Hunting Percival Pembroke - Finished

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K5083
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Re: Hunting Percival Pembroke

Post by K5083 »

Looking great, and inspirational. I find that in a 1/72 transport, just the vague shapes of seats add a lot to the final product.

August
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vacant
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Re: Hunting Percival Pembroke

Post by vacant »

It has been good modelling weather today. Wet. So add another 8 hours and this is where I have got to with the the Pembroke.

The interior is fitted and painted. I don't have any details of cabin interiors so I have installed 9 rear facing seats and hoped for the best.
I have glued a set of tabs along the fuselage seams to help mate the two halves. I have dry fitted and the fit seems to be quite good - for a vacform.

The spinners are what took most of the time. I had nothing suitable so I resorted to cutting various pieces from bombs and things (which explains the different colours). I have also found some props that I was able to cut down and sand to the right shape. I will have to attach them one at a time at a later stage. The seams on the nacelles looks a bit dodgy but they will be fine when cleaned up.

Image

Since taking the photo, I have packed the front of the fuselage with filler to stop it being a tail sitter, but I doubt if it will be enough. I have also packed the front of the nacelles with filler but that may not be enough either. I may have some spare lead from a caqr wheel balance that may solve the problem.

I have built a box from scrap plastic card in the u/c bay. I have found some wheels in the spares box but the main u/c legs will best be scratch built.

I see from photos that the u/c doors were often closed when the aircraft was on the ground. There were some very small doors that opened so that the leg could poke through. I have not decided what to do about that yet. It can wait.
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Zee28
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Re: Hunting Percival Pembroke

Post by Zee28 »

Tremendous Vacant! I so admire this vac-form work, fantastic stuff.
vacant
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Re: Hunting Percival Pembroke

Post by vacant »

This must feel like pulling teeth, slowly and painfully. After another three hours, give or take, a bit more progress has been made. This is surprising because by now, I have often had to go backwards to correct a blunder of some kind.

The fuselage halves have been joined fairly succesfully. What looks like a poor join on top is not as bad as it looks and will be easy enough to tidy up.
Carving the canopy out of its piece and getting it to fit was the usual challenge, but after seemingly endless shavings and dry fits, it is now attached. The tape is to ensure that nothing moves while the PVA is drying. So goodbye to all that interior detail. I know it's there.
Making the u/c legs was always going to be a case of scratch building using odds and ends. There are a few embryonic bits in the photo.
The nose u/c has been glued in place - a suitable doner camd came from the spares box.
The individual prop blades are being painted white. They will eventualy be given red stripes.
I have inserted some thin strips of brass rod to help attach the wings to the fuselage. They won't provide much support, but even a small amount of support will help secure the butt joints.
There has been one backwards step. The u/c/ doors appear to have always been shut while the aircaft was on the ground. I have only seen one photo of them in the open position and that was while the u/c was being retracted after take-off. So I have used the doors to close the u/c bay back again, leaving small rectangular holes for the legs to poke through. I have had to use filler to smooth off the joins, but it will be fine when sanded down.

Image

So there it sits as I wonder what is best to do next. I don't have a rule book. It' a case of working it out on the hoof. One job that I may do next is to paint around the window frames. If I don't do it before the wings are attached, they will be hard to get at and even harder to get at when the engine nacelles and u/c are in place. For the moment. however, it needs a bit of general drying time.
vacant
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Re: Hunting Percival Pembroke

Post by vacant »

Add on some more hours - about another 4.

The engine nacelles are now attached with gaps filled in but not yet smoothed over.
The tail wings are attached.
I have attached doors to the front u/c in the closed position.
I have done some painting around the windows and a few other small places.
The canopy has been blended in.
I am still working on making the u/c legs.

Image

Judging the right height for the u/c legs will be critical for the aircraft to sit correctly. I still don't know if will be a tail sitter in spite of the amount of filler inside it. It won't be the end of the world if it needs a pin or someother kind of support.
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Zee28
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Re: Hunting Percival Pembroke

Post by Zee28 »

The way it's balancing on that paint pot suggest your nose weight is gonna be adequate mate. This is superb work Vacant.
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Re: Hunting Percival Pembroke

Post by Lone Modeller »

Sorry but I have been away and have only just caught up with this.

I think that you are too self critical, (I know that I am being hypocritical when I write that but no matter). Your modelling skills are excellent and to attempt what is basically an aid to scratch building says it all. This is turning into another of your little gems - you have a real knack of turning sow's ears into silk purses. Excellent modelling - more of the same please and no more apologies for making it up as you go along. All modellers do that don't they? I know that I do!
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Clashcityrocker
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Re: Hunting Percival Pembroke

Post by Clashcityrocker »

It's a nice model of a nice looking aeroplane.

Nigel
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Re: Hunting Percival Pembroke

Post by vacant »

I am painting at the moment. Everyone knows what painting looks like, so there is no point in posting a photo. I am doing as much painting as I can before attaching the main wings to the fuselage. That's the best way to paint around the windows and to add the dark blue flash that I will hand paint. I will post another photo when there is something that might be worth seeing. That may be when the paint is drying, though I might give that one a bit more thought.
vacant
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Re: Hunting Percival Pembroke

Post by vacant »

I'm still painting. If anyone is desperate to see a paint brush, a pot of paint and some Tamiya tape, do let me know. I expect to be completey undewhelmed by responses.

There are no decals with this kit so I have to paint the blue cheat line myself. That's where Tamiya tape, the modeller's saviour, comes into its own. My modelling life changed a few years ago when I discovered Tamiya tape. I have also been adding red stripes to the props as on the Cosford aircraft, a tedious job but may be worth it for the colourful effect.

The main wings are now attached and setting. There will be a bit of filler and cleaning up work to do when I think it is safe to pick it up. The next potentially problematic part will be when I attach the u/c - too many heights and angles to cater for at the same time often causes me problems on account of my eyeball approach. I really should use a jig but as I have previously explained, if I can't get the model right, my chances of building a jig are equally low - so I don't.

So although there are no photos, I'm still on the case, hoping to get to the end before I start to lose focus.
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JohnRatzenberger
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Re: Hunting Percival Pembroke

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

I've had days when watching paint dry would have been a high point ...
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vacant
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Re: Hunting Percival Pembroke - Finished

Post by vacant »

The paint has now stopped drying so it's safe to look again. I can't think of anything else to say about it. Once the
vacform cutting and sanding is over and the various scratch built bits are built, the rest is the same as building an injection kit.

I made a few compromises in the markings and painting for this one in that it is a bit of a mix. It's a bit like the Cosford one, but not entirely. It's a bit like some other conserved Pembrokes, but not entirely. It's a bit like a standard production version from its period, but not entirely.

Anyway many thanks for following the build and the supportive comments. For only £5 and even though it was a quite awful vacform, I reckon it was a pretty good buy.

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lancfan
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Re: Hunting Percival Pembroke

Post by lancfan »

Good build Vacant, it looks terrific and despite it's age it is accurate enough to make me want to go and find one to build myself.


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AndrewR
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Re: Hunting Percival Pembroke

Post by AndrewR »

Another great vacform build. :)

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TobyC
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Re: Hunting Percival Pembroke

Post by TobyC »

You never cease to amaze me with the quality of models you make.
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