Fighting the Beau

[Dirkpitt289]

Looking good!

[TimJ]

Nice work on the cockpit interior.

[Martin R]

Thanks, Dirk and Tim,

I'm still slowly filling and sanding, building up the profile of the nacelles and the oil coolers. It's not spectacular progress, but it is progress. I'm now happy with the width of the nacelles and that'll do until I scoosh some primer on. The oil coolers and fairings are both wips.

The cockpit is now at least a bit higher and a pilot could see over the windscreen coaming. Here's a shot showing the state of the major airframe components held together with tape, blu-tak, etc.



I still haven't plucked up the courage to tackle the vacform transparencies, but this will happen over the weekend. Lots still to do and whether I finish in time remains to be seen, but I'm inclined to think that much of the hard stuff must surely now be behind me.

regards,

Martin

[Stuart]

Thats looking really good Martin!

[Martin R]

Thats looking really good Martin!

Thanks, Stuart.

Definitely cutting out the vacform tonight, a bit more detailing in the cockpit and observer's station, and painting the tailwheel, I think. Tomorrow, I may think about getting the fuselage halves together!

regards,

Martin

[novokits]

Ooo! it's a deep modernised kit
Looks good!

[Martin R]

Thanks, Oleg.

I got most of what I wanted to done last night: vacforms cut out (they nearly fit) and kleared; tailwheel tyre painted and attached; IP fit investigated and fettled; throttle box begun. I need to crack on with the cockpit (and the observer's position) tonight and try to get the thing buttoned up. I also need to clean up the filler round the oil coolers of course.

Pics tonight hopefully!

regards,

Martin

[novokits]

I look forward

[Martin R]

Oleg,

And here are the promised pics (only a day late ). Although I got very little done last night, so there wouldn't have been much to show.

Firstly, the transparencies:


They're fairly transparent, but with a lot of distortion. I'm not too bothered by this as it'll disguise my shonky painting of the interior. Of which, here's an overall look:


Here's my attempt at scratchbuilding a rear seat and platform. Yes, I know the seat is too far forward, but if I manage to find a rear-facing machine gun, it'll have space to go in. You can also see the Flitzer nosewheel creeping into shot stage left:


And here's a detailed shot of the pilot's office sans unpainted seat (a much sanded down example filched from the remains of a Smer (Heller) Spit MkV):


Some touching up is required in various places, and I need to splash some paint 'switches' on the side panels, but I'm reasonably happy at how it's come out. Especially with the aforementioned not quite crystal clear transparencies.

regards,

Martin

[PaulBradley]

Looks great, Martin.

[Martin R]

Thanks, Paul!

And tonight we have some airframe assemblage. Yes, after two weeks the fuse is buttoned up!



Since I took the pictures, I have applied another liberal smear of filler to the undersurface and the nose, the fit of which was none too clever.

Tomorrow, sanding down the fuselage and scribing (sigh!)

regards,

Martin

[lancfan]

Brilliant work Martin, you're doing the old Frog proud.


David.

[Martin R]

Brilliant work Martin, you're doing the old Frog proud.


David.

Much appreciated, particularly from you!

regards,

Martin

[Clashcityrocker]

Looking nice, but what is the long pipe in the cockpit?

Nigel

[Martin R]

Looking nice, but what is the long pipe in the cockpit?

Nigel

Nigel,

I think it's a heating duct. Somewhere in the mid fuselage there should be a vertical pipe, which takes air heated by the engine exhaust, ducted into the fuselage and transfers it to this one. One end goes to the observer, and the other ends in the cockpit (I think).

regards,

Martin