ghodges Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 OK, perhaps I am a plastic masochist....but I figure I'll give this one a go. This is the 1/48 ID vac kit of the Boeing B-47 Stratojet. This what they give ya, minus the vac canopy and the tires. This may take anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months, depending on motivation, problems, and the associated details to be scratch built. But, I figure you might as well all suffer along with me! :P In the meantime, here's what's been occupying my time... I'll post a few pics of it later this week when it's finally done. Cheers! GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Bell Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 Perhaps???? That was confirmed lonnnnnng ago. So who's Sparrowhawk is that? Who's ever it is, it's looking really nice. Now, are you gonna do a matching vacuform Macon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted June 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 Lonestar 1/48 resin Sparrowhawk, and no, no Akron or Macon in ANY scale for me! GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aAzZ09 Posted June 23, 2014 Report Share Posted June 23, 2014 It's looking good, Gil! The B-47 looks like a some hard work, but I know you can do it! I wish I could attend this year's Nationals but with spouse under the weather and expenses, I can't. I'd like to meet you guys I've corresponded with over this Forum for some time now. At any rate, have a good time and I hope to attend a future Nationals in the future. Best, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted June 29, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2014 Got the grunt work of sanding all the major parts done today... For those of you who don't have vac experience, I laid out a few things to illustrate the process...1- Note the 8x11 sheets of 220 grit sandpaper taped to the glass work surface. Normally, 1 sheet suffices for most vac stuff, but as you can see, this required a bit more, but nothing "fancy". Note that the sheets are on the EDGE of the work surface. This allows you to hold a part at the edge of the table and sand it's far half, switching it around in your hand to be sure each surface gets even pressure and treatment.2- Note the knife and sanding stick laying on the inside of the wing half. Sometimes it's easier and faster to scrape a wing trailing edge, or work it with the sanding stick, as opposed to the traditional swirling it face down on the sanding surface. Whatever you can make work to get good, flat, even mating surfaces is the way to go!3- Note the loops of tape on the one stabilizer half. This is a way to get a grip on a very flat part that needs sandingHow do you know when you've sanded enough? Most of the time there's a very thin kerf of plastic that extends out from the mating edge. As you sand down the edges, the kerf get's very thin too, and when you can run a finger nail along the edge and it flakes off; you're done!Next up will be to define and open up the wheel wells and cockpit areas. That will then show where bulkheads need installed, as well as allow me to glue in the alternating strips of plastic on the inside of the mating edges that will lock as interlocking locator shims. More pics when there's some significant progress! As always, questions, comments, and critiques are welcome! Cheers! GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VonL Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 Wow. I'm not worthy. Thanx for the explanation & sanding tips. Very good gouge here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spruemeister Posted July 4, 2014 Report Share Posted July 4, 2014 Step your game up, Gil. And bring your wallet. http://www.ebay.com/itm/301225070611?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 And maybe your friend's wallet. Or two. Rick L. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Bell Posted July 4, 2014 Report Share Posted July 4, 2014 Another sanding tip is to lightly prime the entire sheet before you do anything. Then cut out the parts as normal. Where you cut will be white. Then just sand until the white is gone. This does not work for trailing edges or tapering parts as you actually need to sand further to get the shape needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted July 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2014 Excellent tip Ron, especially for vac newbies. Once you've gotten some experience using that technique, taking the time to spray the sheet or outline the parts is just another "step", and one that can then be skipped, getting the grunt work over a little quicker. The only progress made the last couple of days is that the openings for the wheel wells, nose hatch, and cockpit have been carved out. The strip plastic tabs have also been glued along the fuselage edges so it's now possible to actually hold the fuselage halves together. This will now let me begin construction on the interior parts for the cockpit flooring and all of the bulkheads. Happy 4th of July folks! GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted July 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2014 A little more progress... I used dowels and tongue depressors as spars for the wings and tail planes, cementing them in with liquid 5min epoxy. The halves then were all glued together using Weld-On #4 (liquid weld cement) and superglue.I initially thought the dowel ends would serve as anchor pins in the fuselage. But, after looking at the 1/48 plans, and laying the wings on top of the drawings. I realized that the root ends of the wings needed to reach into the interior of the fuselage, or else the wings would be at least a scale 2ft too long on each side!That meant that an airfoil shaped wing root needed to be cut into each fuselage half. The tough part of that job would be the placement of those openings; having to be sure that they were at the right point on the shoulder of the fuselage, the right distance behind the cockpit opening, as well as allowing for the downward tilt of the trailing edge of the wings. I made templates of each wing root by placing tape over them, tracing the outline, and then cutting them out. I used a pair of dividers to transfer measurements from the drawing to the fuselage, marking the points in pencil that established the front and rear trailing edges and to be sure each was equidistant from the top fuselage center line. The airfoil tape wing roots were then stuck in place and adjusted using Mk1 eyeball. When I was satisfied with their placement, each was cut out using a new knife blade.When I test fit each wing into the opening I found that the root ends needed to be trimmed back, because they actually butted up against each other inside the fuselage, making alignment impossible. However, to my pleasant surprise, the openings actually are very close to the wings, so I'll have only minor gaps to fill around them! I trimmed about 1/2" from each root end, which allows each wing to slide into place without interference. The next job will be to create an alignment spar that fits into each one and sets their anhedral properly.But, my ac unit in the garage is barely keeping the temp below 92, so after doing all this today, I decided to take a break. I'll get back at it either later this evening, or tomorrow morning when the temp out there is a bit more comfortable. As always, questions and comments are welcome! GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcorley Posted July 9, 2014 Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 You quit at 92?! And you call yourself a Floridian!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted July 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 (edited) It was only about 90 out there today, so....back to work! Got the bulkheads, walls, and floors built.... This shows the components built into each side When you put the halves together, the boxes for the wells are formed. Here's the wing spar box and the cockpit flooring. Here's how the cockpit fits into the left half, nesting on top of the front gear well. Note the opening along the side where the pilots climb up to the deck. A glimpse into the cockpit inside the fuselage, showing the side consoles. Lots of detailing left to do, but the major interior structures are done. I'll probably now switch to the engines, boxing in the outriggger wells and figuring out how to build the engine details. More pics in a couple of days! GIL Edited July 10, 2014 by ghodges Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aAzZ09 Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 Keep up the good work, Gil! I wish I could attend the Nationals this year and see all the great work. I guess it will have to wait until next year at Columbus. Have fun, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkYoungCrewChief Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 Hi Gil, I'm getting into this conversation a little late, but if I may, I would like to add a tip for sanding the wings and other flimsy things. Take a straight piece of wood, say 1/4inch x 1 inch, and double face tape it to the OUTSIDE of the wing, along the edge to be sanded. This will give you a handle and help keep the sanding pressure even, and I even use them when gluing squirrely seams together. Goes a long way toward straightening those warped wings. Also, will you need the emergency bailout procedures for this beast when you go flying around the room, making the appropriate swooshing sounds? I have a few pages on bailing out when you don't have a bang seat. You have a challenge ahead of you, but you seem to have a real good start on it. Keep up the good work. Interrupting Mode: OFF See you in Virginia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted July 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 Good points Mark, and I hope to be in "primary flight mode" in the next week or so! Gil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbeach84 Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 Got the grunt work of sanding all the major parts done today... <snipped image> For those of you who don't have vac experience, I laid out a few things to illustrate the process... 1- Note the 8x11 sheets of 220 grit sandpaper taped to the glass work surface.<bunch snipped> How do you know when you've sanded enough? Most of the time there's a very thin kerf of plastic that extends out from the mating edge. As you sand down the edges, the kerf get's very thin too, and when you can run a finger nail along the edge and it flakes off; you're done! Next up will be to define and open up the wheel wells and cockpit areas. That will then show where bulkheads need installed, as well as allow me to glue in the alternating strips of plastic on the inside of the mating edges that will lock as interlocking locator shims. More pics when there's some significant progress! As always, questions, comments, and critiques are welcome! Cheers! GIL Gil, sorry pal, I wish I'd known so I could have given you a heads up before you got going. That is the hard way to do the job. Check out my vac a/c series on our club website, specifially removing the parts: http://hamptonroadsscalemodelers.com/vacuform-aircraft-modeling-part-4/ Much quicker and more precise. Too easy to over sand if trying to 'free the kerf'. Carry on, brave modeler! Regards, Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbeach84 Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 Lonestar 1/48 resin Sparrowhawk, and no, no Akron or Macon in ANY scale for me! GIL Gil, were you going to do a WIP thread on this kit? What about that lower wing? Regards, Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted July 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 VERY good tutorial Robert, and I recommend everyone who wants to tackle a vac kit to click on your link and learn how to save some time and effort! I didn't do a WIP on the Sparrowhawk because I submitted it to FSM. Not sure what your question is about the lower wing...can you elaborate? Gil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted July 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2014 Got a lot of the engine work done.... Basically, each engine is composed of an intake trunk with an intake cone that has four vanes at its base, and a tail pipe. The trick here though, is to design it all so that the details can be added AFTER the engine bodies have been assembled, and thus the cone/vane assemblies can be slipped into the intake trunks later in the build. This will allow me to more easily sand and blend those trunks into the engine housings. The same goes for the tail pipes, which will be slid in place towards the end. The sleeves inside the housings will help secure and align them.Another item to note is the box in the middle of the larger engine housing. That's the outrigger gear well. Although it can't be seen, there's also a boxed off opening in the bottom front between those dual intakes for a landing light to be installed later.The intake cones and vanes were made from missiles from the spares box (1/32 Phoenix missiles, I think). They will need some sanding and finishing before they're put in place, and look crooked in the pics because they're simply laying in the trunks.It really helps to have a DEEP spares box! Note that the dual intake trunks are actually cut from a large hypo syringe, while the outer trunks are some other spare plastic tubing I found laying in my "materials" drawer. I had to resort to using brass tubing for the tail pipes, as that's the only thing that was close to the correct diameter. I had to cut those lengths using a motor tool and abrasive cut-off wheel.Still lots of "finishing" work needed to make them look like engine parts, but at least I've got my basic components and can start assembling the engine housings. Cheers! GIL 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbeach84 Posted July 15, 2014 Report Share Posted July 15, 2014 Gil, it looks like the top of the gear well will make a convenient place to secure the internal pylon bracing, too. Those intakes look like good candidates for casting from a one piece mold as well. R/ Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted July 29, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 Incremental progress.... This shows side panel detail and the throttles. You can also see the markings in pencil that have been used to determine positions for the seats, sticks, etc.. The resin piece in the rear is the rear gun sight console. The frame on the side is where the boarding ladder will be slid into later. Front and rear panels with Mike Grant instruments. They'll get a bit more detailing, and can be added later in the build. The sticks are a combo of spare parts, rod, and clay coated with superglue. Left fuselage details. Ribbing and upper left side consoles have been added. The stuff in the nose is just that, "stuff", so that there would be "something" seen if anyone shines a light thru the nose windows. They will not be detailed, but painted black and drybrushed on the edges. The nose weights are probably not needed, as the wings, cockpit, and front gear are all forward of the CG; but better safe than sorry! By the way, the left side fuselage has similar detailing on a much smaller scale. The main boarding ladder made from plastic strip and rod. The main gear trunnions and legs. The trunnions can be added to the wells by themselves and the legs "plugged" into them later in the build. The legs still need their braces and actuators, as well as other detailing, but these are the main load bearing structures. Believe it or not, those are all of the main components that had to be made before joining the fuselage. I'll be painting these over the next couple of days and then true progress can be made! As always, questions and comments are welcome! GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbeach84 Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 Gil, you're rocking on this "thang", dude! Say, looking at your gear reminds me of soldering tips on our club website (one is a link to Scale Modeling Guides (dot) com, I think... http://hamptonroadsscalemodelers.com/heres-a-website-link-for-soldering-of-photo-etched-model-parts/ Anyway, this is looking great. Gonna have a scale Jimmy Stewart to fit on that ladder! Regards, Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted July 29, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 Wish I had soldering skills! Those "T" ends were made by drilling a hole in the cross piece and then epoxying the gear leg into it. A bit more work, but doable with my available tools and skills, and should be plenty strong enough too. GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbeach84 Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 Hey, what do you mean, "wish had soldering skills"? Of course you have soldering skills, undeveloped though they might be. Anyone who can gin up assemblies as you have already demonstrated can figure out what it takes to do soldering, certainly you have the dexterity to do so. Like Rob Schneider's character in 'Water Boy' - "You can DO IT!" ;^) Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted July 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2014 Got some painting done on the interior parts... Also added some "stuff" on the walls on either side of the ladder well, just to look busier when you peek in the hatch. IPs are almost done... Nose windows have been installed, sanded and polished, and Futured. Unless I hit a snag, the fuselage will be buttoned up tomorrow! GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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