Area 88 1/144: Rocky Arrival (DC-3)

strobez · July 29, 2018, 08:32:23 PM

So I know I told myself I wouldn't start any new projects until I cleared up the "shelf of doom", but after a month and a half off during my 'round the world odyssey, I couldn't resist jumping into a couple of new projects featuring some of the kits I snagged along the way.

The first one is perhaps stretching it a bit in terms of my Area 88 1/144 project series, but really any excuse to slip in a DC-3... amirite?

Anyway, the scene from the manga depicts Goh "Rocky" Mutsuki, a Japanese correspondent from the NP News Service arriving at the AREA 88 base for a one month photo report on the Asran military's use of mercenary pilots. His ride out to the far side of hell? A DC-3 transport. Only featured in a handful of panels, but I always loved this scene. You can almost feel Rocky stepping out onto the blazing hot tarmac for the first time.

Since I had to leave the box behind in Canada (for reasons of consolidation in making room in the luggage), I don't get to start off the thread with my usual shot of the box. It came in one featuring the Minicraft logo in the top corner... I'm sure you've seen it. The first order of business? Drill out and then trim out the window openings and the door.

Then a quick dry fit to make sure it looks like an airplane. Since the rear door will be open, I'm planning to add in a bit of a floor and some bench seating along the side. For some strange reason though, the angle and the narrowing of the fuselage is giving me trouble to get the floor to sit properly. I blame the jet lag..,

TheChronicOne · July 30, 2018, 01:50:14 AM

Go for the gusto!!!! No Chronic in the Sucrets tin?!

Spey_Phantom · July 30, 2018, 02:33:38 AM

i like where this is going, i never thought of a DC-3 for the Area 88 collection

i will have to follow this build, i have a spare DC-3 in the stash that needs to ber put to use.

what color scheme are you going for, standard olive green or desert tan

strobez · July 30, 2018, 03:50:26 AM

Well there's not much to go on... two wide shots and a bit of the door frame, all in B&W is it. I was leaning towards doing a dark tan chipped paint job over a bare aluminum underside, but the olive green might also work. Hmmm...

zenrat · July 30, 2018, 04:21:20 AM

You need the services of one of those experts in discerning colours from B&W images that populate other "serious" modelling forums...

FWIW my first thought, looking at the artwork was green. But now you mention it, it could be dark tan...

strobez · July 30, 2018, 08:15:26 AM

I think olive might have captured my imaginationfor this one. After thinking about it a bit too, I've decided to alter my plan from "just landed" to "just about to land". Less work involved in flight than on the ground, and I want to try something just a bit fancy besides.

loupgarou · July 30, 2018, 10:05:43 AM

Quote from: strobez on July 30, 2018, 08:15:26 AM
I think olive might have captured my imaginationfor this one. After thinking about it a bit too, I've decided to alter my plan from "just landed" to "just about to land". Less work involved in flight than on the ground, and I want to try something just a bit fancy besides.

If it will be still in flight, maybe the door had better stay closed...

strobez · July 30, 2018, 02:18:46 PM

Urm... yeah. The thought had crossed my mind that perhaps I'd opened up the door in haste. Oh well, luckily it's a relatively easy fix to replace.

PR19_Kit · July 30, 2018, 03:20:07 PM

Daks flew just fine with the doors totally missing, that's how they paradropped from them.

zenrat · July 31, 2018, 05:12:07 AM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on July 30, 2018, 03:20:07 PM
Daks flew just fine with the doors totally missing...

As, I can assure you from personal experience do Islanders.

PR19_Kit · July 31, 2018, 10:29:24 AM

Quote from: zenrat on July 31, 2018, 05:12:07 AM
Quote from: PR19_Kit on July 30, 2018, 03:20:07 PM
Daks flew just fine with the doors totally missing...

As, I can assure you from personal experience do Islanders.

And Beverley's too............

strobez · August 02, 2018, 05:52:35 PM

So, I do kinda regret cutting open the door, but oh, well. That's what I get for switching gears after starting the project.

Regardless, the hole has been plugged adequately and the cabin has been blocked off to prevent a see/through effect - even though it should be partially see through I guess.

Just like on the DC-10 project, I painted the interior black to add depth and I glued a strip of film cut from an iPad screen protector in place to act as a backstop. I'll add some clear glue from the front later for the actual windows, but this seemed to fix a lot of the concave issues in my test run.

Now that the interior is done, I buttoned up the fuselage. I had a bit of trouble using the Tamiya extra thin quick setting cement. It seems a bit hit and miss for me. Sometimes works great, others (like this time) it just doesn't want to bind. Took some careful application with regular Tamiya cement and some clamps to get the wings together. Of course it will need some PSR work. There's so much fine detail, I hope I don't lose it all in the process.

Scotaidh · August 03, 2018, 02:42:55 AM

Re your glue problems - any chance of paint on the gluing surfaces? I have always had problems with that, even when I run a sanding stick on them first - doesn't always get all of it.

strobez · August 03, 2018, 03:47:40 AM

I've had that problem too, but that's not the case this time. I never have anything other than human error issues with Tamiya's regular and thin cement... but the thin quick set one seems finicky. Sometimes it works great, others... not at all. I can't figure out why.

NARSES2 · August 03, 2018, 06:51:54 AM

This is looking good

Quote from: strobez on August 03, 2018, 03:47:40 AM
but the thin quick set one seems finicky. Sometimes it works great, others... not at all. I can't figure out why.

Yes. I've just started a new bottle and it seems to be stronger ? Certainly seems to be melting the plastic far more than the previous bottle, having to be much more sparing with it.