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Hi all,

as someone of you probably know, I'm converting a 1/72 Heller DC-6 B into a DC-7 C. It is a long time ago started project and it will take long to be finished.

Before posting further images and take space in the forum, I'd like to know if anyone is interested to seeing it.

Please, moderators, tell me if I may post here instead of in the "in-progress forum", since I think it could be more appropriate.

This is the beginning

fuse_cut1.jpg

fuse_cut2.jpg

and this is what I aim to reach.

Thank you

Regards

Euge

Edited by 72linerlover
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Is this the Securité Civile kit? The firefighter plane with that awful yellow plastic? I have that one still on stock, planning to make a KLM DC-6 out of it.. but the plastic burns my eyes :thumbsup:

Yes it is. I bought two of them at half the price of the SAS/UTA liner version, since I needed two 6 to build one 7C. Not only the colour is awful, but… no other choice in this scale.

Euge

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I will be following along as well, Euge.

I have only one question. Could you give measurements as to where the cuts are to be made? I will not be making the forward cuts as I will be building a straight DC-7 as an airtanker as well as a DC-4. I have all of the information you sent but, the pictures will be an added bonus! :thumbsup:

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The kit looks quite good to me, with smooth recessed panel lines and a nice cockpit window. Fit looks also OK to me.. what don't you like apart from the colour of the plastic?

I'll explain step by step in the thread, but what come immediately on eyes is:

  • the overall grainy finish
  • the wrong bottom line of the rear fuselage – it is a smooth curve from the end of the wing fairing to the tailplane in the real thing and the kit is far from this
  • the fuselage halves do not join in the middle of the length, but they do in the nose and the tail areas. Note that if you squeeze them, as you would glue them, the windows' line is no more straight, but depressed
  • the wing fairings are different left and right

OK nothing that couldn't be recovered, but just not a good kit.

Euge

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Looks great so far Euge. How do you plan on doing the engine nacelles? You're a brave man! Also, note that the 7C used completely different main and nose wheels to other members of the 4/6/7 family. The nose wheel in particular is much fatter, and the hub is completely different.

J

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Ooh!!, I'll be following this build.

I have a few DC-6/C-118 kits in the stash and only this morning, whilst tinkering with my Mach 2 DC-4 kit, I got to thinking about using one of them to replace some of the roughly moulded parts of the Mach 2 kit (essentially the whole kit ;) ) and maybe using the left overs to do a stretch a DC-6B to a DC-7.

I can't wait to see more progress.

Ant

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Thanks Jennings,

for having pointed out the difficulty regarding the tyres, and it is not the only one. I am considering in these days how to replicate the nose wheel hub.

As I told at the beginning, the project has started long time ago, so the nacelles are actually already done, but I'll post pics about at the proper time. They are made of a balsa wood core covered with milliput.

More updates tomorrow.

Regards

Euge

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Wing fuselage assembly test

06_testfit.jpg

Modified vertical fin

07_finn.jpg

Correcting the tail plane incidence: it has to be +1 degree to the fuselage horizontal center line.

I made two perpendicular cuts, without removing the parts. Then bent to the proper incidence.

08_cut_tplane.jpg

Regards

Euge

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Hi, all.

This post is dedicated to the tail section of the build. It is applicable also to the DC-4 – 7B family.

Unfortunately Heller didn't catch the correct shape of the bottom line of the aircraft.

In the drawing you see in black lines the Heller DC-6B shape and in red the correction needed.

It is not to scale, due to the large dimensions, but you can scale it up, knowing that the fuselage high is 49 mm.

tail_side.jpg

It is better to correct the tailplane incidence first and the fuselage shape later.

In the next pics you see the correction outside and inside.

10_corr_out.jpg

09_corr_in.jpg

Regards

Euge

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That is a great build you have going there, the DC-7C is a very beautiful bird indeed!. I did one about 20 odd years ago, the only difference is I used vac-form main wings from England at the time(I think long out of production now). keep us updated on your work, great job!!!

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Awesome. Your work is very clever and smart. Looks like you'll have a one-of-a-kind rendition. It's a good scale for that bird too. Lots of size and plenty of areas to detail. Keep up the good work! Very interesting!

What happens to the donor kit parts? Will that become a DC-4? LOL

Edited by VADM Fangschleister
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Awesome. Your work is very clever and smart. Looks like you'll have a one-of-a-kind rendition. It's a good scale for that bird too. Lots of size and plenty of areas to detail. Keep up the good work! Very interesting!

What happens to the donor kit parts? Will that become a DC-4? LOL

It could! :cheers:

That is a future project of mine, using Euge's research that he forwarded to me a while back. I plan on having C-54/DC-4, DC-6B and a DC-7 going at the same time. :cheers:

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Hi, all.

Please excuse me for my silence in the week end; I was busy with a great "Modeling Expo" in Verona.

Thank so much guys, for your kind words.

What happens to the donor kit parts? Will that become a DC-4? LOL

Yes, the left over parts were enough for a DC-4, but the starboard tail section was used to recover a mistake in the aft passengers windows and the whole front fuselage went to a friend for another project.

In fact I thought to use them for the DC-4, but I decided to fight with the Mach2 kit, when I'll be a grown up boy…

Upper wings with new big nacelles. Flaps and ailerons have been cut.

11_upper_wings1.jpg

Some bits of cast parts, masters for new molds and an old Airfix B-29 engine.

12_various_bits.jpg

Regards

Euge

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Thanks Fang for your kind words. Yes, I have a lot of fun in this project, but sometimes I am discouraged by the amount of work it requires. As I proceed and investigate the documentation, I discover some new things to be added.

The friends give me motivation though, as you al well.

Some updates:

Passengers' seats installed

18_seats_mont.jpg

19_seats_aft.jpg

Improved fuselage side walls around the windows and shades.

20_shades.jpg

Regards

Euge

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Yes, Ant, I cast the seats.

I made two different masters for the two sizes, than cast five of each and made a new mold for ten pieces to accelerate the process.

Armrests and brackets are separated cast.

Fuselage halves ready to be glued together

21_half_fuse.jpg

Not so much will be visible from outside, but the fuselage doesn't look empty.

23_fuse_L.jpg

22_fuse_R.jpg

Regards

Euge

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