2008 Airliner Group Build

Aaron Skinner wrote:

Who's doing the Ed Force 1 decals? I saw a photo of the plane in the most recent Airliners magazine and it's entered my to do list. Cheers,

Aaron , Airline Hobby Supplies in Chandler AZ. carries them. Stock # TS44-378  at www.airline-hobby.com    . Twosix refered me there so I would not have to order Oversea.

Thanks Guys for letting me in on this build, I will keep you up to date on my Progress as soon as I start. 

Glad to have you with us, Sean!

Here's something for everyone!

   I was fooling around with an idea tonight; using an old Minicraft 727-200 wing, I discovered a GREAT way of installing one-piece mounting studs for Slotted Flaps, LE Slats, Kruger Flaps!  *All of which needs to be scratch built from laminated, cut & sanded sheet plastic, because it's darn impossible to salvage much from the kit flap/spoiler cluster after cutting it out - besides using it as a size-guide for the pieces being built*

  This procedure is straight forward and only requires minimum materials:   2 pairs of Needle Nose Pliers, wire cutters, any available thin stiff wire (Christmas ornament hangers), and your choice of adhesive methods.   I shimmed & super-glued as much as I could (space available) along the length of the wire through the wing, will report on it's strength tomorrow.      Plus, an added advantage of using a one-piece 'internally braced' mount is that you can "adjust" the angles without having to worry about tearing it up.

Sounds like a plan... I'll report back with how it comes out, with pictures.     My camera is sick, or I'd have some tonight/this morning.        If this works out, it could provide a good strong framework to do a complex Flap-Job... like, like on a big ole 1/144 'B744'.....  wouldn't it Chris?

Take care,

Frank

Frank, Everytime I see a post from you, it seems like you have some kind of cool idea or nifty drawing or both. It brings me to two questions: 1. How do you come up with these ideas? ( I can probably answer this myself: Experience, ingenuity and a good analytical mind, along with deductive reasoning. Plus you seem to be pretty smart.)

2. Are you a graphic artist or something? The drawings you produce are amazing. Clear, concise, and very well executed in a digital format. Maybe you're an engineer (always jealous of those types when it comes to model building) or maybe you do technical drawings or instruction writing?

Anyway, you are surely an insiration, if not only a huge help to a lot of us here on the forum. I guess my (off topic) post is really a big WOW!! and Thank You for sharing your knowledge!

acmodeler01 wrote:

Frank, Everytime I see a post from you, it seems like you have some kind of cool idea or nifty drawing or both. It brings me to two questions: 1. How do you come up with these ideas? ( I can probably answer this myself: Experience, ingenuity and a good analytical mind, along with deductive reasoning. Plus you seem to be pretty smart.) 2. Are you a graphic artist or something? The drawings you produce are amazing. Clear, concise, and very well executed in a digital format. Maybe you're an engineer (always jealous of those types when it comes to model building) or maybe you do technical drawings or instruction writing? Anyway, you are surely an insiration, if not only a huge help to a lot of us here on the forum. I guess my (off topic) post is really a big WOW!! and Thank You for sharing your knowledge!

Hear Hear,

Thanks Frank - what a great idea.

You are a genius Mate.

Thanks Jon & Simon,

(1)  Where do the ideas come from?    You cut & sand & fill & cut again & fit & start over & sand & putty & scrape & re-fit.... until you get something that works. 

(2)  God blessed me with the talent to draw things, shucks, I was in the 3rd grade before I realized EVERYBODY couldn't do it!     LOL     In scratchbuilding, I will pencil sketch idea's to see what something might look like before building it... then use the sketch as a guide when building whatever it is.... refining it again to reflect lessons learned during the build up, then I digitally illustrate that sketch with "MGI PhotoSuite" into what you see in here.

      I always figured a Modeling Forum was a place to exchange ideas and be inspired by the  work you see!     The fine people who have passed through these FSM Forum doors over the years have helped me to become a better Modeler.      The illustrations are but lines and colors on a computer screen, but know that they come from my soul, to my Modeling Friends!   

    Now, I am appealing for some information; tips, hints and advice on cutting 1/144 scale Airliner windows from a solid fuselage half?     Anyone done, seen, read about, or heard of this procedure; sing out because I'm needing some suggestions?  

Take care all,

Frank

A little update from me..

I finally got some time this afternoon to redo the tail section.. I sanded it back and re-sprayed it white last night, and then instead of painting the tail, I decided to print the red out on a clear sticker film and then applied it to the tail instead. A lot easier than masking and painting, and it simply looks like a normal decal..

Chris 

And here is another update this morning.. I am using a very fine clear sticker film, as my inkjet won't print on the decal paper that I have..

Chris 

Chris_in_Japan wrote:

And here is another update this morning.. I am using a very fine clear sticker film, as my inkjet won't print on the decal paper that I have..   Chris

Hi Chris,

Well, it certainly did come out looking just right!     Those magestic contrast really stand out on such a magestic bird, can't wait to see her take wing!     Really happy to see you getting back at it, and hope you're feeling much better.  

CD,

Thanks!      It was while testing those short wire slat mounts I showed you, that I came up with the one long piece idea... mainly because the short pieces kept getting bumped loose.    (had to re-attach the right side inboard flap assembly on the B732 six times during the construction - used the short wire attachments)     On the work up I'm doing on the "straight thru" method, it's proving to be a more reliable way of securing a normally delicate area.    (and a heck of a lot easier getting everything to stay where it's suppose to) 

The decals for my Playboy DC-9 still haven't come in yet... hoping they will this week sometime.... (that's why I got side-tracked onto this wire mount thing, LOL; trying to keep myself occupied while waiting to get back into my GB things)

Take care all,

Frank

Looking good Chris, glad to see you continuing , how are you feeling ?

OK Guys, I have a modelling confession. I've had this airliner project on the go since 1994 ( well that's when I bought the kit ). I was in a junk shop near Adelaide whilst on holiday and came across this :

Well it's the Holy Grail of classic airliner modellers isn't it ? ( Well one of them ) I should say that the first aircraft I travelled on was  a BOAC Super VC10 in 1972. My BOAC Junior Jet Club log book ( which I still have ) tells me that it was G-ASGH. It also tells me that the first leg  LHR - JFK was captained by BOAC Chief Pilot at the time; AJ "Tommy" Thompson, incidentally an ex Battle of Britain Hurricane pilot, we did a go around at JFK too.

Anyway , on opening the box I was dismayed to find that the fuselage had been ( badly ) glued together, with the internal cabin windows added and the engine nacelles assembled and glued on. Gluey fingerprints were evident everywhere, I suspect it was done by an 11 or 12 yr old who probably had similiar skills to myself at that age. The rest of the kit is present, except for the decals, puzzlingly, there were a set of Revell F4 decals in the box.

I paid $10 for it ( How often do you see an Airfix VC10 kit ). I've got some Welsh BOAC decals somewhere , this is the Standard VC10, so my model of good old ASGH will have to wait until I sand out some Welsh Model Fuselage halves.

I seperated the engines and set about removing the cabin doors and cargo doors ( they were seperate on the airliner kit - Airfix integrated them when they re-tooled the molds to produce the Tanker variant.

Anyway some years ago , I puttied up the windows replaced the doors etc. The kit also comes with a neat little piece of GSE, an air-stair.

So now, here she is, dragged out to be completed at last, with this group build the inspiration for doing so.

Thanks Guys

Hey Simon, you seem to have a whole bag of goodies there mate.. I like it when you go into the cupboard and find something nice that you forgot you had.. And thanks mate, I am feeling better, but still getting there. Still have a little trouble with the balance if I get up to fast or try to rush, but much better thanks..

CD, thank you also for the kind sentiment..

Frank, thank you. It was why I always wanted to do the Northwest bird as a 747-400. I just love the colour scheme..

Also, thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom with your posts. I appeciate the effort that you put in, and it will definately be helpfull for people like myself..

Chris

Woah, Simon....

  That really IS a jewell of a kit, regardless of it's pre-built condition, and I'm sure you're going do it justice because of it being the first type you rode in!      Looking forward to seeing this one come together!     Thanks for showing it, I envy you!

 Chris,

    Thank you, sir.     

    I've never had a -400 model, although I came close a few times, something else always jumped in front of it.   Seeing that fuselage in profile in your pictures makes me want to get one!

    Take care,

Frank

Wow, that is going to be a unique addition, Simon! Keep up the good work.

Got a chance to see a VC-10 tanker once and meet some of your RAF lads at an airshow in Cleveland. Neat stuff, getting together with fellow tanker guys.

Chris_in_Japan wrote:

CD, thank you also for the kind sentiment..

No problem, mate. Hey, I found out today that the reason Alan Sheppard missed out on the Gemini missions was because he had Meniere's disease. But that didn't stop him from getting to the moon!

Thanks Guys

Now all I have to do is find where I put those BOAC decals !

CD I used to be English, but now I'm technically an aussie. All the VC 10s went to be tankers I understand, but our mount, old ASGH got broken up for spares. The crews apparently love them.

Interestingly , I was living near RAAF East Sale when the RAAF got their some of their 707's converted to tankers. This was interesting ( apart from the fact it really got up the Indonesians noses - as the F-18s could now get to Jakarta with tanker support - The F111s can get there without it !). I was able to listen in on some of the VHF transmissions when the F-18 guys were learning how to tank  - pretty interesting stuff !

cdclukey wrote:

Chris_in_Japan wrote: CD, thank you also for the kind sentiment.. No problem, mate. Hey, I found out today that the reason Alan Sheppard missed out on the Gemini missions was because he had Meniere's disease. But that didn't stop him from getting to the moon!

Yeah - he did, and he had to have surgery under an assumed name so NASA didn't find out about it or something.

Chris

Glad to see your issue hasn't dampened you modeling skills. The NWA build looks great. The painting is smooth and the tail decal looks right on. I've been trying to figure out what the contraption your plane sits on for its photo sessions. It looks like an aquarium or something out of a Gerry Anderson Sci Fi TV show.

Simon;

I love that kit. I used to have one. I did it in a yellow Huges Airlines what if livery. I don't have it anymore. I'd like to do another one proper.  How was the flight in the VC-10?  Smooth, noisy,? I enjoy reading about folks' travels from years ago as those were the days when it was a joy to be doing air travel. I sure miss the observation decks at the airports too, where you could hear, smell and "experience" those jets.

I've layed the gloss white down on my B777. I used Simons' method of light coats instead of heavier ones. It came out very well. I'll post some pics once I get the red laid down and the engines painted.

Well, given it was 35 years ago Neil, it's a bit hard to remember! ( I was 7 )

I was excited as it was my first flight ( oh and we were also emigrating from England to Australia ) I remember it being pretty smooth. At one stage there was an announcement that there was some turbulence coming, and for a few minutes it felt like driving over corrugations on a dirt road. I do remember the missed approach at JFK. Dad tells me that the Captain made an announcment about an aircraft taxiing across the runway in front of us. I also remember flying out of Sydney for Melbourne very lightly loaded as most pax had deplaned in Sydney - it climbed like a homesick angel.

All the kids got to visit the flight deck, and me , being the plane nut. stayed up there after all the other kids had gone back to their seats and were having dinner. Mum was worried so Dad snuck up the front to see where I was. I had a headset on and was listening to Nadi approach in Fiji ! Mum reckons that history repeated itself in 1990 when I got to ride in the jumpseat of a BA 757 from Rome to London ! Another story. Mum was down the back - waiting for me again.

Also in Fiji, Mum and Dad left the plane to get some duty free, but my sister and I stayed on board under the watchful eye of the stewardesses. I can remember the back door being open and me standing out on the air stair gazing into the intakes of the Rolls Royce Conways.

They were beautiful aircraft weren't they ? Apparently very easy to fly assymetric as the engines are all so close together.

Anyway - I've got a couple of kits - a Welsh models Super and also an additional Welsh Models Super fuselage which I intend to mate with the wings etc from an Airfix tanker kit. This one, I will finish as a Standard.

Bye for now

oldhooker wrote:

Chris,     Thank you, sir.          I've never had a -400 model, although I came close a few times, something else always jumped in front of it.   Seeing that fuselage in profile in your pictures makes me want to get one!

Frank, you definately need to get one and build her up. in 1/144 they make a nice size display!..

Neil, thanks for the words. She has been slow as she goes, but it will be worth it in the end.. Next will be the windows and doors..

Simon. Sounds like you got to see a bit of the world as a kid. Same as my daughter, son is just 4 months, but when I was a kid, a trip in the caravan was about it for us.. My daughter has been half way around the world, and she is only 5, and in the process of getting her second renewed. She travels on a Japanese and an Australian passport aswell.. Man how times have changed....

Cheers, Chris 

Here's the beginning of my B-757 (in TWA livery).  I found a few reference photos on the internet of the 757 wing surfaces and went from there.  This is the first time I've tried to scratchbuild flaps and slats, but I think it came out ok.  It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  Cutting into the wing and making the spaces available was the hardest part.  But this has been a fun project.  I'll post more pictures soon.

Agreed!.. Looks great thus far...

Chris 

Hi Hogan,

   You're really setting yourself up for a full blown case of "Scratch Fever" you know!    You're probably already looking at your next project, and thinking; "what if I....?"    

Yep, you've got it alright!     (and it gets worse as you go!)

The *straw* LE Slats & Kruger Flaps are a great idea, however you'd probably like them better if you sliced them one more time, lengthwise, down the middle (a 1/4th cut) and fix them to hang from the lower part of the leading edge instead of the upper part.  (check reference photos)

It's cool though; you're heading off in the right direction, and from the looks of this one, it's a great start!     Thanks!

Take care,

Frank

Frank;

Looks great. I did that kit in the Finnair Santa Claus scheme. I love the profile look of the 757.  The engines could be better and  I believe www.brazmodels.com/ company makes replacement ones. The flaps look great. One day I'll try that out...maybe.

Here's a picture of the B757; not counted for this GB as I built it a few years ago. It was featured in Great Models 2006, so I'm pretty proud of that.

Then I've added photos of my B777 in progress. Some red creeped up under the tape but I used a small tooth pick to clean it up. It almost looks like it's a TV dinner!

Sorry about the blurry pics. I really need to use a tripod.

Very nice work, Hogan!

Yeah great start Neil.. Is that the Hasegawa 1/200 kit?.

As for your question earlier.. Yes, that is our goldfish tank, that hasn't been cleaned this month poor things, but this weekend should be nice and warm (hopefully) so will get to it then..

As for my progress, I have started with the decalling on the 747-400 (your decals are a godsend mate), and I have for the first time been using a setting and softening solution to apply them, so the going has been slow at best..

Here's where I am at now.. Because of the metalic finish, its hard to take pics with the flash.

Chris