29(F) Squadron XXX - **2 out of 3 FINISHED**

[TeeELL]

I have 3 bi-plane types flown by my old Sqn. I plan to tackle all 3 for this GB, they are Siskin IIIA, Bristol Bulldog and Hawker Demon, all 1/72 scale. I started yesterday (but not any of the 3, I hasten to add) by practising on an old Airfix Tiger Moth. I wanted to see how to go about drilling holes and securing rigging lines - the TM is quite a challengeso goodness knows how the 3 are going to be. Can't do anything over the weekend as I am away from the work bench.
Only thing I have to do is find a second Bulldog as the fuselage of mine is distorted beyond repair :-(. Oh, I have taken the liberty of creating the decals required although I've not printed them off yet.

[TeeELL]

A bit of a practice run with a Tiger Moth

[MDT]

If the practice is anything to go by looks like you nailed it!

[fredk]

How are you gluing the lines in place.
I use a 'glue loop' which I dip into superfast setting superglue.

[TeeELL]

Hi Fred,
I used a blob of super glue and used an acupuncture needle to help persuade the glue to run into the hole. On some lines I also added bi-carb to set the super glue. I've not photographed the fixing points as I have not had time to finish them off, I'll do that tomorrow. What is the 'glue loop' you mention?

[fredk]

A 'glue loop'; its about 1mm or less across

It gets blocked up every so often so I burn it clean, hence the burnt end to the handle

I make a depression in blutack covered in foil to take some Rocket superglue ;


I dip the glue loop in superglue then apply it to where I'm pulling the line through a hole. The glue flows into the hole and not around it.

I use a bit of razor blade cut down and curved to cut away the excess line;

[TeeELL]

That is great - thanks, I believe a 'glue loop' is also made by removing the top from the eye of a needle. I shall add some additional wires to the Tiger Moth and have a go. Not entirely sure about how you have made the trimming knife but I shall compare it to a razor blade when I get home.
I am rather looking forward to this GB even though all the kits are relatively ancient. The thought of crafting the airstream powered generator for the Siskin and Bulldog plus the much smaller airstream powered fuel pump for the Siskin is exercising the little grey cells.

[fredk]

That photo is bad; its a blade from a gents 2 or 3 blade razor. I cut it an angle with scissors, then curve the blade, along the flat, not the edge as it seems to look in the photo.
I twist wire to make the glue loop. I find that needles dont always break cleanly or just where you want it to.

[TeeELL]

Fred, which Rocket super glue do you use?

[fredk]

I prefer 'Hot' but also use 'Rapid'. Hot for when I can hold model and pull line tight at the same time; Rapid if I need to fiddle about to get the line tight.

[TeeELL]

Fred, thanks for that, I have ordered some.

Moving on, I have decided to build the 29 (F) Sqn fighters in chronological order (well for now anyway!). I am starting with the Siskin IIIA flown by the Sqn from 1928-1932. The subject model is from the Matchbox stables. It has a fair amount of detail - more than I had anticipated in fact. The mouldings are good and there is not too much work to do to remove ejection mark blemishes.





Very tasteful 2-colour kit, if it had been an inter war USAAF bi-plane, the blue and yellow might have been more appropriate.

At the moment I am marking out where to drill the holes for the rigging and will break out the pillar drill and No 80 drill.

I have completed the decals for the 2 other aircraft I intend to build:

[fredk]

It is a very nice kit - colour excepting

[iggie]

Nice printing!
I take it you'll be using the kit decals for the Siskin?

[TeeELL]

Yes Iggie, I do intend using the kit decals, the colours are lighter and that is appropriate for that era. I have taken the liberty of scanning the decal sheet 'just in case'. The plastic is very brittle and removing parts off the sprue has caused some breakage. I was planning to 'improve' the undercarriage with finer bracing struts, in the end I have had to create a whole new part - will this be the only Siskin with carbon fibre components :-).

[TeeELL]

Progress has occurred, lots of diagrams and photos and, importantly, a rigging diagram has allowed me to mark out and drill all the holes for the rigging and control wires. In addition I have shot some primer on to all the smaller parts. The fuselage and wings will receive Humbrol enamel gloss black so shouldn't need any primer, indeed it will serve as the 'primer' for the Alclad. Engine components have received some paint.

I have to decide whether to make this as a 'flying' model, I have some PJ productions pilots and it would be a shame not to employ them - I have 4 so with 2 'single seater's' and one twin, that's it done. Down side is I have to remember how to re-create my 'prop blur' - did I make a note of how I did it? No of course not!! Perhaps one airborne (I think there is an issue with the prop on either the Demon or the Bulldog so that might be the one to 'be flying'.


Components marked out and centre punched ready to be drilled for the rigging wire.


A Unimat 3 being used as the drill press, one good thing is that the chuck accepts bits down to 0.3mm. The unit is also very robust and, with the Vernier dials can be used to very accurately position the drill bit.


The components drilled out, items primed and others commencing their 'paint jobs'.
In the centre foreground is the replacement undercarriage frame made from plastic rod and carbon fibre. The bracing wire has been threaded into the fixing holes prior to inserting the carbon fibre braces, I was able to get the 'wire' on the inside of the struts. The wire will be tensioned once the undercarriage is stuck together as, so far, only the main axle end has been superglued.


That's it for now folks.