Oliver

Your Junkers Tante Ju looks fantastic! The hard work you did on the decals paid off and the completed model is a stunner. Well done!

To answer your question on the nose weights for my Cessna, once I get the weights in the position I want, I use 5 minute epoxy adhesive to lock them into place. Once the 5 minute adhesive is mixed, it has a few minutes where the epoxy will flow well. I "paint" the epoxy around the nose weights using a wooden toothpick.

Have fun modeling!
Mike

My modeling has slowed down on my end due to my work schedule but I have managed to log in a little progress on my Cessna 172 build. It now is starting to look like an airplane!

I have the main fuselage assembled. Right after I took the photos for this post, I shot a coat of white primer over the fuselage. Next step for me is to tackle the seams that popped out once the primer was on and fix some panel lines problems that the primer made visible.







Have fun modeling!
Mike

Paul: Thank´s a lot for Your kind words. Yes, I remember the Junkers from "Where Eagles Dare", too. Wasn´t it a plane out of switzerland. I think I have seen a similar plane with a swiss cross.

Robby: Wow! This fragmented paint scheme looks really like a lot of work. Please show more pictures of this.

Mike: Glad You like my Ju! Your Cessna looks already nice!

Oliver

Hi everyone! It has been some time since my last progress post so I thought I would do a quick update. I now have the wing on the Cessna 172 so it looks like a real airplane. There is a big step/gap on the top of the wing/cockpit area which is not on the real aircraft. Luckily, it is in an area that will be easy to fill and sand.







Have fun modeling!
Mike

Hi Mike, glad to see someone is working on with campaign, its been quiet for a while.

Mild weather is here finally, so I will be able to do some painting in my unheated shed soon.

Hi Jonathan! Glad to hear that you are finally getting some decent weather up north. It has been unusually cold here in Atlanta but spring managed to arrive a few weeks ago.

Glad you liked the small bit of progress on my build. I have a busy work period coming up in the next few months so I need to make as much progress as possible now while I have some time.

Have fun modeling!
Mike

ohh, I gotta get back to my Clipper. All the subassemblies are done, I just need to clear off the bench to have enough room to stick it together...

Things have been a bit quiet around here, so I thought I would post a small update. While working on cleaning up the major wing seam, I decided to add the landing gear. Looking at how it goes together in the kit, I am less than impressed that the small pin at the end of the landing gear will hold up to the nose weight that I added up front.This is especially true with the landing gear attached at an angle so that the load is set up to shear the joint. Here's the part of the landing gear that connects to the fuselage.



I first sanded off the little attachment point and drilled a hole in the landing gear. I then bent a brass rod to the appropriate angle and trimmed the rod so that the angle is close to the end. I then inserted the rod into the landing gear.



This prevents any damage that might occur if you tried to bend the brass rod while it was inserted into the gear. I then cut of the brass rod on the other side of the bend to get a much more robust attachment point.



Of course, I also drilled the same size hole in the fuselage to take the brass rod!

Until next time, have fun modeling!
Mike

My build for the campaign will be yet another DC-3, in this case Hasegawa’s renditions of the American C-47 and the Japanese L2D in 1/200 scale:

Welcome Tim!
That's a nice little kit, I am certain you will make something special of it.

Mike, you have been carrying this campaign forward! thanks for posting that interesting update. the oleo legs of the Cessna have always struck me minimal. Im sure the styrene version will benefit from the material improvement.

Thanks Jonathan!I am trying to power through this build so that I can actually finish on time. I have a lot of travel over the next month so I will not have as much time to model in the next 4 or 5 weeks that I would like.

With that said, I now have my Cessna 172 looking like one! Here's how my model looks now with just about every detail added that needs to before the final paint job.









Next steps are to prime to model, fix any remaining flaws (there are always some with my builds!) and then on to several coats of gloss white.

BTW, the strengthened landing struts apear to work well as I see no bending at all when the 172 sits on its gear legs. Yea!
Have fun modeling!
Mike

The Hasegawa C-47/L2D kit fit perfectly, and assembling the basic airframe was a snap!

This 1/200 scale kit is nice but basic; among the few additional details are the tiny under-engine air scoops.

Molded solid, I opened them up with the point of my trusty X-acto.

The air scoops installed.

Hi mates,
first plastic is cut, first parts glued
Here's my entry to this campaign. I hope I can manage to finish in time...


Let's have fun!
Cheers Peter

Peter, That Revell Connie looks like a nice kit. Is it a new tool or one of those retreads from the 1960s?

Hi Tim,
it's a new tool kit from 2007
https://www.scalemates.com/kits/104579-revell-04252-l-1049g-super-constellation

Mike: Great improvement of the landing gear! Waiting to see some paint on the bird!

Tim: Wow, these are really tiny! Looks good!

Peter: Interesting kit. Please tell us about the fit of this kit. I just know the old Heller ones.

Oliver

Thanks Oliver - these models really are small!

The American C-47 and the Japanese L2D (“Tabby”) were very similar aircraft. One of the few outward differences was the astrodome on the C-47 vs. the antenna cover in the same position behind the cockpit on the L2D.

The C-47 astrodome was a clear part, and the L2D antenna cover was provided as a tiny resin piece.

Tim, your DC's are looking excellent...I really appreciate your added detailing, especially in that scale!

I primed my Zepp and laid down the first shade of the gray patchwork. Unfortunately, I think I'm going to bow out of this campaign. The USS-LA is too big to airbrush in my apartment, and I don't think I'll have enough time at my folks' place in the coming weeks to spray in their workshed. If things change, I'll post updates. But otherwise, I'll stay subscribed and keep watching the finished builds come in. Strong work so far in a relatively under-represented niche, let's see some more!

Hi Robby, I sympathize with you on both the time and the painting space. You'd almost need an auto body shop to paint something that big.
and of course there are never enough days in a week.

When you do finish it, whether or not this campaign is still running, I hope you will share the pictures with Aeroscale, there are not enough model derigibles in the world!


Hallo Peter! I am always happy to see a Super Connie built!


Tim, which version are you going to make?




Six weeks still remain, so alot can happen yet.

I have just ordered Revell's 1/144 Airbus 380 in Lufthansa colours. Will post more when it arrives.

That'll be a nice big model. almost two feet across!

Peter
The Revell Connie is a great choice! I have one in my stash but have never built a Connie. Your build just might be the motivation I need to bump this up my build list. I am looking forward to your postings!
Have fun modeling!
Mike

Hi Jonathan. I thought these things are so small I'll do both the American C-47 and Japanese license-built L2D - the contrast should be interesting!