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DONE : SNCASE LéO 459

Started by Bungle, April 03, 2015, 03:35:35 AM

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Bungle

April 03, 2015, 03:35:35 AM Last Edit: April 12, 2015, 01:49:30 AM by Bungle
Ok so someone has got to start the ball rolling.* Not exactly off to a flyer on Good Friday but I'll be working most of the weekend and what time I have this morning SWMBO has decided we are shopping !  So time to outline my madness.

I have changed my mind from doing a simple F-104 in a decal wrap to a full blown conversion 'What-If'. Two things decided the change of tack, the first a set of decals given to me by a friend who only does 1/144 airliners. He'd mistakenly bought some 1/72nd scale ones. Second is the wife is going to be house sitting at here sisters next week - Result ! That means more time for kit building in the evenings and I can use rattle cans to speed up the painting without getting an earful about the smell and the cold with the windows open !

Background Story

Liore et Olivier was nationalized in 1936, following which it was merged with Chantiers aéronavals Étienne Romano,  CAMS, Potez and SPCA in order to form the Société Nationale des Constructions Aéronautiques du Sud-Est (SNCASE) in 1937. Their last build as at independent company was the Liore et Olivier LéO 451, a reasonably effective medium bomber that served until 1957. Following the Second World War SNCASE had a surplus of the various types both as completed aircraft and incomplete airframes. Having seen the 451 built as the 451T under German instruction to carry freight and/or up to 17 troops SNCASE decided to convert some of the remaining stock to a nine passenger (plus three crew) short haul airliner.

In 1946 Middle East Airlines was formed with the help of BOAC initially with three de Havilland Dragon Repides least from BOAC. They needed an aircraft with a greater range and turned to the SNCASE LéO 459 in 1947.

The Kit

The venerable SMER re-pop of the Heller Liore et Olivier LéO 451





The Decals

Transport Wings Middle East Airlines Comet 4c (TWL7208203)




The Problem

Filling in the huge rear gunners position, cutting windows and getting the decals to fit in one week !


* Someone beat me to it !
"A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five." - Julius Henry Marx (Groucho)

PR19_Kit

#1
April 03, 2015, 03:52:20 AM
That looks promising.  :thumbsup:

The fuselage looks straight enough apart from the rear 1/4, which could need some chopping and changing of the decals. But the Comet is a lot larger than the LeO so there's lots to play with.
Kit's Rule 1 ) Any aircraft can be improved by fitting longer wings, and/or a longer fuselage
Kit's Rule 2) The backstory can always be changed to suit the model

...and I'm not a closeted 'Take That' fan, I'm a REAL fan! :)

Regards
Kit

Captain Canada

#2
April 03, 2015, 04:09:24 AM
Sweet ! This will be fun to watch, and not somat you see often, that's for sure !

:cheers:
CANADA KICKS arse !!!!

Long Live the Commonwealth !!!
Vive les Canadiens !
Where's my beer ?

Dizzyfugu

#3
April 03, 2015, 05:36:05 AM
Quote from: PR19_Kit on April 03, 2015, 03:52:20 AM
That looks promising.  :thumbsup:

Second that. This one looks really promising and elegant! Looking forward to see what becomes of this one.  :thumbsup:

Bungle

#4
April 04, 2015, 11:57:58 AM
Managed to get an hour in this morning before going to work. Home now for two hours before going back - that's 9 hours so far and probably another six tonight before bed and back to work early tomorrow. Boss turned up with pizza but I decided to break for home, something home cooked and a quick burst on here to post an update.

First thing first a quick wash and brush up of the parts then a blanking plate put across the inside of the starboard small windows. I guesstimated a line for the new windows. I decided to add just two on the starboard and three on the port side.



If time wasn't the issue then I'd have opened the crew door and that would have meant adding an internal floor and probably at least two seats. No time to fiddle with internal detail so it's out with the drill !



Next out with the filler (not for the last time I reckon) and small widows filled in...



and finally this morning slap on a bit of acryllic paint (Revell's #57 Matt Grey - no reason other than it caught my eye). Then into the shower while it dried and then while munching toast I applied a few instrument panel decals 'for effect'.



More to come later watch this space... or one below this at least.
"A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five." - Julius Henry Marx (Groucho)

Bungle

#5
April 05, 2015, 01:05:40 PM
Work (ie the one that pays the mortgage not the one that involves plastic) is finished. Two long days but finished ahead of schedule so much so we get tomorrow (Easter Monday) off - how kind.

So had a couple of hours to spare.....

Started the cockpit. Very basic so I started adding a few odd pieces of balsa wood to add interest.



So a slap of paint and a wash of black 'oil' and sepia





And then glued in place...



Then it's glue the two fuselage sides together. No photo's far too exciting (not).
"A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five." - Julius Henry Marx (Groucho)

Bungle

#6
April 05, 2015, 01:13:22 PM
One of the interesting discoveries was that the undercarriage doors are moulded in place with perforations for those who wish to have them open (I wish, I wish).



Not sure if this included in any other kit - first time I've seen it. Anyway in with a scalpel and open-sez-me !  Again not going to over detail the wheel wells just a top blanking plate and a bit of plastic for err... detail.



Slap a bit of paint on and I'll give a bit of a wash later.

Next will be filling the hole in the fuselage (where the rear gunner pointed his shooty thing out of). Big gun ! Big hole !
"A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five." - Julius Henry Marx (Groucho)

Bungle

#7
April 05, 2015, 02:35:16 PM
So how do you fill a hole ? My personal method is with a balsa plug. Roughly cut to fit the hole it is inserted and superglued into place.





Next I've cut and whittled it to a rough shape.





A second smaller plug was added to fill the curved front of the aperture. This to will whittled to shape



The whole lot is given a liberal coating of superglue which will soak inand harden. I will the sand it down to slightly less the desired propotion and then give it a coat of filler.

That'll be tomorrow because bed is calling my name. (Unfortunately it's the bed and not the wife,  she's snoring loudly)
"A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five." - Julius Henry Marx (Groucho)

Captain Canada

#8
April 06, 2015, 04:17:33 AM
LOL...good night !  :thumbsup:

Looks good. The door was a nice touch.

:cheers:
CANADA KICKS arse !!!!

Long Live the Commonwealth !!!
Vive les Canadiens !
Where's my beer ?

Bungle

#9
April 06, 2015, 05:52:21 AM
Quote from: Captain Canada on April 06, 2015, 04:17:33 AM
Looks good. The door was a nice touch.

Love to take credit for that Capt'n C but it was Mr Heller's idea, ready moulded.

Initial sanding done on the balsa plug. Pictures to follow.
"A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five." - Julius Henry Marx (Groucho)

Bungle

#10
April 06, 2015, 06:56:35 AM
Plug sanded





Next a liberal covering of filler before more sanding.



"A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five." - Julius Henry Marx (Groucho)

NARSES2

#11
April 06, 2015, 07:36:37 AM
Old style with balsa  :thumbsup: Didn't use talcum powder and dope though  :wacko:
Do not condemn the judgement of another because it differs from your own. You may both be wrong.

Bungle

#12
April 06, 2015, 08:04:55 AM
Quote from: NARSES2 on April 06, 2015, 07:36:37 AM
Old style with balsa  :thumbsup: Didn't use talcum powder and dope though  :wacko:

Unfortunately I don't have any talc (Lynx spray doesn't work [other anti-perspirants are available]) and the dope is sitting in the chair trying to tackle the kits undercarriage that's like a spidersweb.
"A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five." - Julius Henry Marx (Groucho)

TallEng

#13
April 06, 2015, 08:57:12 AM
Quote from: NARSES2 on April 06, 2015, 07:36:37 AM
Old style with balsa  :thumbsup: Didn't use talcum powder and dope though  :wacko

Yup! Shades of the late Mr Hall and Airfix magazine ;D
Updated to the 21st Century :thumbsup:
Regards
Keith
The British have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved". Soon though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross". Londoners have not been "A Bit Cross" since the Blitz in 1940 when tea supplies ran out for three weeks

Bungle

#14
April 06, 2015, 11:11:53 AM


Ok the plug's filler topping fully sanded down.



and the nose cone added. It's the transparency from the kit painted on the inside and glued in place.




Still struggling with the undercarriage.
"A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five." - Julius Henry Marx (Groucho)
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