Ratch Posted March 24, 2020 Share Posted March 24, 2020 The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth first flew in 1931, a British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland. Six of the first batch of thirty-five were sent to the Central Flying School Aerobatic Display Team when operating from RAF Wittering in Northamptonshire (later Cambs) in 1932-3. Five were modified (the leading cockpit was enclosed, and the engine tweaked to enable sustained inverted flight) for the CFS. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and many other nations as a primary trainer aircraft. In addition to the type's principal use for ab-initio training, the Second World War saw RAF Tiger Moths operating in other capacities; some aircraft were even outfitted to function as armed light bombers. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until it was succeeded and replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk during the early 1950s. Many of the military surplus aircraft subsequently moved into civil operation. Many nations have used the Tiger Moth in both military and civil applications, and it remains in widespread use as a recreational aircraft in several countries. It is still occasionally used as a primary training aircraft, particularly for those pilots wanting to gain experience before moving on to other tailwheel aircraft. This kit is 1/48 scale with 59 parts. Detail quality looks very good. The errors flagged by some of the experts have either been addressed or were only paper errors on drawings/CAD. Some think the model is portly around the nose, I can’t see that in the drawings and will hold judgement in abeyance until the model is constructed. Airfix have provided no reference material. The drawings of K-2584 in the Airfile RAF Trainers Volume 1: 1918-45 ISBN 978-0-9569802-4-3 differs from K-2585 offered in the kit, but this may be because the airframes were not the same. The CFS operated original D.H.82s whereas the kit offers a D.H.82a from the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden Aerodrome, Bedfordshire, 2018. That said, the Cartograf decals look very good, up to their usual quality and offers another option in K-4259, based at Headcorn Aerodrome, Kent, 2018. So, both kit options are for preserved aircraft, but there is already a plethora of after-market decals available from Xtradecal, to name but one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted March 24, 2020 Author Share Posted March 24, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted March 25, 2020 Author Share Posted March 25, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted March 25, 2020 Author Share Posted March 25, 2020 The parts were washed in soapy, warm water and allowed to dry naturally. I examine the instructions at each stage of assembly, looking forward to what may be done more efficiently. Experience with these new Airfix mouldings makes me appreciate the tight tolerances of fit. Bearing this in mind I ensure that all sprue gates are cleaned up and paint is not applied before assembly where possible. At the appropriate time I painted the interior components and dry brushed to pick out the ribbing. Figures are not included with the kit. I brushed Humbrol Clear over the instrument panels in readiness for the decals. The instrument decals were applied with Humbrol DecalFix brushed over the parts, ensuring the decals adhere to them. I cut the starboard access doors to display them open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussie Jeff Posted March 25, 2020 Share Posted March 25, 2020 Looks like a great kit Ratch, but surely there is more than 59 parts! Looking forward to seeing this progress as I really like the Tiger Moth having built three and a half of them in 1/72 (The 1/2 was an uncompleted disaster). Have you decided what scheme your doing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted March 25, 2020 Author Share Posted March 25, 2020 It says 59 on the box Jeff, I'll do the CFS scheme again.http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL761/13303934/24803235/413848608.jpghttp://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL761/13303934/24803235/413848609.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussie Jeff Posted March 25, 2020 Share Posted March 25, 2020 Ah, what threw me parts-wise is you showed both sides of the part frames (viewing on my phone). Glad they give decals for that scheme! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2B Posted March 25, 2020 Share Posted March 25, 2020 Ha ha Yes Jeff looked alot more parts to me too, glad you pointed the double sprue shot! And I shall follow your build Ratch as I'm sorely tempted to take the plunge and get that kit!! Good progress so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted March 26, 2020 Author Share Posted March 26, 2020 I then went back and fitted the instrument panels. The cylinders (C3) were fixed to the starboard engine (A2). When I offered the fuselage halves together, it produced a gap behind the second cockpit. Some light sanding of the bulkhead (C36) eliminated this. I used clamps to hold the fuselage together while the glue set, to allow me to get on with other things. I worked through the stages in sequence. When I had to allow paint to dry, or glue to set, I might venture forward, but I always returned to the sequence of the instruction sheet. Being basically impatient, this helps to keep me occupied. Whilst the paint was drying on stages 12 to 17, I did the filing required at stage 18 for the anti-spin strakes. I only have needle files, so this took some time, but allowed the paint to dry. Stages 12 to 15 are straightforward, but 16 had me foxed for a while. I was trying to fit the panel (A5) inside whatever part C2 is before I realised it fits over it. That made things easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted March 27, 2020 Author Share Posted March 27, 2020 The panel (A4) is merely dry fitted. Dry fitting the anti-spin strakes revealed that more filing/sanding was required. Thinking about how the alternatives might have been moulded made me think that; the fuselage may have been moulded to facilitate the strakes and an insert/fillet part provided for the non-strake fitted variant. Alternatively, the un-straked fuselage section could be moulded with the tail wings. It just seems logical to eliminate the need to cut, file or sand away parts of the moulding, making the build easier. I needed a mere smear of filler under the strakes. The tail does fit together nicely. The lower wing is a positive fit too, as are the cabane struts. I like the way the struts attach to the wings. This is just a dry fit to test. At this point I think it best to start painting the airframe. I selected Vallejo Model Air 71063 Silver (Metallic) because it had worked well on two recent builds. I must be getting near the end of the bottle because this time it was thick and clogged the airbrush requiring thinner and flow improver. I still could not get a consistent flow (I must get a new bottle next time I order/purchase) and therefore wasn’t very happy with the appearance. I put the build aside for a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2B Posted March 27, 2020 Share Posted March 27, 2020 Urrm yes it's a shame when a previously reliable paint let's you down, and the build was going so well until then. I hope you can get it sorted so you can resume your progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted March 27, 2020 Share Posted March 27, 2020 Goodness me. Instructions look very complicated. That also looks like more than 59 parts to me as well! 😆 😉 😀 GNR-Gordon-4 (AF) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted March 28, 2020 Author Share Posted March 28, 2020 It wasn't as bad as I thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted March 28, 2020 Share Posted March 28, 2020 Not bad at all. What about the paint, or is that it's paint colour, sliver? GNR-Gordon-4 (AF) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted March 28, 2020 Author Share Posted March 28, 2020 I selected Vallejo Model Air 71063 Silver (Metallic) because it had worked well on two recent builds. As I wrote earlier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted March 28, 2020 Share Posted March 28, 2020 Thank you for your post qoutation. I can't remember reading that bit. GNR-Gordon-4 (AF) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted March 29, 2020 Author Share Posted March 29, 2020 Today I sprayed the Vallejo Model Air 71003 Scarlet Red. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 You also spray painted some newspaper as well! 😆 😉 😀 GNR-Gordon-4 (AF) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted March 29, 2020 Author Share Posted March 29, 2020 No point wasting masking tape 😛 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 But it's wasting a good newspaper; One that somebody could read, back to front, inside out! 😛 😆 😉 😀 GNR-Gordon-4 (AF) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted March 30, 2020 Author Share Posted March 30, 2020 Just a coat of Klear today, in preparation for the decals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted March 30, 2020 Share Posted March 30, 2020 What's that? Primer, or something? GNR-Gordon-4 (AF) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted March 30, 2020 Author Share Posted March 30, 2020 Klear is floor polish that can be used as a self-levelling gloss coat. They don't make it any more (I got six bottles from my Cash & Carry), it's been rebranded and they call it something else now (I've lost track). I'm using it as a preparation before applying the decals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWR-Gordon-4 Posted March 30, 2020 Share Posted March 30, 2020 I did not know that. Thank you for explaining it to me, Ratch. 😀 GNR-Gordon-4 (AF) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted March 31, 2020 Author Share Posted March 31, 2020 I've started applying the decals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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