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HubertB

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    1/32 Curtiss SC-1 Seahawk

    in LSM 1/35 and Larger Work In Progress

    Posted

    Ok. I did some fact-checking followed by some forensic introspection.

    To summarize : regarding what seems like a fabric cover of the removed perspex panes of the canopy, I WAS WRONG, and what I stated pure BS.

    This is an interesting illustration of the frailty of human testimonies. When skimming though the pages of the Naval Fighters book I saw two pages headlined « Curtiss SC-1 Seahawk prototype ». Then, the next page, pics of a Seahawk with the cover on the canopy. I just needed a brain fart to connect the two in my memory and assume it was also pics of the prototype,  not repeated elsewhere. When in fact they were headlined as pics of the landplane version (of a production aircraft). Sorry for the wrong statement I proferred.

    Then I managed to find a pic of a postwar lineup of Seahawks, some with the said « cover ». Which proves it was not unique.

    As for what this cover was, I could not find specific comments, but I would tend to line up with the hypothesis of Martin and Carl, that it was a protective cover, probably only when the aircraft as on the ground.

    As for your pics, Martin, sorry, I am probably dumb - this has just been proven 😂 - but I cannot see the canvas you are referring to, at least in so far I am expecting a dark-colored one. Can you enlighten me more ?

    Hubert

    • Like 3
    • Haha 2

    1/32 Curtiss SC-1 Seahawk

    in LSM 1/35 and Larger Work In Progress

    Posted

    3 hours ago, Martinnfb said:

    Ohhhh, you are the cheeky bunch aren't you? :) I stand corrected.  Next time state your sources.

    Granted I should have done that earlier. Sorry.
     

    But then, it would have been like a tennis match with just aces. So much more boooooooooring 🥱 than a lively exchange 😉

    Hubert

    • Haha 5

    1/32 Curtiss SC-1 Seahawk

    in LSM 1/35 and Larger Work In Progress

    Posted

    Martin,

    You know me enough now to know when I make conjectures - which I then state as such - or when I relay information and knowledge gained from others’ expertise. And when I do not know about a subject, I just either say so, or just simply shut up.

    I’ll post the relevant scan of the « Naval Fighters » book when I have more time.

    Hubert

     

    • Like 2
    • Thanks 1

    1/32 Curtiss SC-1 Seahawk

    in LSM 1/35 and Larger Work In Progress

    Posted

    Martin,

    it was standard, and approved, and even recommended, by the Navy, practice to take off with the canopy open. Just, besides the « old » tradition of flying open cockpit biplanes - which endured for some time -, because pilots wanted to be able to escape quickly an aircraft that had missed its take-off - or experienced a power failure in this critical moment - and chosen to play watercraft rather than aircraft. And they did not trust that much the capacity of a latched canopy to be jettisoned easily in case of an inadvertent ditching. The practice endured until the early jets; the last being able to fly with an open canopy was the F9F-8T, the famous Twogar.

    At take-off and landing speeds of these propeller aircrafts, an open canopy did not create that extra drag. Just like the windscreen of a convertible protects its occupants from the relative wind. And without significant turbulences for close to one meter after the windscreen, or more when you add some special aerodynamic devices behind them, like « anti-turbulence nets ». I can testify having run a Porsche Boxster with an open top at 230 kph without any special buffeting (but with some significant noise :) ).

    The bubble canopy was only possible after the Brits found a way of forming thick perspex, and that was during WWII (around 1943 IIRC). Before that, you had to have a framed structure with panels, like on the SC-1, whereas the SC-2 could benefit from the technological advance. But the SC-2 canopy had a slightly different profile and plan view than the SC-1, simply because it was possible when the SC-2 was developed. Plus it was certainly « cleaner » from an aerodynamic standpoint than one with protruding frames and rivets. As for the SC-1 canopy, the issue, it was found, was some significant turbulences and buffeting, created by aerodynamic interactions. It was also found that removing the rear panels solved the issue, and this was an easy field implementation. Really, I insist, nothing to do with maintenance of the life-raft, which had, on the SC-1 as any other aircraft, to be extracted from its location for this operation.

    Hubert

     

    • Like 4

    Average time in US Customs? UPDATE: PayPal is refunding.

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Sorry to read that. The Portuguese administration is generally efficient with good, fairly integrated, systems, but, unfortunately, when things go sideways, it’s nearly impossible to get any answer from them. I have had this happen more than once. It’s then about finding the right connections, which is completely the opposite of the integrated systems efficiency principle …

    Hubert

     

    • Like 1

    1/32 Curtiss SC-1 Seahawk

    in LSM 1/35 and Larger Work In Progress

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, Martinnfb said:

    I don't get it. by creating irregularities on the surface you are introducing disturbance to the airflow, therefore increasing turbulence and drag. What I am missing here?

    You have two different compound surfaces, furthermore in an airstream influenced by the big propeller wash. My guess is that the junction of the canopy to fuselage was creating boundary layer turbulences, which were actually removed by the slight depression the missing windows was creating … Aerodynamics are sometimes strange, like when seemingly drag-inducing protuberances actually improve the airflow and reduce the drag …

    Hubert

    • Like 3

    Fiery Ginger IV and Itroduction.

    in AIRCRAFT

    Posted

    :1051927712:
    Beware that Peddinghaus’ decals accuracy is sometimes … dubious.

    For instance, I was at a time interested in their sheet for « YIPEE » the famous 5000th P-38. Then I saw the decal sheet, compared to the pic of the real one … and decided to pass, with no regrets. The « Yipee » name, so prominent, was not even close to the original on the decal sheet, using some VERY distant, standard, font …

    Hubert

    Average time in US Customs? UPDATE: PayPal is refunding.

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 2/19/2025 at 7:28 PM, Lusitanian said:

    Usually not long.  Try Portugal.  I’ve had a book from the UK sitting in Lisbon since October. All I get when I ask about it is a deer in the headlights look.

    You actually should get a notification for clearing the parcel through Customs (although if you have not done anything by now, it’s probably been sent back to the sender).

    What you need to do, if you received the said notification :

    1) go to the CTT.pt website (there is an english version of the site)

    2) choose « receber / desalfandegar »

    3) this is where you need 

       a) the tracking number of the parcel you want to clear through Customs

       b) to have created (or create) an account with CTT, with your particulars, including the Portuguese NIF number

    4) go through the Customs’ clearance process (mostly filling forms that specify whether it’s a gift or commercial transaction, the nature of the goods, the sender’s particulars, the good statistic code in the European nomenclature - there are links to sites which will help you find them, the value of the good. etc. )

    5) at the end of the process, you will be told how much to pay in tariffs and handling fees. You can pay in multiple ways, the easiest and fastest ones being MBWay or Multibanco payment.

    Once you went through this, after between a few hours and two days (that depends on how you paid - for me using MBWay, it’s hours - ), you will get an email telling you the parcel has been cleared through Customs. It takes another week to physically receive it.

    You normally receive a Registered letter from CTT telling you you have a parcel waiting for clearance - with its tracking number - or a SMS, if you gave the sender your phone number and it is a Portuguese one.  If you did not get one (and it happened to me for an amazon.com parcel coming from the US a few years ago), then it either was sent back to the sender after some time (assuming the proper box was ticked by him) or .. you’re screwed, unfortunately :( 

    The process seems daunting at first, and the first time can be frustrating, but the learning curve is a short one. Once you get the knack of it, it’s fairly easy. Having done it many times, it’s now a breeze for me.

    HTH

    Hubert

    • Like 1

    Soo.... What did you just get???

    in Modelling Discussion

    Posted

    2 hours ago, ScottsGT said:

    This just arrived in the mail.  
    IMG_3040.thumb.jpeg.09adee1409d4a73b1cc2b5c5d8aa9c4c.jpeg

    I’ve always wanted to attempt painting one and this one popped up on Hyperscale with a set of Cutting Edge masks to paint the scallops and the major markings.  
    What the seller failed to mention in the ad was that there were no decals.  
    I’ll probably have to buy another kit just to get a set of decals now.  
    I guess I can always build one out as a high speed Nazi gun ship loaded out with bombs hanging under it.  
    I’ve always had a soft spot for these golden age air racers.  Had always hoped someone would have either kitted them in 1/24 or the 1/18 prebuilt airplanes sold in toy departments because even in 1/32, they are tiny.  

    Scott, I have two of those, as a stalled build. I intend to do the R1 and R2, which means I have spare decals for the version you want. Just PM me. They are on the next-in-line list after I finish the Cutlass, normally 🤞

    Hubert

    • Like 1

    Soo.... What did you just get???

    in Modelling Discussion

    Posted

    2 hours ago, ScottsGT said:

    Quoting myself to share my stupidity.  I was sitting at my bench working on my sons HEMTT truck, looked up on my riser and found a couple of Quinta interior sets sitting there. 
    Yep, you guessed it.  I had already bought a second set for the P-40K project.  😐

    It was sitting with the Trumpeter set I accidentally ordered.  
    Double Oof. 

    🤣

    Now you NEED to buy another P-40 kit, to use up this Quinta set.

    In France, we do this with wine, bread, and cheese. Need more cheese to finish my wine, need more bread to finish my cheese, need more cheese to finish my bread, need more wine to finish my cheese ... and so on !

    Hubert

    • Like 1
    • Haha 6

    What type off scriber do u use

    in Modelling Discussion

    Posted

    Hi Mark,

    Do not buy the Tamiya one, for sure. It's good for trenches à la Matchbox, and cutting through plastic, but nothing else.

    Besides the sharp-pointed needle in a pin vise, for some circular engravings, my main goto scriber comes brom UMM-USA.

    I also have some nice ones (black thin circular handle with a fine hook-like tip), but I cannot remember the manufacturer ...

    The very thin saws, like my JLC set, are also useful for some engravings.

    Hubert

     

    • Like 2

    Hello and Mastercaster question ....

    in Modelling Discussion

    Posted

    15 hours ago, xtal_01 said:

    […]

    Just out of interest, in the back of my mind I am thinking do people use 3d printers to make detail parts for themselves?  I have not looked into it much but I see entire models made with these printers.  If I can find some drawings of the Arrow, could I  just print these parts?

    Thanks ... Mike

     

    Welcome to LSM. Mike

    As for Mastercasters, besides the dubious business practice described by Scott, the reasons he is in jail are far more horrible, and he deserves to be where he is, and not to get any business from anyone when he comes out of the said jail …

    IMHO, 3D-printing is the way forward for AM, whether you design it yourself or buy it from a company having done the research and design work. But beware, designing 3D parts is not a « snap-fingers » exercise. However, once you master the trade, it is VERY satisfying. I have used this to design some conversion parts for my last build, and enjoyed it greatly. But I also buy some 3D-printed AM stuff when it is there, and it spares me some significant time in front of the computer.

    Good luck with the Avro Arrow. It was a fascinating machine.

    Hubert

    • Like 5
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