- The Airfix Tribute Forum -

thomasweir

Brews builds will be posted here

Brews · Posted: Sat 13 Jun 2009 16:12 pm Post subject:

The instructions for the Falcon Clearvax Set No. 5 that I'll use for my Wuergers and Dora. Note that Falcon recommends the Airfix A/F and D for these. This was the first of Falcon's Luftwaffe sets, and I don't think that the later Hasegaw Dora, Tamiya A and D and Revell A kits had been released at this time. Having said that, I don't think it's a big deal to fit a vac Fw 190 canopy to any Fw 190 kit. If it doesn't fit, then it's not much of a filling job under the windscreen. I had toyed with the idea of using a Rammjaeger canopy on the 190A, but I think I'll stick with my original idea of making Priller's machine OOB.

thomasweir · Posted: Mon 06 Jul 2009 09:42 am Post subject:

How are you getting on ?

Brews · Posted: Tue 07 Jul 2009 15:35 pm Post subject:

Ooh, I missed your post. If I'd seen it, I'd have said "I haven't started yet".

However, I did a bit last night, with pics!

Here is what it looked like when I emptied the contents of the bag on my table (I'm working in a new area - in a flat in Union Bay, with an ocean view when it's light):

I felt compelled to cut the wheel well out. It's not appropriate for a D. When the wheels are down on a D, you can see the rear of the engine (lots of pipes!), the firewall and the lower parts of the gun tray, including ejector chutes:

Unsatisfied with the relatively low parts count (j/k), I removed some cowling panels. All will be removed eventually, since no prop is forthcoming but I do have an Aires engine. Panels were removed by combination of #11 blade and Dremel slitter (generally for thinning the parts from behind):

I drilled-out the ram air scoop and started thinning-down the cowling panel inside. Not yet sure how this will be displayed, so I'll try to make it appear reasonable inside and out:

Frontal view of drilled-out air scoop. The flat front of the fuselage part that sits behind the cowling has to be removed:

Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Tue 07 Jul 2009 15:53 pm Post subject:

Wow.....Did you impale it before you butchered it?

That is some serious work you are doing, I'll be fascinated to follow your progress.

All the best
Sgt.S
_________________
ATF Unverified Spam Appreciation Society - Founding Member

"The Monkeys Are Going To The Stars!"

Brews · Posted: Tue 07 Jul 2009 16:12 pm Post subject:

It probably looks more serious than it actually is. The plastic works in our favour, and I have been able to score along the line, for instance, of the canopy and snap that off with minimal cruddage left behind. If I had my full box of toys, Id have razor-sawn it off, but you do what you can with the tools you have available, don't you, and the #11 blade is a highly versatile tool

_________________
“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Winston Churchill

Brews · Posted: Tue 07 Jul 2009 16:20 pm Post subject:

To give you an idea of what I'm intending here, the following are pics of one of my "in-progress" Doras:

With that one, I decided to make the detail changes after the fuselage was initially closed-up and the wings attached. This will be much more structured and easier

_________________
“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Winston Churchill

Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Tue 07 Jul 2009 16:24 pm Post subject:

Nice job.....I bet it took some shoehorning to get it all in position!

All the best
Sgt.S
_________________
ATF Unverified Spam Appreciation Society - Founding Member

"The Monkeys Are Going To The Stars!"

Brews · Posted: Tue 07 Jul 2009 16:25 pm Post subject:

*Nodding*
_________________
“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Winston Churchill

chrisbh · Posted: Tue 07 Jul 2009 16:30 pm Post subject:

Words like "patience" and "saint" are coming to mind.
Aye
Chris
_________________
I'm very happy to believe that the excellent can be the enemy of the good enough.

Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Tue 07 Jul 2009 16:33 pm Post subject:

Those are not the first words that would spring into my mind when attempting to superglue resin to plastic in an awkward spot, if the truth be told!

All the best
Sgt.S
_________________
ATF Unverified Spam Appreciation Society - Founding Member

"The Monkeys Are Going To The Stars!"

Brews · Posted: Tue 07 Jul 2009 16:36 pm Post subject:

The cockpit tub actually required more work than getting the engine in place. Bear in mind that the fuselage was still glued together - so I was using cutting bits in the Dremel, and filing for smoothness. Like I said, this one will be easier!
_________________
“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Winston Churchill

thomasweir · Posted: Tue 07 Jul 2009 16:49 pm Post subject:

Your doing a superb job there

Brews · Posted: Tue 07 Jul 2009 22:38 pm Post subject:

Thanks. I think I'm getting quite good at stringing-out a "quick, easy build"

_________________
“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Winston Churchill

daniel7891 · Posted: Wed 08 Jul 2009 08:41 am Post subject:

Looking good. It will be worth the effort in the end
_________________
Cheers

Daniel

Brews · Posted: Wed 08 Jul 2009 14:23 pm Post subject:

It would be easy enough to make dropped, wooden flaps (plain, smooth, plywood, with woodgrain) except for painting a convincing woodgrain. I do, however, have a set of Eduard PE flaps intended for the Academy Dora. Flaps are flaps, though, right? I can't see any compatibility problems in my mind (I don't have the flaps with me).
_________________
“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Winston Churchill

Brews · Posted: Wed 08 Jul 2009 15:02 pm Post subject:

Last night's progress pics:

Fuselage temporarily closed-up (I like to see how things are coming along):

I spent a little time working on the thinness of the rear edge of the undercarriage bay. To my mind, the thinner the edge here, the bigger I can get the spar to be, and the height of the spar is important:

A side-effect of the thinning was that the MG131 cartridge case ejection chutes were opened-up:

Again, continued working on the starboard cowling panel:

The u/c fairings need a bit of work:

I removed all the moulded-on detail in the wheel bay:

I also assembled the head rest. I may or may not use it, but it might as well be assembled:

Cleaned-up the filling on the sinkage:

The offending item causing the sinkage:

I decided to open up the gun bays:

... and filed-down sinkage on the wing trailing edge (with the added benefit of thinning the trailing edge):

See the undulations caused by shrinkage:

I scribed a couple of the wing panel lines. This is my weakest skill:

and opened-up the tailwheel access door (it has a plastic hinge - literally!):

and separated the gun bay access cover from the upper cowling. Before:

After:

I cut out the radio hatch on the port side, but didn't photograph that ... and that was me for the night.
_________________
“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Winston Churchill

Badwolf · Posted: Wed 08 Jul 2009 21:53 pm Post subject:

Wow!

There's a lot of effort going into this build, very impressive work.

_________________
"It's life Jim, but not as we know it!" - Dr McCoy
Airfix Club 564448

Brews · Posted: Wed 08 Jul 2009 23:31 pm Post subject:

There's a bit of effort, but it's getting easier all the time

_________________
“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Winston Churchill

Brews · Posted: Mon 13 Jul 2009 16:08 pm Post subject:

Last night, I superglued the cockpit tub in place (in one fuselage half). I couldn't find the resin instrument panels, though. I might use some Eduard PE ones if I can't find them, though I'd prefer to keep the resin with the resin.

I also assembled PE for the radiator, and cut out PE for the flaps. The PE upper flap stiffener framework was difficult to cut (let alone file) without warping, but I managed to get it on the upper wing ok. I'd previously cut the underside of the flap off with a #11 blade. I thought about using a Dremel for that chore, but decided that it was just as quick to carve as to slice (and certainly more precise).

I cut out the rear cockpit deck from a PE sheet (intended for the Academy Dora). Either this is undersized, or I've put the cockpit tub in the wrong place and I'll need to relocate it. Either is possible

The last thing I did was to start working on gun bay covers. What I did here was I grabbed a piece of aluminium foil (ex coffee-tin) and rubbed it over a Planet resin Dora 13 gun bay. That gave a nice effect, and it's thin of course. I will need to cut it to shape and add the underside stiffeners, but it will be fine when finished. I'm convinced that the Airfix gun bay fairings are a little oversized, but these could have been experimental or limited production. Ta 152 fairings were certainly different to those of the Dora.