Piper L-4H, SMĚR 1:50 - Czechoslovak Air Force

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February 24, 2021
box
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February 24, 2021
kit contents
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February 24, 2021
the fuselage is short in 1:50 scale
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February 24, 2021
in the kit the fuselage narrows on the underside behind the cabin
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February 24, 2021
fuselage laid on a drawing in scale 1:48
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February 24, 2021
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February 24, 2021
wing laid on a drawing in scale 1:48
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February 24, 2021
fuselage laid on a drawing in scale 1:48
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February 24, 2021
a canvas is indicated on the entire surface of the model. Unfortunately, it is very rough and non-modeless
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February 25, 2021
I started by gluing parts which I will gradually modify
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February 25, 2021
The size of the control surfaces on the sash is bad. I glued a thin plastic stick into the grooves. Later I will sand the entire surface of the wing.
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February 26, 2021
To enlarge the wing to a scale of 1:48, I cut the wing and glued a 4 mm wide plastic prism into it. To increase the width of the wing, I glued a plastic strip to its edge. Then I let the glue dry.
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February 26, 2021
I sanded the wing with coarse sandpaper to get rid of the roughly marked canvas and ribs.
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February 26, 2021
I cut the glued front part of the fuselage lengthwise. To expand the front, I glued plastic wedges between the parts.
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February 26, 2021
I sealed the hole at the bottom with a plastic plate.
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February 26, 2021
Later I will make a new hole with the right shape.
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February 26, 2021
I cut off the front of the fuselage.
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February 26, 2021
Later, I will modify this cut part of the fuselage.
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February 26, 2021
I cut the tail rudder from the end of the fuselage and kept its fixed part. I threw away the rest of the original fuselage.
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February 28, 2021
From plastic plates with a thickness of 1 and 0.5 mm, I made a new hull in a scale of 1.48
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February 28, 2021
I used 1 mm thick boards for the lower part of the fuselage and the inner bulkhead in the rear part of the fuselage, I made the sides of the fuselage from a 0.5 mm plate. (the upper part of the rear of the fuselage is not finished yet)
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February 28, 2021
new fuselage laid on drawing 1:48 - side view
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February 28, 2021
new fuselage laid on drawing 1:48 - view from above
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February 28, 2021
I glued the upper part and the keel surface of the rudder to the fuselage
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February 28, 2021
for the wings, I honed the correct shape of the end arch
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February 28, 2021
wings laid on a drawing in scale 1:48
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March 2, 2021
I adjusted the instrument panel cover and I made a new fuel tank and glued it to the front of the fuselage cut from the original parts of the kit.
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March 2, 2021
I glued the modified front part to the newly made fuselage
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March 2, 2021
I painted the assembled fuselage with putty.
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March 2, 2021
After finishing the modification of the shape of the bow of the aircraft, I added all the holes to it
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March 2, 2021
Now I'm going to put putty on this part
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March 2, 2021
I made a new engine block
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March 2, 2021
I used the original engine cylinders from the kit. I just wrapped them in a thin wire to indicate the cooling fins
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March 2, 2021
I cut new horizontal tail surfaces and a moving part of the rudder from a 1 mm plastic plate
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March 11, 2021
I glued the engine block to the bow of the fuselage. I glued the nose with the engine to the fuselage.
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March 11, 2021
I glued the engine block to the bow of the fuselage. I glued the nose with the engine to the fuselage.
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March 11, 2021
I made a part of the tubular structure into the cockpit from wire.
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March 11, 2021
I made a part of the tubular structure into the cockpit from wire.
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March 11, 2021
At the stern of the fuselage, I made details from a thin plastic plate.
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March 11, 2021
I cut airelons from my wings
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March 11, 2021
I shortened the upper part of the cabin glazing. I cut off the upper part from the side windows and glued it to the upper part.
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March 11, 2021
I shortened the upper part of the cabin glazing. I cut off the upper part from the side windows and glued it to the upper part.
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March 11, 2021
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March 11, 2021
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March 11, 2021
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March 11, 2021
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March 11, 2021
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March 11, 2021
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March 11, 2021
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March 11, 2021
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March 11, 2021
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March 11, 2021
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March 11, 2021
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March 11, 2021
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March 13, 2021
The set contains only the basic equipment of the cockpit - seats and control levers. The seats are inaccurate. That's why I cut off my back and non-model plinths from them. I made a new backrest for the front seat. A wide strap suspended between the sides of the cab served as the backrest of the rear seat. (I will add it later). I glued the upholstery from a colored paper handkerchief to the modified seats.
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March 13, 2021
I made new side walls for both sides of the cockpit.
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March 13, 2021
I made new side walls for both sides of the cockpit.
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March 13, 2021
I started making a new floor in the cockpit.
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March 13, 2021
I made new control pedals from plastic rods pulled from plastic trees.
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March 20, 2021
I made cockpit control levers from thin copper wires. I made a ball at the end of the wire by melting the end of the wire over the flame of a gas stove.
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March 20, 2021
I glued struts and pedals to the front of the cockpit.
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March 20, 2021
I added details to the cockpit floor and painted everything.
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March 20, 2021
I made the backrest strap of the back seat from thin paper (paper handkerchief) and thin wire.
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March 20, 2021
I glued the assembled floor and small control levers to the cockpit.
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March 20, 2021
I glued the assembled floor and small control levers to the cockpit.
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March 20, 2021
I glued photo-etched belts from my supplies to the seats and glued the seats to the cockpit. Finally, I glued the strap - the back of the rear seat.
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March 20, 2021
I glued photo-etched belts from my supplies to the seats and glued the seats to the cockpit. Finally, I glued the strap - the back of the rear seat.
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March 20, 2021
I glued photo-etched belts from my supplies to the seats and glued the seats to the cockpit. Finally, I glued the strap - the back of the rear seat.
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March 20, 2021
In Inkscape, I painted the dashboard panel and printed it out.
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March 20, 2021
In Inkscape, I painted the dashboard panel and printed it out.
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March 20, 2021
The dashboard is in place.
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March 20, 2021
The dashboard is in place.
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March 20, 2021
The dashboard is in place.
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March 28, 2021
Assembly of the model without gluing for inspection
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March 28, 2021
I made a tubular structure in the cabin from a thin wire and a piece of plastic.
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March 28, 2021
I made a tubular structure in the cabin from a thin wire and a piece of plastic.
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March 28, 2021
I made a tubular structure in the cabin from a thin wire and a piece of plastic.
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March 28, 2021
I made a new cabin front window from a thin transparent foil.
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March 28, 2021
I made a new cabin front window from a thin transparent foil.
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March 28, 2021
I glued the new front window to the modified upper transparent part from the kit. I cut out the rest of the cabin glazing from a thin transparent foil. I bent the new part into the right shape.
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March 28, 2021
For testing, I assembled (without gluing) a new cabin on the fuselage.
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March 28, 2021
For testing, I assembled (without gluing) a new cabin on the fuselage.
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March 28, 2021
For testing, I assembled (without gluing) a new cabin on the fuselage.
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April 11, 2021
I made the rudder control levers from thin sheet metal.
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April 11, 2021
I made the airelerons control levers from thin sheet metal.
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April 11, 2021
I made and glued two drop-shaped protrusions to the underside of the fuselage.
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April 20, 2021
I added engine control levers and a window handle
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April 20, 2021
I added engine control levers and a window handle
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April 20, 2021
I placed a radio station in the space behind the back seat
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April 20, 2021
I made a control panel and headphones for the cabin. (The cabin glass is placed on the fuselage for illustration only. I will glue the cabin only after finishing the work on the cockpit.)
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April 20, 2021
I made a control panel and headphones for the cabin. (The cabin glass is placed on the fuselage for illustration only. I will glue the cabin only after finishing the work on the cockpit.)
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April 21, 2021
an antenna reel, antenna and power cable are added to the cockpit
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April 21, 2021
an antenna reel, antenna and power cable are added to the cockpit
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April 21, 2021
And a view with a "glass" cab cover.
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April 28, 2021
I glued the assembled cabin cover to the fuselage. The edge of the cab cover is not yet painted.
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April 28, 2021
I glued the assembled cabin cover to the fuselage. The edge of the cab cover is not yet painted.
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April 28, 2021
After spraying the model with silver paint, I glued the cylinders of the engine.
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April 28, 2021
The model is now ready for the application of spray masks.
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May 4, 2021
Nastříkal jsem červené části letadla a jeho kódová označení. Unfortunately, I sprayed too thick a layer of paint on the markings on the fuselage. When removing the mask, the white color of the hem of letters and numbers was damaged 🙁 I have to remove the damaged markings on the fuselage and do it again.
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April 28, 2021
After applying spray masks and masking tapes, I spray red distinguishing elements and matriculation marks.
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May 4, 2021
Nastříkal jsem červené části letadla a jeho kódová označení. Unfortunately, I sprayed too thick a layer of paint on the markings on the fuselage. When removing the mask, the white color of the hem of letters and numbers was damaged 🙁 I have to remove the damaged markings on the fuselage and do it again.
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May 4, 2021
I made new covers for the engine cylinder heads from a thin soft sheet (from an empty tube of salmon paste).
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May 4, 2021
I made new covers for the engine cylinder heads from a thin soft sheet (from an empty tube of salmon paste).
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May 4, 2021
I made new covers for the engine cylinder heads from a thin soft sheet (from an empty tube of salmon paste).
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May 4, 2021
I made new covers for the engine cylinder heads from a thin soft sheet (from an empty tube of salmon paste).
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May 4, 2021
I painted the engine cylinder covers and glued them to the bow.
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May 4, 2021
I added spark plugs to the front cylinder.
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May 4, 2021
On the side of the fuselage, I glued the painted door to the cabin in the open position.
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May 4, 2021
I removed the damaged markings on the fuselage and sprayed the fuselage again with silver paint.
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May 4, 2021
I removed the damaged markings on the fuselage and sprayed the fuselage again with silver paint.
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May 4, 2021
I glued a new mask to the fuselage. Everything is ready for the new sprayed brand. 🙂
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May 4, 2021
I glued a new mask to the fuselage. Everything is ready for the new sprayed brand. 🙂
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May 6, 2021
Repair of markings on the fuselage was successful 🙂
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May 6, 2021
I supplemented the reinforcing wire of the tail surfaces.
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May 6, 2021
I glued the tail surfaces.
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May 12, 2021
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May 12, 2021
I glued my wings. To maintain the correct geometry of the model, I placed the model in the stand.
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May 12, 2021
I added the valve rods to the engine.
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May 12, 2021
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May 12, 2021
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May 12, 2021
From the 3 mm wide masking tape, I made cover plates between the cabin and the wing.
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May 12, 2021
I glued the top half of the cabin door.
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May 12, 2021
I made the propeller from a popsicle wand. I'll make the metal center later.
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May 14, 2021
Semi-finished product of the future wheel of the main chassis. The wheel is glued from 4 wheels cut from a 1 mm thick plastic plate.
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May 14, 2021
The new bike is almost done. It remains from the outside to seal the hole in its center and paint the wheel.
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June 6, 2021
I cut thin strips into struts from a 0.5 mm plastic plate. I sharpened the edges on the struts.
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June 6, 2021
I ground the ends of the struts into a shape according to drawing.
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June 6, 2021
I made the attachment for the struts on the wings and fuselage from the sheet metal of a beer can.
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June 6, 2021
I cut the pulley for the steering cable from a round plastic rod, I made the pulley and control cable holder from a thin wire. I flattened the wire with a hammer.
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June 6, 2021
The strut holders have not yet been painted and the control cable has not yet been glued to the sash.
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July 11, 2021
The wing struts are complete
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July 11, 2021
The main (long) struts are made of a 0.5 mm plastic plate, the auxiliary struts are made of hard wire
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July 11, 2021
The main (long) struts are made of a 0.5 mm plastic plate, the auxiliary struts are made of hard wire
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July 11, 2021
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July 11, 2021
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July 11, 2021
I added pulleys and control cables for the control surfaces to the front struts. I added wires to the wings to control the control surfaces of the aircraft
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July 11, 2021
I added wires to the wings to control the control surfaces of the aircraft
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July 16, 2021
New rear wheel
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July 16, 2021
New rear wheel
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July 16, 2021
The new rear wheel is glued in place
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July 16, 2021
The new rear wheel is glued in place
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July 16, 2021
New parts of the main landing gear
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July 16, 2021
New parts of the main landing gear
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July 16, 2021
The strut of the main landing gear is painted.
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July 16, 2021
Main landing gear holders on the underside of the fuselage.
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July 17, 2021
the main landing gear is ready
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July 17, 2021
the main landing gear is ready
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July 17, 2021
the main landing gear is ready

Comments

40 24 February 2021, 21:17

Alex K
Will follow with great interest.

25 February 2021, 00:37

Ludvík Kružík
I started building a kit. 🙂

25 February 2021, 22:06

Boris B
I have a Free French L4 build in my projects based on the same kit. Your build looks very promising so far. I will definitely follow it !

26 February 2021, 22:24

Ludvík Kružík
Today I made a new fuselage and modified the shape of the wings.

28 February 2021, 23:29

Sergej I
Amazing, rescaling and scratch made add-ons, following with great interest! 👍

3 March 2021, 15:38

Gordon Sørensen
Great scratchbuild work on the Cub! Not sure how much of the original kit you are actually going use...

3 March 2021, 15:50

Ludvík Kružík
So far, I used the wings, the front of the fuselage and the fixed part of the rudder from the original kit ... and engine cylinders. 🙂

3 March 2021, 23:53

Boris B
Did you look at the HobbyCraft kit ? It should be closer to scale, even if it would need modifications too.

4 March 2021, 12:21

Alec K
Jó, tak to je Směrovská klasika (nebo snad Hellerovská?) 👍

4 March 2021, 15:51

Ludvík Kružík
to Boris Belay:
I chose the Směr kit because I have it available. The main reason why I chose this kit was that I participated with it in the group construction of Směr Kits at the Czech Modelforum. The condition for participation is the construction of any kit of the Směr brand. The scope of adjustments is not limited. 🙂

5 March 2021, 11:23

Ludvík Kružík
to Alec K:
Yes it's right. The Piper kit is a cover of the Heller kit with new decals for the Czech versions.

5 March 2021, 11:29

Ludvík Kružík
Piper's adjustments continue. I added details to the surface of the fuselage and wings and sprayed everything with surfacer.

12 March 2021, 10:19

Dietmar Bogatzki
Fantastic job, Ludvik nearly the whole Plane scratchbuild 👍 👍

12 March 2021, 11:52

Alec K
Wow, this is very good work indeed, a superb kit correction with some serious scratch building. I really like the surface detail work (ribs etc) 👍

12 March 2021, 12:53

Ludvík Kružík
Thanks to all! I really enjoy building these old kits.

13 March 2021, 11:06

scalemates
nice 🙂

13 March 2021, 11:42

Ludvík Kružík
Another small progress on the cockpit of Piper ...

20 March 2021, 14:44

Dietmar Bogatzki
👍 👍 👍

21 March 2021, 09:04

Ben M
I see you enjoy a challenge; nice scratchbuilding!

28 March 2021, 21:16

Ludvík Kružík
Yes it's right. I like modifications of old kits. It's the right modeling for me, which brings me joy 🙂

28 March 2021, 21:33

Alec K
Coming along great 👍. Cool modeling stand - is that commercially available?

29 March 2021, 12:20

Ludvík Kružík
Thank you, Alec 🙂
The model stand is made by one modeler in the Czech Republic in his free time. I discovered the stand on the website of the Czech Modelforum. I am attaching a link to these pages here: modelforum.cz/viewto..?f=1016&t=136206
At this link it is possible to get more information about this modeling stand and agree on the production and delivery of the stand directly with the manufacturer.

29 March 2021, 21:26

Alec K
Very cool, thanks much for the info 👍

31 March 2021, 01:55

Ludvík Kružík
You're welcome

2 April 2021, 11:10

Ludvík Kružík
A small shift in work on Piper. I continue to produce small details. I added some pictures to the photo album.

11 April 2021, 19:54

Boris B
Very nice detailed work ! I will keep your build as a reference (even if personnaly I don't mind building a 1/50 scale kit instead ot 1/48). Very nice techniques for scratch-building.

13 April 2021, 11:05

Ludvík Kružík
If the kit was without big mistakes, I wouldn't mind the 1:50 scale too much. But there are so many things to fix that adjusting to a 1:48 scale isn't that much extra work. :-D

13 April 2021, 19:32

Ludvík Kružík
After a short break, I continue working on Piper again. 🙂

20 April 2021, 21:32

Ludvík Kružík
Another small shift 🙂

28 April 2021, 19:09

Erik Leijdens
Amazing scratching Ludvík!

28 April 2021, 19:17

Alec K
Už se z toho klube opravdový éro 😄 👍

28 April 2021, 23:32

Ludvík Kružík
To Alec K:
There will be something to it. When I put the finished parts together without sticking together, it starts to look like Piper. 🙂

29 April 2021, 20:42

Ludvík Kružík
There was a small problem with spraying letters and numbers on the side of the plane, but I'm already working on fixing it.

4 May 2021, 19:16

Alec K
Those engine cover are genius! Rotten luck on those numbers, but looks like you are on the road to recovery 😉

5 May 2021, 12:57

Ludvík Kružík
Repair of markings on the fuselage was successful 🙂 After repairing the marking, I continued to work on the tail surfaces ...

6 May 2021, 19:40

Alec K
It's coming together well Ludvíku. I love that engine detail and the prop 👍

14 May 2021, 11:31

Gordon Sørensen
Great detail, Ludvik! I like the open window and the handles!

14 May 2021, 12:14

Ludvík Kružík
Thank you gentlemen 🙂

14 May 2021, 19:00

Ludvík Kružík
I haven't had much time for modeling lately, and work on Piper is progressing slowly. However, some progress has been made. As time allows, I work on the wing struts and landing gear.

6 June 2021, 21:18

Bruce Huxtable
Opravdu jste šikovný 🙂 I am so impressed with your skills and dedication to getting everything 'just right'.

6 June 2021, 21:52

Ludvík Kružík
Thank you for the compliment. It's a little skill to make model details, but really a lot of patience 🙂

7 June 2021, 20:59

Ludvík Kružík
After a long break, I continue working on Piper. He completed the wing struts and the assembly of control wires on the wings. I added photos from the work process to the photo album.

11 July 2021, 21:09

Alec K
Very nice progress, it's almost done! I like those struts, a lot of great craftsmanship there 👍

11 July 2021, 21:42

Ludvík Kružík
I'm glad you like the model. Until the finals, it remains to make a landing gear and a few details.

14 July 2021, 20:45

Robert Podkoński
I admire your determination and fantastic skills, Ludvik. I have the same model in my stash and now I know it has to wait for a loooong time to be assembled...;)

15 July 2021, 07:36

Ludvík Kružík
Thanks to Robert for the praise! I believe that when you build your Piper, it will be even better than mine. 🙂

16 July 2021, 21:52

Ludvík Kružík
I added new photos to the photo album. Today I made parts for the landing gear.

16 July 2021, 21:59

Alec K
That tail wheel is a kit in itself 👍

17 July 2021, 12:22

Robert Podkoński
You are welcome, Ludvik - your modelling skills are beyond my natural possibilities...and patience 😉 Your detailing is over the top, absloutely.

17 July 2021, 13:15

John
Excellent level of detail - great job.

17 July 2021, 13:17

Ludvík Kružík
to Alec K:
You are right, the rear wheel consists of 7 parts. ... and the complete main landing gear is composed of 20 parts. 🙂

17 July 2021, 15:25

Ludvík Kružík
to Robert:
I am very pleased with your praise! 🙂 🙂 🙂

17 July 2021, 15:27

Ludvík Kružík
to John:
Thank you for your praise, I appreciate it very much.

17 July 2021, 15:29

Alex K
Still calling this a "Směr" model must be the overstatement of the year! 😄 👍 👍

17 July 2021, 15:52

Ludvík Kružík
At least the box and a few parts is Směr 🙂

17 July 2021, 16:01

Bruce Huxtable
You took it in a better Direction for sure ?

17 July 2021, 17:37

Ludvík Kružík
Thank you Bruce! The original set is really bad. A lot of adjustments were needed to get a nice model. I really enjoy this way of building models. It's relaxation for me. In addition, I get a model that (in some cases) no one makes.

18 July 2021, 09:39

Ludvík Kružík
Piper is ready, photos of the finished model are in a separate photo album here: Piper L-4H, SMĚR 1:50 - Czechoslovak Air Force - COMPLETED | Album by KLuK (1:48)

18 July 2021, 10:12

bughunter
Wow - what a huge amount of effort to convert a crude kit into a nice model of a Piper 👍

5 October 2023, 07:08

Ludvík Kružík
Thank you, Frank!

At the time I built my Piper, the SMER kit was the only kit available. I tried spray masks for the first time to create matrix markings. It didn't turn out quite right, but for my display case the result is sufficient.
If I were building a Piper today, I would go the same route as you. I would buy a kit from Special Hobby.

5 October 2023, 07:26

Villiers de Vos
Fantastic work.

5 October 2023, 17:10

David Taylor
Amazing work.

5 October 2023, 17:51

Ludvík Kružík
Thank you mates! Glad you like it.

5 October 2023, 21:57

Album info

Although the scale on the box is 1:48, the kit is actually made in 1:50 scale. In addition, this kit is very inaccurate. A lot of the credit for this goes to the hull. It has the wrong shape at the bottom, too short transparent cabin parts, low fuselage between the end of the cabin glazing and the rudder...).
That's why I decided for a challenging rebuild with lots of sktrath - buil parts.
In the end, I used only the wings, the front fuselage, the upper transparent part of the cabin and the vertical tailplane to build the model from all the kit parts. And I modified these parts so that I could use them. All the other parts I made from scratch new.
And when I started such a demanding modification, I also adjusted the size of the model to 1:48 scale. With such a large scale of work, it wasn't even much extra work.

Piper L-4H, SMĚR 1:50 - Czechoslovak Air Force

171 images

1:48

Completed

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