Messing up a Dragonfly

[John Howling Mouse]

So, every one of my in-progress builds was at a point where I was waiting for something or other to dry so I got antsy and pulled a 1:48 Monogram A-37 Dragonfly off the shelf.

Hmmm...how to wreck this very nice kit and subject?

How 'bout turning it into a single-seater?  Ought to be quite the challenge, especially in terms of narrowing the cockpit interior/canopy and all the wing-to-fuselage assemblies.  

So, off with the tailfin on both fuselage halves!



Draw out cut lines to remove material in order to narrow the fuselage:



Fuselage halves cleaned up in no time (well, more like 40 minutes but who's counting?)

[John Howling Mouse]

Resulting cockpit aperture is still too wide in my opinion but this is how it's going to be:



The really observant folks will notice all the fuselage details that I've removed to give the new aircraft a more sleek look...

[Brian da Basher]

Woah this is cool Baz! Looks like she could be a chase plane for your Top Secret Meteor project!

Brian da Basher

[AeroplaneDriver]

You know Barry, that skinny little tail is just crying out for a V-tail...


Very cool!

[Leigh]

How you gonna do the canopy now?

[Eddie M.]

SWEEEET!!! Excellent idea!!
   Eddie

[John Howling Mouse]

V-tail....hmm, Czech bird in the making?

Canopy?  We don't need no stinkin' canopy.   B)



Well, next round of cuts and I admit, I'm already confused.
Because I had to make such a tapered cut on the fuselage, I just presumed I'd have to taper the lower wing equally but it doesn't seem to be that way, after all.



Well, down to the bandsaw I go.  Just realized that I've previously cut off the molded-on tip-tanks on this kit anyhow (I think they went on my speed-build Mustang).  So, I'm not too worried if I botch the wing.

Naturally, I was planning on using modified wings, anyhow (some sweep).

"Off we go, into the wild styrene yonder..."

[cthulhu77]

Hmmm, I say, Boy, I say, Boy...how 'bout some spats?

            Looking as great as usual, you whifmaster you!

[The Rat]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!

(Note to self; get high-speed hooked up soon, Baz gives good model.)

[John Howling Mouse]

At the last second, I lined up the fuselage inside the wing-root gap and noticed that there should indeed be a bit of a taper to the cut.



I think.

So, I change the parallel cutlines to be slightly angled.



And down to the bandsaw I went.



hmmmm....  

[John Howling Mouse]

And, after all those last second changes, it fits up not too badly but I angled the forward cut a bit too wide as you can see the wing's leading edges are now just a bit forward-swept.  It finally occurs to me that, since the sliced inner wing cuts underneath aren't touching each other anyhow, the wing's leading edge attitude remains subject solely to the way the wing-chords fit to the fuselage.

The fuselage which, of course, I, um, tapered to be narrower toward the nose in a way the aircraft and the original kit were never intended to be.

Uh, yeah.   :dum:



My plan is to hack the wings off where they attach to the engines anyhow, so no big worries.

Pirate Knitting Needles At The Ready....!

[Sentinel Chicken]

What are you going to do for the canopy?

[B777LR]

looks like an L-29 B)  

[nev]

you're crazy

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Ian