NAVY & MILITARY Planes in 1/200

[papermate]

No. 71 in this series is Kancho's A6 Intruder, originally at 1/48, now downsized to 1/200. It is a free gift from Kancho on his website. I have this model for sometime but was undecided to build it in reduced scale as it was not an easy thing to do. Anyway, as I have seen it done, so I'm giving it a try. Wish me luck.

Papermate

[cafe]

What an impressive build! The nose is really well done.

[baxter]

Great job so far.Awesome seat!

[Jan Kytop]

Fantastic build!

[Wad Cutter]

Damn you hurt my head. One of my all time fav aircraft. Nice! wc

[papermate]

Thank you, guys. Here's the latest update with an open canopy.

Papermate

[papermate]

Just in case you are curious as to how to make the clear canopy, here's the method that I think I have shown somewhere on this forum. Can't find it, so here we go again in more details.

Step 1 - cut out the template of the canopy and build it as usual but inside out. The tabs on the outside. Leave more space along the edges of the template. Then paint the inside with heavy layer of clear paint to make it impermeable if you are using plaster of paris (PP). If you use modeling clay, then you don't have to paint it. Thus made the mould.


Step 2 - Get a metal softdrink bottle with a screw-on cap. The largest screw bottle mouth that I could find here in HK measures about 33 mm in diameter. That's good enough for small scale models, like what I'm building.


Step 3 - Cut away the main body part leaving the upper part like an inverted funnel. Use kneadable metal to wrap up the cut to protect your palm. This is important as it will eliminate the danger of cutting your fingers or even your wrist. Adults should pay particular attention to this if they have children at home. Then cut away the top of the screw cap. The most that I can cut away is about 26 mm in diameter. Don't over-do it and leave some rim. Will explain later as to why.


Don't know if you find it easy to understand so far? Hope I can express myself good enough in simple English.

Papermate

[papermate]

Step 4 - Cut a piece of card board, 0.5 mm thick, slightly smaller than the cap, that goes freely inside the cap. This is the template for subsequent clear plastic sheets that are cut in circular shape from ordinary clear plastic packaging. Cut as many as possible for future use.


Step 5 - Put the template aside. Place one circular sheet of the clear plastic inside the screw cap. Screw just tight enough to make sure that the plastic circular sheet stays in place. This is where the trick of the rim comes to play. As mentioned in Step 3 about cutting the rim, if you cut the rim too narrow, the cap won't be strong enough to hold the circular plastic sheet firmly. And it will have adverse effect in the heat forming process later.


Step 6 - After making sure that the screw cap with the snugly placed plastic sheet are ready, move the screw cap over a candle. Any candle will do. In this instance, I used a birthday cake candle as the flame wouldn't be too strong. It takes a short time for the plastic sheet to get softened. When it does, you either push the screw cap down the mould that is glued firmly to the end of a rod, or, push the mould up as much as possible. Hold it there for a little longer before the canopy is formed. It takes a lot of practices to have one satisfactory canopy.


Papermate

[Yeti]

That's a very nice canopy tutorial. The clear canopy looks great on that little A-6.

[papermate]

Step 7 - Trimming. This is the final part which is the most critical. Mount the canopy over the PP mould by using double-sided sticky tape. You can skip the sticky tape if you are definitely sure that you can manage without the canopy slipping away from the desired position. Mark the outline of the window frame on the canopy with a fine tip marker. Or, for more precision, use the tip of your sharp cutter, scalpel whatever instead of the marker. However, this is the easiest way to screw up if your cutter slips. The unwanted scratch mark will be there forever and if this happens, you'll have to start all over.


Step 8 - After the desired trim has been achieved, paint the underside of the window frame and the relevant part of the canopy, and then glue the window frame cutout on to the canopy by using CA sparingly and extremely carefully. Otherwise, start all over again if the CA smears over the clear part of the canopy. Some coercion, bending and curling may be required to make the canopy adhere to the side of the cockpit. So, practice and dry fitting makes perfect. There you are, a clear canopy in open or closed position.


Reminder about heat forming, if the first attempt fails, you can do it again without replacing the clear plastic sheet maybe for another time. But don't overcook it or it will be burnt, see pic, and you're back to square one.


Papermate