WWII Carrier Aircraft Design GB (Starts Now -- Ends November 30, 2006)

Anyone gotten started here?  I'm workin on my F4F cockpit, I'll post something as soon as it looks respectable (at least to me).

rear cockpit wall attached to cockpit floor...oooh ahhh...not to much, but it's a start

TryintoModel wrote:

Anyone gotten started here?  I'm workin on my F4F cockpit, I'll post something as soon as it looks respectable (at least to me).

Sadly, no. Thought I would have, but with some unexpected problems on other builds, might be a couple weeks. Looking forward to seeing your progress though...

Leon

Wing, cockpit, fuselage and tail assembely done here. It's a fairly simple lil kit though it has nice detail & is building up quick and easy no fit probs "Yet!" still looking for more reference on the catapault though

Got a start on the Hellcat the other night--  I can't say I am overly impressed with their instrument panel-- details are sort of sunk in- but I use what I have....

Hope to move to step 2 soon ;)

Looking good Mike.  Nice start.

Regards.  Rick

Well, my P-47 is on hold while I wait for the arrival of a Waldron punch set for the instrument panel decals.  So, I'm pushing that project off to the side for a while and am going to hammer out the Wildcat this weekend.

I've made a decision to stop working on my Avenger that I was doing alot of detailing on. It's too big a project for me at the moment. I can't sit down and work on it for long enough at a time. So I've put it aside for a while and I'm now starting on a second Avenger. This one is the Italeri re-issue of the Acc-Min kit. I'm working on the cockpit at the moment. Sprayed the green, washed and dry-brushed.

Will post pics when it's ready for show.

I found 1 gap in the wing/fuselage seam i filled it with a thin sliver of strip styrene and smoothed it out I'm off to paint tomorrowCaptain we shall be ready to defend the convoy soon!!!

Mike- the cockpit looks very good can’t wait too see step two

As for me I’m planning to start my GM-Wildcat over the weekend, once I can get a saw to cut the kit’s resign cockpit from it’s block (I’ve never done this before). BTW I hope everyone enjoying the GB even though theres not to much action yet.  

Small tragedy at the bench in Virginia will make someone in Texas happy...

Yes the folks @ Squadron are going to be getting an order thanks to me and my #11 blade.

Italeri 1/72 Hellcat, cutting out the small windows directly behind the pit..too big...tried to repair..HA, hands of stone brain of cheese!

I am going to order the Hasegawa, use the Italeri cat mouth decals fix my up on the Italeri and turn it into a F6F5.  This evening at the bench was too close to the kind of work week I had...anyhow my 'Cat collection will grow by two...

any harm in doing a French Navy post war F6F5?

JOE All I can say is OUCH hope the reclamation on the hellcat goes well

well painting commenced last night with the light grey underside I woke up masked the demarcation lines with 3M Blue and applied the RAF dark sea grey. once i do a few touch ups and give it a day or so to dry Future & decals await. Here is a pic of the paint scheme I'm using but not the markings for this particular aircraft

Have a good weekend gang TTFN

PanzerWulff wrote:

JOE All I can say is OUCH hope the reclamation on the hellcat goes well well painting commenced last night with the light grey underside I woke up masked the demarcation lines with 3M Blue and applied the RAF dark sea grey. once i do a few touch ups and give it a day or so to dry Future & decals await. Here is a pic of the paint scheme I'm using but not the markings for this particular aircraft Have a good weekend gang TTFN

 

ALAS !  All is not lost...

After posting I returned to the scene of the tragedy (read as "workbench"0 and was inspired by a packet of new #11 blades.  In a strange way a bit of morbid irony actually.  The packaging of the blades inspired me.

I cut the fuselage out totally and took pieces of the clear packaging from the #11 blades and filled the mistake.  Next will be Bare Metal Foil masks...I had seen this done before by iothers and decided to give it a shot my self.  I will post some photos of what I am describing within the next few days...

I was thinking about your Hurricane and want to say there may be some photos of your subject at www.uboat.net and also in the Time-Life Series on WWII Battle of the Atlantic.

Is anyone else building the 1/48 Tamiya F4F-4 Wildcat?  I'm having a tough time getting the big flat piece behind the seat in the correct postion.  It appears that it should go somewhat vertical, but there is so much slack at the base that it leans back against the squared edge that comes up about a 1/4 inch.  Is it supposed to lean back a tad or be vertical?

Hey, espins1, I'm building that same model.  I just took a look at mine to see what you were referring too.  I haven't gotten that far.  I'm currently painting all the interior detail, but it won't be long before I start putting the cockpit together.  I messed around putting it together and dryfitting it into the fuselage.  My advice would be to not glue the headrest on the rest of the cockpit yet.  By looking at it, I would say glue the headrest in where it goes in the fuselage.  You'll notice that it has grooves that put it at the angle it should be.  With the firewall attached to the front of the cockpit, you can fit the cockpit in and the headrest will be at the right angle.  Then you can glue the headrest to the base of the cockpit.  At least, that's how I'm going to do it.  It will take that guesswork out it.

Lemme know if that makes any sense to ya.

Dave

TryintoModel wrote:

Hey, espins1, I'm building that same model.  I just took a look at mine to see what you were referring too.  I haven't gotten that far.  I'm currently painting all the interior detail, but it won't be long before I start putting the cockpit together.  I messed around putting it together and dryfitting it into the fuselage.  My advice would be to not glue the headrest on the rest of the cockpit yet.  By looking at it, I would say glue the headrest in where it goes in the fuselage.  You'll notice that it has grooves that put it at the angle it should be.  With the firewall attached to the front of the cockpit, you can fit the cockpit in and the headrest will be at the right angle.  Then you can glue the headrest to the base of the cockpit.  At least, that's how I'm going to do it.  It will take that guesswork out it. Lemme know if that makes any sense to ya. Dave

Totally makes sense, I'll just use the fuselage as a "jig" to get the alignment right.  Thanks Dave! 

  No progress on my end.  Another group build has hit critical mass so that's where my focus is.  But, it's good to see a lot of other's moving along.

 

Sorry espins1, after working on it tonight, I found that I could not do what I suggested to you to do.  The way you have to construct the cockpit requires you to put the headrest part together with the rest of the cockpit.  The two sides of the cockpit where the throttle and stuff are have to attach to both the instrument panel and the headrest part.  There would be no way to put it together if you already glued the headrest in place in the fuselage.  However, putting all these pieces together gives you just as good of an guide on how far back it should rest.  Sorry for the mistake.  I finished painting my cockpit, here are some pictures.  Sorry for the crappy photos.  Along with trying to get better at modeling, I'm trying to get better at photographing.  I still need to add some seatbelts, I trying to decide how I want to make them.

Looks good Tryintomodel. What are your options for making seatbelts? Also, the pictures aren't that bad; what are you using for a camera?
Anyway, looking forward to more progress...
Leon

I'm not very good at seatbelts.  I've made them out of just strips of masking tape before.  I thought about PE seatbelts, but I'm not sure about spending the extra money.  I don't really know of any other options.

My camera is a Canon Powershot A80, 4 megapixel.  I took the photos from a distance of about a foot using the closeup option.  But then I used photoshop to zoom in and crop the photo.  If I try to take photos closer than that, some parts are more clear, but others are out of focus.  I'm not sure if that is how others do it.  I still don't seem to get the quality of picture as some people, though.  That may be a good thing, however, because then people will just be able to see more of my flaws, hehe. 

If you are in no huge rush, I may have an extra set of pe seatbelts laying around that I could send your way. If you are interested, I can check tonight. If you are in a rush, when scratch building, I go for the aluminum foil type wrapper found on wine bottles and solder for buckles - no where near as nice as the pe, but acceptable. The only hard part of that was getting the foil (I don't drink, so had to ask at work for donations of the foil ) Anyway, let me know if you want me to check for an extra pe belt. (If I have one, it would be the unpainted type - I wish I had a painted to give - those are extra cool).

As for the picture taking. Your pictures really aren't that bad. If you can choose an aperature mode (f-stop) and set for the largest number available (big number = small opening = more distance in focus) it might help. You would probably need a tripod for doing this.

Leon

Tryintomodel,  Good job on the Hellcat pit.

Regards,  Rick

Gwaihir O "Wind Lord" *) another good source of heavy foil often overlooked is the foil used on the tops of yougurt cups to seal them as i eat alot of yougurt i always have a decent supply on hand when i need it

Tryintomodel the pit is looking good keep up the good work

My hurricane is ready for weathering i hope to start that once my problem with jittery hans dies down TTFN

* true geek that i am i studied tolkien elven Wind Lord is the translation for Gwaihir if ya didnt already know

PanzerWulff wrote:

Gwaihir O "Wind Lord" *) another good source of heavy foil often overlooked is the foil used on the tops of yougurt cups to seal them as i eat alot of yougurt i always have a decent supply on hand when i need it * true geek that i am i studied tolkien elven Wind Lord is the translation for Gwaihir if ya didnt already know

Thanks for the tip, and I'm geeky right along with you! Nice!

Leon

Thanks for the compliments guys.

Gwaihir - I appreciate the offer on the PE seatbelts, but I would hate for you to give them up and then have to send them to me.  Can you explain more how you use the foil for the belt buckles?  What do you use for the belts, strips of masking tape?  Do you have any pictures of some?  I just painted the end of the strips silver.  Very poor looking, but better than nothing. 

Thanks

Dave

Tryintomodel- the cockpit is beautifully done, very nice work

Gwaihir - how do you plan to do the guns?  I hate how there is plastic in the hole on top, but open underneath.  I'm thinking of cutting them out and making my own gun barrels. 

Dave, First off, I'm terribly sorry I haven't responded before this; my server is undergoing a switch over and it has any pictures of scratch made seatbelts on it that I have. I was told (and hoping) that it would be back up yesterday so I was stalling, but alas, I have accepted that that is not going to happen. They're are probably others who do a much better job than I do, but essentially I take the foil and for the shoulder part of the harness, I make two sections (out of the foil) - a very top part and a lower part joined with a solder (smallest size found at radio shack) buckle. Then at the bottom I try to make something that somewhat resembles the actual buckle again with solder - I usually actually look at a pe set of belts to try to get as close to shapes as I can. Then I make the lap belts - one piece, with buckles. After that I paint and use a very sharp mechanical pencil to try to give some detail, stiching, etc.

As for guns, I also don't really like what is usually molded and do cut them out and make me own (I did this on my last wildcat too :-) ). For the replacement, I use different sizes of hypodermic needles. I'm not sure where you live, but here in WA, I can get them at the local drug stores. I usually just explain what I am using it for and other than the random strange looks I have no problem obtaining them there. I think some places / states don't give needles out so freely. I also have a box of 100 or so that my vet (a parent of one of my students) gave me when he found out I was a modeler - they tend to poke animals with bigger needles than people so they are a pretty good size. Also, I have a book with a great, couple page tutorial on using the hypodermic needles as gun barrels if you would like I can scan and send.

Anyway, hope any of this helps. Keep us posted as to your progress. and let us know if there is anything we can do to help - you lucked out and there are quite a few good builders in this GB - way better than me atleast ;-).
Leon

Thanks, gwaihir.  I'll give both of those ideas a try.  I'll have to see if I can find some hypodermic needles but I do have a radio shack down the street. 

Hey guys on the subject of building guns i usually use small diamater brass tubing or brass rod for making barrels heres a pic of a pair of  1/72 scale Vickers K-Guns for a RAF Catilina I'm building for the Battle of the Atlantic GB i made a simple conversion of the kit Brownings by removeing the barrels making new over/under barrel and gas tube arrangement from brass wire stretched sprue crossbraces and rod and scrap styrene drums i'm still looking for some PE ring sights to go on them but so far no luckHappy building guys TTFN