1/48 SMER Piper L-4 Cub

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pmmaker
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1/48 SMER Piper L-4 Cub

Post by pmmaker »

The plane:

The Piper L-4 Cub (Grasshopper) was a high-wing monoplane design, braced at the fuselage, with seating accommodations for two that could include a pilot and passenger/instructor. Derived from the Piper J-3 Cub, which was originally intended as a trainer and had great popularity in this role and as a general aviation aircraft, the L-4 Grasshopper was well suited for a variety of military uses such as reconnaissance, liaison and ground control. It was produced in large numbers during World War II and many are still flying today. This lightweight and rugged aircraft would provide decades of service in war and peacetime with several nations.

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The kit:

Like most SMER kits, this kit is a re-issue of a previous molding. The kit is molded in a gray plastic and includes the etching of the fabric covered wing.

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About the size of a 72nd scale F4U Corsair, the kit includes two sets of decals: one to make an L-4 in D-Day markings, the other an early war L-4.

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The build:

I'm happy to report that this kit was a joy to build. The parts are finely molded, there is little to no flash, and filling and sanding is kept to a minimum. Parts fit rather well. The only issues are centered around the cockpit and the canopy. The cockpit has some fair detailing of which the tubular framing is the most prominent. This framing comes in three sections and must be carefully aligned in order to fit properly into the cockpit and allow the canopy to fit correctly to the fuselage. This took me several dry fittings and a couple of glued adjustments to get just right.

The other issue was with the canopy itself. Molded in three sections, extreme care is needed to attach it to the fuselage. If you build the canopy first and let it dry, you run the risk of not having it fit correctly. My solution was to use a bit of modeling clay. I tacked the canopy side panels to the fuselage and then carefully placed the top center section on top. Then using a small amount of liquid cement on a thin brush, I let nature take its course and applied the cement to the join where capillary action filled the seam. A day of drying gave me the correct shape and then I removed the clay and carefully glued the canopy to the fuselage.

The only other area to watch for was the wing. This glues over the canopy so I really was careful here not to mess up the canopy. Dry fitting and trimming were needed to get a snug, safe fit. All other parts went on without any issues. I used some 0.015 music wire for the tail bracing which is glued on using white craft glue.

Painting was done using watered down Tamiya neutral gray and olive drab acrylic enamels applied by brush. Since I'm really partial to D-Day stripes, I choose this scheme to replicate. The decals were top-notch and really responded well to Micro Sol, allowing the fabric etching to show through the wing insignia and D-Day stripes.

For the pilot, I took an old 48th scale Monogram TBF Devastator pilot I had sitting in the spares box. Painted up, he adds scale to what is clearly a rather small aircraft.

pmmaker

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jssel
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Re: 1/48 SMER Piper L-4 Cub

Post by jssel »

Wow. Very well done.
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Miss-Stang
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Re: 1/48 SMER Piper L-4 Cub

Post by Miss-Stang »

That's a lovely job, well done.

The Piper Cub has always been a great favourite of mine and you've made a really good job of yours especially the brush painting.
Regards,

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PTB11
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Re: 1/48 SMER Piper L-4 Cub

Post by PTB11 »

Thats a gem.
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Clashcityrocker
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Re: 1/48 SMER Piper L-4 Cub

Post by Clashcityrocker »

Really well done.

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PropWash
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Re: 1/48 SMER Piper L-4 Cub

Post by PropWash »

That came out really nice PMM. I cringe when I think what I would have done with that canopy (but I like the tip you shared about how to do it). :-D
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iggie
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Re: 1/48 SMER Piper L-4 Cub

Post by iggie »

Very nice looking build indeed
Best wishes

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JamesPerrin
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Re: 1/48 SMER Piper L-4 Cub

Post by JamesPerrin »

Jolly nice
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Re: 1/48 SMER Piper L-4 Cub

Post by ShaunW »

Very nicely done indeed, PMM and an interesting description of your build. The pilot figure gives a nice sense of scale, the L-4 is certainly on the diminutive side!
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