Paper Trade Fokker/Fairchild F-27 "Friendship"
 

1. Model Subject: Fokker/Fairchild F-27 "Friendship"
2. Scale : 1:50
3. Publisher : Paper Trade, kit no. 40.
4. Designer : C. van Gaasteren
5. Distributor : Paper Trade at www.zeistbouwplaten.nl


Paper Trade, a Dutch Publisher (website) has lately published a new papermodel of one of the most beautiful civil airplanes of the World:

http://i55.tinypic.com/2zqfll5.jpg

The main question is now: how different is the printed model compared to the Downloadmodel? First a look at all pages. For homeprinting I used my Canon Pixma Inkjet-printer.

NLM - printed model:

http://i52.tinypic.com/2qlz5nr.jpg

http://i52.tinypic.com/20uc1n7.jpg

In addition: this review is also published in other Forums. So you can expect a double-post here and there....

Greetings,
PT

AWESOME the KLM version ;)

True!!! But it will be the HAW-version.:)
PT

For all folowers a little change:
The designers' name contained a little typo. It is: C. van Haasteren

PT

Paper Trade Fokker/Fairchild F-27 "Friendship" - 02
 

02 - FIRST PREPARATIONS.
Starting a new kit always mean: study the manualtext and construction-drawings.
Or as they say: RTFM!
As we all always do, right?

The manualtext starts with a brief story about the development of the real Friendship. Followed by some technical data

After this "lesson" the constructionmanual starts with a warning: again RTFM!

Next is to choose which variation of the model you want to build.
The options:
1-No landinggear,
2-Moving flaps.
3-Simple landinggear.
4-Turning propellers.
5-Detailed landinggear.
Pick what you like!

This report being a testbuild my choice has to be the most detailed landinggear, turning propellers and moving flaps.
Who says a modelers life is easy?

Now the first cutting and glueing must be done. Page 10 has all the bulkheads and should be glued on 1 mm greybeard or similar. Watch for parts FL and FR, these are not to be glued on greybeard.
To help you: the parts that should be stiffened are indicated with a * next to the partsnumber.
Here we are now:
http://i52.tinypic.com/20i6mg7.jpg

Paper Trade Fokker/Fairchild F-27 "Friendship" - 03
 

03 - THE BODY, chapter 1.
The construction of the model is the known tubes&cones-system.
Also:
Rounding the skinpart with a rod on a foamsurface.
http://i54.tinypic.com/1zecrqv.jpg

Closing it and glueing the tabs.
http://i54.tinypic.com/rvhlon.jpg

Finally the bulkheads are put in place.
http://i54.tinypic.com/297i8m.jpg
　
Special attention needs the fold over the lenght of the body. To keep it smooth it's better not to score.
I used a sharp corner on my ruler and rub with a finger.
http://i54.tinypic.com/6sfalc.jpg

The result:
http://i51.tinypic.com/epgoeo.jpg

And for the best result you always should do edge-coloring. For this I use a simple kids' waterpaint-set. Where needed the standard colors are mixed to adjust to the printed colors.
Like this:
http://i51.tinypic.com/2mg1qio.jpg

When the maintube of the body (parts 1) is completed the first forward-cone (part2) can be made. And this goes on with the rest of the kit: building-order is by following the partsnumbers with sub-indication a-b-c- and so on.
Sofar I can only say this is a well designed kit. As already stated it came out of my printer very wel.
An advantage of the homeprinted kits is when a part gets destroyed it is easy to get a new part by reprinting it. And it will be just the same as the destroyed one, which certainly cannot be obtained when using a scanned copy of a ready printed model.

Will be continued....

Looking good my friend :D

Paper Trade Fokker/Fairchild F-27 "Friendship" - 03-2
 

03 - THE BODY, part 2.
The first 2 parts-sets gave no problem being just simple a tube and a cone. Part-sets 3 and 4 are the first challenge in this kit. These parts are to construct the cockpit of hte Friendsip. Why do airplane-designers not take in count the papermodel-problems: these shapes are hard to do! Why is nog every cockpit like the Caravelle or the in-flight Concorde...?;)

Ah well, here we go:
The cutting is done as, is the edgepaint.
http://i51.tinypic.com/mkx98l.jpg
The sharp viewer notices I left some extra paper at the glue-tabs. This ia bad habit of mine... Not necessairy but makes the parts easier to handle and gives some extra sturdiness to the construction.
I used this order to complete things:
1-tabs on both sides of the little parts 3a and 3b. See the dot-markings: on top!
2-roll and form part 3 into aan ring/cone and close it with the tab.
3-glue parts 3a first, then part 3b. From each one side at a time.
http://i51.tinypic.com/fn4y09.jpg
4-close the cockpit with the middle-tab. Dot-marking again!
5-IMPORTANT: do not close and fixate the seams in the roof yet. And don't place the bulkhead.
http://i51.tinypic.com/2gtukvd.jpg
6-fix the gluetabs in place.
7-part-set 4 is on. Nothing difficult here... just another cone.
8-Part 3 and 4 now can be joined together. Do not fix the underside of the windows.Set some time aside to let dry. Not too long to keep some elasticity as long as the glue is not totally hardened.
9-Put bulkhead 4 in place now.
10-Now you can glue the windows-under to the nose-top. Being a butt-joint you have take your time for it.
11-Finally close the seams in the roof. I used the tissue-method: smear some glue on the spot, in the seam and push the part in plance and shape. Cover the glu with little parts of a tissue.
12-Bulkhead 3 will be the last thing to do.
This what I made of it:
Inside:
http://i55.tinypic.com/2ebak53.jpg
Outside:
http://i51.tinypic.com/2gxog1d.jpg

to be continued...

These are VERY good instructional photos; also quite inspirational. Let us all watch and learn! - L.