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Playing in the Sandbox Group Build Sept 1, 2024 - Jn 1, 2025

It's 1/24th, it's BIG and no its not a Hellcat


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Hey all 

 I've put the Hellcat to the side for awhile, waiting for Alistair at Aerocraft to finish his landing gear.

  So what to work on next...hhmmmm..I've got it Airfix's 1/24 scale Mosquito FB VI.

20190713_135655.jpgI started by modifying the landing gear, added metal tubes and rods to stiffen em up. I covered this in a separate post. Now I'm working on the fuselage bits. I cut out the rear access hatch and added some hinges and the latch mechanism to it. I added the inner flange to the opening in the fuselage for the hatch. The hatch will be displayed in the open postion. Also I've added some surface detail to it (see pics) I also added the missing surface detail and a handle to the entry door, this will be in the open position also.

20190916_175026.jpgRear hatch on left, entry door on right. That door knob was a real PITA! I lost it twice to the carpet monster and had to start over again. :wallbash:

20190916_175123.jpgInside view of entry door and hatch. This needs to be cleaned up and primed.

20190916_175055.jpgThis ones just to show size.

 Next I cut the hatch/cover over the front .303 Browning machine guns into left and right halfs. Airfix kinda dropped the ball on this making it one piece. I added some interior ribs that were missing from the kit parts. I also added some surface detail that was also missing from the kit parts (see pics) these modified parts still need to be cleaned up and primed.

20190916_174942.jpgInside left and right hatches.

20190916_175001.jpgThis shows the scribed in lines and latches.

  Next I started on the cockpit area, first I added some detail on the canves boot around the control column to simulate the stiching at the rear of it.

20190916_174921.jpgYou'll never see this but I know it's there.

 I started on the control column by modifying the thickness of the hand grip. I shaved it down being very carful not to break it. I carved a groove down the length of it to accept the 0.015" lead wire for the cannon and machine gun firing buttons. I then ran two lengths of 0.015" lead wire down the column from the back of the fireing buttons to the base of the column. Super glued these to the column  Then I added the line from the brake lever on the column, down next to the previous wires to the base of the column. Next I wrapped the hand grip area with some 0.010" lead wire and added some more just behind the brake lever. Super glued this, then added some wire wraps from some 1/32" pin stripping tape to represent wire ties down the column. (see pics)

20190916_174722.jpg

Pilots view of the control column.

20190916_174756.jpg

Side view showing the wire wraps and wires going into the base.

20190916_174819.jpg

Rear view of control column showing wires going from the firing buttons down the column.

20190916_174857.jpg

The othe side of the column. This needs to be cleaned up and painted, then it will look really cool setting between the pilots seat and instrument panel. Thanks for looking let me know what you think.

Ron G 

 

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Hey Drifter 

  YES it can be, but I have told myself to go very slow and test fit often. The first thing I did when I opened up the kit was remove the sprues from the bags and go over all the parts with the instructions and found all the pin marks and filled them with Mr Surfacer 500, some I had to do twice. Then I tackled the landing gear. I did another post on them. I added brass tube and rod to them because they are way to weak on there own. Also I  didn't want to use SAC gear cheap white metal and they are to hard to attach to the plastic. Mine will be attached with tamiya extra thin and some CA glue. 

 I plan on doing it as L 3, PZ474 I know it is not a plane that actually was in WW2 but that plane is so cool looking in extra dark sea grey and sky with the invasion strips.

Ron G 

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Whoa!  Now we are talking!  

Excellent start Ron, I am looking forward to your build...it's sucked the life out of me a few times.  But it is an awesome model if you can make it to the end.

I took that photo of the Paragon exhaust stubs for you.

Also love the scribing work and the fact you have turned the door latch to open...first time I have seen someone do that.

 

Keep up the great work

IMG_1493.JPG

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18 hours ago, CrankyCrafstman said:

Hey Drifter 

  YES it can be, but I have told myself to go very slow and test fit often. The first thing I did when I opened up the kit was remove the sprues from the bags and go over all the parts with the instructions and found all the pin marks and filled them with Mr Surfacer 500, some I had to do twice. Then I tackled the landing gear. I did another post on them. I added brass tube and rod to them because they are way to weak on there own. Also I  didn't want to use SAC gear cheap white metal and they are to hard to attach to the plastic. Mine will be attached with tamiya extra thin and some CA glue. 

 I plan on doing it as L 3, PZ474 I know it is not a plane that actually was in WW2 but that plane is so cool looking in extra dark sea grey and sky with the invasion strips.

Ron G 

Yep, for me life just took over and I did not have time to give the kit the respect it deserves. It will be done, and I am learning tons from you. Keep it up, watching closely. 

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10 hours ago, Anthony in NZ said:

Whoa!  Now we are talking!  

Excellent start Ron, I am looking forward to your build...it's sucked the life out of me a few times.  But it is an awesome model if you can make it to the end.

I took that photo of the Paragon exhaust stubs for you.

Also love the scribing work and the fact you have turned the door latch to open...first time I have seen someone do that.

 

Keep up the great work

IMG_1493.JPG

OOP though. Cant find them anywhere, BUT , Eduard had  released a BigEd kit for the Mozzie, with the works. I will get that when possible, especially the under garriage upgrades. 

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Hey Ron

Sorry mate I don't have a spare set, but think in my pile of bits I might have a spare set of shrouds...I am still yet to check.

As for a Gee set, my friend has CAD'ed one up and printed it in 48th scale and its beautiful.  Perhaps I might be able to persuade him to upscale it to 24th?

 

Cheers Anthony

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Oh ok, I will check this weekend for you then.  I will ask about the Gee set for you.  

No progress as I have been finishing up a few commission builds and have my engineers onto me about some items for my own Auster T.7 rebuild...plus I have my Westpac Rescue model off the SOD to try and get more done there too.

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Hey all

Just a little update 

20190919_122551.jpgAdded the cover plate over the AI rader hole and added the light between the two inner machine guns.

20190919_122613.jpgAdded some detail to the inside of the door. The two small pouches are made from card and the emergency door release handle is made from some scrape photo etch and misalanious stuff from the scrapes box.

20190919_124742.jpgInside of the engine nacelle.

20190919_124728.jpgshowing one of the landing gear braces.

20190919_124714.jpgthis view shows the internal ribs I added. These are from photos of the real thing.

20190919_124638.jpgRear bulkhead in the nacelle.

20190919_124520.jpgHoles added for the identification lights.

20190919_124455.jpgView showing the lights in place. These are made from colored acrylic rods from Plastistruc 5/32" dia. There a bit small in diameter there 3.875" and should be around 5" diameter.

20190920_185506.jpgThis will be part of the diorama painted in RAF colors and pulling a bomb trolley loaded with 3" rockets. Thats it for know.

Ron G 

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Ok another update 

  These are all the colors I will need to paint the Mossie.

20190922_165656.jpgThey come from this book and will be Vallejo model air. Most will work straight out of the bottle, some I had to modify to match the paint chips from the book.

81KmUCFXZWL.jpgCool book, has alot of paint info on RAF aircraft from 1939 to 1945. 

20190922_165417.jpgThis picture shows the cockpit floor and some bulkheads. I added the white plastic pieces and the lead wire basde on photos and books. The small straps over the wire are bits of 0.7mm masking tape cut to size

20190922_165445.jpgThis are some of the parts I modified withe the first coat of RAF interior grey/green.

20190922_165349.jpgheres a shot of the seat temporarily in place. Thanks for looking let me know if Im going down the right path...lol

Ron G 

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Hey all

 Ok I'm moving around on this build in order to keep my interest up, and not get burned out. I've started one of the engines. I figured out a way to be able to add the prop at the finish of the build, it will move, but not really spin, so it can be removed for transport. I forgot to take pictures of that, damn I'm getting old!

 I'm going to be adding the upper set of spark plug wires. I am using ANYZ Models super detailed spark plugs and wiring. These are from Thomas Anyz from Germany.

 First I had to remove the cast on ones, they are wrongly done anyway. I'm adding the pipe, made from some plastic rod, with the 12 plug wires and this will be attached to the right magneto (the right mag. fired the upper plugs and the left mag. fired the lower plugs on both sides.) This you can see on page 22, build step 81 by parts 7G right mag., 8G left mag. and 28G connecting pipe. Airfix almost got this right, they just forgot the pipe to the upper set of plug wires. 28G isn't connected to 7G correctly, but it's close, and it will be covered up by other parts so you won't really see it. Here are some pictures.

20190926_130511.jpgHere's Toms stuff. Those spark plugs are really TINY! They are carpet monster magnets.

20190926_130309.jpgSome wires and the two lower ones are made from two pieces and a wire. I'm using the grey/silver 0.05mm wire for these.

20190926_125820.jpgThis is the part 11G with the plug wires cast on

20190926_125904.jpgThis is my modified part, you can see 28G going from part 7G to part 8G at the rear in this photo. I removed the cast on wires and added the holes for the plug wires. I'm not going to use the spark plugs here (I don't have enough anyway) because they are actually buried so far down in the manifold you really can't see them. So just wires added to the holes and connected to the pipe.

20190926_133315.jpgThis is my scratch built plug wire pipe the end in the clamp goes to 7G right mag. the two small pins connect it to the intake manifold.

20190926_133519.jpgAnother view showing bend in pipe.

20190926_134831.jpgThis picture shows the pipe in place on the engine and connected to 7G. These are just temporarily put together, still have to paint the engine and all the small parts before I add the wires and sparkplugs. Very tedious work but will pay off in the end. So take a peak and let me know what you think. I hope I get this done before I crook...lol :D;)

Ron G 

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49 minutes ago, Jackster said:

Fantastic work so far Ron, very inspiring as I have one to build too. Have you seen these figures from Barracuda?

 

 

24271 RAF rocket crew web image 1.jpg

Wait.. testing for duds?!?!?!  I can see this as part of a "things that didn't end well" diorama...

:rofl:

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