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1/4 scale PSS MB326 Impala


Monz
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Started skinning the fuseLARGE!

The lengthwise strip and the 6mm square strips on the formers are anchors for the 3mm skin. Each skin will have a 6mm strip to adhere to. I find this reduces the 'oil canning' effect dramatically.
The port side skins are cut and formed from 3mm depron. The construction turned out to be accurate enough that I could just copy these for the starboard skins. The process is to run a bead of UHU Por on the fus formers, then to take the skin and rub that on the area where the glue is. That transfers it to the skin so that both surfaces are coated where needed. Then wait to dry. I mark a reference point or two for when it comes to actually gluing the skin on. This helps with alignment as with this glue you only get one go...
The last pic... Algebra? Nope, servo extensions required!
 
 
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  • 1 month later...

Been slowly working on this.

Got the wing joining tubes all done,

Then began skinning them, I did them in two sections top and one for the bottom, I found it easier to handle a smaller piece for the more curved top section. I used the PU glue instead of Por for doing the skinning, much less stressful with a bit of play to align things at this size than using Por's instant grip.

Then lots of balsa leading and trailing edge sanding later all the flying surfaces are now done,

And here it is for the first together shot. Once I have the rest of the lighting wiring in I'll add the bottom keels and begin skinning it all.

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  • 3 years later...

Forgot about this thread on here, so time for an 'update' and almost wrap. This project did languish for a good few years due to work, other modelling interests and just a lack of space in my flat. But with some mojo I found under a pile of balsa I got cracking with it again a few months ago. It was a case of 90% done, 90% to go.

I started by glassing the front fus, getting that filled, rubbed down and primed. I used Soudall lightweight filler in a tube which worked really well.

Then it was on to painting. I used lots and lots and lots of masking tape for this scheme. I used the yellow Frog tape which worked really well. The only bleed I had was where I hadn't rubbed the edge down properly and this was very minimal. This is good stuff to use if you're spraying.

I used B&Q rattle cans for all the painting, the stock colours matched what I wanted pretty spot on and after many hours of masking, spraying, masking, spraying, masking..... this was the end result.

Then it was time for decals. I make my own laser printed water transfers. The black, orange and white lettering was hand painted.

Between decals I bought some 1mm PETG sheet, built a vac box and made a canopy plug. The canopy is 80cm long by 20cm wide by 15cm high. I initially tried pulling it in one piece but couldn't get enough heat to the edges of the plastic so had to split the plug at the canopy joint and do it in two pieces.

This actually worked out better in the end as I now have easier access to the fus for the radio and lighting bits.

The canopy frame is made from the same 1mm petg cut to shape and glued to the molding.

And after some silver paint I was quite chuffed with the result! The canopy had been bugging me for some time. I couldn't find anyone that was able to do one that size and after some prodding from certain fellow modellers....

A bit of a cockpit mock up tub type thing...

... ready for a pilot and seat to go in. I ordered a print of a pilot and seat from Andy Meade to go in, but with that only being an after thought I couldn't fit him in without some serious surgery. I couldn't bare to cut the prints up so have ordered a a bust and top half of the seat from Andy instead. The original full figures will go into something else

These are the full figures. Friggin awesome!

The servos have gone in and a few small details added and next will be to get the radio set up. The weight is about 10kg so far as a guesstimate. Soon as the weather improves I'll get it outside for an assembled shot.

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Very Nice Monz, Good to see the Springbok is alive and well in the UK. I cannot see the nuber that you are using on this aircraft, my mate Charlie Rudnick was the number 5 and he was killed in the aircraft at Lanseria when the wing folded. Dave Boddington was in South Africa at the time and was with me at the airshow and in those days it was still cameras with film. Dave took a whole number of pictures of the events leading up to the crash and gave me the film to get it developed as he went to the Kruger Park. The pictures had lots of detail in them, far more that what appeared in the press. I called Dave and asked him what I must do with the pictures and he said that if he was family he would not like to see them and I must pass them on to the airforce for their investigation. True Gent David was and not money driven but rather a passion for aviation.

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Hi Chris, I remember seeing that on SABC news as a kid. Very sad, especially as he was a friend.

I know Dave's son, Andrew, editor of Aeromodeler, also a gentleman that shares his dad's passion.

The pics were before I had numbered the Imp, it now wears 517. Being that I'm originally from SA, if I build a model and the SAAF used it then it must have some bokkies on it! The small one I'm busy with will be 460 in 4 Hangar at Ysterplaat.

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