Oldie but Goodie - Monogram's P-39 Airacobra - 1/48

[memitus]

One aspect what I want to give to modellers (and judges) on the exhibitions and contests, is another P-39 built as it (straight from the box). So, I'll be publishing some photos to show modification and details in my P-39K's Donald Duck.













You can find and see that there are several parts to align, gaps to fill, but basically has a good shape. However, I checked panel lines on the wings and fuselage and I’ll have to erase, fill in and re-scribe in correct place. For this task, I´ve studied a lot of photos in walk around. As I said it before, there are two different plans (one is found it in P-39’s AJ Press and other on Mushroom’s), but no any is correct. I check them vs. pictures to compare dimensions (proportions)

Going to I am telling, I found a photo in very high resolution and I did some trace lines to correct panel lines on wings…..
As it……..

I marked panel lines and covers in thin gray lines, red are for aileron and dash line to realize cover panel (between fuselage-wing)

For this, I drew panel lines on my “grey” P-39 to watch the difference……

Then, I did again the same to scribe new panel lines on starboard wing….

First, I sanded off entire surface……



Curiously, wings have engraved panel lines according wing spare. They are “too deep” for scale, so I filled in after I scribed……..

After that, I did same for port wing...............
Now, I’ll remove flaps, ailerons and wheel wells…….but after cut them off, I’ll show an idea to help “keeping the shape” of wing……….

Well, all comments are welcome……

[No.1]

No other comment mate but great impression about level of work there!!! Really great

[Nico Braas]

Problem with this kit is that it is a very distinctive 'tail sitter' since there is absolutely no room to put lead in the nose. Monogram supplied in their old kit a small transparent strut to keep the model on its nose but of course this is not a very nice solution!

[memitus]

Gentlemen,

Thanks for your comments. This is one of those projects with a lot of things to do, but I am enjoying!!

Nico,

It is a fact, I glued transparent strut to show this problem on the kit. I will ballast the nose, I won't open guns compartment, because as No.1 says, it loses streamline and in this case, Donald nose art would not have a good look!!

I wait to continue today with more here...........

See you!!

[Second Air Force]

I was helping judge an armor class at a show years ago and one builder did just this. His out-of-box kit next to the very heavily modified finished model helped us to realize just how much work he put into his project.

Keep up the updates!

[memitus]

Hi mates,

A little more to show you with this project........

First, BE SURE that you will find a very crazy idea that I had and I've got from it a lot of good and bad comments!! So, I want in all truthfulness your comments about it, ok?

Well, I did this because I had a problem with a DML's Fw-190D, some years ago. I cut off flaps and ailerons, so I lost correct section shape of wings. Then, making scratch Flap's interior wall (wing spar) was a nightmare. Having in mind this learnt lesson, I had an idea to help me keeping correct shape and a support for wings assamblies (wheel well, aileron hinges, and flaps, obviously), making cores for each wing

I decided to fill wings up with urethane resin from Smooth-On. It is a plastic, easy to work. So, let's get down to it!!

First, I applied demold agent to remove resin wing cores



Smooth Cast 300 as I used previously on wing air intakes......

I "sealed" wings joint with Tamiya Masking Tape


I mixed 1:1 part A and B, then I filled up one wing first, then second one (sorry, I was alone and I don't have photos of this )
I didn't seal very well landing gear hole on the wing. Resin is like water viscosity, I had an important leak at the start (I stopped it puttind my finger wait for 3 minutes to finish pot life of resin)


Me, removing resin to wing surface.....

Pictures say more than my words........






















I have my new pieces as it wings interiors.....

Now, next step......remove flaps and aileron.........soon

[No.1]

Approach is interesting, lets see how it will progress. In most cases modelers would open that surfaces and make new one from plastic or metal.

[Second Air Force]

I've used something of the same method on the SAAB 17 outer wing panels.

Carry on!

[Sall]

Crazy job! Go ahead! Can't wait for new update.