Short Crusader Schneider Trophy - Karaya 1/72nd scale resin

 

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The Short Crusader was built for the 1927 edition of the Schneider Trophy, but, unlike other competitors looking to streamline the airframe with an inline engine, it used a radial one (Bristol 9-cylinder Mercury type, modified). The whole plane -minus the control surfaces- was covered in veneer, fabric and enamel paint. Taken to Venice, the venue of the race, during a practice flight it plunged to the water due to an aileron rigging mistake -pilot unscathed, very fortunately. Even if the plane did not actually participate in the race, its beautiful lines make it deserving of a place on the shelves.

Yet another racer from Karaya I had in the pile for some time. The kit is similar to the other Karaya kits I built, including the recent Gloster III, but in this case -and unlike the others- there is some amount of air bubbles present, some open to the surface and others lying just below one pass of the sanding stick, covered only by a thin membrane. Engineering-wise there are more locating devices than on the other Karaya kits I have built, but not where they would have really helped, that is for the four float legs. on this particular point, as in all other Karaya kits I built, you are left to your own devices. There are, as always, accuracy issues: the cylinder “helmets” lack a very visible cut in angle at their front (air intake), and the corresponding fairings are lacking a shallower angle cut at their backs (airflow exit). How this could be solved -or not- is to be seen. This was most likely a problem (undercut) that resin casting could not solve, at least with the present engineering of the kit, and would have required separate cylinders. The kit provides a cockpit interior, a beaching trolley and a couple of saw horses to rest the aft part of the floats, all welcome additions. Once the pouring blocks are removed the fit of the parts is very good, but the keel of the floats will require a little putty and careful sanding as they are somewhat ragged because of the attachment of their pouring blocks. The representation of the surfaces is spot on.

The painting scheme given by Karaya is inaccurate for Venice. By then the blue float struts were replaced after an accident and painted white. The decal sheet lacks the red strips over the floats seen also at Venice. Karaya’s blue struts, if depicted as such, should not go at the same time with the rudder marks, as these were not present at that time. Furthermore, the blue struts are associated with what looks like a practice wood propeller, not the metal one used later at Venice. The beaching trolley provided should help with the floats’ separation distance and positioning. The nose tip could be a little more accurate it should have been somewhat petaled instead of completely round, but in such small scale it doesn't matter much:

 

You will need curved aileron horns for the ailerons, and will have to locate, mark and drill the rigging anchoring points as they are none present inn the mold. The right wing LE has a small notch that seems to be where the (not provided) Pitot should go. The small fragile resin axles of the wheels are better replaced by styrene rod or metal. The very small canopy is provided as a cage frame to be filled with clear material. Note that the vertical stabilizer was offset on the real plane to compensate for the engine torque.

Here is some reference material for those inclined.

Instructions

Decals (missing the float red strips for Venice, and not to be used if depicting the model still with blue struts):

The parts out of their bags:

Examples of air bubbles, a few more were found:

Washing after detaching the parts from their pouring blocks:

As mentioned above, fit is mainly good. Watch out for the floats, they are handed, look at the where the struts land (one side of the mounting plate is squarish the other somewhat triangular):

Primer applied:

To be continued...

Sikorsky S.55 BEA-Tles - Conversion of Revell 1/72nd Chickasaw + Arctic Decals set

 

Images from the Net

"A hard day's modeling night"

I remember a time when general affairs in the world looked not at all good. But then a glimmer of hope started to grow as the 60’s were on their way. At a musical level (and not just musical) the Beatles produced a sort of shaking of the general consciousness. The vibrant new energy that came from them illuminated popular culture and spilled over other areas of society. I can still feel that energy when I listen to them, and still hope rises anew, even when we seem to be besieged by the acts -and its consequences- of stupid, deranged, egomaniac presidents and their incompetent and corrupt lackeys, tearing down institutions and values, sinking us into expensive and inane conflicts, spending on megalomaniac and unnecessary projects while most suffer high prices and lack of health care.

Long ago I watched “A hard days’ night”, and, remembering the helicopter scene, had a look around on the Net and found some photos, plus a suitable kit, and rummaged in the spares bin for 1/72^nd figures that fitted the bill with some mods. And I was set.

Further looking around revealed that fellow modelers have produced this BEA (TLES) helicopter in the past to good result, which was encouraging.

The Revell H-19A Chickasaw (straight tailboom) kit was chosen, as the Italeri kit has the kinked one, and with some mods it can be converted into the iconic machine.

The necessary changes and additions are:

- a new civil interior with proper seats

- a sort of thin flange “upper lip” over the nose ventilation mesh

- a step platform to access the cabin through the sliding door

- a bubble window on the aft left side

- small details like a whip antenna, handles, etc.

Kit parts 11, 12, 13, 14, 40, 44 and 45 should not be used, and do not forget to add some nose weight as per instructions to avoid a tail sitter.

There are masks and photo-etched sets for this kit available as aftermarket items.

The impeccable decal set for mine came from Arctic Decals, as usual perfectly printed and thoroughly researched, featuring not only the most visible marks but many small placards, with great instructions as to their position.

First 1/72^nd figures were modified and painted. Then a suitable part for the needed “bubble” window was found, and finally seats were scrounged to render the civil cabin.

The fuselage bottom of the Revell kit needs a little bit of scratched additions, but nothing too onerous for the average modeler.

 Contents of the Revell kit. Bagged, but the fuselage sides and transparencies are loose inside with the very predictable scuffing consequences. It seems is unacceptably expensive for corporations to use one more little bag:

The Fab Four (+ one)

Got some seats from the spares bin (not glued yet):

The "bubble"window also from the spares bin, plus the metal tube exhaust to replace the kit's part:

A few parts are glued. The rotor support and associated parts are not a tight fit. The bulkheads have unwanted detail for a civil machine...

...so they are reversed, their plain side facing inwards to the cabin. Still, holes and such need plugging and covering:

 The front bulkhead is covered on thin styrene sheet. The back bulkhead holes are plugged with stretched sprue and sanded smooth:

The bulkheads are glued. Dry fit of seats and cockpit:

Testing the fit of components. A small part of the detail on the bulkheads (now facing outwards of the cabin) needs sanding/shaving to allow proper fit on the locating devices (ridges):

Masks always help, especially if they are made of paper and not vinyl for curved windows:

A good wash:

This silly design choice is found across the manufacturing board: fragile bits molded into one to the halves, as if they could survive the hardships and hazards of modeling, seam cleaning, masking, etc. Hey manufacturers, think like a modeler!. You are forced to remove them and add them them later, when they could have been separate parts with a locating hole allowing you to work comfortably without worrying at every step to knock them down:

 Working on the main rotor:

The mold has some volume that is not part of the BEAtles chopper, so it's deleted:

The created cavity will receive a styrene sheet filling:

The parts for the lower section of the rotor require alignment, so they are inserted (not glued) in the shaft:

After the fix, and looking at better images, I realized that more material needed removal and filler:

So more plastic is removed and a new filler section is prepared and glued to one side. This area will need some TLC at the end of the build:

Better put the recommended weight in now before I forget:

Images show a rounded back top for the seats, so a section is added:

 That's better:

Priming and basic painting starts. Sources state that BEA went bold at the time and used red and orange/yellow as interior colors, riding the psychedelic wave:

Here is my hobby-related package, bouncing back and forth between San Francisco and... San Francisco, and between San Francisco and Oakland. Thanks to the diligence of our Postal Service and AI. This is ONE of the several packages I tracked lately doing the same Mambo routine, uselessly, and being delayed because off automation and application of AI:

 Tail rotor ready:

Some air exits are drilled a little to provide depth. The door opening is masked to avoid filling the model with tissue for painting. A little hole for the whip antenna is drilled:

The step seen in photos and clips is fabricated and added:

 The window where the new bubble clear part is going to be is blanked:

General state of affairs:

The tailskid is separated and given a metal pin, then painted, to be later inserted in its base, which is white:

Wheels and exhausts (all but one home-made) are readied. And so, little by little, all the needed parts are being prepared to be added after final assembly:

 Rotor completed:

 

To be continued...