Constanza 1:72 Scale Slingsby T67M firefly

[SpamCan]

The last thing I built (twice) was a Tamiya Tiger II 1:16 Tank, with lots of nice scale bits on it (sadly the demise of photo bucket has killed the thread) and a Revel 1:25 2006 Mustang GT (again thread killed by Photo Bucket).

I mentioned on robemcdonald's thread about his Revell Corvette C7.R build that I fancied making something again to be told "go for it", but what to build. Then I had a brainwave, I wonder if somebody makes a scale kit of the Slingsby T67M Firefly and after a bit of googling I found this:

T67M kit

So i ordered it. The bonus is I regularly fly a real T67M (Mk.1) so I have access to the real aircraft and this kit comes with Mk.1 and Mk.2 parts so I will build a scale version of G-BKTZ:

Refuelling the Firefly by Matt Moxon, on Flickr

IMG_3018 by Matt Moxon, on Flickr

WP_20170513_15_05_56_Pro__highres by Matt Moxon, on Flickr

It is a resin kit which is not (other than a few detail bits on the Tiger II) something I have modelled with before.

As soon as it arrives I will post some pictures of the unboxing and look at getting the required primer, paints and some inkjet decal sheets to make the custom decals - watch this space.

[robemcdonald]

Good luck with the kit. I'm looking forward to updates.

I'm no expert, however my only piece of advice is; take your time, let things dry before trying to move on.

[SpamCan]

I got the kit today and had a look in the box; not a lot and quite small but then its a 1:72 scale model of a GA aircraft so it isn't going to be huge.



I misread the description, so I have ordered the detail kit with the right cowl and one piece canopy so I can put the right version together.

[robemcdonald]

Blimey.

Good luck with that.

[anonymous-user]

1:72 is going to be a very small kit of a firefly. Great for jets and WW2 stuff though, I think the smallest 1:72 I made was a sopwith camel. It looks tiny even next to spitfires and me109s etc

[RichB]

El stovey said:

1:72 is going to be a very small kit of a firefly. Great for jets and WW2 stuff though, I think the smallest 1:72 I made was a sopwith camel. It looks tiny even next to spitfires and me109s etc

I remember Revell and Airfix made loads of WW1 biplanes; Camel, SE5A, Spad, Nieuport, Albatros etc. - my brother and I built the lot and yes they were small...

[SpamCan]

Yes its pretty small, I would have preferred a 1:48 but this was the only one I could find.

I remember building a 1:72 Sopwith Camel in my teens; not sure what happened to the model, but yes it was tiny.

[Eric Mc]

Although the vast bulk of aircraft built fall into the "light aircraft/general aviation" category, it is a genre very much underrepresented in the scale model world. I build most of my kits in 1/72 and would like to do some light aircraft. I have a few in my stash (all 1/72) but haven't built them yet. Off hand they are -

Piper J3C Cub - KP
Piper PA-23 Apache - Aurora
Piper PA-28R Cherokee Archer - Airfix
Cessna O2 (337) - Airfix
Cessna 01 - Airfix
Cessna 172 - Arii
Beech 35 Bonanza - Arii
Stinson L-5 Sentinel - AZ
Beech 17 Staggerwing - AZ
Beech 18 - PM
DH82 Tiger Moth - Airfix/AZ
DH60 Moth - A Model (based on old FROG kit)
Aero 145 - A Model
Let Morava - A Model

These are all standard injection moulded kits.

[SpamCan]

I removed all of the parts I will need for the build and filed off the moulding flash and did a bit of sanding.

The initial fit is no worse than any airfix kit than I have encountered. I need to stop by that the model shop for some epoxy, fresh filler and some super glue as well as the paints I will need.

[kurt535]

Hi...was looking at your panel; where does the 8.33 fit? busy place!

[SpamCan]

kurt535 said:

Hi...was looking at your panel; where does the 8.33 fit? busy place!

There is a fair bit going on! The 8.33 will replace COMM1 when it is fitted in the not so distant future.

[SpamCan]

I have finally made a start on this model. Its still early days yet, fuselage has been filed sanded and glued together. So far I have only fitted the rear bulkhead and the instrument panel to it (they would have been a nightmare to do after the fact) and filed off some of the excess epoxy holding it together.



And an SD card for scale:


once the glue has dried there will be more sanding, some filling and some more sanding before the inside of the cockpit is painted (satin black to reflect the real aircraft) then the wings can go on and I can build the interior).

[SpamCan]

Just so you know, this project hasn't died, its still alive and well. I can only paint in the garage and as it is unheated its way too cold to be messing with an airbrush at the moment, some final fettling to do with fine sandpaper here and there.

[Eric Mc]

Keep at it.

I'm interested in how this turns out.

[SpamCan]

Eric Mc said:

Keep at it.

I'm interested in how this turns out.

I will be, it is my first ever totally resin kit, it has been an education so far as I have only built one other small scale model in the past 15 years and that was the 1:24 Mustang to represent my current (outgoing) car). No pins to locate anything, lots of sanding and cleaning up to do.

The moulded lines for the control surfaces etc are nice and sharp from the factory and as long as I don't get overzealous with the airbrush should remain so.

it might be a few months before any real progress is made, the temperature might come up eventually

[dr_gn]

Canopy looks badly frosted - if it’s vacformed, you can polish it, and dip it in Klear. Canopies can make or break a model like that, since so much detail can be seen through them in real life.

[SpamCan]

dr_gn said:

Canopy looks badly frosted - if it’s vacformed, you can polish it, and dip it in Klear. Canopies can make or break a model like that, since so much detail can be seen through them in real life.

Unfortunately it is. It appears to be clear resin as it came on a moulded sprue, rather than being vac formed.

[dr_gn]

SpamCan said:

dr_gn said:

Canopy looks badly frosted - if it’s vacformed, you can polish it, and dip it in Klear. Canopies can make or break a model like that, since so much detail can be seen through them in real life.

Unfortunately it is. It appears to be clear resin as it came on a moulded sprue, rather than being vac formed.

You could probably still polish it. Clear resin cast canopies are usually much more transparent than that.

[SpamCan]

dr_gn said:

You could probably still polish it. Clear resin cast canopies are usually much more transparent than that.

Sadly it is already glued in place so I could give it a go on the outside but the inside is now permanently foggy.

[dr_gn]

What glue did you use on the canopy?