Bridlington & Wolds Scale Model Club Forum
Models => Modelling Projects => Topic started by: Wizzel on December 25, 2020, 04:39:21 PM
-
Hello all,
I thought I'd try and put together this strange little thing from Mikr Mir - the Moskalyev SAM 23. I picked it up a fair while back just because it was summat a bit different and maybe a bit unknown. Typically, a couple of weeks afterwards and before I'd had chance to make a start, it was reviewed in Scale Aviation Modelling International which made me throw it into the loft in a huff! Anyway, that was a few years back now and enough time has passed to make you all forget that so this will be my next project.
It comes in a top opening box. I really couldn't say why the box style is important but everyone seems to mention it in their review so now you know. Pretty simple in terms of part count and the detail is more than sufficient with the fit being pretty good. Another thing people always say is that construction starts with the cockpit, so I'll say that too. "Construction starts with the cockpit". There, I said it. In my case, though, I decided to paint the cockpit components and assemble them afterwards so while they were drying, MY construction started with the engine nacelle and wing!
I have some Albion Alloys aluminium tube of the right looking diameter so thought to add a bit of interest, I would attempt to model the strange little retractable nose wheel in the extended position as shown on the box art so the tubing would make quite a good telescopic arm. This also meant I would need a pilot so I grabbed an Airfix figure from the spares box and sat him in the seat. Supposedly in 1/72 scale, the kit appears to be slightly under scale as you can see in one of the pictures - and even taking into account Francis' theory of the cockpit walls in the "a question of scale" thread, the figure was far too long never mind wide. Luckily, I had a set of OO gauge railway passenger figures with no lower legs which fitted lovely and there was even one looking to the left as in the box art. I don't suppose railway modellers subscribe to the "I know you can't see it but I know it's there" theory that aircraft modellers use as an excuse before closing the fuselage up and hiding forever five times the cost of the kit in etched brass and resin aftermarket accessories - who are the more foolish modellers one asks.
Anyway, this is where I am so far today. I hope to update you further tomorrow!
-
By the picture on the box its as wide as it is long - good to do something differeent and that is a challenge - keeps the little grey cells working, so good luck
-
An interesting model.
-
Interesting, it is certainly different to the norm!
-
I've made good use of the last few days by getting on with this in between long walks and being chained to a hot stove!
After a priming session with Halford's matt grey primer, I thought I'd give it a spray with Hataka Russian colours. I bought these from the Huddersfield model show about 5 years back and remembered them as being difficult to work with when I used them on the Lavochkin. That time, I used water as a thinner (both tap water and distilled) but really didn't get on with them as it seemed to make then paint almost lumpy. I can't remember how I got them to work well enough back then but this time I used Vallejo thinners which I recently bought and it seemed to be a little better until I started to spray. No matter what pressure or thickness I used, it just splattered and spat so in the end, I gave it a very light rub and brush painted over it. The finish is not spectacular but it's a lesson learned. I did a little research and discovered that Hataka were renowned for being terrible paints for spraying and have since improved their formula so I may see about trying some of the new stuff because they are very quick drying and tough once they're on. Vallejo on the other hand I find are a lot softer and take ages to cure enough so you can handle the part without rubbing off the paint.
The nose support for the landing/take off wheel (I'm still not quite sure of it's purpose) was made of short lengths of plastic coated garden wire with the plastic stripped off and rubbed with a needle file to ket for painting. The top support is drilled straight into the nose and fixed with superglue. For the two side bits, I drilled a hole through the end of the arm and passed one longer piece through the hole then bent them back and cut them to length to fit into the locating ports which I drilled out. There are two other ports which appear to be for guns which suggest it was some sort of ground attack aircraft. I may do some research after I've had fun building it. The hydraulic piston was a couple of short lengths of Albion Alloys tubing - how do they get it so small!!!
Plenty of cleaning up and tidying the paintwork next and then the canopy framework to do... you may notice on one picture, it looked like the canopy was masked. It was. I used Bare Metal Foil but when I went to remove the masks, the Hataka Paint peeled off the whole thing - masks AND framework. Don't know if it's my heavy handed approach to either masking, too much paint used in spraying, not leaving it long enough to dry or the paint being a little to rubbery when dried but I ended up with an unpainted canopy. If anyone else has sprayed with Hataka successfully, I'm open to feedback.
-
A very strange beast, I hope you solve the paint problem.
-
I've not used it but I know that Hataka make three types of paint for different types of application.
If you visit their website, it explains it but not very well.
I've heard some good reviews about the stuff.
Haddock.
-
Certainly a very interesting aircraft.
-
After a bit of research on Hataka paints, the three paints "need" three different thinners - clever marketing, that! Luckily, the three sets I have are all red line series so I only need one type of thinners. I'll see if I can pick up a bottle for a decent price as the paints themselves look like being good colours and dry well. In the meantime, I'll continue to brush paint them in many coats...
And, whilst in between coats on the canopy frame, I got to thinking about how I would display this thing once done. I decided on a base and backdrop type affair so made a base to depict the foreground part of the box art from roughly contoured foam onto which I put a couple of layers of Mod Rock to smooth it out. This was painted and static grass applied where needed. A couple of small bits of Woodlands Scenic bush stuff was added along the track and the lot encased in a plywood frame.
The rest of the scenery I will attempt to paint onto a piece of white card which will be slotted in between the base and plywood backing piece. Tonight's project is to fashion a couple trees for the hill on the right.
Once the aircraft is finished, I will fix a small piece of plastic tube from an illegal cotton bud to the underside of the starboard wing and this will slot onto a piece of rod drilled into the backing piece to hold the aircraft up. If I get the angle correct, it should rest nicely on the little wheel. I'm back at work today but I hope not to vanish over the horizon for months on end again, the goal being to have this one done by the end of next weekend.
-
Trees are now done and in place. I had no idea how I was going to do them and, as often happens with me, things just work themselves out. I had some leftover branches from my Lavochkin fence diorama so they became the trunks. Onto them, I fixed bits of Woodland Scenics bush scatter, drilled holes in the hill and stuck em in!
I really must get working on that aircraft again tomorrow or else I'll have a nice bit of hill and nothing to put on it.
-
Certainly interesting, not seen anything like it. I use the HAKATA paint a lot and like it.
Bob c
-
Looking good Dave.
-
Certainly interesting, not seen anything like it. I use the HAKATA paint a lot and like it.
Bob c
What thinners do you use with it Bob? I don't know if you saw my earlier comments about the trouble I had spraying it.
-
Well, my deadline has been and gone. Didn't quite make it but I'm a lot nearer than I thought I'd be given the week I had last week.
The aircraft needs about 1 more hour doing to it. Bit of a tidy up of the canopy framing, prop fitting a few chips and some matt varnish chucking over it and it's ready. The supporting wires for the aircraft you see in the pictures are there just to prop it up so you can see what it should look like when finished. The starboard wing has a bit of tubing glued to the underside and this will slot onto a stub of wire I'll be fixing into the background.
The background scenery was painted with watercolours last night and it ain't bad for a non-painter. I'm quite pleased with it. I've to cut the wood at the back to size, stick the background to it, stick that lot to the back of the "land" and then drill a hole and insert the wire, slot the aircraft on and it's done!
-
That's a very nice background, well done.
-
Looking good Wizz
-
That's a very nice background, well done.
I agree - very nice.
-
Great background for a strange aircraft.
-
I'm calling this done now. Only one small remedial task before I can bung it in the cabinet; the background picture needs sticking to the wood properly. I used some double sided sticky tape from one of DCOS's craft boxes and when I told her it didn't seem to do a very good job, she replied "oh yes, it's old tape. I had the same problem with it when I made Christmas cards. If you'd have said, I would have told you it was no good" BUT STILL SHE PUT IT BACK IN THE BOX ::)
Right, onto the next one then - which won't be an aircraft!
-
Looks really good.
-
Absolutely cracking Mr Wizzel.
Very clever.
-
Well Done! Looks great