Well, here we go, some bits and bobs.

[General]

Gentlemen.

 

I believe there's an unwritten rule that, if you talk about s/thing, you show pics.

Or it don't happen.

This won't be a build blog as such. Yet. I'll instead post LSM stuff I've worked on during bouts of procrastination or diversion from the monotony of other painting/builds. That's not an excuse, we've all (mostly) been there!

 

:-)

 

As I remarked in 'Show us your work bench' I made etch for the P-51D. Some of you might recognise the producer so I'll leave it at that.

The main benefit of the rubber-backed etch was easy handling of the ammo links. I wouldn't have to deal with trimming up 800+ fret gates. Downside was a restriction on details, requiring a double pass, as it were. It's only 0.006" sheet and flexible. Last but not least the etching was fairly soft.

 

The 1:32nd -

 

 

 

Even so, the sight of new sets in 1:32 and 1:24, for wheel wells and gun bays, was a watershed moment. I designed it using Inkscape (vector graphics, for all you tech geeks) then printed out hard-copy for the 'old school' process of scanning paper templates. Now I've switched to a new company I need to convert it all to AutoCAD format, that means also I have to redesign most of the relief detail to accommodate the different process.

 

 

Waiting 2 yrs was enough to change tactics and, instead of another protracted delay for the new design, I hauled out the Hasegawa P-51D as a 'mule' to test-fit the etch. As you can see the dimensions were out a bit. Replaced half with styrene card.

 

 

The original design was the 1:24^th. I'd simply scaled it down. Natch it didn't fit the smaller Hase immediately. I've worked in engineering R&D long enough to know this is only part of the process.

 

 

The wing spar was a composite of clear and black CD case. It's nicely rigid, reacts to styrene cement and transparent, making things easier s/times when I need to see through. I carved out a hole for the MG aperture etch.

 

 

 

I carved/filed/sanded about half the plastic thickness before starting. This gives a better scale effect to the visible edges of the skin structure.

 

These are the 1:24th -

 

I have to get A into G and test fit this one next.

 

Mostly, I reckon that posting these will give me the kick-in-the-pants to finish the patterns and get it made!

Hope you enjoy the pics.

 

[General]

These have been sitting on the shelf, bugging me to finish.

A chap let me have the resin prop and blades to cast s/thing for s four-blade machine.

 

Procrastinated too long and began carving some new masters. The resin blades are very thin and the tips want to bend so I'll make fresh.

 

CD case is nicely rigid. I'm filing/sanding blades that are slightly thicker so, hopefully, they'll cast in resin better to hold their shape.

 

 

 

Checking against references the resin spinner also looks a little flat in profile. As usual a simple casting job turns into a full-on project! The good news, I found supplies of smaller quantities of silicone and casting resin. I even found a good, cheap vacuum pump for de-gassing.

I'm sure Airfix got this part right, so I won't have the inclination to upscale a 1:24th scale resin set.

 

Mike West has been giving the LSM P-51s some serious love with resin AM. Purely as a casting exercise I, too, want to try some 1:24th blades and spinner for the big Airfix 'Stang.

I worked on the kit parts and formed a wood master for the spinner, from official T.O.s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regards

 

yiC

 

Rossco

 

 

 

[harvey boyer]

Great work ! I'll be following along.............Harv

[happy1]

Me Too!!

 

Paul