Clunkmeister

Actually, no there isn’t. They do look cool down, as in modeler’s license, but they certainly shouldn’t be on a full scale machine unless you’re modeling it pulling on the active. But, the flap kit contains an absolutely gorgeous boarding ladder, a pair of wheel chocks. You won’t need the ladder, but anyone building a freight bird does. Also, notice the kit comes with the correct tailcone for a civilian bird. A wartime glider hook bulkhead is included, but HPH make you cut off the tailcone to install that.

Hubert, I’m looking online for the book, now. HPH, like Kitty Hawk, has long been a favorite target of the naysayers and online bashers, and to be sure, I have found exactly TWO HPH kits that need some extra help in their construction. One being the Tigercat, as was demonstrated by Brian over on LSP where he found the upper and lower wing surface scribing didn’t match. HPH tacked it back to a slipped ditch plate during the mold making process. and TWO being the Walrus, also aptly demonstrated by Brian as having absolutely NO alignment jigs or tools to align the off center thrust engine and upper wing. Not insurmountable, but certainly it’ll mean building your own jig. Other than that, they build up beautifully, IF you take your time and plan ahead. edit: ordered

I talked to a member here today about flaps and airplanes. I’m a realist guru, not an “all opened up” guy. I used the example of a DC-3/C-47. Taxiing with the flaps DOWN on a DC-3 was a huge NO-NO. And there was a real reason for it: rock damage. The flaps were dropped during your takeoff checklist, and were immediately pulled up upon turning off the active. Taxiing with them down would absolutely tear up equipment and if a crew was observed to have the flaps down when they were no pulling on or off the active, at best it was a big suspension, and at worst, the crew would be fired. They were dead serious about that stuff. Those things got tore up enough without helping it along. I hydro locked a 2800 one time even after the prop had been walked through by hand for multiple revolutions, and we counted 8 clear blades with the starter before it acted stupid. Despite not switching on, I still got a week off. And that was for something OUT of my control. (Eventually traced to an internal engine problem) Just imagine on something you CAN control: like choosing to taxi or park with the flaps down. If you park with them down, you’ll need the engines to pull them up. A Spitty has the same issue. Flaps are right in line with the prop, and form an almost right angle to the slipstream. They’ll take an absolute beating from crap picked up by the prop. I can think of exactly two aircraft that would benefit from parking with the flaps down: the F4U Corsair and the T-28. That’s it.

Martin is a research fiend. Truly unbelievable. An absolute reference library, and quite honestly, he’s saved my bacon a time or two.

Looking forward to the finished pics, John. I’m gonna need motivation for mine…

Peter, I’m to the point of not even trusting model primers anymore. Automotive metal primers are a known commodity, and I think even the cheapest spray bomb primer is many times better than the best hobby primer out there. After a few issues like John’s, I’m done.

Watching this progress is pure magic, Hubert.

UPDATE: Due to a few newcomers to our forum who are very close to finishing their builds, I have decided to let this finish on Sept 30, 2022. It looks like that’ll be enough time for a few armor builds to finish up weathering and detailing We have had a phenomenal response to our first regimented GB in a long, long time, and I’m more than thrilled with the results thus far. So let’s finish the armor, finalize the aircraft, and post them in the RFI section. Another reason for this is because I had to fire my shop manager so her son (my judge) went away with her. Now I’ll need to find me another Highly Skilled model judge to determine their favorite finished model. I feel we have had some fairly decent participation in this Group Build, and there are some fairly respectable projects ongoing at this time, so, after careful consultation and conversation with three other people: Me, Myself, and I, we have jointly come to the unanimous decision to extend the group build by 60 days. The end date was to be July 01, 2022, and we will now make it Aug 31, 2022 at midnight. That gives us 90 days to wrap up our builds and place them on the RFI thread for ogling.

I truly despise building multiples of rockets and bombs. But these make the build. Plenty of decals, colors, and details on these Eastern Bloc arms.

Tricks like that are what I need to hear. I’m not a woodworker like you or Bigg Tim. You know all the little tricks that apply. All the wooden boat models I built previously had R/C gear and internal combustion engines in them. Built to run and run hard, not display.

Are you talking Humbrol? If so, I’m right there with you. The stuff isn’t as it once was. Not even close, which is a shame for those of us who like to model British aircraft, especially FAA and others that aren’t standard fare 1940-41 RAF.

I’ve gone to a cheap etching primer now that I can buy in a spray can at auto parts stores. I’ve used it on resin a lot, but have finally started using it on my short run kits. Overkill? Maybe, but I despise lifted paint. Lifted paint is a mojo killer. This seems to have become more of a problem since environmental laws forced paint manufacturers to change their formulations.

Rob, I’m not even sure this digital scheme needs roundels. There are multiple versions of the various National insignia and fin emblem. I saw a picture of one with the broken border, so I used that. There are even smaller emblems used as well. It’s pretty wide open, so I just chose the one I could surely authenticate. I DO need to dirty it up a bit, yet, and hang some missiles. The nose seems a bit blunt as well. Hmmm. I have the various pitot and static ports, static wicks, LERX, , canopy, etc to install yet, but we’re getting there. The nose gear taxi light took a long ride somewhere out of my tweezers, so it’s looooong gone. I’ll need to hopeful.f find something that looks close enough to substitute. The build could have been done a month ago, but I threw my back out, so I’ve been laid up in dry dock…

Thanks to you, of course. 😀 I simply ripped off your technique.

And the good news for me is that I only need to be perfect down to the waterline. After that, I can do whatever, as long as it’s smooth. I had that second planking close to finished, but I could see the ends starting to be too ide and not follow the flow. Some guys on MSW said I should have started tapering the second planking by the second plank below the main wale. I went 4 before I did, and that calf gt up to me when the bow and stern swooped under. What I WILL do this time is fill the small surface irregularities with my first planking. That’ll help. You’ve given me the bug again, and now I gotta get cracking’ on.

She’s on her gear, so now we do some dirtying up, although according to a certain LSM member who knows many people in the local area and happens to speak a version of the local dialect, the digital birds didn’t get real dirty. They were painted, prepped, and were usually shot down after a short number of missions. But we do see light at the end of the tunnel here.

Just for kicks, I cut out some plastic. Interesting. The plastic is actually quite soft. Much like Kitty Hawk consistency. A bit softer than Wingnuts, but the opposite of Hasegawa. With what you have to work with, John, you’ve done a fine job of interpreting the nuances of the Beast

Here is where I was a couple months back after pulling back my second planking. Just gotta get cracking in her again.

Simple dimple that. A touch of overspray at the front as well, but nothing horrible. I truly DETEST GSB. I have never been able to get a convincing finish, yet yours looked amazing. GSB shows everything, almost as bad as gloss black

Oh crap, John. Even after washing the plastic, this STILL happened?? I wonder if it needs to be prepped more like resin when you remove the release agent.

Don’t count on it, John, I have a regular way of snatching mediocrity from the open jaws of greatness.

I shall. I had to start fresh with my second planking. I hadn’t relieved the ends e ough a d it would have been VERY noticeable farther down the hull. You and are both quite comfortable working with PE, so copper sheathing should be less of an issue for us than it is for those who work in nothing but wood.

Rob, I’m just catching up, and I’m blown away by this! Unbelievable! Looking at this, now I can see why so many people just step the masts and stop. No running rigging to deal with, nothing. Reading through this makes me want to get back on to HMS Speedy, which is still not quite completed her second planking. Speedy has a copper bottom, so that oughta be fun. 😇 I follow this with much interest! Also, I haven’t been over there in a bit, so I should check, but are you cross posting this on MSW as well?

John, you did go strictly OOB, right? But for the seat? I pulled mine out today and looked at the open gunner position, and it’s a VERY easy and quick modification. The separate control surfaces are nice, too. I’m pretty Gung Ho about building one now, and if it comes out half as nice as yours I’ll be thrilled.

Stunning result, Kevin! Those ICM kits are awesome, aren’t they? May I post this on our FB page?