2008 Airliner Group Build

Neil,

  As a matter of fact, I am going to be doing the landing lights for my Airfix 727 project tomorrow or the next day, and I'll document the process and publish it.      I hope all works out with your son!    (and I continue to thank God my kids are through the turbulent years!)

  Chris, glad you're doing ok!      I'm just coming out of my slump, mainly because my hard work is finished for the year and now I can devote some time to building!      Before that, October '07 was the first model I had touched in over two years.      Slumps come and go, and for some reason whenever I come back into it, it's always something different than what I was doing when I quit!?     Marine helicopters... then to 1/24 race cars... then to Army helicopters... then to Air Force trainers.... then to Airliners.....

  Besides the DC-9, I also finished the Continental B-738 late last night, and will make some pictures when the sun comes back out.

Take care,

Frank

Wow. I got suspended once, and my dad gave me not only the belt, but the buckle as well...

I won't ask what he did, but I guess its disapointing to know that our children at times make us realize that we are all human.. Oh, and they aren't always the angels we always thought they were..  Hope he isn't in too much trouble, and you sort it all out.. Send him over here with us, I will send him to a Japanese public school, and he will soon get sorted out... :)

The Japanese don't fool around with the kids..

Chris 

Frank thanks for the tutorial. Do you have any pictures showing that technique? I normally paint the leading edge with alclad metalizers so not sure how incorporating that with the  scotch tape would look.  I'm trying to find some decals to make them instead.

Max;  I've built that Hobbycraft Dash 8 kit and it does have some major fit issues plus the windscreen not fitting very well. I also broke the horizontal stabilzers too and had to carefully glue it onto the tail. Here's a link to the one I built.. /forums/546224/ShowPost.aspx

Chris; I know how that goes. I've been in a slump lately too. I'm working on three projects, an Armor vehicle for our model club contest, the B727 and the ever so sowly going Caribou. My 15 year old got suspended from school so I'm quite upset about that.

Just thought I would check in.. Havn't touched a model in a few weeks now. Been busy with work and other things, and have kinda lost a little interest in building.. Doesn't mean I have given up, as I am sure once the warmer weather sets in and I am back on holidays, I will start building again..  Everyone seems to be getting work done, which is great to see..

Chris

Happy Saturday to everyone....

   Bondman; Yes, a 'sacrificial' kit is about the only way to add a section to a fuselage, but making a "short" version of the one the section was taken out of keeps it from being a loss.

   Neil; I've tried everything in an attempt to make a set of landing lights that actually look like landing lights, and the most effective means I've found to accomplish that, was by far the easiest to do; small pin-heads under a transparent outer lens (tape).      (1) When putting the wing halves together, add a ball of molding clay to the inside area around the LL cut (if the wing is already together, force some warm clay into the opening until it's packed well then hollow out a cavity in the clay), (2) now paint that cavity flat black, (3) stick two pins into the clay and arrange the heads to position the bulbs correctly, (4) cut the needed lins shape from a piece of clear scotch tape and roll it over the opening... (5) seal the edges with future and paint the aluminum frame.

   Max; There's a Dash-8 in my future too, so I am watching and reading your reports with interest.

   CD; You certainly are more tolerable with a decal malfunction than I am my friend!     Sometimes my temper/frustration gets the best of me and the kit gets an early retirement.

   Also, please note that I have completed the "Playboy" DC-9-30 on my build list!     

Gah that Hobbycraft Dash8 is a barrel of monkeys. I'm glad it's very sparse on detail because I can just go to town on all the sanding and seam filling without concerning myself with pesky details like panel lines.

 For the windows I ended up painting them black from the inside. The very poor cockpit didn't fit anyways so it seemed the best way to hide the lack of interior. The front windshield was a poor fit (surprise!) anyways so being blacked out was just as well.

 I have all the sub assemblies built. I was going to paint the wings seperatly however my test fits aren't good so I will paint all at once then I can just go to town on sanding. I think the paint on this model will make it or break it. I'll try to get a pic up later.

Cool on the RAF Tristar. It's a 1/200 Hasegawa.

Frank;

Thanks for the cool tutorial.

CD. I've had decals that got messed up too. I've had to take a few days to cool of and reasses and come up with another approach. I've had them wrinkle, crack, and simply not stick to the model too. Glad to see you've not given up.

Here are some inprogress pictures of my 727. I've tried using 5 min epoxy to make the wing tip nav lights. They came out not too bad. As for the inboard landing lights the glue dried sort of milky and I've tried polishing them out with sanding sticks but now the glue has worn thru to the litte pin lights.  I'm thinking of carving them out and restarting. Any ideas?  The fuselage is ready for some Tamiya Surface Primer.

Well, I had been fatalistic about the decal disaster with the Independence, but now I've decided to go back to the ol' crew chief roots: Improvise, adapt, overcome.

I got the decals off with tape, cutting carefully around the Air Force roundels. The scheme I'm going to put on it is fictional, but it will be somewhat consistent with the markings that the DC-6 wore in MATS service.

Those are good shortening techniques, but unless I missed something, not for adding length.

For that, I've only ever had success with a sacrificial second kit, which is how the 1:1 a/c builders do it.

And when you go w/that, you can stagger the joints, which is beneficial.

Simon L wrote:

Frank - I have a question for you . I want to convert a Standard VC 10 to a Super VC10. this involves extending the fuselage by about a centimeter aft of the wings and about three cm forward of the wings. I'm thinking using plasticard 'runners' and then filling with milliput - what do you reckon ?   Cheers

Simon,

Here's the url to one of the best tutorials on splicing fuselage sections I have ever seen, from "Hawkeye" over on ARC... and it works out really great too!

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=151507&st=0&gopid=1374200&#entry1374200

Take care,

Frank

Hi Guys

 Neil - the contents of the Nimrod Boxes are impressive. The kit is approximately the same size as a 1/144 747/400. The weapon fit is comprehensicve and extensive, and there are 6 decal options. I haven't been able to resist making a start on one of the beasts, and it has gone together beautifully thus far ( fuselage), and now working on the pesky wing root intakes.

Frank - I have a question for you . I want to convert a Standard VC 10 to a Super VC10. this involves extending the fuselage by about a centimeter aft of the wings and about three cm forward of the wings. I'm thinking using plasticard 'runners' and then filling with milliput - what do you reckon ?

Cheers

Well, I've just wrapped up putting decals on the Independence, and I think I may have caused myself a bloody disaster. On the ARC website we use the tterm "3 foot model," as in, "It looks great from about three feet away" but this one's looking like a six footer.

Oh well, it's just a model, and if I can't fix the decals to my liking and still give it as a gift, I'll keep it. It's about time I kept some of my work, and Harry Truman is one of my favorite Presidents.

Neil, I tried to build the Airfix F/A-18 (it was destroyed by a housecat) and I used the decals on one of my son's Pinewoood Derby cars. They aren't as thick as they look.

Chris;

Glad to know all is going well with you. I'm wondering what the two airlines will do with the colors on their planes. Do you know if they will repaint them?

Frank; I looked up Belles Palsey because I wasn't familiar with that term.  I hope all is well with your daughter. I have an 11 and 15 year old. My 15 year old wants to begin driving.....ugh! Plus we're having diffuculties getting him to be in school. Looks like the courts will be getting involved. He's not into drugs or skipping school, so far praise GOD, but he's making poor descions on getting to school.  I'm terrified. And yes, the kids do grow up quite quickly. Take lots of photos.

Simon;

I've seen the large box the Nimrod comes in, anxious to see what's inside.

My 727 build is coming along well. I have the fueselage joined and the seam work completed. Also have the wings done. Why does Minicraft give you that silly glass insert? I have the Airfix B727 too. There are some interesting differences. The wings on the MC have a much thicker leading edge and the underwing farings are molded as part of the wing which makes painting the correquard a bit tricky. The AF kit has narrower more accurate wings and seperate fairings. Anybody used the AF decals? How well do they lay down. They look quite thick. 

Yes, I have a five year old daughter, and an almost two year old son. ( he's just getting interested in the contents of kit boxes, although I suspect for the wrong reasons - but he can say 'plane' which is a good start )

 I've been a bit slack inthe modelling stakes myself, however I need to make room on the bench for my two newly arrived Airfix Nimrods !

Will post some more pics soon of progress on the VC 10 etc

Cheers

Chris,

   Thanks, and yes, she got back to normal eventually... kids are tough as nails, and can bounce back pretty good.

Chris_in_Japan wrote:

I am only 5 odd years into the parenting thing, and its a stress that I wouldn't wish on anyone. Cheers...

Cherish the young years with your children, they are so fleeting, and gird your loins for what's to come... the stress will turn you gray, my friend! <:-o      Walking the floor like a crazy man when they take the car out alone the first time...   or when the day comes they move out, and all of a sudden the peace & quite you looked forward to so long, is SO LOUD it will cause you to just sit and stare, and think, like a zoombie or something.

(then after your gray and have ulcers, you get use to it and wouldn't have it any other way!) 

Take care,

Frank

Frank, thanks mate. Actually I am feeling much better in the last week. That sounded like a stressful time to see your daughter go through that. Hope all is well with her now?

I am only 5 odd years into the parenting thing, and its a stress that I wouldn't wish on anyone. Your kids are gold, and to have anything happen no matter how small it is is always hard..

Cheers... 

Welcome back Neil!!

    Looking forward to seeing the Pan Am 722 come together!   

Chris, glad you're feeling much better!     Things like that have to work their way out.... my youngest daughter got Bells Palsey when she was in the 7th grade after being hit in the face with a basketball; even with treatment, she was almost 2 years getting back to normal.

 My 727 project was put up to cure/dry three days ago, and before I could say "Thank you for flying Delta", I had started working the Minicraft 707-420 in the build stack!     I replaced the kit transparency with the transparency from the destroyed Minicraft 727, and after lots of filling and sanding, it looks GOOD!      Also sanded down the crease along the fuselage because I thought it looked too KC-97ish, and the corresponding bulges on the lateral fuselage below the cockpit, which gives it the 707 egg shape when looking at it from the front.

It will get the old Lufthansa livery that came with the kit.

 Take care all,

Frank

I'll do the Pan Am B727 Minicraft Kit.

Noted!

Great to see you here Neil. I have been back at work, and trying to get some tennis in with the warmer weather. Still on medication, but my balance is definately getting alot better.. No more wanting to fall over when I stand up. But I have started to notice that I am afraid of heights, more so than normal, so maybe that is something I will need to work on..

As for the building. Now that Delta has taken over NWA, maybe I should re-do my 747-400 in Delta markings, but I have a feeling that they will get rid of the 747's and stil with the 777's..

Chris 

Hello folks;

I've been a bit busy with family issues and trying to find a job and so my modeling has been a bit on the back burner. I did manage to hit a local model contest and took second place with my Air India build so I'm happy about that. I'm also working on a Caribou kit for the Heavy Lifters GB.

It looks like every one is doing well in the build department. I'm enjoying reading and looking at all the posts. I'm simply tremendously impressed with the build quality and the great commaraderie.

I'd like to chime in with another build; a FLying Tigers DC-6, Minicraft kit.

Neil

YESSSSSS!!!!

Finally, the paint is on the Independence! I'm letting it cure for a few days while I take care of other stuff...props, tires, etc.

Decals this weekend...maybe even final assembly! Than it's on to the orange Braniff 707.

Yeah, was really surprised when my dad told me about it.. We get four AFL games on Australia Network here, but that wasn't one of them this weekend sadly..

As for Collingwood, yes, filthy is being nice.. I hate "them" and the Swans equally as much.. Oh and that would include any South Australian teams..

Chris 

Charming photo, Frank. Thanks for sharing.

Update on the progress of the B-722......

Finally got the wing flaps all removed.... http://gunsagogo.org/rtinbdslat3.jpg 

Some of the new flap sections, cut & formed from the trailing edge of an old discarded wing.... http://gunsagogo.org/buildingflaps.jpg

 Forming the rt inboard LE Slat from the Airfix trailing edge piece...?    It took 4 hours to get this piece cut and sanded down to size....

By it's new home.     Instead of cutting the entire LE Slats from the wing, I assembled the two halves and sanded the new leading edge into it (much cleaner that way) http://gunsagogo.org/rtinbdslat4.jpg

And here's one with my two youngest Grandchildren!     Aaron & Alaina (in red), hanging with grandaddy in the modeling room!  http://gunsagogo.org/oldHookerflap.jpg

Take care,

Frank

Max, given what SimonL has posted, I'll withdraw my earlier suggestion and include your Tristar in the build. The more the merrier! What manufacturer and scale is it?