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HubertB

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Posts posted by HubertB

    Zimi Models at SB

    in Modelling Discussion

    Posted

    14 hours ago, CANicoll said:

    I have not seen too much lately about the demise of Kitty Hawk and the apparent resurrection by Zimi Models.  I don't know if Zimi has done anything to improve the quality of some of the problem kits (like the P-39Q) or if they simply bought the molds and inventory.  SB has the full range it seems like.  

    BTW, SB is having some sort of sale on 1,500 items.

    Zimi just bought the molds off, and are progressively releasing the line …

    Although not released the first, the P-39 was KH’s first kit design and it shows, in many areas … The first released, the T-6, had a few issues of its own as well, although not all of them as visible as the P-39. Things got better as they expanded the range. Although not outstanding, many later releases were good, like the T-28, the Kingfisher, the F5-E, the OV-10 or the Mirage 2000 …

    Hubert

    • Like 5

    Cobra Coupe - Le Mans - Model Factory Hiro 1/12

    in LSM 1/35 and Larger Work In Progress

    Posted

    21 hours ago, DocRob said:

    That was not meant as a critique, Carl and Hubert, I was only referring to Kevin´s post. Everyone has it´s own schedule and personal live to carry on. I also have times, where I don´t post a lot due to different distraction. There have always been busy and lazy times here.

    What I really criticize, is the GB handling here on LSM. I think, I attended five, but only one of these was officially finished (Wet GB) and one was preliminary finished (Twins GB) without ever being finalized. The Sandbox GB is also pending since month and I came to the resolution, not to attend future GB´s or attend but extract myself from competition.

    Cheers Rob

     

    12 hours ago, KevinM said:

    Yeah I just figured something was going on in Ernie's world been alot of weather issues in Texas the past six months.;)

    To be fair, even though GBs are labelled as « LSM competitions », I never took them as anything more than an opportunity to model with my buddies along a theme, a bit like an extended club meeting … And there was no promise of any gain in the last two GBs, but the finalisation of the previous two ones never took place either …

    From hearsay (because I am not - and will never be - on FB), it seems our friend Ernie is very busy on FB, but not for modelling issues … So be it … Everyone is entitled his « days off » from LSM, and there is no reason why we should expect anything else from our moderators …

    Hubert

    • Like 3

    What is on your bench right now ? Share a picture :)

    in Modelling Discussion

    Posted

    9 minutes ago, BlrwestSiR said:

    I finally spent some time at the bench last night. First time in almost two weeks. 

    Of course this prompted a desire to start something new. :sofa:

    Infinity DH Vampire:

    PXL_20250307_024452055.thumb.jpg.2659a63d3ff171e18d9d34950f0c798a.jpg

    We'll see how this goes. So far, lots of dry fitting and tweaking but kinda fun problem solving the issues. At least it's all plastic. 

    On the easier side,

    PXL_20250307_032328442.thumb.jpg.69f2d0cfeea9e0594ba2b4e0012ba2af.jpg

    @DocRob's MaK build was an influence, not to mention the kit has been at my feet under the bench since I got it. 

    image.jpeg.e19c5cf7eaacda2d9595b80c0810185e.jpeg
     

    Hubert

    • Like 1
    • Haha 5

    Cobra Coupe - Le Mans - Model Factory Hiro 1/12

    in LSM 1/35 and Larger Work In Progress

    Posted

    36 minutes ago, DocRob said:

    I hope, the hiccups don´t lead to not being able to join chassis to the body, Kevin.

     

    Everybody is building quietly at home, not posting their secret projects :D.

    BTW: Wasn´t there a Sandbox GB ending some month ago, without any results? Well the Twins GB wasn´t officially ended either.

    Cheers Rob

    I love your progress, Rob, even with the hiccups, which I’m sure you’ll overcome. The kit is challenging, but most likely, given MFH’s reputation, it has been designed to be doable …

    After my own hiccup with my compressor blowing a connecting hose, I have resumed the painting of my Cutlass.  I have chosen a NMF finish of VA-83, with a blue and white chevron on the fuselage, and blue wing tips and fins’ leading edges. It is a lot of masking, and re-masking, so nothing secret, but nothing spectacular to show, yet … Soon, though …

    Hubert

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1

    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

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