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Jerry Bates 1/5th Hellcat


Nick Somerville
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Operation of the forward gear door now sorted. A small appendage on the inside of the door is pushed by the forward moving centre cover part.  To close the door a length of shirring elastic attached to it has been routed down and around the leg pivot and fastened to the rear of the gear chassis.  The shape of the appendage came from trial and error. It has a rather small space to drop into and I lost count of how many versions I tried before achieving a satisfactory operation.image.thumb.jpeg.776fc436403bf75f6845044a96649964.jpeg

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from the forward area of the cockpit to the rear the fuselage structure is clad with overlapping panels. These are fixed with domed /raised rivets; rather a lot in some of the mid section.

 

Two lengths of insulation tape laid on top of each other and then cut with a metre rule provides a reasonable step to build up some 3m cellulose putty. After drying this is feathered back with wet & dry before removing the tape. 
 

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The marking out was more challenging than I had anticipated, particularly where the line runs around the underside. In the end I used a length of masking tape marked with the panel widths, and then repeatedly lifted and moved it around to give myself enough reference points to lay the electrical tape against. 
Note the fuselage has been rubbed back after the first primer coat. Once the details have been added I can spray again ready for flush rivets and colour.

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While the putty was drying back the belly pan had some details added using thin metal sheet cut from a drinks can. Its not as nice to work with as litho plate but I have no supply of that at the moment.

 

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Here the cellulose putty has been spread on the forward side of the tapes. 

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After rubbing the putty back and removing the tape the domed rivets have been added. They look a bit big as you apply them with a small glue dropper, but once dried they shrink back by at least 50%.

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With almost all of the surface detailing completed on the fuselage I have sprayed a final light coat of primer. All the preparation work to create the overlapping panel lines have worked out well. The rivets are a little inconsistent in some areas as a result of a glue change part way though, but hopefully once the final gloss blue is sprayed there will be a some softening of the details. Wings are next in line for detailing.image.thumb.jpeg.a38c1251fe02708a043dca4f595ee6ad.jpeg

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Access panels & hatches have been added and panel lines marked out with thin tape. In the past I have used Chart tape but it’s pricey and hard to get at the correct thickness. I have simply laid out a run of insulation tape on a large cutting board and cut thin strips with a long straight edge. Probably a little too thick but the colour coat should reduce the line.

 

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Next a final coat of primer. Too thick adds weight and too thin makes burning flush rivets difficult. I erred on thin spraying a well diluted coat. Tape is removed as soon as possible after spraying.
 

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And the final step is the penciling on of the rivet lines and the tedious task of burning the little devils into the surface using a soldering iron. A brass ferule is held in place at 90 degrees with some jiggery pokery to make it a little easier to spot the spacing and placement along the guide lines. Probably 3 hours to do one side of a wing. Three sides to go on the wings and some required on the inner flaps, tailplane and fin. I may be a while!

 

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The last step before spraying the colour coat is to rub everything back with 00 wire wool. This gives a lovely smooth finish with knocking off the detail, as wet and dry paper readily does.

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On 04/08/2024 at 16:16, Nick Somerville said:

With almost all of the surface detailing completed on the fuselage I have sprayed a final light coat of primer. All the preparation work to create the overlapping panel lines have worked out well. The rivets are a little inconsistent in some areas as a result of a glue change part way though, but hopefully once the final gloss blue is sprayed there will be a some softening of the details. Wings are next in line for detailing.image.thumb.jpeg.a38c1251fe02708a043dca4f595ee6ad.jpeg

 

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Excellent job here Nick.

You mentioned a ‘dropper bottle’. Can you give more details please.

Also very interesting comment about them shrinking back in size. I have tried the toothpick method and found everyone was different both size and shape, I chucked the practice bit away before it had dried as I wasn’t happy.

Need more patience 

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Glue dropper used for the flush rivets.  Note you need to experiment with the glue mix. Too thick and they dry back like perky ‘nip’. Too thin and they flatten during drying. I found 2 parts Evo stilk / Blue bottle wood glue with some aliphatic I had (wetter) worked best.

 

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Bored of rivet burning I have turned to the canopy frame. My acrylic vac moulding came with an additional thin ABS moulding which had no thickness to be workable as a frame. Using pieces of two layers of G10 glued together the bars were added to the ABS. The forward area where it is fixed I built up with some thicker ABS. The rear hoop needed to have more strength and in  any case the compound curve and blend to the fus negated this technique, so I used carbon tows soaked in cyano. Once sanded back it looks ok. Next I shall add some canopy rails to the fuselage from Mick Reeves Models. 
 

I am awaiting Fighteraces to get a delivery of Klasskote in my chosen colour. When it does arrive I can separate the front from the rear and  paint the frames before gluing them to the acrylic moulding.

 

Btw this is the F6F - 5 canopy style. Minsi 3 was an  F6F-3  with some F6f-5 modifications; the canopy being one of them along with blisters at the rear of the cowl being deleted.
 

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  • 3 weeks later...

As I am still awaiting my paint and catalyst order I have been ticking off lots or fiddly jobs.

The top surfaces of the wings have had rivets burnt on and the wingtip nav lights added.

 

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Mick Reeves canopy rails have been fitted and some further scale additions made to the canopy frame. The forward fixed part is currently pegged up having glued it to the vac formed canopy with ‘canopy glue”. It will probably need several days to fully cure such is the way with that stuff. Although frustrating it’s the safest option to avoid messing. The rear windows have also been added along with the canopy cable routes.


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Pitot is removable and held in place with magnets as is the main antenna.

 

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Pilots head rest and harness attachment bar fitted and seat loose fitted for now. I am awaiting my pilot (a replica of ace David McCampbell who flew Minsi 3) who is on order feom Best Pilots in the states; so will save fitting the floor and seat till he arrives.

 

 

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The cowl chin and inter fins have  been added and faired in and the many countersunk machine screws are being added. I purchased 100 from ebay but am at least 60 short so now awaiting another delivery.

 

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I have a weeks holiday coming up so hopefully I can refresh enough to face marking out and applying the rivets to the lower wing surfaces. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Back from a week’s holiday and the canopy glue had affixed the ‘glass’ in place nicely. After a little fettling the front fixed part has been glued in place and thankfully the sliding part satisfactorily mates in place. A big relief as there is a lot of work wasted if it’s a stuff up. Time to cover all the glass up with tape in preparation for painting.
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The final plethora of cowl machine screws have been added and the fuselage and tail assembly has been thoroughly rubbed back with fine wire wool. Phil at Fighter Aces tells me my paint order will be arriving pretty soon now so I am hoping for a few still warm Indian summer days to get her painted.

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My pilot now seated in place.image.thumb.jpeg.eb5141f876c8ea5c6bcf4add65ef102f.jpeg
 

Main Instrument panel glued in place and the interior painted. I think I will add additional detail after the maiden. 

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And it’s a wrap! The fuselage and integral tail components are all ready to paint. Just need this wet, cool and windy weather to be replaced with a last warm s spell of the year to get on with it.

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More delays to my paint order so have been finalising the fuselage radio installation.  With the three batteries and ignition also in place this gave me a chance to weigh everything up for the first time.  There are a pair of 2500ma Powerbox liion batteries mounted either side of the engine box and a 2000ma Liion Overlander battery next to the ignition unit below the box.

 

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With the engine in place and cowl on the fuselage balances a tad forward of the C of G, which is very good news.  I expect with wings in place this will bring it back a little with all the flaps and ailerons hanging back there. However, I would be surprised if with the benefit of a prop up front I shall need any more than a 1kg of lead to achieve the correct balance. 
 

So out with the scales and the  total so far is 14.8 kg with just the propellor and top coat of paint to go. Result!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Klasskote paint and catalyst finally arrived and yesterday was both warm and dry for a change; ideal for cranking up my old dental compressor. Spray gun is a £30 1.00mm nozzle gravity fed job from Amazon.

 

I am told that Hellcats in dark navy blue came out of the factory in a full gloss finish. My Minsi 3 is a restored flying Hellcat and also has an immaculate finish.  For the main colour I have used 7:3 parts of gloss and satin catalyst as full gloss is just a bit OTT for me. Looking forward to adding all the insignia which will be sprayed through masks using an airbrush and SMS model acrylic paint. 
 

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