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707-27 - 707 and 727 mashup


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I have had this idea in my head for 20 years. The idea is to attach the rear fuselage of a 727 to a 707, yielding a 7 engine airliner.

 

I think it has been done before, but I have always wanted to do it. I actually started this project in 2000 or 2001 and after cutting the fuselage of an airfix 727 and a minicraft 707 I got distracted and eventually I lost track of the kits in the project and probably threw them out in a purge leading up to a move.

 

Any way, I got inspired to try again a few years ago, and I purchased an airfix 707, and an airfix 727

 

2v2EfpvT3x9awpY.jpg

 

Here are the fuselages

 

2v2EfpvSNx9awpY.jpg

 

 

I did some preliminary test fits and it looks like it will be close enough to make it work. I will make the cut on a panel line in the rear section of each fuselage, and I am not sure If I want to try and lengthen the forward fuselage as well.

 

The only problem is that I have not yet been able to think up a back story. I have a few ideas.  I also have no idea what livery to use. Airliner? military? I have no idea.

 

If I have the motivation I can also make a zero engine airliner from the remains. The ultimate in fuel savings.  I have tried airliners several times, ruined lots of kits and finished 1. Hopefully I will have good results this time.

 

Not sure where I will fit this into my build queue but I will try to get it finished before the end of the GB. 

 

 

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A quick and dirty supersonic airliner is one idea for a backstory.  I think I will go with 70s/early 80s united markings, with the tulip on the tail and the orange stripes.

 

I made the first cut. IT went better than I thought. The shape of the fuselages is slightly different so it will take a lot of care to make it look seamless.

 

The fuselage parts are taped together, above the 707-27 fuselage is the remnants. 

 

 

2v2EfVYWqx9awpY.jpg

 

my cutting mat sure is dirty. might be time for a new one.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have one fuselage half assembled.

 

My goal was to make interlocking tabs, but they all seemed to stick to the 727 section

 

2v2EB22qGx9awpY.jpg

 

so I went with it and glued them together, with the goal to make sure the crease in the fuselage was in the right place. 

 

2v2EB22Fnx9awpY.jpg

 

I did not take a picture of the out side ot the fuselage. Any way, I think I have a idea for a path forward for assembly. Since the 727 fuselage is a little wider, I am going to sand the heckout of it to make it flush with the 707 fuselage. This is almost like a Vacuform kit at this point.

 

I also ordered the decals, I found the Saul Bass United scheme for the 727. The package was supposed to be here tomorrow, but usps tracking shows it was held up at a distribution center on the way.  No big deal, just as long as it did not get wet and gets here before the end of the GB it would be good.

 

till next time ...

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The decals arrived today

 

2v2EB9wiqx9awpY.jpg

 

 

I ordered two sheets to ensure I have enough stripes. The decals also have the windows, so I can fill in the windows and have 1 less alignment concern.  

 

I Fly United pretty much any time I fly and wish they still had this livery, I like it better than the current livery.

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  • 2 weeks later...
13 hours ago, Hajo L. said:

Must have a heck of a fuel consumption... 😉

 

 

HAJO

 

Haha yes

 

Thanks for all your comments so far. I have made a little more progress and should have a good update here this week

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I filled in the windows with a mixture of Zap medium CA and Pink acrylic nail powder. The lower fuselage in this picture shows in the inside ... looks messy

 

2v2EtiL4hx9awpY.jpg

 

 

I filled the windows from the inside, and placed aluminum duct tape on the out side to provide a smooth surface to fill against.

 

After sanding, this is what it looks like:

 

2v2EtiLmCx9awpY.jpg

 

I did not get complete filling, so there are some pinholes and voids. On the other fuselage half I used bondo glazing and spot putty as a final filler:

 

2v2EtiLTLx9awpY.jpg

 

This is a pretty fine grained filler so it gets into small areas. Feels pretty smooth , but only primer will reveal the truth.

 

 

So, that is where I am at with this project.  See ya next time.

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have been moving along slowly, but steadily with this one.  I was studying for a certification exam, and thankfully I passed on the first try. But it really ate into my modeling time. Now, I do not have to study, so I can do fun stuff without a guilty conscience.  

 

I glued sinkers in the nose.  It was not enough, and later I added clay

 

2v2ERoKcTx9awpY.jpg

 

Since the 727 fuselage is wider than the 707 fuselage, I aligned the joint at the rear, I figured it would be better to try and get this joint right. 

 

but it is still pretty gruesome:

 

2v2ERoKAhx9awpY.jpg

 

 

and that is not all 

 

I knew from dry fitting I would have a huge gap

 

2v2ERoK7mx9awpY.jpg

 

I glued the nose together, then let it set for a few days.  Now I have a V shaped seam in the middle. I filled the gap with different thicknesses of Evergreen sheet

 

2v2ERoKsSx9awpY.jpg

 

2v2ERoKDLx9awpY.jpg

 

I glued it all together. Next step will be to trim the shims, then scorched earth sanding and CA/Nail Acrylic powder.  This is like building a Vac. 

 

see ya next time.

Edited by Kurt H.
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"Scorched earth sanding" - that's one I've not heard before but it does get the idea across. 😁 Evergreen's styrene sheet seems to be a different composition than Plastruct's white styrene sheet. Evergreen to me seems to be a bit stiffer. Each has its preferred uses.

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19 hours ago, southwestforests said:

"Scorched earth sanding" - that's one I've not heard before but it does get the idea across. 😁 Evergreen's styrene sheet seems to be a different composition than Plastruct's white styrene sheet. Evergreen to me seems to be a bit stiffer. Each has its preferred uses.

 

I am doing this all the time on some of my more difficult builds 😄

 

 

Nice progress Kurt :thumbsup2:

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Hey guys

 

Sorry I have been quiet.  I have been working on this model and many others. 

 

I think I have the fuselage tamed, so I am moving on to the wings, and it is a horror show

 

good thing the seam is hidden under the wing

 

2v2ETVScFx9awpY.jpg

 

 

 

I had to glom thick CA to try to fill the gap. 

 

 

After that, I used red bondo glazing and spot putty. This is after 1 round of sanding. The wing on the bottom  needed some more to level the area. I went for the thick and quick method and really slopped the putty on

 

2v2ETVSbrx9awpY.jpg

 

While the wing set, I started test fitting the engines. What a disaster, trying to fit the spinner in place and fit the nacelles together is probably the worst I have encountered in an injection molded kit

 

🤮

 

2v2ETVSpMx9awpY.jpg

 

Looks like I have an appointment with 220 grit sandpaper this week. 🙂

 

ok talk to you later !

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  • 3 weeks later...

The 707 engines need help. Here is what they supply for a turbine face

 

2v2Eh9yK8x9awpY.jpg

 

Just the cone, and they expect you to put it in between the engine halves.  A test fit revealed it fit horribly. So I figured I could cut the part before it meets the cylinder in the middle of the shaft, and glue the cone in later. I cut the first part, and proceeded to drop it on the floor, never to be seen again.

 

My next thought was to look for aftermarket engine faces.  I could not find anything easily, then I realized I had a reasonable solution.

 

The 727 has reasonable engine faces which look like they will fit

 

2v2Eh9y1Mx9awpY.jpg

 

 

If only I could make 4 more .... 

 

 

I can!

 

I made a mold with polly plastics mold putty

 

2v2Eh9yw2x9awpY.jpg

 

 

Mix equal parts, and push your part in

 

2v2Eh9yf5x9awpY.jpg

 

30 minutes later, you have a nice mold

 

2v2Eh9yANx9awpY.jpg

 

Now I need something to cast a tiny part.  Bonidc to the rescue

 

2v2Eh9yBrx9awpY.jpg

 

Bondic is an epoxy which cures upon exposure to a UV LED.

 

Squirt some bondic in the mold

 

2v2Eh9y6jx9awpY.jpg

 

Illuminate with the built in LED

 

2v2Eh9yt8x9awpY.jpg

 

and you have a passable part

 

 2v2Eh9yP3x9awpY.jpg

I can not remember where I saw this , I think it was a post on the model cars magazine forum, the post was about making clear headlights for cars. It comes out yellow, but even this would be better than chromed globs  some older car kits have.  Once these are painted, they will look better than a black void in the 707 engines. 

 

 

see ya next time...

 

 

Edited by Kurt H.
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