Aeroclub Short 184

[Ross_Moorhouse]

I have reponed this as I would love to see jamo's finished job.

[jamo]

I was just about to ask you if it was possible to reopen this thread. My build is not finished yet - I moved house since my last update and the modelling room was the last one to get unpacked and organised but I have made some progress.

I am working on the paint job at present, and have decided on using WWI German Naval CDL from Misterkit. This is a paler finish than some other 184 models I have found on the Internet. My colour choice is based on a watercolour painted at Imbros in 1915 by Norman L Wilkinson titled 'Seaplanes at Kephalo' which I found in Alan Moorehead's book "Gallipoli". Curiously it shows the floats in grey not varnished ply.

All the photos in the Datafile show prominent dark ribs both on upper and lower surfaces. After pondering the best way to represent these I am using salmon-pink German rib tapes from Eagle Strike with a further coat of the Misterkit German Naval CDL over the top to soften the contrast a little. About half the rib decals are now on, what a time consuming exercise!

There is an unusual strut which pokes out each side of the rear fuselage - I believe this was to brace the wings when they were folded. I used some thin brass rod for this but care is necessary to ensure it is fitted symmetricly on both sides.

The radiator is a white metal casting with the same ribbed effect on all four sides. After studying the Datafile I think the left and right sides should be smooth not ribbed. The original was made up of metal plates running fore/aft which the pilot could almost see through if his head was correctly aligned. I am considering scratch building a replacement made up of thin brass sheets.

Another feature that needs to be represented is the lifting cables on the top of the centre section of the top wing. In the Datafile you can clearly see the cables 'sat up' like a pyramid, with a metal loop at the apex.

I am also working on the attachment wires for the torpedo, made up from some fine copper wire and some PE turnbuckles leftover from Part's Gotha set.

Does anyone have any suggestions for representing a propellor at top revs? I have thought of two options: 1) using just a round prop hub and no blades, or 2) taking a circle of clear plastic, spraying a mist of matt varnish then a light spray of brown where the blades would be. Comments anyone?

I want to mount the plane on a seawater base, up 'on the step' with the rear float out of the water, about to lift off. There are some good ideas on how to do the prop wash & wake from a recent naval article in Fine Scale Modeler - more on this later.

Tomorrow I will take some pics of the build so far and post them.

[jamo]

Here is a pic of the water colour by Norman Wilkinson that appeared in Moorehead's Gallipoli, and also some build shots. Wilkinson's painting is interesting as it was painted by someone actually there, in some detail.

I am still struggling with digital photography and ideally I would have found a way of making the images larger within the 50kb ceiling.

[jamo]

Annual club modelling competition tomorrow. I have been slaving over the Short for the last two weeks trying to get her finished in time. I counted up the individual rib tape decals: 312 (and many of these wrapped around both upper and lower surfaces of each wing). Because I separated the ailerons and decalled them separately from the wings, I found when I reattached them that about 30 of the aileron rib tapes were misaligned and had to be redone.

I also counted up the individual rigging and control wires that I glued on: 175 pieces of 0.005" stainless steel wire each carefully measured and cut.

I had a lot of angst doing the sea scene because I had committed myself by gluing the model onto the base at the outset and this was my first time using these materials and technique. High risk.

Next model is a vac 1/72 Lohner seaplane from Wings. . .

[jamo]

I will write a few more comments concerning the build tomorrow. Suffice to say, it is not for the faint hearted, but a lovely kit for those willing to put in the effort. I would like to do another one, a bomb carrier with Scarf MG mounting, maybe with one wing folded and a bunch of RNAS officers standing around . . .

[jamo]

Some of the pics I posted look better if you use the View Full Screen option. Not sure whats the reason behind that.

[Ross_Moorhouse]

Drop dead fantasic mate... I love the spray effect.

Holy moley jamo! That is one exquisite build dio there! If that doesn't bring you home a ribbon or a cup, the judges are blind!

Best of luck!
Brian da Basher

[John Masters]

Stunning work. That is a superb job on that build. Tell me, how do you work with 'water'? I am planning something similar for my Sopwith Baby, and the 'water' diorama is a new one for me. The 'spray' and 'wake' look like cotton wool. How did you create the wave effects?


From the Factory on the hill,
John Masters

[jamo]

Thanks guys for the kind words!

Have look here for a really brilliant seaborne diorama:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/threa...6quot%3BLand+t

Just like in the website above, I used a white abrasive pad from a kitchen scrubber that is made with two materials (the other material in the scrubber is ordinary plastic foam which I threw away). I cut the white material into strips and pulled it apart a bit with my fingers, then used CA glue to attach it to the base.

The key step is then to paint on an acrylic gel gloss coat. I used a product called Mod Podge that craft shops stock (mostly for decoupage). It dries rock hard, not at all like cotton wool.

The sea base uses slightly crumpled kitchen foil, painted blue, then coated with 2-3 heavy coats of the Mod Podge. It goes down white but dries completely clear, and softens the sharp edges of the aluminium foil. I made two rectangular holes in the foil where the floats would fit in. Next time I would try for a darker blue, but I rationalise the current colour by saying it is meant to be the brilliant blue of the Greek isles (Gallipoli).

Happy Modelling!