Bell YFM-1
Comments
57 25 August 2021, 06:54
Roland SachsenhoferHerewith I start the illustrated part of the building report: although this kit is highly praised and it should be one of the newer, better developments of Valom: unfortunately my experiences so far are not the best. Lacking accuracy of fit - especially critical with the many clear parts - and a very uncharitable mould casting make things difficult. The cockpit, which is easy to see, is so empty that I had to raid my spare parts box.
But the whole thing is also fun, above all the prospect of a really beautifully shaped, shiny model of a rare aircraft is comforting and motivating! 🙂
25 August 2021, 06:59
PaulGood luck - one of the few kits I abandoned as unbuildable; should have done more dry fitting but had none such problems with other Valom kits
25 August 2021, 16:02
Robert PodkońskiFollowing of course (with special interest since in my stash threre rests the sister kit of this one... at least I will know how much I am not able to do with this 😉 )
25 August 2021, 20:08
Roland SachsenhoferThank you all for the interest and the lively responses, I'm glad!
26 August 2021, 16:14
Roland SachsenhoferPaul, you are right. I've got a few Valom kits under my belt too, but this one is really nasty, unfortunately, as it looks so far
26 August 2021, 16:16
Roland SachsenhoferIt was a tough ride, but an intermediate result has been achieved: the hull has been filled and sanded to a usable shape. By the way, I "filled" with CA glue, the openings that had to be bridged were too large and the strength that the glue gives also benefits the poorly fitting fuselage parts.
27 August 2021, 09:10
Daniel KlinkHow do some of you manage to progress so fast..wow!
Looking very good, Roland...
27 August 2021, 09:26
Roland Sachsenhoferwhat looks like shaving foam here is putty, which is supposed to compensate for the somewhat rough fit of the canopies. Otherwise, I quite like the trout-like, elegant contour of the YFM-1 hull. Remarkable how exceedingly narrow it was!
1 September 2021, 15:54
Roland SachsenhoferSo! The sanding of the main hull as well as - and above all - the masking of the two nacelles was a certain amount of work, which is now done! Now we should get some momentum back into things- and a lot of putty on the model. The accuracy of the fit is above all- an adventure 🙂
19 September 2021, 17:03
Gordon SørensenRoland, I really like that description of the kit's fit - 'The accuracy of the fit is an adventure'…. 🙂
19 September 2021, 17:44
Lex JassiesA lot of work goes in this kit Roland. But very nice to see the progress and curious to see the trout turn into a flying fish 😉
22 September 2021, 07:11
Roland SachsenhoferThe Airacuda fights back wherever it can to avoid becoming a finished model: there really is a lot of room for improvement in the accuracy of fit of the motor nacelles! I don't even bother to fill these gaps with putty, instead I used quick-setting CA glue to fill the gaps, on the one hand it glues, on the other hand it is rather easy to shape.
28 September 2021, 19:47
Daniel KlinkHoly Moly, that definetely does not look like a fun build!!
Respect so far Roland! 👍I think the start of mine will be postponed....
28 September 2021, 20:44
Clifford KeeslerUnusual subject Roland, but I know you will turn it into a beauty.
29 September 2021, 00:34
Robert PodkońskiI will take Daniel's way too for some time... Keep it up, nevertheless, Roland. It is a pleasure to follow your build process, as always... 😉
29 September 2021, 06:00
Roland SachsenhoferThank you for your motivation and encouragement! I really can't promise that this would be a trouble-free project! I'm just curious how the whole thing will look after the last clear parts masks are removed. I'm bracing myself for anything 🙂
29 September 2021, 17:36
Bruce HuxtableNil desperandum... Puts what I think of as difficultios into perspective, for sure. Learning lots from your steady progress 🙂
29 September 2021, 20:15
Roland SachsenhoferThank you all for your really motivating commenst, mates. Today I was able to finish sanding the nacelles once - "nil desperandum" applied!
30 September 2021, 06:28
Bernd GrünHallo Roland, as always you will turn a terrible kit into a real eye-catcher. Keep on modelling.
30 September 2021, 11:24
RobbieEgads, You are trying to like polish a turd. Thank gawd I did not add this kit to my stash...
30 September 2021, 19:32
Roland SachsenhoferThere is a lot of work behind the new pictures this time: on the one hand, the CA-filled joints were sanded to shape them - a, you can imagine, time-consuming job, in order to then join the wings to the fuselage. I used metal bolts to build pins for this purpose, because the blunt gluing of the elevators and of course of the heavy wings does not seem to me to be secure enough in any other way. In the meantime, everything is a stable unit and compensates me with its unique appearance for the modelling challenges 🙂
1 October 2021, 19:22
CuajeteHard job but very well resolved.
This is the worst Valom kit you've ever built, Roland?
1 October 2021, 19:40
Bruce HuxtableBreathing life into it 👍 It certainly is an unusual configuration, and the results will be worth all your efforts 👍🙂
2 October 2021, 07:00
Roland SachsenhoferThank you, friends! Your comments are fuel for the motivation engine. Indeed, I've come across some wonderful Valom kits now - but this one is scary!
2 October 2021, 10:18
Robert PodkońskiTop class in solving the problems (and sanding to shape 😉 ). Looks cool already>
2 October 2021, 17:57
Roland SachsenhoferThank you mates! I appreciate your trust and encouragement!
3 October 2021, 15:52
Roland SachsenhoferThanks David!
....the whole thing now in black: this is the primer for working with Alclad metallic tones. Currently, this aluminium finish is also ready after a few sprays - pictures to follow!
9 October 2021, 08:37
Bruce HuxtableThe transformation begins.... 🙂 Hoping there are no more surprises for you, Roland.
9 October 2021, 10:41
Roland SachsenhoferThank you Bruce! The only surprise: no more surprises- so far! 🙂
9 October 2021, 19:08
Roland SachsenhoferThis look is planned once as the finished Alclad surface. Despite all the imperfections I'm still looking forward to the effect of the decals - and, I have to confess, I'm looking forward to the end of this slowly tiring building process!
12 October 2021, 04:40
Villiers de VosRoland, you certainly have the talent to turn a challenge into a jewel.
12 October 2021, 06:48
Bruce HuxtableThe panel variations are looking great, Roland, so well worth the extra effort! Perhaps a break will allow you to come back with fresh eyes and restored mojo? getting to the end of each stage seems to give me re-newed energy and focus, for the next steps 🙂
12 October 2021, 07:20
Roland SachsenhoferThis is wonderful and motivating feedback, thank you! Bruce, a break yes, ..... with a nice relaxing Tamiya kit perhaps? I think I've already found something there too! 🙂
12 October 2021, 11:03
Roland SachsenhoferThank you mates!
On the home stretch - decals applied, now it's time for the final assembly of the last components.
14 October 2021, 06:52
Roland SachsenhoferIn the end it went very quickly - but also because I finally wanted to have this part off the workbench! 🙂
Waiting for the final result while removing the masking was really exciting. A little reworking here and there, but now I'll leave it as it is; I can't get it any better anyhow. As I mentioned during the construction, this was one of the most difficult and time-consuming projects so far! Thank you for your interest and motivating comments, they really helped!
21 October 2021, 18:42
Robert PodkońskiYou are a wizard, Roland. Finished model looks so perfect and flawless that one could think that the base kit is good... Impressive work!
21 October 2021, 19:22
Bruce HuxtableWell said, Robert. She put up a struggle, Roland, but your efforts paid dividends. Congratulations on a fine result. I'm enjoying the variations in the silver panels, which really add lots to the visual appeal 🙂👍
21 October 2021, 19:37
Villiers de VosCertainly worth your every effort. A very unusual subject, beautifully presented.
22 October 2021, 04:25
bughunterFantastic model of an interesting type 👍 Nice addition to every collection.
22 October 2021, 10:27
Gordon SørensenYour 'Valom Adventure' was a great display of modelling and problem solving! Finished result is spectacular!
22 October 2021, 11:17
Thomas KolbBeautiful natural metal finish and a great result with a really difficult kit.
22 October 2021, 12:31
Roland SachsenhoferIt is now really more than time for me to say thank you for all your wonderful feedback and interest! It is incredibly motivating to receive such appreciative words from such modellers, thank you, mates!
22 October 2021, 14:10
Oliver ZwienerKlasse Ding !!! Irre Anstrengungen bei den Spachtel- und Schleifarbeiten !!!
22 October 2021, 15:21
OlivierThanks for bringing this strange and most forgotten plane into the limelight again.
23 October 2021, 10:13
Lex JassiesThat turned out very well Roland. Beautiful result of a definitely not everyday subject.
24 October 2021, 10:09
Robert PodkońskiAnd here we have the answer, why this model is not seen build very often, Christoph. It is presumably intended only for such master-modellers like Roland 😉
24 October 2021, 15:04
Roland SachsenhoferIt remains for me to thank you very much for your contributions and to tell you how pleased I am, thank you!
24 October 2021, 18:28
