Sikorsky JRS-1 with AM (Eduard) 1/72

[Clunkmeister]

Mike, this is absolutely mind blowing phenomenal work, man!  Incredible job on a not so basic kit. I’m soaking it all up in droves.  Crikey! 

[Peterpools]

Mike

Some mighty good decisions and I can feel your uneasiness about the wing attachment. Somehow, we have to wonder how kit manufacturers can make such bad decisions and not think out such an import step through with a better solution. 

Yup, I know it's easy to become frustrated and avoid the bench and kit. But you're way too far along in conquering the kit having overcome so many obstacles already. Just stick with it. Who knows, someday, I might even return to the Songbird - I still have it. 

 

[KevinM]

Looking really good Mike but damn kinda disappointed not seeing some 15 sets of seatbelts in the pic.........

[Landlubber Mike]

12 hours ago, Clunkmeister said:

Mike, this is absolutely mind blowing phenomenal work, man!  Incredible job on a not so basic kit. I’m soaking it all up in droves.  Crikey! 

Thanks Ernie, really appreciate the kind words.  The kit seems to be pretty accurate when it comes to the real thing, it's just the fit and lack of proper connection points that make this a little tricky.  Thankfully there are different options out there for adhesives, fillers, etc.  I think i said this earlier, but part of what is making this a little trickier is adding the CMK set.  The set is great, though some of the parts could be a little better, but unfortunately CMK is no longer making it - I was very fortunate to find one randomly come up on eBay a few months ago.

[Landlubber Mike]

2 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Mike

Some mighty good decisions and I can feel your uneasiness about the wing attachment. Somehow, we have to wonder how kit manufacturers can make such bad decisions and not think out such an import step through with a better solution. 

Yup, I know it's easy to become frustrated and avoid the bench and kit. But you're way too far along in conquering the kit having overcome so many obstacles already. Just stick with it. Who knows, someday, I might even return to the Songbird - I still have it. 

 

The original kit from this series is from Sword, which seems to have put the kit out back in 2003.  Maybe the lack of attachment points was more common back then than now.  The Eduard kit just adds some resin and PE parts to the original molds I believe, along with other marking options.

I've seen a few other logs out there, and it looks like most people painted the wing and the fuselage separately, then added the wing with the struts after.  In doing so, you can see some gaps in the builds between the connection points.  Hard to add filler after you have already painted the parts, which is what I'm thinking would be better to avoid.

Maybe this will give you inspiration to return to the Songbird!

[Landlubber Mike]

32 minutes ago, KevinM said:

Looking really good Mike but damn kinda disappointed not seeing some 15 sets of seatbelts in the pic.........

Haha, thanks Kevin!  The crazy thing is that you can't see anything inside the main cabin, maybe just a slight silhouette of the chairs through the windows (which are only 5.5mm in diameter if I remember correctly).  I probably spent way more time on the cabin than I should have, but wasn't planning to open it up.

[Landlubber Mike]

In case anyone is interested, I found this short video on the JRS-1 subject I'm building and how it went looking for the Japanese fleet after the attack on Pearl Harbor.  Amazing bravery for these guys - the JRS itself did not carry any armaments - the only weapons carried were rifles that Marine and Army volunteers planned to shoot out the back windows if they had to 🇺🇸

 

[DocRob]

Not an easy build, it seems, Mike. I like how you address one obstacle after the other and the fuselage looks the part now. Wouldn´t it be helpful to use some small brass rod pieces as connecting points for the struts? 

Cheers Rob

[Landlubber Mike]

2 hours ago, DocRob said:

Not an easy build, it seems, Mike. I like how you address one obstacle after the other and the fuselage looks the part now. Wouldn´t it be helpful to use some small brass rod pieces as connecting points for the struts? 

Cheers Rob

Thanks Rob.  I've thought about adding brass rod for the struts.  I didn't do it on the tail as the connections are very thin plastic, and I had used two brass rods per horizontal stabilizer to connect them to the fuselage so they are pretty secure and I didn't need any additional support.  I doubt that the struts for the tail have any holding power anyway.  

Same thing with the wing struts, though the connection points are a tad bit thicker.  The wing looks to be 100% supported by that center column, and I don't believe the struts provide any holding power on the model.  I've thought about using thin brass rod to help locate the connection points so that the struts are symmetrically positioned though.  Unfortunately, it looks like you need to add the wing first, then determine how and where to add the struts.  I'm not too bothered by it, but it would have been nicer to have tabs and the like.

[Peterpools]

Mike

Good plan and all should work out well.

 

[Jeff]

Mike, even with all your trials and tribulations, this is still a very cool build. The true art of modelling is a joy to watch. Your mega efforts are not going unnoticed. Keep going. This is so cool

Jeff

[Landlubber Mike]

2 hours ago, Jeff said:

Mike, even with all your trials and tribulations, this is still a very cool build. The true art of modelling is a joy to watch. Your mega efforts are not going unnoticed. Keep going. This is so cool

Jeff

Thanks Jeff!  Appreciate the kind words!

[Peterpools]

On 4/8/2024 at 12:11 PM, Landlubber Mike said:

In case anyone is interested, I found this short video on the JRS-1 subject I'm building and how it went looking for the Japanese fleet after the attack on Pearl Harbor.  Amazing bravery for these guys - the JRS itself did not carry any armaments - the only weapons carried were rifles that Marine and Army volunteers planned to shoot out the back windows if they had to 🇺🇸

 

Awesome video.

[Landlubber Mike]

Between fit issues, accuracy issues I can't unsee, and issues like the landing gear (see below), I keep losing the will to want to work on the kit.  But with the extension of the group build, I feel like I should get this one completed.  

This kit wants to fight you the whole way, but I've managed to get the construction for the most part completed.  The wing took a lot of work to add the various CMK resin parts and PE handles, etc., but it's looking ok I think.  After looking at pictures, I decided to move the antennae.  The kit has you add it dead center (and standing straight up) in the front between the two engines.  It looks like the antennae was actually off center to the right and angled forward, so that took a bit of work.  

I did get the wing primed, and I'll start adding some pre-shading before painting the upper surface yellow.  I'm debating whether to use the kit decals or just try to paint the US insignia on myself.  Given the amount of work needed for the top surfaces of the wing, I'm going to take the approach of painting the top of the wing before installing it onto the fuselage.

 

I ended up modifying the nose of the plane to better match what I think I see on pictures of the real thing.  I added stringers to the lower section - these were apparently added to strengthen the front (bow?) after water landings caused damage on the earlier models.  These were a bit more pronounced than the PE parts in one of the Eduard sets so I built them out of plastic rod.  The kit and Eduard PE also seemed a bit off when it comes to where the stringers met at the nose - the yellow taped section seems to be a very small window.  So, I replicated that section as best I could.

Next up, I am going to tackle the landing gear.  The kit parts are very thin plastic, and I worry that the heavier weight of the model with the CMK resin parts is going to cause problems.  Plus, the landing gear in the kit is a bit oversimplified.  So, I'm planning to use metal rods where I can, epoxied into the fuselage, to help give it a bit more strength.  Also, the tail wheel is completely wrong, so I'm going to try scratching that as well.

Thanks for looking in!

 

[Peterpools]

Mike

Great to see the Big Sikorsky underway again and you're pushing through to finish this beauty.

A well thought out game plan for adding he wing to the fuselage, I'm a decal guy and unless there are a lot of lumps and bumps, that would be my preferred method for adding the US insignias.

Nice work on catching and correcting the antennas as it would be nearly impossible after the wing is in place. 

Right with you on worrying about the gear being able to support the Big Sikorsky but with the metal rods you're adding, I'm with you and it shouldn't be an issue. Nice details and corrections to the forward hull, as they add so much to the look and fee. 

 

[Landlubber Mike]

Thanks Peter!  

I might just go with the decals as you suggest.  If I go the paint route, it's quite possible I don't get to the finish line.  I saw Plasmo on Youtube cut out his own masks for the insignia (it didn't look too hard), but again, it will add time to the build.  Part of the concern I had though was I saw someone that had used the decals and the yellow seemed to bleed through the white on the decal a bit.  I could always paint a white disc underneath the decal, but if I do that, I might as well cut out masks for the star and the red center dot.

Well, I better start working on the landing gear.  What a pain!

[KevinM]

3 hours ago, Landlubber Mike said:

Between fit issues, accuracy issues I can't unsee, and issues like the landing gear (see below), I keep losing the will to want to work on the kit.  But with the extension of the group build, I feel like I should get this one completed.

I know what you mean ...the last P-51 I did Eduard when I got to the paint fought me all the way when finished I gave it to a friend who has a P-51 collection it just did not cut the mustard.You keep soldiering on Mike walk that mile makes the next POS that hits the desk easier to deal with.

[Landlubber Mike]

Thanks Kevin for looking in and giving me the push.  The funny thing is that I typically have worked on models that weren't the easiest to build.  I usually would get frustrated or stuck or otherwise lose mojo, but when I finally completed them, I always looked back and said to myself - "well that actually wasn't too bad."  I think once I figure out the landing gear and tail wheel, it shouldn't be too much of a problem.  I've got everything else pretty much put together, so it's a matter of slapping the parts together and getting paint on.

[CANicoll]

Mike,  Catching up on your build.  Wow!  You are doing an amazing job getting the problems addressed, as you usually do!  The detail work you are doing with the stringers and that front window (I think the big Catalina's also had a similar window in the nose of the bow) are really going to look terrific when all is said and done.  Interesting subject, too!

[Landlubber Mike]

Thanks Chris!  Really appreciate the kind words.  I just made a big step yesterday in painting the wing yellow, which came out pretty well and juiced my mojo for finishing this.  I ended up finding a 1/72 concrete display base on eBay a few weeks ago and painted that, so I'm getting closer to finishing.  Now I just have to be strategic with some days I'll be out of town but I should be able to finish it.  

The landing gear is tricky, as the kit has it in five pieces (minus the wheels).  I have four parts either done or close to done.  The fifth is the trickiest in that it is in a Y shape and probably bears the biggest load.  I'll probably have to scratch it completely using metal rod and tubing, which will be a first for me.  

Good to know that the Catalina also had that window.  I don't think I took pictures, but I struggled for a while trying to figure out an approach for it.  What I decided to do was:

1. cut out a window in clear plastic,
2. paint the underside of the window black,
3. glue the window to the model (by adding glue to the painted side, I avoided glue smears had I instead painted the model black and then glued an unpainted clear plastic window to the model),
4. cut down the Eduard PE window frame a bit to match the window's size (the kit section for the window looked perfectly sized, but the Eduard PE for some reason was considerably oversized), and
5. built up the triangular section below the window with some plastic sheet so that it matched up with the window.

Hopefully I'll end up with something that looks like a window in the end.

Speaking of Catalinas, I was eyeing building mine next after getting inspired by yours.  It would be nice to get rid of that big box in my closet.  We'll see though, as I might join the upcoming Group Build depending on topic and whether I have a kit in the stash or not.  

[Peterpools]

Mike

That's quite a list of the work to be done and no question, you are more then up to conquering the Big Sikorsky. NO matter how tough the build, the final JRS-1 Flying Boat in your display case, will become the center jewel. 

Can't wait to see the next round of images with the wings on and looking mighty good.

 

 

[Clunkmeister]

Mike, I keep looking in on this, and am hoping you get this one situated and whipped into shape!  What a glorious model! 

[Landlubber Mike]

On 8/11/2024 at 11:13 PM, Clunkmeister said:

Mike, I keep looking in on this, and am hoping you get this one situated and whipped into shape!  What a glorious model! 

Ernie, thanks for looking in and for the push.  After days of work, I'm just about done with a fully scratched landing gear.  I finally have a couple of days to put in some good time on the model, so my goal is to finish this by the end of the month.  I've definitely learned a lot working on this kit - not exactly easy for a 1/72 build, but it's a pretty cool subject so fingers crossed it makes it over the finish line.

[Landlubber Mike]

Finally got the landing gear done on the JRS-1.  With the CMK resin aftermarket, I was worried that the kit landing gear, which was made up of five parts on some very thin, weak plastic, wouldn't support the model long term.  Otherwise, the kit landing gear was a reasonable approximation of the real thing, but the tail wheel assembly was very overly simplified to say the least -- once I saw pictures of the real thing, I couldn't "unsee" it so decided I would scratch it along with the landing gear.

I used some kit parts, along with music wire, cut down steel pins, brass and copper wire, brass tubes from Albion (amazing tubes if you need tubes designed to fit within one another), and plastic tubing.  With CA and two-part epoxy, both the landing gear and tail wheel are pretty sturdy.  Not sure it was worth probably 20+ hours of work, but I'm glad I went through the process as now I'll be able to scratch build the landing gear on the 1/48 PBY-5A Catalina which is notorious for collapsing.  Anyway, here are the pictures:

The upper part of the wing has been painted with the base yellow from decanted Tamiya Camel Yellow from the rattle can.  I first primed with Mr. Surfacer grey, and then lightly sprayed with either Mr. Surfacer white primer or Tamiya white primer (I forget), to get some variation in tone. Then a light spray of the yellow and there's some decent tonal variation so it doesn't look too plastic.

 

Thanks for looking in!

[CANicoll]

Beautiful work on that landing gear, Mike.  WAY beyond my capabilities!  Nice job on the wing as well.  I definitely like white-basing top get variability.  You do the most interesting builds!!