SPA Modeler

Thanks guys!

Here is one of the underwing drop tanks. Pretty sparse attachment detail, which normally would not be an issue but since the pylons are actually clear, some fuel connection lines might be needed.



Using what few references, I could find, I fashioned some fuel hoses using copper wire. No room to route the lines around the rear attachment point so I drilled a hole through it.


Not perfectly accurate but it's an improvement.


Futzing around with the still detached nose section, I thought that the kit part for the radiator exit flap actuator was way too thick and I also didn't like how far open it held the flap.


So I am going to substitute a thinner brass tube and shorten it so the flap is not open so wide.


There is also some sort of straight antenna on the belly that looks too thick to me. Haven't found a suitable replacement yet but it will be replaced.


Was it normally painted yellow?


I finally glued the upper wings to the lower wing section, making sure I lopped on some tube glue along the top edges of the wheel well walls to get them to seat properly. I also remembered to put in the dual lens wing light. Some time will be spent cleaning up the joints but it's a good step forward.

John I'm wondering if that antenna was painted so nobody would bump into it. That pic looks like its from a museum with all the jets in the background

The drop tank pylon was actually clear? Nice work on the details.

tempestjohnny wrote:John I'm wondering if that antenna was painted so nobody would bump into it. That pic looks like its from a museum with all the jets in the background

Good eye, Johnny! Yes, this was a restored Tempest in a museum and from what I've learned, the yellow is a modern thing to keep people from bumping into it.

Medicman71 wrote:The drop tank pylon was actually clear? Nice work on the details.

Yes, clear! So the crew could see the fasteners attaching the tanks to the wings.


I've been cleaning up the wings and with that almost done, I tried another dry-fit of the engine-bearing front fuselage. The engine bulkhead has two supporting posts that I glued in and they really help keep it upright in the correct position.


The fit isn't great but it's getting better as the big assemblies get permanently attached with glue.



There are some gaps that worry me because I need every inch of contact area to make a solid join but I'm feeling better about it.



I think I'm getting a little anhedral on the wings so I'll see if I can make some sanding adjustments to make sure the wing bottoms are flat.


Since the flaps are already painted and the fit looks ok, I think I'm going to attach them after all of the major painting is done. It will save on some masking and reduce the potential for damage.

Just a few updates before I jump to the engine. Here is one of the wing tip lights. The clear parts have an annoying sink mark/bubble in the middle of each that I can't really do anything about. When trimming the opening, I cut away too much and had to replace some material with sheet plastic.


I trimmed some of the wing/fuselage contact areas to make sure that the fuselage is not pushing the wings outward, creating an unintended anhedral in the wings. Since the cross section tapers uniformly from wing root to wing tip, the zero angle on the bottom means that the top of the wings slope downward slightly, giving the impression of anhedral. I can fix the wing bottoms but not the wing tops, unfortunately.



Added some fitting shims to increase contact area of the wing/fuselage joints. Dry-fitting the flaps has revealed a previously undetected issue... the rear corners of the cockpit cage interfere with the corners of the upper wing flaps. Some surgery is going to be required.



That's it for now... next update we'll have a closer look at the resin engine components.

Ok, let's jump over to the engine now! The Napier Sabre engine is beautifully cast by CMK and is almost a model by itself with many parts.


Technically, it is not the full engine and displays a top 3/4 view of the engine from above. There is also a full engine for the Tempest offered by CMK for the more ambitious. One of the earlier things I've done is to replace some of the molded ignition wiring with copper wires. You can also see the support arms on the engine bulkhead that help it stand in place.


The bulkhead had some small resin latches and wiring added per the instructions.


This is the most complicated sub--assembly that goes on top rear of the engine.


Slowly, the individual components of the engine are added. Most of the larger parts have keyed attachment tabs that make for a positive fit.



I am taking a pause here. There are more parts to add but they are mostly hydraulic or electrical lines. The rear bulkhead is a key connection point to the fuselage so I am trying to plan the construction order in terms of painting and assembly. Do I put paint on the engine now and then add the hydraulic lines and wiring afterwards? Or do I assemble it completely and paint afterwards?



The exhausts are obviously an important component of the engine. Based on the instructions, I think I'll have to cut each pair of exhaust stacks from their casting blocks and attach them individually. So it would be easier to paint them now and glue them in later.


The exhausts were first given a coat of Alclad Steel straight onto the resin without a black base coat.


I then give a light coat of Alclad Exhaust Manifold, which gives the exhausts a nice burnt brownish tone.


I mixed up a combination of Tamiya Flat Red and Flat Red Brown to create a rusty shade and used that to dry brush onto the exhausts.



Finally, I use my airbrush and shoot a highly thinned black mixture up into and around the exhaust openings, isolating each individual exhaust with a Post-It.


After the paint dries, I'll cut the exhausts from the casting block and give them a test fit. I need to see how the exhaust tips fit in relation to the corresponding openings in the nose part.

Man that engine is one intricate beauty! I do love the level of detail that can modeled in 1/32.

The exhaust stacks are looking mighty good John.

Wow! It almost looks like that engine will run! Brilliant realism there John! I love the exhaust stacks as well; I am taking notes to see how to closely replicate that look in 1/72 scale.

Man that's nice! Those exhausts are incredible!