Allan--Revell Heinkel Uhu with six engines and lengthened fuselage

[Allan]

This is the project I've been thinking about for quite some time now. And things are ready to commence. Lenthening the fuselage--what I might do is cut numerous pieces of plastic card into oval shapes and then glue them together to form a sort of plug to place between the cut sections of the fuselage. Cockpit detail will have to wait until the plastic surgery is complete.
Allan in Canberra

[Brian da Basher]

You've got my attention with this project, Allan! Six engines will really give this bird a lot of oomph!

Brian da Basher

[Ed S]

Allen, sounds like a good project.  If I may comment on the fuselage stretch.  I would recommend making some new stringers for the fuselage.  Cut it where you want the stretch.  Then cut some styrene strips that are all the same length as you want the stretch.  If you can make them out of styrene the same thickness as the fuselage, it saves some sanding later.  Then glue these new stringers to strips of styrene that are a little longer.  It probably makes more sense if you look at the photo in my Mig 29 thread in the Secret Santa Group Build. 
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,26905.0.html

You can then fill in the spaces with sheet styrene and use putty to smooth it out.

Have fun.

Ed

[Arc3371]

Sound like an interesting project

[ysi_maniac]

Sounds promising!

[Allan]

I think I'd better attend to the engines and wings first because I would then have some idea of how much to lengthen the fuselage. Or I could estimate the wingspan and then do the lengthening.
If the tailplane looks too small, I may send out an SOS for something like a Halifax or Lancaster tail in 1/72 (1/48?) scale. I can sand the rudders into shape.
Ed, can the fus be lengthened after gluing the two halves together, or is it best to attach the stringers before cementing  them together? In this model, the two fus halves are split horizontally.
Allan

[Ed S]

I generally lengthen one half of the fuselage first.  I do this on a solid flat surface (glass plate) to make sure everything lines up.  Once the new stringers have been glued in, I let it sit for a day then I use this half to align the second half and glue it securely.  I do not glue them together at this point, but finish whatever interior work needs done.  Then I can glue the two halves together like a normal kit.  Using this method, I can make sure that the first half is straight and lined up and then by using it to align the 2nd half, I don't have to worrry about any variations in length or alignment of the two halves.

Ed

[Allan]

Thanks for that, Ed. It's useful info. I have three complete UHU kits to cannibalize, so one option is to cut a piece from another fus and insert it into the gap with stringers to made sure everything is firmly in place.
Playing with numbers for a moment, the span of the real UHU is 18.5 meters and the length 15.54 meters, which produces a ratio of 100:84, let's say 85.
So, once the wings have been made all I need do is lengthen the fus to maintain this ratio.
Allan in Canberra

[Allan]

Back-of-an-envelope calculations tell me that at 100:85.61, the wing span to fus length ratio of the Revell kit, as it is, is pretty close to the real thing.
Six engines will result in a plane with a span of 42 centimeters and, to maintain the 100:85-ish ratio, the fus will have to be 35.7 centimeters long. It's already 22, so I will have to lengthen the fus by as many as 13.7 centimeters. Say, 13.5 should do it.
This made me pause for a moment and think that maybe I've bitten off more than I can chew, but let's press on anyway as I have lots of spare plastic to play with.
Some glueing has started, so more photos pretty soon.
I won't do any detail work until all this achoppin and acuttin is finished.
Allan in Canberra

[Tophe]

How will be the 6 engines? Adding two external push-pull pods or else?

[Allan]

All engines will be side-by-side, Tophe. Have started work on them already.
Allan

[Taiidantomcat]

Looking forward to this 

[Modelling_Mushi]

Allan, sounds like a good build this one.

Where are you going to put the fuselage extension? A 14cm length is huge, right in the center section of the wing/fuse join would balance it a bit, but what a schnozz it would have!

Ciao

[Daryl J.]

 

[Howard of Effingham]

will you be detailing the cockpit at all?  dials everywhere, never mind the throttle quadrant!

good idea and grand execution.

just one point though, wouldn't the tailfins need to be larger than in the kit?