CrankyCrafstman Posted April 4, 2020 Author Share Posted April 4, 2020 Ok I'm back. Did a little work on the landing gear and wheel wells. I really like working on this Beaufighter, but there is an inherent problem with doing twin engine aircraft and that is everything has to be done twice, by that I mean two complex wheel wells, two engines and more interior equipment. This in its self is not hard if you don't have to do much scratch building. This 1/32 Bristol Beaufighter has virtually no detail to it. Decent engines, but they are lacking a lot of stuff that is visible through the cowl opening. Absolute toy like wheel wells. The landing gear is not very strong (I'm hoping they will be alright, but I'm not that confident). There is alot of scratch building needed to bring this up to par, which I actually like, just ha0rder having to do it twice. Ok enough of me whinning! Here are some pictures for you to look at. view of landing gear struts temporarily installed with the scratch built extend/retract cylinder in place. same view with the wheel/tire temporarily installed. view of scratch built extend/retract cylinder. I made this from some 1/8" dia. Plastic tube, pieces of the kit part and a piece of 1mm dia. Albion aluminum tube. The two end mounting brackets are made from plastic card stock. view of braceing strips added to the wheel well. view of the landing gear, with it's support struts and extend/retract cylinder temporarily installed. another view of the landing gear. view of the port wheel well with the inner fuel vent pipe installed. I have to make the other side vent pipe, plus do the same thing for the starboard side wheel well. There are pipes and wires to be added, but thankfully there isn't much in the Beaufighter wheel wells. Thats it for now be back with more soon. Ron G 9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony in NZ Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 Bit of a clever cookie aye?? Nice work indeed, love the Beau! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artful69 Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 My goodness theres a bucketload of work going into this!! ... Good Job!! .. I doubt i'd be able to manufacture something like this ... so unless a LOT of additional AM is produced I think I'm still on the wait list for a more modern kit rendition. Rog 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Desmond Glazebrook Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 Great work indeed. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bomber_County Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 Stunning Ron, love your ingenuity in tackling all of the missing detail, congrats.... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrankyCrafstman Posted April 5, 2020 Author Share Posted April 5, 2020 Thanks guys, it's kinda a labor of love...lol Ron G 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 Amazing gear bays. I was wondering if you were going to try and improve them and I now have my answer. Carl 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martinnfb Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 Nice to see you taking care of the neglected details Ron, your speed is stunning :). Cheers Martin 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrankyCrafstman Posted April 5, 2020 Author Share Posted April 5, 2020 Thanks Martin, any progress on yours? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martinnfb Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 Only dashboard and cockpit, haven had much time and space or motivation to focus. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrankyCrafstman Posted April 5, 2020 Author Share Posted April 5, 2020 Yeah Martin I know exactly how that feels, I have three on the shelf that I kinda lost interest in. Ron G 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrankyCrafstman Posted April 5, 2020 Author Share Posted April 5, 2020 Hey all, just a small update. I think I have the wheel wells done, mostly. you can see the fuel vent pipes in the rear of both wells. It was tricky making four of them from scratch and getting them all the same. On the right you can see at the back of the well what looks like two oblong holes, the one on the right is wrong and needs to be filled in. The one on the left is were it is supposed to be. another view looking forward into the wells, There is a pipe that you can see that I drew on tge floor of the wells that needs to be added still, plus a few other bits and bobs. Ron G 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingco57 Posted April 6, 2020 Share Posted April 6, 2020 Very nice Ron, Remember though this is a 70's kit and the standards do not compare to modern kits 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_S Posted April 6, 2020 Share Posted April 6, 2020 Great work, Ron! Fear not about the landing gear. They've held up quite well on mine. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrankyCrafstman Posted April 6, 2020 Author Share Posted April 6, 2020 Good to know Bill, I was a bit worried. Ron G 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Clunkmeister Posted April 6, 2020 Administrators Share Posted April 6, 2020 As Martin is apt to say, "Holy Smokin' Josef!" Amazing work, Ron! Shaking my head and mumbling to myself 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harv Posted April 6, 2020 Share Posted April 6, 2020 ........harv 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrankyCrafstman Posted April 6, 2020 Author Share Posted April 6, 2020 WOW! thanks guys it's much appreciated. I spent today getting the fuselage insides smoothed out and ready for adding some inner rib structure, also I started on the rear floor, I hade to make this a couple of times trying to get it to fit to the fuselage sides. It will be attached to the port fuselage side, but will fit up to the starboard side when assembled, I hope. No pictures yet, I'll try to have some tomorrow. Ron G 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony in NZ Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 Awesome work as always Ron! Lovin it!.....c'mon, get cracking 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airscale Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 Bloody brilliant! I love builds where folks just accept a a kit is a canvas to embellish and crack on - this is a perfect example and so well executed On 4/5/2020 at 2:13 PM, CrankyCrafstman said: Thanks guys, it's kinda a labor of love...lol Ron G and your labours are loved too Peter 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrankyCrafstman Posted April 8, 2020 Author Share Posted April 8, 2020 Thank you very much Peter, coming from you that's quite a compliment. Ron G 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrankyCrafstman Posted April 8, 2020 Author Share Posted April 8, 2020 Hey all Ok I think I have the rear floor figured out, I still have to cutout the observer/gunner's escape hatch. Right now I'm in the process of getting the side wall ribbbing figured out and put in. I have pictures of other builds that did this, plus pictures of the real planes inner side walls. So here are some pictures for you to look at. view of port side of the fuselage showing the floor support ribs I scratch built. view of starboard side of the fuselage. view of the floor, with the rear hatch shown drawn on. view showing the floor sitting in place on the support ribs. view of the floor from underneath. view looking through the pilots opening at the floor in place. Right know all this has had a coat of Perfect Plastic Putty put on and after it dries I will sand it down smooth in preperation for the ribs. That's it for now. Ron G 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrankyCrafstman Posted April 8, 2020 Author Share Posted April 8, 2020 OH! I almost forgot. I took some pictures of the Model Monkey rear dihedral tail planes in place on the model and the fit is perfect just some minor sanding around the fillet area to blend everything together. starboard tail plane. view showing the 12.5° dihedral on the tail planes. view looking down on the starboard tail plane. view looking up at the bottom of the starboard tail plane. And yes that's a piece of tape holding the elevator on. Well that's it, I'll see you all in a little while with some more progress. Ron G 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony in NZ Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 46 minutes ago, CrankyCrafstman said: Thank you very much Peter, coming from you that's quite a compliment. Ron G HEEEY Wot about me???? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony in NZ Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 Seriously though Ron, super awesome work....not that it matters what I say Hahahahah…….Oh dear I've been in lockdown too long! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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