The AMT/round 2 re-release. I am using an Engine and Things engine. Had to mount it on a mandrell and stick it in lathe to grind down quite a bit in diameter. I first suspected the kit was a bit too small- maybe 1:50, but a check of span and length shows it within half percent of 1:48. I guess the heads had to stick up into those blisters. A bit of flash, but all in all the molding is not bad considering what AMT kits were like in the days of its first release.
One thing I love about it is that the windows mount from outside! There is a flange to keep them from falling inside. I wish all kit mfgs would go in that direction. Having a window fall inside after fuselage is joined is a real disaster. I’m scratching new rudder pedals, which is slowing me down from closing up the fuselage.
When I am done I want to shoot a shot with my Roden staggerwing Beech and my ICM Twin Beech, a trio of golden age classics!
I’m definitely interested in seeing how this comes out. I saw this kit the other day at HL and almost grabbed it. Regarding the exterior mounted windows… I know that clear styrene is generally very brittle; however, on kits that have interior windows do you think its possible, or have you tried cutting the windows and making ledges out of thin strip styrene that could be placed inside to hold the window?
I’m following this thread, too. I’ve got the AMT kit of the Reliant but it’s not at the top of my “to build” list yet, so watching this thread will really help with planning the future build.
Yes, I have glued thin styrene strips on the inside to reinforce the windows on my twin Beech. None fell inside during the building. Molded in ledges saves the effort, though.
A friend of mine is almost done with his SR-9F which he did as one of the only two UC-81F’s taken up by the USAAF. Finally found 1/48 yellow serial numbers by Techmod which are available at Roll Models. I will order them for him this week so he will be able to finish it.
Thanks Antoni and every one else for their help in finding the decals.
I glued the windshield on with epoxy, then realized I had forgotten to paint the cowl area between the instrument panel and the windshield. I was chagrinned to find how easy it was to remove. I find I cannot get a good bond anymore between epoxy and either styrene or acrylic. I am so glad all windows and windscreen on this kit install from outside and cannot easily fall inside of bond breaks.
I have been told if I coat transparent pieces with future, then any fogging can be removed with alcohol- the fog comes off with the future. While I could then indeed remove the coating on the outside, it would sure be hard to get the stuff from the inside surfaces!
I am still looking for a cement/glue that will have a good bond strength but not damage or fog transparent pieces Epoxy no longer seems to do it.
Why no build pics? I built Top Flights Reliant when I was a senior in high school. I sold it a few years ago to fun another project, so this AMT kit will fill the Reliant hole left in my heart, lol. Smaller and easier to store too!
We are having a garage sale this week and my time is tied up helping with that. Any time off I get goes into building model vs taking pics. Promise some pics next week. I closed up the fuselage and begun painting. I intend to paint wings seperate from fuselage, since wings will be different color.
Finding fit of windshield is not super good, and I will have some putty work fairing fuselage into windshield, but at least it seems to stay in place.
Look forwards to the pictures. I was working on AMTs Vega (floats) for a GB, but I wound up boxing it up for work on a few other things. I may just pick up the Stinson and finish the Vega while i’m at it.
Here is a quick pic via my media player- not a very good camera.
It will be painted with wings white with red trim, and fuselage red with white trrim, so did white on both parts right now. Did a good enough job with priming and sanding that one shot of white may do it. I anticipate then that red will also only take one or two coats. Not painted at all yet are wing struts and cowl.
Interesting how without wings the fuselage looks vaguely like a monocoupe but those wings give it away!
I found maskng rudder and vert stab a bit challenging. The assembly is mostly red, with about a two inch (on real plane) strip around the edge of the assembly, which remains white. The outline of the assembly has almost no straight parts! A bit of a challenge keeping a constant width of tape on all the curves!
Now I am facing an even tougher challenge. The cowl will be mostly red, with a white ring at front and little almost triangular darts coming back between the cylinder head bumps I already have painted the cowl white, and must now mask the ring and darts. Those darts must be virtually identical! I may try to make a stencil to cut those nine tiny darts.
Decided to paint the white darts on the cowl by hand, using a toothpick. Having trouble getting a sharp point at end of dart, even with sharpened toothpick. Need a thinner layer of paint, I guess. Another pic soon.
Epoxy no longer seems to do it.
