Tuesday, July 26, 2016

J-BIRD, Japanese aircraft register 1921-1945


 It is absolutely commendable and welcome that a publisher decided to release a book on CIVIL aviation, and on top of that including in the vast contents the trimeframe of the Golden Era.
I just got my copy -that I purchased through Arawasi-, thanks to a tip that Master Schubert from Pugetland dropped.
The acquisition of the book was easy and it arrived well-packed and well-protected, and super-fast.
This is a high-quality hefty book, printed on good paper and extremely comprehensive, with a large amount of photos (but more on that later).
However, there are three important caveats:
1) It is absolutely all in Japanese, a fact that is not disclosed anywhere in its presentation. The title is translated on the book cover, so I (incorrectly) assumed (and didn't ask) that the book would have at least some excerpts in English. Well, as it is, all the info -even the types' names- is inaccessible to me and it became a "nice little pictures" book.
2) Most of the images (of which there are plenty) are small. Although some pages show bigger, more useful photos.
3) There are no color profiles and any color info that may be given in Japanese -if there is any I can't tell- is lost to me.
Since I am not an historian, the value of this book for me as a modeler stems from the photos and color information, therefore it falls kind of short in its intended use (just for me of course).
Do I regret buying it? not at all.
But I would have liked to be told that it was an all-Japanese publication. I would have also liked, given the high quality of the printing, that much more of those photos were given a larger space.
The price is not bad, considering that it comes from Japan (where I find things are almost invariably more expensive) and the quality and the research involved, but at $50 + S&H it's not any kind of bargain either.
Why a publication of this importance, quality and interest was not translated into English escapes understanding. It would have created a much wider market/readers' base and help to popularize Japanese types and aviation history, both of which are rich and meaningful.
I would really like to know the answer to that question.


Friday, July 15, 2016

Ford Flivver 1/72nd scale -scratchbuild-

 (This is the step-by-step building article, for the completed model post please go here:
http://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2016/08/scratchbuilt-172-ford-flivver-completed.html

Civil aviation once had the very democratic dream of providing everyone with a personal plane, as it was happening then with cars. It didn't do it off the goodness of its heart, let's be frank, it wanted to create a market -already filled with home appliances and such-.
The dream (sorry, can't help it) never "took off".
But the trend spawned a legacy of "flivver", "personal" planes, though, that make the delights of some modelers (I have built a few).
Besides the floppy beginnings of the aeronautic endeavors of the Ford company and the later success of the -copied shamelessly from Fokker and Junkers- trimotor transports, the company turned its attention to the personal market. The glossed-over figure of -ideologically very dubious- Henry Ford merits no further mention in this article, but let's start by saying that as the result of that directive Otto Koppen designed the Flivver in 1926, which was reputedly an original idea of William Stout, in charge then of the company's aviation program.
The diminutive Flivver had an Anzani of 35 hp engine, a wooden airscrew, a wide landing gear track, Gottingen 387 airfoil, and a span of 22 ft.
The Flivver came in two flavors: the first one, with an Anzani 3-cylinder engine, no dihedral and no braces, and the second one with a 2-cylinder engine, dihedral, inverted wing bracing, different tail and inset ailerons. Many other differences apply.
The first Flivver was modified a number of times (shorter ailerons, for example) and photos show changes in the engine cowling, upper fuselage and instrument panel.
As usual, if you want to build one, check your photos and written references.
Since no manufacturer wanted to kit it in 1/72 due surely to its limited bombing capacities, I decided to scratchbuild it (there is a William Bros. injected kit issued in 1/48, many times mistakenly stated as 1/72 due to its small size).
This very little model has a chubby and cutely stumpy appearance, and it wouldn't have been out of place in the comics and cartoons of the 20s and 30s. Its stance is proud, and you expect it to walk away swinging that wing to one side and the other on its short lading gear legs.

At it:
I learned time ago that smaller does not mean easier when scratchbuilding. So be it.
The usual materials and tricks were utilized, as you will see in the following photos and captions. An old Aeroclub prop was used (thanks, caballero Armando!) and the adapted cylinders came originally from Matías Hagen (gracias, Mati!).
No decals for this one, since I will depict the model unmarked as it appears in trial photos with a particular prop, spoke wheels and a shorter engine cowl (and in Flight magazine, Feb. 17 1927). As explained above, the plane was modified many times, and decorations and details vary.

Work in progress

 Turtledeck cover "stringered":
 Wing almost finished:
 The fuselage construction advances with the addition of more parts. The landing gear positions are marked at drilled:
 The wing is further worked by defining the ailerons and removing the upper cover section that will remain inside the cockpit:
 Cutie little thing:
 This little fella had too many burgers:



 Metal control horns are inserted and the linkage exit hole drilled:
The cut to insert the stab is performed. The fuselage is carved to accept the wing:
I must confess that when I was getting ready to build this model I pulled some old "already scaled" plans from my computer. I happily started the build, but some measures were strange. So I checked. And realized I was building a 1/100th scale version. 
No worries, I resized, printed, and started to build the 1/72nd scale version. But here they are compared anyway.
I was thinking that if my good friend Christos Psarras finishes one of his 1/100 airliners, I may finish the Flivver and gift it to him...
The bottom of the fuselage:

The 1/72 and 1/100 models in progress:
The front upper part of the fuselage is dealt with:

 Still there is a faring that goes on top and needs top be glued in place:
An additional sort of half-conical part that runs on the front of one of the versions of the Flivver (the one I am representing) is added in row state. Later one it will be refined:
Finally, using Milliupt, the nose is contoured. A further application of putty where needed and careful sanding blends everything nicely:

 A dry run of the components:
 And the 1/72 model with its 1/100 companion, originally created by mistake but pursued nevertheless:
The tail surfaces are glued in place:
 Now all components are ready to paint and assemble:
 The instrument panel (the shape like a head and shoulders) will have some metal dials added to it:
Interior in place, wing glued:
 Instrument panel visible:
The landing gear legs are made and put in place:
All parts completed, now they head for the airbrushing session:
The blue color is airbrushed first. This very early incarnation of the Flivver had a different color scheme that the one it wore later on. It was mostly blue with some nose areas in aluminum, and there were no visible registrations. That is fantastic, so I don't have to publicize a name that is a source of shame:

 The old Aeroclub metal props (gracias Armando!) are painted a very light wood color:
The wheels are assembled for both scales. Fortunately photos show the same plane with and without spoke wheels:
The blue is masked to airbrush the aluminum color:

Aluminum color airbrushed:
 Masks out:
 Comparison with the 1/100 version:
The crowded building board:
 "Metal strips with rivets/screws" are simulated with a decal strip:
So little and so many details. Here some small metal plates on the wing tips (that probably covered tie-downs) and the step on the wing. The tailwheel, which had a friction brake, is painted tire black and a round -decal- metal hub is added :
Wheels, cylinders and props are added. Tail rigging is in place, as well as seat belts:
Still to go: Exhaust stacks, aileron linkages, rudder/wheel control cables, windshield, more elements of the tailwheel cage.

 To be continued....

Friday, July 8, 2016

SBS 1/72nd Latecoere 28.3 "Comte de la Vaulx", resin kit

(The completed model is here:

As I approach the relatively slower stages of  the priming, painting and finishing of SBS's newest release, the Farman F.190 (see previous posting), I decided (since you have to wait for primer and paint to dry) to build their first release, since I got a kit for a good price.
This already somewhat old first step for SBS is a very appealing subject, but the kit has some teething problems (unlike newer releases) that I wanted to fix to be able to build this iconic record breaker.


Adjusting the SBS Latecoere 28.3 "Comte de la Vaulx" kit:

This was as said SBS's first release, it caught the attention of a large number of modelers because of its great detail and accessories.
Now SBS has released other kits, which are a paradigm of perfection, but this first release evidenced some first-steps problems, now fortunately over with in the models I mentioned (and happily built): their De Havilland DH88 Comet racer and their Farman F.190.
I mulled over building the Late 28 first release a long time, knowing that to correct its flaws some work had to be done.
Now, this is the work of love of the person that made the masters and the manufacturer that kitted it, it took them a lot of work and time and resources, so criticism is always a difficult endeavor because it may upset or sadden someone. The kit has some great points and a few shortcomings, and we are very grateful that these guys released a kit of such an important plane.
You could build this kit as it is (I have seen several already built) and the flaws may show to the trained eye and not the general public, but I just can't leave it in peace. Finally, I gave up to its appeal, redeeming qualities and the fact that it has South American connections.

To the task at hand:

Wing:
The first and foremost, and most evident flaw is the kit's wing, which is a bit of a flattened and thick pancake. Whereas airfoils exhibit a curved surface, this wing has a large central area of the cord that is as flat as the Pampas where the Late 28.1s used to fly in Argentina.
The leading edge is too thick and blunt.
The trailing edge should have very subtle scalloping, clearly visible in photos.
The ailerons show on photos as much ribbing as the wing, and the same trailing edge subtle scallops.
I had to do some kind of drastic and extensive work (but not really difficult) to remedy those issues, you will see it bellow.

Canopy:
As the canopy's upper and aft portion is inextricably associated with the wing, it has to be modified too.

Details:
Some details are missing from this rendition of the Late 28 (but present on the SBS newer releases), most conspicuously:
Control linkages to ailerons (horns and rigid linkages under the wing, two per aileron, ailerons were a two-part affair)
Floats wire rigging
Tailplanes' rigging
Tail control cables
Navigation lights
and other smaller details.

Nose:
The nose of this kit earned some criticism. It may be a tad stumpy, but the Comte de la Vaulx seemed to have a shorter nose than other Late 28.3s anyway, as can be seen in photos, which show some slight shape variations too.
I'll leave it as it is, since it is not a bad match to my photos.
At some point I saw on a magazine a review of this kit (long ago) where the author stated that some person in France had a resin replacement nose. I tried for ages to get a hold on him (his website is the best example of an online dysfunctional labyrinth) and I never got a reply to my many emails sent at different times, neither did a couple other friends, so do not count much on that.

The level of detail in general in this kit is appealing, if a little overstated on the flying surfaces and also on the floats. It has a multi-part cockpit (that lacks the rudder bars but has other minute detail) with defined relief and a number of gizmos, completed by an assortment of etched parts. The aft cabin (after the solid space where the tanks were) has no detail, but the door can be posed open (as well as the cockpit door) so most likely I'll be filling that up (the bathroom, the modeling delight and joy of my friend Alain Bourret) is exactly opposed to the door, so temptation is big.

One strange technical issue on this kit is the absolutely solid and massive resin pouring block to which the fuselage bottom is attached. This is not a big deal, it just takes a little time with the right tools to eliminate it, but is awkward and cumbersome. You will have to do the engraving (matching perhaps the side panel lines) of the panel lines once your fuselage bottom is ready and clean.

Contents (all came bagged and well packed):


 Parts attached to their pouring blocks. Notice also the bagged clear parts and the photoetched set with instruments' film:
 Parts detached (took less than two hours) from their casting blocks:
 Level of detail:


 The massive block of the fuselage:
 Really clear parts:
 Free now:
 The wings, which feature some ribbing, need to be corrected, they have an inaccurate "flattened" airfoil:
 They are completely sanded with an electric sander to correct airfoil, working carefully and gradually, which of course does away with the detail, that will be reinstated in other way:
 The wing halves are joined, and the top of the canopy sanded down to properly align it (mask the rest of the transparency while doing this to avoid scratches in other areas):
 The center section is "augmented" just a bit (as per photos) with putty:
 The work resulting in a good match and more pleasant (and true to the original) wing:

My evil plan. The ailerons are glued with a very slight deflection up and down. The masking tape will be placed at given intervals to create "ribs" by airbrushing several coats of primer, a known trick I employed a number of times on scratchbuilt models:
The taping of the wing:
 A pattern is made to cut masks for the wingtips, and later on to engrave the resin with the edge:
Primer applied:
 Tape removed:
 Scallops made:
The wing will eventually be locked by a portion of the fuselage top (dry fit here):
 The airfoil exhibits a bit of undercamber, which is correct:
 The leading edge and wing tips are engraved, and the wing is ready to be primed (before that locations for the details will be drilled, as mentioned before, for the nav. lights, aileron linkages, etc.):
The somewhat prominent relief on the floats is toned-down:
The nose is glued to the fuselage:
 A dry-run and parts:
 The blades fit very well on their sockets (paint first, Ratier wood prop, insert later on metal cone):
Two styrene pieces are glued to the bottom of the wing as reinforcements, be absolutely sure they clear the solid resin areas in the fuselage and its sides. The holes for the aileron linkages are drilled, the position of the control horns marked:
 Work on the cockpit begins. There is a clearance issue between the rudder skid areas and the front bulkhead. These resin parts I believe were designed to somehow interlock (small indent on seats' resin plinth) but then the P.E. got in the way. I added a small strip of styrene at the floor front, and substituted the resin diagonal bar for a smaller diameter styrene rod:
 The rudder and elevators were given metal control horns and the parts glued:
The main parts dry-run, starting to look like a Latecoere. The holes for the tail surfaces control cables and stab rigging are drilled on the fuselage aft portion:
The locations for the nav. lights are drilled:
The metal control horns for the ailerons (two sections) are installed, and the control leads' fairings added:
 In photos I could see a sort of pipe coming out of the fuselage bottom. I couldn't tell what it was, until I realized it was the discharge for the toilet! Those were the days, everything was so natural... :-)  :
Putting together some scratch and leftovers to simulate the throne and the radio/guidance/fuel/gauges equipment:
The test pilot is summoned. Duty calls:
 Approved. What a relief...:
The bathroom enclosure is prepared:
 Primer is airbrushed:
 Also on the Farman F.190 of the same manufacturer:
More test duties are performed in model B:

If you ever are in need of one, be sure it is not a 1/72nd scale one. It could be very tricky...:

The interior is given a coat of a grayish-blueish-metallic hue, the restroom is left white:
The interior parts are painted:
The belts are still to be applied:
The interior bits in place:


 The toilet roll and holder:
The windows are masked and added, and the toilet is put in place:
 The roof of the cabin is glued on:
The roof is blended with the rest of the fuselage box:
 Tail feathers and wing are glued in place:
More primer is applied to level the surfaces and spot blemishes:

Attention turns now to the floats and associated struts. The floats are carefully aligned and the joining horizontal struts glued. On the clothespin are both doors which should be painted with the rest with interior and exterior colors:
 I accidentally knocked off a locating pin from one of the wing struts, but easily replaced it with a short length of wire:
Painting can now commence:
The float-to-fuselage struts are glued in place, using the fuselage to align them. Once the glue was set, the basic frame for the trolley was started using styrene stock:
 The trolley had eight wheels, made with O-rings and punched-out styrene discs:
 More structure is added:
The floats fit perfectly on the cradle:

The contours of the windows are traced over the masking tape and then cut with a new Xacto:

 The masked clear part is then glued to the fuselage:
 At this painting stage different components are airbrushed with either primer (floats, struts) or their corresponding colors (radiators, prop blades, spinner, nose, etc):
The nose will be masked and the rest of the model painted:

 The trolley and wheel hubs are painted:
White is airbrushed over the primer. The upper half of the model is white. This will later be masked to apply the bordeaux color of the lower half of the plane:
The areas that will remain white are masked, in order to apply the burgundy color. The dividing lines passes through half the canopy height:

The burgundy color is airbrushed:



The photo-etched parts that make for the caps for the float compartments are discarded, since they are inaccurate in number and position. New ones are made of tin foil:
 Then the floats are painted as well as all the other parts that needed their other side airbrushed.
 The wood propeller blades are masked and their leading edge painted in metal to simulate the metal cladding:
 The result:
Masks are removed from the model:
An Argentinian "ensalada rusa" is scratchbuilt for lunch:
All is ready now for the final assembly. I think I'll apply some decals before I join the other parts:
The scratchbuilt dolly is assembled and the floats tried on:
 The dolly has been given a "dirty" wash and real rubber strips were glued to the surfaces that will be in contact with the floats:
 The dolly will provide a more credible support to exhibit the model, instead of having to create a water display that sometimes tends to look not very realistic:
Application of decals under way. These decals are excellent, having very solid colors and being super-thin. On the other hand, they are very fragile, and will not tolerate mistakes and rough handling. Plenty of water, plenty of patience, do not let them fold on themselves and you will be ok. A note: the vertical thin yellow lines are too short as provided. A spare small sheet came with my kit, most likely to fix that issue, but the lines are slightly broader. In any case, the lengthwise lines are exactly the required length on paper, BUT as they dry they contract a bit -as all decals, but you only notice it in the very long ones-, so more tiny bits need to be added to save the small gaps :
Decaling is completed. The floats are added, some rigging not indicated in the kit is put in place, then the wing struts and water radiator are glued, as well as the aileron linkages to the control horns. The drain tube of the toilet is also added:
Still to go: all control cables of the tail surfaces, the oil radiator, the photoetched steps and wind-driven generator, the lifting hooks, antenna, navigation lights, prop, doors, diagonal strut members, etc. etc.....

Modeling Theater Presents:
"Oopsy-Kaputsie"
A play in four acts
(I freaking knew I freaking had to freaking put freaking metal freaking pins in all those freaking resin freaking struts)




 Ommmmm, Oooooommmmm.....There are no floats (The Matrix)....Ommmmm..

OK, metal pins for everybody:
 Et voila. Fixed. By the way, the instructions do not tell you that the cylinder covers should be black, and the thingy in the middle of them should be a different metal hue:
Only a few more steps (literally, the two steps on the right float front strut), the open doors and then the model will be ready:

Making the navigation light for the tail:
Drill a hole on a styrene rod of the needed diameter. Sand the tip round. Insert pin:
 Cut off the tip. Prepare a segment of stretched clear sprue, or sand a clear rod to shape:
 Cut the clear tip off:
 Paint the solid portion and glue the clear tip:
 Et voila:


 To be continued....