DHC-6 Twin Otter Build Progress
Comments
22 25 April, 07:01
Harald BesoldVery nice progress so far. The most difficult part of this model is now done. Be careful with the windows, they fall inwards very easily. Have fun - I'm excited to see what it looks like when it's finished.
2 May, 10:01
littleblackbearThanks Harald, Robert!
The windows fit left a lot to be desired — as did the engine nacelles — but I've been treating this as a practice kit for seam filling & sanding, priming, windows, masking, etc.
For such a simple kit, it's provided a lot of opportunity to try out techniques and discover gotchas (like diluting PVA glue before using it to hold windows in place) before I make those mistakes on my Jayhawk build.
Always learning, always practicing! 😂
2 May, 19:14
Живко ДжаковI'm following. I have the same set and am also hoping to make it polar. The color is very interesting. I thought it was just red. What is it exactly?
3 May, 14:45
littleblackbearThe Caracal decal sheet — that has the British Antarctic Survey livery — has it listed as Signal Red. In their marking booklet it's very clearly an orange.
That said, after some research, the actual plane today is closer to a red with a tint of orange. I sprayed a black primer coat of Mr. Surfacer 1500, followed by masking and an undercoat of Vallejo orange. A top coat of Vallejo red came next. Gloss satin to lock it in. It matches the reference photos very closely.
I feel like I could write a book about the mistakes I've made and what I've learned on this build. I've been a bit loose and sloppy with this kit. Things like: not diluting PVA glue for the windows; a sandpaper paint texture with the airbrush (this one really frustrated me); sanding seams and losing detail; scribing slips; not giving paint and gloss coats enough cure time; putting down too much paint; and more.
This kit may fully end up on my shelf as a mule and reminder of the techniques and gotchas that I'll need later on other kits in my stash.
3 May, 17:10
littleblackbearAlas, I'm setting this project aside to focus on my Jayhawk build again, and admitting defeat after a few prep and paint snafus that caused me (maybe irrationally) to strip it down to plastic again. 🤦♂️
3 May, 23:44
littleblackbearIf anyone would like the decals I'd be happy to put them in the post. There is only one used/missing: the top wing VP-FAZ identification decal.
3 May, 23:46
Michael KohlSometimes those builds just need a little bit of shelftime before recovery. 🙂
Lack of shelftime is definitely nothing my builds can complain about. 😉
4 May, 11:26
Album info
A vanilla build—minus the livery—while I wait on some parts for another project. I don't typically do 1:72 bit I thought this would be a good (quick) build I could use to practice a few techniques.
