Hi all, well the Starblazers Argo aka " Yamato " is just about done and I thought I would let y’ll see what I will be working on next. I had the kit in my stash. I always like weird looking planes.
This is a Czech Model, Curtiss XP-55 Ascender, Kit # 4806 from Squadron Products. It is a 1/48 Scale. It has Injection Molding, Vacu-Formed Canopy, Decals for 2 Versions and Resin Parts by “True Details”. Resin part are " Cockpit, Wheels and Wheel Wells".
Now I never worked with Resin parts before or Vacu-Formed parts, so if anyone have tips on these please post them.
Thanks for looking and I will post more pics as I get into building this bird.
Hiya Bud, can’t wait to see your progress on this kit. I plan on building all three prototypes some day… just have to get my hands on a few of these kits first.
I haven’t a great deal of experience with resin or vacs and can’t offer a great deal of wisdom. I can say, however, to be careful with the resin because it can be quite brittle.
A looong time back when I tried my first resin cockpit, I found out the hard way that removing the pour blocks with nippers can sometimes be a bad idea. I ruined a part or three when the cuts I was making continued clear across an entire piece, splitting it in half. A saw is slower, but is ultimately much safer for the pieces you’re working with. Sometimes an Xacto blade is useful as well, just kinda depends on the piece.
I’d also wash the resin to get rid of any possible mold release that may still be present, similar to plastic parts.
If you’re going to cut the vac canopy so that the hood is separate from the windscreen, make those cuts before removing the whole canopy from the surrounding excess plastic. Also, use tape to help in getting a straight cut. An Xacto blade works best for me when cutting vac pieces, but some folks may have other preferences which you might consider as well.
Those are very basic tips, I’m sure others will have more to say on this…
As to the subject matter, I’ve put up a few XP-55 images on ETO, which I’ll link to below. They’re in the archives section of the forum and you need to be a registered member to access them. I also have a number of other images which might help in detailing the model. If you’re interested, email me and I’ll send a zip file.
Its a cool kit and builds up pretty nicely, the wheel well inserts need lots of sanding and so does the interior of the wing before that stuff fits right. Cockpit goes in quite nicely.
Hey Bud! I too have delved in to the wonderful world of resin recently! What a difference!
If you’ve done any reading about resin, I’m sure you know to wear your respirator when working with the stuff! You gotta keep those lungs healthy!!!
Next, be prepared to wear that mask a lot, because resin requires a TON of sanding. I recomend you buy a few sheets of gritty wet/dry sandpaper and some less gritty papers to use. Wet sanding keeps the dust down, which is a good thing.
Dryfitting is the most important thing you can do. Dryfit after every bout of sanding. Dryfit in the kit, dryfit resin pieces, dryfit anything that involves a plastic/resin joint. Trust me, this one’s tripped me up.
Priming is a must. Here’s how I did my resin:
1)Get most of the sanding out of the way
2)Wash the parts well with soapy water and let air dry
3)Airbrush the primer. I use Model Masters Enamel (I like light ghost gray). I use Lacquer Thinner in my primer to give it lots of bite.
4)Airbrush the basecoat.
5)Paint the details.
Hope this helps. I’ve only worked with Resin once, some of these tips I used, others I learned the hard way. Good luck, Bud. Remember, be patient!
Bud just another thing to add about the resin if you cut it with a saw or anything else that creates dust you will need some sort of mask, because the resin dust can be harmful if breathed. Besides that resin is pretty good stuf you can get better detail with resin than plastic ive used my fair share of resin cockpit set’s as amaterafact i’ll be working on my 1/32 P-38 that i bough the verlinden set for keep your eye open for it.
I never have looked at a model by Czech model before , the plastic injection parts look like they are done well . Anybody hear of the nickname this plane was given back in its day ?
Thats a cool looking aircraft, it will be good to follow your progress on this one. Apart from all the advice already given, might I suggest a razor saw for cutting away the casting lugs. Its much more precise and lss likely to cause any cracking to the resin parts. Darren.
Thanks for all the tip y’ll posted here, it all HELPS [:D] , As for the respirator do you think just a mask would work well or not ?
I have looked at the Resin parts and the wheel wells are Soooo thin that one is all cracked. I was thinking even before I looked at that , that I was going to try and put this " in fight " with the wheels up on a stand. I just have to figure out how LOL
It is possible to work with resin without wearing a mask and here is the way … get a full sized sheet of wet/dry sandpaper from your local hardware store, 100 or 160 grit, lay it flat on your desk or work surface, apply a small puddle of water and start sanding in the puddle. The water captures ALL the dust and when you are done just rinse the sheet off in the sink. Many sanding sticks can be used wet/dry also allowing for fine sanding without using the mask. When sawing pour blocks off with a razor saw add a few drops of water or have a small bowl near by. Resin dust is only an issue when sanding dry. The only time I sand dry and have to wear a mask anymore is when I am doing large cutting/grinding projects with the Dremel.
Bud, on those wheel wells try sanding the inside of the wing – thin the plastic rather than the resin.
I just wanted to say thanks for posting this kit. I never worked with resin or vacuum form before but always wanted to. I just learned so much from this single post. This is what it’s all about. Getting all this information from the talent we have in these forums. And the kit looks so cool. Would have never considered this kit if I were to see it in the LHS, but will probably have my eyes open for it now.
Thanks Zip and I hope you are feeling better. I have never worked with eather on them so I hope I don’t screw this up [:P]
I was thinking about what Swanny said and I was thinking LOL I know I know BAD IDEA LOL but what if I sand under running water ??? Just a thought.
This is a cool looking plane and looks to be a cool kit too. I wanted to know if anyone out there knows how to make a stand for an aircraft ? I never try that eather [:P]
Thanks again, all the tips are GREAT just like all of you… No I am not kissing up… well not yet anyhow [:D]
It’s a very nice kit. One of Czech Models best. But like all limited run kits it will require considerably more effort & TLC than your typical Tamiya/Hasegawa kit. Enjoy the build & post some pics as you progress.
The XP-55 is a totally awesome aircraft. Unlike some other experimental aircraft of the same time period (like the XP-56 Black Bullet), despite looking totally awkward, it flew rather well. It could have been a decent aircraft if the original engine designed for it had actually been built. This was incidentally the same thing that helped kill the other two projects under the same proposal, the XP-56 and XP-54. Ah, what could have been… [;)]
Good luck with the project. I can’t wait to see the finished example!
I have this kit and a few other Czech Models kits somewhere between Squadron and here… after 2 months of waiting I hope they are more towards this side.
When they had 50% off I went silly and bought all their prototype aircraft and also got the Eduard 1/48 Bell X-1… the infamous Glorious Glenis which broke the sound barrier.
In all, if all goes right, I should end up with about 6 interesting prototype aircraft in 1/48.
Where these fit in my build schedule will depend on the complexity as I want to start with a few simpler build first.
This is the model I built for the January 2001 issue’s Workbench Review section; click on the Workbench Review button up top and you can find the review in the archive.
I’d recommend cutting the vac canopy with a small pair of scissors. I find it’s too easy to slip when using a hobby-knife blade – the vac plastic is thin and soft.
