Sissels Puma in the sky ** DNF **

[jssel]

Good start Sissel. Love that kit.

[JamesPerrin]

Same as my bench, used but useful bits of tape get left on the cutting mat and come in handy when dry fitting or holding part while the glue hardens.

[Ian]

No worries, it will be cleaned when the Christmas guest moves in!

So that's where Santa stays!

[Sissel]

Same as my bench, used but useful bits of tape get left on the cutting mat and come in handy when dry fitting or holding part while the glue hardens.

Exactly. And I also find used tape has lesser chance of lifting paint. Yep, useful bits plastered around the bench.

[Sissel]

Started assemblying rotor together and cockpit almost done.
As the back wont show much (or any) I roughly painted it to give it 'that look'.
Still not decided which version to build.

[lancfan]

Coming along nicely Sissel, this does build well.

David.

[Sissel]

I've got the interior in and painted the rotor, which is still drying when I glued this together.
Drybrushed a little gun metal on the top, but will go over with darker shade later.
I'm quite happy with my latest mug. I'm a Coca Cola fan, big one. So a Christmas mug was a must!




I spent lots of time dry fitting fuselage parts. Offcourse it didn't fit very well. However the fix was easier than I thought. I just cut away the inside support lines for front part of interior of the other fuselage half, and voila! Still on the underside there's small gaps and height difference. But I'm glad it's on the underside as I carefully aligned it to match on top.
I also cut out the seats with the back to wall, as they show halfway up the window.

I think the fuselage should dry nicely together, whether it wants to or not. All these clamps are necessary otherwise it will jump out of 'fit'.



Next will be to check how canopy fits.

OT, you can laugh now.

[lancfan]

I'm surprised at the distortion you have clamped out Sissel, as I remember it did not do this new new. Perhaps when your kit was made they ejected the sprues from the mould too early before they had cooled properly.


David.

[Sissel]

I'm surprised at the distortion you have clamped out Sissel, as I remember it did not do this new new. Perhaps when your kit was made they ejected the sprues from the mould too early before they had cooled properly.

Distortion or warped, yeah good word for this. It matches in the back, but at the front the left fuselage part is several mm downwards and it seems to not want to match up lower part (too wide?), so a forced fit is only way. Yet it does show small gaps all up front and I hope that wont make troubled gaps with the canopy in place. Difficult to explain, but next session and pics will show.

[JamesPerrin]

I think a common issue with later moulds. It's all there or there abouts but the interior just wants to make it burst open.



The bottom seam didn't match on mine either and I think interleave tabs glued to the inside of the fuselage might have been the solution.

[Molly-new]

Nice interior Sissel, you seem to be "getting to grips" with this one quite nicely.

[Sissel]

Yeah.. soo uh... I test fitted the canopy. I'll let these pics speak for themselves.



Yes, the side window here has slipped out at the lower part, but still just as bad a fit.


The front part touches fuselage all around the lower part. The upper area of this seems to have shrunk in height and width though.





Any tips greatly apreciated! Afraid I'm a bit lost how to deal with this. Or perhaps I'm just baffled atm. I'll get some ideas later I hope.

I only did the natural thing next.

[Ian]

That canopy is a perfect fit, isn't it? Mine never seem that good.
Have a .....
Oh, you already are!

[Migrant]

Wow, that's... ridiculous. No wonder you've been driven to drink. I heartily approve of your drinking glass.

[Ian]

If I were you, I'd glue the three parts of the canopy together. If you did that it looks like you'll get a decent fit with the intake section (above the canopy) and would leave you with only one gap at the base of the front section of the canopy. I think that would be easier to fill/sand than the ones you have in the pics.