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BlitzBau - Matchbox/Otaki Dornier Do-X


JohnRatzenberger

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I've just kicked off my UAMF/CBK Blitzbau ....

 

I'll post my start up message & pix here, you can follow the rest of it on this thread.

http://gregers.7.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?p=117455#117455

 

I'll make a couple intermediate posts also.

 

Introductory, 9 July.

 

I flip-flopped around, thinking about one of the Airfix 1/32 cars, but then decided to stay with my prior theme of 144th scale airliners, something I don't normally build. Of course, I don't usually build cars either ...

 

I picked up the Otaki Dornier Do-X earlier this year, then remembered that Matchbox had re-popped it as PK-571, so I went looking for that. Unfortunately all I could find was the Chinese repop of the Matchbox repop, so my instructions are ... well, in Chinese. I relied on the matchboxkits.org website for a peek at English-language instructions to sort out the paint. Anyway, I should get some credit for a quasi-CBK, or maybe a "cbK" ...

 

dornier-x_boxart_s.jpg

 

Interestingly enough, the Otaki kit has red registration letters and the Matchbox kit has black -- from what little I can find, the black appears correct. Another discrepancy is that the Otaki kit has the overall and underhull color reversed, assuming I interpreted their instructions correctly.

 

Very few photos show the underhull color in place, and where they do there are variations. I'll go with what the kit shows, or something close ... Also the kit says the overall color should be a 50-50 mix of aluminum and lightgray -- I'm going with straight aluminum.

 

dornier-x_parts_s.jpg

 

Thers 123 pieces in this puppy -- I will resist any urges to go enhancing this kit or wandering off in a fit of AMS-lust over some detail. It's OOB all the way.

 

So, I'll see you tomorrow(Friday) morning, maybe 9am-ish, EDT. I'll be doing a split build.

 

 

 

10 July 0900 EDT = Start Point, 24 to go

 

Actually we were supposed to go clamming today, but the wind has kicked up too much for that so here I am.

 

A couple thousand bluegrass, folk, & Cajun tunes, my modeling music, set up in the player.

 

As a counterpoint to all the wonderfully neat set-ups we've seen so far, I have pushed back a perimeter to make a workspace on my bench .....

 

My usual coffee cup -- just for Paul Bradley -- unfortunately I think SWMBO washed it since the last BlitzBau ...What you see in it is pure coffee, I've already had my shot of Bailey's to start the day ...

 

A clock, although I gotta admit, there's no room for this on the bench and the cell phone may come back ....

 

And SWMBO is, so far, supportive ....

 

090710-0900_s.jpg

 

I have a "plan" for this build -- just 4 letters long -- HOPE ...

 

And with that we're off doing all sorts of prep stuff .... Back in a while ...

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A closing update for the evening ...

 

10 July 2100 EDT = 12:00 down, 12:00 to go

 

Wifey & I had a pleasant dinner & chat, so I didn't get back to this until near 7pm.

 

Here's where we are at quitting time.

 

Fuselage together, sponsons on, seams fixed, glass & openings masked.

 

Tail assembly still done.

 

Wing cleaned, corrugations restored, and partially painted.

 

Props all painted.

 

All struts cleaned on the sprue and given a shot of paint so all I'll need is touch up.

 

I've started on the engine nacelles (their storage cups are under the props).

 

090710-2100_s.jpg

 

Not the ideal time to break -- I should have at least had the underhull paint on so it could dry overnight and had the top of the wing painted. Oh well, lots of time tomorrow ... at least I think so. I've tested the wing to fuselage fit and it's great so no filler will be needed.

 

This is a pretty nice kit -- fit is great, no problems.

 

Let's see. 12 hours, 3 large cups of coffee, 2 glasses of water, 3 Guinness, lunch, dinner, and 112 songs from my playlist have been consumed ....

 

See you 9-ish EDT tomorrow morning ....

 

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Yeah John, I wanna buy one for my daughter! Where'd ya find it? It'll look great in her dorm room this fall! hehe

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A new day, I got started at 8 ... here's an update ....

11 July 1000 EDT = 14:00 down, 10:00 to go

 

Those little "wings" above the tail/elevator & wing/aileron may be trim tabs or mass balances, I don't know. I elected to put them now so I could paint the whole surface. We'll see if I can keep from smashing them.

 

If you build this kit: the instructions don't show, but the "wings" do have an airfoil -- I got the wing/aileron ones correct but the tail/elevator are wrong. Also the instructions sort of show putting the "wing" on the rear part of the supports, but other pix and intuition says they should go on the front part as I have done them. Also the holes on the wing/aileron are a hair wider than the support legs -- you can force 'em to fit, but a test fit & widening is probably a better idea.

 

090711-1000_s.jpg

 

Anyway, engine nacelles are built and awaiting paint shop.

 

Underhull is black and drying so I can remask and paint rest of hull.

 

Wing & tail are waiting paint shop ...

 

Does anyone know what a bottleneck is ?

 

Back in a while ....

 

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11 July 1500 EDT = 19:00 down, 5:00 to go

 

Well, a bout an 1-1/4 shopping, etc, but at least I have something in the house to either celebrate or drown my sorrows with .... priorities you know ...

 

A problem cropped up painting the nacelles & the tops looked ugly. I had to spend time drying them & repainting. I took 'em out in the sunlight to hasten the drying process.

 

090711-1500_s.jpg

 

Anyway, painting is done, or at least finishing drying. I am a bit concerned at this point. I have 5 hours and 8 steps to complete.

 

-- decal wing and sg-coat (semi gloss)

-- unmask fuse except windows, decal fuse, add tail assy, then sg-coat

-- paint exh, radiators, air horns -- sg-coat nacelles

-- unmask windows, mount wing to fuse, also cockpit & paint

-- add struts

-- add nacelles

-- add aerial & stuff

-- touch up as needed

 

And, BTW, remember this is a Chinese repop of Matchbox -- there's a good chance the decals are worthless in which case there are several options, none pretty ...

 

I may not be back until 24 hours or finished, whichever is sooner ...

 

There's a breathless hush in the close to-night

Ten to make and the match to win

A bumping pitch and a blinding light,

An hour to play, and the last man in.

And it's not for the sake of a ribboned coat.

Or the selfish hope of a season's fame,

But his captain's hand on his shoulder smote

"Play up! Play up! And play the game!"

from Vitae Lampada, (Sir) Henry Newbolt, 1897

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1945 -- Finished -- 15 min to spare. (should have built two!)

 

I am of course assuming that all glue doesn't have to be exactly dry, but I will claim all parts are on and hanging on without external support.

 

Here's the record pix ....(pix are 5 min after official finish) ...

 

090711-1950_s.jpg

 

090711-1951_s.jpg

 

Here's the stats, 23:45 hours, cutting it a bit close. But unlike my other GB, I spent time doing other things -- the rocker, dinner with wifey (twice), shopping for beer (see pix), a total of 4:15 hours more or less. So my real bench time was only 19:30 hours. That's a large improvement over past builds.

 

I'll do some glamor shots for the gallery tomorrrow and maybe some lessons learned.

 

Meanwhile, I said this was a big puppy -- here is is with my last 2 3 BlitzBau victims ....

 

family-photo1_s.jpg

 

family-photo2_s.jpg

 

And with that -- good night, I have some celebrating to do ....

 

NB: 1st post gives link to full buid thread, with many gory details ...

 

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Nicely done, John. I'm jealous. I haven't finished a model in months and here you cranked one out in less than a day!

Time to get away from this keyboard and pick up my Xacto knife.....

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Another great Blitzbau finish, John.

 

You guys REALLY ought to try this out - it's very theraputic and liberating to build a model like this, purely for the challenge and the sheer fun. We can all get bogged down with super-detailing and looking for perfection - this is the ultimate anti-AMS tonic.

 

Take a look at some of the other builds there:

 

http://gregers.7.forumer.com/viewforum.php?f=197

 

Sure, none of them are going to win any contests, but that's not the point by a long chalk. This is modelling for fun - remember that...?

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John, Shame on you for not citing the author of your most appropriate literary quote. It is from "Vitae Lampada" by Henry Newbolt, sometimes referred to as England's most patriotic poet. Nice work on the model, though! Regards, Nick Filippone

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John, Shame on you for not citing the author of your most appropriate literary quote. It is from "Vitae Lampada" by Henry Newbolt, sometimes referred to as England's most patriotic poet. Nice work on the model, though! Regards, Nick Filippone

 

Nick, you are absolutely correct and I have edited the post. I cut the final two couplets(?) to save space (although the 2nd is certainly the more stirring of the 3) and took out the citation by mistake.

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