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1/48 CP-140M Aurora -


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Well David, I promise to share what I know and do with this build. But, I'd say I'm quite far from a master right now. I'm at the point where one plays with clay and play-doh and am trying my best to make a decent enough representation of the aircraft. I'm a bit nervous - going from never having built a vac-form, to now scratch building one of the biggest models I've ever made. I'm laughing, right now at least.

Given the timelines, I'm thinking it would be best to finish up a couple things on the work bench first. The Il-2KR is actually fairly close to being finished, so I'd like to clear that off. As for the Spitfire, I'll keep that one as a bit of a sanity build when things get a little bit tedious. Then for 3 months or so, it'll be planning a lot of the build. This will also include the building of a larger vac-table. I have just finished a 10 x 14 surface right now, but will certainly be needing a much larger table for other parts and pieces.

Other things that I'll be planning and gathering will be the basics - plastic sheets of various thickness, brass tubing, electrical wiring, fiber-optic cable, LED's, clay, wood, and any other supplies that I think I'll need. Then there is also the bit about the markings. Unfortunately the hope for dry transfers is becoming more and more dim, so it may be decals for all the stencil work after all. And if that's the case, I'm going to need to be able to find a group that can make these up for me. Some, even in 1/48 are fairly legible (in that, someone standing about 100 feet away can still read some of the stencils going on). But, all in all, it'll be finding decals that can be made really crisp, really clear, in the two grey FS numbers, black, red, as well as white (for the cuffs of the props and the spinner).

As for the paint masks for the roundels, eagle, and aircraft numbers, that's not a problem and will be done without a problem.

I think later this week I'll also be putting an order in with the folks at Hobby Silicone for the resin, and silicone that I'll be using to make some of the other parts and pieces for this one (wheels, new props and spinners, seats, PSLT's, sono's, etc.,). I have to say, these guys are an absolute pleasure to deal with and went a very long way to answer all of my questions.

So, it'll all start coming together. Slowly. As much as I want to just jump right into building something, there's still a lot more homework now to take care of. But, the answers are coming. And thanks to you all for your suggestions and advice. Trust me when I say it's gone a long way.

Cheers,

Mark.

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Mark,

Unless space is the limiting factor Do it in 1/32nd scale....... :woot.gif: Just kidding.

Here are some Ideas and inspiration...

Pigs T-38

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=110716&hl=t-38&st=0

Timmys Jaguar

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=259854&hl=t-38&st=0

Timmys OV-10 Bronco scratch built in 1/24th scale.

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=162587&st=0&gopid=1493513entry1493513

Hope this helps you.

:cheers:

Emil

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Mark,

Unless space is the limiting factor Do it in 1/32nd scale....... :woot.gif:/>/> Just kidding.

Here are some Ideas and inspiration...

Pigs T-38

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=110716&hl=t-38&st=0

Timmys Jaguar

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=259854&hl=t-38&st=0

Timmys OV-10 Bronco scratch built in 1/24th scale.

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=162587&st=0&gopid=1493513entry1493513

Hope this helps you.

:cheers:/>/>

Emil

Emil,

Those are some fantastic builds! As Joel said, the Bronco is just out of this world! Thank you for posting those up!

I think this is going to be a real fun project now, and the ideas are turning in my head like no tomorrow. I've looked into pressure pots (the pressurized paint containers) and some vacuum options to help with resin casting to avoid the bubbles that sometimes come with pouring. Further to that, I am really starting to like the idea of using polymer clay to make the masters for the molds for pretty much everything except the larger surfaces. Prop spinners and props for example, lend themselves very nicesly for this method I think.

I've never carved clay. Frankly, I've never really worked with the stuff for anything like this, but it would certainly be a fun time learning how. The clay I think would also lend itself nicely to some of the more complex pieces for vac forming (such as the engine nacelles, section "B" (the flight deck compartment), and other smaller areas like internal moldings found inside the fuselage.

Oh, I'm looking forward to this for sure!

As for your first line... just hold on a sec.

Mark,

From your post I just realized that the CP-140M is your 1st vac kit!! Your modeling skills are nearly off the charts. Can't wait to see your scratch building skills come into play.

Joel

Joel, yeah, this is my first vac-form. And after a few days of relaxing a little and giving it a lot of thought, going this route now of just completely scratch-building this Aurora, I think that this is going to be "the kit"... oh, I'll be building a few smaller 1/48's here and there for fun in between (especially the Eduard Mk.IX Spitfire... that's a whole lot of little models in one), but this kit is definitely going to be a long term, tons of ups and downs kind of build.

Not having the limitations of someone elses vac-formed kit is also going to free up a lot of the approach with this model build. Like, Emils suggestion. I looked at the space around me, and checked it twice. In order to fit all the things I want to do into this build, and be able to show it off... sure! I'm starting from scratch, so lets go big or go home.

I started running the numbers quickly with the idea of going up from 1/48 to 1/32 scale. You know what, she may be just under 44 inches long, but, I can definitely fit her here at home. I've just got one last thing to check first about going up to that scale, but from what I'm looking at on paper here, I think it'll be 1/32 afterall!

More to come soon,

Cheers,

Mark.

Edited by Aurora Mark
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Mark,

Give David at Canuck Models a call. I am sure he can give you a quote. As for legible decals he is the guy you do want to talk to.... very detail oriented probably up your alley. I know on airliners the stencil data is peel and stick stickers and not painted on the aircraft. Is it the same on the Aurora?

Cheers

Emil

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Mark: If you need storage space, I have room in my hangar for it when finished! :D/>

Barney

I may just have to take you up on that offer! Lol.

Mark,

1/32 scale!!

You could almost move in when your done.

Joel

Or seat and stap in my mind, as it seems that I've lost the bloody thing, hahahaha.

Mark,

Give David at Canuck Models a call. I am sure he can give you a quote. As for legible decals he is the guy you do want to talk to.... very detail oriented probably up your alley. I know on airliners the stencil data is peel and stick stickers and not painted on the aircraft. Is it the same on the Aurora?

Cheers

Emil

Hi Emil,

I certainly will be giving him a call. As for the stencils, no they are painted on the outside of the aircraft. There are a number of placards inside that are the peel-and-stick type, but on the exterior, everything is painted.

Thanks!

Mark.

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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!

Very well said. I last walked down the ladder back in Aug 2011. I don't so much miss the Navy but certainly miss the flying. I treasured every second of being a P-3 FE, even the bad days. Flying Orions out of Brunswick Maine was an awesome experience. Having grown up not far from there I saw P-3s often as a kid in the 70s/80s, I'm sure some were aircraft I actually have logged hours in! I loved being the first to walk to the aircraft and pull the plugs and covers and fire up the APU...no one else around at 5AM in the dead of winter. Or taking an aircraft on deployment with you for several months and really getting to know all of its particular nuances..it became "your bird" in an era where that is a thing of the past. I'm glad my civilian job keeps me tied to the P-3 community, though I wouldn't mind getting back in the center seat.

Keep banging along. You're doing a heck of a job and I'm looking forward to seeing it when it's completed.

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Andrew,

Whenever we do just PPF's (Pilot Proficiency Flights), as a 4th crewman checking the back end, we don't have to show up until just before the flight. I can't do that. I always enjoy going out before the flight, and working with the FE's to do checks, get her ready, and then doing the final checks before taking off, yeah. Whenever I walk down that ladder to remove the pin from the bomb-bay and close her up, it's always the same thing going through my mind...

"pilot sees me, good, there's the thumbs up, walking up, duck under the air blast, remove the pin, yep, close the cover, one and two fasteners flush, walk back, show the pin, give the signal for closing the bomb-bay, kneel down, make sure no one is around, and she's closed, BOY SHE'S BIG! Okay, doing my walk around... no plugs in, ram air inakes are clear, BOY SHE'S BIG! No. 3 and 4 look good, all pins removed there... wingtips good, light works, aileron and flap look good, fuel panels closed, SLTs are good, BOY SHE IS BIG! Horizontal Stabs are good, booms good, rudders good, wow, she is BIG, sono disable door is closed, tap my boots on the apron (to knock off any dirt), up the ladder I go, look over the wing, she looks reeaal good, give the outside of the MCD frame a love tap, bring up the ladder close the door... yeah, I love this job..."

Today was one of those days. I honestly wish I could post up photos and videos of what we did just to try and share the experience.

I smile. A lot. When I first got here, my cheek bones actually were sore and hurt after the first days and flights from smiling so friggin much. I still do, but I guess my face is used to the permanent grin. When these days are done and over, I will miss them. Even the bad days as you said. I'm an ex-infantier, so even the worst day here is better than the best day I had before. I'm a lucky guy to be able to do this job. Bouncing around at 300 feet over the oceans doing "60 and 2"'s (60 degree turns while pulling 2 G's) and sipping on a coffee, all the way to long transits, there is just something about it.

Growing up as a little guy, going to an Airshow in my home town, there was a young AES Op acoustician who gave me a tour. Turns out, almost 23 years later, he's my TacNav (my boss in the Tac Tube) here at the Squadron and I'm doing his old job. Small world. He remembers this young kid; I remember this disgruntled old fart who loved flying. Funny, 23 years later, nothings changed, hahahaha.

Cheers!

Mark.

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Oh yes...PPFs (we called them DFWs; Dedicated Field Work) were my favorite, just going out and flying and bouncing. I always put myself on the Thursday evening or Friday morning DFWs if I could...once you're done you'd be off for the weekend!

One of our pilots was one of those types of guys who was there just to fly! By that I mean, the whole "Naval Officer" thing was secondary to him, he just liked airplanes, kind of like me! He was a commercial pilot prior to the Navy and had a seaplane and blimp rating. He'd come find me the day prior to a DFW just because he knew I liked to go goof off with the airplane. We'd go scout out seaplane landing spots in northern Maine or we'd go trucking up and down the coast checking out light houses and cruising around the islands off the coast. Wicked good fun. Other times we'd go down off the coast of Massachusetts and bounce at Nantucket or Marathas vineyard...buzzing over the big beach houses.

You should buy yourself one of those "Go Pro" cameras and mount it to your helmet. Here's a video you may have already seen, some VP-1 P-3 bubbahs operating out of Djibouti Africa, a day in the life.

Sorry, don't want to derail the thread...but it could be motivation! Cheers!

Edited by 82Whitey51
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If I could only show you what we were doing yesterday... lol

Seems that the killer of a scratch built aircraft project like this comes down to the markings. Paint masks are a dime a dozen, and easy to get made. No problem. No minimum orders. As for the dry transfers, or silk screened decal options, cripes... but, I'll plug away trying to figure it out.

This may be the last post for a few weeks, but I'll be back soon enough. I might be able to squeeze one more in before I head out.

Cheers for now,

Mark.

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Amazing how quickly things can turn around. The last post (No. 16) in this thread has some great news:

Custom Decal or Dry Transfer Stencil Questions

It will be paint masks for the Roundels, Aircraft Number, "Canada" on the fuselage, Canadian Flag on the vertical stabs, and the tail number. The stencils on the exterior of the aircraft will be dry transfers (also known as rubdowns), and the placards inside will be decals from an ALPS printer. The last bit of the equation comes down to the instrument faces, but that'll be sorted out quite soon I hope. Okay, I'm very happy!

Cheers for now,

Mark.

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Andrew, I tried to send you a PM, but no joy. Thank you for posting up that video my friend!

I took an 8 minute video of us beating up the coast line out here in the Bay of Fundy for my little aviator to see later. He loves the idea of "Dads Plane". The trick as the back-ender is to develop the skill set needed to pour your coffee while looking out the galley window and seeing sky, then looking back through the dinette windows and seeing the water a little about 300 feet away, and not spill a drop of coffee... then do the heavy-footed shuffle back up to the flight deck to sit back and watch the show some more.

If you're ever up around the Greenwood area, you had best send me a message. There's a whole hangar that awaits you getting a tour. I got a feeling the moment I would introduce you to our FE's, the tour would be over and it'd be off to the mess for some drinks.

It's about time for me to rack out. Cheers!

Mark.

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  • 1 month later...

Back home now. Just a quick update. So, it will be a 1/32 CP-140M, and the bird will be No. 117. However, due to a lot of work going on at home and getting ready to step out the door for a stint coming up here sooner rather than later, this one is on hold until I at least get home. In the mean time there will be a lot of work going on in researching everything I need, and then, yeah, once I'm home, it'll be off to the races with this one.

Cheers,

Mark.

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  • 5 months later...

Hello folks,

Just an update to things. The project isn't dead, I simply have not had a chance to get any work done at all. But, as I plan on having the Aurora and a 405 Lancaster side-by-side, size limitations are going to have me build her up as a 1/48 scale model. As much fun as a 1/32 CP-140 and Lancaster would be... no desk would be big enough to hold both of them.

Hopefully I can get back to work on these sometime in November.

Cheers,

Mark.

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Thank you my friend. Yes, I've been back for a bit. The last few weeks have been interesting, and quite busy as well. Right now I'm away from home again, hahaha. I will be for a bit of time here, but I'll be finishing off a few things first (the Il-2 for one thing), and then clear the work bench (once it's built) to work on the Aurora.

Cheers.

Mark.

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Hi Mark,

Great build, I read your post about George Lafleur of Engine and Things. George used to give me his rejects. Perhaps we have crossed paths? He was a great guy, I made sure I made the trip from Cold Lake for his funeral.

George shared with me many of his Vietnam stories, he flew Chinooks and the Cayuse in Vietnam. He did two tours. I now work with pilots who flew with him at Canadian Helicopters. It's a small world.

Perhaps you know my roommate from my early days in the CAF? Todd Wallace has done most of his 25 plus years with the Aurora in Comox. I have lost touch with him though.

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Hi Mark,

Great build, I read your post about George Lafleur of Engine and Things. George used to give me his rejects. Perhaps we have crossed paths? He was a great guy, I made sure I made the trip from Cold Lake for his funeral.

George shared with me many of his Vietnam stories, he flew Chinooks and the Cayuse in Vietnam. He did two tours. I now work with pilots who flew with him at Canadian Helicopters. It's a small world.

Perhaps you know my roommate from my early days in the CAF? Todd Wallace has done most of his 25 plus years with the Aurora in Comox. I have lost touch with him though.

Scooby, We very well may have crossed paths. He certainly was a great guy. For someone who had gone through what he had, he was amazingly humble, and very welcoming. As for your roommate, the name rings a bell. Tell you what, send me a PM, and in the mean time I'll talk to some of the older generation in my trade, and see if we can't get you two connected. Cheers.

Mark,

Glad to see that you're almost back at the bench, that is once it's built. Looking forward to following your scratch build form day one.

Joel

Joel, thank you kindly! With the house reno's coming along, I'm thinking that in the near future (read: next 6 months or so) work is going to get started on finishing off the attic upstairs. My wife and I plan on building our studio up there (she is an amazing artist, and really needs a place of her own) with my own dedicated work space up there as well.

As for the build, although there aren't any update photographs to post, there has been some work happening with this kit in the last little bit. I've been practicing with using clay, baking it, and making molds for parts and pieces that will be cast out of resin. For things like the main landing gear wheels, and how they'll be multiple pieces, I want to make sure I get this just right. The smaller details, like how most CP-140's (and I can't speak to other P-3's) could have different tread patterns in the mains. Same rims, same size, same everything except for the tread pattern.

Other plans also include how to proceed with the issue with the wings as mentioned in previous posts that pretty much had me wanting to toss this aside. The fuselage is going to be shaved on the outside. Basically it's going to be one complete tube. The wings on this vac-kit are going to be completely discarded, and I'll be making new ones from scratch. But, as the tube of the fuselage has a lot of correct elements, the inaccuracies can certainly be worked over. Much easier this way (and more sense) than building right from scratch.

Other things that have also started in the background of all of this fall towards the more technical side of the build. The lighting with this build will be interesting to try and complete. With all the details that are planned to be put into the flight deck, the observer stations and the ordnance bay, along with the tac-tube where the starboard over-wing emergency exit would be opened up, along with the other areas (like the hydraulic service centre), why waste those details because of bad light? On the actual aircraft, there is plenty of lighting to help illuminate the inside for us even on the darkest of nights. My plan is simply to replicate the lighting that would be used, but there are some tricks to work around.

First off, a white LED setup wont work, as the white light is, well, for lack of a better phrase, too white. Having a soft yellow glow would be easily made with wheat-bulbs, but they produce far too much heat, take up far too much room, and draw far too much power for something like this. So, with a little trial and error planned, I'll be testing out what needs to be used as a filter with a white LED and fibre-optic cable/clear plastic sprues to nicely replicate the lighting. The same would go for the landing lights, taxi-lights, bomb-bay lights, and so on.

Did I mention I've slightly lost it? No? Just wait till you see!

The other thing I'm studying myself up on comes from something I had seen for large scale RC cockpit kits of modern fighters, where the glass cockpit screens (like maps, etc) are replicated using coloured film. So, why not see if I can't replicate that on the TACNAV screen by doing something similar, but just in a smaller scale.

It all boils down to this aircraft, the CP-140M is the only subject I'd ever consider doing a model up to this degree. It's going to be a long term project, there's no doubt about that. And there will also be many smaller projects done throughout this build. But, I fly on her, some of the best times I've had so far came while sitting backwards, banking at 300 feet(ish) in the dead of night many miles away from home somewhere over the Atlantic, playing cat-and-mouse. If that's not motivation enough to build "the one" then I don't know what I would need to motivate me.

Besides... Sea Kings are ugly. P-8's are boring. And who in the world would want to build a Herc?!

So, yeah... coming along and getting there.

All the best folks.

Cheers,

Mark.

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Mark,

Now that's some plan of attack.

The last time I read an update, you were just about ready to toss the vac kit, and start a completely new build from scratch. So you've stepped back, regrouped, and have now made a plan to deal with those gross inaccuracies. Looking forward to following your build to completion.

As for the house, we've lived in ours for over 35 years, and it's always in some state of rebuild/update. Just had our Florida room that I originally built, professionally refinished. I'm the interior painter/plumber/electrician/and carpenter, as there is always something that needs fixing or lately replacing.

Joel

Joel

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Mark,

Now that's some plan of attack.

The last time I read an update, you were just about ready to toss the vac kit, and start a completely new build from scratch. So you've stepped back, regrouped, and have now made a plan to deal with those gross inaccuracies. Looking forward to following your build to completion.

As for the house, we've lived in ours for over 35 years, and it's always in some state of rebuild/update. Just had our Florida room that I originally built, professionally refinished. I'm the interior painter/plumber/electrician/and carpenter, as there is always something that needs fixing or lately replacing.

Joel

Joel

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