1/32 Czech FA2-3 Buffalo

[Joel_W]

sorry to hear the bad news, this kind of situations some times makes me want to throw everythnig to the trash and more reason after all the hard work you have done on the cockpit section, i hope you will come up with a solution, if not and if you like dioramas, you can do one with a crash landed buffalo, in this case people dont mind to see a buffalo with bented wings :D/>/>

Joel i know you can pool this out and have a perfect wings

Jorge

Jorge,

Thanks for the vote of confidence. But as I posted, the wings are 80+% better, but not perfect. I'm going to continue with the build and see where it goes. As for a diorama, I don't have the skills needed to paint figures, or even do any realistically looking ground work to pull something like that off.

Joel

[Joel_W]

Work on the F2A-3 has slowed down some, but I'm still trying to put in a few hours 4 or 5 days per week. My last work post was about the horrendous wing warpage issue, and my concern that they were just to far gone to be brought back into an acceptable proportion.

Nothing really worked, so I glued the heck out the them with Extra Thin, then clamped and taped for all I was worth. The results were better then I thought.

The top of the wings are basically now straight. Well, almost so.

And so is the bottom side.

The white disk that you see in the bottom of one wing is a plug to close up one of the landing lights, as the F2A-3's only had one, while the Export version had one in each wing.

The wing tips were really out of wack with both the bottom and top of the wing tips turning up at the tip. After the massive gluing and clamping effort, the top of the wing is basically level right to the tip while the bottom turns up as it should.

There is a difference in the fuselage tail cone as the USN version had an arrestor hook slides outof the rear opening, while the export model 339B was basically closed with a light in its place.

Unfortunately, the tail cone was slightly smaller in dia. then the fuselage. So I glued a piece of .0.40 sheet to one side, and a piece on the top as it was too short in the vertical plane as well.

Seems that I under estimated the size difference, so I had to do some putty work with Bondo. The final results look ok, but only priming will tell just how well.

End of part 1

[Joel_W]

Part 2

Try as I might, I had some issues keeping the wheel wells perfectly inline with the fuselage openings once I closed up the fuselage halves. A little sanding and putty work brought them back to where they should be fine once primed and painted.

Next up was the rear cockpit shelf that supported the headrest and life raft container. Not only was it oversized but the rear bulkhead was too shallow. I had to use some putty to close the gap. There still is a little lip on one side but as you can see, once the canopy is glued into place, the rather large framing will completely cover up the seam.

And once again, you're up to speed on my build.

Joel

[Shorty84]

Hi Joel,

nice save on the wings. That shows that brute force is the way to go sometimes. If everything failes you can say that the wings bent because of all the heavy manouvering while fighting Zeros... :D

That rear bulkhead really needs a lot of filler but as you said, with a bit of paint and the canopy in place nothing will be seen.

Cheers

Markus

[Joel_W]

Hi Joel,

nice save on the wings. That shows that brute force is the way to go sometimes. If everything failes you can say that the wings bent because of all the heavy manouvering while fighting Zeros... :D/>

That rear bulkhead really needs a lot of filler but as you said, with a bit of paint and the canopy in place nothing will be seen.

Cheers

Markus

Markus,

Too bad that after Midway, the USN retired all their Buffalos except one from front line service as they became advanced trainers. You're right about the cockpit rear bulkhead needing some putty. Think I'll do another application just to build it up some.

Joel

[taggor]

I think the wings turned out great. Another victory in the face of adversity!!! All of that blending of the fuselage reminds me so much of my two projects. It's coming along great I think! What are you using for putty that gives that red/brown color? Just curious since I now am experimenting with Tamiya white putty. I like it however, I would prefer the Mori Mori I have been using since I know it wont shrink over time. It's just harder to find, if at all. The Vallejo putty is still a bit of a mystery to me as when I apply it and use a moist cotton bud to wipe away excess, I seem to take the putty right off and out of the area to be filled! Haha. I guess I need more practice with the Vallejo and I am not so keen on a putty that I can't blend with files, sandpaper, and polishing pads/compound. It's coming along great Joel. I am looking forward to the next update.

-Mark

[oppenheimerj]

Joel, good to see that your wings turned out perfect, this is what a call lots of putty with some model pieces on it, Taggor, dont use Tamiya putty in big gaps, as in time it shrinks , this happened on my Sabre, after two months sitting on my shelf, all tha gaps that were filled with Tamiya putty, started to show again, that is why a burried my HUFF and never finished

[taggor]

Joel, good to see that your wings turned out perfect, this is what a call lots of putty with some model pieces on it, Taggor, dont use Tamiya putty in big gaps, as in time it shrinks , this happened on my Sabre, after two months sitting on my shelf, all tha gaps that were filled with Tamiya putty, started to show again, that is why a burried my HUFF and never finished

Jorge, thanks for that tip! That will save me a LOT of anguish later! At present I haven't used it for any major gaps.

Joel, can you (or George) recommend a putty that wont shrink over time, other than Mori Mori of course, that's readily available in the states?

-Mark

Edited June 2, 2015 by taggor

[Joel_W]

I think the wings turned out great. Another victory in the face of adversity!!! All of that blending of the fuselage reminds me so much of my two projects. It's coming along great I think! What are you using for putty that gives that red/brown color? Just curious since I now am experimenting with Tamiya white putty. I like it however, I would prefer the Mori Mori I have been using since I know it wont shrink over time. It's just harder to find, if at all. The Vallejo putty is still a bit of a mystery to me as when I apply it and use a moist cotton bud to wipe away excess, I seem to take the putty right off and out of the area to be filled! Haha. I guess I need more practice with the Vallejo and I am not so keen on a putty that I can't blend with files, sandpaper, and polishing pads/compound. It's coming along great Joel. I am looking forward to the next update.

-Mark

Mark,

Thanks for the victory call.

Tamiya White Putty reminds me a lot of Squadron's Green and White Putties. They work great, but shrink over time, and many a model that looked perfectly puttied, slowly had major seams showing by the end of the build. I use CA glue for seams even if I think that they don't need it. For everything else I use a automotive product called Bondo Glazing and Spot putty. It's more of a liquid then Green Stuff, but it dries quickly, doesn't shrink, and the final product is rock hard. You can scribe it without any issues. It's also not very porous, so you can seal it with primer rather then CA glue.

As for Vallejo Acrylic putty I use it to fill seams that I still want to look like seams. It's great around canopies and glass, but you need a few applications of the stuff. And yes, it's real easy to wipe it off. I do it all the time.

Joel

[Joel_W]

Joel, good to see that your wings turned out perfect, this is what a call lots of putty with some model pieces on it, Taggor, dont use Tamiya putty in big gaps, as in time it shrinks , this happened on my Sabre, after two months sitting on my shelf, all tha gaps that were filled with Tamiya putty, started to show again, that is why a burried my HUFF and never finished

Jorge,

Thanks so much for you more then kind words.

I certainly agree about modeling putties in general. They all shrink over time even after you think that they've dried and cured. You need to apply them in light coats. Takes forever if you ask me. That's why I use CA glue and Bondo Glazing and Spot Putty.

Joel

[crackerjazz]

Beautiful job on the wing. I knew you'd come up with a solution. And thanks for the Bondo scribing tip! I always thought it would crumble like other putties do when scribed that's why I used Apoxie Sculpt on my Harrier rivets. But it's more difficult to apply so I'll have to try the Bondo again.

[Joel_W]

Beautiful job on the wing. I knew you'd come up with a solution. And thanks for the Bondo scribing tip! I always thought it would crumble like other putties do when scribed that's why I used Apoxie Sculpt on my Harrier rivets. But it's more difficult to apply so I'll have to try the Bondo again.

Crackerjazz,

Thanks for stopping by, and liking my wing fix.

As for the Bondo, there is several different types. I use their Glazing and Spot Putty in a tube.

Joel

[Joel_W]

Time for another small update.

I finally finished the rear cockpit bulkhead by adding a piece of .040 sheet, and a few applications of Bondo.

It was time to address the installation of the solid cover plate to replace the pilot's look down glass. The plate was substituted for the glass with the installation of a gas tank below and in front of the seat, which blocked the pilot's downward view. The plate still retained the two oblong exhaust holes.

Like most of the parts in the kit, the fit was close but far enough off to cause some issues. One long side and across the top fit ok, while the other long side had a rather large gap that I plugged with some sheet plastic. However, the three sides were flush with the fuselage. The real issue was the back lip. The radius was completely different then the fuselage. Since the rest of the plate didn't have any steps, I decided to sand about half off so the resulting shape flowed with the fuselage. I glued in a small piece of .040 sheet, then blended it in with Bondo.

I decided that I would blend in the panel so none of the seams would be an issue. During painting I planned to mask the panel and paint it a slightly different shade of light Gray. Hopefully, it will be a nice compromise.

Joel

[taggor]

Hey Joel! Your efforts are coming along nicely. I really was kind of skeptical at using BONDO because I thought the granuals would be to coarse for model work but, it looks great as you are using it. I think I will have to pick some of it up. Looks like you almost lost some panel detail there with all the sanding. It may just be the light too. I don't know if you have read The Scale Hornet but, Jeff Thompson's use of DYMO label tape as a scribing guide has been one of the most useful tips I have learned lately. I am still trying to get it down and while I can usually get great consistency with my scribe lines, I still have to place the tape on the model's surface in a straight line! Still working at doing that and correcting my mistakes when I get it wrong. Haha.

-Mark

Edited June 8, 2015 by taggor

[Joel_W]

Hey Joel! Your efforts are coming along nicely. I really was kind of skeptical at using BONDO because I thought the granuals would be to coarse for model work but, it looks great as you are using it. I think I will have to pick some of it up. Looks like you almost lost some panel detail there with all the sanding. It may just be the light too. I don't know if you have read The Scale Hornet but, Jeff Thompson's use of DYMO label tape as a scribing guide has been one of the most useful tips I have learned lately. I am still trying to get it down and while I can usually get great consistency with my scribe lines, I still have to place the tape on the model's surface in a straight line! Still working at doing that and correcting my mistakes when I get it wrong. :bandhead2:/>/> Haha. :woot.gif:/>/>

-Mark

Mark,

I was also somewhat leery of how Bondo would translate to modeling. But I've seen a lot of builders use it with excellent results. There are also different variations of Bondo for different applications. I've found that their Glazing and Spot putty is on the liquid side, thus letting you flow it easier to smoother surface. There is almost no little air holes created during the drying process which is so much faster then Green Stuff. I find myself using a lot less, as a result of how I can apply it. It's also dirt cheap and available everywhere. Wallmart even carries it in their auto dept.

And yes, I've sanded a lot of the recessed scribed lines. I've been rescribing as needed, and will be using Dymno tape for those areas that there aren't even a light recess to follow, or on rounded surfaces. So far I've created almost as many new scratches while I've been repairing the damaged recessed lines.

Joel

Edited June 8, 2015 by Joel_W

[Joel_W]

Time for a major update: Attaching the wings and Horizontal Stabilizers.

Day 1: It took quite a lot of dry fitting to get the Horizontal Stabilizer to fit into their respective mounting slots. The final fit wasn't perfect, but more then acceptable. Using good old Tamiya Extra Thin, they were glued into position.

Some careful putty work with Bondo should take care of those small gaps.

Day 2:

Next up was the wings. These are just plain butt joints, no tabs or mounting pins to aid in alignment nor add additional strength to the joint. I carefully planned both surfaces for each joint with a sanding block, then a liberal dose of Tamiya Orange cap glue, which is almost as thick as Testors Tube glue without "the kick". I glued just one wing and continually checked the alignment as I pressed and held pressure on the joint. After a few min to let the glue set, I applied a piece of masking tape attached to the fuselage then wrapped around the wing tip and back to the fuselage. Instead of just trying to get it tight by pulling one side, I adjusted and applied a little more pressure to each end of the tape alternating the adjustments till I felt it was tight enough, and about as even with the applied pressure.

Morning Day 3:

I repeated the process for the other wing. I applied Extra Thin to the butt joint of the 1st glued wing, and left the tape on.

Afternoon Day 3: I applied Extra Thin to the other wing joint leaving the tape on once again.

Day 4:removed the tape and let the glue joint continue to cure.

The top of the wing joint on both sides is pretty flush, but the bottom of the butt joint isn't flush, and will need some careful putty work.

And now you're up to speed on the build.

Joel

[oppenheimerj]

Joel, the red putty you are using is BONDO? if it is so, it is hard to sand it away?? Little nice ugly bird you have in your hands, people from the Brewster factory ( i am not sure if a spelled correctly the name) didnt have a clue on how to design an elegant airplane, but at the end it looks nice, good job so far, waiting for the part that i like the most, AIRBRUSHING time

[Joel_W]

Joel, the red putty you are using is BONDO? if it is so, it is hard to sand it away?? Little nice ugly bird you have in your hands, people from the Brewster factory ( i am not sure if a spelled correctly the name) didnt have a clue on how to design an elegant airplane, but at the end it looks nice, good job so far, waiting for the part that i like the most, AIRBRUSHING time

Jorge,

Thanks for taking the time to stop by, and liking my progress to date.

Yes, the red oxide looking body filler is Bondo Glazing and Spot Putty, which comes in a tube. Here in the States Bondo is a very common over the counter available auto body prep line of products. I prefer the Glazing and Spot Putty because it's in a tube not a can, is already on the thin side so it smooth's and blends very easily, doesn't shrink, dries quickly, and dries rock hard. If it's good enough for real world cars, it's over kill for modeling. What's more you can scribe it and it doesn't chip like Squadron Green Stuff has a tendency to do. And the added bonus is that it's available at just about all automotive parts stores, and big box discount stores like Walmart.

Yep, getting closer and closer to painting. Also my favorite part of modeling, but I'm certainly not in your class of painter.

Joel

[oppenheimerj]

thanks Joel, on my next trip to the States, i will buy one and throw away the tamiya putty.

[Joel_W]

thanks Joel, on my next trip to the States, i will buy one and throw away the tamiya putty.

Jorge,

Great idea. You'll love the stuff.

Joel

[striker8241]

Hi, Joel,

Just found this build and I have to say, you've turned a lemon into lemonade! :)/> I'm not much into WWII aircraft but this one has got to be one of the most unusual and interesting of the lot. That said, I've already gotten a lot of good hints and tips from your work. And many thanks for the tip on the Bondo putty. I got some today and am eager to try it. Great build and keep up the good work!

Cheers,

Russ

[Joel_W]

Hi, Joel,

Just found this build and I have to say, you've turned a lemon into lemonade! :)/>/> I'm not much into WWII aircraft but this one has got to be one of the most unusual and interesting of the lot. That said, I've already gotten a lot of good hints and tips from your work. And many thanks for the tip on the Bondo putty. I got some today and am eager to try it. Great build and keep up the good work!

Cheers,

Russ

Russ,

Really glad to have you along for the ride. As you can see it's been kind of bumpy to say the least. Jump right in anytime you want to. You'll love using the Glazing and Spot Bondo. Just do it in a well ventilated place. It's meant for a auto shop, but worth the effort.

Joel

[falcon20driver]

Joel, I'm sorry for not posting sooner, I've been really busy. Your doing some amazing work on the Buffalo. The way youve tackled the issues of this kit have been great fun to watch. I think this build will be a show stopper when all buttoned up.

[Joel_W]

Joel, I'm sorry for not posting sooner, I've been really busy. Your doing some amazing work on the Buffalo. The way youve tackled the issues of this kit have been great fun to watch. I think this build will be a show stopper when all buttoned up.

Falcon20driver,

No problem. Glad you like how it's turning out. Don't know about being a show stopper, but just finishing this build will be a major accomplishment for me. It's the hardest build I've ever tried.

Joel

[taggor]

Falcon20driver,

No problem. Glad you like how it's turning out. Don't know about being a show stopper, but just finishing this build will be a major accomplishment for me. It's the hardest build I've ever tried.

Joel

Hey Joel, glad to see you "sticking to it" in spite of all the filling and problems with the wings. It reminds me so much of my A-10 with the filling. It really does take some time to make those seams "disappear." As falcon20driver eluded to, and I agree, it will be well worth all of your effort IMHO. Sometimes it's just harder to see the kit as a whole when you are so focused on clean up!

-Mark