Atlantic Defender

[NARSES2]

Well my build for this GB will be the Hasegawa 1/72 model of the Vought XF5U-1 Flying Pancake. (The HMS Nelson will get built but not in the current GB, not enough time given my hospital visits during the first half of the GB)

Strangely most of the builds I've seen of this kit have been finished in F.A.A. colours for some reason. I did toy with the idea of a B.P.F. aircraft but in the end I've plumped for U.S.N. Atlantic Fleet on anti submarine duties circa 1946 or so. Going to use the Atlantic scheme of grey over white which I may twig a little by extending the white onto the edges of the upper surfaces.

It's an interesting kit in many ways. There are a couple of pieces marked "not for use" ? Now given there was only ever the one prototype, which never flew (although two bits I've read suggest it may have made a very short hop during one taxi run) what the heck were they tooled for ?

The other is I'm not sure this kit was actually tooled by Hasegawa ? Dry fitting has shown a couple of quite poorly fitting parts (By H's standards anyway), there is a dearth of positive location points, although that may be a function of its shape, and there's some flash which is very odd as it would have been a very new tool when I got it. It strikes me as a very good limited run kit rather than one you would expect from H. Anyone actually know ?

[JayBee]

You are right that this kit was not tooled by Hasegawa. However I am damned if I can remember the company name.
I do know that they also tooled the Tamiya 1/72 Bell X-1.

Jim

[JayBee]

Found it.

"Hobby-Spot-U, a Japanese model shop that produced a few models (their XF5U Flapjack went to Hasegawa)"

Jim

[kitnut617]

The other is I'm not sure this kit was actually tooled by Hasegawa ? Dry fitting has shown a couple of quite poorly fitting parts (By H's standards anyway), there is a dearth of positive location points, although that may be a function of its shape, and there's some flash which is very odd as it would have been a very new tool when I got it. It strikes me as a very good limited run kit rather than one you would expect from H. Anyone actually know ?

Well, the 'Big Book' says, it was originally a resin kit produced by a company called Hobby Spot U out of Japan which ended production in 1993. It was them re-issued by Hasegawa (obviously in injection).  I've got one started too but when I moved a few years ago it was packed away and I haven't seen it since (been 9 years now   )

EDIT: Jim beat me to it ---

[kitnut617]

I do know that they also tooled the Tamiya 1/72 Bell X-1.

Jim

And a Nakajima J8N1 Kikka.  These were the only three kits released by Hobby Spot U

[Captain Canada]

Looking forward to seeing this one. That's one of those aeroplanes I've never built and know little about, so seeing it come together will be special. Especially in USN colours !

[NARSES2]

Found it.

"Hobby-Spot-U, a Japanese model shop that produced a few models (their XF5U Flapjack went to Hasegawa)"

Jim

Cheers Jim, glad my suspicions were correct. And Kitnut, the fact it was originally resin is interesting. Explains things but also it was a quality resin tooling that's for sure.

[NARSES2]

Anyway here's a couple of pics.

The sprues



Here's how far I've got. Doesn't look like much progress but the cockpit tub is built, detailed and hidden  and the airframe is together. Since this pic I've done a lot of sanding on the prop shaft booms, or whatever they were called and done some psr on a few joints around the engine intakes. Now I know it was tooled for resin it's actually not so bad 

[kerick]

I need to get one of these. Looks like lots of whiff fun!

[NARSES2]

Airframe is together and has been primed with Halford's white. Needs some p.s.r. around the tailplanes but once done I can get started with the painting

[NARSES2]

Major paintwork complete.

[Old Wombat]

Oh-Kay!?

Interested in seeing where this one goes.

[NARSES2]

Yea looks a bit ?? at the moment I must admit. It's a strange one to paint as well, there's now't to grab hold of her by.

Anyway I'm going to add some colour or natural metal to the air intake cowls, paint the end of the prop shafts black and they will be separated from the extension arm by a natural metal ring. The spinners are currently yellow but may go green, not sure yet. Hoping this adds some life but it is a strange one.

[Captain Canada]

I had never thought of that but it would be hard to hold eh ! Looks good Chris.

[NARSES2]

Got back to work on this and she is now on her back waiting for her legs, aerials, pitots and other assorted masts to set.

The undercarriage is a tad fiddly and if you followed the instructions and fitted it together outside of the bays then it might go together, but if you can get that assembly to pop into place in the bay properly then go out and buy a lottery ticket. In all honestly it would take a sharper eye and better hand/eye co=ordination than mine to get the gear assembled correctly. Now that's more to do with the limits of mould technology then the quality of the parts. Some of the fitting requires thinning down or opening up of already seriously small parts to get them to fit as advertised. There are a few on here who could do that but not me I'm afraid so she's cobbled a bit but looks passable.

I've also hummed and ahhd over the 4 mass balance weights. Even went so far as to try and understand what they are for. (I need a "understanding aeronautics for simpletons book"). They just don't look right on an operational aircraft to me, especially one on a carrier deck, they are that big and sticky out. So my excuse is that during testing they (Vought or NACA) found another way to do the job or they found they didn't actually need them 

So I now need to get these bits painted and then she can have her transfers and we are nearly there.