#51
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Canopy finally done...
Hi guys, thanks for your responses. Making the mold was a time-consuming process, in fact I made several ones in the past two months, and for the second one I used the canopy frame, similar to what is shown in Yoav's pictures posted above. It takes practice and patience to arrive at one with the right curves. I experimented with plastic model putty but finally stuck with wall filler to reinforce the inside and shape the outside. Didn't make pictures during the process, too occupied with creating something acceptable I guess.
After sanding the mold I was satisfied with, I spray-painted it for smoothness of the surface. There's no reason for the green color, it's just what I have. Overhead sheet in the frame of the vacuum box, and heated up above the table grill at maximum temperature for a few minutes. The plastic becomes very soft and sort of pulls tight in the frame. Vacuum cleaner on, frame on the box and mold, and ready within a split second. Difficult to keep small particles and dust out of the way (it's static), and it took a few times trying. Still there are small irregularities here and there and also a very vague hint of an edge. Well, not perfect perhaps, but more than acceptable. Dry-fit succeeded (picture no. 6). Luckily the weather today was awful, storm and rain, and a ridiculously high temperature outside, 16 degrees C. Global warming, no discussion about it. Anyway, that provided ample of opportunity to fix the frames on the canopy. The inside frame is copied on regular printer paper (80 grams) and I trimmed the bottom part. Canopy and frames look good on the cockpit but it's not yet glued in place. Also, you can see the wingtip launch rails, slightly pointing downwards. All pylons and sidewinder launch rails are ready by now. The last two pictures show an overview of the model at this stage. The nose cone has not been glued yet as it may be required to add some weight to prevent the model from tilting backwards when the landing gear is in place. Cheers, Erik |
#52
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Splendid!!!!
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The SD40 is 55 now! |
#53
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Always lots of work on the canopy, but that is a needed feature of our models.
Looks good. Isaac
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My gallery [http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery...v-r-6&cat=500] Recent buildsMeteor F1, Meteor F8, Mig-Ye8, NA Sabre, A-4E Skyhawk,Mig-15 red, Mig-17 repaint |
#54
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Canopy - One more time
Thank you Kevin and Isaac. Yes, you're right, preparing the canopy takes a lot of time and also attaching it to the fuselage is something to be done with utmost care. First, to ensure the canopy is clean at the inside, with no dust or other marks, like finger prints, and second, how to glue it properly.
Usually I like to glue such items in one go as it is the easiest way to accurately get glue at every spot. But alignment here is of key importance so I took Yoav's recommendation at heart, and started at the front, then the rear and finally the sides. Once again, time consuming but a recommendation not to be ignored. When the model is ready I'll apply matt varnish to the frames and the fuselage to mask any excess of glue (particularly at the edges) and at seams where glue has been used to e.g. seal off small gaps. The weather has been very gloomy again lately, so all pictures have been taken with artificial light in the background. Next will be the main landing gear, a subject that requires quite a bit of advance studying. Canopy done - a sigh of relief. Cheers, Erik |
#55
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Erik, your canopy work is exceptional!
The only thing I would have done, is bevel the edges of the canopy frame. On the actual aircraft, those edges are really smooth with the rest of the fuselage and canopy glass. However, you have done an outstanding job!
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Ray Respect the Paper, RESPECT IT! GET OFF MY LAWN! |
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#56
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Hi Erik,
You are doing a great job and your model is very nice! |
#57
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Superb workmanship!
Love the canopy. Isaac
__________________
My gallery [http://www.papermodelers.com/gallery...v-r-6&cat=500] Recent buildsMeteor F1, Meteor F8, Mig-Ye8, NA Sabre, A-4E Skyhawk,Mig-15 red, Mig-17 repaint |
#58
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great canopy Erik...well done my friend.
YOAV |
#59
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Marvelous airframe, very nicely done.
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#60
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Quote:
Could you show how you "wedged" the plastic, holding it tight, please? Gene K |
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Tags |
1:33, f-16a, yoav hozmi |
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