Simon's Cat(alina)

[Robomog]

Hi all

Just a place marker for the moment.

As you can guess this will feature a PBY Catalina (very floaty) but as it will require a unique paint scheme that I (sorta) have in my head it will be crucial that I get to grips with manufacturing my own decals if this is going to be a goer. I will be using the Fairey Gannett in the Beasts of Burden GB as a prototype.

Of course if everything goes mammaries up, I can always do an OOB build but that won't be quite so much fun so I need to finish the Gannett before I start this one.

More when it happens (eventually)...................


Mog
>^-.-^<

[Old Wombat]

 

[Robomog]

Ok Chaps finally got to start this one.

After the success of producing decals for the Waterbombing Gannet this ones a goer

Here is the base kit, The 1987 Boxing of the Airfix Catalina.

by Robomog, on Flickr

Its quite old and the plastic feels waxy and brittle. There is a bit of flash and a fair few sink holes and ejector marks also some of the larger parts appear warped  but this is not suprising the mould is dated 1964 ! (and more amazingly it looks this kit was still in production in 2008 !)

I'm going to convert this aircraft into a fictional civilian air tour Catalina so i have purchased some aftermarket transparencies, the intention being that the civilian conversion included replacing the existing canopies with "frame less" plastic equivalents for better sight seeing. However the vac-form canopies are of very high quality and  include the framing faintly etched in as a guide, so i have shot myself in the foot slightly. However i will explain this away as clear plastic reinforcement to make the canopies/blisters more robust. 

I have not quite decided what to do with the front turret, it will either be a fighter type canopy faired into the fuselage or the Vac-form replacement turret canopy used front to back to give a clear lookout.   

As you can see below construction has started, fit is not brilliant but considering the age of the kit not unsurprising, the only other really old kit in my stash at the moment is a Rotodyne and i imagine the fit on that will be iffy as well, cant decide what to do with that kit yet as all the ideas i have had for it have already been done. You can see the frame detail in the vac-form canopies.

by Robomog, on Flickr


The interior detail of this kit is pretty spartan and I rarely super detail cockpits at this scale because you generally can't see much once the canopy is on, but as I am replacing the existing glass with new and very clear aftermarket parts I will have to make the effort.

Below I have started the process, my bulkhead skills have improved somewhat. I will be putting some detail into the rear compartment, the cockpit and the forward gun turret.

by Robomog, on Flickr



More as it happens............

Thanks for looking.


Mog
>^-.-^<

[Old Wombat]

 

[GTX_Admin]

Some inspiration:  http://www.michaelprophet.com/News_articles/PeterStuyv.html

[apophenia]

Okay, now I've got a Catalina/Rotodyne mash-up stuck in my head!

[Robomog]

Thanks guys

GTX :-  Hmmmmm interesting article. Food for thought

Apophenia:- Halt, desist, whoa, stop ! that line of thought could cause injuries, including me ( thinks: a Catalina with a big rotor on top ? ........... aaaaaah !)


Mog
>^-.-^<

[jcf]

Okay, now I've got a Catalina/Rotodyne mash-up stuck in my head!

How about a Shagbat giro to go with? 

[Robomog]

That's doable, a Supermarine Walrus would make an ideal donor kit.

Nice spot 

Mog
>^-.-^<

[Brian da Basher]

I've got one of these in the pile I might get to in time with luck, so I'll be watching with interest where you take this one, Mog.

Your builds are always a treat to watch!

Brian da Basher

[Robomog]

Thanks Brian,

Be warned fit is not good, if the Cat had dihedral on its outer wings they would be a good fit, same if the floats were angled up. I am going to have to glue the floats in the up position as there are massive gaps around the pylons.

Fuselage actually fits ok but there is a pronounced ridge at the edges (probably due to the age of the mould) that has to go.

Also has rivet rash even for a non rivet counter, but looking closely the Cat is a bit knobbly so I will just reduce them a somewhat. Also the wing behind the centre spar is canvas covered, so all the rivets going to have to go from there.

I feel some unwanted PSR sessions coming on.

Minor update soon...........

Mog
>^-.-^<

[Robomog]

Hi All,  Minor update

I started work on rivet removal on the wings but got bored and moved to constructing some basic internal detail so the completed fuselage will not look quite so empty.

The bulkheads, seats and central walkway for the rear compartment are complete and I have started on the cockpit and bow compartment. Things are not quite adding up here location wise so i am going to have to wing it somewhat. Needless to say it may not be very accurate but will look good enough once the canopies are on.

by Robomog, on Flickr


Later in the evening Claude the cat stopped play.

by Robomog, on Flickr


More when it happens........

Mog
>^-.-^<

[Old Wombat]

 

[Robomog]

Hi all

Progress is slow but this has happened before, i'm getting carried away  with the internal detail.

The rear compartment is done and the cockpit is coming along nicely. Once all this is complete the rest should come together relatively quickly (famous last words  )

by Robomog, on Flickr

by Robomog, on Flickr

Iv'e constructed a seat on a pylon for the forward cockpit but it got cut off in the pic.

I have successfully de-riveted the trailing edges and reduced the rivet detail on the wings and fuselage so the construction of the wings can commence, fit is not good so much PSR envisaged.

more when it happens...…

thanks for looking.

Mog
>^-.-^<

[Brian da Basher]

Those are some amazing details, Mog!

I can only marvel at the infinite patience you must have to be able to do such incredible work!

Thanks for a great update!

Brian da Basher

[Robomog]

Hi all

Had an unprecedented night modeling, all the internal details are complete and ready to install,  most of the night was taken up installing the nose weights.

The Airfix Catalina was designed to sit on an access ladder and not have any nose weight. This is understandable but I wanted to ditch the ladder so that it didn't  spoil the graceful lines of the Cat. As a result I've set myself up for a bit of pain, because as you know the Cat has a huge long tail and the main undercarriage is set  quite forward.

by Robomog, on Flickr

The packet on the right is a mixed batch of lead fishing weights and steel  bearings that I have estimated will keep the nose wheel on the ground. To get as much weight as forward as possible I am going to stick some of these under the cockpit floor.

The remainder of the weights I have stuck with superglue in two plastic boxes behind the rear cockpit bulkhead

by Robomog, on Flickr

Whilst all that was drying I have assembled the wings.

by Robomog, on Flickr

Although the fit was a little loose these went together suprisingly well, there will be a minimal amount of filler, I had more trouble fitting the wing tip floats.

I probably  could have closed up the fuselage but decided to step away for 12 hours to give the superglue a chance to gas out, somebody recent ly had their cockpit glass frosted and ruined by the superglue fumes (but made an excellent recovery incidentally) so I wasn't going to take any chances.

That's the progress so far, hopefully I should get the fuselage together in the next session......

Thanks for looking....

Mog
>^-.-^<

[Brian da Basher]

Now that looks like some very serious modeling indeed, Mog!

I'm terrible about remembering things like nose weights (my schnozz is heavy enough, thank you) so I tip my hat to your efforts.

Very wise waiting for the glue to out-gas. I never regret taking the extra time and wish I did more often.

Anticipating the next update,

Brian da Basher

[Robomog]

Thanks Brian, 

all systems stopped at the moment workplace has changed location and timings so getting nothing done during the week (don't you just hate it when the real world gets in the way !), roll on the weekend.

Mog
>^-.-^<

[Brian da Basher]

Thanks Brian, 

all systems stopped at the moment workplace has changed location and timings so getting nothing done during the week (don't you just hate it when the real world gets in the way !), roll on the weekend.

Mog
>^-.-^<

Ugh I know what you mean, Mog. I once came this close to sending my boss a very sternly worded e-mail informing him that he was seriously infringing on my bench time.

Hope to see you back at it when things calm down.

Brian da Basher

[Robomog]

Made some serious progress over the weekend,  the baulkheads have been installed and the fuselage closed up.

by Robomog, on Flickr

by Robomog, on Flickr


The fit of the fuselage parts is appalling, this kit is really showing its age  (new tool Airfix ?  hint hint), it wasn't  helped when I realised the nose undercarriage leg had dropped out when I was assembling and had to pull it apart again, also the control panel was way too big and clashed with the new floor,. Having pulled it out I tried to cut it to a better size but it was brittle and shattered. In the end I fashioned a new part from plastic card and placed it position through the front gun turret opening, very fiddly. I decorated it later in situ when the glue had dried.

That done I found I had missed one of the transparencies at the back, the lower gun position in the tail. Normally I could have installed this through the holes where the side gun turrets were but now there was a detailed bulkhead in the way. I had no choice but to split the rear fuselage and glue it into position as best I could. It's currently a little awry but I am gradually building up layers of Clearfix to level it off.

by Robomog, on Flickr

I tend to favour masking tape to hold bits together and use clips where extra pressure is needed, but this plane is so curvy most of the clips pinged off.


by Robomog, on Flickr

by Robomog, on Flickr

You can see here how bad the fit was by the amount of filler required. The pylon had a distinct step which I have levelled out with some thin plastic card.

More when it happens

Thanks for looking...............

Mog
>^-.-^<

[Old Wombat]

Looks like this is being one of those builds!


Good to see you persevering!

[Robomog]

Thanks OW,

When I finish this one it will be far from perfect (even by my shaky standards),  but I am determined to make it look good    

Mog
>^-.-^<

[Brian da Basher]

Sounds like a mighty save to me and kudos for being so quick-thinking, Mog!

I like your approach to the interior too.

Thanks for the update and sharing your eventful weekend at the bench with us.

Brian da Basher

[Robomog]

Thanks Brian,

Most of the major PSR is done now, the engines, rudder and tail planes are now in place and after a little filling and tarting up on those it's off to the spray booth.

Must start working on the decals too.

More soon...........

Mog
>^-.-^<

[Robomog]

Incidentally, I would like to give a shout out to this chap

http://www.ipmsdeutschland.de/Flugzeuge/Gaeste/Wolf_Catalina.html

The amount of detail he put into his model is amazing, way above what I could achieve, but nevertheless was really useful when I was detailing my Catalina.

Mog
>^-.-^<