modelman11 Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 So im looking to do a huge project (1/72) now and ive decided to do a tanker. Five years ago I wanted to do a transport wings KC-10 and then the company ran into trouble. I never got to do it. I have since seen transport wings kits popping up again and wondered if the DC-10/KC-10 conversion is being produced? How bout the Airbus 330 or the 767? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bruce Roberts Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 I think the only Transport Wings kit that AIM put back into production is the 747-100/200 one. That was back in January, and was sold only through Hannants in the UK. It looks like they're sold out now, and I haven't heard anything about any other kit coming back into production. Bruce Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kitnut617 Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 The owner of Transport Wings, Neil Gaunt of Aircraft in Miniature, is heavily involved with real aircraft, like in the Airbus A380 program, which is taking all of his time at the moment. There was a note on his website that said all further releases will be sold through Hannants as they become available. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GCA333 Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 (edited) An A330 in 1/72 scale would be excellent! EDIT: Spelling, over 18 months later... Edited December 8, 2009 by GCA333 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tnuag Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 I am pleased to say that the next Transport Wings kit to reappear will be the DC-10 and KC-10. Neil Gaunt Aircraft In Miniature Limited. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bruce Roberts Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 I am pleased to say that the next Transport Wings kit to reappear will be the DC-10 and KC-10.Neil Gaunt Aircraft In Miniature Limited. That's great news. Any chance you would sell any improved detail parts and scribing templates separately? I already have your KC-10 kit from a while back and would be interested in having upgraded parts but I don't really need another set of the vac-formed parts. Thanks, Bruce Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GCA333 Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Sounds great! Fingers crossed for an MD-11 or A330. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David Hingtgen Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 (edited) 1/72 MD-11? I'd build another shelf just to make room for it. Hmmn, the "ultimate" MD-11 kit would need: Both types of #2 intakes Both types of flap hinges All 3 engine types. (technically 2, but with 2 different exhaust cones for GE) Edited December 8, 2009 by David Hingtgen Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GCA333 Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Yeah, but It would be cheaper to have one MD-11 kit over two DC-10's. Now an ultimate A330... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
richter111 Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 If I could build vacuform, I would be on this in a minute! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 If I could build vacuform, I would be on this in a minute! If you can glue two parts together, you can build a vacuform. There's no difference once you get the parts sanded down. And sanding them down, contrary to popular belief, is not black magic. Don't sell yourself short! J Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tigermeet Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 If you can glue two parts together, you can build a vacuform. There's no difference once you get the parts sanded down. And sanding them down, contrary to popular belief, is not black magic. Don't sell yourself short! J I agree, defiantly give vacuform a tryI built a Welsh MD-11 in 1/144 for starters and have built several other vacuform since then.They aren't that difficult at all and you can find some cool aircraft that aren't offered in plastic Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David Hingtgen Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 My main worry is ending up with a crooked fuselage due to the sanding. 1/144 widebody fuselages are BIG pieces of plastic. And even .1mm off will show up when you glue the halves together. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GCA333 Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 Thats why you never sand the entire fuselage in one go. For smaller ones, you could just put sandpaper on a board and do it that way, but you would need a large sheet for an MD-11. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David Hingtgen Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 That seems counterintuitive to me. I would think that the only way to get a straight, even sanding job would be to do the whole thing at once, not spot-by-spot. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bruce Roberts Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 That seems counterintuitive to me. I would think that the only way to get a straight, even sanding job would be to do the whole thing at once, not spot-by-spot. The AIM kits come with the vac parts precut. They still need a bit of sanding, but not too much and it's not too hard to keep them straight. For what it's worth, here are a couple of pictures of the earlier AIM DC-10. The newer one will probably have better detail parts. The parts laid out (that's a yardstick for scale): and taped together (that's an Me.109 sitting on the wing for scale) Bruce Quote Link to post Share on other sites
airplane88 Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 The AIM kits come with the vac parts precut. They still need a bit of sanding, but not too much and it's not too hard to keep them straight. For what it's worth, here are a couple of pictures of the earlier AIM DC-10. The newer one will probably have better detail parts.The parts laid out (that's a yardstick for scale): and taped together (that's an Me.109 sitting on the wing for scale) Bruce Wow! Absolutely amazing looking airplane! I want it! I wonder how hard it would be to get that bird in a nice old school United Airlines livery? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David Hingtgen Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 (edited) UAL DC-10-30s are hard to do accurately from existing kits in any scale AFAIK, as all theirs were second-hand and rather uncommonly configured. (unless you're willing to make a combi version in 1/200, as Hasegawa's KC-10 kit is close to that configuration---but to me, a large forward cargo door on a pure-passenger plane is just ugly) Edited December 10, 2009 by David Hingtgen Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GCA333 Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 You love those massive projects, don't you, Bruce? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pommie Commie Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 "UAL DC-10-30s are hard to do accurately from existing kits in any scale AFAIK, as all theirs were second-hand and rather uncommonly configured. (unless you're willing to make a combi version in 1/200, as Hasegawa's KC-10 kit is close to that configuration---but to me, a large forward cargo door on a pure-passenger plane is just ugly)" United DC-10s were almost all series 10s.......the 30s came much later. But not sure how easy it is to do one from the AIM KC-10 Paul in NZ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bruce Roberts Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 You love those massive projects, don't you, Bruce? Sure do. Just wish I could finish them. I get distracted too easily by shiny new projects. Bruce Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GCA333 Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 Ditto. I have motivation when I first start a model, and then move onto the next. Thread hijack: Any updates on the Antonovs? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tnuag Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 If I could build vacuform, I would be on this in a minute! Except for rubbing down the mating faces, vacform is no different to limited run injection. In fact some cottage industry kits need rubbing down. Many vacforms are done in thin plastic, but we use 2mm sheet for our kits, then supply the parts cut from the sheet! We lso supply a keel to give a strong structure. Neil Gaunt Aircraft In Miniature Limited Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tnuag Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 1/72 MD-11? I'd build another shelf just to make room for it. :) Hmmn, the "ultimate" MD-11 kit would need:Both types of #2 intakes Both types of flap hinges All 3 engine types. (technically 2, but with 2 different exhaust cones for GE) We are looking at this, but it would not be economical to put all three engine types in one kit. The resin parts equal nearly half of the production costs and we know our kits are expensive now. It will be better to produce three kits each with one engine type (as will happen when we revise the 747 kit). Neil Gaunt Aircraft In Miniature Limited Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David Hingtgen Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 (edited) The *only* difference between the early and late GE's are the exhaust "spikes" at the very end. You don't need to make 3 engines. More like 2.1 engines. Just 3 copies of a single small part will get you a full set of the "late" GE engines. See here: Also, quite a few MD-11's now sport a mix of the two types of GE engines due to swaps etc. (strangely, it always seems that #2 is the odd one out). So even a model of a "late" one may need an early exhaust spike, and vice-versa. Just IMHO, if only one version to be made, I'd make it the very original design--early intake, early flaps, and early GE engines. (and honestly, that's what everyone thinks of and expects when they think of an MD-11----even a lot of airliner enthusiasts are unaware that there's any variations in the intakes and flaps) BTW---KLM is the big "split" for MD-11 production. KLM's first MD-11 introduced the new exhaust spike and the new cargo doors, and their fifth one introduced the new intake. (and their last one got the new flaps, but was not the first MD-11 to get them) Possibility---release a "basic" MD-11 kit that is just fuselage and wings, and then sell various "packs" that include what's needed to finish it---engines and #2 intake/tail. (there's really too many combinations to make them all as separate full kits without splitting it up somehow---IMHO both types of flap hinges should be included with the base kit as they're quite small parts, and both types of exhaust spikes should come with a set of GE engines). I'd do this (just based on knowing what types of MD-11's exist in the world): Basic MD-11 kit. Fuselage, wings, tailplanes, gear, and both types of flap hinges. "Pack A": GE engines (with both exhaust spikes), early intake. "Pack B": GE engines (with both exhaust spikes), late intake. "Pack C": PW engines, early intake "Pack D": PW engines, late intake That should cover every MD-11 ever. The packs could even be labeled to help purchasers---pack A will do American, Federal Express, Thai and early KLM. B will do the majority of KLM, Lufthansa, EVA. C is Delta, LTU, etc. Or, sell intake and engines separately, and leave it to the modeler to figure out what they need. Edited December 11, 2009 by David Hingtgen Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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