A different Barracuda

[NARSES2]

TWICE I've written out this post, and TWICE it's vanished before I got to the end.

I'm getting VERY fed up with it. 

For a long post, write it in Word, then copy/paste the complete text to the forum.

That's what I do, especially for build reports etc. It also gives me a chance to edit the post, although mistakes still creep storm through, plus I keep a record that's easier for me to find unlike the way the system sorts if you search by author - to me at least.

[PR19_Kit]

The wing varnishing's all done, with Dullcote. It works a lot better if you stir it up a lot, the 2nd coat dried gloss after I didn't bother with that rather vital step! Now I can glue the flaps onto the folded wing versions and that's the wings done.

I'm not bothering with the six underwing bomb racks (the Mk IVs didn't have them anyway  ) as SH provide them in three parts each, and they're just two small to work with.

I do wish they wouldn't do that, it would have been just as easy for them to mould them in one piece, and people don't care about the parts count these days, that went out in the 60s. It doesn't do Hobbyboss any harm in sales minimising the parts count I bet.

The SAC white metal landing gear is all in place now, after having to build extensions for the vertical struts as it was obviously not intended to fit the resin wing roots of the folded wing conversion kit. Wheels to paint and attach and that'll be the gear done.

I've re-tested the fit of the turret as the space it has to occupy has an extra 3-4 coats of paint and varnish now, but it goes in OK with a bit of a squeeze. I'm not looking forward to painting the panel lines on the turret though.

On the finishing straight for this one now. 

[PR19_Kit]

Yet AGAIN I've been nailed by SH's bloody silly 'never use one part where 15 will do' policy! 

The A-frame arrestor hook for the Barra is in two parts, the A-frame itself and the hook, which is about 1.2 mm long! While trying to trim off the sprue from the hook it pinged off into orbit and I'll never see it again!

WHY DO IT? It's be just as easy to mould the whole frame and hook in one piece!

I think I'm going to email them on the subject, it's spoilt the build of this model for me totally.

[NARSES2]

I've re-tested the fit of the turret as the space it has to occupy has an extra 3-4 coats of paint and varnish now, but it goes in OK with a bit of a squeeze. I'm not looking forward to painting the panel lines on the turret though.

Use very thin strips of pre-painted masking tape Kit. About 0.5/0.75mm - yes I do buy mine pre-slit 

[PR19_Kit]

I've re-tested the fit of the turret as the space it has to occupy has an extra 3-4 coats of paint and varnish now, but it goes in OK with a bit of a squeeze. I'm not looking forward to painting the panel lines on the turret though.

Use very thin strips of pre-painted masking tape Kit. About 0.5/0.75mm - yes I do buy mine pre-slit 

After your recommendation some while ago I bought some too, and very good it is. Needless to say it's about 120 miles away from me now, so it may be the pre-painted Tamiya tape route.

[PR19_Kit]

Time for a teaser pic of the Barra. 

As you can see, the engine's done and dusted, as is most of the rest of the fuselage, just bells and whistles to go now. The wings, all four of them, have been done for some time, I'm pleased to say.

[Captain Canada]

Really changes the look of her !

[PR19_Kit]

You haven't seen the turret yet................ 

[PR19_Kit]

Earlier I mentioned that while I was cutting off the rear of the canopy to make room for the turret that it had split, but I'd glued it along the split with glazing PVA and it wasn't too bad. While filing it to the final length the darn thing split into three parts, that knocked that idea on the head! 

Luckily the canopy for the FROG kit is pretty accurate and almost fits. It's also twice the thickness of the SH canopy and a lot stronger! I sawed that down to length and spent a happy half hour or so filing the bottom edge so it matched the SH canopy rail. I'm getting quite used to doing this now as I had exactly the same job to do with the Jaguar canopy I used for the Double Pancake. I've now glued the FROG canopy in place and it fits pretty well, but as it's a Barracuda canopy it has ziilions of small panes and thus frames to paint. I was going to go the painted Tamiya tape route, but then I remembered I'd bought a canopy masking set for the Barra, so I looked it out and I'm going to give it a try.

Meanwhile I AM doing the gun turret canopy with the Tamiya tape method.....

Oh yes, all the decals are on, and the side observation windows, and the props painted and it fits nicely, and the exhaust ring and pipe is painted and in place, and the torpedo is painted and glued in place, I'm about to varnish the whole thing too.

[PR19_Kit]

Remind me NEVER to build a model with gun turrets again please! 

At least, those with oodles of frames on them like the Defiant turret. I've just finished painting the Barra's canopy and turret, and I started off by trying the set of canopy masks that I'd got for the SH kit, but of course they don't fit the FROG canopy that's on there all that well, and they're the very DEVIL to remove from their backing sheet, so most of that set is in the bin. I did the rest of the canopy with Tamiya tape all over it, and trimmed to shape. and it went reasonably well.

Then I tried the same on the turret. NO chance! It's so small that I just couldn't manage it so I used Chris' method. I painted a couple of lengths of Tamiya tape with EDSG and then cut them to length and stuck them in place before varnishing the whole caboodle. With a bit of paint touch up that worked too, but it was MEGA-fiddly!

I've just found a couple of flap jacks in the SH kit that I forgot and they're on the FROG fixed wings waiting for some paint and it'll all be done. 

Pics later today I reckon.

Just a few odds and ends may be missing though............

1) The landing light lens for the SH wing, which still hasn't shown up, not withstanding valiant efforts by Pete and his pukka vacuum. I may try clear PVA on it, as I've done that with the FROG wing, and it's not too bad.

2) There are some STUPIDLY tiny bits of etched brass that need to be sandwiched together to make the hinges and jacks for the folded wings. These etches are about 5mm long and 0.75 mm across, so quite how I'm supposed to glue them together without them becoming glued to my modelling mat or onto my fingers I have no idea. And there are no spares of course............

[63cpe]

From what I do see in the teaserpic  (and previous pictures) It's looking great Kit! Intruinging conversion to radial and I'm very curious to see the turret on a Barra.
That's very different for sure! 

Enjoy your modelling (...however it can be a form of self masochism).

Cheers,
David aka 63cpe

[PR19_Kit]

(...however it can be a form of self masochism).

That's certainly been the case for the last two I've done Dave, for sure.

I'll be doing something simpler next time, carrying on with my Canberra F10.

[63cpe]

 



But look at the results! they're looking marvelous!

In my opinion the works of a whiffer are quite similar to the works of an artist. Lots of pains but what a beautiful result! ;-)

David aka 63cpe

[PR19_Kit]

It's done, for the time being while I summon up the courage to do the teeny-weeny PE bits.

So here's the GAF Barracuda Mk IV assigned to A Flight 1747 NAS aboard HMS Industrious of the British Pacific Fleet on Operation Iceberg, the invasion of Okinawa, in April 1945.





A couple of the usual front 3/4 shots to show the general idea of the Barracuda Mk IV showing the 1650 bhp Hercules XVII engine. The wing joint lines could be better, but there was so much PSR on it already I just lost heart with doing any more.




The rear 3/4 view showing the ex-Blackburn Roc turret which decimated the IJN fighters during the battles for the Sakishima Islands.




Underside view showing the Mk XV torpedo carried by the Barra IV for heavy maritime strikes.




Rear underside view showing the arrestor hook and the Youngmann flaps that enabled the Barra to be such a superb dive bomber.




Showing the wings folded, note they're a different set of wings, not the same ones folded up, that'd be WELL above my capability!




Close up of the wing fold joint, most of which is from the Airwaves PE set.




This is how I'll show it much of the time, as it's such a drama getting the folded wings in place.

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Backstory is here : https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=47839.new#new

[63cpe]

Congrats Mate! It's looking beyond great. My minds boggles about the wingfold...it's really great. Hat's off!

David aka 63cpe