- The Airfix Tribute Forum -

Richard M

Heinkel51's build will be reported here.
_________________
Best
Rich
---------------------------

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die."

Visit my PORTFOLIO

Heinkel51 · Posted: Thu 06 Nov 2008 01:19 am Post subject:

Not exactly sure which way to go,

Preferred project - Fairey P4/34 as under construction in the Danish Factory when the country was invaded in April 1940. If I can get hold of the December 1978 issue of an Airfix Magazine this will be the go. Base kit either the Airfix Me110 or the Fairey Fulmar with the help of the spares box.

Optional Project - Finnish Mosquito - the German’s having passed on a captured Mosquito to the Finns, A single variant was produced by the Finnish State Aircraft factory using the same Daimler Benz Engines as their Bf 109- G10's. Base kit Airfix Mosquito

Heinkel51 · Posted: Sat 08 Nov 2008 12:39 pm Post subject:

With special thanks to Kiwi for providing a copy of the necessary article.

My offering will be a Fairey P4/34 of the Danish Marinens Flyvevæsen. These aircraft were under construction at the Orlogsværftet as O.V.231-242 but none were completed or delivered before the 9th of April 1940. The aircraft along with some Macchi M200's (ordered but not delivered) were to be formed into a new unit.

In the article in the December 1978 issue of the Airfix magazine the conversion is based on the Me-110

with a scratch built canopy. Given the P4/34 developed into the Fulmar I may use the newly released Airfix Kit.

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

Heinkel51 · Posted: Sun 09 Nov 2008 01:19 am Post subject:

Thank's XN923,
Kiwi Angel

has provided me a copy of the Airfix article on the conversion which has three view drawings. I overlayed the Fulmar parts and have come to similar conclusions as you mentioned. In addition the undercart was slightly different, mainly the doors and the wheel well openings.
I'd appreciated a scan of as one can never have too many references.

.
I'm still trying to determine what changes the Danes may have made (if any).
Cheers Heinkel51

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

Scans on their way!

I think the P.4/34 would have made quite a good light bomber, rather than the mediocre fighter it turned into. If only the RN had kept the dive-bombing capability...

Heinkel51 · Posted: Sat 15 Nov 2008 01:32 am Post subject:

Thanks Matt,
I've decided to have a go using the Airfix Article and convert the Me110. If it proves a conversion too far I can resort to converting the Fulmar.

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

Heinkel51 · Posted: Thu 18 Dec 2008 13:41 pm Post subject:

In keeping with others a little narrative;

In 1936 the Danish Navy looked to modernise its Aviation Arm the Marinens Flyvevæsen. The fighter wing had just finished receiving 12 Hawker Nimrods, unfortunately the strike capacity still comprised only two Hawker Dantorps (a modified Horsley). It was also now very clear to the Service Chiefs that the day of the Biplane was at an end and with the rearming of Germany steps were needed to improve the capacity of the Marinens Flyvevæsen.

In 1937 a purchasing committee visited England and selected the Fairey aircraft built to meet British Air Ministry Specification P4/34 for a light bomber and obtained a licence to build 12 aircraft. A production line set up at the Danish Naval Workshops (Orlogsvaerftet) in Copenhagen
Construction commenced in 1938 with a number of Rolls Royce Engines being delivered early in the year.

The workshops undertook the construction with a sense of urgency as dictated by the worsening political situation in Europe.

A small delay ensued as the armament was changed from one forward firing 8mm Mg to one 20mm and one 8mm in each wing firing outside of the propeller arc. Using the same 20mm Madsen as trialed in the Army's Fokker DXXI.

The bomb load was still kept at 500lb though racks were fitted to carry either one 500lb bomb under the fuselage or one 250 lb bomb under each wing. One airframe was modified to carry 4 110 lb German bombs in pairs under the fuselage.

Defensive armament was increased to two 8mm Madsens.

The aircraft were delivered in late 39 and were assigned serials O.V.231-242. They were finished in the green/brown camouflage upper services and a light blue undersides.

The aircraft were part of 3.Luftflotille and were based along with the Hawker Nimrods of 2.Luftflotille at the Air Station at Avnø. The Nimrods were due to be replaced by the Macchi 200 and it was hoped that these would arrive in mid 1940

In April 1940 when the Germans occupied Denmark the Military and Navy were allowed to exist but all powered Military flying was banned. The P4/34's along with the other aircraft of the Marinens Flyvevæsen were dismantled and placed in storage. On November 22 1943 after the disbanding of the Danish armed forces and seizure of total control by the Germans the stored aircraft were sabotaged and burnt.

Let construction begin...........

Heinkel51 · Posted: Sat 20 Dec 2008 12:41 pm Post subject:

The construction of the P4/34 is based on a conversion of the Me-110. The article appeared in the December 1978 issue of the Airfix magazine. The Author was Alan Butler, the article provides two photos of the actual aircraft, one of the conversion and a full page three view drawing to 1/72nd scale plus a diagram of the changes required to the fuselage. Alan used the Matchbox Me-110 for his conversion though he states that either the Airfix or Frog are equally adaptable.
I'll be using some parts from the spares box- namely the undercart and bombs leftover from the Hurricane Floatplane conversion made for the Seaplane GB ., National markings are coming from a decal sheet for the Italeri Super Sabre with serials using Decadry transfers.

The stash yielded a Me-110, at one stage bound to finished as an Iraq Insurgency A/C;

The mouldings were clean with almost no flash and a few ejector pin marks on the inner surfaces where they would not be seen.

Stage one begins with gluing some 20 thou card over the areas of the engine nacelles

Once this was dry I then set about with a razor saw and removed the nacelles

Wing halves were then glued together and left to dry overnight. The outline of the new wing tip shape was traced out and the roughly cut to shape.

The end of the wings were glued and have now been set aside to dry.
Turning to the Fuselage it was glued together and using the plan provided the tail was trimmed to shape and the cockpit opening expanded.

As I need to fit a balsa plug to shape a mould for the canopy I'll be fitting the interior after all major construction has been carried out.
That’s it for now. Tomorrow will be finishing the wings, namely shaping the wing tips and making the openings for the undercart. To bed.

walrus · Posted: Sat 20 Dec 2008 12:46 pm Post subject:

Good grief Hienkel! you've jumped the gun and started the Alan Hall Tribute build early

great project- will watch with a great deal of interest

daniel7891 · Posted: Sat 20 Dec 2008 17:03 pm Post subject:

Excellent work. I wouldnt have the courage to chop up a kit
_________________
Cheers

Daniel

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

Fascinating stuff. It's ingenious how people came up with making one aircraft model out of a totally different aircraft model kit.

BTW Heinkel, a technique I've used with some success in the past to make male moulds for canopies is to use milliput. It can be formed pretty close to the final shape by placing it on the kit and smoothing in situ with a wet finger, then removed and filed/sanded to the appropriate finish. It takes longer than balsa (not least because you have to wait for it to cure) but being much harder and smoother than balsa, produces superior mouldings with better flats and angles. You need to remove it from the kit when it's dry enough to hold its shape but not fully cured so it hasn't welded itself to the cockpit area.

Just thought I'd share...

Heinkel51 · Posted: Mon 22 Dec 2008 02:08 am Post subject:

Cheers Matt,
Worthy of consideration. Though I think that I migth try a couple of methods.

One to use a balsa plug and plunge/crash mould. When using a balsa plug one technique to get a good finish is to first crash mould using plain 5 thou card before plunge moulding the acetate sheet.

A second technique is having made a balsa plug seal it with dope and talcum powder, grease it with margarine and then build up layers of clear nail polish.

A third option is to make a plaster plug and then do a resin cast.

I'm still scouring my spares box to see if there is something that will do.

Currently wrestling with the engine which is of a narrower width than the fuselage. My first effort has gone the way of the bin. Still it the kit is/was a twin engine aircraft so it came with a spare

Heinkel51 · Posted: Tue 30 Dec 2008 10:09 am Post subject:

The P4/34 is back on the bench.

Filled in the gap in the leading edges using .1" dia plastic rod

Then got out the tube of Greenstuff and started filling in the rest of the gaps where the engines used to be plus a bit of MrPutty to fill in the lines for the flaps and ailerons.;

Setting aside the wings to dry turned my attention again to the fuselage.
As my first attempt at making the nose failed I realised that part of the issue was that the Airfix Me110 engine was narrower than the rest of the fuselage. I used a piece of 30 thou card as a spacer for the section of Me 110 engine being used for the nose and then two pieces of 30 thou to build up the nose to the right length.

Getting out the green stuff a added some to the rear fuselage to build up the decking to the right height.

.

Ratch · Posted: Tue 30 Dec 2008 19:09 pm Post subject:

Fascinating

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

Flash Flash · Silver Star Joined: 16 May 2006 Posts: 2938

Lots of filler to sand!
_________________
Does this count as a new signature?

Heinkel51 · Posted: Thu 01 Jan 2009 07:54 am Post subject:

Yes, far too much putty. I think I have become a little lazy with my application working on the slap lots on and make sure all holes and blemishes are filled. I really need to practice with Milliput.
However I have a trusty file, a cork block and plenty of P800 wet and dry.

Using the above I have arrived at this stage.

My next step is to cut out the undercart openings in the wings. The time to turn my attention to the tailplane, fin and rudder.

Heinkel51 · Posted: Fri 02 Jan 2009 13:34 pm Post subject:

Taking some 80 thou card for the fin and 60 thou for the tail plane cut out a couple of blanks. Also cut a template for marking out the wheel well openings out of 30 thou card.

Once I had marked the wings went to work drilling out the wheel wells and then tidied up with a blade.

A little hard to see from the photo but have spent most of the day sanding the fin, rudder and tail plane to an aerofoil shape.

Vostoc7 · Green Star Joined: 18 Oct 2007 Posts: 489 Location: UK

WOW epic re-modeling work Heinkel51