Special Hobby Short Sunderland MR.5

[harrysone]

The Special Hobby Short Sunderland MR.5 kit can be built up as a great representation of the later Mk 5 Sunderland used by the RNZAF, provided that is you have lots of patience and prepared to build, or have the skills to tackle a typical low-run kit. The kit is extremely detailed, with detailed cockpit, folding tables, bunks and all sorts of details including decal exit signs on interior doors which you will likely never see again once you close the fuselage up!! Thirty two individual portholes needed to be installed individually into both fuselage halves, most of these did not initially fit and required sanding to correct!

Untitled by Harry Follas, on Flickr

Untitled by Harry Follas, on Flickr

Untitled by Harry Follas, on Flickr

Closing the fuselage up becomes a problem in itself, the two halves do not completely align. To do this you require gradual application of CA glue, clamping sections as you go as the two halves require continuous pressure to bring them together. I also found that I had issues getting the wings to align (the wings have interlocking spars which pass through the fuselage), I found you could attach one and then it was a game of blind-man's bluff to get the 2nd wing to align properly. When the wings were properly affixed, there was still a considerable seam between the fuselage and the wings that needed filling.

When it came to masking and painting, 10 of the 32 windows fell into the hull's interior while I was pulling the masks off ! These were subsequently replaced with Krystal Klear (wihich fortunately came up well).

In the finish, the model looks great it was decalled using the kit's stencils, Ventura Decal's roundels and 54" serial codes from the Old Models decal set for the Sunderland MR.5. I have finished it as NZ4113 "M" the one which almost 'landed' at Wellington International Airport on the opening day on 29th October, 1959.

Untitled by Harry Follas, on Flickr

Untitled by Harry Follas, on Flickr

Untitled by Harry Follas, on Flickr

Untitled by Harry Follas, on Flickr

Untitled by Harry Follas, on Flickr

Untitled by Harry Follas, on Flickr

[Antonio]

New meaning to the saying "Whatever floats yer boat"  
Awesome

[davidd]

Looks mighty good to me! Glad that the Mk. 5 and MR 5 designations came out right (sort of), but then the initial "Mr. 5" kind of spoiled it all! The major problem with installing the wing "roots" deep inside fuselage sounds like a proper stinker, someone will have to design a proper strong "tang" for one wing inner stub on the one side, and a wider "throat from other with sufficient overlap to give a decent strong joint. Hesitate to suggest any quick fix for that major L fuselage/R fuselage joint! Employ midgets maybe?

[johnnyfalcon]

That is a stunning example, Harry! Wow!

[tbf2504]

I note that you have painted the beaching gear red. From my research there appears over time that the beaching gear was painted different colours. In a painting by Maurice Conly of a Sunderland having a major maintenance check at LB the starboard main beaching gear is painted green. I believe that initially the main gears were painted green and red (port and starboard, perhaps to make it easier to see which went where?) In later photographs of Sunderlands at HB and the one at MOTAT all parts of the beaching gear are painted gull grey.

[Dave Homewood]

Absolutely lovely job, Harry!

[harrysone]

Sept 21, 2024 11:45:13 GMT 12 tbf2504 said:

I note that you have painted the beaching gear red. From my research there appears over time that the beaching gear was painted different colours. In a painting by Maurice Conly of a Sunderland having a major maintenance check at LB the starboard main beaching gear is painted green. I believe that initially the main gears were painted green and red (port and starboard, perhaps to make it easier to see which went where?) In later photographs of Sunderlands at HB and the one at MOTAT all parts of the beaching gear are painted gull grey.

Hahah...I've modeled the Sunderland Vs a few times over the years..it seems every photo you see of them the beaching gear is painted differently, I've previously done the red/green combination however I've also seen a photo with two reds! It seems the RAF and French boats had red gear (although some had yellow) in the 50's so I stayed with all red

[tbf2504]

Yep, nothing is standard in the world of aviation. A superb model, and lots of hours making it look terrific. Well done!

[planecrazy]

What a great model, lovely job, one thing that's a pity all that interior detail hidden away,
also the exhausts are interesting, always thought the Sunderlands with Pratt and Whitney
engines had round exhausts.


Here's a red beaching dolly.

[harrysone]

Sept 21, 2024 18:58:34 GMT 12 planecrazy said:

What a great model, lovely job, one thing that's a pity all that interior detail hidden away,
also the exhausts are interesting, always thought the Sunderlands with Pratt and Whitney
engines had round exhausts.


Here's a red beaching dolly.

Yep, unfortunately those were only exhausts boxed with the model, I gather RAF examples may have had different fittings. Another issue with the model (I only found out after painting it) are two extra windows behind the cockpit glazing on the stbd side (a total of 3, the MR.5 only had one)

[Mustang51]

Its brilliant

[tbf2504]

There are photos on the air force museum photographic collection of one of our Sunderlands with the fluted exhaust