Well I have started the most ambitious (and expensive ) model I have tackled to date, Model Design Constructions 1/32nd Arado Ar234B Blitz. An inbox review can be found here .
The first job is to remove the pour plugs from the main components then attach the cockpit section. The instructions state to also attach the tail at this stage, but as the fit isn't great and could become a little fiddly, so I will attach it once the fuselage is together. A little filling will be needed to blend the front together, but it should be pretty simple.
Now the first major use of the P.E parts is for the wheel wells. the first pic shows the parts that need to go in. The second pic shows it all together.
The P.E is very easy to bend and everything fits very well.
Once the wheel wells are inside the fuselage you can see, yep you guessed it, not a lot .
But we know its there, which is the important thing.
Next to tackle is the engines, so I shall update once they are built.
Comments and questions are welcome.
Andy
World War II
Discuss WWII and the era directly before and after the war from 1935-1949.
Discuss WWII and the era directly before and after the war from 1935-1949.
Hosted by Rowan Baylis
MDC Arado Ar234B Blitz build
Posted: Friday, March 21, 2008 - 03:39 AM UTC
CRS
California, United States
Joined: July 08, 2003
KitMaker: 1,936 posts
AeroScale: 1,168 posts
Joined: July 08, 2003
KitMaker: 1,936 posts
AeroScale: 1,168 posts
Posted: Friday, March 21, 2008 - 03:57 AM UTC
Looks very nice so far, Andy. By the way that fuselage is molded, it doesn't appear there is a lot of room to put "nose weight" in there, and of course like most "glass nosed" aircraft it's hard to find a spot anywhere. Where do you plan to put the Volkswagen, it will take, to keep it from being a tail setter ?
Posted: Friday, March 21, 2008 - 04:10 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Looks very nice so far, Andy. By the way that fuselage is molded, it doesn't appear there is a lot of room to put "nose weight" in there, and of course like most "glass nosed" aircraft it's hard to find a spot anywhere. Where do you plan to put the Volkswagen, it will take, to keep it from being a tail setter ?
Thanks Chuck.
As for the nose weight, I am hoping it doesn't need one as the cockpit is full of resin and P.E and should weigh quite a bit on its own. To be on the safe side I will fill the area behind the cockpit with err something small and heavy. Anyone have a spare Neutron star lying around .
Andy
Posted: Friday, March 21, 2008 - 04:16 AM UTC
Nice one Andy!
I'm really looking forward to seeing how this one progresses! The combination of resin and etched brass looks great in the wheelwell.
I got MDC's Hawker Typhoon the other day as my birthday present, so I hope to post a review of it soon.
All the best
Rowan
I'm really looking forward to seeing how this one progresses! The combination of resin and etched brass looks great in the wheelwell.
I got MDC's Hawker Typhoon the other day as my birthday present, so I hope to post a review of it soon.
All the best
Rowan
Posted: Friday, March 21, 2008 - 04:24 AM UTC
Thanks Rowan. The wheel wells look great, its just a shame you won't be able to see them .
I hope its good as I ordered one for myself to pick up at the Cosford show, along with a rocket set.
Andy
Quoted Text
I got MDC's Hawker Typhoon the other day as my birthday present, so I hope to post a review of it soon.
I hope its good as I ordered one for myself to pick up at the Cosford show, along with a rocket set.
Andy
Posted: Friday, March 21, 2008 - 04:28 AM UTC
Im going to enjoy watching this one come togther Andy.
I know how much you wanted this kit. That PE looks gorgeous in the wheel wells. Im almost tempted for the Typhoon kit myself. Could even be a group build,,LOL.
Did you buy yourself a new cutting mat for the Arado build?
Nige
I know how much you wanted this kit. That PE looks gorgeous in the wheel wells. Im almost tempted for the Typhoon kit myself. Could even be a group build,,LOL.
Did you buy yourself a new cutting mat for the Arado build?
Nige
Posted: Friday, March 21, 2008 - 04:36 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Im going to enjoy watching this one come togther Andy.
I know how much you wanted this kit. That PE looks gorgeous in the wheel wells. Im almost tempted for the Typhoon kit myself. Could even be a group build,,LOL.
Did you buy yourself a new cutting mat for the Arado build?
Nige
Thanks Nige.
Good idea for a group build, can't see many people participating though .
Yes its a new cutting mat, the old one was covered in glue and paint.
Andy
Posted: Friday, March 21, 2008 - 04:57 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Thanks Rowan. The wheel wells look great, its just a shame you won't be able to see them .
Quoted TextI got MDC's Hawker Typhoon the other day as my birthday present, so I hope to post a review of it soon.
I hope its good as I ordered one for myself to pick up at the Cosford show, along with a rocket set.
Andy
Hi Andy
The Typhoon has some fantastic detail in places - the cockpit and wheelwells look like they'll be great. Some of the surface scribing has been lost and will need replacing. The biggest worry on my kit is the fit at the wing roots - and that one wing is quite a bit thinner than the other at the root. It's going to be a tricky task fairing it in smoothly - I'm busy mulling over the best ways to tackle it - because the step is about 2mm on the top surface - actually deeper than the thickness of the fuselage parts, so there's a nice big gap to peer into...
All the best
Rowan
Posted: Friday, March 21, 2008 - 06:29 AM UTC
Looking great Andy, I too would love to have one of these and the Typhoon, but the modelling funds wont stretch that far. However I will still be following this with interest
Mal
Mal
Posted: Saturday, March 22, 2008 - 06:54 PM UTC
The Typhoon sounds like a good kit apart from the wing issue on yours, hope mine doesn't have the same problem.
Thanks Mal, I'm sure one day you will have one.
There isn't a lot of parts for the engines and a quick dry-fit before painting sees the parts go together extremely well.
The engines are built. The P.E fan blades are gorgeous, and is one of the reasons I was sold on this kit when I saw it at Telford model show.
Next up is fitting the engines to the wings and positioning the control surfaces.
Andy
Thanks Mal, I'm sure one day you will have one.
There isn't a lot of parts for the engines and a quick dry-fit before painting sees the parts go together extremely well.
The engines are built. The P.E fan blades are gorgeous, and is one of the reasons I was sold on this kit when I saw it at Telford model show.
Next up is fitting the engines to the wings and positioning the control surfaces.
Andy
Posted: Saturday, March 22, 2008 - 09:14 PM UTC
Hi Andy!
Fantastic! I will follow each update of this build very carefully...
Jean-Luc
Fantastic! I will follow each update of this build very carefully...
Jean-Luc
Posted: Saturday, March 22, 2008 - 09:47 PM UTC
Wonderful Andy, regular updates please and no slacking
Mal
Mal
CaptainA
Indiana, United States
Joined: May 14, 2007
KitMaker: 3,117 posts
AeroScale: 2,270 posts
Joined: May 14, 2007
KitMaker: 3,117 posts
AeroScale: 2,270 posts
Posted: Thursday, March 27, 2008 - 09:40 AM UTC
It seems that the whole world is watching this build.
Posted: Thursday, March 27, 2008 - 10:24 AM UTC
Quoted Text
It seems that the whole world is watching this build.
Apparently so. They are just waiting for me to it up (which I no doubt will somewhere along the line) .
Anyhoo, a quick update.
The fuselage has been closed up. The wings and tail attached. Plenty of seam work done especially around the tail, as it didn't fit very well. The fuselage seam near enough just sanded out, but the wing root join needed extra attention (not that you can tell with my photography skills ).
Enough prattling, here is a pic.
Andy
Posted: Thursday, March 27, 2008 - 10:33 AM UTC
Looking good andy , but i thought you said this wasn't a speed build it's still going quicker than most of us.
Posted: Thursday, March 27, 2008 - 10:45 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Looking good andy , but i thought you said this wasn't a speed build it's still going quicker than most of us.
Thanks Allen, but I haven't got to any of the hard bits yet. Also i'm on a week off so I have been tinkering with it all week.
Andy
Posted: Thursday, March 27, 2008 - 10:50 PM UTC
Looking really good Andy
You ought to take a week off more often.
Any issues so far?
Nige
You ought to take a week off more often.
Any issues so far?
Nige
Posted: Thursday, March 27, 2008 - 10:58 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Looking really good Andy
Any issues so far?
Nige
Thanks Nige.
Yeah, some of this P.E is really really tiny, I can only just see it .
Andy
Posted: Friday, March 28, 2008 - 06:29 AM UTC
The hardest part of this build so far, the elevators, rudder and ailerons with P.E linkages.
It all went together pretty easy, but some of the P.E parts are tiny, and it has taken me near enough all day to fix them.
Aileron parts.
Aileron fitted.
Rudder parts.
Rudder fitted.
The elevators fitted and the Arado's current state.
The cockpit is next, according to the instructions, but as I have only loosely been following them I shall probably build and attach some parts for the underside.
Andy
It all went together pretty easy, but some of the P.E parts are tiny, and it has taken me near enough all day to fix them.
Aileron parts.
Aileron fitted.
Rudder parts.
Rudder fitted.
The elevators fitted and the Arado's current state.
The cockpit is next, according to the instructions, but as I have only loosely been following them I shall probably build and attach some parts for the underside.
Andy
Posted: Friday, March 28, 2008 - 07:49 AM UTC
This is looking good Andy, nice one
Mal
Mal
Posted: Sunday, March 30, 2008 - 01:17 AM UTC
Just a small update.
The center-line bomb rack, engine nacelles bomb racks and the camera bay at the rear all fitted.
The camera bay doors are P.E parts that needed to be bent into the curve of the aircraft. The instructions shows a diagram of how to achieve this by heating the metal up, letting it cool down, then rolling a metal rod on the door to form the curve. This has to be done on a rubber mat, and is fairly easy to achieve, much to my amazement actually .
Andy
Yes I broke off and lost to of the bomb braces, plasticard at the ready later on me thinks .
The center-line bomb rack, engine nacelles bomb racks and the camera bay at the rear all fitted.
The camera bay doors are P.E parts that needed to be bent into the curve of the aircraft. The instructions shows a diagram of how to achieve this by heating the metal up, letting it cool down, then rolling a metal rod on the door to form the curve. This has to be done on a rubber mat, and is fairly easy to achieve, much to my amazement actually .
Andy
Yes I broke off and lost to of the bomb braces, plasticard at the ready later on me thinks .
Posted: Sunday, March 30, 2008 - 07:14 AM UTC
Next up to build is the cockpit, which is going to take me ages to do, as there are quite a few decals that go on nearly every piece. The front wheel well is also part of the cockpit (the seat sits on it).
A pic of the cockpit parts.
I shall update as I go along with each finished part as it goes in.
Andy
A pic of the cockpit parts.
I shall update as I go along with each finished part as it goes in.
Andy
Posted: Thursday, April 03, 2008 - 05:13 AM UTC
A quick update.
70% of the cockpit in place. Most of it isn't glued in yet, as painting it will be easier in sections. Now I just have to start painting it .
Andy
70% of the cockpit in place. Most of it isn't glued in yet, as painting it will be easier in sections. Now I just have to start painting it .
Andy
ejclide
Ohio, United States
Joined: January 03, 2008
KitMaker: 150 posts
AeroScale: 119 posts
Joined: January 03, 2008
KitMaker: 150 posts
AeroScale: 119 posts
Posted: Thursday, April 03, 2008 - 05:59 AM UTC
looking good andy. I can't wait to see some color in there! It's gonna look good.
Posted: Thursday, April 03, 2008 - 06:31 AM UTC
Wow, this is going to be stunning Andy
Mal
Mal