Handley Page 42
Handley Page 42
I’ve been up all night building this one. It's the Contrail 1/72 kit of the HP 42.
I bought it as a Christmas treat for myself in December 2014. I paid the asking price on EBay, making it the most expensive kit I have ever (and will ever) buy.
It’s big. The box is over 2 ft. long, i.e. too big to smuggle into the house without questions being asked. The box needs to be over 2 ft. long because the wing span of the upper wing is 22 inches long and it comes as one piece – well, two really, i.e., a top and bottom. Cutting the pieces out is a major operation. But then, everything to do with this model is a major operation.
The kit has a separate shell that makes the interior. This is so that curtains can be shown inside.
The fuselage is not much short of the wing span. There are a lot of windows to cut out. There is no separate canopy for the flight deck so the windows there have to be cut out as well.
There is a detailed interior with seats and compartments. The seats on the aircraft had arm rests so I added them from scrap. They were painted in a rich floral pattern so I dabbed away with red, green and other floral colours. I did all this, knowing that almost nothing would be seen inside once the fuselage was closed up. I did not add luggage racks. I was not even tempted.
A flight deck had to be scratch built. This is a bit crude but as with other interior detail. None of this will be visible.
These are the tail fins and rudders, clamped and setting. Everything seems to come in multiples on thie aircraft.
The tail assembly is fairly straightforward.
These are the engine nacelles being sanded down.
The upper wing has quite a span. There are some leading edge slats that were usually open when the aircraft was on the ground, so I cut and opened them. The top wing curves around at the leading edge, wrapping completely underneath. The lower part of the wing joins underneath.
This shows the fuselage glued together with the lower wings loosely attached. By this stage, all the windows are in place, each individually cut to fit.
I hand painted the fuselage using Humbrol AquaColor silver. The wings were sprayed in aluminium from the Humbrol can. The fabric areas were doped linen so they need to look different. The wings are still only loosely attached. Blending them onto the corrugated fuselage was tricky, but they got there in the end.
The sheer immensity of the thing created all sorts of problems when picking it up. Fitting the struts was the most difficult part of the operation. There are 24 of them for the main wing. Each has to be cut to sized from Contrail strut material, then fitted at angles of about 45 degrees. The strut material in the kit is too wide so I sanded it down a bit - but probably not enough to make it really accurate. Don’t imagine for one minute that I managed to do this without problems.
At first, I found that I had attached the lolwer wing in a way that made the dihedral of the outer parts of the lower wing too shallow. I was able to bend them to the correct angle then support them with brass rods. I found it easiest to begin by attaching the struts between the upper and lower engines. For a time, that left the upper wing supported by only four very wobbly struts. Any sudden movement and the whole thing would have come apart. I worked my way outwards until all the struts were in place. I always pre-cut holes in the wings to help make this operation easier.
Then I noticed that the undercarriage legs were at the wrong angle so they had to come off. In the end, I discarded the kit’s pieces and scratch built some new ones. If only I had learnt how to make a jig, but I never have.
And here it is, finished. The engines and props are cast metal. They need a lot of cleaning up. I used some bendy wire for the exhausts. They are not quite right so I am thinking of replacing them when I can find something more suitable. The aircraft had almost no rigging wires. I used florists’ wire for the few bits there were, mostly on the tail.
I gave it some exhaust staining on the wings.
I worried about the decals because of their age, but then slid on beautifully with no rips. They even went on well over the corrugated areas of the fuselage.
What a night that was!
P.S. Ok. so I lied about building it overnight. I have been working on it for about three weeks.
I bought it as a Christmas treat for myself in December 2014. I paid the asking price on EBay, making it the most expensive kit I have ever (and will ever) buy.
It’s big. The box is over 2 ft. long, i.e. too big to smuggle into the house without questions being asked. The box needs to be over 2 ft. long because the wing span of the upper wing is 22 inches long and it comes as one piece – well, two really, i.e., a top and bottom. Cutting the pieces out is a major operation. But then, everything to do with this model is a major operation.
The kit has a separate shell that makes the interior. This is so that curtains can be shown inside.
The fuselage is not much short of the wing span. There are a lot of windows to cut out. There is no separate canopy for the flight deck so the windows there have to be cut out as well.
There is a detailed interior with seats and compartments. The seats on the aircraft had arm rests so I added them from scrap. They were painted in a rich floral pattern so I dabbed away with red, green and other floral colours. I did all this, knowing that almost nothing would be seen inside once the fuselage was closed up. I did not add luggage racks. I was not even tempted.
A flight deck had to be scratch built. This is a bit crude but as with other interior detail. None of this will be visible.
These are the tail fins and rudders, clamped and setting. Everything seems to come in multiples on thie aircraft.
The tail assembly is fairly straightforward.
These are the engine nacelles being sanded down.
The upper wing has quite a span. There are some leading edge slats that were usually open when the aircraft was on the ground, so I cut and opened them. The top wing curves around at the leading edge, wrapping completely underneath. The lower part of the wing joins underneath.
This shows the fuselage glued together with the lower wings loosely attached. By this stage, all the windows are in place, each individually cut to fit.
I hand painted the fuselage using Humbrol AquaColor silver. The wings were sprayed in aluminium from the Humbrol can. The fabric areas were doped linen so they need to look different. The wings are still only loosely attached. Blending them onto the corrugated fuselage was tricky, but they got there in the end.
The sheer immensity of the thing created all sorts of problems when picking it up. Fitting the struts was the most difficult part of the operation. There are 24 of them for the main wing. Each has to be cut to sized from Contrail strut material, then fitted at angles of about 45 degrees. The strut material in the kit is too wide so I sanded it down a bit - but probably not enough to make it really accurate. Don’t imagine for one minute that I managed to do this without problems.
At first, I found that I had attached the lolwer wing in a way that made the dihedral of the outer parts of the lower wing too shallow. I was able to bend them to the correct angle then support them with brass rods. I found it easiest to begin by attaching the struts between the upper and lower engines. For a time, that left the upper wing supported by only four very wobbly struts. Any sudden movement and the whole thing would have come apart. I worked my way outwards until all the struts were in place. I always pre-cut holes in the wings to help make this operation easier.
Then I noticed that the undercarriage legs were at the wrong angle so they had to come off. In the end, I discarded the kit’s pieces and scratch built some new ones. If only I had learnt how to make a jig, but I never have.
And here it is, finished. The engines and props are cast metal. They need a lot of cleaning up. I used some bendy wire for the exhausts. They are not quite right so I am thinking of replacing them when I can find something more suitable. The aircraft had almost no rigging wires. I used florists’ wire for the few bits there were, mostly on the tail.
I gave it some exhaust staining on the wings.
I worried about the decals because of their age, but then slid on beautifully with no rips. They even went on well over the corrugated areas of the fuselage.
What a night that was!
P.S. Ok. so I lied about building it overnight. I have been working on it for about three weeks.
Re: Handley Page 42
Hoping to return to modelling sometime this year!!
Owner of Marky's Model Emporium since 2013!.
Owner of Marky's Model Emporium since 2013!.
- DavidWomby
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Re: Handley Page 42
Stupendous. This has to be one of the most impressive vacforms I have ever seen. Congratulations (and you had me going along with the one night thing for a few minutes there).
David
David
- JamesPerrin
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Re: Handley Page 42
Impressive both in size and execution.
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- SJPONeill
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Re: Handley Page 42
A most impressive build that will be a useful step by step guide for others taking on this monster. Did you use any sort of spar for the lower wing or just butt them against the fuselage? It looks like the is something from each wing penetrating the fuselage in one of your pix...
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The World According To Me
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- SJPONeill
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Re: Handley Page 42
Just a thought...if you ever felt like posting a tutorial on how you shape and fit the windows into that sorted of construction where no clear part(s) is provided, some of us, OK, me, would really appreciate it...I've always struggled with this but it is possibly quite simple once you know how...
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The World According To Me
The World According To Me
Re: Handley Page 42
There is a brass rod through the fuselage that acts as a spar. A comlication with this kit is that because of the interior shell, one has to drill holes through not only the outer surface but also the inner shell. Ideally, a model of this size should have two spars both for strength to help get the wings in the correct alignment. This is a case of do what I say, not what I do.
As for the windows, there is no simple solution or if there is, I don't know what it is. I struggle every time. On this aircraft, there is a raised rim around the windows. I just used a sharp knife to cut out the holes. I wish there was a simple solution to making and fitting the windows. I used a painstaking method of cutting out each window from a sheet of 20 thou. clear plastic card and fitting them by filing and fettling. They are fixed by pva.
The timing of fitting the windows is probably important. I fit them while the fuselage is still in two halves as it lets me push the window part into place. I hold a steel ruler on the outside of the fuselage and push from the inside. That helps get the windows flush with the outside surface. I then tape over the windows on the outside to protect them from accidental marks while I am making the kit. I sometimes use other methods, but none of them are foolproof or any easier. Perhaps others can share their own methods.
As for the windows, there is no simple solution or if there is, I don't know what it is. I struggle every time. On this aircraft, there is a raised rim around the windows. I just used a sharp knife to cut out the holes. I wish there was a simple solution to making and fitting the windows. I used a painstaking method of cutting out each window from a sheet of 20 thou. clear plastic card and fitting them by filing and fettling. They are fixed by pva.
The timing of fitting the windows is probably important. I fit them while the fuselage is still in two halves as it lets me push the window part into place. I hold a steel ruler on the outside of the fuselage and push from the inside. That helps get the windows flush with the outside surface. I then tape over the windows on the outside to protect them from accidental marks while I am making the kit. I sometimes use other methods, but none of them are foolproof or any easier. Perhaps others can share their own methods.
Re: Handley Page 42
PS For another approach to making windows, look back to Barry's description for the Stinson.
http://uamf.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=319&t=11577;
Different methods are suitable for different types of aircraft and kit, e.g. how many windows, is the fuselage straight or curved, how thick is the plastic, what shape and size are the windows? On the Ambassador I built recently, I crash moulded each window so they could be inserted into a curved fuselage. On the Condor build, I did the same as for the HP42. If the windows are small enough, an infill of clear PVA can do the job. None of these methods give the kind of finish one can get with an injection kit and none of them are easy. It causes me grief every time.
http://uamf.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=319&t=11577;
Different methods are suitable for different types of aircraft and kit, e.g. how many windows, is the fuselage straight or curved, how thick is the plastic, what shape and size are the windows? On the Ambassador I built recently, I crash moulded each window so they could be inserted into a curved fuselage. On the Condor build, I did the same as for the HP42. If the windows are small enough, an infill of clear PVA can do the job. None of these methods give the kind of finish one can get with an injection kit and none of them are easy. It causes me grief every time.
- JohnRatzenberger
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Re: Handley Page 42
Good build and many hints/tips for those of us who happen to have the kit en stash as I do.
So if I understand, you mounted the lower wings to the fuselage, then built up the engine struts onto that, and then mounted the upper wing to that. The rest of the Warren truss was then "just" built up between the wings. Sound about right ?
I think when I get around to mine, I'll close the curtains
So if I understand, you mounted the lower wings to the fuselage, then built up the engine struts onto that, and then mounted the upper wing to that. The rest of the Warren truss was then "just" built up between the wings. Sound about right ?
I think when I get around to mine, I'll close the curtains
John Ratzenberger
It's my model and I'll do what I want with it.
It's my model and I'll do what I want with it.
- lancfan
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Re: Handley Page 42
Brilliant build Vacant.
David.
David.
David.
If you forget the past, you may lose the future.
If you forget the past, you may lose the future.
Re: Handley Page 42
Yes, the lower wings were attached. Then to attach the upperwings, I attached the inward facing struts from the lower engines to the outside of the engines on the upper wings. I did it this way in order to get a central solid base first in a generally broad rectangular shape. You have to let this dry rock solid before doing anything else, otherwise the weight of the top wing will collapse the struts underneath. They are at a 45 degree angle so any downward pressure can collapse them. The upper wings are heavier than just the plastic because I also added some solid stiffeners inside them. Then I worked outwards, first adding the struts to support the first set of struits. Then I added the outer struts and eventually, inserted the innermost struts to the fuselage. Apologies if that sounds complicated but I thought it was a pretty logical approach to take.
I have read a build of this model in which, as I understood it, the builder began with the outer struts - I can see one reason for doing that, i.e. to get the wing tips both at the same height first, but my thinking wasd that if I got a strong central base of struts first, I would be able to bend the wing tips in case the heights were a bit out - they are very bendy. That, however, was a fallback position as it is better to get everything at the right angles in the first place.
I have read a build of this model in which, as I understood it, the builder began with the outer struts - I can see one reason for doing that, i.e. to get the wing tips both at the same height first, but my thinking wasd that if I got a strong central base of struts first, I would be able to bend the wing tips in case the heights were a bit out - they are very bendy. That, however, was a fallback position as it is better to get everything at the right angles in the first place.
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Re: Handley Page 42
Well, it certainly looks the part! The reason I make windows the way I do is that I shudder at the thought of doing it your way....mostly because I'm sure that I wouldn't be able to get them to look nearly as good as you do. I like your floral seats too.
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- VickersVandal
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Re: Handley Page 42
That is one magnificent beast.
Must.....build....ALL the Sopwith Camels!...
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Re: Handley Page 42
Stunning. Says it all really.
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Re: Handley Page 42
An astounding and magnificent piece of work, well done!
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completions in 2012:8, completions in 2013: 13, Completions in 2014:10, Completions in 2015: 9, Completions in 2016: 8, Completions in 2017: 9, Completions in 2018: 12, completions in 2019:7, completions in 2020: 17
completions in 2012:8, completions in 2013: 13, Completions in 2014:10, Completions in 2015: 9, Completions in 2016: 8, Completions in 2017: 9, Completions in 2018: 12, completions in 2019:7, completions in 2020: 17