TROTSKIY is up

[cjwalas]

The Spitfire! I screwed this one up a bit on the canopy. The canopy is split between the part on the fuselage piece and a separate canopy piece. I put the fuselage together before noticing, so the back section of the canopy is not clear! I think I need to do this one over again sometime and form the bubble section of the canopy properly.



Clear canopies, eh, Don? I'll have to do better on the next one!
Chris

[Dragos]

Cool, simply and beautiful.

[Don Boose]

Lovely Spit, Chris!

What are you using for the clear canopy material? And have you got any tips regarding trotskiy techniques learned during this period of serial model building?

Don

[cjwalas]

Originally Posted by boosed

Lovely Spit, Chris!

What are you using for the clear canopy material? And have you got any tips regarding trotskiy techniques learned during this period of serial model building?

Don

My daughter goes through a lot of microwave popcorn and the clear wrappers work pretty well for canopies!
As far as learning anything, I think I'm learning more about what not to do than I am about what I should do. As you know, Don, these are pretty simple straightforward models. Rounding the wings and gluing them in their proper position makes the biggest difference for me. I think I should be using some card or tissue to fill the wings a bit. They're holding their shape well enough, but could most likely use better shaping. By the time the wings are all trimmed down to size and glued, it can be tough to get them nice and true.
Rounding the fuselage makes a nice difference, but creates a lot of problems, especially with the fit of the canopy. Not sure there's an easy way around that.
I'm getting interested in adding more detail to the landing gear, as you've done before. I'm almost finished with the next one, so I'm not trying it on that one, but giving the wheels some dimension and the struts some form adds a nice touch!
The thing I keep forgetting to do is simply coloring the inside of the canopy frame! Here's the one I'm working on now;
I use contact cement to glue the clear plastic to the card and also to glue the finished canopy in place.
Chris

[cjwalas]

The T6 Texan!

I'm happy with the way this one came out. much better than the plastic one I did as a kid. It was my first plastic model, I think it was a Hawk, orange plastic, maybe 1/72? As soon as I finished it, my older brother ripped it out of my hands and decided to "fly" it. I, like the model, was crushed!
So, here's your clear canopy, Don!

This frame is about the smallest I can cut with my eyesight! Still, it wasn't difficult.

With all that view of the interior, I had to put something in there. It's not even remotely accurate, but it's better than staring into empty paper!

Doing the front cowling curves is still a problem for me. I like the look and I think it's worth it, but I need a bit more practice.
Anyway, on to the next one!
Chris

[Don Boose]

Thanks for the info on your techniques and your Trot-thoughts, Chris. I have been dimensionalizing the wings with little spars, but I think your idea of stuffing in a wisp of tissue is a good one.

I like the JASDF T-6. The canopy is outstanding and you have clearly set a new standard by building an interior for a Trotskiy (although I think the button on the rear-seat propeller pitch handle knob may be the wrong shape -- the one in front looks okay).

I've spent part of my July 4th leafing through old issues of Model Boats (see the Bruce Clemens thread on CO2-powered paper ships) and still trying to produce an acceptable 1/72 Stinton L-5 Sentinel. They get a little better each time and the practice is worthwhile. The fifth central fuselage section and the third canopy (NOT transparent) are the best I've done yet. If I succeed, I plan to try building a Trotskiy Swordfish before the long weekend is over.

I look forward to your next Trotskiy.

Don

[cjwalas]

I'm holding off on the Swordfish until you get a chance to do yours, Don. That latest Stinson looks like its going to be the one. Best of luck on the rest of it and I' really looking forward to your Swordfish. I've never been any good with biplanes, so please post any hints you may have!
Chris

[smyfe]

The f6f is up for download guys:D

[Don Boose]

Thanks, smyfe.

The caption hardly needs a translation, but for the record, the Japanese portion of the caption to f6f5_p_v20 reads “Purinsuton (Princeton) Tōsai (embarked) 1944-nen 10-gatsu (October 1944).” In the context, Purinsuton Tōsai means “Princeton Air Group.”

The specific aircraft is White 10 of VF-27, Carrier Air Group (CVG) 27. According to Barrett Tillman, "Hellcat Aces of World War II" (Oxford, UK: Osprey Publications, this aircraft, nicknamed "PAOLI LOCAL," was flown by Ensign Paul E. Drury.

Although the original air group aboard Princeton was CVG 23 (http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/carriers/cvl23.htm), it appears that CVG 27 (VF-27 and VT-27) were embarked on Princeton in October 1944 at the time of the Battle of Leyte Gulf (http://www.navweaps.com/index_oob/OO...ibuyan_Sea.htm, see also Samuel Eliot Morrison, "History of U.S. Naval Operations in World War II, Leyte, June 1944-January 1945"), during which the Princeton was sunk after being struck by a Japanese Navy suicide aircraft on October 24, 1944.

As readers of this thread know, Chris Walas has built a very nice version of this model (see page 32).

Don

[cjwalas]

Here's the Dewoitine 520S



Had trouble keeping this one straight, but it's OK.

Here's the Me262;


This one needed a lot of added weight in the nose to keep it stable.
The colors are off on these photos. I need to control the light more!
Chris