forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com
The Coronavirus locked down theme build => The Coronavirus special theme build => Topic started by: smperry on April 15, 2020, 01:28:39 PM
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Having decided to build the Monogram Grumman Gulfhawk for the Corona Virus Theme Build, I sat down with the box and looked over all the pieces to see if I could recall why I quit working on it.
I found a spooge of some unknown substance on the underside of the top wing. I now recall that some years ago it was soft and sticky matching a similar glob in the box. I think it was a rubber band I had used when gluing the wing halves together. It reacted badly with the liquid glue. Now years later, it had hardened and was fairly easily scraped and sanded off. There was something else, so I kept looking and found one of the joints in the retractable landing gear struts had been broken. I reinforced the piece with a bit of plasticard which was drilled and pinned with brass tube. That was it, back on track now. This one is going together straight out of the box.
I primered as many parts as I could with white primer. I found a rattle can of orange paint the perfect shade. (Engine block orange good to 500 degrees.) It is slower drying than I'd like, so I'm hands off until tomorrow, the finish looks great without fingerprints.
There are a few non orange parts that need to be sprayed, so I have something to do while waiting for the rest to dry completely. There is a decal for the instrument panel and I took the opportunity to see how the sun treatment and a coat of decal film had affected the decals. Not well it seems as the decal curled right up Micro Sol helped a very little and it ended up being stuck down with several applications of Pledge. This does not bode well for the rest of the decals. Any further decals will be cut from the sheet very carefully so as to leave behind a pattern for a mask in case I have to paint the markings. This was not supposed to become a major project, but since when have good intentions mattered. I will do a search for 1:32 Gulfhawk decals, but I expect they would be few and far between.
sp
(http://i.imgur.com/7mX2xNx.jpg) (https://imgur.com/7mX2xNx)
(http://i.imgur.com/3W2IUuq.jpg) (https://imgur.com/3W2IUuq)
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A great Old kit even if lacking in some details. I am looking forward to your progress!
RAGIII
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sp,
I'll enjoy following your work on this one, I have the Military version in my Stash to add to my "Yellow Wings" shelf in the near future! It's a nice Kit considering it's mid 60's birth date....... almost, like yours, 60 years old!
(https://i.imgur.com/2hXQBdT.jpg)
Great choice! :)
Cheers,
Lance
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Thanks Lance
I may have painted myself into a decal-less corner. It looks like the decals will be a problem. Replacements for 20 bucks are starting to look like an option. Painting the white and blue sunbursts is a challenge I may not be up to. Done right, it would look great, but there are way too many opportunities to mess it up at my current skill level. May as well support a small business and order the aftermarket decals.
I saw one of these planes at the Naval Air Museum at Pensacola. It was a stubby little thing, you think like a biplane Wildcat, but not so. Way smaller. Sure would have liked to see a routine flown by the Gulfhawk, that had to be beautiful in the air.
sp
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sp,
You are right, the thing is so ugly it's beautiful! I'd go with the AM decals, an easy and no doubt spectacular solution!
Cheers,
Lance
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Lance
I guess if a B-52 is a BUFF this plane is a SSFF (Short, Stubby, Fat Fellow). Off to stimulate an aftermarket decal maker.
sp
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Lance
I guess if a B-52 is a BUFF this plane is a SSFF (Short, Stubby, Fat Fellow). Off to stimulate an aftermarket decal maker.
sp
Back in the day we knew the A-7 (at least in Canada) as the "SLUF", Short Little ugly >> er"! It would work for the F3F-3 nicely!
Looking forward to seeing those stripes!
Cheers,
Lance
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Nice project! I always fancied this kit.. Just love the interwar area.. Regards, Marc
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The model is at the stage to start decal application, but the AM decals I ordered are 2 weeks out. There is some canopy frame painting and installing of rigging eyelets to do, but the project is essentially stalled until I get decals.
I got both gears to retract and extend, but it is clear each time could be the last, so they are down and will most likely stay that way. They went up and they went down. I am claiming victory and sounding retreat...58 years after I messed up my first Gulfhawk retractable landing gear.
(http://i.imgur.com/arxjDCh.jpg) (https://imgur.com/arxjDCh)
The pilot figure is simply painted in enamel and acryllic, no fancy oils as that is currently beyond me, though I aim to fix that.
(http://i.imgur.com/NPfPOpE.jpg) (https://imgur.com/NPfPOpE)
sp
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I remember that retractable gear from My childhood build! Pretty sure mine was also short lived ;D You have probably made a wise decision to leave it down! I like your pilot! You show a talent that will get better with practice!
RAGIII
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Lance sez. "I have the Military version in my Stash to add to my "Yellow Wings" shelf in the near future!"
Lance, if this would help, shoot me a PM.
(http://i.imgur.com/ZZ2LVWw.jpg) (https://imgur.com/ZZ2LVWw)
I have gotten all the rigging attached to the underside of the top wing and the top wing mounted on the cabanes. This model has odd little bumps where the rigging anchors. The back side of the bumps has a notch to catch the rigging thread. I am trying to use them on the fuselage and lower wing anchor points. Anchor points on the underside of the top wing center section got either a Gaspatch turnbuckle or one of Bob's twisted eyelets with the line pre installed, The double lines were tied around the little notched anchor bumps.
(http://i.imgur.com/2vKAjA6.jpg) (https://imgur.com/2vKAjA6)
(http://i.imgur.com/eJbqFPG.jpg) (https://imgur.com/eJbqFPG)
I must say that I find the Gaspatch resin turnbuckles a bit fragile, (Me a bit ham handed?) I will have to try their metal ones. Another thing I noticed. The old hard plastic is much more difficult to drill and trim. I am at the same stage on my WnW Pup and wow!, what a difference the WnW soft plastic makes. If any of the kit producers that do periodic repops of their molds don't switch to the softer plastic, they are missing out on putting out a much more desirable kit.
sp
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Looks good! I like the orange, that will definately stand out!
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Yeah, that orange jumps right out and bites you in the eyeball. At least it cured me of wanting to build a Bell X-1 for a while :-)
sp
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Looks Excellent with the markings SP! with just the upper wing it likes it would have made a cool Monoplane !
RAGIII
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Looking very cool! I like it! Lovely start to the rigging...
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Thanks for the kind words Rick and Monty. The decals were a nightmare. The originals took 2 weeks in the sun on my dashboard and a heavy coat of Decal film. Darn things curl up. Takes repeated applications of Micro Sol and then need sticking down with Pledge after they have softened. Eventually after much jiggery pokery they stay down. The afternarket decals I bought are ink jet printed on white paper and have to be precisely cut out. Their instructions say they flat won't stay put unless you set them with dilute white glue. That did work well to the printer's credit. I messed up cutting the diamond shaped cowl ring decal and had to use the original. All those small radii compound curves and there are still bits of corners not stuck down. A little surgery, a little lite sanding and some touchup paint will improve it some.
So the aftermarket decal guy sent 2 sets of Gulfhawk decals. I'm sure not building another so if anyone has a Gulfhawk and could use some decals sing out and they are yours.
Btw, I had forgotten until I saw a photo the other day, there was another Cat turned Hawk. There was an F-8F Bearcat done up as a Gulfhawk also associated with Al Williams.
sp
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Nice subject and a demanding kit, it looks you are doing an excellent restoration work. There is one of these in my parent's house, built by my father, I think back in the '70s.
Bare plastic orange and twine riggings, still an "old object" charm.
Ciao
Giuseppe
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Giuseppe
Demanding kit is an apt description. This one has fought every step of the way. It is currently sitting and I am currently pouting as it spit out 2 rigging attachments on me. I will get over it and finish the model in due course.
sp
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The Gulfhawk is finished. I ran afoul of this kit and it's retractable gear at age 8. Fifty nine and a half years later, I finished the model.
(http://i.imgur.com/I1cy6Db.jpg) (https://imgur.com/I1cy6Db)
BTW, I have decals as the aftermarket ones came double, so if you have the kit and need decals you are welcome to them. LMK
sp
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Very nice, the first completion of this GB as well :)
There is only one thing wrong: only one picture?? ;-)
Jeroen
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Ooh, that looks quite beautiful and colourful! A great result! More pictures please! Marc.
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Gorgeous model sp! Very nicely done. Good save off the inactive roster. ;D
Best,
Bob
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Thanks for all the kind words y'all.
I'm not too happy with this one. The decals, both the kit and some AM product, were lousy and my application of them did them no favors. There are seams that wouldn't go away and that dang retractable gear keeps popping one joint loose if you look at it hard. Frankly I didn't think it worth more than one photo. OTOH, I learned a lot about rigging 1/32 and that was a help when I did my Pup. Some day I will master double flying wires. It is out of the Stash, off the bench and tucked away in the display case.
(http://i.imgur.com/871LV5j.jpg) (https://imgur.com/871LV5j)
(http://i.imgur.com/hZZ60IZ.jpg) (https://imgur.com/hZZ60IZ)
(http://i.imgur.com/JMp6Bpq.jpg) (https://imgur.com/JMp6Bpq)
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sm,
Like all of us here you are far too harsh a critic of your own work, I think it's a great model! I just now went through the contents of my Navy Fighter version of the Kit, and it's pretty rough ......... hard brittle plastic, heavy details and the list goes on. Initial release date 58 years ago! You've done a great job on her, lovely paint, unique subject, no real apparent flaws ............ What's not to like??
Nicely done.
Cheers,
Lance
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Lance
Thanks for the kind words. It was the hard plastic and terrible decals that got me. One of these days I will pick up some shades of blue paint at Walmart and try to mix a match. Then I can sand those crinkles and touch up so it doesn't look quite so egregious.
There is an AM decal outfit that specializes in markings for between the wars planes. Yellow Wings something. You will be miles ahead if you have fresh new decals for it. And look out for the molded on rigging fittings. Don't be tempted to use them, some are near impossible to loop mono line around. Loose 'em, fill'em and use what you normally would to anchor. Be prepared for the hard plastic to eat more drill bits than usual.
sp
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Thanks for the heads up. I have the "Yellow Wings" decal set already, great products BTW, I've used them on two previous models. I'll take another peek in the box to check out the rigging fittings.
Cheers,
Lance
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Steven,
Sorry to have been delinquent in commenting. Too Many SPADS and not doing any work on My Corona Virus works kept Me away :( Your Grumman is Superb in My View! Lovely aircraft and Terrific Model!
RAGIII
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Thanks for the kind words Rick.
It needs some touch up work especially om the cowl decals which I will get around to in due time. This model has irritated me for nigh on 60 years since I messed up the one I had as a kid. I finally got to turn the prop and see the gear retract and turn it the other way and see them extend......once. I put it on the shelf after that, afraid I would break it if I kept playing with it. I will however, admit to some aerobatics and engine sounds while the gear was up :-)
sp