Infinity 1/32 Aichi Val

[GusMac]

Been taking advantage of the unseasonably dry weather here to paint all the exterior woodwork on the house, so bench time has been virtually non-existent.

I did however get the lower wings on and the fit is very good.

Unfortunately, as Ernie found, the upper wings are going to be a different story and I foresee a lot of sanding and grinding in my future!

[GusMac]

Well getting the upper wings on wasn't quite as onerous as I'd thought it might be. Just a bit of sanding and trimming and we were away.

As you can see a bit of filler needed along the wing roots but the worst gaps are at the front although I think this is mainly down to how I sanded the edges. This removed some of the scalloped edge which would have filled that space. Anyway, it shouldn't be too difficult to get this all tidied up and we'll be ready to finish the edges of the wings for the folding mechanism.

[DocRob]

Great job fitting the wings, Gus. It would have been a shame to sand away the lovely surface details.

Cheers Rob

[GusMac]

Slow but steady progress on this one. Got the gaps at the wingroots filled and detail restored and the tail feathers are on.

The resin parts are in for the port wing folding mechanism. Fit was easier than I expected but I'm not sure the other side is going to be so simple. That's tomorrow night's entertainment!

[KevinM]

That resin part looks good in there Gus and should look good when finish.

[JohnB]

Coming along really well Gus. Those kits can be a real headache as I found out when I built the SB2C. 🙂

[GusMac]

Got the wings completed but only took pictures of one side.

Pretty happy with how they're looking. The hinge pieces for the flaps and ailerons are really poorly moulded so I think I'm going to scratch my own using wire and Evergreen.

Plan is to prime this all now as I think any repairs will be easier before I add the spats and wheels, etc.

[DocRob]

Looking good Gus, the folded wings will be another eye catcher.

Cheers Rob

[GusMac]

Going to be a slight hiatus here as my airbrush has gone phut just as I started laying down the primer. 

Anyone got any suggestions for a replacement for my H&S Evolution 2 in 1 ?

[DocRob]

Bad news, Gus. Airbrush recommendations are always a bit difficult, because of personal preferences, but I use H&S Infinity since many years and like them a lot. About two years ago, I bought the Infinity Giraldez edition, and this is my daily AB now. The trigger is better than the normal Infinity and it has the newer, better marked nozzles and needles, not to speak about the new precise collet for the needle. The nozzles seem to be more robust than my old Infinity ones. They are pricey, but for an almost everyday tool, it´s ok to me, as it comes with sturdiness, easy cleaning and good handling along perfect finish.

Cheers Rob 

[DocRob]

Some additional thoughts about the Giraldez edition. The trigger has changed and sports a kind of lip at the frontside, which may not be to everybodies taste. It is thought to move it more with the tip of the finger than normal. For me it works well though. The trigger went closer to the paint cup and descriptions said, it wouldn´t be possible to use the larger cup. I use it always, but it is very close to the trigger finger. 

Cheers Rob

[GusMac]

I've ordered a new H&S Evolution CR2024 2 in 1 with the 0.28 and 0.45mm tips. It's basically the updated and improved version of what I had. Should be here on Saturday, so early Father's Day present for me!

Managed to use the old cheapo Chinese brush I have to get primer down on the airframe so far, so next step is a start on the resin engine. That'll have to wait as the next few nights are our local beer festival, so I'm going to be otherwise engaged! 😁🍺

[GusMac]

Started the clean up on all the resin parts for the engine and noticed a couple of issues which are going to take a bit of extra work.

Firstly

This is the mounting ring for the engine to the firewall, so unless the engine is configured so it can fly in circles easily then this is going to take a good bit of grinding to get things level and straight!

Secondly, here's the front of the most prominent piece

Looks okay until you see the back view...

The opening for the pin that goes through the entire engine is completely off whack, so much so, that I think it's essentially useless. I think the best way forward is to glue the prop shaft in from the front and cut the tip of the pin and just glue this to the front of the cylinder banks.

Pretty disappointing quality control given that this is sold as quite a pricey detail set. Given the current status of things with Infinity and HPH there's certainly no mileage in contacting them for a replacement!

[GusMac]

Engine is now painted up and ready to install. I've got the cowling assembled and filler in a few gaps, so it needs finessed, then I need to get the oil cooler assembled. At this point I'm going to follow Ernie's advice as he mentioned that following the instructions is not the way to go here. The recommendation is to fit the oil cooler to the underside, then fit the engine and lastly fit the cowling. I suspect it'll be fiddly, so watch this space....

[GusMac]

Followed Ernie's advice and with a bit of fiddling we have a decent result I think.

Definitely don't think I'd have got as nice an outcome if I'd followed the instructions.

[KevinM]

Like the looks of the exhaust there Gus looking forward to that paint session.

[FullArmor]

That engine looks really good!

[DocRob]

Great progress with that fiddly area of the plane, Gus. The exhaust look super bueno.

Cheers Rob

[Spitfire]

Looking good and I'm still taking notes.

Cheers

Dennis