Ki-78 Ken-San by krzychu

**CMDRTED** · #1 01-23-2012, 08:51 AM

My next winter project is the Ki-78 by krzychu. This is a downloaded kit from ecardmodels in 1/50 scale. The Ken-San was an experimental aircraft designed for high speed research. It had a daimler benz db 601 licensed engine advanced cooling for said engine and experimental flaps and aerofoils designed to beat the contemporary speed records. Unfortunately for the Japanese the aircraft failed by several standards. It was hard to land and takeoff, was unstable at speed and only one was built before the army cancelled the project. The model itself is pretty well designed, very colorful, bright orange with white red datum marks, a simple cockpit and wheelwells and fairly detailed landing gear. I weathered the kit before printing to break up the monotomous orange color. Here are a few start pics, a pile of parts and contrary to convention I started on the wings. They have a sort of complicated framework where the wheelwells are incorporated into the frames and must be skinned after. my experience with this setup is usually disastrous so I modified the frames so that the wheelwells are installed first into the wing skins then the frames installed after. this is not a design flaw but rather a builders flaw. I did try doing it as designed but was 1 mm off and the wells were a smidge too big for the frame as designed....

**CMDRTED** · #2 01-23-2012, 09:11 AM

Next on the list was the cockpit. This was a fairly simple design, the instrument panel had no dials so I added a few and punched out the dials etc. The fuselage is a bulkhead to bulkhead design, each segment assembled like a loaf of bread. The fuselage sits in the center section...

**Don Boose** · #3 01-23-2012, 09:24 AM

Glad to see you taking this one on, Ted. Outstanding beginning! I will enjoy this!

Don

**CMDRTED** · #4 01-23-2012, 11:38 AM

Thanks Don. Next on the list is the fuselage segments. As before they are bulkhead on bulkhead parts. That means each segment is built as a complete section then joined together. Here is the overall view of the segments, kinda looks like the konkradus logo. also on the after segments you can see the framing for the side air intakes...

**Don Boose** · #5 01-23-2012, 11:50 AM

Looks good. That method requires that the adjoining formers be absolutely identical. I have had trouble with this, myself, but your fuselage looks mighty smooth.

Don

**CMDRTED** · #6 01-23-2012, 12:40 PM

Don the trick is to sand down both adjacent bulkheads at the same time. I use a dot of glue in the center of the bulkheads then sand them to the contour of the 2 segments. Then set them in just a smidge below the fuselage skin. Like less then 1/2 mm. This allows a little squish room to form up to the next segment. It isn't foolproof, but it seems to work for me.

**piotter** · #7 01-23-2012, 01:06 PM

Very nice and clean work !
I admire your results with this fuselage ( bulkhead to bulkhead, and numbers of segments ).

I prognose beatiful model.
Impatiently waiting forward.

**Don Boose** · #8 01-23-2012, 01:16 PM

Thanks for the methodology info, Ted.

Don

**CMDRTED** · #9 01-25-2012, 08:53 AM

Thanks guys. Next up is the fuselage segments containing the engine. For a quick build nothing beats the simple in line engine, no tedious cylinders and their respective detail parts. Just join the segments, put on the little exhaust stubs and install the petal formed nose section with props....

**CMDRTED** · #10 01-25-2012, 09:00 AM

I know there is someone thinking what I was thinking, why not vacuform the propeller nose section? I seriously think about it all the time and always come up with some card basics, if it can be built in paper do it! my rational is this is what makes this hobby so unique! Yes we need wire re enforcement for larger landing gear, and yes we need some sort of plastic for canopies but overall my personal philosophy is if it can be properly represented in paper, that's what it will be made of.