Zvezda Airbus A318-122, LAN Airlines 80 años

[PMG Offramp]

Hello everyone,

I made a start on my Zvezda Airbus A320-200, a brillant :wub:/> kit imho, however I decided to give it the Babybus treatment, A318-100. Both fuselage halves are already cut and glued, the next step being reconstructing the fore-right, aft-right and aft-left extreme wing/body fairings since they are shorter than on the A319/320/321.

I was about to buy some new Tamiya Epoxy Putty Quick Type, as I find it quite easy to use, but have no idea about the shrinkage, if and when it happens. Any advices ?

Or, what putty would you use for such reconstructing job ? Any recommendation about some easily available good stuff ?

The white plastic sheet part will be glued to the fuselage and will act as some sort of sole, onto which the putty will be applied, I thought it would be easier to control the fairing shape that way. Same will be done with the aft wing/body fairings.

The shape of the sole still needs refining and a bit more rolling, to conform perfectly to the fuselage.

What putty would you use for such reconstructing job ? Any recommendation about some easily available good stuff ?

Thanking you all in advance :thumbsup:/>/> !

Edited September 16, 2014 by PMG Offramp

[rhusberg]

Hi,

For such a job I would go for Milliput.

Happy modelling,

Rube

[ChernayaAkula]

If you're happy with the putty you use, but not sure about its shrinkage or drying times, why not build up the shapes with more styrene more or less roughly cut/filed to shape and use putty only for the finishing coat/final mm of your new parts? Both shrinkage and drying time shouldn't be much of a concern, then.

On the other hand, this approach might be more suited to bigger reconstruction jobs, where shrinkage is a bigger problem.

Regarding the build itself, that's a marvellously clean cut and join job. Wow! Almost as if the parts came out of the box that way. I assume the white styrene parts were used for alignment and will be sanded down when ready? Any particular reason for using them on the outside and not on the inside?

[Netz]

I agree with the recommendations above, and also the same question about the styrene blocks.

Milliput for the thick stuff, and Tamiya Basic Grey is probably the best standard type putty you can use.

Curt

[Jennings]

Epoxy putty does not shrink, since it's a catalyst reaction, not the evaporation of solvent that cures it.

[Jennings]

And by the by, if you want an absolutely fool proof way to completely eliminate the inevitable shadows of cabin windows under even several coats of paint (which has happened with every single type of filler or putty I've ever tried, no matter what I do), try this. Guaranteed to eliminate the shadows, since you're eliminating the windows entirely:

Carve out the posts between the kit cabin windows. On a small a/c you can do the entire strip in one go. On bigger a/c you do each cabin section separately. Rough it out to a long thin rectangular opening with a file. Choose a piece of styrene square section rod/strip approximately the right thickness. Then glue as shown. I usually run a bead of superglue around the outside edge on the outer surface as well. You'll be left with some small nicks and dings to fill, but the windows will have disappeared:

Edited August 24, 2014 by Jennings

[PMG Offramp]

Hi,

For such a job I would go for Milliput.

Hi Rube, thank you for the advice, Milliput comes often as one of the best solutions. I have the Superfine type, will do some testing. Cheers !

[PMG Offramp]

On the other hand, this approach might be more suited to bigger reconstruction jobs, where shrinkage is a bigger problem.

Regarding the build itself, that's a marvellously clean cut and join job. Wow! :worship:/> Almost as if the parts came out of the box that way. I assume the white styrene parts were used for alignment and will be sanded down when ready? Any particular reason for using them on the outside and not on the inside?

ChernayaAkula, thanks for your message, I thought about your first suggestion but you're right, the volume of putty needed for each extreme fairing is very small, I think I'll go the full putty route.

Thanks about the cuts, yes the white Evergreen parts were glued inside and outside identical position so they sandwich the neighbouring fuselage section, means so much less sanding and a perfectly cylindrical fuselage. Regards !

[PMG Offramp]

Milliput for the thick stuff, and Tamiya Basic Grey is probably the best standard type putty you can use.

Curt, thank you, Milliput again, Milliput will be. Regarding the Tamiya Basic Grey putty, I don't like it very much, or perhaps I don't know how to use it properly ? My last time was 20 years ago, a very simple putty job, allowed for a long drying time followed by a fine sanding and came out great but was ruined by the scribing, very light passes but the scribing tool managed to bite in the putty and take small bits off. Do you know how does Milliput behave when scribed ? Cheers !

[crackerjazz]

Apoxie Sculpt is nice. Long working time, reshaped with just wet fingers. Sandable when dry and does not crumble when scribing panel lines.

Edited August 29, 2014 by crackerjazz

[PMG Offramp]

Apoxie Sculpt is nice. Long working time, reshaped with just wet fingers. Sandable when dry and does not crumble when scribing panel lines.

crackerjazz, I heard many times about this stuff, said to be very friendly user, unfortunately impossible to find here. I finally chose Milliput Superfine White putty, will try it tomorrow.

[PMG Offramp]

The 3 soles are now glued using Tamiya Extra Thin Cement. I'll probably make a 1st try with the Milliput putty tomorrow.

Edited September 16, 2014 by PMG Offramp

[PMG Offramp]

On the left my somewhat homemade PW6000 engine, on the right Revell's V2500.

It's a combination of Zvezda's V2500 pylon (in reality both PW6000 and V2500 share an identical pylon), Revell's V2500 rear nacelle and Zvezda's NK-86 front nacelle, shrunk, pinched, glued, sanded, but still some sanding to do and the intake trunking lower lip to thin down.

The black that shows down the PW6000 is the shape of the original Revell V2500, had to be shaved/sanded.

[PMG Offramp]

This is the 1st CFM56-5A1 that will be used with my A320-211 Iberia, it has a 18cm shorter intake and early pylon as seen on A320-100s and early -200s.

The front of the intake was shortened by 1.25mm

Edited September 16, 2014 by PMG Offramp

[PMG Offramp]

Intake was separated from the nacelle to help with the sanding of the seams and, perhaps, many recasts in resin.

Work still needs to be carried on the pylon to make it look like an early version. Also more sanding on the bottom of the intake so it blends with the intake lip.

Edges thinned down and brass tubing exhaust plug.

Edited September 16, 2014 by PMG Offramp

[Jennings]

Just curious why you glued straps across the joint lines on the *outside* of the model?

[TheFlyingDutchman]

Great work on those engines. Never realized the A318's engines are so much different.

[PMG Offramp]

Great work on those engines. Never realized the A318's engines are so much different.

Thanks, great work YOU, your kits are wonderful, you make resin kits look as easy to build as styrene ones. I just love your Estonian CRJ-900 & latest white & red E170!

The PW6000 actually look a lot like the V2500 but there are a few subtle differences in outline, & it's slightly slimmer. Constructing the 2nd half will be easy thanks to the 1st half on which I can rely, but the idea of building the 2nd whole engine depresses me ;-)

Never done resin casting, I might give it a try, at least for the seamless CFM56 intakes as I identified lots of A318->A321 I'd like to build.

Edited September 17, 2014 by PMG Offramp

[PMG Offramp]

Just curious why you glued straps across the joint lines on the *outside* of the model?

The square section straps are glued inside & outside, same location, on only one fuselage section, then the other section is slid against, it greatly improves alignment.

[TheFlyingDutchman]

Thanks, great work YOU, your kits are wonderful, you make resin kits look as easy to build as styrene ones. I just love your Estonian CRJ-900 & latest white & red E170!

Thanks! The E170 was the injected Hasegawa kit though :)

[PMG Offramp]

Thanks! The E170 was the injected Hasegawa kit though :)/>

I remember now, yes, and what a kit !

[PMG Offramp]

Okay, 1st time I used Milliput and OMG what a great stuff it is ! The drying time advertised was 2-3 hours but I let it dry something like 20 hours. The volume created was not that big, like 4mm thick at the most and after the 2-3 hours drying time I was afraid the center of the material would still be soft. Anyway after 20 hours, it was rock hard and sanded so easily.

Comparison between Revell's accurate A320 rear wing/fuselage fairing and Zvezda's A318's. The recessed line on the Revell kit is where I cut off the fairing on the Zvezda kit, only difference being the Revell opening for the wing is longer.

I still have some fine sanding to do where the fairings meets the fuselage, to achieve something sharper but I think the basic shapes are there, on the 1/1 thing these shorter fairings look abruptly shaped, they are not as streamlined as on the A319->A321.

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/5/7/7/0255775.jpg

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/2/2/4/0259422.jpg

Next will be the front right fairing.

I really like this Miliput putty, I never thought it would sand so easily. Thank you guys for your advices about this great stuff !

Side note, for a reason I'm unaware of, all my pics are reduced from the original size to 525*700 but when posted here, they all appear in different (too big) sizes, sorry guys...

Edited September 18, 2014 by PMG Offramp