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Minicraft 1/144 Boeing 737-400 WIP


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Hello all,

 

Well, its been a longtime since I worked on an airline model! Back in the early 1990's that's pretty much all I built. I have always loved the vibrant and multitude of colors, variety of aircraft to choose from (classic DC-3 to iconic 747 and beyond), and different airline markings. I prefer 1/144 but I still work in 1/200 if there's a kit and markings that interest me. To ease back into airliners I elected to dig out a 1/144 Minicraft Boeing 737-400 kit (I have since started  a 1/144 747-400 earmarked for British Airways markings and just yesterday I started a 1/200 Hasegawa Boeing 777-300 destined to be painted up in a Korean Air scheme... bit by the airliner bug huh...LOL!):

 

IMG_20171030_143815.jpgI know the model apparently has some shape issues with the nose, and perhaps a couple other bugaboos but honestly nothing that I can't live with.

 

For markings I decided to go with the garish all red with white tail and horizontal stabilizers Virgin Express livery (essentially a reverse Virgin Atlantic scheme):

 

IMG_20171030_144020.jpg

 

 

Fuselage sides went together with ease. No filler required just a quick sanding to smooth everything out. The cockpit insert didn't fit well at all and required extensive filling and sanding to get it to form correctly to the rest of the fuselage. Notice the lack of windows...a feature I truly love about the Minicraft airliner kits!

 

IMG_20171030_144124.jpg

 

The wing sections went together without any fuss. Oddly, when you insert one wing into the fuselage slot it fits beautifully with virtually no wing-to-fuselage seam. Remove it and insert the other wing on the opposite side and the same great fit occurs. Insert both wings and ugh! Decent sized gaps with one wing sitting at close to the correct dihedral while the other shoots upwards much too far. The problem is in how Minicraft has the wing inserts engineered. They wing inserts fit inside the middle of the fuselage and overlap each other (like taking the fingers of your two hands and pushing them together. Some fingers go up while some go down). Solution...trim the inserts so that they don't meet or overlap. Doing this results in a near perfect wing-to-fuselage joint.

 IMG_20171030_144232.jpg

 

Next up...I need to get the engines assembled and primed (plan on that tonight and tomorrow). I also need to get cracking on the landing gear and get them assembled and primed (probably Wednesday and Thursday). So stay tuned for an update by Friday.

 IMG_20171030_144205.jpg

 

Thanks for taking of your time to look in on my build! I do appreciate it. Please feel free to comment.

 

Regards,

Don

EDIT: Wonky picture #3...sorry all.

Edited by Don
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Don,  Once again, you (and Ray) are my hero(s).  I too have this kit, but want to make the opposite effect using my old ALPS printed easyJet decals with bright orange tail and engines, but white fuselage.  Nice to know about the wing/fuselage join problem and solution.  Keep going!  Looks great so far!  R/Dutch

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Ray and Dutch, thanks for the kind notes guys. Much appreciated fellas. I do have some updates but Postimage seems to be down and I can't upload (it looks like my other pictures previously posted are gone too...errrrrrr :angry:). As soon as I can get to Postimage I will upload and post here.

 

Isn't technology great...LOL!

 

Regards,

Don.

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O.k...I think this should work. Sorry for the delay in updates gentlemen but Postimage has been giving me issues. That and I must apologize for my pictures. I am the worlds worst photographer. Again, apologies.

 

Anyhow, here goes. I spent this week working on the wings. After the primer coat (see pictures above^^^) I gave the wings a quick light coat of flat white to make coverage easier. When that dried the wings were given two light coats of "Boeing grey" as called out in the plans. When that had cured sufficiently I masked off the Coroguard areas and gave them a coat of dark grey. Finally, when the Coroguard had dried I then sprayed the aluminum color along theleading edges. Whew...that's a lot of masking!

IMG_20171103_155443.jpg

 

IMG_20171103_155542.jpg

 

 

 

IMG_20171103_155338.jpg

 

A word on Minicraft's wings. There are missing panel lines along the tops of the wings which make masking and painting a tad more challenging. The leading edge panel lines on the top in board of both engines is completely  missing!  Using reference pictures I did my best, but they are far from stellar. I need to tone down the Coroguard a bit as it seems too stark. I think a heavily thinned lighter grey sprayed in blotches or even misted might do the trick (I tested it a bit and it shows in some of the pictures). Perhaps even white pastels? Something. But Virgin Express got their 737-400's factory fresh and sparkling new. So I don't want to get too carried away.

 

I also began work on the engines. Internal components were painted prior to assembly. The engines were then assembled and the fit was bang on great! No filler whatsoever. The internal areas were masked and the cowls were primed. A coat of white followed as Virgin Express had all white cowls. When dried I masked off the aluminum ring around the front of the cowl/intake opening. All masking was removed and I have begun the weathering process.

IMG_20171103_155743.jpg

 

IMG_20171103_155828.jpg

 

IMG_20171103_155924.jpg

Next I need to get cracking on the landing gear, engine mounts, and paint the horizontal stabilizers. From there the main fuselage will get painted. Still lots to do! But its been fun and that's what its all about right.

 

Again, thanks for looking. I do appreciate it. Feel free to comment.

Regards,

Don

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Don & Ray, After building a slew of F-104 / F-4 / F-5 kits, mostly in various camo schemes, I switched to airliners precisely for the ease of straight line masking and three basic colors.  I was nowhere near as accurate in my paint selection and shading as is commonly modeled today.  So I am following Don's progress closely for my own build of an EasyJet 737-400. Model on! R/ Dutch

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry for the long wait for an update folks. Sincere apologies. But as fellow airline modelers you all know that the masking involved is tremendous and requires time (and patience) to allow for the various paint colors to cure before other colors can be masked off and sprayed. At any rate, this is where my Virgin Express 737-400 currently sits (looks rather odd and naked without markings and in flat colors...but I think I got the orange-red of Virgin pretty close?):

 

IMG_20171117_153646.jpg

 

IMG_20171117_153854.jpg

 

The landing gear and engines are mounted. I still need to mask the aluminum leading edge of the horizontal stabilizers (just dry fitted for photo purposes), add the nose and main landing gear doors, and touch a few things up here and there and then it will be time for an initial gloss coat:

 

IMG_20171117_154003.jpg

 

IMG_20171117_153753.jpg

Decals will be applied after the gloss coat has been sprayed and dried (obviously). They will probably take two or three evenings to complete. So, there is still lots to do but I think I am on the home stretch. The end result will hopefully look like this:

 

Boeing_737-33A,_Virgin_Express_JP6152664

 

 

Thanks for looking all. Feel free to comment.

Edited by Don
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Thanks Ray! Much appreciated. I also agree that once the decals start to get applied the aircraft just seems to come alive. Very satisfying indeed.

 

Regards,

Don

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