SJPONeill's 1/72 Anigrand X-22

[SJPONeill]

"Hmmm...that's not good" I thought to myself...I was just applying some grey primer over the underside of the X-22 to check for any sanding/filling blemishes when there was an ever so sharp crack and the seam along the underside split neatly open...only a fraction of a mil wide but a good three inches long...

Not sure what the problem was as I have used the same CA and accelerator combination all over this model and this was the only seam that reacted. I can only think that perhaps the cold of the spray as it hit the seam weakened it enough for it to respond to internal stresses and split open...

I'll rejoin it tonight, and resand the join when it has sat overnight to cure...

No pics as it is really just the same as above but in grey now (with a split along the bottom) - the grey will remain in the cockpit as it is close enough to standard grey interior I have seen in US RWs...

[dknights]

Man, you are a glutton for punishment. Still I'll be there at the finish to applaud.

[SJPONeill]

Still chippin' away...

It took most of Pride and Prejudice (the long BBC version) to blend the engines into the nacelle stubs on the 'wings'...added the tail and sanded the errant seam under the fuselage...it doesn't show up too good in these pics but also rebuilt one of the engine come tips that was just a big bubble in the resin...







If (big if) I was to build this again, I'd add the engines to the wings BEFORE adding the wings to the fuselage - would be a lot easier then to get and around the engines to blend them into the wings...

[Old_Tonto]

It's starting to take shape, interesting project choice.

[jssel]

Well I am sure impressed with this build so far.

[WheresMyMojo]

Discounting the probs you're having, that looks like an interesting model. Out of sci-fi I don't think I've seen blades enclosed like that in choppers, it's like something out of Avatar!

[MerlinJones]

The last time I had that sort of irredeemable seam, I placed a piece of very thin plasticard over the area and sanded it in at the edges. Fortunately, I didn't have any panel lines to fret about.

Regards,
Bruce

[TimJ]

Looks an interesting kit even if there is a lot of work involved to get a good finish.

[SJPONeill]

The last time I had that sort of irredeemable seam, I placed a piece of very thin plasticard over the area and sanded it in at the edges. Fortunately, I didn't have any panel lines to fret about.

Regards,
Bruce

If it hadn't been for the sticky-out bumpy thing in the middle of the underfuselage, Bruce, I think I would have done that - the panel lines are all but gone anyway - looking back I think the less is that these butt-joints (even though the mating surfaces are quite think, could be reinforced by internal tabs like we use on vacforms...

[shangos70]

Looks like a hell of a lot of sanding going on . Looking forward to the results.

[jssel]

This is at the point where I look at my own projects and start to falter. All the filler, glue marks etc., I loose my mojo very easily. Probably the proimary reason I primer my builds. It cheers me up.

But that won't happen to you, right?..........right?...........

[SJPONeill]

Know the feeling, Jeff, and despite being slowed down by a bit of a bug at the moment, am still steaming ahead...today I hope to finish off the main fuselage, filling any remaining gaps and polishing in preparation for the silver finish; will also be doing the same for the cowlings before adding any fiddly bits inside...

I have zero faith in the resin undercarriages ability to carry the weight of this bird so have dug out an old Matchbox stand to mount it on and also some former Hasegawa helo crew figures to colour up the inside of the rather sparse cockpit...

[SJPONeill]

Rather nervously, I hit the X-22 with another layer of primer this afternoon - fortunately there were no more loud cracking noises so I'm hoping that last incident was a one-off...I have been spending a lot of time trying to get all the holes out of the fan cowlings and they are coming along nicely but slowly...



I have to say that she actually looks quite good with an all over coat of grey and I hope to have the last filling on the fuselage (mainly around the engine/wing join) completed tonight...

[jssel]

Nice progress. I also find once the construction work gets covered by a coat of primer, my mojo gets rocking again.

[SJPONeill]

Sometimes I like to speculate what x's like this might have looked like if they'd actually been developed into an in-service aircraft...I could see the X-22 becoming a liaison/communications aircraft with an H-pattern driveshaft along the top of the fuselage linking the engines and the fans, to enable internal space for 4-6 people...possibly an ASW variant although overall width in comparison with a SH-2/3 with rotors folded might preclude access to DDG/FFG hangars; maybe a carrier plane guard?