Just a teaser

[The Rat]

Brushed on a quick (partial) coat of Future, this sucker, complete with lousy paint job that I gve up on should have a full write-up in a couple of days. Transall AC-160:

[Captain Canada]

Nice one, Rat ! You sure like your Transalls, eh ?

[The Rat]

You sure like your Transalls, eh ?

It's more like a love/hate relationship with this kit.    I thought that building it with gear rather than a hull would be easier, and it was, slightly. The nose gear is a real fuzzy bunny, the wheels, such as they are, are on the bottom of a T-shaped piece that is supposed to be inserted into guide holes on either side of the fuselage. Sure, try that while you're trying to line up each fuselage half. I made it easier on myself by cutting a slab of scrap plastic which was glued to the inside of the nose gear well, cut off the top of the T, and drilling a hole for the gear leg. Bob's yer uncle! It also allowed me to turn the wheels to one side to add a bit of 'just taxiied in' character. The main gear pods have no locating holes, just placement outlines on the fuselage sides, and predictably I neglected to check the alignment before the glue completely dried. Result - the starboard side is a tad low, but thankfully not enough that mildly bad photography can't even it up.  Realized at the last second that main gear doors were not provided, so a Tim Horton's coffee cup lid was quickly hacked into strips and glued on. Didn't get the angle right, meh, can't really be bothered.

The roundels were a major pain, cracking, curling up, refusing to settle even with gallons of Micro Sol, finally glued 'em down with a bit of Future (I hope). The MARINE decals from another scrap sheet are little better, but given the tight curvature of the fuselage in this scale I'll cut them some slack. The paint was wicked, Humbrol enamel that must have been contaminated by Satan himself, I'll write it up as weathering due to tropical heat and salt spray.

So, would I buy another Heller/Lodela 1/220th scale Transall if I saw one?

IN A HEARTBEAT! There's gotta be some more whiffing in there somewhere, and it would probably only be a couple of bucks! (More than it's woth, but what the hell.  )

[John Howling Mouse]

I thought it was finished so, for a second, assumed you had turned it into a jet-powered variant.

My hat's off to you for building in such scales where a millimeter equals how many scale feet ---- very little room for error.

How do you apply decals that small, though?  They must be smalled than, say, the "NO STEP" decals one finds in a 1:48 kit?

[Brian da Basher]

Looks gfreat Rat-san! If you hadn't mentioned the project's shortcomings, I wouldn't have noticed. That pic really makes it look good! I really like the scheme you've chosen as well as those cool guns peeking out the side a`la "Spooky". Nice work and you're right this one looks ripe for whiffing!

Brian da Basher

[The Rat]

Okay chaps, she's all done. Check the Home Page for the article.

[John Howling Mouse]

Okay chaps, she's all done. Check the Home Page for the article.

Okay, I'm going to donkey-ume it's just me.  When I try to view the article, I cannot get the whole width of the article (neither pics or text fully exposed) even though I reduced the other 'highlights' column.  What am I doing wrong (and if you say "You're using a Windows-based PC" you're not funny). 

[The Rat]

What am I doing wrong (and if you say "You're using a Windows-based PC" you're not funny).

Dunno, I checked it myself and it looks fine on my Bambleweeny, and it's Windows-based.

[kitnut617]

I can view the whole thing here Barry.

[The Rat]

Just tweaked it a bit, didn't realise the preview setting was better. Try it now Baz, though I don't figure just that would improve things.

[John Howling Mouse]

Nope, still cuts it off on at least the starboard side.  Maybe it's just my viewer settings (why does everything on your planet have to be so difficult?)

Hey, you weren't kidding-----this really IS just a teaser.  You, you...teaser, you!