Danny Fenton

What's next then Nick? If its not a Corsair??

Its the way it is Nick. If I want building inspiration i tend to shoot over to RCSB, lots of like minded scale nuts over there. They make me seem normal! Not many bother to build, they just want to fly. We are a dying breed.

Hi Graham, yes I did a lot of the work in Illustrator, which is a graphic design app. I drew all the dials from photographs, it wasn't as hard as you would think. I traced a scaled phot of a panel to get the right shape, you can just see the styrene sheet template that was taken straight off the model. I cut a template on my plotter to aid with cutting holes in the styrene panel Printed the dials at the right scale and correct position on photo paper Had made three sizes of bezels on the lathe, these were used to make resin cast bezels. Glue dots were added to the four corners of each instrument. I made switches from two slithers of hex styrene rod, Plastistruct stuff. In the middle I glued a small ships belaying pins from model boat guys. Then the panel was airbrushed, matt black looked too harsh so I went for matt Nato black which is just a touch greyer. I glued a sheet of acetate to the photo of the instruments, then glued this, after carefully aligning it, to the back of the panel. A little silver Humbrol dry brushed over the raised sections brought it to life. And in the office...... Hope that helps, as usual there will be a video, but there is 4 days of footage to edit into something sensible and preferably not too boring!!! Yes I have faffed about for 4 days on an instrument panel........ Cheers Danny

The panel is almost complete. The bezel is a bit bashed, that is deliberate these aircraft were built in the 40's after all! I need to add a reg placard, if I could just make up my mind on a subject. The scheme I want is for a beagle terrier not an Aristocrat! G-AXUJ a J1 would be appropriate...... and I have lots of lovely Klass Kote silver But I like the colours of the J6 Terrier G-ASCH I suppose as it's flying only, I can do what I like. Cheers Danny

Thanks Alan, looking at the pics, not sure the control columns are chunky enough. If you compare the size of the mag switches the scaling looks iffy lol Losing the will to do another......

Thanks chaps much appreciated. I have been messing with the instrument panel in between other things. As you may have noticed I scrapped the first one. The second one is better. It needed a raised bezel as per the full size, and that has been quite difficult to do. In the end I used plasticine to make a master, then made a silicone mold, from that a resin bezel, which I was able to shape. Several days work for such a simple feature. I was on the DB Sport and Scale website and noticed that Richard is doing a 3d printed panel with the bezel! Ah well I enjoy making these things, in fact the detailing is the hobby for me. Just needs some paint. Cheers Danny

Thanks for the feedback guys, and I appreciate there is nothing to say a lot of the times, but it is very difficult to garner the enthusiasm to make these posts if you get no feedback. Its like presenting on a Zoom call with everybody muted, its quite soul destroying. I had hoped the like button would help, but people don't use it. (Apart from you John S, thx) I am using the .5mm Vivak Plastic supplied in the kit and it is good quality, just cut to completely the wrong shape, I am not sure why it is shaped at all as it needs cutting to size. They may as well have just supplied raw uncut sheet stock. And trying to create such an awkward shape is not easy. When I drew up my Cub for indoor that area of the windscreen was a challenge, and beyond many newcomers to the hobby. The windscreen section, as supplied is around 25mm too wide, and needs completely re-cutting, it will go around the leading edge etc, its not a problem with the material, or the leading edge, just the shape. Another issue is that there is insufficient flange inside to attach the other windows too, not just the windscreen but also the side screens, so I am going to have to get creative. The instructions suggest you could attach the windows on the outside, but that would look pretty awful, so that is not an option. I had hoped that previous builders of this model were about, I was mainly thinking of Dwayne Dibley or David Davies, but I guess not. Do all Auster builders name start with a "D" Cheers Danny

This forum used to be so full of banter and people, its a shame. Sent an E-Mail to Richard at DB S&S asking if there was a newer pattern, but as usual I got impatient and started creating one.... Not quite there yet but close. Cheers Danny

Had a quick trial fit of the glazing, and I think there lies a challenge to say the least. Any previous builders got any tips, I am assuming the panels, apart from top and windscreen, are fitted inside the cabin? The windscreen certainly appears miles off ? Cheers Danny

I have scrapped that dash, the instruments are too close to the edge to allow for the bezel. I will start again. Cheers Danny

Joysticks are in, alloy tubing, heat shrink and some tiny "O" rings. Cheers Danny

Thanks Kevin, that's what I found too, wondered if any had personal experience ? cheers Danny

A little bit done on the interior, I hate brush painting, two coats and it still look like it needs another..... The reds look different, but that's the camera, in reality they look the same. Ah well. I have to try and smooth out the ridges from a 3d printed pilot figure, anybody have any words of wisdom?? Cheers Danny

Finished off the last of the litho panels around the bulkhead. Came out pretty well, chuffed with that. Back inside the cockpit next, picked up some red X7 Tamiya red for the interior panels. Will have to be brush painted, I hate brush painting! Cheers Danny

Lovely work as always Dirk, glad you are feeling better

I look forward to following along, should be very interesting. I have a "Just under 1/4 scale" Hutson one lurking somewhere. And am finishing up an older DB Auster. They are a little beefy by modern standards, but all seem to fly well. Cheers Danny

And on to the litho plate sheathing around the nose, really enjoying the progress lately. I have used double sided carpet tape for the first time, and its working really well. Would have no doubts electric, but with this oily thing up front who knows if it will still be on the model when it lands ? Riveted with a rounded piece of piano wire from the inside, then a length of brass tube from the outside. NOTE the rivets are at every intersection, then spaced out to fill the gaps. This is where your rows of sticky rivets will always look wrong to me. But that's just my opinion Cheers Danny

I think flat black is too flat, might add a satin top coat.... Cheers Danny

Next up is an instrument panel, really simply done the Dave Platt way, but with a little technology thrown in... Cheers Danny

A little more done today. The process is shown on Youtube, just look for my page. Cheers Danny

Hi Chris, thanks for asking, easier if I show you. It involves crochet thread and a contact adhesive, in this case UHU-Por Seat beading Cheers Danny

Been musing over the vinyl beading around the perimeter of the seat cushions, found a simple way to do it. Should look great once painted. Cheers Danny

Hi Stu, and thanks for the feedback ? Still debating whether to paint or airbrush. The cockpit interior will have to be a brush i think, but the seats themselves could be airbrushed. One guy on RCSB used tissue and thinned pva as a surface finish, tempting.... Cheers Danny

Thanks Eric, I still have a bit left but I sure people would be interested in a suitable substitute to Sheffield Insulations blue foam? I had a play with the back of a front seat, but unlike the back seat which has lumps and ripples standing proud, the front seat had ridges and ripples going inwards, much harder to replicate, still better than smooth surfaces. Hopefully I can make a little more convincing with the airbrush. Video on how the back seat was done. Cheers Danny

Hi Basil, the pilot figure was pointed out to me by a forumite in this thread, back a few pages. He is from Max Grueter and is available as an STL file for €35 you then have to get it printed. Andy Meade has set up a small business printing them at the scale you require. The head is resin printed by a friend, another friend printed the body using normal 3d printing. Okay did a bit more on the cockpit, concentrating on the rear seat today. I have made a video of the process if anybody is interested? Cheers Danny