It's the family day long weekend. Which doesn't really mean much when you are retired.
Everyone is in Calgary this weekend. Marie went this weekend to visit her brother and to take her mother to the dentist. The boys made a last minute decision to go to visit their uncle, their grandmothers, and their sister. I had considered going, before learning that everyone was going, but it would have meant taking the dogs to the breeder, or managing them over the trip. So I stayed home to paint.
Last December, I thought I had finished painting the house. Unfortunately, as Marie decluttered and cleaned her sewing room, she decided the room needed to be repainted. Back when it had been Christine's room, it had been repainted several times, finally ending up in an eye watering lime green and chocolate brown combination. Such a bright green that I will actually prime the walls before painting in an effort to improve coverage. The first four hours were spent cleaning, washing, patching and masking. Another hour and the baseboards were painted. Then almost 5 hours to prime, and another 5 hours to paint. Unfortunately, even with the primer, it is going to need another coat. Sigh.
I thought I would share an example of how times have changed. Here's a picture of the kids eating dinner together.
Nicholas visited over the February 10-11 weekend. I hadn't intended to get him involved in the house move, but I was very thankful for 2 hours of his time to move boxes into the garage. One bay of the garage is now 3/4 full as decluttering efforts continue,
Christine shared some wonderful news this week. She was selected by faculty for a continuing education scholarship based on academic achievement. It was a very pleasant surprise and well deserved.
Speaking of decluttering and the preparations to move. The last (model) train departed Fort McMurray the morning of February 5. It was surprisingly sad, perhaps as it really drove home the planned move. But hopefully it also means an opportunity for a larger layout in the next house.
Photo 1 - The layout in it's glory.
Photo 2 - Nothing but track after everything has been packed
Photo 3 - And now even the benchwork has been packed.
More visible efforts in packing, Here's a comparison of the model airplane display shelves, before and near the end of packing. The last few models are waiting for some additional packing supplies to arrive before they too disappear into a box.
I had been sitting in the shop one evening, looking around, and decided I hadn't done a very good job of decluttering. So I took another shot at it. Wow, had I collected a lot of stuff over 30+ years of home ownership. Realistically, stuff that likely won't ever be needed again. Like 2x50 ft lengths of cable TV wire. Or 5 ceiling mounted electrical boxed, or 4 ceiling mounted bare light sockets. Four hours of effort resulted in two huge garbage bags and six boxes completely full for a dump run, and a ton of stuff to the resale pile building in the garage.
Dora Wings Pacemaker
A flat coat was applied to ensure all the various finishes, glue spots and repairs looked uniform. The window masks were removed and then an "oh crap" moment. The port side cockpit window popped out as I tried to remove the mask. Some very careful coaxing and the window was back in place, but not without some damage to the window and the surrounding paint. Careful touchups restored most of the paint but it is noticeable if you look closely.
Wop May's plane CF-AKI did not have external nav lights. The RCAF Pacemakers had red/green wingtip lights and red lights mounted on either side of the vertical stabilizer. The kit included representation of the wing tip lights. All that was needed was to paint them the appropriate colours. It is difficult to tell what colour the tail mounted lights were, but they appear darker, suggesting red rather than clear. A first attempt to make the very small teardrop shaped lights was done using stretched clear spruce. That was quickly abandoned as the clear sprue wouldn't stretch reliably. Grey sprue was used instead, first painted silver and then clear red. It was then sliced into small rectangles and applied to the tail. They are so small it is hard to tell they aren't teardrop, and it looks good enough once installed.
With that, the RCAF Pacemaker is finished. It was a quite a build experience, including learning how to make struts, rigging eyelets and windows. It was also the first time I used a jig to rig floats. Several things didn't work as well as I wanted, notably the painted roundels and lettering. It won't win any contests, but it was an enjoyable build and I am happy with it.
Up Next
As noted last blog, I have put aside 5 kits to keep me going through packing and moving. I would love to build my 1/48 Tamiya F-14, or the 1/48 Eduard F-15C, but they are both absurdly large models when completed. The ones put aside were therefore selected to be small(er), and hopefully sufficiently robust to survive the move. In no particular order, they are
1/72 Revell Noorduyn Norseman
1/72 Hobbycraft DeHavilland Canada Beaver
1/72 ICM "Ghost of Kyiv" MiG-29 Fulcrum
1/144 Academy C-130J-30
1/72 KP Cessna Crane
After building the two Pacemamers, I have an urge to keep building bush planes, so the Norseman will be first up. The second is a toss up between the Fulcrum and the Beaver, so perhaps both will get built at the same time as the mood strikes me.
I have increasingly found that I enjoy researching the models, learning more about both the airplane in general, and the specific model I am going to build. This time is no different. Let's get started.
1/72 Revell Noorduyn Norseman
The Norseman was designed and built in Canada by designer and manufacturer Robert "Bob" Noorduyn. After working at Fokker on the Universal, and then at Bellanca on the Pacemaker and Skyrocket, Noorduyn wanted to build the true Canadian bush plane. After a relatively short design period, the first Norseman took flight in November, 1935. It gained some initial attention but it didn't translate into significant sales. Noorduyn continued improving the plane, quickly going thru several iterations, before the more powerful Mk.IV took flight in 1938. The significant improvements in power and load capacity drew attention, and operators began placing orders. RCAF orders followed later that year, as did orders from several other countries around the world. The US Army took note of the rugged airplane, and placed a large order in 1940 in anticipation of the US entry into WWII. The sudden increase in orders almost overwhelmed the Noorduyn factory, and ironically would eventually prove to be the company's downfall.
With the end of WWII, the military air forces began to sell or destroy airplanes enmasse. USAAF Norseman were sold for pennies on the dollar, flooding the market with hundreds of surplus aircraft. Almost overnight, Noorduyn went from full production to being unable to sell a plane. The company attempted to sell an upgraded version but there was little interest. On the verge of bankruptcy, Noorduyn sold the company to Canadian Car and Foundry. CC&F continued attempts to sell the upgraded MkV but had no more success than Noorduyn. After several years of poor sales, Noorduyn bought back the company in 1953, and supported maintenance of the Norseman fleet until his death in 1959. In total, 903 aircraft were thought to have been built.
The Norseman was noted as one of the 10 most important transport aircraft of WWII. It's unfortunate it's one moment of fame occurred in December 1944, when the place carrying Major Glenn Miller, the famous big band leader, disappeared while over the English Channel.
I know Dave will put in a vote to build a model of the yellow Norseman hanging in the mezzanine of the Suncor Energy Center in Calgary. I have several Norseman kits so that will have to wait for a future build. I also want to build an RCAF plane, likely in the overall yellow, which will also wait for a future build. Instead, I intend to use the Thunderbird decals to build a Canadian Pacific Airways Norseman, likely CF-BAW.
The Norseman perfectly fit Canadian Pacific's plans, and the company ended up owning 27 aircraft, including the first 15 Norsemen built. CF-BAW was a Norseman MkIV, the 9th Norseman built, with its first flight on November 13, 1936. Initially purchased by E&M AIr Transport of Sheridan Manitoba, it was subsequently sold to Arrow Airways in May 19 1942, and then to Canadian Pacific later in 1942. It was destroyed in a Yellowknife hanger fire on January 3 1944.
Internet searches found 2 clear pictures of the plane. One of the port side on wheels, and the other of the starboard side on floats. These will help provide details and painting during the build.
There aren't many options available if you want to build a Norseman. Matchbox released a 1/72 kit in 1981. Modelcraft released a 1/48 version in the '90's., which is hard to find and increasingly expensive. There are rumors of new kits coming from Dora Wings so I have my fingers crossed. The Revell kit is the only one readily available these days, and is a reboxing of the 1981 Matchbox kit. It is relatively simple, with a low parts count and simplified details. Other than the overly emphasized fabric and ribbing on the wings, it builds into an accurate representation.
The cabin went together quickly. I hadn't initially realized the floor and rear bulkhead had bevelled edges. The floor was caught in time, flipped over and repainted. The rear bulkhead wasn't, and prevented the fuselage from closing. A lot of sanding was required to thin down the edges enough to allow the fuselage to close up properly.
Window masks were created by photocopying the fuselage, and the front windshield, then importing into the silhouette software and tracing masks to be cut in vinyl. The masks were applied before gluing the fuselage together in case a window popped out.
Photo 1 - Cabin and cockpit complete
Photo 2 - Cabin and cockpit complete
Photo 3 - Test fit cabin into fuselage
Photo 4 - Windows added. Ready to glue the fuselage together.
Photo 5 - Fuselage glued together
The fuselage still wouldn't close properly, along the underside, even after adjusting the rear bulkhead. Repeated test fits found that one of the locating pins wasn't meshing properly. Cutting the pin off solved the problem and the fuselage was glued without any problems. Filler will be needed to neaten the joint, and to deal with a number of sink marks.
I took extra care attaching the windows after problems with clear parts popping out on the Pacemakers. This time the windows were glued along the inside face using CA, carefully applied to the inside edges with a piece of stretched sprue. Almost immediately after gluing the fuselage halves together, ham fisted handling popped a window loose. Fortunately, with the front windshield not installed, it was possible to reinsert the window and glue it back into place. Now concerned that the CA wouldn't keep the windows in place, the masks were removed and Tamiya extra thin was carefully applied to the exterior window edges. Hopefully this double gluing approach will keep the windows in place
1/72 ICM MiG-29 Fulcrum "Ghost of Kyiv"
During the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there were tales of a heroic Ukrainian pilot, bravely flying his plane into the overwhelming Russian attack. Rising time after time, he shot down numerous Russian planes before eventually being killed. His apparent superhuman feats, and the pale camouflage of his plane, earned him the name "Ghost of Kyiv". The tales are unlikely to be true, but are instead likely representative of the efforts of the Ukrainian pilots as they fought the numerically superior Russians.
ICM is a Ukrainian model manufacturer, located in the eastern half of Ukraine, that has remarkably continued to produce model thru the conflict. Shortly after the war started, ICM released a MiG-29 painted in the Ghost of Kyiv scheme, partly as a propaganda effort and moral booster, and partly as a fund raiser for the Ukrainian armed forces. Proceeds from kit sales were donated to the Ukrainian military to sustain their efforts. I had always wanted to try a digital camouflage, and so purchased a kit a couple of years ago.
The MiG-29 is a Russian air superiority fighter, NATO code name Fulcrum, designed in the 1970's. Following dissolution of the former USSR, Ukrainian based jets passed over to the newly independent country, who continued to operate them. Once cutting edge technology, the MiG-29 has not seen significant upgrades and development thru it's lifetime, and is now considered obsolete.
I had the opportunity to see a pair of Ukrainian MiG-29 jets when they toured Canada in the early 1980's. Painted blue and yellow, the two jets attended and performed at the final Namao airshow. I remember them as being incredibly loud, leaving a noticeable, dark exhaust behind them as they performed.
The ICM kit isn't the best 1/72 MiG-29 kit, being a relatively simple kit with few parts. It has a number of inaccuracies and build difficulties noted in online reviews, which also suggest lots of putty and sanding will be required. The highlight of the kit are undoubtedly the decals, representing the digital camouflage that covers the entire upper surface of the plane.
After review of the instructions, it seems like the biggest challenge will be finding appropriate paint colours, given they are all unique and specific to the digital camouflage scheme. Scouring my paint supplies has found what are hoped to be close matches for the three main colours.
Initial impressions on opening the box were positive. The kit appears well cast, with smooth, glossy plastic and crisp engraved panel lines. Closer examination notes considerable flash on numerous parts, as well as rough edges on the mating surfaces. Parts count is relatively low, with one piece wings, stabilizers and tails, and the cockpit consists of just 4 pieces.
Instructions suggest starting with the landing gear, but I started with the basic cockpit. With only four parts, including the cockpit tub, a seat, the instrument panel and the control stick, it didn't take long to build. Colour callouts were confusing so things were painted based on internet photos. The instructions don't mention a decal for the instrument panel but the decal sheet includes one. Perhaps it isn't mentioned because the decal gauges don't match the engraved surface over much of the instrument panel. Still, it looks okay once in place. The bright red ejection handles were made from stretch sprue and added to the front of the seat. Black painted Tamiya tape was used to "busy" up the cockpit side panels. And with that, the cockpit was complete.
Photos 1&2 - The completed cockpit
Photo 3 - The cockpit inserted into the fuselage
The fuselage is split into top and bottom pieces, with a strange zigzag joint through the front of the nose. This results in a very noticeable joint that doesn't match anything on the real plane, so needs to be filled and sanded.
The intakes are very basic, and lack any detail at all. Fortunately, the kit has a way to manage it prototypically. Russian aircraft are often designed to operate from rough airstrips. In the case of jet aircraft, they frequently have intake bypasses that prevent debris being sucked into the jet intakes. The MiG-29 has slotted openings on the top of the fuselage, either side of the cockpit, that can be opened when on a rough surface. Large gates fold down from the top of the main intakes to seal them off. The kit includes both features, set as if the jet is preparing to take off from a rough runway. In reality, this would indicate the engines were running, typically something that only happens when a pilot is in the cockpit. Unfortunately, the kit doesn't include a pilot figure, and my spares box doesn't have an appropriate jet fighter pilot that can be used. Changing the intakes would be a lot of work so things will be left as is.
The jet engine housings consist of two halves that were very difficult to glue together. They butt join to the fuselage, and required considerable trial and error to get a decent fit. Even after careful fitting I ended up with a lot of filler on one of the housings.
Photo 1 - The offending seam along the nose
Photo 2 - The large seam on the underside of the jet engine housings.
Photo 3 - The intake gates in the down position
Photo 4 - Panel lines restored after sanding the nose seam
Photo 5 - Wings and trails added without fuss
Test fit of the horizontal stabilizers found they fit well. I will leave them off to simplify painting and decalling. It should also help simplify painting the characteristic burned metal look on the engine housings.
1/72 Hobbycraft DeHavilland Canada Beaver
After WWII, DeHavilland Canada was looking for something to keep its skilled workforce employed. Recognizing a demand from northern operators for a rugged, dependable light aircraft, DeHavilland designed and build a single engine, all metal, high capacity airplane, whose high-lift wing configuration resulted in excellent short take-off and landing capacity. The Beaver was an immediate success, and by 1967, when construction was halted, over 1600 aircraft had been built. The type continues to fly in large numbers, with parts and maintenance still available thru DeHavilland Canada, now owned by Viking Aircraft of Calgary.
The type is considered iconic by aviation enthusiasts and experts alike. In 1987, it was named one of the 10 greatest Canadian engineering achievements, along with the likes of the building of the CPR, and the Quebec Bridge.
I have a number of Beaver kits in my collection, both in 1/72 and 1/48. It was never flown by the RCAF, but used in large numbers by the USAF, RAF and RAAF. There have been at least 5 Beavers operated by Contact Air out of Fort McMurray while we have lived there, and my immediate desire would be to model one of these planes. I have pictures of at least three of them, with full walk arounds of at least two of them. However, the pleasing two tone blue and white paint schemes are too intricate to try and replicate in 1/72. Instead, I will build this one as a float plane owned and operated by Pacific Western Airlines.
There aren't many options for kits. Airfix did a 1/72 version in the '70's, which was released again last year. There was also a 1/24 promotional kit, in bright yellow plastic, released by Irish Mist Whiskey, probably in the late '70's as well. Hobbycraft released Beavers, in both 1/72 and 1/48, around 1980, and the kits are increasingly difficult to find, and expensive to buy. There are rumors of new kits coming but only time will tell.
The Hobbycraft kit is very simple, with clean lines, simplified details, and generally accurate dimensions. The most notable thing about the 1/72 kit is that the fuselage is cast in clear plastic. This will certainly eliminate the problem of windows popping out, but it makes it harder to paint the interior, and creates a troublesome joint thru the center of the windshield. The PWA decals are at least as old as the kit, made by the former Whiskey Jack Decals from Vancouver. Mine have a printing error in one of the speedbird emblems which will require that it be masked and painted.
And that marks the end of another update. Stay safe everyone.
Comments