KB's Clunker to Comic: ***The towel has been thrown in***
- Kevan Bailey
- The Bug Has Well And Truly Bitten
- Posts: 351
- Joined: October 19th, 2012, 5:53 pm
- Location: Kirkby la Thorpe, Lincolnshire or Plomari, Lesvos, depending.
KB's Clunker to Comic: ***The towel has been thrown in***
Hi, All. I've wanted to build this for a while now:
Unfortunately Freightdog didn't have the conversion kit at Telford and the Eduard model has gone MIA, probably to resurface sometime in the future as a Revell but not within my lifetime, I guess.
So, Plan B. Four quid's worth of Smer horror. Let's see how it goes. Sprue shots to follow, if your constitution's strong enough to stand it.
Unfortunately Freightdog didn't have the conversion kit at Telford and the Eduard model has gone MIA, probably to resurface sometime in the future as a Revell but not within my lifetime, I guess.
So, Plan B. Four quid's worth of Smer horror. Let's see how it goes. Sprue shots to follow, if your constitution's strong enough to stand it.
Kevan Bailey
- VickersVandal
- Modelling Gent and Scholar
- Posts: 5037
- Joined: October 4th, 2012, 3:37 am
- Location: Sydney, Australia
Re: Doomed to failure: KB's Clunker to Comic
You're really over-selling it there! :P
Glad to see another Comic in the build.
Glad to see another Comic in the build.
Must.....build....ALL the Sopwith Camels!...
My Biggles Model display website: https://tinyurl.com/y74ydzae
My Biggles Model display website: https://tinyurl.com/y74ydzae
- Kevan Bailey
- The Bug Has Well And Truly Bitten
- Posts: 351
- Joined: October 19th, 2012, 5:53 pm
- Location: Kirkby la Thorpe, Lincolnshire or Plomari, Lesvos, depending.
Re: Doomed to failure: KB's Clunker to Comic
Overselling? You ain't seen inside the box yet.
*******WARNING***********
Please, all of you who are of a nervous disposition, log out now and go and look at some pictures of kittens on Farcebook.
Here's the sprue shot:
And a couple of close-ups. Love the moulded-on markings.
I asked the pilot what he thought about all the flash:
'Gutted', was his reply. Obviously.
I shall be using lots of sanding tools and old-skool Plastikard for this little project; I need a nice pair of guns and mounts for the top wing, but I'm not even considering ordering any until it looks something like. If it ever does.
I know I sound negative about this, but I'm looking forward to the challenge. At least I know not to waste any time detailing the cockpit, 'cos I already know YOU CAN'T SEE IT!
Might make a start this afternoon if I can duck out of digging Mrs. Bailey's new pond out.
*******WARNING***********
Please, all of you who are of a nervous disposition, log out now and go and look at some pictures of kittens on Farcebook.
Here's the sprue shot:
And a couple of close-ups. Love the moulded-on markings.
I asked the pilot what he thought about all the flash:
'Gutted', was his reply. Obviously.
I shall be using lots of sanding tools and old-skool Plastikard for this little project; I need a nice pair of guns and mounts for the top wing, but I'm not even considering ordering any until it looks something like. If it ever does.
I know I sound negative about this, but I'm looking forward to the challenge. At least I know not to waste any time detailing the cockpit, 'cos I already know YOU CAN'T SEE IT!
Might make a start this afternoon if I can duck out of digging Mrs. Bailey's new pond out.
Kevan Bailey
- VickersVandal
- Modelling Gent and Scholar
- Posts: 5037
- Joined: October 4th, 2012, 3:37 am
- Location: Sydney, Australia
Re: Doomed to failure: KB's Clunker to Comic
Moulded on lettering. Ouch! Seems you weren't exaggerating....
Get thee to a sanding stick!
Get thee to a sanding stick!
Must.....build....ALL the Sopwith Camels!...
My Biggles Model display website: https://tinyurl.com/y74ydzae
My Biggles Model display website: https://tinyurl.com/y74ydzae
- Kevan Bailey
- The Bug Has Well And Truly Bitten
- Posts: 351
- Joined: October 19th, 2012, 5:53 pm
- Location: Kirkby la Thorpe, Lincolnshire or Plomari, Lesvos, depending.
Re: Doomed to failure: KB's Clunker to Comic
Yeah, these are the old Merit kits from the 'fifties. They're referred to in the Book of Genesis, apparently Noah was making the 1/48 Walrus while he waited for the doves to return............
Kevan Bailey
- iggie
- Modelling Gent and Scholar
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- Contact:
Re: Doomed to failure: KB's Clunker to Comic
I bet he's still making it too!
Looks like a challenge!
Looks like a challenge!
Best wishes
Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
- Kevan Bailey
- The Bug Has Well And Truly Bitten
- Posts: 351
- Joined: October 19th, 2012, 5:53 pm
- Location: Kirkby la Thorpe, Lincolnshire or Plomari, Lesvos, depending.
Re: Doomed to failure: KB's Clunker to Comic
No, it only took him forty days and forty nights.
Kevan Bailey
- gnomemeansgnome
- Modelling Gent and Scholar
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- Joined: July 16th, 2013, 4:03 pm
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Re: Doomed to failure: KB's Clunker to Comic
Good grief! Sanding rivets off for forty days and nights?
Ego no habeo consilium.
ICBM = Insatiable Collector and Builder of Models
ICBM = Insatiable Collector and Builder of Models
- Kevan Bailey
- The Bug Has Well And Truly Bitten
- Posts: 351
- Joined: October 19th, 2012, 5:53 pm
- Location: Kirkby la Thorpe, Lincolnshire or Plomari, Lesvos, depending.
Re: Doomed to failure: KB's Clunker to Comic
I thought I'd better get on with this instead of moaning about it. I just happened to remember I had this in the stash cupboard:
The two aircraft are fairly similar and I was hoping that the Rodent kit might give me some ideas. What I hadn't realised was that there were two versions of the Strutter and consequently two alternative top decks, one with a fairing plus a pair of Lewis guns if you're building this particular configuration. Needless to say, I'll now build the Vickers-armed version of the Strutter. The decking part looked as if it might vaguely be made to fit:
So I reverted to Airfix Magazine circa 1969 mode, sawed big lumps off the fuselage, shortened the decking in two places and glued it all together:
It has kind of worked; obviously it needs a load of filler, but the profile looks right when compared to the image of the Camel I want to build. Even if the whole thing goes spectacularly wrong, at least it won't have cost me a lot of money.
The two aircraft are fairly similar and I was hoping that the Rodent kit might give me some ideas. What I hadn't realised was that there were two versions of the Strutter and consequently two alternative top decks, one with a fairing plus a pair of Lewis guns if you're building this particular configuration. Needless to say, I'll now build the Vickers-armed version of the Strutter. The decking part looked as if it might vaguely be made to fit:
So I reverted to Airfix Magazine circa 1969 mode, sawed big lumps off the fuselage, shortened the decking in two places and glued it all together:
It has kind of worked; obviously it needs a load of filler, but the profile looks right when compared to the image of the Camel I want to build. Even if the whole thing goes spectacularly wrong, at least it won't have cost me a lot of money.
Kevan Bailey
- VickersVandal
- Modelling Gent and Scholar
- Posts: 5037
- Joined: October 4th, 2012, 3:37 am
- Location: Sydney, Australia
Re: Doomed to failure: KB's Clunker to Comic
"Kind of"? I'd say it has definitely worked! That's a neat bit of kitbashing.
Must.....build....ALL the Sopwith Camels!...
My Biggles Model display website: https://tinyurl.com/y74ydzae
My Biggles Model display website: https://tinyurl.com/y74ydzae
- Kevan Bailey
- The Bug Has Well And Truly Bitten
- Posts: 351
- Joined: October 19th, 2012, 5:53 pm
- Location: Kirkby la Thorpe, Lincolnshire or Plomari, Lesvos, depending.
Re: Doomed to failure: KB's Clunker to Comic
You're too kind, VV. This is the first time in decades that I've actually done some good old-fashioned modelling instead of assembling kits and tarting them up. I used to be completely fearless about applying radical surgery; now it's all about PE hop-up kits and seatbelts.
I am going to have to do something about those rivets on the engine panels, though. Thoughts, anyone?
I am going to have to do something about those rivets on the engine panels, though. Thoughts, anyone?
Kevan Bailey
- Kevan Bailey
- The Bug Has Well And Truly Bitten
- Posts: 351
- Joined: October 19th, 2012, 5:53 pm
- Location: Kirkby la Thorpe, Lincolnshire or Plomari, Lesvos, depending.
Re: Doomed to failure: KB's Clunker to Comic
So this is where we're up to as of today. A late start up in the Hobby Eyrie as we've been up all night watching the election results.
I've managed to get the fuselage into what I think is the right shape:
So I've now got cracking on with the wings. I've tried to blend in the strut locator bars and shaped the struts into a vaguely Camel type profile:
The plastic is really thick, I've not really taken much off them so in scale they're a bit like telegraph poles but I just didn't want to risk breaking them. I keep banging on about not being able to see inside the cockpit; not so with the Comic, it's huge! I didn't register this until too late. I'd not bothered about the interior while adapting the fuselage, as I reckoned that I'd wreck any work I'd done with rough handling, but I had to do at least something about it, so....
I cut a hole in the bottom and worked through that. The only kit parts were a seat and an instrument panel. Get a load of this:
What is this supposed to be? I've no idea, but it isn't off a Camel. I just left it as it was with the addition of a few random MDC instrument decals. I decided I was going to try a different rigging method on this one, as I seem to be trying to keep the cost down but I've no idea why. I drilled holes around the base of the struts on the lower wing then glued fine wire into these:
These are meant to represent the turnbolts, and as they're wire and therefore malleable, they should be able to be bent in the direction they need to be. We'll see.
I've managed to get the fuselage into what I think is the right shape:
So I've now got cracking on with the wings. I've tried to blend in the strut locator bars and shaped the struts into a vaguely Camel type profile:
The plastic is really thick, I've not really taken much off them so in scale they're a bit like telegraph poles but I just didn't want to risk breaking them. I keep banging on about not being able to see inside the cockpit; not so with the Comic, it's huge! I didn't register this until too late. I'd not bothered about the interior while adapting the fuselage, as I reckoned that I'd wreck any work I'd done with rough handling, but I had to do at least something about it, so....
I cut a hole in the bottom and worked through that. The only kit parts were a seat and an instrument panel. Get a load of this:
What is this supposed to be? I've no idea, but it isn't off a Camel. I just left it as it was with the addition of a few random MDC instrument decals. I decided I was going to try a different rigging method on this one, as I seem to be trying to keep the cost down but I've no idea why. I drilled holes around the base of the struts on the lower wing then glued fine wire into these:
These are meant to represent the turnbolts, and as they're wire and therefore malleable, they should be able to be bent in the direction they need to be. We'll see.
Kevan Bailey
- VickersVandal
- Modelling Gent and Scholar
- Posts: 5037
- Joined: October 4th, 2012, 3:37 am
- Location: Sydney, Australia
Re: Doomed to failure: KB's Clunker to Comic
I hate it when manufacturerso do that with the struts. So hard to blend!
Your IP matches the shape of the one provided for my Comic. The dial layout looks close enough to fudge it
Your IP matches the shape of the one provided for my Comic. The dial layout looks close enough to fudge it
Must.....build....ALL the Sopwith Camels!...
My Biggles Model display website: https://tinyurl.com/y74ydzae
My Biggles Model display website: https://tinyurl.com/y74ydzae
- Kevan Bailey
- The Bug Has Well And Truly Bitten
- Posts: 351
- Joined: October 19th, 2012, 5:53 pm
- Location: Kirkby la Thorpe, Lincolnshire or Plomari, Lesvos, depending.
Re: Doomed to failure: KB's Clunker to Comic
That's a lucky coincidence, then. Mind you, I don't think people were that bothered back in 1956 when this kit was tooled up!
Kevan Bailey
- VickersVandal
- Modelling Gent and Scholar
- Posts: 5037
- Joined: October 4th, 2012, 3:37 am
- Location: Sydney, Australia
Re: Doomed to failure: KB's Clunker to Comic
How's the old clunker doing? I like your turn buckles by the way. They definitely add realism at 48 scale.
Must.....build....ALL the Sopwith Camels!...
My Biggles Model display website: https://tinyurl.com/y74ydzae
My Biggles Model display website: https://tinyurl.com/y74ydzae