Saro London: 3 Models, 3 Sizes

[Siwi]

Originally Posted by Draco

I designed the model to allow this changes. In fact, if you see the Supermarine Stranraer displayed in some of the pictures, it has the most realistic engines. I was in doub if include them with this model, but I decided to do it.

You can open the bomber shield, too. It's a part of the bow that protects a window for the ASW operator. I'm not including the parts, but a scissor and a bit of transparent acetate will do the work. And there is a very small bomb bay under both wings, just inside the 7 number. You can scratch build it too.

So, answering your question, I would really love to see your finished model with this improvements!

Excellent. I'd be interested to build the silver version based at Calshot, because Calshot is only a few miles from where I live. Much of the Saro aircraft buildings still stand and are used as an indoor ski slope and climbing wall.

[Draco]

Originally Posted by Siwi

Excellent. I'd be interested to build the silver version based at Calshot, because Calshot is only a few miles from where I live. Much of the Saro aircraft buildings still stand and are used as an indoor ski slope and climbing wall.

Perfect! I'll be releasing that version and the 240 Sqn first, and later I'll release the prototype due to the changes in the engines and floats.

[Draco]

Since the last post, the first float has been assembled and the second is in pieces, the engines have been extended 10% and the join between the three sections of the upper wing have been finished.

So just remain to glue the new engines and propellers, glue the second float, design the radio mast and the exausts, and finish the instructions.

A bit of reorganization of the pieces inside the sheets, another bit of rescaling, and the pdf with the beta-models will be leaving to my beta-testers.

So... this weekend?

[Rata]

Well done Draco on a (like the Stranraer) difficult subject.

Garry

[Draco]

Thanks, Garry!

This morning enjoyed another long blackout (shorter blackouts happen each two-three days) so I assembled the engines and the last float.

In a few minutes I'll be finishing the propeller shaft and designing the exausts and mast. I'll print them and probably finish the model tonight.

Tomorrow the instructions, and start the 201 Sqn Calshot metallized version, that will be finished in just one day (After all just the exaust and the number of blades change).

[gomidefilho]

Great model! Bravo!

[Siwi]

Fantastic! Look forward to downloading the Calshot version when it's released, and then taking some photos of it at the real Calshot. Do you plan to include a land trolley with wheels in the kit (it would make the model easier to display on a flat surface, and would avoid damage to wing floats)?

[Draco]

Thanks, gomidefilho, thanks Siwi!

As you can see, the Saro London is almost finished.
It remains to glue the propellers (one was lost, had to print it again), design the exaust and the radio mast.
All the undeside of the plane is aluminium color, but I don't have it and all the stores in Venezuela had closed.
Siwi: the trolley won't be included, first because I don't have enought information about it, and second because I've seen that the more parts I place, the more wary some modellers are. I'll include the detailed engine we talked about, but just because I already had it in my Stranraer and is exactly the same model. Don't worry about damaging the floats: I design my models to resist accidents, and as you can see, the support is enought to keep the model straight.

So, tonight I'll finish the instructions, the last parts, and torrown I'll be doing the Calshot's 201 Sqn version.

And then comes rescalling to 1/33, to 1/100, covers, pictures of the beta models... anyway, MINE will be finished tomorrow!

[Draco]

At first, I was doing a very detailed and complex exaust. But the I throught: it's a part of less of two cm long. Let's simplify. And ended with a tube where the final modeler can do two cuts and bend to the right shape.

Siwi, reading your post about damaging the floats, one of the difference of my designs with anothers is that I do them with an expected life of 30+ years. So, they are overingeried.

As and example, I took my London 1/72 scale and hold it horizontal from just the point of the wings: no problem.
After that, I hanged the plane from my finger under a float: nothing.
So you can feel relaxed that anything less than a fall from two meters high is irrelevant to my models (falls from less distance could need a bit of glue and a five minuts fix)

Anyway, the model is totally designed and tested. Yes I know that the exaust and masts aren't painted, and the hub of the propellers arent glued. But the hub comes straight from the Supermarine Stranraer, and paint has nothing to do with design.

So, now, I'll recheck the instructions, recheck the names of the parts to prevent dupication, and start the process of repaint the other two versions and rescale to 1/33 and 1/100.

Any of you that doens't want to wait for the 6-8 weeks before the publishing process is finished, can write me to request your model.

[Draco]

Well, after enjoying () another blackout, today I finished the alpha model.

Now I'm reworking the instructions (including the fuel tank, for example) and starting the K5262, 201 Sqn Calshot. The changes are small: paint, four blades propellers and exaust under the wings. Some of this changes are already done.

As you can see in two of the pictures, the fuel tank is still removable.