LTV A-7 Corsair 2

[Isaac]

The cockpit is straight forward. The tub is a simple fold and glue job. The two side panels are easy to install.



The rudder pedals assembly needs to be glued to the back of the instrument panel first.


The control stick is interesting and you need to see a reference photo on airliners.net for that. I used the kit piece for the column, but a carved and colored tooth pick for the upper stick/grip.

The instrument panel is very good and is a photo of the real thing ( not a mishmash as in other kits ).
The ejection seat assembly is also simple. I chose to make the small green cylinder ( I think it is the oxygen bottle ) out of a tooth pick piece and painted it green.

The assembly sequence now is:

Glue bulkhead frame 14a ( paint the edges in case they show later ) to the fuselage section holding the rear canopy frame

Then glue the cockpit tub to the fuselage. Make sure to glue to frame 14a as well and cover it up.




Then place the instrument panel as shown


Cover the instrument panel with the black anti glare shield ( color the inside black first because it shows ).



Glue the seat in place ( I made simple harnesses as well ).


Now prepare your vacuformed canopy. I purchased the Gomix one and use them on all my planes now. I trim the canopy out first and dry fit to the plane


When all is well ( and sometimes I need to re trim ), I then dip it in Future floor wax. The stuff is great and is a must ( in my opinion ). I also use Future on all my plastic model canopies. If you use Cy type glues for the clear parts you must use Future or they will fog up.



Once the canopy is removed from its dipping, place it flat and make sure you completely cover it as shown to prevent any dust or floating objects from sticking to it. It will dry overnight.



That is all for today

Isaac

[Ron40]

Excellent build so far Isaac. There is one thing I might mention
that would produce better results on the overall model appearance.
The edge coloring of parts could be improved. cmags gave a
real good demonstration of this technique in the tips and tricks
category on the forum. You may want to look at it. Here is the link. Edge Coloring with Watercolor Pencil and Back-to-Back Parts

[Isaac]

Ron


Thanks, I will ceck it out. My other issue is how to get some of the sticky glue off?

We just got our first snow in Cincinnati ( about 2 inches ).

Isaac

[Isaac]

After an overnight drying of the Future dipped canopy, I then trimmed, fit, trimmed, fit etc… until I got the best fit I could to the fuselage ( note that on the rear, I glues a thin strip for the canopy to rest on and blend in).



Then I glued it. At this stage, none of the canopy framing went on. The main reason, is that the kit framing is so narrow that you will have gaps. So once the canopy was on, I glued the frame on the clear part. Start with the forward windshield frame then work back.




Next, the wings and vertical tail

Cheers

Isaac

[Isaac]

Let the canopy dry and put the fuselage aside.

Work on something else. My choice was to work the vertical fin and wings. The tail comes in 3 sections and goes on well. Make sure you glue all 3 and then insert the frames. Nothing special there. I then glued it to the fuselage and held it together with Tamiya yellow masking tape. It is low tack and can be easily removed . However, do not leave it too long or the glue you use will bond to it and may damage the surface. So 5 min later I remove it.



Now the wings.
Since I used the laser frames, getting that part was just a matter of assembly. Once the frames are dry, I then covered both upper and lower wing frames with plain paper to stiffen it up and also minimize them showing thru the skins.


Of interest is the lack of structure to the fuselage. It relies on basically the glue and the wing forming a good bond. However, based on experience, I decided to insert 2 wood dowels to support both wings to the body. Now fit the fings to the body and when ready apply the glue. Tamiya tape was once again used. The fit was good. I usually hate a design that has no fillets, but hey this plane has no fillets, so tough.


Next assemble the leading edge extensions, Really only a fold job and a small rib on the inboard section. Once that is dry, I matched the camouflage pattern, looked at pictures and glued it on ( I did that part after I assembled the wings to the body, but that sequence is not important. I still did not glue the wing tips yet. That is next.



I got a couple of days and then I have to take a break for a couple of weeks.

Cheers

Isaac

[Ron40]

Looking good Isaac. I like the tip on using Tamiya Tape. It seems to
work well without without peeling the skin surface when removed. Is
that because you pre coated the parts sheets with Krylon prior to
cutting out the model? Years ago I made the mistake of using masking
tape on a model without using Krylon and it peeled all the top layer
of paper off. Even with a top coat never use masking tape. This is
how experience is gained through mistakes which get your attention
real fast. The Canopy turned out great with the Future. I've never
used it though. Might give it a try......Ron

[Isaac]

Ron

I never coat my models anymore. In the past many many years ago, I tried it and the model looked like an a shiny un realistic thing. If you keep the model away from the sun, they will not fade. I made a mistake of placing my PZL 23 Karas by the window and it lost 5 shades of brown before I realized it and rescued it from the bleaching sun.

Regarding the Tamiya tape, it works great on most paper. If it is kind of grainy or old paper I would not use tape.

For Future finish, I find it to be a must. It really makes the canopy much clearer and easy to work with.

Isaac

[tazman3]

That canopy really shines! Don't know why I had never thought of that...I did it for all my canopies when I did plastics...haha...good job man, this is coming together great!

[Isaac]

Originally Posted by tazman3

That canopy really shines! Don't know why I had never thought of that...I did it for all my canopies when I did plastics...haha...good job man, this is coming together great!

Once you dip the canopy in Future, you will continue doing it. The stuff is cheap, available in supermarkets all around. A point though, do not use it if it is older than about a year. Buy a fresh bottle and use the old stuff for your floor. Also, carefull dispensing it into the container for dipping. Do not squeeze it as you will get air bubbles in it. Simply remove the tub and slowly pour into your vesslle. I use a plastic tub just big enough to hold the canopy. I then place the canopy inverted and let the Future liquid coat it all around. Use tweezers to hold the edge of the canopy and move it around. About a minute later remove it from the Future bath and let it slowly drain at a corner and remove that excess. Then place on tooth picks and cover. Wait overnight and you are then ready to finish it.


Isaac

[Isaac]

The horizontal tail is simple one piece fold and glue. The frame is also simple. I decided to build it per the plans, but you may consider beefing the spar a bit to give it more strength. As it tuned out, It did not need it like the wings.

Pics below

It is beginning to look like a plane now.


Isaac