giles Posted March 11, 2009 Author Share Posted March 11, 2009 Or you could do it like they did with the real plane, get academy's C-97 kit in 1/72nd, buy a cheap P-3 orion or copy the engines, scratch build the upper fuselage, wing and tailplane surfaces and you have yourself a nice and big Superguppy. I once saw a C-97 very cheap so grabbed it with me for this idea :huh: Fiddler, As part of my R&D (in the run up to scratching landing gears), I bought the 1/144 Minicraft C-97 and MicroAce (should be same mold as ARII)CP-140 at the LHS today ;). I now have an option to build a Super Guppy in 1/144 too . I am just waiting for you to start on your 1/72 conversion first . Giles Quote Link to post Share on other sites
giles Posted March 11, 2009 Author Share Posted March 11, 2009 (edited) Double post! Please delete. Thanks! Edited March 14, 2009 by giles Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aggressor Supporter Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Can't help to think of a fish with it's head cut off. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fiddler Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Hi, Sorry for the delay but here are the promised walk around pictures Oh and my C-97 won't change much untill I have enough plasticard to preform the conversion. :D So pictures now: Starting with an overal view of Brunthingthorpe's Guppy F-BTGV: Close ups on the engine conversion, only from the inner engines, don't know if the outers are different, but could be... Main gear bay, it's the planes left gear bay looking flying direction: looking forward right: forward left: aft right: aft left: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fiddler Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Sorry for the somewhat blurry gearbay pictures but was handhold camera... Also I know it's not a watertight walkaround but realised that afterwards... :D Engine cooling air exhaust: New engine exhaust: Wing extension: Wing to fuselage fairing on the trailing edge: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fiddler Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 last part for now... vertical tailfin from front to end and overal view: Fuselage and other pictures will be shown at the end of the week as I'm at my max up-download capacity and it gets refreshed at the end of the week. Greetings, :D Quote Link to post Share on other sites
giles Posted April 14, 2009 Author Share Posted April 14, 2009 (edited) Thanks for the pic Fiddler! I haven't done much myself on this build. Aside from the lobotomy, the wings have been assembled, the undercarriage more or less scratched, and the fuselage blemishes puttied and polished. Should really get cracking on the cargo hold and the webbing I promised the good doctor.... Also, waiting for some custom NASA decals (mini-scale) from Greg. Giles Edited April 14, 2009 by giles Quote Link to post Share on other sites
giles Posted May 6, 2009 Author Share Posted May 6, 2009 (edited) I haven't done much on this build lately. Aside from the lobotomy, progress stalled because I was totally unmotivated to fix the caused by Tamiya plastic cement and putty melting my overly thinned fuselage( I was aiming for scale thickness...). I had finally managed to putty/polish (repeat) the surface to a tolerable surface for priming. I expect repeated priming and polishing cycles to get a surface the NMF requires. This is how it looks like after the first coat. This is how it looks like after sanding the first coat - my Guppy wears an arctic camou coat :( Greg is finally sending me custom NASA decals! Should really get cracking on the cargo hold and the webbing now... Giles :P Edited May 7, 2009 by giles Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GCA333 Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Nice to see your famous Qatar Airways card Will you be doing the 1/144 Guppy? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
giles Posted May 8, 2009 Author Share Posted May 8, 2009 Nice to see your famous Qatar Airways card ;)Will you be doing the 1/144 Guppy? Remind me to even out the ad coverage with the Emirates luggage tag the next round of photos. I reckon the airlines should pay me for these subliminal adverts. I have recycled a few old luggage tags as plastic stock for modeling. One of the old EK cards went into my what-if MiG-31 (unlikely to be completed before the GB dateline). Parts of a QR card went into this little Guppy. My famous QR card had the best contrast to show off the white Guppy! I have never tried locating the old Revell Guppy in 1/144. Someone offered his partly build Otaki kit, but I hate to deprive him of it. I have bought a stock minicraft C-97 just in case nevertheless (not impressed with the quality though). A stretch and scratch is technically doable. We'll see... Actually, what I really want to build is an Airbus Beluga chomping on A320 fuselage for lunch. Yummy :P ! Double Yum :P :P ! Giles Quote Link to post Share on other sites
giles Posted May 22, 2009 Author Share Posted May 22, 2009 (edited) Remind me to even out the ad coverage with the Emirates luggage tag the next round of photos. I reckon the airlines should pay me for these subliminal adverts. Am grounded for a while... so, I have some spare time this week. Another nice Middle Eastern airline :lol: , just grown a little too big IMHO... This is how it is supposed to fit. We'll figure the rest along the way... This is what I hope to achieve. I have been out of the modeling loop for too long - I found my trusty Badger airbrush in my parents' the attic, but prefer the ease of rattle cans and to spend my time on actual building rather than cleaning airbrush . So, a couple of questions: 1) what is the best (closest approximation) colour for the primer coated interior. 2) what is best buffable rattle can metallic finish for the NMF (IIRC it is plain old fashioned polished aluminum). TIA Giles Edited May 22, 2009 by giles Quote Link to post Share on other sites
giles Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 (edited) Hi Guys, Sorry for the lack of update. Been away... on vacation with the kids. With less than 2 weeks to go, I better get my act together pronto! Chop! Chop!! The scratched cargo deck painted... I just need to stick some scraps of yellow paper to simulate the other bits... The sub-assembly primed... Anyone knows a good rattle can colour that approximates the yellowish green zinc chromate finish seen on the fuselage interior surfaces? The landing gears are sourced (I found the suitable parts from my spares box)... they are dimensionally correct, i.e. tiny :lol:. I have figured out how to simulate the cargo and the restraining webbing (spray paint on plain old paper) I am now working on the engine exhausts and wing trailing edge/fuselage fairing (with the help of the walkaround photos from Fiddler). Just have to make 'em fast now. With custom decals on the way (hopefully next week-ish rather than last week-ish), all I need to figure out how to do the shinny NMF without using an airbrush . So, folks, it is almost done... Piece of cake huh ? Cheers, Giles Edited June 15, 2009 by giles Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fiddler Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Nice looking so far! I dunno, the color for the inside seems to be zinc chromate yellow or something in that area. but don't know if that exists in rattle can. What you can do is paint a slight layer of the chromate yellow inside of the cargo, and maybe with a marker or a dark pencil write lines to replicate the ribs. when that's done, spray the inside again lightly with the yellow over the lines to blend them in. Would look cool afterwards I guess. I guess you don't feel the urge for using alluminium foil, foil the whole fuselage and then paint the white and blue on top of it. Anyhow, you might think of paint it black with a rattle can, and then use your badger to spray or humbrol 27002 or maybe some SNJ paint, as the latter seems to be rather nice for such shiny subjects... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
giles Posted June 16, 2009 Author Share Posted June 16, 2009 I dunno, the color for the inside seems to be zinc chromate yellow or something in that area. but don't know if that exists in rattle can. What you can do is paint a slight layer of the chromate yellow inside of the cargo, and maybe with a marker or a dark pencil write lines to replicate the ribs. when that's done, spray the inside again lightly with the yellow over the lines to blend them in. Would look cool afterwards I guess. Great minds think alike! I was trying to figure how to pencil line that effect as well. Might be a handful at 1/300 though... I think you idea works, subject to a couple of small technical details... 1) I need to take care of the fuselage joint seams (the fit ain't exactly great - I don't think the kit designer intended his kit to be built in this way though to be fair), so the pencil lines (at least those nearest to the opening) need to be retouched. 2) I am thinking of using a darker shade of zinc chromate, pencil the internal ribbing, close the fuselage, touch up the seams, retouch the pencil lines, then spray with a lighter shade of zinc chromate (after the fuselage has been closed. Should work in theory, now to find that elusive rattle can that approximates zinc chromate... I guess you don't feel the urge for using alluminium foil, foil the whole fuselage and then paint the white and blue on top of it.Anyhow, you might think of paint it black with a rattle can, and then use your badger to spray or humbrol 27002 or maybe some SNJ paint, as the latter seems to be rather nice for such shiny subjects... Actually, I toyed with the idea, but you would probably need very thin aluminium foil at this scale... Also, if I go down this route, I would need to foil the wings and nacells as well, might not be fun to get foil to fit the tiny contour... Right now, I am tending to favour priming with Alcad black lacquer, then spray their aluminium finish and buff. But, this requires an airbrush. I am too lazy... . This is my second build (since re-entry) that got to the painting stage... I prefer a rattle can that gives a satisfactory NMF effect, but haven't found the right one yet. I remember using a buffable (enamel based??) metalliser rattle can (might have been Revell? but I can't be sure) on my F-15 burner cans more than 20 years ago. The effect was less impressive than Alcad or SnJ. Any one has a clue whether such a thing actually exist? Giles Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fiddler Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 Oh yes indeed I thought the engine nacelles and wings where all white. I was thinking that only the fuselage had polished skin... Good luck with the interior seem :) Oh and thank you for considering me as a great mind (I know better though :D) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
giles Posted June 19, 2009 Author Share Posted June 19, 2009 (edited) Oh yes indeed I thought the engine nacelles and wings where all white. I was thinking that only the fuselage had polished skin... Good luck with the interior seem Oh and thank you for considering me as a great mind (I know better though :)) You are right indeed! (about great minds) :lol: !! It was a good idea (pencil lines) on paper, I tried to test it on a scrap... it is not easy to achieve the effect I wanted in 1/300 on a flat piece of plastic... I am too ham fisted to draw the multiple thin lines evenly... don't even think about matching the left and right fuselage halves... 1) May be I should try decals ? then spray a light coat of the required zinc chromate colour on top of the decals?? 2) Possibly draw the lines on a larger scale, shrink it to the required size on a photocopy machine and print it directly on a zinc chromate coloured paper, then lightly spray the thin coat to tone down the lines and roll the paper into the closed fuselage section... et voila! Seriously, the main thing that concerns me right now is the seams and how to deal with filing that... If I could achieve a semi convincing visual illusion of the ribbing within the cargo hold at the same time, even better! Giles Edited June 19, 2009 by giles Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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