1/72 CAC Woomera twin bomber

KiwiZac · December 06, 2014, 06:50:43 PM

Hi all,
I've been wanting a model of the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Woomera - one of the two big RAAF What If? designs - for YEARS and years. (I'm guessing some of you aren't familiar with this voluptuous beauty, so I'll just leave this here:

For most of that time I only knew of one kit in any scale, the rare-as-hens-teeth NKR 1/72 resin kit which only ever goes for triple digits, if it ever goes.

So I was lucky to pick up this 1984-vintage KPL vacform off eBay for US$30.

My employer gives their staff 1/2 day shopping leave in the lead-up to Christmas, so I had a little time to get started on Friday afternoon.

First thing was to outline all parts with a black felt pen and score around them, and then snap them free. I won't bother with the wheels and props included, the props especially look awful due to the moulding process.

After sanding the fuselage I cut out the various opening for transparencies and taped it together. This was so I could figure out how big the cockpit floor needed to be.

I was lucky with the interior for two reasons: I had a set of High Planes CAC Wirraway panels which look about right, and thanks to a member of Aussie Modeller International I have a printout of the NKR Woomera instructions which include great sketches of the cockpits. I ended up using a 1/48 P-40 panel with part of the Wirra panel on top for the front, and seats from I think a Frog Airspeed Oxford. Not right but the canopy is atrocious, so shapes alone would do!

The cockpit and the side transparencies were glued in today and then the fuselage put together. Before calling it for the weekend I cut the wings into four separate sections and sanded before gluing them together - x2 outer panels and x2 centre sections. Next job will be sanding and filling the fuse - a few gaps there thanks to air bubbles in the mould - and ditto for the various wing parts.

More updates in a week or so :-)

Old Wombat · December 06, 2014, 07:27:40 PM

Maybe I'm just showing my lack of experience with resin kits, or it's just the brightness of the white(ish) resin, but that looks like a pretty crappy casting. $:-\$

comrade harps · December 06, 2014, 07:28:42 PM

Looking good and a rare plane to model, indeed.

What's the camo and markings going to be?

KiwiZac · December 06, 2014, 09:28:54 PM

My apologies! This is a vacform, not the resin Kit. $:-\$

Marks - not sure, keen to do as the real deal...but I've seen mention of an order for the RNZAF...

Tophe · December 06, 2014, 10:19:26 PM

Interesting, but not easy...

PR19_Kit · December 07, 2014, 06:07:56 AM

Terrific job there.

I've always liked the look of the Woomera, and it's a pity it never built more than two, but I didn't know anyone had ever done one in any sort of kit form.

The Wooksta! · December 07, 2014, 06:12:59 AM

There's a pair of resins from some German outfit - Classicplane? Ludemann? - which Gary got some years back. Awful resin like soap. Never seen them since.

KiwiZac · December 07, 2014, 09:55:50 PM

NKR's resin kit has been compared to soap whenever I've seen it mentioned! Still fetches a high price due to rarity of both kit and subject.

Captain Canada · December 08, 2014, 07:29:22 AM

Great job so far Zac ! Way to dive right in there ! I have a few Vac kits in the stash but had always been too afraid to try them. Looking forward to seeing more of this one !

NARSES2 · December 08, 2014, 07:50:52 AM

Looking forward to this, always liked the aircraft

KiwiZac · December 14, 2014, 02:57:16 PM

Many thanks for the kind words, all!

My mother stayed for the weekend so no progress on the Woomera build, although I do have an RNZAF service history to post in the right place today. Expect some photos and an update on the kit's progress this weekend.

Captain Canada · December 15, 2014, 09:25:27 AM

I drag the projects out when we have guests. I can still sit around a table and converse whilst modelling

Some folk see it as disrespectful but hey, its all about me lol.

Looking forward to seeing some updates too....what a beast that aeroplane is !

zenrat · December 15, 2014, 03:37:47 PM

Disrespectful? As long as your guests don't get finger prints in the paint or start to rivet count I guess they're not dissing the hobby...

The Rat · December 15, 2014, 08:49:45 PM

Quote from: Captain Canada on December 15, 2014, 09:25:27 AM
I drag the projects out when we have guests. I can still sit around a table and converse whilst modelling Some folk see it as disrespectful but hey, its all about me lol.

I can confirm, first-hand, that he does that. While drinking beer and watching a hockey game! A true Canadian modeler!!!

McColm · December 16, 2014, 02:27:06 AM

Any tips on building in vacform will be very useful to me. Will be following this build.