SPI Models Blohm & Voss P.170 Schnellbomber

[SJPONeill]

Another shot of the outer fuselages - again quite simple shapes and easy to do but after many attempts I still end up with gaps around the fuselage-rudder joins - will have another go with super-glue to see if I can close the gaps more. The open bays underneath are for the outer undercarriages legs - there are three identical undercarriage assemblies, one in each fuselage....

[SJPONeill]

My very first set of decent wheels - the model comes with what are essentially just cylinders which just doesn't fly in this scale...as above, I made these myself based on Gil's tutorial on German wheels; still a little finishing to do but they look way better than the alternative.

The props were not nearly as hard or as complex as I thought - they don't look too bad for what is not much more than two layers of paper on a toothpick...I got a bit carried away with the edging (I think this paper might be a bit of porous) hence the green/black combinations on the props. I added formers to the ends and middle of the prop shaft/spinner to better support the prop blades as well as the original unsupported cylinder got a bit saggy when the blades were added. There are still two more cones to be added to the front of the spinner but I haven't quite mastered the art of small cones (that aren't off-centre) yet....

[B-Manic]

The build looks very nice. Great job with the wheels. When I built it I had the same problem with the "fuselage-rudder joins". I put some scrap card from the formers inside the rudders to hold them open at the apex of the open V.

[Retired_for_now]

Circle cutter? Do you have a complete address/source for "Spotlight?"

Yogi (Google impaired)

[SJPONeill]

Hi Yogi

Spotlight is a local chain down here that specialises in craft and hobby supplies. I've been to similar types of shops in the US (spent a day being dragged around every craft shop in the Chesapeake Bay area by a mate looking for a specific dress material for his wife!!) but can't remember the names of any of them - it's quite a simple device and I worked out what I was after from the threads here - I would be surprised if any craft or hobby shop over your way didn't have some.

OK, in tonight's update pic, you can see the horrible seam that runs underneath the fuselage - I think this is due to two factors. The first is that I don't think I was rolling the parts all the way to the edge so that the lip was more inclined to try to straighten than to follow the curve. the other is that I used a slow glue and after I thought it had cured there was still enough slack for the aforementioned lips to spring back slightly.

I had to reprint the last two fuselage section on my printer at home instead of at work where the first print run occurred and it looks like the reprinted articles were ever so slightly smaller than they needed to be - certainly the colours were slightly different but I decided to carry on with the build anyway as a journey of discovery.

There is no tailwheel bay in the kit (nor anywhere to actually mount the tailwheel) so I scaled down one of the main gear bays to fit but still have to add the doors..

You can see how I didn't quite get the inner and outer surfaces of the main gera bay doors to line up properly but I think I can share the blame for this with the kit. The kit system in workable but would be better if the inner surface was a fold back from the actual door itself so that the edge was pointing back into the bay...outa sight, outa mind....

[SJPONeill]

I have no idea why there's blank strip under the canopy - this bit seemed to go together quite well until I went to add the canopy...lesson for next time is to colour in such blank spots ahead of time 'just in case'. The joins in the fuselage section are a bit out as the corrugated cardboard I used for the formers delaminated a bit and the edges were a bit rough - the more I handled the bits to fix it, the worse it got so cut my losses and moved on.

Had to add a spar for the tailplanes as otherwise they would only have butt-jointed up against the fuselage - they are deceptively large and I couldn't see that join last more than one sortie around the lounge. From a forward view the tailplanes are slightly uneven as a result of my twisting the rear fuselage section so that the panels lined up - lesson from this is to add the tailplanes to the fuselage LATER!!!

[Retired_for_now]

Thanks - most "hobby" stores here carry a very limited selection of specialized tools (Olfa cutters are about it - completely different design that won't cut small). I'll keep looking, or modify one of those little brass calipers to take a point and a swivel blade - I just hate drilling holes in tools.

I've used a set of proportional dividers to score (sharp points) circles, but it's a very inefficient cutter and leaves ragged edges.

Yogi

BTW - build is coming along nicely.

[SJPONeill]

Yogi,

These are the two circle cutters I use. the compass style I picked up in Singapore a good 20+ years ago - they are alright in a pinch but because of the design the cut is not vertical but slanted. I find they are quite fiddly to use and far prefer the one I got from Spotlight. This has a vertical blade that slides on a horizontal beam for circles from 1-15cm and cuts straight and smoothly through card at least as thick as 1.5mm.

If you're still having problems finding these, PM me and we will see if we can not sort out some way of furthering NZ-US trade relations.

Simon

[SJPONeill]

Just a quick shot to show the general configuration and size of the 170 when complete - it is deceptively large but not as lopsided as in the pic as it is only joined by a couple of weak clothespegs at the moment and just for the picture.

[cdwheatley]

Looking real good Simon . I have a circle cutter, almost identical to the one in the bottom of your picture. I got it very cheaply on eBay, I'm sure there must be loads for sale there still - search for 'compass cutter'.