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Post by mstokes on Feb 2, 2009 16:40:37 GMT 12
Hi all, After close to 100 hrs of scratchbuilding, mould making and vac forming, I have finally got my Fu-24 fletchers fuselage into some sort of recognisable shape. I have tried to detail everything to the best of my memory and pictures and have Dad's old machine BOF looking pretty right in terms of the cockpit and fuselage shape. BOF from memory had a few alterations and was a bit of a hi-brid in terms of having some things like the dual seating fitted when we got her. The construction has taken a while as I have had to build a vacformer, moulds and all the details inside by scratch. Part of this is to help develop my own modelling skills but to also try and establish a way in which I might be able to put the model into kit production so to speak. The moulds have been designed so that different cowls can be put on the front, essentially making it easy to change models. I am having a meeting with a mate in Rotorua with a laser cutter towards th middle of this year to see if we can make this into an 'easy' vac form kit. However, I have a feeling it will still take a bit of effort to get into a plausible looking model. I hope you enjou, this will be a very long progress as I still have to mould the wings, which starts tomorrow! Overall top view of the fuselage Cockpit view including scratch built instrument panel made with transparency covered by a plastic panel, switches and fuel gauges. Hopper has been moulded as well but waste of time really as little can be seen! Into the cockpit, side detail including scratch built throttle, trim, side detail, hopper lever, flap lever, seats and seatbelts Fuselage, nose cowl with scratchbuilt continental motor and the moulds which were vac formed Nose cowl tacked on front for image sake. A lot of a lot of a lot of weight sitting in here! And in case you haven't seen it, what I hope the final model to look like!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 2, 2009 16:47:20 GMT 12
That's looking great!
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Post by 30sqnatc on Feb 2, 2009 17:20:04 GMT 12
Easy kit yes please bring it on.
Paul
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Post by ZacYates on Feb 2, 2009 17:25:48 GMT 12
Good stuff Mike! Don't forget - I want one of the kits, preferably a 400 Superb work so far!
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Post by mstokes on Feb 2, 2009 17:30:15 GMT 12
Cheers Zac! I suspected the 400 would be the favourite, well it is mine too but BOF has a special place so she got the nod.
Will let you know how I go, if the laser cutter can cut the bulkheads it will save everyone a lot and make it very easy to square everything up... the biggest challenge I have found thus far
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Post by 30sqnatc on Feb 2, 2009 19:54:05 GMT 12
Will let you know how I go, if the laser cutter can cut the bulkheads it will save everyone a lot and make it very easy to square everything up... the biggest challenge I have found thus far Oh no, now your going to take all the fun out of it ;D Oh OK shaped bulkheads will be OK. Paul
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Post by agalbraith on Feb 10, 2009 19:16:00 GMT 12
That is fantastic indeed!!!
I have always had a soft spot for cropdusters, especially the fletcher.
If you do produce some parts, I would love to buy some off you as I have often thought of building this plane (after my 32nd BK 117 perhaps??)
Thanks for the update, she looks magnificant.
Cheers Anthony
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Post by ZacYates on Feb 18, 2009 17:43:52 GMT 12
BUMP!
What's the latest progress, Mike?
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Post by mstokes on Feb 19, 2009 18:21:39 GMT 12
Hi Zac,
I am currently working on the wings at the moment, the left wing is skinned and the right wings has the skin underneath done but not the top. I will have to make the control surfaces (Flaps and Ailerons)seperately. I will try and get some photos tonight once I have cleaned them up a bit.
Still have to figure out how to construct the tail plane and rudder...
Scratch building fun and games! Will aim to put pictures up tomorrow
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Post by agalbraith on Feb 20, 2009 18:13:11 GMT 12
Cool, cant wait to see more!
Cheers Anthony
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Post by mstokes on Feb 20, 2009 18:14:33 GMT 12
Will be about 15mins ;o)
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Post by mstokes on Feb 20, 2009 18:31:03 GMT 12
Well, grabbed the camera out today and took some snaps of my progress at the moment. THe wings were constructed using ribs in much the same manner as a balsa, radio control or even real wings. This is because I had to think of a way of constructing the skeleton before I could skin it. The eight degree rise of the outer wing also required some thinking to ensure that both wings were square, rigid and strong enough to take the models weight and main undercarriage. I used aluminiums tube which slots into the gap in the fuselage as seen before. For the outer wing, I constructed a plug using smaller tube at the eight degree angle which then slots into the bigger tube, ensuring that both sides match and also alleviating the headache of how to construct that part of the wing squarely if not on a flat surface. Completed wing with the to be constructed on below Illustration of the slot plug Skinned right wing and overview of the aircraft from behind X-ray camera... good illustration of the beef that will hold the main undercarriage. As insurance, I have gone with it will be overweight Inflight view... panel lines and riveting was done, but not many of the rivets show up once primed
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Post by ZacYates on Feb 20, 2009 19:10:33 GMT 12
I think I'm in love.
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Post by fletcherfu24 on Feb 20, 2009 19:16:18 GMT 12
With his hairy arm??.... ;D ;D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 20, 2009 20:43:17 GMT 12
Your Fletcher is looking superb Mike, you must be very pleased with it so far. Thanks for the update.
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Post by agalbraith on Feb 20, 2009 21:11:58 GMT 12
Wow, you sir are a craftsman!
Fantastic work indeed, she is looking awesome!
Cheers Anthony
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Post by ZacYates on Mar 13, 2009 6:32:11 GMT 12
Will the wing be in plan form, or are you going to be a kind fellow and make them vac too? As one of our 400s (EGK) departed for the South Island yesterday I thought I may see what the latest from Stokes Modelworks was....? Looking through The Topdressers 1990 the other day there's a LOT of BOF in there! And she's still around, according to CAA...
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Post by mstokes on Mar 13, 2009 15:57:29 GMT 12
Cheers Zac, progress has been a bit slow at the moment with a lot of my time taken up with trying to find work. Even with a shortage of aircraft engineers in oz, most organisations are laying off apprentices and the like which must be likely to leave a huge gap in the industry in the future. Was EGK sold or was WAW doing the maintenance on her? There is a bloke in Oz trying to sell 3 fletchers at the moment, bet they go pretty cheap over here! On the 1990 topdressers, we actually lived in Te Awamutu at the time and my father knew Janic Geelen, so we got some exposure when the 1990 edition came out. Unfortunately, by then the rural downturn meant that the old man was flying in the Sudan, but it does provide some good memories. Stokes modelworks is eagerly trying to reengineer some of the stuff I have done so far. The vac form model using my current moulds is taking far too long and needs jigs constantly created to ensure it is all square! It is both a labour of love and sometimes frustration, the only things left to model now are the wing control surfaces, wing tips and hopper. I am hoping to have some lessons on resing casting in a few weeks that could solve the vac forming construction issues and delays. The wing at the moment does require the ribbing and so forth, yet if this could be done by laser cutter it would save a lot of time. Some more images below for your perusal. Not much progress as I am under commission at the moment to make a NZ Army Unimog, the Revell kit is left hand drive... I am having lots of fun changing that! This image shows the vac form as it comes off my home made forming machine. These are the top and bottoms off the elevator.
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Post by ZacYates on Mar 13, 2009 17:08:19 GMT 12
I don;t think EGK was sold, we gave her a new fin and she went off down south to work. Where, I don't know. But don't worry - CMK and EUH are still here, albeit in bits Nice to see the model coming along! Wish I could say there's a job here at WAW for you, but we're hard-pressed as it is.
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Post by mstokes on Mar 13, 2009 18:04:33 GMT 12
Mate that would be great if WAW ever had anything going, but I can understand the industry is tough at the moment and that with winter coming on, things will be tight. I actually got knocked back on the only job I got through a knock back on and was told that 'I need to learn a bit about aeroplanes first'. It seems that flying them, loading for the old man, building scale models and so forth means that I am very much ignorant about aircraft and how they operate It seems unless you have performed a four hour engine change on an A380, you don't know much I dear say I will end up in NZ again, I would even do my apprenticeship pro bono just to get a start! Back to the model, the fin on this was horrible to get right. I think the panel lines I have done are also a bit out, but I can live with that. If things are still quiet in September or whenever the NZ IPMS is on, I might try and bring her back then. see if I can get a guest slot or something! How is the OH6 coming along? Watched Capricorn One last night and saw them doing evil deeds, before they got shot down by a topdressing pilot Thought you might be getting close now. Is the Ceres done yet? I have some spare WAW decals for the 1/72 version I did if you want them.
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