HPH PBY-5 Catalina

[Dave J]

Hi Paul,

 

How are you going with your Cat? I got mine the other week and wow! Planning to start in the next couple of weeks.

[gfiend]

Hi Dave,

 

Nice to hear from you. I'm really keen to see what magic you work on the Cat. It really is a fantastic kit.

 

Not long after I started my thread life went into overdrive so time at the bench has been non existant.

My next objective is to fit the frames temporarily and then fit the stringers. I'm still in two minds about

an RNZAF Cat as there is quite some rework required in the landing gear bays. (I stand to be corrected

on that.) I'm really interested to see what your approach will be.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[Dave J]

Hi Paul,

 

I will be doing an RNZAF Cat for sure... I will be filling the 5a Landing gear holes with some Plastic Card and then I will have to scratch the Beaching Gear.. I have one of the guys at work CAD'ing up a Bug Eye Turret for me too. Plan is to get it 3D printed and then cast in clear resin....

 

What glue did you go with in end also?

[gfiend]

Hi Dave,

 

What a week!! Sorry for the delay getting back to you. The weather in your part of the country has provided quite some entertainment in the course of my work this week. All character building stuff really.

 

With respect to glues I've decided to use epoxy for the larger parts such as the fuselage formers and CA for the smaller parts. Initially I used 24 hr epoxy but I'd be inclined to use half hour to achieve a sensible set time with some ability to work with the parts. One thing I found was that you don't need very much epoxy at all as it tends to squeeze out between parts if even a little too much is applied.

 

Hope this helps

 

Paul

[jep1210]

Any updates? This looks like it could be quite an entertaining build...looking forward to more.

[gfiend]

Hi jep1210,

 

It's funny you should post at a point when I'm due for an update.

 

I've started to assemble the engines in spare moments. There's quite a bit of work involved in preparing each part. For example, each cylinder needs to be removed from the casting flashing and gently sanded as does each cylinder head. I'll try and post some pictures later today.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[Dave J]

Looking for to seeing more Pictures Paul! I haven't started mine yet as I am still awaiting the epoxy to arrive!

[gfiend]

Hi Dave,

 

I've been keeping a look out for the start of your build.

 

What epoxy are you using?  I'm using Araldite 5 min epoxy in very small lots - mixing it up when I have several parts needing glueing. It seems to work quite well.

 

As I said earlier, there is quite a lot of prep work involved in getting each cylinder assembled. They are beautifully cast with a lot of detail but each one takes time to get to a point where I'm happy with it. It's also very easy to sand too much on the mating surfaces and end up having to discard the piece. (I'm learning as I go.)

 

Cheers 

 

Paul

[Dave J]

Hi Paul,

 

I got myself some big bottles of Zap 30 minute epoxy on order, just need to nail some sandpaper a board to start sanding off the casting blocks. And I should be able to start...

[gfiend]

Hi All,

 

Welcome back to another small update of the unbelievably slow Catalina build. The photo below shows the how the cylinder heads are presented. Each one needs some time spent cleaning up but I love the cast detail right down to the individual cooling fins.

 

 

For each cylinder head there is, of course, the cylinder itself. Again, each requires removal from the cast and individual sanding.  Only light though as it's easy to go too far and ruin the part. - Don't ask me how I know. Fortunately, there are more cylinders and heads supplied than actually required. It's hard to see in the picture but the cooling fins have been replicated on the cylinder bodys too.

 

 

 

And below, it's starting to look like an engine. Bear in mind there are 28 cylinders and cylinder heads to assemble, not to mention the associated pushrods, manifolds, and ignition systems and cooling baffles to assemble. I'm treating this whole project as a series of smaller projects - something along the lines of "eat the elephant one bite at a time".

 

I'd also like to highlight, for anyone doing this build, that the cylinder heads come in two sets. One for the forward cylinders and one set for the rear cylinders. Although not immediately obvious each set is different and must be assembled correctly to facilitate fitting the pushrods and manifolds. Hopefully I can better illustrate this as assembly progresses.

 

With respect to glues, I've found Araldite 5 min epoxy used in very small amounts to work well in this situation as the parts are small with no structural loads during assembly.

 

 

Cheers (And now to my other job looking after two very lively under fives - I think a park with lots of running around is the order of the day!!)

 

Paul

[James H]

Hey Paul, this is a BIG bird, so I expect things to take a little longer  

 

Just keep us updated with this. I think 2014 might bring the cutaway version for me, and I'll need pointers from you.

[gfiend]

Hi James,

 

Thanks for the encouragement. I've followed your builds and they are quite inspirational.

 

There is so much fantastic detail in this kit that it seems a shame to close it all up. A cut-away version would look fantastic!! (HPH have recently released their cut-away He-111 conversion kit which is definitely on my radar.)

 

I'm very much learning as I go, particularly when it comes to painting and finishing, so I'll be asking questions as things progress.

 

As this is such a big build I'm looking to build some smaller kits in parallel. I've just bought the Silverwings Bristol Bulldog and Hawker Hart that I'd like to try some new techniques with, namely finishing in aluminium foil. 

 

The Alley Cat Henschel HS-123 is also something that is in my stash that is begging to be built.

 

Paul

[Baron]

Hi James,

 

I've just stumbled across this thread and was wondering if you ever got round to purchasing the cutaway version of the HpH Catalina.
If you did, what did you think of it?

By the way, I'm a fan of your work too and find it inspiring.

 

Cheers,

Derek

[gfiend]

Hi Derek,

 

Thanks for your post. I haven't bought the cut away kit yet but it's definitely on my mind. In the meantime WNW has just released their Hansa Bradenberg (early) and are about to release the Felixstowe flying boats, not to mention the AEG Jan/Feb next year. All of which I'll acquire, probably after I've sold some of my children. (WNW is my drug of choice - I can't help myself.)

 

And of course HK models is due to release their 1/32 Mosquito and Lancaster next year too. You can possibly see my dilemma.

 

With respect to building my Catilina it's been a very quiet year. Not long after I started this thread I changed roles in my work which required some rather intensive training. Further to that it's only just recently that I've installed a purpose built work area in my workshop. So finally I can quickly and easily do some modelling when I get a spare moment.

 

Right now I'm building the Revell MkII Spitfire with all the AM kit. I haven't started a build thread as I'm a bit ashamed of not having made more progress with this build. I'll take photos as I go and post the results once it's complete.

 

Cheers Paul

[gfiend]

Hi Derek,

 

I just re-read your post and realised your were referring to James Hatch. Now, there is someone who builds beautiful models! I too would love to see James work his magic with this kit.

 

Paul

[Baron]

Hi Paul,

 

I'm glad you responded as I was also wondering how your build was going as your last post was some time ago. So thanks for the update.

 

Tell me, at over £300, in your personal opinion and experience with the complete version, do you think HpH's cutaway version of their Catalina is worth that money?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Cheers,

Derek

[gfiend]

Hi Derek,

 

I love detail. I love all those little parts that come with a kit such as this and that go towards recreating your chosen subject in miniature. Hence, although expensive, I think this kit is definitely worth the outlay. If the cutaway version is like this, then I'd be inclined to say yes. A super-detail builder could go mad. The possibilities are endless. I guess it really comes down to what you value in a kit. I seem to remember that there is a review on either this or the LSP forums. Someone may be able to provide a link or you could do a web search. When I'm not sure about a kit I try to find out as much as possible before I buy.

 

Hope this helps

 

Paul

[Baron]

Hi Paul,

 

Thanks for your reply and the advice.

I'm also a sucker for detail. So that's why I find the cutaway version of the Catalina so appealing: it reveals all that detail!

If you're interested, here's a link with images to said model: www.hannants.co.uk/product/CUT3201L

 

Cheers,

Derek

[crazypoet]

I just saw this - my god that's a big kit, and it's one that I want to tackle myself someday.

 

*after* the Camel, B-17, Grumman Goose and USN Picket Boat I already have on the bench.  Keep us posted - I love this aircraft (I've always wanted to own a real one (the ULTIMATE Camper/RV!   ).  This kit is as close as I'm ever likely to come, absent a Lotto win.

 

Have fun!

[James H]

The cutaway Catalina is quite tempting. I might try that some day. The skeletal wing and stuff really does it for me.

 

I really admire the HpH releases, and we'll be publishing the new 1:32 de Havilland Sea Venom review on Sunday evening

[gfiend]

Surprise!!

 

I wouldn't blame anyone if they thought I'd shelved this project. In fact it has been sitting for quite some time, along with everything else on my workbench. However, the children are at school and kindergarten and I'm finding I have a little bit more time to myself lately.

 

I've divided the kit into individual build components (ie Navigator's section, radio operator's section, flight deck etc), gathering the parts for each together and reconciling them with the instructions and parts list. The parts come in various castings in the kit and it takes some time to reconcile them with each section and tick them off. In many respects this kit is a lot of smaller kits in one. Not only that, but each individual part needs to be cleaned of flash and prepared for gluing and painting.

 

Although I'm still not sure what PBY version I'll complete I decided to prepare and assemble the wheels. Each wheel is made up of two halves that need to be trimmed of flash - you can see the join line on the inside to the tire on the left. The tread pattern also needs to be carefully lined up during gluing. I prefer to work with a slow cure epoxy as it gives me plenty of working time to get everything aligned. Once cured I spent considerable time re-scribing the tread pattern that round the join of each tire. You'll notice that the axle bearing in the hub on the left is considerably off centre. I'd like to fill and redrill the hole to re-centre it so if anyone has any suggestions as fill material it would be appreciated.

 

The remaining parts have been cleaned up and are awaiting a light coat of Mr Surfacer 1000.

 

 

More of the same below, this time the landing gear legs and struts. You can see in the lower right how many of the parts are presented in the kit. There doesn't seem to be any particular reason to the parts in a mold. Here we have landing gear parts molded next to door handles, which does make it a bit harder to locate all the parts relevant to a particular section. Mind you, I'm constantly impressed at how beautifully they are cast.

 

 

I've assembled two of the four bombs below. These are mounted externally on wing pylons. Does anyone know what sort of bombs these would have been? I'd like to know what they are as this will help with painting and finishing. For example, were they rough cast? If so I could stipple the surface with Mr Surfacer applied with a sponge.

 

 

I've also started preparing the clear parts. This is how they arrive in the kit.

 

 

And the side gunner's windows prepared. These come boxed separately in individual bags and are very delicate. It took me quite some time to remove each from it's casting block but I believe the extra care is well worth it. I'm really impressed with the quality of the casting - this photo reflects how clear each one is. I haven't done any polishing, they're just beautiful and clear.

 

 

Now that I have some momentum I'd like to think I'll be able to update regularly.

 

Paul

[Paulster]

Glad to see you back at it. From my research, the bomb surface would be smooth.

[James H]

YES!!! Thanks for restarting this one. Maybe it'll give Dave Johnson a kick up the arse to start his.

[Iceman]

Awesome, will be following this one. 

[Wingco57]

Impressive kit, must be daunting to see all that resin in the box. But that's why the chocolate is included.

Cees