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A trick for building spatted gear planes


ghodges

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There are a lot of planes from the 30's and 40's that used spats for the fixed gear legs (Stuka, Val, P-26, etc.). The kit instructions often tell you to assemble the tire WITH the spat, trapping the tire in it. That makes for a tough painting chore! A little minor surgery will help avoid that!

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A little "V" shaped cut to the bottom of the axle hole will allow you to slip the tire into place, with no one the wiser. Hope this helps! I felt I should post something actually usable after the ol' pit pic.......:smiley2:

 

GIL :smiley16:

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Gil, as a judge: how would you react upon seeing a parttial wheel inside the spat?

 

Is that equivalent to some of the other sins we are cautioned against at the judges briefing?

 

Great technique, but I just wonder how the judges will view it.

 

same goes for cars....

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And exactly how will a judge ever know? As you can see by the one on the left, it doesn't show, and would be very hard to see even if you looked for it (and why would you?). As a judge, I don't care how a builder arrived at a neat solution (crisp paint/build), I only care IF it's a crisp paint and build. Who knows what little "tricks" that exist now that we never ever catch on to?

 

GIL :smiley16:

Edited by ghodges
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Well said. I don't know how many cars have had the tops of tires sanded down or chopped off to get fender well clearance. Basically, if you can't see it, it doesn't count.

 

And exactly how will a judge ever know? As you can see by the one on the left, it doesn't show, and would be very hard to see even if you looked for it (and why would you?). As a judge, I don't care how a builder arrived at a neat solution (crisp paint/build), I only care IF it's a crisp paint and build. Who knows what little "tricks" that exist now that we never ever catch on to?

 

GIL :smiley16:

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A nice little technique. I've been doing that as well, but I just chalked it up to getting around my lack of skills. Its interesting to see that others have been doing what you have to do things like this.

 

As to the judging, I've been wondering for years why judges weren't looking at the inside of seams to see glue smears/putty/etc. With those penlights with the flexible necks, you could probably snake it inside a fuselage or wheel well and then a mini-cam could send the pictures to your smart phone. Yeah. That's it! Let's start judging the INSIDE of models as well! That will be when I stop judging and you can look for me in the bar. Well, I'm there as it is actually.......Never mind.

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Just wait until the first judge carries a small laptop with a flat screen into a contest that has one of those mini-TV camera and spotlight gadgets that doctors use to look into your ear canal or colon. Everything is in focus and in illuminated color. It will even fit inside the spats on this airplane (and into all other normally inaccessible spaces) and reveal the quality of seams and cut up wheel on the inside. I know I'm doomed if this ever happens.

 

Ed

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Well, when that does happen, it will only be used on one model.....because after that we other judges will be using it ON its owner! :smiley18:

 

GIL :smiley16:

 

And the rest of us modelers who are entered in said contest would finish him off. I see no reason to look inside a model to see if it is done. How is one supposed to sand and fix the glue smears and such that are too far inside a model to reach? Dinging a model for that with one of those surgical tools will drastically shorten the life of any judge using it I dare say.

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Don't worry Duke! Knowing Ron as I do, he was being sarcastic (or is facetious?). I can't think of any judge I know who really wants to find another thing to judge or split hairs over. However, we DO have to do all of that sanding/finishing/painting stuff if can be seen with the naked eye....:smiley19: But then again, I don't want any form of "intake-tascope" to be used! :smiley13:

 

Best quote I've seen in months: "If you can't see it, it doesn't count". :smiley32: Now THAT'S a modeling and judging philosophy I can live by! :smiley20:

 

GIL :smiley16:

Edited by ghodges
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If you cant see it, it doesn’t count??

 

I thought models were 3d objects that had to be as accurate as possible. Wnd mounting to a base or adding dirt was just a way to hide flaws.

 

My how things have changed!

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  • 3 weeks later...

I see a problem cutting the wheel and tire to fit into the spat like that. It will cause a definite "THUMP" as you roll the model across the table on the take off roll.

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  • 4 months later...

Thanks for the laughs, guys! Too funny . . .

 

But getting back to the actual subject, this is a classic case of "Good grief, why I didn't I think of that". I have been modelling for many years and seeing this made me realise we can always learn something new.

 

Thanks so much for sharing this excellent tip.

 

Warwick

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I wish I had tried that a little sooner on my P-6E. The landing gears came out OK but this technique would've worked better. Thank you!

 

 

Mark Fiedler (aAzZ09)

 

IPMS #14333

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There are a lot of planes from the 30's and 40's that used spats for the fixed gear legs (Stuka, Val, P-26, etc.). The kit instructions often tell you to assemble the tire WITH the spat, trapping the tire in it. That makes for a tough painting chore! A little minor surgery will help avoid that!

 

A little "V" shaped cut to the bottom of the axle hole will allow you to slip the tire into place, with no one the wiser. Hope this helps! I felt I should post something actually usable after the ol' pit pic.......:smiley2:

 

GIL :smiley16:

 

An even easier way is to paint the wheel and glue the spat together with the wheel free to turn.

Do all the filling, priming and painting and then turn the wheel so the part that got the overspray on it is up inside the spat and then glue the wheel so it can't turn any more. The oversprayed part is hidden forever...or until the cat knocks the model off the shelf and the spat breaks open...

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Superdetailing a model is fun, adding hinges, rivets, grab bars, etc....but I don't see why that little cut would matter..I mean you wouldnt build and paint and superdetail an entire engine on a model if the hatch was glued shut. Maybe it's for purists, but unless you are going to see it, I wouldnt waste time with something that I couldnt see. Of course, I spray most things black/brown and layer paint up from there, leaving the black in the recesses as shadows, ergo..cheating, but it looks good. remember, at these scales light doesnt play with shadows and highlights to our naked eye like it does on a 1:1 prototype, so you have to give the illusion of the depth with paint and/or finishes.

 

See? Yet another way to skin the proverbial cat! (ESPECIALLY if he knocks your model off of the shelf! :smiley15:)

 

GIL :smiley16:

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