1/48 CP-140M Aurora -

[chuck540z3]

Hey Mark, great work on an EXTREMELY difficult build. I haven't checked in until now because my interest lies exclusively with fighters and bombers, but from what I see now, this project looks very interesting and I can't wait to see how it turns out. Model on sir and than you for all the detailed pics!

[Aurora Mark]

You sir, are a MADMAN!!! Outstanding amount of work!!

Thank you! I really appreciate the Madman comments, very, suiting... hahaha

Hey Mark, great work on an EXTREMELY difficult build. I haven't checked in until now because my interest lies exclusively with fighters and bombers, but from what I see now, this project looks very interesting and I can't wait to see how it turns out. Model on sir and than you for all the detailed pics! :thumbsup:/>

Chuck, thank you very much. If anything, she flies like a fighter, and has a bomb-bay! So, you shouldn't feel that much out of place... Maybe we might be able to convince you to pick up a vac-kit.... ...prop, vac-kit? Kidding, kidding. Thanks for coming by.

So, the last couple days have been non-modelling days, rather, planning and reorganizing a few things. Hopefully more progress shots will be coming soon.

Cheers,

Mark.

[Aurora Mark]

It's been a bit long since my last update. There wasn't much that went on specifically with the plastic, but I thought I would share some of the stuff that has been happening in the background.

First, it was getting all the measurements taken of various things on paper, and scaled down from 1:1 in inches, to mm, and then to 1:48 scale in mm as well. Here is the sheet for the observation blisters, with no less than 17 measurements per window:

Referencing those with the scale drawings for the CP-140, the next step was to get things ready. I couldn't get the scale drawings to fit over top of the fuselage, due to its shape, so the first thing I did was make a scale accurate print out on paper of the first piece. In this case, it was going to be the Port Forward Observation Blister. You can see the double vertical lines, and then the two angled lines that intersect that the centre of the window:

The next step was to be able to set up a "grid" on the fuselage to determine exactly where the centre point would be. In this case, I took a wide strip of paper, and drew a grid, with each line being 5 mm apart:

And then the sections were cut for the Port Forward and Aft Observation Windows, the Main Cabin Door, Galley Window, and the Port Overwing Emergency Exit Hatch, and stuck to the fuselage:

So, we'll start with the Port Forward observation Window:

Lining up the fuselage with the scale image, I then took a photograph directly over top of where I felt that the blister would be centred:

Taking this image to my photo editor, I drew a thin red line where the lines were drawn on the sheet of paper. Here is the important thing, if the image was taken off centre, or if it was fish eyed, bent, or warped, the red lines wouldn't intersect properly. Here, you can see that they do very nicely, and they are in line with the vertical lines on the tape, ensuring that the image was indeed taken square on:

Using a pixel count of the intersecting red lines - the centre of the blister - I determined the distance from each line, and where the center hole would be drilled in:

And there we go:

This hole will now be used as a reference point for the others. The same process will be repeated for the Port Aft Observation Blister. As they are both the exact same height above the Main Cabin Floor, a straight reference line will be able to be made between the two holes on the outside of the fuselage. This line, parallel to both the Main Cabin Floor and the fuselage as a whole, will be used as a reference line to ensure that all the lines are cut straight and level.

Out of curiosity, I measured from that point down to where the floor line was drawn in on the inside of the fuselage, and it is spot on, down to the mm.

So, there are a lot of measurements. They were a bit of fun to get, but they're all down on paper. If anyone would need these as reference for a 1/48 project, please don't hesitate to ask (read: Revell - no excuses now, I've got measurements for your injection molded "should have done this years ago" project - by the way, I'm vote number 575 now!

More to come soon I hope.

Thanks for looking,

Mark.

[Joel_W]

Mark,

Once again, thank you for not only sharing your thought process, but the actual measuring and layout procedures for the observation window. I can see a lot of direct applications for other modeling projects where a exact spot needs to be located.

As Chuck would say: Model on.

Joel

[TommyP]

It's paying attention to these small details now that will make this a masterpiece in the long-run... it may seem to be slow progress but from one vac-builder to another it's these important small steps that keep you on track soon it'll start to come together quicker than you think.

Super work!

Tom

[Aurora Mark]

Thanks guys.

I'm at that point where I'm ready to box this one up, and leave it for good. There are certain frustrations with this build, a few mm's here, a 1/4 inch there... but, well... this one is going to be interesting.

I started mapping things out on the fuselage as I mentioned, and got to the main cabin door. Where those two guide pins were (left and right sides of the door), something didn't look right. I measured the distance between it and the port aft observer, they matched up. Measured the distance between the main cabin door and the port over-wing emergency exit, and they added up. Nose to the door added up. It was the wing...

7

A. Forward/Aft guide holes for the port over-wing exit;

B. Forward/Aft guide holes for the main cabin door.

What didn't look right, was that with the flaps deployed (as they normally are) the main cabin door and ladder clear the trailing edge by some margin. So, I thought maybe I measured out the guide holes wrong. Too far forward. I measured, and measured everything I could. Here's what I found, represented by "C"... that is where the trailing edge of the wing actually ends.

The 21 mm is the scale distance from the aft edge of the port over-wing emergency exit to the trailing edge of the wing. The "WTF" line is where the actual wing fairing begins on the fuselage.

So, looking at it all over again, the fuselage halves have the "molded" wing fairing. It's completely garbage. The leading edge of the wing on the actual aircraft starts where the wing fairing on the plastic fuselage starts, pushing the wing about 5 mm back too far. Further to that, the wing itself is a wreck in itself, but the fairing, it's well... yeah.

So, I have two choices - completely remove the wing fairings on both sides of the fuselage, effectively making one big long tube. The other option is tossing it, and crossing my fingers for Revell to make my day.

I'm a stubborn idiot, so I'm going to shave the fuselage down, and start right back from square one with this (which will also need a new wing-spar to be created. That, and I've already paid about $150 Canadian for everything so far. For you all out there, save the 50 pounds and shipping you'd pay for this plastic piece of crap and the resin plugs which are better suited as fishing weights.

Mark, Voter Number 580.

[VMFA314Knights]

Mark,

I must say (what the others did as well) that this is bloody impressive work going on and I've learned a few things following you. Hopefully you'll find a way to press on with the project despite the roadblocks (or you just may have to ignore some of those measurements and fake it some...although I know that would be a challenge to do.)

Respect,

David :salute:/>

[Aurora Mark]

Thanks David. I really appreciate it.

Right now I'm thinking I have two ways of going at this build:

1. Hack & Slash white plastic like there is no tomorrow:

-Cut out the entire center section where the wings mount up, and vac-form a smooth fuselage, so that it is effectively one big tube. From there, make a new wing spar box. Cut off the front section where the fuselage canopy is, making a new one, with the right shape on both sides, again, by vac-forming over a wooden master. The same approach would be used for the vertical stabilizer, horizontal stabs, and wings; or

2. Using the measurements I have from the actual aircraft, and blueprints, simply make a new wooden master, and create a new vac-kit of this thing. Basically, going from using the ID POC from Tigger, cutting my losses, and making an entirely new, completely scratch built CP-140.

Regardless, I need to make all the other parts. All I would be doing would be making a new accurate "canvas" of the fuselage/wings/control surfaces. Suddenly this turned itself into a very long term project...

I'm going to box this thing up before I throw it out, think about it over a few days, and go from there.

Any advice or input you guys have, please share.

Cheers,

Mark.

[VMFA314Knights]

Mark,

You got yourself a real Catch-22 project there.

Way out of my league admittedly - I have ambitions to build as many types of (reasonably represented) aircraft as I possibly can, so I don't do too much of the super detailing... bits and pieces here and there where I see fit.

I bow to your skills and perseverance sir. :worship:/>

Hopefully we will get to see the end result of all this effort of yours one day - no pressure.

Cheers,

David

[Emvar]

Mark,

Not one kit is perfectly accurate... understanding that I think you may find a solution. Sometimes a complete teardown is what is required. This is what this hobby is about and the likelihood of Revell coming through is directly proportional to your completion of this build. So really your sacrifice is for us. Not to be putting any pressure on you but there are some things that you do have to live with.... then there are things you just have to tackle.

Would just cutting that wing root area out and moving it forward be a solution? This would preserve that wing root box you have constructed.

[TommyP]

Mark,

Kits like this are a real challenge. In my experience of them there will be inaccuracies - it just depends whether you're prepared to live with them.

I must confess that accuracy doesn't bother me too much, and as long as it 'looks right' then I'm prepared to turn a blind eye to a few mm here and there.

My advice would be to just go for it. You'll have a ball, and does it really matter, in the grand scheme of things, if it's not a 100% miniature of the real thing?

I've also never seen anyone at a model show with a tape measure, and if anyone does criticise my reply is always:

"When you've built the same kit we can talk about it."

You'll ways get a lot of 'experts' but few, if any, actually put their money where their mouth is.

I say build it and go with the flow...

But, if all else fails... I'll buy it from you!!

Tom

[Aurora Mark]

Mark,

You got yourself a real Catch-22 project there.

Way out of my league admittedly - I have ambitions to build as many types of (reasonably represented) aircraft as I possibly can, so I don't do too much of the super detailing... bits and pieces here and there where I see fit.

I bow to your skills and perseverance sir. :worship:/>/>

Hopefully we will get to see the end result of all this effort of yours one day - no pressure.

Cheers,

David

David, thank you for your comments. No pressure felt though, it is still fun, and there will be a 1/48 CP-140M Aurora, there is no doubt about that. Whether I go with this vac-kit, or make my own, that'll be the question.

Would just cutting that wing root area out and moving it forward be a solution? This would preserve that wing root box you have constructed.

That is definitely a possibility. One that I am strongly considering. I'll touch more on that later.

Mark,

Kits like this are a real challenge. In my experience of them there will be inaccuracies - it just depends whether you're prepared to live with them.

I must confess that accuracy doesn't bother me too much, and as long as it 'looks right' then I'm prepared to turn a blind eye to a few mm here and there.

My advice would be to just go for it. You'll have a ball, and does it really matter, in the grand scheme of things, if it's not a 100% miniature of the real thing?

Tom, there are certainly parts that can be ignored. Absolutely. Where I can though, I try and get it as close to the real thing as possible. If I'm going to make a cut into plastic, why not make it as close to the real thing as I can, right?

But this wing issue is more than just looking right. To be honest, it wasn't until I looked at where the Main Cabin Door was that I realized the wing was stretched out to the back too far. And no small margin. If it was like the leading edge, I'm fine with that, because the leading edge does, by all accounts "look right" and didn't give any issues at all. But there is a very real problem with the trailing edge and the main cabin door.

Our CP-140 aircraft are left on the ground with the flaps deployed, and the flaps extend to the rear some distance. Even with them fully extended there is a lot of clearance between the trailing edge of the flaps and the ladder to get up to the main cabin door on the actual aircraft. The problem is that with this kit, the trailing edge being as far back as it is, the ladder can't be extended - the flaps would be in the way.

Wanting to be able to have both the flaps extended, and the ladder down to be able to see inside the fuselage, some extensive plastic surgery will need to take place.

What Emvar suggested about cutting in out is very likely what I will do. Making a true tube without the wing fairings present at all. The difficulty will then be how the wing spar will support the fuselage.

Sliding the tailing edge and the fairing forward is going to be quite a challenge, which I think will take some time to get done. Not so much for the actual work, but more for the actual time I have. Very shortly I will be out of country for a couple weeks, then about a month later, I'll be away for quite a bit longer.

So, my approach right now will be to sit over the plans with the fuselage, bring out the markers, and start planning how I'm going to cut this wing section out exactly. Hopefully I can get something up before leaving.

Mark.

[Joel_W]

Mark,

I wasn't really expecting another major issue at this point with the fuselage. If anything those issues would surface with the wing sub assemblies, engines, etc. And like Tommy alluded to, some times good enough is really good enough for a display model. At this point cutting out the wing fairings and moving them, or carving a whole new fuselage just doesn't make any rational sense. Honestly, no one will ever see the few mms they're off.

To pack it in now makes little sense as well considering the time and effort you've put in to get to this point. But if you can only live with perfection to the nth degree, then it's your call. It's easy for us to say keep on going, or yeah cut this or make a new one of that. We don't have to do the work. What ever you decide to do, I've really enjoyed your build to date.

Joel

[Aurora Mark]

Joel,

Thank you my friend. You guys are right, a whole new fuselage doesn't make any sense. But getting the wing fairing and trailing edge is important to do. The fairings themselves on the kit are very exaggerated. The height looks right, but the fairing goes out way too far, and that, with the stretched chord on the wing, is the biggest issue. I'm going to take a few shots here shortly that I'm hovering over right now, and it'll show the conundrum. Again, if it were just a few mm's, no problem. But, not being able to put the ladder in, because they would bump up against the flaps, that's a bigger issue all together.

Cheers,

Mark.

[Aurora Mark]

So, quickly - and this isn't intended for precise measurements, but simply a comparison between scale 1/48 P-3/CP-140 from Lockheed prints, to the kit. This will hopefully show the wing root issue a little better.

Using the scaled outline drawing of the Top Down view of the CP-140, I first lined up the fuselage half. The forward observer blister was lined up:

Then the rear observer/main cabin door points were lined up (the two tick marks just aft of the fairing are the left/right of the main cabin door - the "box" is going to be rear blister:

So, not making a mountain out of a mole hill, the leading edge is a mole hill problem, a few mm's, hardly worth a second look:

The mountain of this problem, is the trailing edge, which is significantly more than just a few mm's:

And hear is a top down view:

Looking at it a little more, I'm honestly not 100% sure how I'm going to proceed. But, there is no doubt I will be proceeding. As I mentioned before, I will be building a 1/48 CP-140M. Exactly how, well, that's part of the fun of the hobby, isn't it?

Mark.

[Joel_W]

Mark,

Agreed that the trailing edge is a major issue for sure. The kit wing fairing looks not only too far back, but to long as well. Perhaps your 1st idea of cutting it out, and moving it forward would work, but you're going to have to shorten it in the middle. What happens to the support box then? Will the original one still work?

Joel

[VMFA314Knights]

Mark,

That wing position problem is much clearer to us all now. Thanks for the 'play-by-play' as it underlines the complexity of the issue. Great seeing the ideas bouncing around on how best to tackle this one. As I said I don't play in your league however I sure can appreciate the process and show respect to the talent and perseverance.

Got to love TommyP's line "When you've built the same kit we can talk about it." - Ain't that the truth sometime. :D/> Some things you have to have some experience in (and some empathy) to truly appreciate.

I figured you were looking for the best way around this 'brick wall' given time I hope to follow the results and learn more from this crew along the way. (We are patient... we realize you have a real life too. :rolleyes:/>)

Cheers,

David :cheers:/>

[Aurora Mark]

Mark,

Agreed that the trailing edge is a major issue for sure. The kit wing fairing looks not only too far back, but to long as well. Perhaps your 1st idea of cutting it out, and moving it forward would work, but you're going to have to shorten it in the middle. What happens to the support box then? Will the original one still work?

Joel

It definitely is Joel. The wing fairing is an interesting bit. The entire wing is going to need a substantial section removed from it, so perhaps the best option is going to simply be to scrap the wings, and not try to fit them into place. With the fairing and the wing root, doing to it exactly what I planned on doing with the horizontal stabs might be the only option here.

As for the support box, I think I can salvage the fuselage enough to keep the idea of the support box holding up the fuselage just the same, but rather than using the wing roots, it'll need something different. I'm okay with having the fuselage cut open around the box and having the brass plates protrude through, so long as they are properly secured. How that'll come to be, I'm not 100% sure yet. Worst case scenario, I make a new one. At least I'll have the full measurements I need on hand, which will make the entire process that much easier.

Mark,

That wing position problem is much clearer to us all now. Thanks for the 'play-by-play' as it underlines the complexity of the issue. Great seeing the ideas bouncing around on how best to tackle this one. As I said I don't play in your league however I sure can appreciate the process and show respect to the talent and perseverance.

Got to love TommyP's line "When you've built the same kit we can talk about it." - Ain't that the truth sometime. :D/>/> Some things you have to have some experience in (and some empathy) to truly appreciate.

I figured you were looking for the best way around this 'brick wall' given time I hope to follow the results and learn more from this crew along the way. (We are patient... we realize you have a real life too. :rolleyes:/>/>)

Cheers,

David :cheers:/>/>

No worries about the play-by-play David, it's quite enjoyable to do. It certainly is a huge help having the guys here to bounce ideas off of. And yes, Tom certainly put a great line out there.

The good news though, is that removing the wing roots (fairings and all) from the fuselage, it wont cause any problems with the work to the fuselage already done (with the openings, windows, doors, etc). The other thing about this kit I was going to bring to light shortly, was that the bottom of the fuselage under the wings isn't flat like the kit has it, there is still a substantial portion of the rounded bottom underneath the centre of the wings. Which, when considering cutting the wings out and making a round tube section in that area, lends itself nicely to have that in place when I do attach the wings.

From here, I'm going to think about it for a night or two, where I might just go ahead and cut out the wings, and then vacuum-form a fuselage section that is just as round as the fuselage tube would be, and then glue that into place. Having the opportunity to do that would also help solve the problem of the bottom of the fuselage in that area being paper thin and very weak. Once it would be made, a cut down the middle to have a left and right half, and I'd be back to fuselage halves that I can work with and continue to open up.

Then it's a matter of figuring out the spar, which, given that it isn't too wide, and was based on the plans from the actual aircraft, should sit at the same point and work just as well for this whole endeavor. I think the very same approach will be used for the vertical stab which is nearly as thick as the kit wings... soon enough I hope I'll be at the point where I'm casting the main tires in resin... soon enough.

Thanks guys.

Cheers,

Mark.

[Joel_W]

Mark,

After reading the last series of posts and your replies, the thought crossed my mind that with your skills, scratch building the CP-140M most likely would have been a better option from the start. At least there wouldn't have been these one after another surprises caused by wrong measurements, and or poor carving skill to create a accurate mold.

Joel

[TommyP]

Having seen your latest set if pictures I see what you mean, Mark.

And I also see it's a lot more than a few mm...

I often find when up against it with a long term vac project that stepping away for a while is the key. Time away means time to think and often a resolution will hit you out of the blue. I've often been drifting off the sleep... then... bang! I have a solution!

From this angle it looks as if a fuselage cut, remove a section of fuse and wing box to create the correct length of root, and then extend the rear fuselage by the equivalent amount would be a viable option. Plenty of car-body style filler could help to blend everything back together. However, without the kit in front of me I'm not sure if it'd work or not...

Either way, please don't give up on this build - I'm really enjoying it! Have a break and perhaps come back with fresh eyes...

Tom

[Aurora Mark]

Mark,

After reading the last series of posts and your replies, the thought crossed my mind that with your skills, scratch building the CP-140M most likely would have been a better option from the start. At least there wouldn't have been these one after another surprises caused by wrong measurements, and or poor carving skill to create a accurate mold.

Joel

Oh, Joel, first off, thank you very much for your kind words. I think you give me a bit too much credit. This is slowly turning into a "scrap the pieces and cut my losses" and simply make my own.

As it stands right now, to move forward, the nose cheek, radome, and upper flight deck roof need to be redone. The wing roots need to be redone, and the bomb-bay area needs to be cleaned up some. The Area of the vertical stab joint needs to be redone. The horizontal stabs and vertical stabs will be made new. The issue with the chord length is going to need to have the wings redone as well... so, guess what... ...yep! You guessed it!

Having seen your latest set if pictures I see what you mean, Mark.

And I also see it's a lot more than a few mm...

I often find when up against it with a long term vac project that stepping away for a while is the key. Time away means time to think and often a resolution will hit you out of the blue. I've often been drifting off the sleep... then... bang! I have a solution!

From this angle it looks as if a fuselage cut, remove a section of fuse and wing box to create the correct length of root, and then extend the rear fuselage by the equivalent amount would be a viable option. Plenty of car-body style filler could help to blend everything back together. However, without the kit in front of me I'm not sure if it'd work or not...

Either way, please don't give up on this build - I'm really enjoying it! Have a break and perhaps come back with fresh eyes...

Tom

Tom, the fuselage cut, and section removal/replacement was something I was strongly considering. But, I think I have the solution... ...it's going to be a bit long winded here, but, we're off to the races.

Today was one of those days. The ones that will forever stick out from the rest. I was part of the skeleton crew that ferried an Aurora to an outfit up here that is doing the conversions from Block II to Block III. Leaving, I didn't think much of it. A short hop-skip-and-a-jump and we'd be there, then get picked up and fly home. Boy was I wrong.

I have to extend an honest and giant thank you to the guys up there. WOW. Not only were there a lot of smiling faces, and a huge help to answer questions on the stencils on the new wings, but I got to see my third love (and I think we all know my wife and son come first). They were excited by the 1/48 Aurora project, and then one-upped me. I got to go and see my Aurora, almost done at refit. She'll be the one I'm going to be heading over with. WOW!

Picture walking into a hangar that you could eat off of the floor in, and this big, gorgeous gal sitting there, all cleaned up. You'd swear she was going to the ball, because I have NEVER seen an Aurora looking so clean and trim. I mean, SPOTLESS! She may have had that new car smell, or maybe it was just me imagining it, but what the heck, might as well have. For a gal that old (and I say that respectfully, as she's about as old as my '79 Power Wagon), boy, you could have fooled me. Looked like she was just unwrapped from the shrink wrap.

It was a very unique opportunity to see her there like that. And knowing exactly which aircraft, number, and unique features will be coming to play on the build - knowing that this was going to be the subject of this build - the fire was rekindled for this build. There was no more doubt as to what I was going to do.

I listed the things above that needed to be fixed. To heck with it. This vac-kit is a bigger PITA than is worth it. If I'm going to be spending that much time to fix problems, and make a whole new aircraft model, than why not just make one from scratch.

Joel, you make a great point, and thank you again for your very kind words. Tom, you're right, these things never come easy. And if I'm going to be building her, I sure as hell am going to do her justice.

This project is more than a google search and looking at pictures (like I had to do with the Il-2 and many previous models). I've got folks from my own Squadron, Lockheed Martin, IMP, and you all jumping behind this build 110%. There's guys on the maintenance floor from my Squadron and others (AVN & AVS techs, re-finishers, prop techs, Bowser drivers), guys I fly with, Flight Engineers and Pilots, who are all following this build along as well, and have been able to give me answers and countless hours with a tape measure to get things just right. So, I think it's the least I can do to just, well, do it right. Somehow this build has become more than just a plastic kit.

We're starting from square one. Building this one from scratch. I'm going to go at this one as a whole new kit, starting with the fuselage.

The first step will be the fuselage, and rather than building it as one long fuselage section, I'm going to go about this as a multi-pieced approach. Flight deck, tac-tube, and tail will all be separate sections. The fuselage is simply too long to go at it as one piece, and will also minimize the risk of damaging finished portions as I move along with construction. So, soon here, I start carving wood to match up with exactly what I need to do. And, so, off to planning and building I go.

Bye-bye I.D., Hello Scratch Building!

There will definitely be more to come very, very soon!

Thanks guys for your advice, input, and support in this one.

Cheers,

Mark.

[Aurora Mark]

Here's a quick bit of work with the starboard profile of the fuselage, and how I plan on doing this. A bit more sectioned than the single piece fuselage. The image hopefully makes sense. Going at it this way will certainly make the overall construction and internal details of this build much, much easier. The biggest change really, from where things were, was splitting the fuselage compartment into three areas - the flight deck, tac-tube, and the galley area/aft of the pressure bulkhead. Otherwise, the construction approach is similar to what it was before with regards to the nose cone, vertical stab, rudder, and mad boom.

Having the flight deck as a separate section will also allow me to really go at the details without having to worry about difficulties associated with constantly having a 74 cm fuselage being joined together again, and again when test fitting. I have to say that this idea comes straight from Tom and his incredible C-17 build that he is doing. I really liked the straight forward (and builder friendly) approach of this style of building, and I think here for the CP-140, it will lend itself very nicely, so thanks Tom for the inspiration here!

The Tac-Tube being, well, exactly that, will be the completely round long tube section, going right up to where the fuselage starts to taper at the bottom. This "tube" will house the new wing spar assembly, which, given that the tube fuselage shape (without the wing roots like the I.D. kit) wont have enough room for the "spar box" I previously made, the spar will be made using three sections of brass tube, emulating the actual spar quite closely. There will be a flat section running through the fuselage, with the wings (and the dihedral angle) being inserted into the center spar section.

I guess it's time to bring out the ole chisels and start working with getting this thing mocked up!

Cheers,

Mark.

[Joel_W]

Mark,

Outstanding!!

I actually completely changed camps from sticking to the kit and issues, to dump it, and scratch build one. I could never do that, but you've already demonstrated every single skill needed for scratch building except carving. Somehow I don't think that it will be much of a issue for you. I'll be here everyday watching, and learning as you progress with your build.

I finally have a real understanding of what the CP-140M means to you. It's not just a aircraft, your whole professional life revolves around her. You have a real passion that comes through loud and clear to us.

Joel

[Aurora Mark]

Thanks Joel. I can't say enough how much fun I have doing what I do. I know full well I wont be flying forever, so every time I get to go up I treat it like the last time - not sad, but quite the opposite. Have as much fun as I can and ensure that if that were my last flight, I'd end it on a high note, know what I mean?

Trips like yesterday, oh, wow... I grew up with aviation, and as a little kid, walking into a Hangar and seeing an aircraft for the first time, that feeling of excitement and wonder, and wanting to just run up and touch the aircraft - fast forward to yesterday, and that's exactly how I felt again. It just doesn't get old! And this project lets me really feel like a grown-up kid exploring and just getting to be able to jump in with both feet.

I'll be getting some polymer clay which I think will be ideal for making the master molds for this build. It does shrink ever so little after being baked (about 1-2%) which, lends itself very well when used for vac-forming parts, making sure they're not over-sized.

The main pieces though - the tac-tube, wings (minus nacelles), horizontal and vertical stabs (minus the elevators and rudder) will be made of wood at first. Cheaper than all that clay, and much easier to work with. So, this has definitely turned itself into a long term project here, which, hey, that's fine.

I've got enough time I think between now and when I head out for a bit, that I can get most of the masters done up for the fuselage. I'll start with the easy one first, and that'll be the round tube for the fuselage. Down side, is just as I'm getting excited to get started on this, I've got a trip for most of Feb coming up right away... ...oh well.

This will be the first time I'm going down this route, so I'll post up as much as I can as I progress with "how-to" styled posts, showing what worked, and what mistakes were made.

More to come soon,

Cheers,

Mark.

[VMFA314Knights]

Mark,

Awesome story to provide background to the kit build.

I'll be following along too... not that I intend to get involved in a build this detailed...but just so I can see a master working on his "third love" and learn some skills along the way.:D/>

Cheers,

David