Greetings again. I have had only fleeting moments for modeling lately, I am amazed that I finished this project, started some time ago. But, like an expectant mother anticipating the arrival of her new bundle of joy, I have finally “given birth”, so to speak!

This is the 1:48 scale Hobbycraft Polikarpov I-16, built into a Type 10. As some of you already know, I make an aftermarket resin kit for this kit, and I would have been remiss if I did not use it in this build, so wouldn’cha know it, I did! The project also includes some kitbashed leftovers from my already-built Eduard kit, such as upper gear doors, prop, early spinner, and red star decals. Aside from that, I scratched the lower gear door halves, and made my own decals, specifically the black swoopy lines and the squadron insignia on the tail, which some of you may recognize as appearing in the Squadron I-16 “In Action” book. The canopy is a Squadron (Falcon) vacuum add-on. The exhaust pipes were drawn on the computer then cast in resin. I have plans to offer these pipes as an add-on to my existing kit, but first I need to discover a better way to set up the mold, as these parts are extremely fine, and I’m getting too many bubble flaws, even with pressure casting. I would ask other resin casting experts for advice, but so far my experience with interfacing with the pro companies has been rather negative. Seems there’s some sorta iron curtain surrounding the resin aftermarket industry, and these folks treat their knowledge not unlike like secret plans to a thermonuclear device! So I’m on the “trial and error” cart for now. Er, the 55 gallon drum you see was also drawn in CAD, and cast in resin. The display base was my first attempt at a base, so feel free to bash on it!

I did take a few liberties. I believe the actual Type 10 did not have cockpit doors on both sides, and I think they also did not have the side hatch on the right side of the fuselage.

Well I hope this tickles someone, anyway! Enjoy!

Hi Mark

Very cool bird!!

I cannot help with the casting but Quickboost do a set for the I-16 type 10 and at that price (4,50 Euro) I would not bother .. otoh it might be a bit higher after crossing the pond.

Again: excellent model and very sportive decoration!

all the best

Steffen

P.S. IIRC type 24 onwards had two doors all other only left.

very nice and the base and accessories really add to it, interesting paint scheme too.

Mark:
The paint work looks great. Ive never been a fan of the I-16, but after seeing yours I should reconsider.

Thank you all for your kind comments!
Regards-
Mark

Mark,

I'm far from an expert on this plane, but I can tell you I sure like what I see!

Your execution on the paint, decaling, and weathering looks flawless. Nothing draws away from another part. It all comes together very harmoniously.

The only crit I would have is that a piece of this quality deserves a much nicer groundwork treatment and a base made of a nicer cut of wood.

Thanks for showing it to us!

John

Hi Mark

Great work on your I-16! It's a real beauty!

To be honest, I'm not surprised you've hit something of a brick wall from other resin producers about sharing techniques - it is their livelihood, after all - especially as I think in some ways you're maybe more advanced than many of them in the way you mention designing parts with a CAD package! Can you tell us more about that? - I'm sure it would be fascinating and maybe a good subject for a Feature article.

All the best

Rowan

Thank you John and Rowan-

Rowan, I never really imagined the possibility that my method for making patterns might be more advanced that (some of) the other resin guys. I just naturally assumed that they all used CAD. I moved to CAD after making my first patterns (for my Lindberg Goshawk) by hand. I decided there had to be a better, more efficient way! I wish I had the practical time to contribute a feature article, but I'm a little slammed right now for time. I will explain the general steps here for you. First, of course, you need a 3D CAD program. I use SolidWorks, although there's a freeware program available on the web called Alibre Design Xpress, which I hear has all the necessary tools. I approach my pattern making as sort of reverse-engineering, typically working from existing drawings, scaled down to 1:48 (or whatever scale I'm working in). Then I break out a dial caliper and a ruler and start dimensioning everything. Then it's just a matter of drawing on the computer what I have dimensioned on paper. I print out side views or top views as I go to check the size, then tweak it from there. Once I am satisfied, I send the file, as a .STL (stereo lithography) file to www.printapart.com. And in around a week, I receive my parts in full 3D, rendered in a plastic-like material. The parts are then sanded smooth where needed, as the 3D printer causes "stepping" or "banding" (it's not a perfect science yet, but still amazing). The cleaned up parts are then superglued up to styrene sprues, then the molds are cast (I did a feature article for your fine website on this step a while back). Sometimes it takes two or three go-arounds with the patterns, because once they arrive, you spot things you need to tweak for better fit or appearance, so it can be costly. That's the basic overview.

There's a lot of truth to your statement about companies guarding their livlihood. And if I told them I have no interest in stealing their livlihood, why should they believe me? But the truth is, I have light years to go before I could offer the vast range of products the big players offer, and they needn't fear me. I sometimes forget that not everyone regards the whole mess as just a hobby! While it is true I do offer my two existing resin sets for sale, it's really only to offsert my output and mold making costs.

Regards-
Mark

Hi Mark

That's really interesting - and certainly a far cry from the way I produced master parts back in the '90s using styrene, perspex, obeche wood and the then new-fangled Modlab resin wood. I remember seeing the first appearance of CAD-added master parts a few years ago, but the high cost of the equipment put it out of the reach of most "garage" producers , who were only borderline economically viable as it was. Sending the files out to have the basic parts milled makes a lot of sense. Having seen behind-the-scenes photos of patterns being produced by some of the top Eastern European resin companies, I know they are still using traditional methods - but, of course, that could all be set to change as more and more people catch onto the new technology and it becomes cost-effective.

All the best

Rowan

Oh, no, no, make no mistake, the parts aren't milled, or machined in any way! Stereo lithography/rapid prototyping involves a printer that prints in 3D! The printer actually squirts a material down and builds up the part in layers. It's truly amazing. This method allows one to even produce a part which would be impossible to cast, such as a fully ported engine head, for example. What a world we live in!

Regards-
Mark

Hi again

Sorry, my mistake, I was typing quickly during a break at work. Yes, it is incredible - I remember a slideshow online a couple of years ago showing the process in action - quite extraordinary.

All the best

Rowan

Hi Mark,
It looks absolutely gorgeous : paint, markings, colors, shades and the base.
A very impressive little display,

Mark

I have only hade one small item made using stl. It used a layered resin master from which was made a brass sub-master utilising the lost wax process. I did all my polishing on the brass sub-master. Final product turned out too small and needs to be re-done.
I did all my modelling on CAD 1 : 1 and then scaled appropriately, adding 4% for casting shrinkage, for 7mm to one foot. I find letting the CAD do the hard work far easier on my brain. The item was for one of my dads loco projects.
Good Luck with the casting - heres to stl prices coming down

Best Regards

David
http://gallery.kitmaker.net/data/500/ren1.jpg

Correct.

Awesome Job Mark!

Considering what you had to work with, it's a great finish! Nice markings too..! Thanks for sharing!

Mark very impressive, hope to see more of your work.


Robert

Very nice! Love the paint scheme and its cleanly built.

Cheers,

Very nice mark. Really like everything about it. The finish is very well done, Wingman out.

Thanks again, everyone, for your kind comments.