.  Putty the gap/area, when it's time to sand just sand the gap/area.  Once leveled and smooth, remove the tape, and you should have a perfect line.  What's great about this is that you just saved the panel lines as well as the rivets in that area.

My next step is to clean up the wing assembly and primer the wing.  

Toshi

Here is the engine assembly.

modelcrazy

Toshi,
Yes, the PBY had/has a HUGE wing. It's nice to see you on our GB. Sorry I didn’t welcome you earlier, I have been very busy in my new position (I'm doing part of my old position and all of my new) at work and have been wiped out in the evening. Things are smoothing out and my boss is hiring someone to take my old position, so things will back off soon.

 

Toshi

Hunter

Toshi - 

Looking great sir! Always amazed on how well you do and the quailty and detail of your builds. Great Job Toshi! 

 

Toshi

I dont know what it is about the PBY, but it is a really cool looking plane, IMPO.

BK

crown r n7

I gave up on mine the wheels dont line up you have to drill a hole in both plastic and resin engines  you know the little things I spent 6 months on a revell GTO who knows how long with this czech kit spent more on sanding sticks i guess

 

Hi Crown,

Its not just the engines, and your right, the wheel wells take a lot of sanding and test fitting to get them in correctly so the wheels line up. Every part that should have attachement pins and holes doens't.  I will be showing in a later installment how I will need to drill and pin the horizontal stabilizers and attach them before glueing the fueslage halves together.  I keep saying this is in every posting, that this kit is so much like building an old vacuform kit.  I was expecting a simple, quick build, WRONG!  And I can't leave it unfinished.

I dont know maybe Im grumpy with this kit but the decals are nice good luck with this one

Thanks, I do like the decal set that comes with the kit, although I won't be using any of it.  I will be using CoralGraphics "Cutters Goose" set.  

Toshi, love the work your doing on you PBY, the painting of the engines has good contrast.  

scottrc

Thanks, I do like the decal set that comes with the kit, although I won't be using any of it.  I will be using CoralGraphics "Cutters Goose" set.  

Toshi, love the work your doing on you PBY, the painting of the engines has good contrast.  

 

Toshi, a really fine job on the interior, and the good work continues on the exterior.   Look forward to more on the catalina.

Hunter,  good work on the interior, solid work applying the paint.

Scott , yeah those kind of kits can be a bear to take on, but are that much more rewarding when completed.

---------------------------------------------------

Thanks Steve, BrandonK, Hunter, Scott,

One final bit of detail on the tail end before going forward. 

The PE was a one piece affair that wrapped around a vertical brass rod.  This gives a solid construction, but is not completely accurate.  So the green sections were removed, ending up with two sections.

Next came the stitching on the underside of the fuselage.  Current photos of the Hanriots don't show any sign of this detail.  At best there looks to be a length of fabric tape covering the area.

It took two tries to super glue the stitching in place.  On the 2nd attempt, it was easier to just leave this flimsy piece attached to one side of the fret, and once glued in place, some deft cuts to set it free.  A strip of white decal film was laid over top to represent the possible fabric covering. 

Up next were the cabane struts.  Picture from a Belgium Hanriot;

The kit provides these as individual lengths of plastic.  This leaves way too much guess work in arriving at a proper angle and fit.  A good week was spent figuring out how to approach this, but finally arrived at a solution.

It starts with a section of brass sheet 0.12mm thick, with dimensions        9mm x 31mm.  I relied on the PE scissor tool to cut, knife and ruler just didn't work.

Here is the first set test fit in place. 

Now a second pair of cabane struts were constructed the same way, but these have the struts angled inward ...

The center section also had a 0.5mm plastic rod attached with a pair of tabs - these fit in between the two wings, which are actually separate on the real bird.

Another shot of the detail with decking in place...

... and one final of top wing fit:

regards,

Jack

wow major frame work ! comming together nicely

jgeratic

Toshi, a really fine job on the interior, and the good work continues on the exterior.   Look forward to more on the catalina.

Hunter,  good work on the interior, solid work applying the paint.

Scott , yeah those kind of kits can be a bear to take on, but are that much more rewarding when completed.

---------------------------------------------------

Thanks Steve, BrandonK, Hunter, Scott,

One final bit of detail on the tail end before going forward. 

The PE was a one piece affair that wrapped around a vertical brass rod.  This gives a solid construction, but is not completely accurate.  So the green sections were removed, ending up with two sections.

Next came the stitching on the underside of the fuselage.  Current photos of the Hanriots don't show any sign of this detail.  At best there looks to be a length of fabric tape covering the area.

It took two tries to super glue the stitching in place.  On the 2nd attempt, it was easier to just leave this flimsy piece attached to one side of the fret, and once glued in place, some deft cuts to set it free.  A strip of white decal film was laid over top to represent the possible fabric covering. 

Up next were the cabane struts.  Picture from a Belgium Hanriot;

The kit provides these as individual lengths of plastic.  This leaves way too much guess work in arriving at a proper angle and fit.  A good week was spent figuring out how to approach this, but finally arrived at a solution.

It starts with a section of brass sheet 0.12mm thick, with dimensions        9mm x 31mm.  I relied on the PE scissor tool to cut, knife and ruler just didn't work.

Here is the first set test fit in place. 

Now a second pair of cabane struts were constructed the same way, but these have the struts angled inward ...

The center section also had a 0.5mm plastic rod attached with a pair of tabs - these fit in between the two wings, which are actually separate on the real bird.

Another shot of the detail with decking in place...

... and one final of top wing fit:

regards,

Jack

 

 

Toshi