Frog DH Hornet (F239) 1/72 - AndrewR and Lancfan

[Stuart]

Thanks for that - I don't know anyone with one but I will take a look at a flexable shaft. It seems a great idea.

[jssel]

Oooooh. Good catch on the outlets. That would be blitzable to make.

[AndrewR]

I'm finding this slow going, with the shaky hands, and it's difficult to cut with a knife or scribe, so I'm avoiding those activities as much as possible. Cutting with scissors is much easier.

The port wing is now together, and I think it looks better than it would straight from the box. Making the air intakes at the wing roots taller helps get the proportions nearer to the real thing. Once this one is dry, then I can clean up the rough bits.



The starboard wing is not together yet, but has had the rear plates for the exhausts and the splitter plates in the intake installed. I should be able to get that together tomorrow.

So now I had to make some decisions on the interior. David is doing a very nice replica of the real thing. I couldn't manage that in reasonable time at the moment, so I'm resorting to smoke and mirrors.

Readers of a nervous disposition, or expecting reasonable accuracy in their model building should avert their eyes now...

As my plane is in flight, being able to see the pilot in the cockpit is the main priority. The actual cockpit is fairly compact, so I won't bother with much detail.

Finding a suitable pilot figure was tricky - my Revell RAF set has lots of giant, rather overscale figures in it, and the kit figure is jockey-sized. I decided to resort to that old trick of only showing the pilot's head and torso



The kit cockpit floor was extended out at the back for the radio systems (black boxes), and I've added a few details from plastic rod and card on the back of the armoured backrest and on the cockpit walls (mostly to help mask the ejector pin marks).



This was then primed in dark grey. The pilot torso was primed with sand coloured primer, which works well for skin tones, and also for the orange of the Frankenstein life jacket worn postwar.



After priming, I've noticed that the primer has not covered the surface in several places - a sure sign of grease on the plastic. I'll wash the other parts on the sprues, and go over the fuselage and wings with soapy water before I try priming the exterior.

cheers

Andrew

[lancfan]

Coming along very nicely Andrew, .

David.

[AndrewR]

Coming along very nicely Andrew, .

David.

Thanks David. I had the afternoon off, so I was able to make some progress. I'm looking forward to seeing a real cockpit in your build, rather than the stage scenery version in mine!

Cheers

Andrew

[AndrewR]

The hand shakes improved tonight, so I was able to paint the pilot torso



and also put a couple of different grey colours onto the primed interior. I need to do something about the instrument panel before closing up though.

[ShaunW]

Very nice Andrew. However, upper surface reshaped?, enlarged intakes? nav lights cut out? thinned by 1mm!?!?!? Steady on, you're entering dangerous modelling waters there. Next thing you'll be buying scale plans and then it's only a small step to full-on JMNism

I hope those shakes get sorted - the only bits I'd like to see cut orf should be from the sprues!

[AndrewR]

Very nice Andrew. However, upper surface reshaped?, enlarged intakes? nav lights cut out? thinned by 1mm!?!?!? Steady on, you're entering dangerous modelling waters there. Next thing you'll be buying scale plans and then it's only a small step to full-on JMNism

I hope those shakes get sorted - the only bits I'd like to see cut orf should be from the sprues!

The shakes were better yesterday evening, thank you, not so good in mornings though. I think the medication should settle down soon.

The wing mods are just because the wing doesn't look at all right as it is. You'll note that the cockpit is back to the "vaguely plausible" standard. And I will be installing a pilot torso with no arms...

Hopefully that will be it as far as major modifications go. With any luck, there will be some assembly today.

[ShaunW]

You'll note that the cockpit is back to the "vaguely plausible" standard. And I will be installing a pilot torso with no arms...

Phew! that is a relief

As I said earlier, I hope the meds work and you get back to your old modelling self before too long.

[splash]

Sorry guys I missed the start of you build, but I'm now watching.

It's good to see how two people attack the same problems with different techniques, that's why I like the single kit group builds. I don't have a frog version but do have a Skybirds 86 Sea Hornet.

Keep up the good work.

Regards Splash

[AndrewR]

The wings are now on. The port wing fitted really well.



The starboard wing, not well at all, probably because of the alterations to the shape. I'm pleased with the look of the leading edges of the wing, the air intakes seem much more in proportion to the wing thickness now. I just need to tidy up a few edges and straggly bits.



Lots of plastic card shims on the starboard side. The leading edge wing root will need careful attention, or at least, some attention of some sort!



I was right not to bother too much with the cockpit, with the pilot in place, it's basically a black hole with hardly any detail visible. That's a relief!



I was hoping to get more done, but David's (that's our David!) afternoon therapist is sick, so I'm on cooking duties instead.

cheers

Andrew

[lancfan]

Accidently knocked the tip of the trailing edge off one wing and whilst enthusiastically milling away at the other got the plastic too warm and it deformed, thankfully I like to keep a tub of melted sprue paste and was able to repair the wings with replacement plastic. These are now dry and the wings will be finished tomorrow and work on the cockpit can start over the weekend.


David.

[AndrewR]

The wings are certainly oddly engineered David. Very thick edges and very thin centre sections. I can see how enthusiastic sanding could go through the wing. Your wings seem to be nicely together now.

I managed a bit of sanding and stuck the tailplanes on - excellent fit, and they certainly won't need much filler, if any. More sanding tomorrow!

[DavidWomby]

Andrew,

I am a bit unclear on what you did to the wings. I thought you meant that you removed 1mm from the thickness by shaving that off the lower wing inner surface but that would reduce the depth of the engine nacelle too so I think I must have misunderstood.

David

[AndrewR]

Andrew,

I am a bit unclear on what you did to the wings. I thought you meant that you removed 1mm from the thickness by shaving that off the lower wing inner surface but that would reduce the depth of the engine nacelle too so I think I must have misunderstood.

David

I took a bit off the engine nacelle too - the area near the spinner still looks circular though, and mostly it means that the slots for the exhausts have been narrowed a bit - those pieces will need some adjustment to fit into the slots. The nacelles are now slightly more tapered than they are on the kit, but it really isn't very noticeable at all. I am wondering if the nacelles on the kit were more oval in cross section than they should be on the real thing, to fit the overly thick wing. I haven't checked this out though. If it looks okay, leave well alone, I say!

cheers

Andrew