Trumpeter 1/32 Su-27 ...

[KursadA]

My apologies KursadA, I misread the various posts. If all you're wanting to do is soften up a Coke bottle, go for it.

My thinking was based on "virgin" (previously unprocessed) PET pellets.

Hey, no apologies necessary!! I was just confused about your comments about the material. I probably don't know even one hundredth of what you know about PETG, but I can imagine how ridiculous it would be if one tried to cast PETG canopies at home by melting pellets and pouring them into a cast

Coming back to the subject, the master looks absolutely great. I am sure Zactoman can sell a lot of copies by making simple one-piece vacuform copies from that master. At that size it will not be hard to slice it to pose the canopy open.

[Tire-kicker]

Overlayed in photoshop.

You can see how far off the kit canopy is (assuming I made my pattern correctly!).

GD! Didn't realize it was that far out! dude, get this into production!

Rich

[Zactoman]

Hey all,

Sorry I haven't replied promptly. Everything got put on hold for a few days. I went to the hospital with chest pains yesterday morning. I was kinda scared as I'm only 40, I've smoked quite a bit and cancer and heart problems run in the family. Plus the fact that I've been building models since I was 4 years old and I've been working at modelshops for 17 years, welding fumes for 2 years, junk food, lots partying for __ years. I was just released and I'm in great shape!!! Probably just a pulled or torn muscle (just got over the flu 2 weeks ago).

Anyways... The canopy... As I mentioned previously, I'm doing the resin option as a dry run test for bigger better things. Some of the subjects I have in mind would be very difficult to trim accurately. The only resin kit I have is the Collect-aire YF-23 and the canopy on that looks very difficult to trim with the saw-tooth edge. Getting it to fit perfectly... :blink: Plus it isn't very smooth (it kinda really sucks...).

I have the casting equipment at work and lots of experience doing clear castings, but doing a small thin part like this creates problems. Clear resin takes much longer to fully cure than other resins. I might only have time to do 1 or 2 casts per day demold them and leave them to cure at room temp for as much as a week each. Post-curing in an oven speeds things up, but the parts are too thin to do this after demolding them without distorting them. Other option is to throw the whole mold in the oven which can create lots of other problems. Any suggestions on molding clear urethanes would be welcome... I use BJB WC-784 resin and Silpak RTV.

Other option is the vac canopy. Not PETG then... Acetate?... Butyrate?... Can any of theese be sanded and polished? What do the pros use, say Squadron? As for the undercut (horseshoe cross-section) I'm going to finish my pattern and try to pull one in acrylic which is very brittle when cured (but sands and polishes wonderfully), detail it and mold it. I'm pretty confident can use the same vac pattern to pull one of the other, more flexible plastics with out resorting to a 2 piece female mold which would have a visible seam. I won't compromise and modify the shape!

If I do release it as a vacform, you would have to do your own frame details. I was really hoping to build this model out-of-the box and don't really have the time to invest. I am however going to make and mold the platform in front of the canopy and IR ball housing (which are also wrong in the kit) and would include this in the kit.

I'll see how my schedule goes these coming days and keep you posted...

[Pegon]

Hi !

if you are doing the irst housing, could you consider making this as a separate pice or making two different canopies. I just bought the Flanker and i am keen on doing it in the Su-30 demonstrator paintjob(nr.503). for this i need to offset the irst and make a refueling probe, to get it right externally at least ???

[Zactoman]

if you are doing the irst housing, could you consider making this as a separate pice or making two different canopies.

Hmmmm.....

Making my job difficult...

If I go the vacuform route then yes.

If I do the resin, I might just do it as one piece thus eliminating one more fit/seam challenge.

We'll see how it goes though...

[Flankerman]

Hi !

if you are doing the irst housing, could you consider making this as a separate pice or making two different canopies. I just bought the Flanker and i am keen on doing it in the Su-30 demonstrator paintjob(nr.503). for this i need to offset the irst and make a refueling probe, to get it right externally at least ???

Pegon,

Bort 503 is a Su-30MKK - a tandem two-seater :-

It would require major changes to the Trumpeter kit to make it into a two-seater - and Zactoman is only doing a single-seater canopy anyway.

Are your sure you don't mean Bort 305 ??

That is a Su-27SK (Upgraded) - a single-seat demonstrator :-

This needs an offset IRST plus IFR probe. It would also need a completely new instrument panel - it differs considerably from the 'standard' Trumpeter Su-27 see :- http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/flanke...es/su-27sku.htm

Or am I missing something here ??

Ken

[Pegon]

Yes of course, Please forgive my ignorance !

[Alex Sidharta]

Hi !

if you are doing the irst housing, could you consider making this as a separate pice or making two different canopies. I just bought the Flanker and i am keen on doing it in the Su-30 demonstrator paintjob(nr.503). for this i need to offset the irst and make a refueling probe, to get it right externally at least ???

Pegon,

Bort 503 is a Su-30MKK - a tandem two-seater :-

It would require major changes to the Trumpeter kit to make it into a two-seater - and Zactoman is only doing a single-seater canopy anyway.

Are your sure you don't mean Bort 305 ??

That is a Su-27SK (Upgraded) - a single-seat demonstrator :-

This needs an offset IRST plus IFR probe. It would also need a completely new instrument panel - it differs considerably from the 'standard' Trumpeter Su-27 see :- http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/flanke...es/su-27sku.htm

Or am I missing something here ??

Ken

Hi Ken,

Just got conversation with KNAAPO guy 2 weeks ago and they claimed they never called the "305" as Su-27SKU (U for upgrade) but Su-27SKM (M for Modernized). :)

They even gave me their official brochure of the Su-27SKM which all of the Flanker pictures inside is bort 305.

Do I miss something also ?

Cheers,

[Flankerman]

Hi Ken,

Just got conversation with KNAAPO guy 2 weeks ago and they claimed they never called the "305" as Su-27SKU (U for upgrade) but Su-27SKM (M for Modernized). 

They even gave me their official brochure of the Su-27SKM which all of the Flanker pictures inside is bort 305.

Do I miss something also ?

Cheers,

Hi Alex,

All my pics are taken from a brochure I picked up on the KnAAPO stand at Zhukovsky - images attached.

Sukhoi have a bad habit of giving different designations - I guess the Su-27SK (Upgraded) is what they call it, when it goes into service it may be called a Su-27SKM ??

Regards

Ken

[Flankerman]

Here is another scan - the inside front page.

Cheers

Ken

[Alex Sidharta]

Here is another scan - the inside front page.

Cheers

Ken

Looks like you are right, Ken...

Here's mine from same page :

[Zactoman]

Here's my first test piece (next to the origional pieceof).

Trimming it wasn't fun, but it seems to fit pretty good (alot better than the kit one does...)

Now It's time to try and slice it in half. Wish me luck

Edited December 5, 2007 by Zactoman

[Zactoman]

I've still got all my fingers. That was alot of work to cut through.

Fortunately the parts seemed to maintain their shape well when separated and still fit the fuselage nicely.

Next comes the IRST platform and then it's a kit?

That means I gotta start a business soon. Anybody got any advice?

Edited December 5, 2007 by Zactoman

[Zactoman]

One more...

Edited December 5, 2007 by Zactoman

[Rafael Winter]

WOW....

Please... release it... i need four ;) .... at least :)

from your customer

kind regards

Rafael Winter

[KursadA]

I've still got all my fingers. That was alot of work to cut through.

Fortunately the parts seemed to maintain their shape well when separated and still fit the fuselage nicely.

Next comes the IRST platform and then it's a kit?

That means I gotta start a business soon. Anybody got any advice?

My advice: Gear up for production, get a PayPal account and wait for the deluge of orders. The best route for small-scale aftermarket items like these is Ebay and advertising here on ARC and Hyperscale. I had a fair level of success with my decal line using the same strategy. The canopy looks excellent, good luck with the venture. I will definitely be buying one.

[Scalephantomphixer]

Well, I might buy one too! Excellent job

Pierre

[dreammh]

I will be too!

I have the Tamiya F-15E canopy on its way, but I wish to settle for higher accuracy!

[David Walker]

Fantastic job. If you can keep up with the manufacturing end of it I think you have a very successful venture on your hands. Good luck.

[dehowie]

Great job on the canopy.

Like the others i'll be after 5-6 so i have some spares.

Bring em on!!

Great effort.

Darren

[madmike]

The Trump canopy does not bother me overly, but as Zactoman is a modeller doing the best for his hobby, I will take a couple myself if he is going into production!

Well done sir!

MikeJ

[Zactoman]

Thanks for all the kind words and encouragment.

This is really frustrating. I picked up the black box cockpit today and after trimming and fitting the front instrument shroud,,, It don't fit! It's too wide for both the kit canopy and my replacement part. (My canopy does work with the kit parts)

Such a shame, the black box kit is beautiful. I'm working on modifying the part to make it work. I have to make it work, I'm going to make it work, I will, I will, I will!!!

[Flankerman]

Thanks for all the kind words and encouragment.

This is really frustrating. I picked up the black box cockpit today and after trimming and fitting the front instrument shroud,,, It don't fit! It's too wide for both the kit canopy and my replacement part. (My canopy does work with the kit parts)

Such a shame, the black box kit is beautiful. I'm working on modifying the part to make it work. I have to make it work, I'm going to make it work, I will, I will, I will!!!

Zactoman,

I hope you mean that you are modifying the Black Box kit part "to make it work" and NOT altering your canopy to fit the Black Box cockpit ???

I am awaiting the NeOmega resin cockpit - and your canopy (if I can have one ??) before starting on my Trumpeter Su-27.

Have a great Christmas - but don't stop work on that canopy for too long

Ken

[Red Dog]

Vote of confidence from here as well.

I'm in for a canopy.

Well done Zactoman - good luck with the venture

[Zactoman]

I made it fit ! Without too much work...Black box Su-27 cockpit, does it fit ?

Next comes the IRST platform. All that's left will be detailing the canopy frames and the piece that goes behind the seat in the caonopy. Anybody know of any good pictures showing the top of this piece as viewed looking through the canopy?

Edited December 5, 2007 by Zactoman