Flankerman Posted October 18, 2019 Share Posted October 18, 2019 Just arrived - the latest kit from the Ukrainian enterprise of Modelsvit... the Myasischev M-55 'Geophysica' high-altitude observation aircraft. With each new release, Modelsvit are raising the bar for moulding quality - the crispness and engraved surface detail is simply stunning. Page 3 of the 12-page instruction booklet - note the 22-part K-36 ejection seat construction. Page 10 showing the painting and decal-placement guide. The superbly printed decal sheet - those sponsors logos are all perfectly readable! The parts are crisly moulded in light grey plastic - with stunning engraved surface detail. Modelsvit have captured the shape of the double-curvature laminar-flow long-span wing superbly. Open or closed canopy options are included - note the parts for the K-36 ejection seat. Self-adhesive masks for the canopy and wheel hubs are provided - as is this etched-brass sheet of parts. More photos of the rest of the sprues are here:- http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/model_m-55_modelsvit.html This close-up photo shows off the delicate engraved panel detail perfectly... Finally, to whet your appetite, here's the real thing I photographed at MAKS 2012.... I can't wait to get started on this kit - it will make an interesting companion to Modelsvit's previously released M-17 'Stratosphera'... Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DDC Posted October 19, 2019 Share Posted October 19, 2019 Looking forward to seeing how this goes together, Modelsvit are bringing out some awesome kits! I should get back to this one: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted November 3, 2019 Author Share Posted November 3, 2019 A bit of progress.... The cockpit tub is made up from a floor, two side consoles plus front and rear bulkheads. A control column and even the rudder pedals are included. Decals are provided for the instrument panels - perfectly adequate in this scale - IMHO... Cockpit and nosewheel bay (made up from a 'roof', two side and two end parts) sub assemblies fitted inside the starboard front fuselage. Modelsvit recommend 18 grams of nose weight - my bit of lead flashing weighs 22 grams.... Cockpit, wheel bay and lead weight... Forward fuselage all buttoned up... The multi-part K-36 ejection seat will be added at the end of the build... Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted November 3, 2019 Author Share Posted November 3, 2019 The twin jetpipes are each made up from two halves - with an internal nozzle... Full length intake trunking is provided - each intake made up from two halves... Bulkheads provide the compressor faces (top} and turbines.... Intakes and jetpipes in place inside the centre-fuselage 'bathtub'..... The 'bathtub' is constructed from a lower fuselage section - plus two side panels..... Lower fuselage - with side panels and two-part tai;cone attached... Lots of joints! Top view of the centre-fuselage sub-assembly. Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Berkut Posted November 3, 2019 Share Posted November 3, 2019 Eagerly watching this one! M-17 is still waiting for me in box but i have no place to put the finished build anyway as of now... Nice job on the cockpit, their K-36 seats must be one of the best ones OOB in any scale? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AlienFrogModeller Posted November 3, 2019 Share Posted November 3, 2019 These kits are a very interesting subject matter, and your skill sare doing them justice. Well done, sir. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K5054NZ Posted November 5, 2019 Share Posted November 5, 2019 I showed my wife the box art - she made a face like she ate a lemon and said "Well, you can tell it's Russian!" I, on the other hand, am enjoying the build and will follow progress with interest. I really enjoy your builds, Ken. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted November 5, 2019 Author Share Posted November 5, 2019 More progress ...... The forward fuselage fits into the rear fuselage between the engine intakes - but there isn't much of a mating surface, resulting in a potentially weak joint...... So to try to improve the joint, I added small blocks of plasticard to give the forward fuselage something to butt up against.... The front fuselage (which is quite heavy due to the lead weights) now has a 'ledge' to attach to.... Closer view of the plastic card additions.... It would have been easier to make the 'ledge' before fitting the intakes in place... but I hadn't discovered the problem until too late. The M-55 has a box-like structure at the rear - between the exhaust nozzles - this is provided by Modelsvit with two halves into which are inserted two etched-brass vanes.... which must be bent to shape - all very fiddly... It took a lot of head-scratching to try and work out how the box fitted between the jetpipes.... ....but I got there in the end...... ....... aided by this photo that I took at MAKS 2013.... Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted November 9, 2019 Author Share Posted November 9, 2019 More.... A bit of fettling sees the upper wing centre-section added - with joints to fill around the intakes... .... and at the rear end.... Underside view..... The ultra long-span wings are made up from a full-length lower section and a shorter upper section....... Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pappy121 Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 Great stuff, keep going Ken! You are doing a great job finding all the pitfalls for the rest of us, cheers, Pappy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted November 18, 2019 Author Share Posted November 18, 2019 A little more progress.... The lower wing root is quite flexible - so I've added supports made from square-section plastic..... Whilst waiting for the wings to set, I constructed the two underwing sampling pods - each made up from six parts... Each pod has two tiny hinge-like antenna at the rear - provided as teeny-weeny etched brass parts - almost at the limit of my eyesight.... The starboard pod also has a flate-plate structure - again included on the etched-brass fret - here it is on the real thing... More later... Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skyhawk174 Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 This looks so cool Ken. It must be pretty big in 1/72nd so I may be interested in getting this kit even though I normally build 1./48. But I can probably live with it as it will be big. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted November 20, 2019 Author Share Posted November 20, 2019 On 11/18/2019 at 10:08 PM, skyhawk174 said: It must be pretty big in 1/72nd Wingspan is 520mm (approx 20.5 inches) Some more progress..... The main wheel bays form the front end of the tail booms - and are assembled from an outer 'canoe' and an inner bay. The bay is made up from a flat part that you have to fold up to form the roof and sides - a neat idea that saves having to line up separate parts A separate part is inserted for rear bulkhead... The tailbooms/fins are each made up from two halves (bottom) .... The completed starboard boom is at the top. Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Major Walt Posted November 21, 2019 Share Posted November 21, 2019 It’s starting to take shape! Looking great! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted November 24, 2019 Author Share Posted November 24, 2019 It's starting to come together now..... The front sections of the tailbooms containing the maingear bays are glued in place on the underside of the wings.... The mating surface - where the tailbooms attach - isn't very substantial - so I fashioned a plug made from plastic tubing wrapped with plastic card to strengthen the joint..... The model is getting difficult to handle with its long-span wings .........and attaching the tailbooms really needs three hands The booms have a 'key' to aid in lining them up - but the fit is a bit 'slack' - allowing the booms to sag or rotate slightly....... I tackled it by first glueing the port tailboom into place - lining things up by eye to make sure the fin was vertical and correctly aligned in side view. After allowing the glue to set - but not too hard - I then attached the starboard boom and, with the model inverted and supported horizontally on the workbench, the horizontal stabiliser was glued in place and used to line everything up - it seems to have worked..... Underside view - the joints need to be filled and eliminated - difficult when you are handling what feels like a balalaika !!!! It's all downhill from here........ Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
southwestforests Posted November 24, 2019 Share Posted November 24, 2019 On 11/3/2019 at 4:22 AM, Flankerman said: Top view of the centre-fuselage sub-assembly. Even though a bit different that assembly sure brings to mind the shape of F7U Cutlass. 🙂 On the overall these are interesting models of two very interesting airplanes that I didn't know about until 5 minutes ago. A 22 part ejection seat in 1/72 scale? How do you even DO that!? 😄 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
janman Posted November 24, 2019 Share Posted November 24, 2019 That wingspan really needs a banana for scale, Ken!😀 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted November 24, 2019 Author Share Posted November 24, 2019 How about a MiG-25 ?? Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
janman Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 That tells a lot, Ken. 😲 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AD-4N Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 (edited) Man, that is a monster! Superb model making. I love to see masters at work who show the skill of making a short run kit work. Hell, I can build Tamiya kit, but these Eastern European kits take real He-Man model making expertise. Well done. Edited November 25, 2019 by AD-4N Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted December 1, 2019 Author Share Posted December 1, 2019 With all the major components in place, it's time for a coat of grey primer....... Top View.... .... and the undersides... It is getting hard to handle now - it's just so BIG..... trying to hold it without knocking the wings..... Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
janman Posted December 1, 2019 Share Posted December 1, 2019 58 minutes ago, Flankerman said: It is getting hard to handle now - it's just so BIG..... trying to hold it without knocking the wings..... I can imagine that! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted December 15, 2019 Author Share Posted December 15, 2019 Seasons Greetings....... Some slow progress....... The K-36 ejection seat is made up from 22 Parts...... This isn't so much modelling as micro-surgery - especially at my age with failing eyesight ! It isn't helped by the fact the some of the mm-sized parts have flash to be cleaned off - anyway here's the result... Here's my ham-fisted attemp - there is an etched-brass harness still to be added !!! Meanwhile, the airframe has had a couple of coats of Halfords White Plastic Primer (from a rattle can) - followed by a misted top coat of Halfords Appliance White (rattle can)..... The lower fuselage now has to be masked off for a coat of Light Aircraft Grey (I'm using Halfords Ford Polar Grey - which is a good match)... Then it's more masking for the blue wing and tailplane leading edges plus the canopy surround, followed by the red wing and taiplane tips. Have a Great Christmas.... Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mario krijan Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 Very nice work so far! Merry Christmas to You and your family! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pappy121 Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 G'day Ken, Stellar work! Does the M-55s variant of the K-36 differ much from other fighter versions (K-36DM?), because the sides of the headbox look to extend forwards a little more than is typical for a K-36? I have this kit coming from Crimbo (that is the rumor anyways) and I think I will swap the kit seat out for an aftermarket item unless it is 'unique' cheers, Pappy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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