Unglued Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 This will eventually and hopefully resemble a de Havilland RU-6A Beaver that served in Vietnam with the 146th Radio Research Company, "The Snoopers." The kit is the Airfix 1/72 DHC Beaver, Kit #3017. Except for decals and a few scratch-built parts, such as the various antennas, it will be OOB. A Fireball Modelworks decal sheet (AH=1G HueyCobra Part 1) provided the proper "UNITED STATES ARMY" decals, and the numerals are from Techmod. I'll have to figure out how to make the "flying Snoopy" decal on the engine cowling. I can't find one anywhere, and I don't have a clue how to make one. This just might be the biggest challenge for this build. Here is the kit. I won't be starting it until some time in October, when I'm in my winter digs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trojan Thunder Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 Well that is different. Will be following when you start Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Drifterdon Posted July 15, 2016 Share Posted July 15, 2016 Cool. Can't wait to see this one. Love the Beaver..... and the Otter..... and the Twotter!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Love the Beaver. These are my 2 RC Beavers. I usually keep the civilian one on floats and the USAF one on wheels. I have been watching evilbay trying to find a 72nd or 48th plastic kit of the Beaver. Darwin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Unglued Posted July 21, 2016 Author Share Posted July 21, 2016 OK, I lied about starting in October. I got to thinking about what I'll need to finish this thing, and the next thing I knew, I was filing the two knobs off the top of the cabin. (I couldn't find them on any of the RU-6A birds, let alone the one I'm modeling.) Also made some notes about parts I'll need to scratch-build. Lots of teeny antennas. I was reminded that I need to get a prescription for new glasses. The rivets in the AIRFIX kit are far too obvious, and will be summarily sanded down to an appropriate smoothness. I notice that they're invisible on the box art. While I was fiddling with this thing, I went ahead and dipped the windows in Future. It helped, but they're still sad. I won't be spending a lot of time on the interior due to poor quality of the clear parts. OK, I'm through with this kit until October. Honest. Nice little fleet of RC Beavers you have, Yardbird. :thumbsup:/> [/url] Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trojan Thunder Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 I have a couple of the Beaver kits. I'll be interested to see how you do the mods to yours. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Unglued Posted August 2, 2016 Author Share Posted August 2, 2016 [/url] [/url] Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ichitoe Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 I've flown on many a Beavers heading to remote fishing locations. Love the sound of that engine! Never knew the Beaver was used in this manner. I'll have to Google "The Snoopers" Looking forward to watching your build. Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Unglued Posted October 28, 2016 Author Share Posted October 28, 2016 (edited) After a two-month hiatus, I'm in my winter digs, resuming this build. This is a tiny bird, and I'm older and shakier than I used to be, so it's going to be fun. Those nit-size hinges were tricky, but at least I didn't drop any on the floor. This is as far as I'm going with the interior. The windows are so distorted, you can't see anything in there anyhow. The kit isn't even close to an RU-6A, which I think had only three seats. It usually flew with a pilot, co-pilot and equipment operator, who was the back-seat guy. The RU-6 was full of communication gear, vacuum-tube technology, so the cabin was crowded. The parts fit is a little better than average, and there is little or no flash. The fuselage seemed to be a little warped, so I had to use five clamps to hold it. The only seam I've had any problem with has been the bottom of the fuselage, which will take a little filling. The top fit almost perfectly. More tomorrow. I'm on a roll! Edited October 28, 2016 by Unglued Added captions Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grandboof Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 Keep on rolling Looking great Martin H Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hajo L. Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 Great subject you´re building here! HAJO Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Unglued Posted October 28, 2016 Author Share Posted October 28, 2016 Here's the URL for a good description of how aircraft were used to gather electronic intelligence in Vietnam: http://pronto.au104.org/547Sigs/547Sigs_The-Story/ANNEX E_US Army ARDF.pdf This stuff was all TOP SECRET back then, and few people know anything about it even today, although it has been unclassified for several years. One problem for modelers is that many of the participants were reluctant to take photos. Another problem is that the participants themselves are getting fewer as the years go by. Still another problem is that those who remain can't always remember the kind of details that modelers want to know. It's a good thing I like to solve problems. One thing I'll add: The guys who flew and maintained these planes loved them, in spite of their faults, and I've never found anyone who wasn't eager to share what he knows. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Unglued Posted October 29, 2016 Author Share Posted October 29, 2016 (edited) This photo shows how I've thinned the edge of the cowling to scale. The kit's cowling was thicker than it was on the real bird. If you scroll up to the photo of the RU-6A, the one with the guys clustered around the aircraft, you can see the straight exhaust pipe, just to the left of the butt of the guy on the left. I'll be using drilled-out styrene tubing on my model. The kit comes with the setup for exhaust cabin heat. In Vietnam, flying below 5,000 feet, apparently the heat generated by the constant high pucker factor was all they needed. Edited November 1, 2016 by Unglued Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Unglued Posted October 31, 2016 Author Share Posted October 31, 2016 Had a good go at it today. Installed oil cooler, engine and cowling, cowling air scoop, landing gear, vertical and horizontal stabs, cut free and reglued the elevators in a drooped position, and masked all the "glass" except the windscreen and the cabin skylights, which I'll do after I glue on the wing. I also scratch-built and installed the VHF antenna (the white fin on top) and the Marker Beacon Antenna (the white "boat" on the bottom). I plan to do some of the antenna work on the wing, and more on the fuselage before I glue on the wing. I'm considering painting the fuselage and wing separately. It'll be just one shot of Tamiya fine grey primer, and one or two shots of Tamiya TS-28 Olive Drab 2 from a rattle can, which is how I have to paint stuff while I'm in my winter digs. The remaining four antennas can be installed after the wing and decals are on. Here's what she looks like now: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grandboof Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 Looking the part now . Well done Martin H Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 Looking REALLY great. Darwin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Unglued Posted November 6, 2016 Author Share Posted November 6, 2016 (edited) Progress is slow and jerky, but steady, i.e., more parts going on than are breaking or falling off. This closeup photo shows the scratch-built standoff/insulator for the starboard wing dipole antenna. After everything else is installed and complete, I'll insert .015 dia. lengths of wire in the holes. Remaining to do: a bit of weathering; apply tail numbers and United States Army decals; paint and install wheels, prop and three or four more antennas; paint lights, antennas and whatever else needs touching up; string antenna "wires" and pour myself a tall one. I'd be happy to hear some suggestions. Sort of hate to finish this one. Means I'll have to start another, and this one has been fun. Edited November 6, 2016 by Unglued Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Drifterdon Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 On 11/6/2016 at 2:44 PM, Unglued said: Progress is slow and jerky, but steady, i.e., more parts going on than are breaking or falling off. Sort of hate to finish this one. Means I'll have to start another, and this one has been fun. Nice! The DHC is one of my all time favorites and you're nailing it. Can't wait to see the finished build. My question to you is, "What's wrong with starting another?" LOL Can never have enough Beavers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 Getting close to done. "Starting another model", is always a good thing, especially if the previous one has been finished. Darwin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Unglued Posted November 14, 2016 Author Share Posted November 14, 2016 OK, here's my RU-6A, almost finished. I'll add it to the completed birds after I make the Snoopers decals for the engine cowling. As for advice to others who have this kit, there are so many antennas on this thing, the risk of breaking something while you're installing something else is very high. I strongly recommend not installing the wheels until the model is almost finished. Instead, wrap some protective tape around the axles to serve as feet while you build. One of my axles broke. After gluing it back on, it snapped off again, even though I had let it dry overnight. More advice, don't glue on parts 47 and 48 on the bottom of the wing (I think they're flap actuator arms) until the bitter end. Although I was as careful as can be, both of the spindly little arms on these parts broke off and successfully escaped to The Dark Place Where Tiny Parts Are Never Found. It's best to add them last, along with the wheels. If you insist upon gluing them on in Step 3, as the instructions suggest, you might as well just cut them off and throw them on the floor now and save yourself some grief. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grandboof Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 Great work Martin H Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Unglued Posted December 8, 2016 Author Share Posted December 8, 2016 Finished! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 Congratulations on finishing your Beaver. It looks great. Darwin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Silenoz Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 nice beaver (sorry, couldn't resist...) but it's a nice aircraft you don't see very often. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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