Author Topic: CV Build Monogram Grumman Glufhawk  (Read 4481 times)

Offline smperry

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CV Build Monogram Grumman Glufhawk
« on: April 15, 2020, 01:28:39 PM »
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



There is something fundamentally amiss with a society which forces it's modelers to work for a living.

Offline RAGIII

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Re: CV Build Monogram Grumman Glufhawk
« Reply #1 on: April 15, 2020, 10:58:02 PM »
A great Old kit even if lacking in some details. I am looking forward to your progress!
RAGIII
"A man has to know his limitations": Harry Callahan

"Don't slop it on" Lynda Geisler

Offline lcarroll

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Re: CV Build Monogram Grumman Glufhawk
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2020, 01:39:35 AM »
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!



    Great choice! :)
Cheers,
Lance

Offline smperry

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Re: CV Build Monogram Grumman Glufhawk
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2020, 04:08:07 AM »
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
There is something fundamentally amiss with a society which forces it's modelers to work for a living.

Offline lcarroll

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Re: CV Build Monogram Grumman Glufhawk
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2020, 07:52:05 AM »
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

Offline smperry

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Re: CV Build Monogram Grumman Glufhawk
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2020, 09:40:27 AM »
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
There is something fundamentally amiss with a society which forces it's modelers to work for a living.

Offline lcarroll

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Re: CV Build Monogram Grumman Glufhawk
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2020, 11:02:55 AM »
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

Offline Monty

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Re: CV Build Monogram Grumman Glufhawk
« Reply #7 on: April 19, 2020, 11:37:10 PM »
Nice project! I always fancied this kit.. Just love the interwar area.. Regards, Marc

Offline smperry

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Re: CV Build Monogram Grumman Glufhawk
« Reply #8 on: April 20, 2020, 10:15:40 AM »
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.



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.



sp
There is something fundamentally amiss with a society which forces it's modelers to work for a living.

Offline RAGIII

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Re: CV Build Monogram Grumman Glufhawk
« Reply #9 on: April 23, 2020, 10:31:18 PM »
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
"A man has to know his limitations": Harry Callahan

"Don't slop it on" Lynda Geisler

Offline smperry

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Re: CV Build Monogram Grumman Glufhawk
« Reply #10 on: April 28, 2020, 02:30:23 PM »
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.



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.





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
There is something fundamentally amiss with a society which forces it's modelers to work for a living.

Offline jeroen_R90S

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Re: CV Build Monogram Grumman Glufhawk
« Reply #11 on: April 30, 2020, 05:28:19 AM »
Looks good! I like the orange, that will definately stand out!

Offline smperry

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Re: CV Build Monogram Grumman Glufhawk
« Reply #12 on: April 30, 2020, 06:09:49 AM »
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
There is something fundamentally amiss with a society which forces it's modelers to work for a living.

Offline RAGIII

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Re: CV Build Monogram Grumman Glufhawk
« Reply #13 on: May 02, 2020, 12:11:18 AM »
Looks Excellent with the markings SP! with just the upper wing it likes it would have made a cool Monoplane !
RAGIII
"A man has to know his limitations": Harry Callahan

"Don't slop it on" Lynda Geisler

Offline Monty

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Re: CV Build Monogram Grumman Glufhawk
« Reply #14 on: May 02, 2020, 02:25:03 AM »
Looking very cool! I like it! Lovely start to the rigging...