Jim Gausman DGA 1/48 U.S. Army 54th UAC U-1A Otter

[Tapcho]

Hi Don, great to see you're building again. Though I have not extensive experience in airplane building the gap issue seems to me as minor desig flaw and you recovered that issue really well. The 'bananafication' at the tail might be another design isuue too if you glued the sections carefully along the lines. Anyway it's good to follow your so far clean and thorough build.

BR Tappi

[Don Boose]

Thanks for stopping by, Tappi.

The bananafication is definitely NOT a design flaw. It was sloppy construction. I don't think the gap was a design flaw, either, because Jim, Kevin Stephens, and Mike Scalingi have all built flawless Otters from these parts.

Nonetheless, Jim did a little rejiggering on the fuselage segment in question and sent me new sheets. I have since printed them out, cut out the fuselage segments, and hope to get the new fuselage built and photographed for the thread soon. My problem is that I am getting home from the office around 9:00 PM and not finding too much time for Ottering.

Don (transmitting from my office in Elihu Root Hall, Carlisle Barracks)

[Tapcho]

Well ok, it's really hard to tell without the parts and not having built one so you maybe right on that. Looking at Mike's Otter (though different livery) I could swear he had similar issues at least with the formers and tabs - let's see if he drops by and comments his build himself.

BR Tappi

[gomidefilho]

Amazing and precise work Don, I have the same plane printed in 1/100 scale in my to do build pile. I watch with great interest you build.

[rockpaperscissor]

Your Otter is coming along well, Don. You are successfully overcoming build issues as they arise, and we can all relate to that. Where do those bananas come from? I always consider it a major triumph if I can manage to keep a fuselage straight. I've had luck with my most recent builds using double glue tabs a la Prudenzio, but I build small, and I think the tendency to banana might get worse with longer fuselages.

[Michael Mash]

Hello Don,
Nice to get a look at your current project. You have some excellent close-up images. Though those seams are giving you some worry, it looks like you have lots of support and ideas from other aircraft builders. Looking forward to more.
Mike

[-Jim G]

Hi Don!
Watching you build the otter is of great value to me. If you uncover 'DESIGN FLAWS' (I prefer to use the term: 'BUILDER CHALLENGES') then model can be improved to make it better.

[mbauer]

Hi Don,

Nice looking bird. Find it most interesting looking at your tools and techniques.

Never tried to insert the smaller part into the the larger, it looks like this would be a way to overcome a couple of issues with building. I'll have to try it.

You have some very interesting clamps/tweezer uses as well.

Looking forward to your completion photos!

Mike

[Wilfried]

Hello Don,

just stumblin' in ... Otter and Beaver stands for solid aircrafts ... as solid as a tower. A cardmodel of those flying machines should have the same criteria ..
A starfighter is haute couture - the first ones are jeans from Mr. Strauss ...

with lovely greetings
the Wilfried

[Don Boose]

What a delight to have Péricles, Don Prime, Mike Mash, Mike Bauer, Jim G, and Wilfried visiting my thread as I stumble through this build.

Wilfried - I loved your characterization of the rough-and-ready Army Beaver and Otter as the Strauss Jeans of aircraft.

Jim - I will let you know about the Builder Challenges. As far as I am concerned, there are NO "design flaws."

Earlier today I had the very great pleasure of meeting RockPaperScissors in person as he and I met with Rick Steffers, Kevin Stephens, and Karl Warner at the Army Heritage and Education Center to plan for the annual Paper Modelers at Army Heritage Days event (which I will be announcing tomorrow in the forum, with some photos of today's gathering).

Kevin brought his Otter model and I looked it over very closely for clues on how to build this one. RPS Don brought some of his superb military miniatures and three 1/72 models (Sea Fury in Korean War Fleet Air Arm markings and folding wings, the SAI-403 Dardo, and the Russo-Balt armored car). His models are even more impressive in person than they are in the photographs. Karl also gave us a tour of the History Trail, where we saw some of the new additions, including a Korean War-era 8-inch howitzer and an M-42 Twin-40mm Duster (you were right, of course, Karl, it IS built on an M-41 Walker Bulldog chassis). I will say more about the visit in a separate thread.

I am eager to get back to work on my third try at the Otter and hope to do so later this evening. Just now I am in the office, working (and just had a PM exchange with Mike Bauer on sources on the Battle of Midway).

More later,

Don