The 'Secret' prototype.....

[PR19_Kit]

I've finished the PSR on the dummy bodyshell now, and it only needed four sessions.  But then it's meant to look rough and ready, and it does. 

It's had 2-3 coats of grey primer now, and that forms the basis of the colour scheme. The second colour coat is drying overnight, after EXTENSIVE masking, and the third and last coat will go on tomorrow, after more masking.

You won't BELIEVE what it will look like when it's done, and I'll post pics of it anyway, as it's nothing like the real car that will live underneath it. 

[loupgarou]

But are you putting the real car body underneath, or we'll only get the dummy body?

[PR19_Kit]

Oh yes, the whole car will be hidden underneath. Complete with experimental engine, transmission, new front and rear suspension, and test instrumentation etc.

All modelled from my memory when I was doing just that in the 60s. 

[PR19_Kit]

Also available in black............ 

Er, it was in black already, you may be thinking?

Yes it was, but that was black styrene, and this is black paint, over the top of two other colours as well, and heavily masked too. You can just about see some of the masking in the pic.

[PR19_Kit]

Also available in black............ 

.....and in grey and white as well. 





And it's meant to look scrappy too, with overuns and chipped paint etc. The RW ones were just like that.

[McColm]

Dazzle ship pattern 

[JayBee]

I thought that it would look more like the prewar P-51s that were tried in a dazzle pattern that was rather more pointed than that.
That having been said, I do like it.

[PR19_Kit]

On a second attempt (not that it's likely of course  ) I'd have less of the grey showing and more white, but it's good enough for Government work.

[PR19_Kit]

Now that the dummy body is pretty well done, just a few detail bits to add, I've moved back to the main car structure.

The interior bucket is shown at the bottom of the pic, which is now boxed in and has the instrumentation package located on the back seat, the signal conditioners on top and the recorder underneath. It's also had a gear box and propshaft tunnel added too, which weren't present on the original kit.

The underframe is shown above it, now with the front wheel arches and suspension struts boxed in, and also has the vestige of a propshaft tunnel at the rear.

Those of who who build Brit prop models may note the preponderance of AZ MB6 parts here, the propshaft tunnels and suspension fairings were drop tanks from that kit and the gear box tunnel is half of the nose too. 

[PR19_Kit]

Whiffing a car is MUCH more difficult than whiffing an aircraft. 

There's loads more nooks and crannies to PSR on the underfame and body than on an airframe, and some parts are just not worth the bother. Does anyone KNOW what it should look like anyway? And it's a prototype mule so the manufacturers could have done anything to it, even this manufacturer. 

I've got the 2nd coat of primer on the underframe after a nominal PSR session, and it may be the last one prior to the basic colour. I've also sanded and primed the body too, and that's looking pretty good, complex though it is.

This'll be last day of work on the Secret Prototype until Sunday as I'm headed home for a few days to do other things tomorrow.

[PR19_Kit]

LOTS of spraying and masking last night.

The underframe was sprayed matt black and then satin coated (I don't have any satin black with me...), the interior bucket has been primered, which was a big mistake as I can see all the problems now, but with luck you won't be able to because of the dummy bodyshell and the smoked glass windows. 

The proper body shell was primered and the lower colour sprayed, and then masked off and the upper colour sprayed.

Sadly the latter isn't as good as it could be and will need some patching and re-spraying but progress is being made.

I'll bring some bits and pieces back from home with me on Sunday to help do the engine and I'll have enough to finish it all off then.

[ChernayaAkula]

<...> It's not perfect, but these camo bodies never were anyway.<...>



<...> deliberately ugly <...>

The 1980s' Lincoln designers would like to have a word with you!   

[PR19_Kit]

The 1980s' Lincoln designers would like to have a word with you!   

There's a queue, they'll have to stand in line. 

[ChernayaAkula]

 

[PR19_Kit]

After a 'My get up and go has got up and went' break I got going again on the Secret Prototype today.

Much more masking and spraying was needed to correct the errors I made on the first masking session of the proper body shell, and that looks a lot better now. It'll need some light touch ups, and application of the Molotow Chrome Pen before it's finished, but it's not looking too bad so far.

The interior has been sprayed with the upholstery colour, and that'll need some MORE masking before I spray the carpet colour. 

I intend (A fine word, but well over-used in this game...) to start painting the engine and rear suspension later today, to which end I bought my entire stock of metallic paints back from home last Sunday, and there's a LOT of them.