DHC-6-300 Seaplane

[Draco]

I just saw that I never published the pictures of the assembly of the model.
Here is the fuselage. You can see in one of the pictures the b/w alpha test.
The assembly is traditional with tabs to hold the reinforcements to the skin.
The nose can be molded over a rounded tip of a marker or a screwdriver of the right size.
There is a bump under the fuselage that seems to be a fuel line. It must be glued after the fuselage but before the floats struts.

[Draco]

Ok, this pictures will let you see the most interesting parts of the assembly.
First, the fuel line that goes down the center of the belly.
Second the main spars supports, where the main wheel should go if it had wheels.
And third, the "box" that goes inside the floats and struts and that is used to guide and help the build of the lower side of the plane until it's finished and dry.
You can see that wings and stabilizers are done later. It is to prevent cluttering.
So, if you like it, go to ecardmodels and download one of the three models available (soon many more!)

[Siwi]

Given the square and constant profile, this will be a relatively easy model to add interior too when we get to building one. The wing spar must surely be above the cabin ceiling on the real plane so it will be fine to keep as is when doing this.

[Draco]

Originally Posted by Siwi

Given the square and constant profile, this will be a relatively easy model to add interior too when we get to building one. The wing spar must surely be above the cabin ceiling on the real plane so it will be fine to keep as is when doing this.

Yes, it should have no problem.
After I read your post I found this "exploded view" of the Twin Otter, and it has almost exactly the same main parts than my model (I found it funny).

The TMA 8Q-TMB has been uploaded to ecardmodels, should be available this weekend. Somebody told me it was not blue but lavander. So let's say it's 9687d2 hexadecimal.

Meanwhile, enjoy!

[Draco]

Update: TMA 8Q-BMB has been released a few minutes ago in 1/72 and 1/33.
Enjoy!

[Siwi]

Originally Posted by Draco

Yes, it should have no problem.
After I read your post I found this "exploded view" of the Twin Otter, and it has almost exactly the same main parts than my model (I found it funny).

The TMA 8Q-TMB has been uploaded to ecardmodels, should be available this weekend. Somebody told me it was not blue but lavander. So let's say it's 9687d2 exadecimal.

That is probably no coincidence. As a utilitarian aircraft, it needed to be designed in a way that would make construction, maintainance and repair simple, and dividing the square-section fuselage into sub-assemblies at the points in which the profiles change aids this. In fact, I would guess that the harder a paper model is to design and build follows very closely the development and construction costs of the real aircraft.



There is a nursery song we sing to children in England titled 'Lavender's Blue', so on that basis your colour is correct!

[Draco]

Here are the final steps of the assembly and another internal view of the real plane
The propeller has a shaft that is inserted in the corresponding hole of the engine without glue, so it can turn.
The exaust can be elliptical (like in this picture) or one big tube each side, like the one with the oak leaf.
In the case of the tubes, they go up 30° in the left of BOTH engines, and 30° down on the right of both engines. So it follows the propeller flow.
Another detail is that TMA has the logo and name inside of their engines, so when the passengers take pictures from inside, they appear in there. Good idea for advertising!

[Draco]

Painting the next model of Twin Otter, the 8Q-TMN.
Interesting details are the nose saying "Visit Maldives year 2016" and the floats with the same dolphins motive as the TMA 8Q-TME but in gray.

This model should be available next weekend.

[Draco]

About the one I'm painting:
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[Draco]

The TMA red is advancing, but not so faster as I would had liked. Real life problems, you know.
Any way, it should be finished tomorrow and it's still possible that it will be released this weekend.
Meanwhile remember that there are four more versions in both 1:72 and 1:33 available!