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Clunkmeister

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  1. Clunkmeister
    Haha Hubert. 🤣 To model most of our postwar DC-3s in the USA and Canada, we need to start with the C-47 kit because of the cargo doors. They are very noticeable on postwar aircraft, even if they’ve been rendered inoperable. I’m going to contact HPH and see if they’ll sell me the passenger compartment castings to use in my C-47. If not, I’ll scratch them, no biggie. Speaking of the DC-3,….. if you’re a purist like me, most DC-3s are prewar production, and ALL prewar DC-3s used single row Wright R-1820 radials, the same as used on the B-17. C-47s we’re re engined with double row Pratt R-1830s because the Army was worried about Wright being able to supply enough engines for the B-17 and the C-47. I guess they thought Pratt could manage B-24 and C-47 supplies…. The single row Wright engined DC-3 had VERY different and unique cowlings. Flagship Detroit Foundation is flying an original Wright engined DC-3 today. If you’re doing a prewar DC-3, OR a DST, you will need Wright cowls for some AM engines.
  2. Clunkmeister
    One area I’d consider improving, if I decided to open the hamburger door, is to improve the cockpit bulkhead rear. That mess on there is the hydraulic control system for your landing gear and flaps. That is all molded on the bulkhead. It would be a fairly easy thing to redo that entire mess in brass wire and Evergreen shapes. Have it stand proud and detail the snot out of it. It’d look stunning, but a total waste of time unless you open the hamburger door for viewing.
  3. Clunkmeister
    It doesn’t look bad at all. Hubert, you and I, heck, EVERYONE here has struggled with, and powered through, fit issues much worse than that. Just wondering what all the fuss is about? So many expect Tamiya drop fit build ability right OOB, but that is not always the case. Adapt and overcome. John’s Helldiver build is a perfect example.
  4. Clunkmeister
    I looked at Mirek’s build, and it’s stunning. I’m not afraid of a bit of filling and shimming at the wing roots and nose. It’s doable. What does strike me as odd is his choice of a Russian cockpit green in the radio room, and armored pilot seats for a Continental Airlines DC-3. Those pilot seats are unlike any I’ve ever seen on a civilian DC-3 🤣
  5. Clunkmeister
    As I think Peter said, I think many of the issues being experienced are built in for converting molds designed for resin into proper IM molds. My bet is that the Vampire will be a whole new ball of wax. And the Vampire is a model we desperately need in 1/32. John, I blazed the way on the Kitty Hawk T-28. And the Kitty Hawk F-5F. My T-28B first was possibly the very first production kit built, period. I found the problems and workarounds, and it’s a great feeling to be able to attempt it and complete it. I guarantee you that you’ll find the same feeling at the end, and will experience the same joy in being able to show others the way. And, I expect you’ll soon be building another,… YOUR way with all the bells and whistles.
  6. Clunkmeister
    Sounds like a good idea. I’ve seen all these negative comments, (not here, but on other forums), and it gets me to wondering. The main airframe dry fits perfectly. It’s a resin kit, so some very small gaps are to be expected. If there’s big gaps afterwards, then you didn’t do YOUR job as a large scale modeler when fitting the internals. Speaking of internals…. I’d have the cargo door open, and maybe the hamburger door as well. That way, some of the front internal detail can be seen. But if you have gobs of internal detail that’ll be invisible forever once you close it up, do what we do with ZM kits: eliminate it. It’ll make the build quicker, easier, and less stressful. I think the PE flap option is absolutely necessary on the C-47. Because included with that set is a gorgeous stepladder for the cargo door. DC-3’s and C-47’s are never parked with the flaps down, but that stepladder is ubiquitous. That, and wheel chocks.
  7. Clunkmeister
    I’ve seen a few comments both here and elsewhere over the years about how horrible a build the HPH C-47 is. I’ve done several Google searches, and other than a couple LSP threads that barely got past pre fitting the big parts, there’s absolutely nothing out there. Ive heard stories that the internal bulkheads are too small, (ok, shim the edges), to things are cast backwards. 🤪 (hard to believe), but nothing that sounds insurmountable or earth shattering. Can someone point me in the right direction here? I think there’s many C-47s just waiting to be built around here,…..Mine included.
  8. Clunkmeister
    Never let a crisis go to waste! What a great recovery!
  9. Clunkmeister
    Hold on a second. Not saying you’re wrong, but did you check references? The Brewster Buffalo has an overhang like this that drove me insane until I saw it in a picture. But what I’d do here is simply just carefully sand the edge down to fit. No muss, no fuss, and 5 minutes out of your life. I DO agree it’s a bit much to expect, but the rest of the windscreen looks decent, so, onward and upward. That being said, John, you’re kicking some serious donkey on this one! Keep it up, I’m really liking what I’m seeing. The one thing you’ve convinced me of though is that I’ll be using the entire Resin2Detail cockpit on mine. That aftermarket pit is just loaded with detail. So much so, that if you’re not careful, you’ll cut off pipes, not sprues
  10. Clunkmeister
    Great advice and duly noted, Andy. Thanks!
  11. Clunkmeister
    John, I’ve seen some guys use the Tamiya or Barracuda P-51 seat as a close stand in for a Helldiver seat. I bought the Resin2Detail cockpit set and it’s absolutely phenomenal. As in mind blowing. EASILY worth the money. And it’s made in the USA, so you’ll have it in a day or two, not the normal week or two from Czechia or a month plus now from Ukraine or Russia.
  12. Clunkmeister
    Good to see you onboard, Andy. I have this as well and will be giving it a go once I wrap up my MiG-29 and D.Vll. Gonna be epic, John, just starting to read through now.
  13. Clunkmeister
    Unexpected. Jerry and Judy did so much more beyond what we see. Research books on Luftwaffe paint, his artwork hangs in pretty much every single US military aircraft museum, and is one of the hop few on WW2 Luftwaffe schemes. Judy does to the old American West what Jerry did to the Luftwaffe. Research and record. Her artwork is truly brilliant. Plus, she can shoot the hair off a horsefly’s arse at 500 yards.
  14. Clunkmeister
    It is with a heavy heart that I have to inform you that Jerry Crandall, co founder of Eagle Editions which specialized in WW2 decals, resin upgrades, aircraft fine art, and Old West vine art and collectibles, has passed away. To say that I am personally gutted would be an understatement. I have considered Judy and Jerry both friends and kindred spirits, and this was most unexpected. Jerry was relentless in his research of WW2 German paint schemes, which then resulted in world class decal,sheets. Jerry also has curated several aircraft museums and lead the research for aircraft restoration projects Jerry and Judy were both passionate lovers of the American West, with Judy being an accomplished and acclaimed artist. They were both passionate about large bore long range Buffalo gun competition, using the 1874 Sharps rifle, Highwall, Remington Rolling Block and similar, and could outshoot me even when still asleep. Judy will continue the business as best she can, and we’ll support her the best we can. Jerry C. Crandall 04/01/1935 - 06/12/2022
  15. Clunkmeister
    Those look great! I’m not sure I’m up to painting 1/48 figures. 1/32 is bad enough…
  16. Clunkmeister
    Ha, yep. Riding a big Harley fast can be done easily enough, but it’s a totally different technique. Sport bike riders often can’t break their old habits, and that’s where the reputation of them being real slugs arises. I’ll also point out that Harley-Davidson also manufactures several different chassis, most of which are completely different in design. They have the Softail, which looks all the world like a classic hardtail bike, with the big av-Twin, except it has a hidden rear suspension. I think Jeroen rides one, actually. Then the Dyna, which is an update of the old FXR, who’s frame layout was a clone of the classic mid 80’s Japanese style frame. The old FXRs were ugly to me, but are by far the nicest handling Harleys out there. They handle like a typical Japanese inline, but with the big Harley V-Twin. Harley now has an adventure tourer on/off road to compete with BMW, and it has the big V-Twin as well. Then the smaller Sportster, which is a hot rod around town. Only the big touring bikes like mine are the slow boats. You won’t find a more capable big bike than the FXR/Dyna. They corner like they’re on rails and I’m sure a 12 year old could ride the snot out of one. And depending how you set up your Softail, it’s either a low slung cruiser or a stripped down hell raiser. One of the nicest things about Harley is that even though they do depreciate like any vehicle, they are by far the best value in a mass produced vehicle. They cost more new, but are worth a ton more used.
  17. Clunkmeister
    Now my grand niece wanted some instruction in aeronautics, so, we went to her place and let the lessons begin.
  18. Clunkmeister
    So we got some work done tonight for the first time in a week. Last week, I had begun building up my nose gear leg, and When I went back to finish it, it was gone. Vanished, as in evaporated into thin air. So, for the first time in almost forever, I ordered a SAC replacement. I’ll use just the nose gear leg, as I expect the mains will bend and sag. The Mug-29 mains are attached at an angle, and they’ll certainly sag. So the nose gear is going together. Again. And, following Martin’s tip, I shortened up the main legs a bit to avoid the unloaded look. Some markings being applied by masking, then a coat of Future, now a couple hundred thousand stencils, then some light wash.
  19. Clunkmeister
    Yep, those cops sure know how to handle their big Harleys. They tried Kawasakis one year due to upfront cost savings, and they had all new Harleys again within 2 years. The Japanese bikes just didn’t hold up to the constant pounding like the Harleys do.
  20. Clunkmeister
    Yeah, they’re a handful on the twisties, if for no other reason than that they weigh over 60 stone. 800 lbs! But they’re nice handling bikes, and extremely nimble given their size. They’re more limited by lean angle than anything else. They’ll grind the inner board in an even moderately aggressive turn if you’re a straight up and down rider, so you learn to slide way off the seat inward to keep the bike upright, and then you can really run it through the sweepers.
  21. Clunkmeister
    Those are mighty cool, Rob. The bottom one I’ve never seen before. We have a huge land mass here, and these big Harleys are simply amazing at eating up the miles on the interstates. These certainly aren’t built to the same formula as, say, a Ducati or a Triumph triple, but they are all great in their own right. Not fun on tight city streets, though.
  22. Clunkmeister
    The bike was sold new as a Firefighter Tribute model at a reduced price to active duty firemen after 9-11. It has special badging test to that. I got it from the firefighter after he quit riding. Harley-Davidson certainly has the style down. It hasn’t changed in 65 years. 🤣
  23. Clunkmeister
    Martin, that looks awesome! The color is seriously cool, almost a German panzer grey.
  24. Clunkmeister
    It ain’t. It never was, and never will be. Besides, wearing that I kinda look like Sgt Schultz.
  25. Clunkmeister
    A more sociably acceptable helmet is in order. I’m certainly not a troublemaker anymore. 💩💩💩
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