Who the hell would fly this?

[Brian da Basher]

Tip tanks AND rockets! YEs!

I hope your back is feeling better Leigh.

A fellow bad back sufferer,
Brian da Basher

[lancer]

First off, I hope your back elastic get's fixed soon mate. Secondly, you have GOT to tell us how you did that internal framing, please. That is some spectacular work.  

[Leigh]

First off, I hope your back elastic get's fixed soon mate. Secondly, you have GOT to tell us how you did that internal framing, please. That is some spectacular work.

Right you asked for it so here goes.
First I put frames around the windows to hide the obvious clear plastic ovals that are going in later, the Airfix Rotodyne has a channel that the windows sit in, so I cut a rectangle from sheet styrene to fit in the channel, then traced around a window and cut the oval out of that. My exacto knife with a swivel blade that turns 360 degrees without turning the handle is invaluable for this.
Then I added a couple of vertical members that are styrene "I" beams have been drilled out with a tiny drill bit.
The horizontal piece is another piece of "I" beam that actually holds the ceiling in place.
And thank you the back is much better now that I invested in a couple of decent chairs for the workbench and the computer desk. Jeez I can't believe the price of office chairs but thats another topic.

[Leigh]

Then I added two horizontal strips of Evergreen #122  .020 X .040". All this framing is just eyeballed. I don't think anybody's gonna be able to tell that it's not square or exactly equally spaced when it's inside the model.

[Leigh]

Next came the vertical strips, I used smaller #111 .015 X .030" for these. The ones along the center actually sit in the window channel, it's hard to see with all the bondo and correction fluid I used on the inside of the fuselage to cover up the window plugs, but it should look as all part of the structur without gaps by the time its painted and a sludge wash put on to highlight the crevices. Where ther was no window channel I just spanned between the horizontal strips.

[Leigh]

All this is held in place with laquer thinner. I just cut the strip to fit, position it, very carefully hold it in place with the tip of my knife, I found the trick here is to not actually put any pressure on the knife, just let the weight og the knife hold it, otherwise they have a tendency to move, then just dip a liner brush in the laquer thinner, hold it to the strip and let the capillary action do the work. If it does move you have plenty of time to reposition it. Be prepared to donate a brush though 'cos it kinda screws them up.

[Leigh]

Then I finished it off with a few more horizontal strips from the thicker stock and let those lay on top of all the other framing. It's not as time consuming as it looks once you get started.
Been doing a bunch more plumbing and framing the ceiling and i hope to have it painted and washed this weekend so we'll see how it all turned out.

[cthulhu77]

Beautiful work, sir.  That is going to be a show stopper for sure.

[NARSES2]

When I look at work like that I honestly can't find sufficient words - and anyone who knows me will assert the significance of that statement  

Chris

[AeroplaneDriver]

Christ guys, lets just vote now and send him his prize  

This is stunning work Leigh!!

[Captain Canada]

wow, Leigh...is that ever coming along nicely ! Looking forward to another update.....

And I like your style " because I want to, because I like to "

 

[Leigh]

Christ guys, lets just vote now and send him his prize  

This is stunning work Leigh!!

Dunno if that's gonna work seeing as the prizes are already in my kitchen  
I think as judge, jury, and executioner of this build I'm not eligible to enter, just hope there's enough people left around here to vote in June .
So this weekend's madness apart from the other stuff around here was...
Before I start filling in the blanks around the interior I wanted to figure out how the guns would mount so I had to build some guns.
Combination of styrene stock, brass rods, handles from some resin German WWII 7.5mm and photo etch barrels from German WWI spandaus. The mounts were made from a strip I cut from a sheet of thin brass. Part of this is to give me experience working with these mediums as I've got alot of stuff in the stash which I've got detail sets for but they've been scaring me 'cos I've not really worked with all this teeny stuff before.

[Leigh]

And I like your style " because I want to, because I like to "

Which is why I've put hatches and plumbing in the ceiling, this is what I want the interior walls to like too.

[Leigh]

So again this is where I need your help, Tip tanks it is but all I've got in the spares box are these two types and some Tornado Hindenbergers which are way too big.
Watcha reckon left or right? I can't decide.
I would also like to showcase my new cutting mat, been wanting one for ages but I always thought they were overpriced, got this one at Ikea, two flexible plastic? cutting boards for $1.49

[philp]

Leigh,
Sorry I am so late on this thread.
It is looking great.

First, the tip tanks.  The one on the left looks better IMHO however, you said you have a couple of Tornado tanks?  Cut a chunk out of the middle of each of them, put a couple of mounting rings to attach them (one around the cut) and go that route. A little bigger than the wing always looks good like on a T-33 or a B-26K.

Going back a bit I read you sacraficed a Beau for the window plugs to get the rivets (now that is diff than what you normally read).  Anyway, a trick I learned about making rivets involves a sewing tool that is used to mark patterns.  Looks like a little pinwheel that you run along.  On thin sheet plastic, just run it along one side and when you turn it over, you have a set of nice, even raised rivets.  Won't help on this build but maybe for the future.

Another option on the guns is like the mounts used on CH-53 or Chinooks


Keep it coming.