LetLetLet ~ Warplanes
Let Let Let - Warplanes => Aircraft Modeling => Topic started by: Second Air Force on April 25, 2011, 07:35:34 AM
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This kit came from the "orphan" kit shelf at a local hobby shop this weekend. I picked it up for very little money so decided I could spend some extra time fixing the shortcomings of the kit that I'd read about on the web. It turns out that it isn't really all that bad for the more experienced modelers to tackle, though the Mirage P.11 looks a lot nicer.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6827.jpg)
The decals are a bit waterstained but I think they'll be salvageable with some clearcoat.
The engine is pretty simple but the cowling is another matter. There is quite a bit of flash and some HUGE sprue attach points to trim. The exhaust inlets are obscured by two of the sprue tags and are pretty difficult to repair. The propeller and spinner are also marred by the sprue attachments. However, with some patient use of the files and sandpaper, all of these problems can be repaired. I intended to use a resin Wright 1820 to replace the kit engine, but so little of the engine is visible when the crankcase fairing is installed, that I'll use the LTD part.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6828.jpg)
In just a couple of hours of "relaxation" I was able to roughly fit the engine and cowling parts for the first time. More needs to be done, but you can see that it does look like a Bristol Mercury with all that sheetmetal on it.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6834.jpg)
The final hour or so was spent assembling the wing and taping the fuselage halves together. Here's a photo, I'll offer more information later.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6837.jpg)
And thanks to LetLetLet for the nice photos of the beautiful museum airplane!
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Nice and interesting bird at all! I read some fighter stories and they have managed to down Bf109 and Bf110 during the Poland campaign :-danger
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Yes, I think it is a very historic fighter in that respect. All things considered, the airplane was bravely flown by the Polish pilots even though it was an older design.
If I were wealthy I would add a P.11 or P.24 to a list of 1/1 airplanes to build from scratch. It seems they would be a fun "warbird" to fly!
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Good to see such a build... I will follow your work, Scott!
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I have P.Z.L. 24 in resin, 1/72 scale and if I would built it, I would make Greek machine with three topside colors (most known are with two...)
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The 24 is really a nice looking airplane with the full cowling, in my opinion.
As to paint schemes for mine, I haven't yet decided which machine to build. I have an old magazine here (somewhere in a box) that has many, many photos of Polish aircraft from just before the War.
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Interesting story in your review.I learn something! :-flo
I have no doubt that this will be interesting build! :-jump
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nice, i love this plane...i looking forward
cheers
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A brief update--here is the assembled wing in the process of finishing. The surfaces have nicely molded, very delicate, corrugations on the upper and lower skins. In order to make the seams as invisible as possible, the moldmaker placed each seam at an area that is easy to fill without losing the grooving that represents the corrugations. The wing is molded in five pieces, the gull-shaped center section and four outer panels. After tweaking the center section just a bit to get the dihedral right I glued it all together.
Here are two photos of how I applied the filler to each seam. I masked the corrugations off on either side with thin tape and applied the filler, sanded, repeated, etc. By using this tape I kept my sanding and filling operation from obliterating the surface detail.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6852.jpg)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6853.jpg)
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For short run kit this look so good!!!
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It truly is better than some of the reviews I've read about it. There is a lot of flash on some of the parts and the sprue attachments are quite large, but if you are careful these flaws clean up rather nicely. The details, especially on the wing surfaces, is really nice, and the other parts just need some rescribing and clean-up to be very useable. I suspect that some of the reviewers were "spoiled" by the Tamiya-type models of today. When I started not every kit was perfect!
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What's that rusty red puty? BTW, I use the same technique when trying to "control damage"...
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Profa, that is "Bondo" brand spot finishing putty for auto body refinishing.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_5812.jpg)
It's really just red lacquer primer in a paste form and it works very well. Testors used to market the exact product in their modeling line and my tube lasted for over a decade before it finally got too stiff to use.
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:-ok
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I'm going to title this entry as "Don't throw anything away". As seen earlier, the decal sheet that came with this kit had some promise until it was water damaged during its life in storage. When I bought it I was disappointed that the decals were no good, but I decided to take a chance today to see what would happen.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6924.jpg)
I finished filling and sanding on the wing and painted the lower surface with a mix of ancient Humbrol 65 and some white. Then I shot both the national insignia and the wing with a liberal coat of clear. I had to soak the decal for fifteen minutes in water, another five in Microsol decal solution, and a further five minutes in water before the backing came loose. I didn't expect much when I applied the decal to the delicate corrugated surface of the wing, but, to my amazement, it laid down wonderfully with a little Microset. I'm pretty confident that I can use the rest of the sheet and now it's time to go back to work on the cockpit and fuselage.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6934.jpg)
The moral of the story is don't give up on even damaged materials as patience will sometimes surprise you! :-jump
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Excellent news!!!
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Ha ha ha- fighting modeler :))
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Whoa :-eek, tedious process that paid off :-clap :-ok
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Haha...Bravo for persistence! :-clap
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Bravo Scott :-clap , this will be very interesting build - I like old airplanes like this one :-love :-wave
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Bravo Scott :-clap , this will be very interesting build - I like old airplanes like this one :-love :-wave
I was thinking about this project on my way home from work last night. Perhaps I can find a bit of time to work on it again this month. :-think
It's a funny thing--this model got pushed off the desk to make room for some other stuff and I totally forgot about it. "Out of sight, out of mind"!
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Relax, it will come on again sometime :) :-wave
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The PZL project is back on track. Today I removed the molded-in details in the cockpit in preparation for scratchbuilding. I'm thinking I'll concentrate on this and not put it back on the shelf 'till it is finished.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7576.jpg)
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Ahh.......modeling is such a relaxing endeavour. :-roll I'm building up the cockpit "cage" structure with Evergreen strips and shapes. I sometimes wonder why we go to all the work when the cockpit opening is so tiny............ It'll all be worth it, I reckon.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7578.jpg)
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Better to say- you bring the life inside ;)
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I sometimes wonder why we go to all the work when the cockpit opening is so tiny............ It'll all be worth it, I reckon.
I agree with you. Open canopy is sooo tiny,buuut.. It is so nice to see something that is like real cockpit. I love "cockpit works"! :-tri
Better to say- you bring the life inside
It is my motto!! :)) :-ok :-tri :-flo
One question Scott. ;)
Why you painted all inside of aircraft in aluminium? :-think Is it MM 1401(aluminium?) :-think
One more thing! Great job!! :-clap I can't wait to see this cockpit finished! :-jump I love when you do scratchbuild!
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Well Scott, even if it's not visible or partially visible only, YOU know that "all is inside" ;)
...That's modeller's life... :)
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Well, Sall--I decided to go with the non-buffing aluminum (I have an old rattle can of MM aluminum that I use in such cases) because of research and artifacts that suggested aluminum lacquer was sprayed overall. The Museum airplane has grey paint on the sheetmetal with aluminum struts, and that would also work since the visibility will be so limited.
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All right! ;) Nice explanation! Thanks! :-flo
One more thing. What is "non-buffing" aluminium? I hear about that some time ago,but i didn't find answer for my question! ;) :-roll
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When Testors first came out with the Metalizer paints they offered both buffing and non-buffing aluminum color. The buffing material can be given a high shine by polishing while the non-buffing is more like plain paint, though still in the natural metal coloration. Non-buffing gives a bit of contrast on a NMF finish and also doesn't need to be sealed in order to handle a model. The buffing type is really, really easy to rub off with even just a couple of touches of the human fingers. I don't know if they even offer the non-buffing style any more--I haven't seen it on the shelves in a long time. I should probably mention this on the NMF thread.
Scott
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Ok... I will post my next post in NMF topic! ;) Just look at that topic! :-flo
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I just went to the Testors website and they still show the non-buffing variety. My shop must have just not restocked that color at some time in the past.
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Yes. Just see http://www.letletlet-warplanes.com/forum/makete-aviona-aircraft-modeling/how-to-natural-metal-finishes/msg24826/#msg24826 .
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Good update on the other thread. I'm going to see about getting some of the non-buffing to restock my dwindling supply.
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Means it is better to use non buffing metalizer than classic. ;)
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I certainly prefer the non-buffing if the area I'm covering has to be handled by humans. It is also very nice to get the contrast in shades if the differences are really subtle. I prefer non-buffing on interiors as it is so close to the aluminum-pigmented lacquer that the U.S. used in the pre-WWII days. Now that I've learned much more about the Japanese clear blue-green and green lacquers I also like to spray the area with aluminum as a base coat. Live and learn!!!
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We were correct--you can't see all that much when the fuselage halves are joined!
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7601.jpg)
For anyone who might want to build one of these kits I recommend using a lot of patience during the fuselage joining. My sample has warped halves and I had to drill holes for alignment pins that I made from safety wire. Then I glued the front of the fuselage together as far aft as the cockpit and let the adhesive fully cure before trying to bring the back half together. The end result will be fine but it is a two-step process.
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Good work on fuselage assembly :-ok
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:-ok
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It took a great deal of massaging and a long time waiting on the adhesive to dry, but the two halves are one and a little filler applied to the seams. I set the wing in place and it'll need a small amount of fitting, but not too much.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7602.jpg)
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I like this phase when we getting into the aircraft shape :))
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Me too, especially when the shape is so attractive! I've always liked the look of the PZL series and even more now that I'm building this model. I reckon I need to get a P.24 one of these days as I feel it is the ultimate evolution of this design. I'd like to have seen the designers adapt a Grumman-type retractable landing gear to this machine--what a beauty that would be.
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Nice work on this one so far, Scott :-ok Especially like view into the cockpit :-clap
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Very nice!!!
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I assembled the main elements and then had to figure out how to finish the seam in the "armpit" between fuselage and wing. I decided to use CA glue by running a small bead in each armpit and vertically clamping the assembly in my vise to cure. It worked great and no further work will be required in there!
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7604.jpg)
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Nice!!!
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:-ok
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Hope you have completed this perfectly ;)
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Hope you have completed this perfectly ;)
The alignment went pretty easily accomplished. The fuselage cutout and wing attachment point are fairly accurate with regard to the horizontal alignment. I thought about building a fixture to align the wing perpendicular to the fuselage in the other axis. Instead I simply used my trusty steel rule and made certain that the measurement from each tip to the tail was identical.
It'll need just a tiny bit of filler at the trailing edge where the windscreen mounts.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7605.jpg)
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:-clap :-clap Nice mate
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+1 with Srecko :)
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Go aheat Scott! ;)
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Thanks for the kind words, y'all. :-flo Now I'm on to the hardest part of this project, constructing a realistic looking "power egg". I should have kept the engine and cowling on-pace with the rest of the airplane--I'm fired up to paint the airframe but since it will require some handling to get the powerplant fitted I have to wait with the airbrush. :-think
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In between finishing the two Airacobras on another thread I was able to work on the engine and fairings for this project. First was to open up half of the cooling slots in the center fairing by drilling and trimming them to the correct shape. This isn't a lot of fun as the fairing is very thick, so I thinned it from the inside with the trusty Dremel.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7608.jpg)
I also found a nose case in the spares bin and attached it to the crankcase. This doesn't show after installing the fairing, but we'll know it's in there..... ;) Here are the main components after a bit of fitting and before detailing and painting.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7620.jpg)
Now it will be fairly quick work to detail, paint, and assemble the whole powerplant package.
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I am wonder, did the people who are not modeler, realize when see completed models, how much of work is included inside?
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I am wonder, did the people who are not modeler, realize when see completed models, how much of work is included inside?
Answer to your question is definitively: No, they don't... :(
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Oooo tempora o mores...
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Yep, we do it for our own reasons, don't we? :-ok I like building box-stock kits sometimes, especially of the modern quality. It relaxes me to just be able to glue a kit together and paint it. All the scratchbuilding/modifying/weathering/etc. also has rewards even if the "common man" doesn't understand or appreciate some of the lengths we go to for accuracy. It's all a matter of perspective, I suppose.
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Every one of us have to find its way and place in this great world
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Every one of us have to find its way and place in this great world
Well stated!
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Wing struts next.
I masked the lower wing and sprayed the top camouflage color in the "crotch" between wing and fuselage. I also sprayed the lift strut upper sections prior to installing them, all this to make masking easier for final painting. The next step was easy, drilling out the locating points and gluing the struts on.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7621.jpg)
After the struts were dry I tacked the landing gear struts to their location at the base of the wing struts. Once they were aligned I used CA to atttach them and set the airplane in this very home-made fixture to maintain the alignment while the adhesive cures.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7625.jpg)
Now to finish the engine and then final painting can commence!
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This look like to be only way when making kits with struts
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Sure...
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I don't know much about this plane,but i have no doubt that you have done great job! :-clap Go ahead! ;)
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The engine is now ready to install and the airplane can now sit on the gear without the alignment fixture. Next will be some extra detailing on the fuselage and then paint.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7638.jpg)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7642.jpg)
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Your PZL comes very nicely...
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Step by step to perfection :-ok
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Your work is excellent! :-clap
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In the first photo you can (barely) see some of the enhancements to the fuselage. I made a set of boarding grips just forward of the cockpit opening from brass wire. The two long white strips are splice doublers that are fairly prominent on the original airplane and I fashioned these from .005" sheet styrene. The rudder horns, linkage, and fairings were fabbed from styrene and little pieces of wire.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7651.jpg)
Today I managed to paint the airplane and tonight the clearcoat was applied.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7654.jpg)
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Decals next :-ok
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Yep, and I sprayed the decal sheet with clear lacquer to help rejuvenate the images. This will be the first time I use a decal sheet that had gotten wet while in the box so I'm expecting a little difficulty.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_6924.jpg)
The two test decals have worked so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
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Go ahead!
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The decals are putting up a struggle, but patience is winning out so far. Once the film detaches from the backing paper these are beautiful and lay down very nicely even on the corrugated wing surfaces.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7665.jpg)
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I have long time ago this Micro products, in that time was only in the world and I have order them from Squadron in early '90
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Nice Scott! :-clap
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Good result with those decals!
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Think positive thoughts and cross your fingers! I've put on a few more with success......
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7668.jpg)
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Well done!
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+1! ;)
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The little fighter is finished but I ran out of time for decent photos. I'll get some pictures taken tomorrow with any luck.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7675.jpg)
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From this angle it look nice :)
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+1 with Srecko; seems to be simply perfect!
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As everything from your hands! ;)
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Here's the finished P.11c, finished in 112 Eskadra Myliwska colors from the pre-war period. I kept the airplane clean and tidy just as the crews maintained their machines before the War. As much as I'd have liked to add radio aerial wiring, the one photo of this machine I have shows that it was not equipped with radio equipment at the time of the invasion.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7683.jpg)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7684.jpg)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7679.jpg)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7680.jpg)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7686.jpg)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/IMG_7682.jpg)
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I like your work! Excellent job,as always! :-flo :-clap
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Excellent job; nice photos;
... And you have sunny time!!! Not the case here: rain, rain, rain...
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... And you have sunny time!!! Not the case here: rain, rain, rain...
Yes, it was sunny alright--and almost 40C when I took those pictures! :-danger I knelt down during the "photo shoot" and nearly burned my knee, and it's supposed to be even hotter tomorrow...... :-roll
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Nice finish mate :-clap
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I have almost forget that I have done this some time before:
http://www.letletlet-warplanes.com/forum/borbene-letelice-combat-warplanes/jedenastka/
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Great work
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Thanks, samuraj!
No.1's thread from two posts ago actually shows the same airplane I modeled, only after the unit codes had been painted out at about the time the War began.
I'm working on a direct "cousin" of the PZL series for the next LLL Magazine that I hope y'all will enjoy. Stay tuned for LLL #5......