New build project advice

[Craig Spence]

Hi all,

 

with all the build projects I have on at the moment I have decided to take on something totally different to the norm for me.

 

I have built fun fly's and have built from plans, however the last time I built from a plan I was about 20 and im now 28 and cant remember a great deal.

I love building and am building relativly simple models alot now.

 

I have decided to take on a new project which will take me over a year to build I think lol!.

 

I love the look of the DH Mosquito and after many weeks of searching for a plan with retracts, flaps and engines over the size 25 two strokes I have found something I really like.

 

The plan is by Brian Taylor and Traplet do a wood kit so I will be buying it soon.

 

I have a few things I need help with though and ill add them day by day if you all would be so kind to help me.

 

I have been loking for suitable undercarriages but dont know what size and where to start, I think for the size of the plane and scale I will need air retracts more for the look than anything else, mechanicle ones just dont look good and therefore wont cut it with me.

Also I dont know if anyone knows what im on about but how do you go about getting the panels that hide the landing gear to come out and in, are there springgs in them?.

 

I have always heard that four strokes suit scale planes better but this is not affoardable for me, would two strokes resemble anything what the real plane would have sounded like?, it takes two stroke 25 to 40 or four stroke equivilent.

 

I have seen in build threads before, scale modelers dont cover thier models with film, instead they glass cloth them and use second skin and then paint.

This is a new science to me could anyone advise and tell me how to fuel proof this as well, I thought the finishing resin would be enough fuel proofing.

 

Also the plan is for a bomber, which is fine but I would have loved to have had the night gunner/ fighter, there are no plans for this though. I suppose the plane in it self is more or less the same, I would make the guns on the nose myself however im finding it hard to get good photos of the night fighter, this would be helpfull so I can construct the guns for the nose and also thier seats if that makes sense.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated, cheers all.

[andy watson]

OK, I think I can help.....

 

Firstly don't worry about a lack of experience.  I suggest doing a build blog as there will be a lot of problems that come up as you go, and people will be able to offer help and advise.  I have blogged both my Flair DVII build and my current build- a scale stuka from plans.  Both would have been too complicated to do without the help and advice from other forum members (in fact both sets of plans said not to build them with my experience!).

 

Anyway to your questions:

 

Retracts.

There might well be suggestions on the plans when they arrive.  If not Brian Taylor plans are very well known, and there will be a lot of blogs/information about what other have used.  A bit of research should point you in the right way.  www.RCscalebuilder.com would be where I would start- there is at least one blog of your plan on there.

 

4 strokes

Strictly personal choice.  I have to be honest, I would only go 4 stroke (or electric with a sound system (but that's going to cost more than the 4 strokes)).  You do gain that magical "something" with a pair of 4 strokes purring, but how much value you put onto it is up to you.  If you go 2 stroke you will get at least one person saying how much nicer it would be with 4 strokes, which will really really really annoy you!  Especially if you plan on putting 20000 rivets on the thing!  So having said it's personal choice, if you can get 2 good 4 strokes, then I really would.  Remember this build will take a long time, so you should be able to save a bit each month for them, and look out for special offers etc.

 

Skinning

I chickened out of glassing the stuka, and used the more user friendly poly c instead.  I have been told glassing isn't that hard, but it's a long way down the tracks.  I would suggest a practice on something with less man hours in it than your mosquito before you do!  (I have a non scale kit in the loft to have a go at glassing with after finishing the stuka).

 

Night bomber.

Buy books and keep searching online.  There is a wealth of information out there, and the mosquito is a well documented plane.  I would try the conversion since that's what you want.  If you want to "make do" buy an ARTF.

 

Hope that helps.  Have a browse through my blogs if you want to see what it's like building whilst out of your depth!

[sparks59]

Looking forward to reading the progress on the Mozzy, I love the plane too.

sparks

[Grahamd]

Posted by Craig Spence on 21/07/2010 22:20:58:

 

I have seen in build threads before, scale modelers dont cover thier models with film, instead they glass cloth them and use second skin and then paint.

This is a new science to me could anyone advise and tell me how to fuel proof this as well, I thought the finishing resin would be enough fuel proofing.

 

 

Craig have a read Poly-c (one day I must update that document )

[Gemma Jane]

Also the plan is for a bomber, which is fine but I would have loved to have had the night gunner/ fighter, there are no plans for this though. I suppose the plane in it self is more or less the same, I would make the guns on the nose myself however im finding it hard to get good photos of the night fighter, this would be helpfull so I can construct the guns for the nose and also thier seats if that makes sense.

 

There were a lot of mossie variants though a Google image search will bring many photos another way is to buy a plastic kit of the variant you want as a guide. Even a 1/72 scale kit helps. I used one as a guide when putting guns in the nose of my GWS P-38. 

 

Here's a search  I did for 'mosquito night fighter'

 

http://www.google.co.uk/images?rlz=1C1GGGE_enGB360&q=mosquito%20night%20fighter&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi 

 

And one of the sites it turned up:

 

 http://www.vectorsite.net/avmoss_1.html

 

And a piccy of the guns and ports on a night fighter:

 

 

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/flufzilla22/2553403178/lightbox/

 

Your build would be a good excuse to go see this plane at the Yorkshire Air Museum and take lots of photos!

 

Glassing with either resin or PolyC is one of those things that seems more difficult than it is. I use to think wow that must be hard but it's actually much easier to do than I expected. 

[A.A. Barry]

Craig, welcome to Scale Building, the Traplet plan, should give engine sizes, I would imagine it calls for 30/40 2st, ok if you are going to 4 st, espically with a model that size, then Os 56a are the ones, I have 2 in my whirlwind (build thread in "scale matters") , I would look up the finished weight to determine the U/c, If you want to be excat scale, you will be hard pressed to find ones that have a folding "trailing link".

As pevioulsy mention RSC site there is a build on the Mossie, and even shows how to build the U/C

 AS for "glassing", there are several tpes, I use Epoxy Finishing Resin, not F/glass it is softer to sand,a little more time involved but lasts and dosn't peel off,  and the use Warbird colours paint,( Fighter Aces ) which does not need "fuel proofing, and is water based, easy to use and covers extremly well.  

 What size is the plan and kit??

I will keep on watching

Good choice

Barry 

[Craig Spence]

Hi all,

 

I typed a lenghty reply to all your messages and posted it but the computer wyped them off  so I am very sorry and anoyed.

 

I would like to thank you all for the advice I have looked at your attachments and went on the sites, this is great stuff guys thanks alot.

 

As soon as I get the kit ill start building and keep you all informend.

 

As you all say, research is the key and ive got alot to do.

 

Cheers all.

[Craig Spence]

Hi Andy,

 

I checked out the link you sent me and there are some good kits being made there and I especially like the RCV Engines one fella was useing.

 

However I have a queri, the kit that was being built had its ailerons and flaps attached but was not skinned, surely this is a bad move, as soon as you apply poly c or glass it you will stick the controll surfaces to the trailing edge.

 

Is this a common practise?, I know I will avoid building likr this.

[Gemma Jane]

You could glass straight over it Craig, then with a razor blade cut away the material you don't want to free up the ailerons. You would actually stick it to the trailing edge as such, just work to the edge of each surface leaving strips of glass cloth in between to trim later.

 

Perfectly valid though to cover each part separately if one wanted to.  

 

Whichever seems logical and easiest to you will be best, I tend to do tail surface separately, wings and ailerons together, can't even tell you why, it just works for me.

[Grahamd]

i cover my moving surfaces with Solartex, then hinge them, then before covering the rest of the model/wing etc I remove them, then just like an ARF you put them and the hinges back in when ready.

[Craig Spence]

Hi Gemma Jane,

 

that does help me a little but even doing it like you say would leave wood exposed.

 

I think I would have to cover the ailerons, flaps, elevator and rudder all seperately, the rest would be manageable I think.

 

Thanks very much for the advise.

[Craig Spence]

Hi Grahamd,

 

The way you suggest seems a better way however I think I will definatley cover them before with poly c then attach and then paint when the model is complete.

 

Does anyone have an opinion on painting the model?, can you just use a brush or does it have to be air brush?, are there any spray cans on the market for this?.

 

Thank you.

[andy watson]

Again, you are moving towards personal prefernce, and cash making your decisions for you.

 

I think the finish, whilst unimportant from a flying perspective, is the most important factor in how you will feel about your model.  It doesn't matter how well engineered your plane is if you chose to get your "authentic" camoflage colours come from a left over tub of Dulux apple green and a 6" paint brush!  My view is a bad job here can ruin your whole project.  Having said that a none scale model can be very different.  (Just as an aside, I painted some of my 1/6 Fokker DVII with a 1" brush, as it was painted in the field with a 6" brush- so I figured I was being true to the scale!)

 

Some people say they get good results from brushes.  I just tried rollering on a coat of primer to see what finish I got on the stuka because someone told me that worked well for them.  It didn't work well for me!

 

I have gone (reluctantly) down the airbrush route.  Don't be tempted by the cheap mini compressors on ebay- they can just about cope with a very fine airbrush- the kind used for nails.  So you are looking at a bigger one- and consequently more expensive (and noisy!).  I was bought one for my birthday.  Everyone recommends a good airbrush- but they are about £100 each!  Beyond my budget- I hope to get a £15 spray gun to do the job- but I know if push comes to shove I will buy the airbrush (after all I spent £100 on getting scale paint colours) 

 

he general concensus seems to be an airbrush will give you the best finish.  If it's a one off build, then I hesitate to say it's worth investing in all the gear, but that's your call.

[Simon Chaddock]

Craig

Just a small point but the windscreens were different between the bomber and fighter versions.

The fighter had a full width flat screen, the bomber version had a two piece V screen and of course it had a glazed nose with a flat panel for the bomb sight.

In the film 633 squadron, although supposed to be fighter bomber versions, you can see they are really bombers with the glazed nose simply painted over.

[Former Member]

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[Craig Spence]

Thanks again fellas,

 

there has been fantastic feedback for me here and I really appreciate it.

I have done a little more research online and have found out that the night fighter also had a larger calliber main gun.

 

So four guns and a cannon I think, ive got the pics anyway, some also had missiles x4 on each wing but I think for my model it would just be over kill, its fine if your going to blow up a U-Boat but not for me down the field.

 

Howevr, does anyone know if the night fighter still carried a bomb its main fuselage as I would love to have operating bomb doors and plastic powder bomb, lol!.

 

My mind is in overdrive for this project, should be able to start soon.

 

Cheers all.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Craig Spence]

Hi Tom,

 

what a few hours ive just had lol!.

 

I really never knew that youtube would have so much info on there about the mosi, you should take a look all the variants and build photage, war photage etcc.

 

Also found an archive of hangered mosi phot's, exellent. I found out that some of the night fighters had eight guns and one of them totally ruined a u-boat, great stuff.

 

Im really looking forward to this build.