Carlos' Helldiver **FINISHED**

Runs: August 1st to September 11th
User avatar
Dirkpitt289
NUMA's Auto Mechanic
Posts: 8722
Joined: May 2nd, 2011, 1:55 am
Location: New jersey USA
Contact:

Re: Carlos' Helldiver

Post by Dirkpitt289 »

Nice attitude Carlos. PE can be fun and all kinds of great detail but there is something to be said about doing the job yourself.
.... Dirk

Beware of the DOG's of WAR

My Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/ModelingGu ... rid&view=0
User avatar
BWP
Got in under the wire
Posts: 774
Joined: April 28th, 2011, 2:23 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

Re: Carlos' Helldiver

Post by BWP »

Dirkpitt289 wrote:I was wondering if that kit would work on the Airfix kit.
Flaps is flaps. As long as the dimensions are correct ....
Bruce Probst
Melbourne, Australia
"I want to decide who lives and who dies."
My Model Profile
User avatar
BWP
Got in under the wire
Posts: 774
Joined: April 28th, 2011, 2:23 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

Re: Carlos' Helldiver

Post by BWP »

Dirkpitt289 wrote:there is something to be said about doing the job yourself.
And sometimes, that "something" is "well I just spent a great deal of time and effort to get a result maybe half as good in twice the time as if I'd just spent a few bucks on some aftermarket, but hey, I saved a few bucks".

I'm a man who knows his limitations and his strengths. And one of my strengths is knowing the limitations of my scratch-building abilities.

(I didn't suggest the PE earlier because Carlos was keen to have a go at doing the work himself. I only suggested it when he indicated it didn't seem to be working out too well.)

I do think it's a bit of a shame that the beautiful Airfix box artwork suggests that the kit contains detail that isn't actually there ....
Bruce Probst
Melbourne, Australia
"I want to decide who lives and who dies."
My Model Profile
User avatar
SJPONeill
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 3517
Joined: May 1st, 2011, 12:01 am
Location: Near the Spiral, NZ.
Contact:

Re: Carlos' Helldiver

Post by SJPONeill »

I'd be opting for the PE flaps as well - you could always on-sell the rest of the PE if you don't want/need it but in this scale, I think that the PE item would be the way to go for the see-through effect...

Agree totally with Bruce that the box-art is disappointingly misleading and that's one reason that we were subject to those horrible built-up boxart images in the 80s...
Please critique my posts honestly i.e. say what you think so I can learn and improve...
The World According To Me
User avatar
Martin R
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 4695
Joined: May 1st, 2011, 7:53 am

Re: Carlos' Helldiver

Post by Martin R »

Brews wrote:
carlos wrote:<snip?
A quick count up - and there are 312 holes in each upper flap, and 354 in each lower - 666 per side- or a total of 1332. :shock: :shock: :shock: <snip>
>

Helldiver ... the number of the beast ... coincidence?
The Helldiver's nickname was "The Beast" . . . another coincidence? :shock:

<Cue spooky X-Files music>

regards,
Martin R

"the 'R' stands for 'Representative'."
User avatar
carlos
The Bug Has Well And Truly Bitten
Posts: 482
Joined: May 1st, 2011, 12:24 am
Location: Bishop Auckland - NE England

Re: Carlos' Helldiver

Post by carlos »

Yeah - It's a real shame the kit can't be made to look like the boxart without aftermarket parts, scratchbuilding, or long-winded plastic surgery....

Well it's been nearly a week - haven't really got much of anything done - but at least I now have my workspace back, and can get back to some modelling.
After thinking about it for a bit, I've decided to get on with the bulk of the model, and leave the flaps until last - see how much time I have.
Assuming I have at least a few days left, I'm gonna try to scratch something - and as a fallback position I can just put the original flaps on, but closed for level flight...
I painted the interior last night, and assembled wings and fuselage today - nothing out of the ordinary, but a good deal of filling and sanding seams
(Well I s'pose it is an old kit after-all - 1969 stamped inside a lower wing part)

A couple of 'in progress' pics

Image

Wings attached, and engine inserted into cowl...
Image

As you can see, there's a fair old gap at the wingroot - and it's the same on the other side - diehedral looks OK when compared to a pic I found online, so I'm gonna have to fill and sand.
Also - those rivets - if they were to scale, they must be nearly 2" wide, and high on the real plane :shock:
Looking at photos, they should be much more subtle, hardly visible - I've never re-scribed panel lines before, don't wanna risk making a mess - so for this build I'm just gonna sand the rivets down a bit to make them less prominent, but still leave a hint of the panel shapes.

And that's about it for now - I'm expecting to be up late tonight though - so might get a bit more done - fingers crossed.
Currently on bench: ICM 1/72 Tupolev Tu-2
User avatar
Dirkpitt289
NUMA's Auto Mechanic
Posts: 8722
Joined: May 2nd, 2011, 1:55 am
Location: New jersey USA
Contact:

Re: Carlos' Helldiver

Post by Dirkpitt289 »

I know how you feel. I cut out the new flaps for my Dauntless and started drilling but half way through one flap I had to toss it and make a new one. I need to find a better way to drill more uniformed holes. Mine were all over the place.AUGH!
.... Dirk

Beware of the DOG's of WAR

My Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/ModelingGu ... rid&view=0
bigfiver69
The Bug Has Well And Truly Bitten
Posts: 293
Joined: July 27th, 2011, 6:56 pm

Re: Carlos' Helldiver

Post by bigfiver69 »

Go for scribing the panel lines!!!

I was totally intimidated until I did it the first time. I got a dental tool from my dentist (used) that is basically a spike with a handle. Sharpen it up on a piece of sandpaper. I just secure the section that I intend to scribe with plasticene and the use a metal straightedge ruler. Then scribe the first pass lightly, and then make a few passes over that.

If I make a mistake I fill the line with CA, sand it down, and have another go.

I'm sort of lousy at it to be honest, but I'm amazed how just a few panel lines can breath new life into these wonderful old kits.

Lines or no lines, though, you've got a pretty sweet build happening!!

Shep
Currently on the bench: Airfix Gladiator and AModel Fury.
User avatar
jssel
Still crazy after all these years
Posts: 11976
Joined: April 5th, 2011, 3:42 pm

Re: Carlos' Helldiver

Post by jssel »

Wow. This one may be next on my hit parade. Need something next to the TBM.
Besting 60 years of mediocre building of average kits in the stand off scale
MerlinJones

Re: Carlos' Helldiver

Post by MerlinJones »

For filling that wing-fuselage gap, you could consider using thin plasticard. Failing that, superglue and plastic from, say, a spreadable butter container.

Regards,
Bruce
Justin1980
Active Participant
Posts: 643
Joined: June 27th, 2011, 6:58 pm
Location: Lincoln

Re: Carlos' Helldiver

Post by Justin1980 »

Nice progress Carlos,

Looking good,

Justin
If there are no stupid questions, then what kind of questions do stupid people ask? Do they get smart just in time to ask questions?
User avatar
carlos
The Bug Has Well And Truly Bitten
Posts: 482
Joined: May 1st, 2011, 12:24 am
Location: Bishop Auckland - NE England

Re: Carlos' Helldiver

Post by carlos »

MerlinJones wrote:For filling that wing-fuselage gap, you could consider using thin plasticard. Failing that, superglue and plastic from, say, a spreadable butter container.

Regards,
Bruce
Yup - that's basically what I've done Bruce - I used thin strips cut from a clear sheet I made by running an empty 'pocket' through a laminator.
Did that this morning and left it to set all day - so first job tonight will be sanding that down.....

I'm also thinking of using the same thin laminator sheet for making dive brakes.
Because it's nice and thin, I might get away with just pushing a pin through to make those tiny vent-holes - fingers crossed........
Currently on bench: ICM 1/72 Tupolev Tu-2
User avatar
carlos
The Bug Has Well And Truly Bitten
Posts: 482
Joined: May 1st, 2011, 12:24 am
Location: Bishop Auckland - NE England

Re: Carlos' Helldiver

Post by carlos »

Gaa-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa-agh.h.h.h......!!!! :frown:

I've just wrecked a canopy - the main one above the rear-gunner.
By 'just', I mean about 15 mins ago, and by 'wrecked', I mean... totally obliterated!
Dropped it on the floor, seemed to go in front of me, so I rolled my chair back... only to hear a sickening 'crunch'.
It went under a wheel, and is mangled into about 20 pieces :cry:
I need that piece to be in good condition too, if I want to build it diving - having read last night that the pilot got the gunner to close the rear before going into a dive.
I was gonna have a go at collapsing the turtleback, but while reading up on it, found that a collapsed turtleback caused servere turbulence while diving, affecting aim and control - so the pilot would ask the gunner to close the rear up, so long as he wasn't shooting at fighters.

Anyways - after taking a coffee break - and calming down a bit - I'm still gonna crack on with the planned build, and will pick up another Helldiver to donate a canopy, as and when I can - hopefully before the GB deadline.

Other progress:
Tailplanes, undercart, and cowling, attached.
Exhausts drilled out, and the vent in front of the bomb-bay opened up
First coat of white in applicable areas (forgot how horrible Humbrol white is - probably need 3 coats)
Oh, and while painting the white, realised I forgot to open the oil-cooler intake under the cowl - will do that later.

Pics later - none yet due to being ticked-off at my little mishap.
Currently on bench: ICM 1/72 Tupolev Tu-2
User avatar
Martin R
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 4695
Joined: May 1st, 2011, 7:53 am

Re: Carlos' Helldiver

Post by Martin R »

Carlos,

What a sickener! It doesn't help, but we've all been there. :frown:

My only advice would be: don't let it get you down. And you can always take Friday night off. You never know, there may be another solution that a night's sleep will help you with.

Such as . . . would a piece from another kit fit?

Keep the faith.

regards,
Martin R

"the 'R' stands for 'Representative'."
MerlinJones

Re: Carlos' Helldiver

Post by MerlinJones »

Or bite a bullet and go for the Falcon USN set;

http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/FNCV0172;

Regards,
Bruce
Locked

Return to “Anti-Shipping GB”