DH.9a Ninak (Post War), Wingnut Wings 1/32

[FAf]

@Fredrik - thanks for your suggestion. I found the fishing line is perfect for 1/48, but getting the line tight enough may be hard.

I glued one end of the fishing line straight into the plastic, e.g. the lower wing. On the other end I inserted small eyelets from electrical copper wire. If you make them small enough (0.3 mm diameter) and you set them low enough in the plastic and you turn them the right way then, lot's of its and buts I know, you run the fishing line through the end terminal and through the eyelet, but you don't run it back up again. Instead you let the fishing line run off to somewhere, Slite the end terminal into position, pull the fishing line to tighten it and add superglue.

Fiddly? Yes! Strong bond? Yes, but not as good as the normal way.

Good luck!
/Fredrik

[AngryJazz]

I like that idea. 

Not sure I will do it on this build, but the eyelets are the way to go. Think that also was my conclusion after the Dolphin build too. They are just a stronger anchor point and make the rigging simpler. May not always look correct, but if placed right they are not notable.

Small update on the general build.

While waiting on new turnbuckles I applied the wash / weathering. Painted the last parts along with the propellor. 
Installed a few C type buckles also in preparation for the rigging.

A note on the under wing bomb racks... They do not fit the cutout made by WNW. The racks are too long.

[NigelR]

The whole turnbuckle question is a conundrum. I resisted using them for many years for a) speed of building and b) issues around realism. They can look out of scale, and getting them properly aligned is also challenging (if you use the 3D printed ones). But they can add a certain something to builds in 1/32 and larger scales.

If you are using them I wouldn't worry too much about the scale size. After all there are many things we do which aren't "to scale" but look good on the finished model. If you can get the effect working a way that satisfies you, go for it.

Having said that, I find that EZ Line fine fits through the 1/48 British terminals. And I assume that the wires going through the terminals should be aerofoil in their cross section (rather than round) as they are RAFwires. So EZ Line or Infini is more correct than Modelkasten, provided of course you don't get any twists in it (which is not easy!!). And provided you can actually see the difference (which TBH I can't....).

 

[AngryJazz]

Thanks for the helpful tips and peace of mind Nigel 

I may try to rig the next one only using eyelets... As you say its easier and from 50cm away you dont really notice much difference. As always I have a habit of overthinking and over estimating my skills.

I decided to go with the 1/32 turnbuckles.

But I did not have fun rigging the first stage... Was going fine until suddenly a wire just did not want to stay in place... It like my CA works perfect and sets instantly or well stays "wet" and I have to hold it for 2min.
On a critical point it OFC did not want to set. No worries ill just drill the hole a bit deeper to make it easier...

SNAP...

Drill stuck in the model... And I cant get the bit out...

Okay ill drill a small hole next to it. The other bit is only poking out a little and I can cover it with the rigging line...

SNAP...

Same thing happens....

I get frustrated and grap the UV glue I just got... Maybe this will work and set the darn line...

Well it did... but looked awful even after some paint.

Ended up cutting the line and trying again. Getting it cleaned up the best I could. It not perfect, but I couldn't sand down the drill bit and get it flush...

It is what it is... Moving on... another lesson for another time.

Wings on... Very tight fit so decided not to glue them.

[NigelR]

What a nightmare with the drill bit! The same thing happening to me caused me to abandon my Dolphin build. But it's looking good. Those terminal points don't look bad to me.....

[FAf]

Too bad about the mishaps! It's going to look good though, so keep at it!
/Fredrik

[AngryJazz]

Ouch Nigel... Yeah I know the feeling, was pretty sad about it... But I guess it's okay now considering there's 2 drill bits hiding there 

Thanks Fredrik!

Dont know why I did not rig the center section differently. What I learned from my Dolphin build - was to always glue the rigging on the bottom wing first. Its especially important when using this combination of line, turnbuckles and CA glue. If you make a error or use too much CA its better to be on the underside of the top wing - where its not seen.

I did this with the wings and it worked out much better... Must have though that the rigging points were difficult to get to.

 

Anyhow the model is completed now - so just a few pictures to catch up on progress 😊

 

Got the wings on and aligned!



The small valve on the radiator is pretty noticeable in the instructions, but there is no part in the kit.



I just added a very simplified version from stretched sprue and copper wire. Then painted the wire brass color (forgot a picture).





For something different I decided to move the spare wheel to the side instead of having it stowed underneath. Think it will add more visual interest. Huge thanks to Sam for sharing the image on FB for inspiration.

[NigelR]

Nice job on the valve. This is going to look very impressive when done, a big model in an eye-catching scheme.

[AngryJazz]

Thanks Nigel!

Its is indeed a huge model - makes my other Wingnut kits looks small in comparison 

The build is finished now - I just need to edit the pictures. Thanks for the motivation along the way!

Expect a post in the completed section soon 

[Alexis]

Well I'm very pleased to know that I'm not the only one who has had issues with drill bits .

Beautiful build , very impressive I must say . Looking forward on viewing more .


Alexis

[Allan31]

Truly amazing results, an outstanding beauty.

[gedmundson]

Well Ben - that finished model is impressive. Really outstanding. And your story of the build even more so. The snapped drill bits are something that I have had happen many times myself...and so I feel for your perseverance at correcting the mess it made (which turned out well!). Great to follow you build and I'm looking forward to seeing your finished pics. 
Cheers,
Gary