General Aviation (Clark) GA-43 - 1/72nd SOVA-M from Ukraine

 

 

 

(The completed model can be visited here:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2023/02/clark-ga43-modified-sova-m-from-ukraine.html

 

Maybe there is a grain of truth in the Eternal Return doctrine posited by Pythagoreans, Stoics and many others.

The Nth Law of Modeling states that the kit you want will only be released after you have scratchbuilt it, and its appendix informs us that the case is the same when you build said model from a basic kit adding much detail, which will prompt the same plane to be released in a more convenient format.

I was surprised when I saw the 1/72nd Clark G.A.43 introduced in the market by SOVA-M, a manufacturer of which I knew almost nothing. But then I shouldn't be surprised, as I had already built the same model from the Execuform vacuformed kit 12 years ago, going the extra mile to provide an interior and other details. My model has fixed landing gear and the single pilot cockpit and canopy (although Execuform offered both versions, fixed and retractable LG, plus the one or two seats cockpit), while SOVA's model has a double cockpit and retractable landing gear (that is, this kit does not really supersede the other, as SOVA does not provide the earlier version).

For the completed -previously built- Execuform vacuformed model and its building process (plus  some historical notes too) please go here:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2014/07/172-execuform-clark-ga-43-vacuform.html

(below photos of the EXECUFORM vacuform model:

 
Fortunately there are plenty of references for the Clark G.A.43, among them a very good and comprehensive article on Skyways Magazine of January 1998, that is a must for any serious modeler.

The US, Switzerland, Colombia, Spain and Japan utilized it. Colombia had the floatplane version (the Execuform kit provided floats). The  plane appears in photos with either retractable or fixed landing gear -the latter as it was first seen, under the name of American Pilgrim 150.

The SOVA-M boxing I purchased covers the Western Air Express machine (NC13902), but other boxings cover a Japanese (J-BAEP), a Swiss machine (CH-169) and a Spanish (LAPE) version. There were two Swissair planes, HB-LAM and HB-ITU. By far, the Swiss machines are the most extensively photographically documented of them all.

X775N (the fixed LG plane later upgraded to retractable) had only one cabin door to the right, the others had a door on each side. J-BAEP is a re-registered 775N, but a second door seems to have been added to the left (I have only one -bad- image of it, so it's not easy to confirm).

The sprues show a fair molding, with some parts given the impression of being a bit heavy-handed (look at the cockpit seats, for example). There is some flash, and most edges will need cleaning up. The transparencies look very good, though, although they came loose in the general bag. My canopy detached and was rattling around. A small photo-etched set is included that may come handy. The decals (also loose in contact with sprues) look nice, although they have a poor rendition of WAE's logo, that should be replaced if possible. No cabin interior is provided and the cabin doors are both molded shut. The kit does provide vinyl masks, which I don't like, given that they tend to lift during priming and painting with certain products, especially on curved surfaces. Compared to masking paper masks they are definitely inferior for most uses. The engine looks generic, and it could also be replaced with an aftermarket item for those who want more detail.

Croco had released before a resin version of this plane with vacuformed transparencies (so there are now three manufacturers that released this plane, surprisingly for a sort of arcane subject; as they say: "when it rains it pours").

In the civil department, that is my personal interest, SOVA-M has a Grumman Albatross, and some modern jets for those so inclined.

This kit came to the market some time ago at a little bit of a stiff price, but has now become reasonable. As SOVA-M is from Ukraine, I took the plunge to put my very small grain of sand to support that country.

Looking a little bit like a Northrop Delta and a Vultee V-1, this plane from the early 30's follows the same all-metal, low-wing monoplane, single engine format.

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2017/05/northop-delta-completed-azurfrrom-172nd.html

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2020/11/vultee-v-1-special-citizen-kane.html

Contents:

Instructions drawn to a good size, so you don't need a magnifier to look at them:

I bagged the otherwise loose transparencies for the moment:

I bagged the decals too until needed:

The P.E. set, a nice touch:

The vinyl masks. Appreciated no doubt, but I prefer paper masks, by far:

The engine, sort of generically detailed. A bit of flash here and there throughout the sprues:

 

A note here: not all the planes had two control columns, most have only the left one, check out photos of your intended plane's cockpit if you can get them. Mine (WAE), had only one:

A tad chunky seats,  sink mark on the tailwheel fairing:

The cockpit has some structural detail inside:

No pax cabin detail whatsoever is provided, so I guess I will be doing yet another interior for this model. That of course is not at all necessary, as the cabin doors are molded shut, and the windows are small.

That, dear friends that know me... will give me the immense pleasure... of creating a restroom!

From Aero Digest, February 1933:

From L'Aéronautique, Nov 1933:

Far East Review, June 1934, on metallurgy and the GA43 that went to Japan:

The seaplane that went to SCADTA in Colombia, from Aero Digest:

M.A.News, January 1934:

 A naming problem (Riddle me this, Batman!):

Notes:

The WAE and floatplane planes did not have LE lights. The WAE plane had retractable landing lights under the wings (therefore the kit needs to be modified just a bit). In its original form the plane had slots on the wings, quite a "modern" device, together with a joystick-shaking mechanism that told the pilot that the gear wasn't down when the engine was throttled back beyond a certain point (operating in a similar way to stall-warning today).

Now that you have plenty to read, I will turn my attention to the actual build. Meanwhile, enjoy.

The sprues are given the good ole washy-washy:

It took the best part of an afternoon to separate and clean the parts. Each part had to be ridden of the prominent gates, some flash, and a bit of excess plastic in most edges. Some gates are not in the best places (like the ones on the landing gear legs, closed to the "U"), and of course there are almost no locating devices, thus the fit will depend in part of this cleaning and truing operation, so it has to be done well. The manufacturer dealt with its difficulty to create a thin wing trailing edge resorting to the old trick of molding it in one of the halves, the other being partially an insert, which of course creates a seam to fill and sand. Not sure I prefer this to to the task of scrapping both halves from inside at the trailing edge. Matter of personal choice, of course:

Some of the parts are glued together:

The WAE plane had only one control column and set of rudder pedals, thus this is replicated:

One of the doors is cut open, to show the cabin. Notice the trailing edge lip of the cowl, that will need to be thinned to scale appearance. Photos clearly show inside it the exhaust collector ring, which can be replicated with solder wire. Some of these details will hopefully enhance the model and make it a bit more accurate:

To add a bit of extra interest, the cockpit door is also cut open:

The prop could benefit form a bit of extra detail:

So bolts and counter-weights are added:

The interior structure is taking shape:

The kit treated the end of the exhaust as a sort of sword that had fumes exiting both sides, in a symmetrical way, but the way the gas fumes discharged was actually only to one side, as in the left of this sketch:

Nice modeling day:

Notice two things: inside the cowl there are two locating tabs, but the engine back plate has only one notch, and also the overly thick trailing edge of the cowl:

A second notch is made on the plate, and the cowl edges thinned:

This way the exhaust collector ring, as seen in photos, can be added later:

The sub-assemblies for the landing gear legs wells and fairings is completed, and the trailing edges thinned a bit to better insert on the other wing halves:

The LG fairings, provided you did a careful cleaning job of the parts before assembly and trued the contact surfaces, fit well:

More interior structure is built-in:

The wing halves are glued together. This is the seam line created by the insert method they used:

Now you have to mask the area, apply putty and sand it, and continue the aileron line, which is not molded on that bit of trailing edge:

 The WAE plane (Later HB-ITU) did not have leading edge landing lights, but retractable ones under the wing. Thus the clear parts are glued and will be puttied over, and the location of the new lights drilled:

The kit missed the fuel filling caps. These are drilled:

Backed from inside with a punched disc:

And given a "cap":

The kit's wing lights and the seam at the trailing edge are blended-in:

The excised door is fabricated:

A certain Canadian modeler delight: Toilet Parade:

Seats under construction:

You can also buy aftermarket seats:

I personally don't like belts molded on the seats, but other modelers do:

There a few pinholes that can be easily filled:

Some basic painting application:

Luggage racks:

And more painting:

The instrument panel sub-assembly was presented to the fuselage, and it's not a good fit. The etched metal part far exceeds its plastic support and had to be trimmed down (if left as it is the fuselage won't close), and the anchoring point (a small notch on the fuselage sides) is insufficient for both aliment and firmness. Not sure what the intention was here, but it doesn't work properly and a fix is needed. The home-made interior is in progress. Seats, a luggage rack, a conduit that runs over the windows, rolling shades, bathroom, etc. will hopefully add to the model detail.

Let's not forget the toilet roll, lest we risk a mutiny of the 1/72nd figures!:

The cabin windows are not a good fit, being bigger than the openings. I started to adjust one by one, but then thought, why do this and end up anyway with not very good transparencies, and not just make the panes from clear plastic one by one too -as the work will be the same and the result much better? so here are the first three new windows in place, press-fitted:

 All the home-made windows are no in. If you are not providing an interior you might use the kit's windows, as you wouldn't need extra clarity.

Now the interior accoutrements can be added:

The roller-type curtains will be the last thing to be added before closing the fuselage:

The fuselage is completed. The fit was good, but there are no locating devices:

The wing and tail feathers are on. The fit of the wing was not good and required some time spent scrapping and adjusting and re-trying. The tail feathers fit was god, but only after working on their slots to enlarge them quite a bit:

The wing to fuselage joint will need filling on both sides, as there is a quite a gap:

The canopy is added. The fit again not quite there, requiring patience and multiple tries to get it more or less there. This is further complicated by the addition of a sort of triangular fuselage section at the front, that makes the contact surface transition from the top (most of the canopy) to the sides (those lips that are part of the fuselage. I don't follow the logic of this choice. Milliput was used to fill the wing-to-fuselage gaps:

 

Yet again all these minor issues are workable with a bit of experience and patience, and I am really happy that SOVA-M have chosen a civil aircraft.

Instead of using the kit's dubious vinyl masks, I made my own paper masks:

First primer coat to see the blemishes:

The whole model and all misc. parts are given a coat of gloss grey lacquer, in preparation for the metal color:

The model is given an overall aluminium tone, then panels are picked up for tonal variation:

This operation will be repeated a few more times.

Now for a clear coat:

And masks off:

The tailwheel is a unit with the fairing, which makes painting the tire and hub difficult. I painted the tire and made the hub with a punched alu foil circle cut in half:

I made the exhaust ring, visible in photos, and install if before gluing the firewall:

Decal application follows. The decals are very good, the carrier thin and almost invisible. Even small stencils are provided, with spares. If handled properly, they are superb. Well done Decograph! Still, the Western Native American logo leaves a bit to be desired, so I commissioned that specific image to Arctic Decals:

The landing gear is on, as well as the home-made lights (this particular plane had them under the wings, not at the leading edge):

 

The kit's engine is replaced with an aftermarket product. It is glued in place and then the cowl added:

Because I am a genius I knocked off the nav. lights, so new ones have to be made:

Still unconvinced by the kit's rendition of the exhaust, another way is tried:

The completed model can be visited here:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2023/02/clark-ga43-modified-sova-m-from-ukraine.html