GAL Monospar ST.25 "Dubbele Arend" of Van Melle's chocolate - Special Hobby 1/72nd

 

 (Photo from the Net)

 A little story can be found here:

https://www-zeeuwseankers-nl.translate.goog/verhaal/een-vliegveld-bij-breskens?_x_tr_sl=nl&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

And here:

https://www.wingstovictory.nl/index.php/Van-Melle-Breskens

Who can resist a twin tail? Here is a Special Hobby's rendition of a beautiful plane, the GAL Monospar ST.25. I have built the identical Azur kit sometime ago:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2021/09/gal-st-25-monospar-azur-172nd-injected.html

And I am also building in parallel the Aeroclub vacuformed kit of it, but in the ST-12 version:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2024/08/gal-st12-monospar-aeroclub-172nd.html

 With the previous building experience, things are a bit easier. Short run, so no locating devices, some minor flash, some thicknesses that need shaving, very nice resin details, vac canopies...yes, plural, thank goddess Styrene. A few alternate parts allow the modeler to also build two of the single vertical tail types:

Clear enough instructions:

You can see that SH provides "solid" engine/cowls, but Dekno offeres now a very cute Pobjoy that can be used to represent the model "in maintenance":

I have acquired a few, also the Gipsy Major for the ST.12 build:

Some modelers have commented on the downward angle of the kit's nacelles, puzzled by them. That's accurate.

Note: if you feel tempted to build the Kings Cup winner, G-ACTS, remember it's an ST-10, and it had a different cowl with rectilinear/faceted "bumps", and not teardrop ones as both kits have, no aft windows, single vertical tail (not double), and the race number 15. It is seen in photos with two-blade and four-blade props. Photos corroborate this drawing:

 

Now, and just as a feasibility exercise for those wanting to build an accurate ST-10, if you modify the cowls, sand away the teardrop bumps, fabricate the angular helmets and add them...

You can do that with just one cowl and for the other nacelle just use the Dekno Pobjoy "in maintenance".

The trailing edges are thick, so they are thinned from inside, as well as the wingtips and part of the root, which is thicker than the corresponding fuselage relief:

The props don't have an axle. Metal pins are inserted:

Important: if you are using the Dekno Pobjoy engine, bear in mind that at the moment of separating it from its 3D-printed cradle, you need to differentiate between exhausts and printing pillars, removing ONLY the later and leaving the connectors:

Watch out, and carefully remove the pillars one by one:

These exhausts connect the ring to the engine cylinders. Pay extra attention to the "flying" exhaust at the end of the ring, the one here at the bottom right:

If you brake one, no problem, you can use thin soldering wire to replace it.
 

Engine fronts drilled to receive the props now with axles:

Wing halves glued:

Base colors for some of the parts for both builds:

 As I did with the previous Azur Monospar I built, I opted for an alternate way to conjugate the clear part with the fuselage, instead of venturing into the dangerous and meandering path proposed by the instructions requiring to shape the aft windows areas to fit the fuselage sides. So part of the fuselage is removed to facilitate a more traditional approach. The seats are being readied:

Painting parts for the two Monospars continues:

 

(A pause here whilst a wait for some supplies)

To be continued...