Curtiss SBC-4 Helldiver
Hozzászólások
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Nice start! I have the Heller kit, along with the Starfighter cockpit, decals, and other goodies. One of these days!
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That´s an amazing result for that old kit! Thanks for sharing your efforts and the beautiful end result! 🙂
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Thank you very much gentlemen. Bill, hope you are well! This is a build I have completed over three years between 2012 and 2015. So, this album and the associated narrative is in a way a "nostalgia" post. It was a very frustrating build, as I made many mistakes (I was returning to the hobby at the time and probably bit more than I could chew 😄 ). The model looks much better from a distance (in a dark, with your eyes squinted, having a few beers helps too 🙂 ).
If you have looked at the album prior to this post, it's possible some of the pics and narrative were not yet uploaded to Scalemates. I wish we had the ability to keep the album from appearing in the feed until we were ready to publish it, instead of it being done automatically. It sure would avoid confusion. I'll suggest it to Tim...
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Simply amazing Alec! Old kit, small scale, rigging... Just a awesome result mate 👍
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I feel your pain with the top wing not sitting properly. Happened to me as well. Luckily my struts were flexible enough, so I was able to adjust them for final gluing. 👍
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Thanks guys 👍
@Erik: The rigging with EZ line was a pain. Still on the fence if the fact it stretches is good or bad. Will have to make a call soon on whether to use it again or not, as I am nearing rigging my B-21 😄
@David: Yeah, that almost sent me over the railing. I must have screwed up something when I modified the struts, or my jig had too much play in it, dunno. It turned out ok. I logged some perseverance points on that one... 😛 I am thinking leaving all struts until final assembly (post-paint) is a way to go, but that's often not an option.
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@Alec K: In my case I just used masking tape, so when it was off, I just blamed myself for not being precise enough. Your jig looks pretty bulletproof, so I was surprised with such misalignment. It almost looked like something warped. What looked too harsh to me was using those rubber bands. What was the tension on those? Could they be the culprit of the final misalignment?
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I think you are right, there was probably too much tension. I probably should have kept the model right side up, but then seeing the connecting points was more difficult. Live/model and learn😉
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Great Result Alec! Love this plane and you made quiet the best out of this old Kit... If it weren't about the rigging i would have started mine ages ago 🙂
Your efforts was all worth it ...Congrats mate
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Thanks guys! An older build, but I still like it. @Daniel: I must say that I dread rigging, and have not really figured out yet how to best do it in 1:72 scale. But biplanes are just too beautiful to not give it a try 👍 🙂
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It's always good to see old Matchbox kits treated with so much finesse!
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Congratulations to the beautiful Curtiss SBC-4 , I'm the Yellow Wing fan, but to conjure that from the Old Matchbox 👍 👍 👍
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Thanks mates, your comments are much appreciated. It's an older build, but I still like it, sans the tears that went with it😉
Album info
I started this build as a "quick and easy" project to be completed in few months. In the event, it turned out to be one of my longest and most detailed attempts yet. I should have known better: there is nothing "quick and easy" about an old Matchbox kit. I think of this build as a test bed, as I tried many techniques new to my skills bag, and performed several spectacular screw-ups in the process.
The kit is an old Matchbox Nr. PK-35, and a true veteran of my stash. When I purchased this kit at a department store, I failed to realize it was a return from an enterprising modeler. Maybe the crumpled, taped-over box should have been a clue?? It turned out the box was missing the decals as well as the instructions. Only well into the build did I realize that the front windshield was gone as well! So, I bought another used kit (missing one lower wing) on Ebay to complete my original kit. As Forrest Gump would say, "stupid is as stupid does..."