Author Topic: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner  (Read 45609 times)

Offline kitnut617

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #25 on: July 18, 2014, 08:07:13 PM »
Thanks Brian, Bill ---

Did another balance test --- the balance point has moved to the rear end of the rear set of main wheels  (there's three pairs each side) but still a bit too close for comfort.  I'll assemble the wing now before I go any further.

Offline kitnut617

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #26 on: July 24, 2014, 12:32:51 AM »
Some more progress --

After a bit of fiddling about, I got the keel extension in, this also included placing a full bulkhead at either end of the cutout.  Then I skinned it with some styrene I pre-formed to try and keep it's shape better.  I then cut the rest of the old wing root fairing out and filled in the gap.

But I've got a problem, while squeezing the new skin I did it too tight, and one of my nose weights (or maybe both) broke loose and is now floating around in the forward fuselage.  I've got a chance to fix this once I get the hole for the nose wheel bay cut out.  This won't happen until I get the main gear sponsons on because that will determine where the nose gear goes.
« Last Edit: July 24, 2014, 12:36:13 AM by kitnut617 »

Offline kitnut617

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #27 on: July 24, 2014, 12:40:19 AM »
So with the main gear sponsons in mind, I decided to see if I could cut the locating section for them out of the A400 fuselage.  This worked out quite well and now the plan is to assemble all the sponson components including this cutout bit then position them on the A310 fuselage as a modular unit 

Offline apophenia

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #28 on: July 24, 2014, 06:05:18 AM »
Wow! This just gets better and better  :)
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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #29 on: July 24, 2014, 06:09:52 AM »
Wow! This just gets better and better  :)
+1

Robert really does tackle this in a most professional way with all of the structural modifications to keep the kit from warping and other mishaps.  A shame aboot the nose weight getting loose inside and I sure hope you can get it secured again when you open up the nose wheel landing gear bay doors.
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Offline Buzzbomb

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #30 on: July 24, 2014, 06:24:23 AM »
Really nice work, some excellent model engineering.


Offline kitnut617

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #31 on: July 24, 2014, 07:30:21 AM »
Thanks guys --

Offline kitnut617

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #32 on: August 03, 2014, 10:53:43 PM »
Bit more progress (summer around the acreage is taking it's toll).

I've been working on the sponsons and front wheel bay, the replacement u/c gear is turning into a bit of a chore trying to make them work.  For some reason the parts have come out a bit smaller than the kit parts so I've had to do some modifications to them.  I decided to use some of the kit parts though, the 'U-Frames' because the metal parts are a bit too soft and bend to easily
« Last Edit: August 04, 2014, 08:08:42 AM by kitnut617 »

Offline kitnut617

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #33 on: August 03, 2014, 10:59:06 PM »
I'm also considering using the A400M tail-planes. after doing a comparison with the A310 tail-planes.  In the top pic it looks like the A400 ones are huge compared to the A310, that is until you overlay them, (second pic).  In the bottom pic I've penciled in the outline, on the right end is what I have to remove, and on the left end is what extra I have, so what I remove is about the same as what the extra is, so I end up with something just a bit bigger.  I think I'll go this way  --- means I'll have a more up-to-date tail-plane like the wing
« Last Edit: August 03, 2014, 11:00:49 PM by kitnut617 »

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #34 on: August 04, 2014, 02:06:45 AM »
summer around the acreage is taking it's toll.


I hear you brother!  It is winter here now so I get a rest from property maintenance.  It won't be long now before the summer rains and heat have me slaving away on the acreage though... :(
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Offline Weaver

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #35 on: August 04, 2014, 06:17:09 AM »
Just catching up with this: awesome project!

Another way to add weight to an already glued-up fuselage is to get 2mm steel shot (there's a modelling brand called Fluid Metal), dip each one in PVA, then put it in through a small hole and let it roll to the nose. Then, if you can, squirt some more PVA over the whole lot once they're in.
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Offline kitnut617

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #36 on: August 04, 2014, 08:18:30 AM »
Thanks guys --

Weaver, I'm going to go with pouring in some PVA glue onto the lump of lead already there (about 70 grams of it).  I'd heard about Gorilla Glue and I've bought a bottle of their PVA type.  Making up the u/c sponsons will determine where the nose gear bay goes, but it looks like it won't be far away from where the real A310 bay actually is, so until I get the hole for the bay cut out, I'll have to put up with the chunk rattling around for the moment.

Long time ago I used to use small lead shot, when my Dad had replaced a bunch of windows around the old house we lived in (in the UK), there were these ceramic pots inside the sash frame which were filled with it, these pots were counter-weights for the windows to make them easier to open and then keep them open.  Didn't bring any of it with me when I emigrated to Canada though and I had pounds of it back then.
« Last Edit: August 04, 2014, 08:20:14 AM by kitnut617 »

Offline kitnut617

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #37 on: August 21, 2014, 05:41:00 AM »
Then, if you can, squirt some more PVA over the whole lot.

That worked   :) :) :)

Offline Weaver

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #38 on: August 21, 2014, 09:21:52 AM »
Excellent!

I managed to glue a PM Messerschmidt P.1111 together without nose weight, but I got it in by dropping PVA-coated steel shot into the cockpit one-by-one and rolling them through the footwells and into the nose. Thank frak it didn't have a proper cockpit tub!
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Offline kitnut617

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #39 on: August 23, 2014, 04:08:29 AM »
So trying to track down where I can get some correct shade of blue paint, I found I could get it out of Toronto.  The problem is minimum order is for five gallons plus hardener  --- and it has to come from Europe -----  :o :-\ :-X

So that's down the drain as far as I'm concerned.

So I went on the internet and found a bunch of photos of Canadian North aircraft and after printing off half a dozen, sorted them out so the blue that was shown in the pics looked sort of like the real aircraft I'd seen at the airport.  Then went down to the General Paint store and went through all their colour chips until I found something quite close. But I still had to buy a quart of it ---- for 20 bucks though !

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #40 on: August 23, 2014, 04:09:48 AM »
The things we do for our hobby... :-\
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Offline kitnut617

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #41 on: August 28, 2014, 11:24:53 PM »
Well, after leaving the PVA glue in the fuselage to dry --- for a week -- I restarted the PSR process.  Only to find the PVA glue pouring out of the hole after I had left it for a few hours lying horizontally on the workbench.  So yesterday while the power company had our entire neighbourhood shut down while a drilling rig was moved into the field just to the north of us (the power lines had to be lifted off the utility poles so the assortment of vehicle could get under it), I left it out in the sun.  The temperature rose to 31C in the afternoon but on the deck it was a lot hotter as it is a natural sun trap there.  I'm hoping the glue is now dried so I can continue working on the project.

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #42 on: August 29, 2014, 03:41:48 AM »
Good luck, Robert! I share your pain with glue challenges. When I'm not busy CA'ing parts to my fingers, I'm making a diorama of Lake Elmer's all over the bench...

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Offline kitnut617

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #43 on: October 31, 2014, 04:33:35 AM »
Now the voting is over, could a Mod' please move my thread to 'Physical Builds-Aero'. 

My thanks to those who actually voted for this in-completed build --

Offline Madhatter

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #44 on: November 02, 2014, 07:09:58 AM »
I'm sorry I am late for the party, but I only just found this read.
All I can say is an echo of everyone else's views on the engineering you've achieved here. Just astounding! Can't wait to see the finished product
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Offline kitnut617

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #45 on: November 02, 2014, 07:42:33 AM »
I've every intension of finishing this project, it just had a few technical challenges which I hadn't foreseen -----

Online Kerick

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #46 on: November 02, 2014, 09:05:20 AM »
I know the feeling. Ain't it always like that?

Offline PR19_Kit

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #47 on: November 20, 2014, 07:33:35 PM »
I've every intension of finishing this project, it just had a few technical challenges which I hadn't foreseen -----

If it was easy everyone would be doing it Robert.  ;)
Regards
Kit

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Online ericr

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #48 on: April 03, 2019, 02:35:40 PM »
 :smiley:

Offline kitnut617

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Re: Airbus A310/A400 Un-prepared Airfield Airliner
« Reply #49 on: April 03, 2019, 10:15:26 PM »
Jon has given me the go-ahead to continue with this project which got stalled a long time ago. Thanks Jon   :smiley:

So, to start again with, an up-to-date pic of the bits is in order I think