Westland-Fairey Rotocrane HC4

[PR19_Kit]

Having got pretty frustrated at the lack of the sixth blade, I decided to add some greebles (thanks Fred  ) to the aircraft. I nicked all sorts of chaff dispensers, ECM and VOR aerials and an ASR winch nicked from various other helicopter kits and glued them on in random places so it looks a bit more military.

Of course of the middle of that I found the sixth blade! 

Blade repair tomorrow I guess.

[Old Wombat]

Having got pretty frustrated at the lack of the sixth blade, I decided to add some greebles (thanks Fred  ) to the aircraft. I nicked all sorts of chaff dispensers, ECM and VOR aerials and an ASR winch nicked from various other helicopter kits and glued them on in random places so it looks a bit more military.

Of course of the middle of that I found the sixth blade! 

Blade repair tomorrow I guess.

Ain't it always the way!

[PR19_Kit]

I've fixed one blade with Robert's system now and it looks pretty good. Got to PSR it first but it's a lot stronger than my original butt joints.

I looked at doing the slots at an angle Jon, but the blades don't really have a wide enough chord, and I'm not confident of my ability to saw at the same angle on each blade really. 

Actually I've just thought of a way to do that, clamp both halves of the blade together with one upside down, and then make one saw cut through both of them at the same time. Doh! 

[jcf]

I think in woodworking termology it's called a biscuit joint. Only it would be vertical instead of horizonally

A biscuit joint uses biscuits, compressed oval pieces of wood that fit into a semicircular cutout
in each gluing face, this is cut with a special power tool called a plate or biscuit jointer.

The joint you describe is a spline joint, which does not require any specialized tools.

I've used both, personally speaking the requirement for a specialized tool, and the biscuits, makes
the biscuit joint nonsensical unless you're in a production setting. There are numerous other joints
that work as well, of course that requires learning to use regular tools appropriately and skillfully.

[jcf]

I knew you'd figure out the stack-cut-n-flip. 

The angled cut increases the apparent chord, thus more gluing area.

[kitnut617]

I think in woodworking termology it's called a biscuit joint. Only it would be vertical instead of horizonally

A biscuit joint uses biscuits, compressed oval pieces of wood that fit into a semicircular cutout
in each gluing face, this is cut with a special power tool called a plate or biscuit jointer.

The joint you describe is a spline joint, which does not require any specialized tools.

I've used both, personally speaking the requirement for a specialized tool, and the biscuits, makes
the biscuit joint nonsensical unless you're in a production setting. There are numerous other joints
that work as well, of course that requires learning to use regular tools appropriately and skillfully.

Cheers Jon   

[The Wooksta!]

Mmmmnnn!  Biscuits!

[PR19_Kit]

Got all the greeblies on now, and added the rear bulkhead and the crane operator's observation blister AND started painting it too! It's green, all of it........

Oh yes, the canopy's in place now too. It's starting to look as it was intended.

Still working on the darn rotor blades though. 

[PR19_Kit]

Here's the Rotocrane in all it's wonderful green-ness, and with its canopy and greeblies added too.

And also the rest of my RAF 100 GB fleet, the 'PR9' has had it's underside all painted up, two coats of Light Aircraft Grey and I've started on the Hemp uppers. The Venom T5 has got a nice coat of silver, but that showed up some PSR issues so it'll need at least another coat, and the Gnat CC2 is primered nicely, but I'm still looking for a decent piece of  close grained balsa to carve for the canopy mould.

It certainly shows how HUGE the 'PR9' is and how tiny the Gnat is too. 



Oh yes, I forgot to mention I've got a fifth build on the go too, but I'll wait until it's done before posting anything about it. 

That one's almost at the decal stage now, and I only started it on Thursday evening...... 

[nighthunter]

Oh yes, I forgot to mention I've got a fifth build on the go too, but I'll wait until it's done before posting anything about it. 

That one's almost at the decal stage now, and I only started it on Thursday evening...... 

Would that be the Hunter FGA.9 you bragged about?

[PR19_Kit]

Oh yes, I forgot to mention I've got a fifth build on the go too, but I'll wait until it's done before posting anything about it. 

That one's almost at the decal stage now, and I only started it on Thursday evening...... 

Would that be the Hunter FGA.9 you bragged about?

Nooooo, I only bought that today, the fifth model has been in my stock for a few years now. It's somewhat 'radical'....... 

[PR19_Kit]

Painting up the Rotocrane's canopy is a bit of a nightmare. It has got DOZENS of separate panels so there's twice that number of panel joints.

I was originally going to paint them after priming, but it's not that easy so I may go the painted tape route instead.

[PR19_Kit]

Actually it turned out that painting the canopy was easier than trying to get the painted tape to stay put over the double curvature of the Rotocrane's canopy, and that bit's done and dusted now.

I've put two coats of Klear all over it, and may start the decals later on.

Work on the rotor blades continues, but slowly.

Oh yes, the container is painted now too, a shade lighter than the overall Dark Green if the airframe.

[PR19_Kit]

The Rotocrane's all painted and it's got most of its decals on now, even if some of them aren't matching colours!

[NARSES2]

Very neat