Catherine's Chipmunk

[Barneydhc82]

Over the past 55 years or so I've flown a great many different aircraft and my favourite for shear pleasure of cavorting about the clouds has been the Dehavilland of Canada Chipmunk, probably the nicest handling aircraft in my logbook.

And Catherine's Chipmunk certainly looks good as I have flown 051 at Camp Borden.

Now for some helpful hints...didn't think that you would get off scot free did you

The gear legs should be yellow and the spinner polished aluminum and while the exhaust stack is OK for the Brit version, the CDN versi0n had a single stack coming out of the bottom cowling on the right side with the exhaust/heat muff collector inside the cowling ...agan unlike the Brit version.

Now if someone would only produce a 1:48 scale Chipmunk I would be a very happy man...and don't even suggest the Aeroclub piece of scrap cause I've got one thrown on the pile of "why bothers".

Barney

[rs2man]

Hi Barney

Catherine can't get to a pc at the moment , so she's asked me to reply on her behalf .

Thanks for your comments , which are especially meaningful since you've actually flown the aircraft she modelled . Thanks also for your very useful hints regarding errors on the model .

Obviously you're not very impressed with the Aeroclub kit in 1/48 . Is it vacform or injection ? If it's injection we might be interested in taking it off your hands .

Best regards

John

On behalf of Catherine

[Mercury]

Hey, thanks for the (added) corrections to making a Canadian Chipmunk. Now that I know after having kit in my hand so many times and wondering if it had the frameless version, I will actually get it to add to my Canadian collection! Nice work, Catherine!!

[Barneydhc82]

Catherine and John:

The Aeroclub Chipmunk is injected plastic and strictly a Brit version. I started by removing the anti-spin strakes from the rear fuselage and attempted to join the fuselage/wing stabilizer and believe me, you would not want to try fixing this mess.

Nothing in this kit is anywhere near todays standards of injection casting. The kit is very reminicent of the 1950s type of kit with very little in the way of accurate interior...the clunky seats have to be glued to the wing before joining the wing/fuselage.

I'll probably want to carve a balsa master for the canopy if I ever go back to it as it has the framed Brit version in vac-form.

Barney

[rs2man]

Hi Barney

Hmm , sounds like we'd better give that Aeroclub Chippie a miss then . It's odd because their stuff's usually quite nice in a "some modelling experience helpful" kind of way - I was delighted with my 1/72 Gloster Gamecock , featured here some time ago , though it wasn't exactly plain sailing .

I assume from your surgery on the kit that Canadian birds didn't have anti-spin strakes ?

All the best

John

Edited December 18, 2007 by rs2man

[Barneydhc82]

Hi again John: The fuselage castings are very thick and would require a lot of Dremel work to get the sides cleaned up enough. As for the anti-spin strakes, this was a Brit CAA requirement , just like on the Tiger Moth, and none were required on the Canadian version.

We had a situation a few years ago when a new Canadian from Blighty , an ex CAA type, went to work for Transport Canada in the Airworthiness Dept. He immediately tried to ground all CDN built Tiger Moths until the owners installed anti-spin strakes...But he didn't get far believe me!

I also have the 1:48 scale Aeroclub Tiger Moth but it too is very poorly done and sitting in the "Why Bother" box. I certainly hope the John from Aeroclub has better luck with his new edition of the Tiger Moth and Gypsey Moth in 1:48

Barney