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farmroad38 · Last edited by farmroad38 on Fri 23 May 2008 13:15 pm; edited 1 time in total

Progress of Peter's build can be followed here.
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Cheers,

Adrian

Heinkel51 · Posted: Fri 23 May 2008 11:39 am Post subject:

My Offering will be a Catalina in Danish Airforce Colours if I can find the article may even attempt a conversion to a PBY-6A

Heinkel51 · Posted: Sun 15 Jun 2008 10:42 am Post subject:

I'll kick off with some sprue shots. My offering is a boxing purchased around two years ago.

Given the kit first appeared in 1964 the parts have little flash with some ejector pin marks, panel and rivet detail still there.

The transparencies showed the greatest use of wear with no framing detail on any component and some annoying ejector pin marks on the inside of the front turret.;

The instruction sheets was two sheets of A3. Decals not shown were in register and destined for the decal bank.
I'll be building a PBY-5A, the Royal Danish Air Force used both the 5A and 6A. For a conversion to a RDAF Cat the main task will be the addition of a radar dome over the cockpit. I'm opting for the grey fuselage, red wings scheme for an Aircraft operated by 722 Sqn. To work

Step one will be some interior detail, the kit offering being a little light on.

I'll start with making three bulkheads from 20 thou card.

Heinkel51 · Posted: Mon 16 Jun 2008 11:21 am Post subject:

A work day but still managed some small progress. Inital work on three bulkheads.

Some trimming still required. I will be making a new floor for the cockpit and the gunners position. I've not been able to find any detail but I believe the firing steps in the waist were replaced by a small floor area. For the bulkhead behind the pilots I'll cut out and leave the access door open some small detail will be added for the radio operators area. Early days.

Ratch · Posted: Mon 16 Jun 2008 16:56 pm Post subject:

Full interior

Good luck

_________________
and was Jerusalem, builded here
The new No. 2
Airfix Club 500287
IPMS 10983

peebeep · Guest

I started up a project like this, but it is another one that stalled when I lost interest. I did the bulkheads, floors and gunners stations, but not the wireless op's station - once its all closed up it is simply not visible, although you might like to do it on a 'know it's there' basis. Having an Academy PBY to hand was handy for working it out. I don't have much reference material to the Danish machines although I might be able to dig out the Airfix Mag article. Also I have a couple of PBY cutaway drawings, not sure where they are at the moment.

peebeep

Heinkel51 · Posted: Mon 16 Jun 2008 23:01 pm Post subject:

Have no fear I am not doing a full interior - that way madness lies. Dummy

Though I was inspired by the work done here;

http://www.ipmsdeutschland.de/Flugzeuge/Gaeste/Wolf_Catalina.html

That much skill and patience I do not have!

I can empathise with Peepbeep comments on starting projects and stalling, I have quite a few GB's in that area

, one reason for attempting this is to get some practise to enable me to get some of those projects moving and as it is part of my lifelong aim to build every aircraft used by the Danish Armed Services it has some special motivation attached.

For the radio Op/Navigator position all I am contemplating is simplified desk, chair and a radio attached to the back of the cockpit bulkhead. Though I think that this was also the radar operators position?

I am using the Academy PBY parts as a template though the hull shape is a little different, hence the need for some trimming and I'll need to work up a new floor and observers position where the gun turret used to be. If anybody wants I'll trace out the finished bulkhead templates and scan in as a PDF, I hope to have the bulkheads and floor plates all done by the start of the weekend.

I have quite a few references for Danish Cat's including the Airfix Article and also around 60 photo's alas none of the waist position.

There are quite a few internet resources plus some excellent views of a cut-out Catalina at the National Museum of Naval Aviation http://home.earthlink.net/~cutawaypby/

One thing I have not mentioned is the Decals, these are being sourced from Stoppel Hobbies http://www.stoppel.dk/ . One thing I will mention is that when ordering the sets you receive the national insignia and main serials/codes. All detail such as Sqn badges are on another set or need to be made.

Ratch · Posted: Tue 17 Jun 2008 15:29 pm Post subject:

dancho · Posted: Tue 17 Jun 2008 16:37 pm Post subject:

Ay carumba!
_________________
“Build what YOU want, the way YOU want to, and above all, have fun.”
- Al Superczynski (1947 - 2007)

Heinkel51 · Posted: Tue 15 Jul 2008 03:14 am Post subject:

I have not been entirely idle on this build. The bulkheads are in and the hatchways cut out. I've set the fuselage aside while I do some subassembly of other components. My kit, acquired a few years ago, must have been a Monday run with a fair amount of warpage requiring stage by stage gluing and use of filler and knife.

An example of which are some dimples in the wings which need filling;

Heinkel51 · Posted: Fri 18 Jul 2008 13:35 pm Post subject:

I've boxed in the nose wheel compartment using 20 thou card. The openings are for the nose wheel strut locating holes in the fuselage side.

And now added some nose weight this will now need to sit for a day while the pva dries.

In the mean time I work on boxing in and adding some ribbing to the wing tips;

The pencil lines will be the location for the ribbing.

XN923 · Bronze Star Joined: 16 May 2008 Posts: 1176

Wow, you've taken far more trouble with this kit than I did! Keep up the excellent work.

Heinkel51 · Posted: Sun 20 Jul 2008 12:48 pm Post subject:

Thank you, though I'll admit that my enthusiasm varies. I really do enjoy playing with card and bits and pieces but then an OOB build is also a nice thing.

Any how back to the Cat.

I decided to use the cockpit seats with a little modification. They were too low for the pilot figure I will be using so I added a piece of 40 thou card underneath. I then trimmed of the top of the back of the seat so it was square.

Next was some 10 thou card for sides and a back plate. The instrument panel and control wheels are from an old Cat dug out of the spares box, unfortunately Mrs Heinkel upended the box on to the floor while I was out getting some fresh air and letting the Spaniels terrorise some rabbits and the original ones went the way of the carpet monster.

Looking at photos of Danish Catalina’s there seems to be just aft of the nose turret a collision bulkhead. This was cut from 20 thou card.

While this was drying I turned my attention to the waist position and added a catwalk up the centre

Current task is the making the control yoke and an instrument panel.

Ratch · Posted: Sun 20 Jul 2008 13:31 pm Post subject:

Great

_________________
and was Jerusalem, builded here
The new No. 2
Airfix Club 500287
IPMS 10983

Heinkel51 · Posted: Mon 21 Jul 2008 13:13 pm Post subject:

I've decided to finish the Catalina in the colour scheme used when the aircraft were part of Marinens Flyvevæsen before the sir services of the Navy and Army were combined to form the Royal Danish Air Force in 1950.

The Aircraft will be Serial 854 from 1LF "TATTERAT"

Colour scheme is fuselage, tail and underside of wings Hu145. Top of wings and wing tip floats Hu19. With black anti glaze panel on the nose. Not quite as colorful as the later schemes but as I will be building several Cats I've decide that there should be some variety.
Started applying some paint to the model. Interior is Model Master zinc chromate green. I still need to do on the interior fit out.
After a bit more research I discovered that no wing ribs are visible when the floats are extended, rather the compartment is paneled off. There is however an actuator arm to retract the floats. I believe that this was most likely omitted to enable the floats to be made retractable.

Monday night is alas the night the model table gets packed away for cleaning day Tuesday so it will be a couple of days before any more progress.

Cheers

Heinkel51 · Posted: Sat 26 Jul 2008 04:17 am Post subject:

Well I piked out on going overboard with the interior, there would have been a lot that would have not been visible.
The waist position;

And the whole fuselage before joining the halves;

The ift was marginal with some misalignement and the need for a bit of putty in some areas.

The nose area; note I still need to fit the pilots and the control yoke.

Heinkel51 · Posted: Tue 29 Jul 2008 14:01 pm Post subject:

While the fuselage sits and dries (more putty required) I turned my attention to the wing tips. Originally I had planned to put ribs in however this would have been incorrect. Instead they were boxed in, done here with 20 thou card.

Then the bottom wing half joined on, these needed some persuasion to get a good fit along the leading edge.

Heinkel51 · Posted: Sun 10 Aug 2008 13:49 pm Post subject:

A little quiet lately, been wrestling with a bout of flu which affected my vision. Nothing serious just damm annoying.

Have now finished the wing tip floats, with addition of the actuator arm for the floats. This was made from 60 thou channel and a small piece of rod.

Next is joining the wings to the centre section. The fit required the use of some filler along the join.

Four days to go. Nailbiting

Ratch · Posted: Sun 10 Aug 2008 14:13 pm Post subject:

Super job on those actuators

_________________
and was Jerusalem, builded here
The new No. 2
Airfix Club 500287
IPMS 10983

Heinkel51 · Posted: Sat 16 Aug 2008 02:36 am Post subject:

Well failed to complete another GB by the due date, AGAIN

One modification the Dane's did on the PBY5 was to convert the nose turret to a for want of a better description an observers position.
I trimmed the turret transparency to open it up at the back,

Placed the transparency in position and blanked of the opening for the gun with some card, then filled the gaps with some putty.

No down to some serious painting. The Fuselage is Hu145 and the first coat of Hu19 on the top wing.

Have started on the framing of the waist position and the cockpit transparencies