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1/48 vacuform P-3C Orion; full build thread


ghodges

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Thanks for the info Andrew! Basically, I'm copying external features as seen in the P-3 Walkaround Gallery here on IPMS. I was aware of the flare units on the nacelles (which I still need to add), but wasn't aware of the front ones. I have no illusions about my model being accurate for any one particular version or "update" P-3C (especially when it comes to the antennas!); but the real exercise here is to succeed in building it! Thanks!

 

GIL :smiley16:

 

I hear you there! Half the planes I crewed were different from one day to the next. As a flight engineer...all I needed to know was that we still had four Hamilton Standard props attached to four T56 engines and how much gas ya want and I was good.

 

Man, watching this come together is really making me think about getting one.

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Interior work done.....

004-7.jpg

This shows the seats and consoles in the first compartment, as well as the fishing sinker weights in the nose. Seats in P-3s are orange, so......

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Here are the rear compartments. Again I made NO attempt to be accurate (and I've obviously succeeded :D ) with what I put in the crew spaces. It's just one notch up from bulkheads to prevent the see-through; with "stuff" to see IF you shine a light in a window. Speaking of which, you can see the 3 small round windows added to the fuselage. I made these 1/4" in diameter, just so I could use a common hole punch to punch clear sheet to fit the windows! :smiley20:

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Exterior view of same said windows, sanded and polished to blend with the fuselage. They'll get a final coat of Future before being masked off (which will be easy to do by punching tape with the hole punch! :P )

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Scribing has started on the wings. I use Dymo label tape as a guide. It's sticky enough to stay in place and surprisingly flexible when cut in thin strips. These lines are the important ones, as all other lines seem to be in relation to them. As tedious as this work is, I doubt I'll make fast progress here!

 

008-3.jpg

Finally! The fuselage is together! It took 2 tubes of both regular and gel superglue to do it (including the amount used to secure the nose weights). I've also slathered on the first coat of Squadron white putty, right out of the tube. That tube is also almost gone.....

 

Anyway, I feel like I've turned a corner, though there's still much to do! The next BIG step is to scratchbuild the cockpit and close it up with the new clear canopy part (which is yet to be made....) Cheers!

 

GIL :smiley16:

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Yes, the seat cushions are orange. Here is a cockpit photo that may be helpful. It dates to February 3, 2010, in a P-3C Orion from VP-9. This is the only photo that Photobucket would download without an error message, and this was the 4th try. I hope this helps.

 

Ed

 

105.jpg

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Been sanding and priming and sanding and priming and sanding.. :blink: ..well you get the idea! Also, the MAD boom has been added to the tail.

002-8.jpg

 

001-5.jpg

The mad boom is simply a length of plastic tubing, capped off with the nose of a cluster bomb of the same diameter, sanded to shape. There's still quite a few little flaws in the seams, though the primer is starting to do its job hiding them!

 

That's where this one will rest until I'm back from Orlando, inspired to finish it up!

 

GIL :smiley16:

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Having a broken camera SUCKS! I've had to resort to the older camera, which is a pain to use and upload, BUT it does work!

 

Got the cockpit built.....

008-4.jpg

 

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It has its coat of interior gray now, and the cushions (which are separate from their seats) have also been painted orange. I still have a lot of details to add, as well as detail painting the consoles, etc. So, I'll post another cockpit pic when it's completely done, before I button it up.

 

I also smash molded a couple of canopy copies....

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I used a two-slice toaster as the heat source! Simply set it on high and be sure to wear some oven mitts while melting the plastic! You can see the wooden form with the cut-out, which is slightly bigger then the plaster master. Clear sheet is attached with the push pins (note how melted THEY are!), held over the heat source until pliable, and then it is rammed down over the plaster master (which has been raised up on the bottle). Simple, but effective!

 

The canopies will be dipped a couple of times in Future while I finish up the cockpit. The best copy will then be cemented in place to finish up the fuselage assembly! As always, question, comments, and critiques are welcome! Cheers!

 

GIL :smiley16:

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You are a better man than I Gunga Din! I bow in the presence of greatness!!

 

This is some of the most incredible work I've seen yet. I am so looking forward to seeing this in Colorado!

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The cockpit is as finished as it's gonna be....

008-5.jpg

This shows the seats and engineer's panel...

 

010-3.jpg

This shows the main panel, center consoles, and side panels with nose steering wheels

 

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This shows the overhead console, which is no where near "accurate", but at least throws something up there!

 

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Finally buttoned up, for better or worse! Now I can shift into a higher gear, and hope that I don't "strip 'em" in the process! :P

 

By the way, I got my camera repaired and back! I highly recommend United Camera if you have a problem. Cost me $50 to have the rear display screen repaired/replaced! Cheers!

 

GIL :smiley16:

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  • 2 weeks later...

OK, here's some pics....

003-6.jpg

 

004-8.jpg

The tail planes are on, and that is the 2nd round of putty to blend them in. You can also see a bulged fairing (antenna of some sort?) as well as the strike camera fairing that has been added to the underside. The bulged fairing was made from part of a drop tank half, and the strike camera is a spare vac clear part. Most of the scribing on the fuselage is done.

 

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The last round (hopefully!) of putty to finish blending in the canopy. I'm using a blend of Squadron White and Green putties, thinned with Testors liquid cement. The reason I'm using both colors is I'm running low on putty at this point! :smiley3:

 

008-6.jpg

 

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90% of the scribing on this wing is done. I still have some fittings, rivets, and grills to add, as well as the ENTIRE other wing to do. I'd guess that there's well over 6hrs JUST in scribing so far, and it will be close to 10hrs by the time the model is done!

 

Anyway, making some progress despite the tediousness of the work. Cheers!

 

GIL :smiley16:

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Masterful? If anything, I fell like I'M a slave to IT at the moment..... :smiley13: "Thou shalt scribe and sand til the day you die"! :smiley24:

 

Actually, both wings are now scribed and only need some "grills" on the bottoms of the outboard nacelles. Next up is to build (or pirate, hopefully) the 6 wing pylons (turns out the outermost one on each wing wasn't used much!), finish detailing the gear bays, and build up the gear doors. I hope to have the wings attached by Sunday (God willing, the creek don't rise, etc., etc.)!

 

Thanks to everyone for the encouragement!

 

GIL :smiley16:

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The wings are on! This pic shows how I have it supported while the epoxy sets in the spars...

006-4.jpg

I still need to fill with some thick Gorilla superglue to finish strengthening the join, and also to slather on some Apoxiesculp to fill and blend across the bottom wing to fuselage joints.

 

I also got the last of the tedious parts building and detailing done....

002-10.jpg

This shows the wing racks. The two larger ones go inside the engines, while the other four go under the outer wings. The two white ones had to be scratchbuilt. The kit gear doors were cut apart to make the eight main doors, and detailed on the inside with thick sheet plastic, tape and rod. I did add some riveting with a ponce wheel. The tape represents raised access panels and the rod actuators had their connectors created by flattening the ends with pliers. The hinges for the main doors were made by punching out "rings" with a Waldron punch set (which I broke :smiley7: after 25yrs!), and then cutting a ring in half to make two hinges; superglued in place. The nose door hinges are old Hodgepodge pe, from a set I designed, but never released for sale (just about out of that stuff now....).

 

The next job is the filling and sanding around the wing roots, but that's the last "big" job before painting can begin! as always, questions, critiques, and comments are more than welcome!

 

GIL :smiley16:

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Things are picking up now....

003-7.jpg

 

001-6.jpg

These 2 pics show the Apoxie Sculpt used to fill the wing joins. The belly was concave on either side of the center line, so I also filled and flattened that area out too.

 

Here's a bit of a teaser....

009-4.jpg

At least I know it will sit on its gear!

 

And finally, the first full coat of primer is on!

012-4.jpg

 

011-3.jpg

 

Still have some small areas to fill and sand, but largely, smoothing the Apoxie Sculpt with a wet finger made things go much faster! :smiley20:

 

GIL :smiley16:

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