Brewster B-239 Buffalo by ccoyle - Halinski 1/2008 - 1/33 scale

[ccoyle]

Hello, everyone!

It has taken a long, long time for me to get back in the saddle. Back in 2015 I was forced to change jobs. The good news is that I found a job, but it was literally clear across the country -- from tiny Mariposa, California, to big city (comparatively speaking) Greenville, South Carolina. I had to start my new job before our house in California was sold and then drove cross-country in my SUV with only enough clothing and household supplies to set myself up temporarily in a very small apartment. All my modeling supplies got packed up and left behind. It was seven months before the house sold and the rest of the family moved out to SC, but we were all crammed into yet another small apartment, so no modeling yet. Finally we bought a house in December, and you all know how moving into new houses is -- endless projects and such. Well, I finally have a bit of time now to get back to cutting and gluing.

I have chosen to get started on the Halinski B-239 in Finnish livery. I have a soft spot for the Buff and have had this kit in the stash for years now. I believe I did a review on it here a long time ago. To summarize the review: it's a Halinski. 'Nuff said. Wish me luck!

[Robert Woolley]

I recall reading that Finnish Buffaloes were good planes, despite them being rubbish elsewhere. This was because the Finns pulled them apart and put them together properly. It seems quality control was so poor and the workers had problems, I can't remember what, that all buffaloes we the result of shoddy workmanship.
I look forward to this build.

Robert

[GMintz]

Looking forward to seeing this go together!

Greg

[MrConk]

As one exMariposa resident to another exMariposa resident I say " Welcome back".
Having two Brewsters in my ever increasing to build pile (Model Card and Kartonowa Kolekcia) I'll be following your assembly with great interest.

[birder]

Hi Chris nice to hear you're getting settled. I made a Fin Buffalo simple model for my mom who is Finnish, but my dad objected to the tail markings, I tried to explain, but no avail...ha .. As a AH model this will surely be a pretty plane

[ccoyle]

MrConk, how long have you been a Mariposa ex-pat? We moved there in 2003. BTW, I also have the KK Buffalo as well.

[MrConk]

Moved to Mariposa (hwy. 49S by Tip Top] when you did in 2003. Left 5 years ago. I'm sorry we had no chance to meet as I was vaguely aware of a card modeler in the vicinity, but not knowing of this site at the time, I had no idea on how to make contact.
Good luck on your B-239.

[ccoyle]

Well, then, I lived just four miles or so away on Triangle Rd. Funny how things work out.

[ccoyle]

I started building up the fuselage. Not much to show, but this is a week's worth of an hour here and an hour there. I'm using a laser-cut set of formers. Experience with the I-16 taught me that Halinski fit tolerances are very, very tight, so I made sure that once I laminated any colored parts onto a former, I followed that up by filing any over-sized formers down to the exact profile of the printed part. By now probably everyone here has seen a Halinski build in progress, so the 3-D jigsaw puzzle-like construction of the formers should come as no surprise. It is very stout.



I'm using yellow carpenter's glue for the part-to-part gluing and contact cement for laminating printed parts to laser-cut parts (to prevent warping). Before I can glue these two chunks together, a nightmarish portion of the landing gear assembly has to be fitted in between the two portions. Fun!

[YOAVHOZMI]

good luck with the new model.


YOAV