C-130T Fat Albert Airlines (Blue Angels)

[willygoat]

Looking pretty awesome Dave!!! Can't wait to see this this finished up.

[airdave]

LOL MAJOR DISASTER LAST NIGHT!
LOL

I started to assemble the next (first) fuselage ring section (after the cockpit assembly)
Fighting with the thin paper got to be a big annoyance.
The model is small, but not so small that regular weight paper (20lb) is just too thin and flimsy.
Everytime I applied any pressure anywhere on the structure, I pushed dents into it!...and had to keep popping out dents and creases.
The internal formers add strength in certain areas, but the lightweight paper isn't strong enough to transfer any of that strength along its surface.

Anyway, I changed the first section twice before I finally got the first large former in place..and I decided I need to strengthen the "skin" of the cockpit more before continuing any further.
So I took advantage of the still available access to the inside of the cockpit/nose and brushed on a liberal coating of white glue.
(This stuff hardens like rock when dried)



What I forgot about was the thin paper again!...and once the glue soaked into (and right through) the thin paper, it started to bleed all the inks!
What a big mess with blue ink bleeding everywhere!
I looked at it (dry) this morning and its not as bad as it was last night...
but I'm still concerned with the "flimsy" paper strength and the fact that its still too easy to put dents in the structure while handling.

I've already glued remaining parts sheets onto a second paper layer (doubling the thickness)...I may add a third for security.
So..I think I will print new nose/cockpit parts and just start again!

sorry for the delay, but it shouldn't take me very long to build up a new cockpit (now that I know what I am doing! lol).

[airdave]

okay...its 5pm Sunday
the Nascar race from Watkins Glen has finally been cancelled
(until tomorrow) due to rain....bummer
but I sat in front of the TV for the last 3 hours and built a new Fat Albert nose cone and front fuselage!!
woohoo

So for all those who are still paying attention...
here it is





I decided to glue two sheets of regular paper to the back of my model parts pages.
This gives me about 60lb weight...I probably could have done better with only 2 sheets total (40lb) but the extra weight gives me a lot more strength for my clumsy building skills!

Overall everything is a good fit.
but, forgive me...I have been rushing it a little this afternoon
and my connections are quite sloppy.
I didn't do a very good job of lining up the first fuselage rings.

I will admit though, I am noticing an odd thing with the body stripe in the first fuselage section. Everything lines up and the graphics follow the same line, but the odd stretching that occurs in that front area of the fuselage is giving the stripe a funny look.
I will fix this by moving the entire graphic (stripe and lower colours) up a little higher on the fuselage. Should help compensate for the curve in the fuselage and make the graphics appear straighter as they come off the cockpit section.

[smyfe]

Very nice dave, It would have taken me 3 weeks:D

[airdave]

Latest update...

just steadily working away adding each fuselage section.
Basically the same process for each "ring" of fuselage.

Cut out the 1 or 2 pieces for that "ring" section,
and prepare the necessary glueing strips.
Curve the section to the rough shape
(I was using the next former for each section to do this)
and glue the section into a ring with end glue tab(s).
Attach the main glueing tab strip(s).
Then apply glue to the previous section and fit the new fuselage "ring".
Once all the glue tabs are stuck down and secure
I then positioned the necessary "former"
(just deep enough to allow for the next strip of glueing tabs)
and brushed in a liberal amount of glue to lock the former in place.

[cgutzmer]

looks great! I would suggest coloring the edges in the non-white areas for an improved appearance!
Chris

[airdave]

Originally Posted by cgutzmer

looks great! I would suggest coloring the edges in the non-white areas for an improved appearance!
Chris

I assume you are referring to the visible edges of each fuselage ring, especially within the navy blue areas?

actually, almost all the blue edges are coloured (with navy blue marker)!
some of the yellow has been touched up too.

the flash from my camera seems to really kick back certain areas
and the reflection is over-highlighting the card edges.

if you look carefully in the last photo
you can see a "white" edge that reaches up into the white section.
This area is white on white and yet you can still see the brighter white card edge created by the flash.

my fit on a few joints is not as tight as it could be
(I'm rushing it a little)
and that makes things worse.
I will try to add more colour and make some tighter joints.

[legion]

You could try taking photo's without a flash and with a fixed light. Or create a lightbooth to get perfect lighting all the time.

[airdave]

Finally reached the end of the fuselage and I will be attaching the "tail end" shortly.

I decided to assemble the last three sections before attaching them to the main fuselage
because I can still get access to the inside while fitting and glueing.

I'm not completely happy with the tail section shape.
I give first acknowledgment to the fact that I am less skilled and rushing the build a little.
But I found that the rear tail formers (there needs to be one more I think?) are not quite the right shape and size.
Or maybe the "skin" just doesn't want to match the former?
I would suggest some serious dry fitting here and maybe adjust the formers for a better shape.
Probably someone with better skills could deal with this.

...anyway, with my sloppy build skills, I am not thrilled with the transitional shape of the tapering "tail" section.
Maybe it will look better when assembled with the rest of the plane?
I have to keep reminding myself, that I am building this at about half size
and the larger scale would probably help fit things together better!

(In case anyone notices, I accidentally touched the top of the fuselage (right at the back) with my blue ink marker!...I scrambled to wash out the ink, and managed to remove most of it, leaving only a slightly surfaced damaged area. I just don't feel like cutting that section out and trying to replace it! lol)

[airdave]

Tails on!!!
Not as awkward looking as what I thought.
I still think the entire original tail design is a little too long
but its so hard to judge without the massive tailplane in place!...
We will take another look after...



but, I have found one reason why it looks funny.
The yellow stripe tends to make the entire tapered tail section look a lot longer and really throws off the lines.

So, just to prove I'm not perfect...
and working to make the best repaint I can,
I have to admit to a huge blunder.
You see, the yellow stripes never got properly finished.
I had laid out some yellow striping and never got around to making the proper curve under the tail section...instead it got left as two straight stripes and....

well, you get the point...I messed up.

Anyway, the repairs and changes have already been made.
below is a jpeg of all the new parts showing the new curved stripe which better matches the actual plane!.
(unfortunately my current model has the wrong stripes under the tail!
but the actual model has the proper stripes)