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DB Sport and Scale Auster J1 Autocrat


Danny Fenton

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1694198-large.thumb.jpg.b621003ff0bf922fff7d0db2dfe83a48.jpgIt is interesting that you say that David, it is quite difficult to tell from profile shots which most on the web are. I thought I saw one with the exhausts on starboard. I wonder if they had a variety of power plants?

I found one good shot (above) on the web from the underside of a J1, and the exhaust was on port so assumed I had got mine wrong.

 

Thanks for the info, I will dig a bit deeper

 

Cheers

Danny

Edited by Danny Fenton
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13 minutes ago, David P Williams said:

I did some digging too - early J1s had Cirrus engines, exhaust port side. Later ones had Gypsy Majors, exhaust starboard side. Depends exactly which version you are modelling it seems

Just came to the same conclusion David, as Alan says its just for fun and wont be competing so doesn't really matter, and if you guys weren't sure I am sure others wont have a clue ?

 

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It changes daily, but keep coming back to G-AGTO..... my one concern is it looks more grey than silver.

KlassKote silver is more like the Chippie in the background.

 

There again its only fun scale..........

 

Cheers and thanks for the help, much appreciated.

 

 

 

 

 

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16 minutes ago, David Davis 2 said:

If I could build to your standard Danny, I'd certainly compete with it if I could work up the courage to fly it. ?

 

I expect that mine will look more like this one!

 

 

Auster.jpg

Thanks ? but the judges would drive a bus through the errors.

Many think you can take a kit and compete, but to do really well the outline first has to be accurate, detailing doesnt get you much. Well apart from the "oooohhh" factor, which is nice. Do you or any others want a copy of my windscreen template? Sorry but the flat sided one just looks wrong imo.

Cheers

Danny

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2 hours ago, David Davis 2 said:

@Danny Fentonthat would be nice.

 

The flat windscreen is just a field repair from someone who couldn't afford the real replacement judging by the rest of the aircraft.

 

PM sent.

You could be right, but a flat three section windscreen does seem to have been fitted to some later ones...

 

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This is Andy and Jacqui Sephton's Auster and it has additional uprights and a three section screen.

 

Cheers

Danny

DSCF2052.JPG

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Anchored the exhaust firmly but not rigidly to the airframe. The exhaust I made, including flexi was lighter that the Saito supplied one!

 

742.thumb.jpg.87f49991d872c8514ce6b282bc41bdcd.jpg

 

I also milled the wheel centres so that the wheels could sit further over the piano wire axle, a bit of a soldering mess, and now the wheel hides some of it ?

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Hi Danny, 

 

I've been reading through this thread in a long and rather fascinating sitting last night and this morning and thought I would chime in to say thankyou for the inspiration here. 

I'm no master builder and I don't have a fraction of the expertise you have demonstrated here, but what IS important for me is your approach to it and the realisation that quite a lot of the detailing work can be "kitchen table" modelling and impressing random bits and bobs. So, I am suitably inspired to look for a scale subject to model. Something simple, probably an existing plan (to at least give me a chance for the thing to fly) but lots of places to do fiddly bits. 

I remember poking my nose into Pete McDermott's DH9 a few years ago now and coming away almost demoralised, this is a different experience, so thankyou, I look forward to reading more. 

 

Cheers

 

Matt

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I've enjoyed this thread from a nostalgic point of view too.

I started my aircraft engineering career as a Junior Technician at Cranfield College of Aeronautics Department of Flight servicing the Auster Aiglets that they used for student training back in the 1960's.

Had a few flights in them on 'weather checks', including aero's.

Happy days?

 

Edited by Geoff Copping
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1 hour ago, Matt Carlton said:

Hi Danny, 

 

I've been reading through this thread in a long and rather fascinating sitting last night and this morning and thought I would chime in to say thankyou for the inspiration here. 

I'm no master builder and I don't have a fraction of the expertise you have demonstrated here, but what IS important for me is your approach to it and the realisation that quite a lot of the detailing work can be "kitchen table" modelling and impressing random bits and bobs. So, I am suitably inspired to look for a scale subject to model. Something simple, probably an existing plan (to at least give me a chance for the thing to fly) but lots of places to do fiddly bits. 

I remember poking my nose into Pete McDermott's DH9 a few years ago now and coming away almost demoralised, this is a different experience, so thankyou, I look forward to reading more. 

 

Cheers

 

Matt

 

Hi Matt, and I am really pleased that you have enjoyed the thread. My goal when writing the scale column for the magazine, posts on here, and the videos, is to inspire and show how stuff can be done and its not too hard with patience and care. This post has made my day thanks ?

 

If I can offer some advice on the choice of subject, keep it fairly simple and easy to fly, there is nothing worse than building something gorgeous and then you are too afraid to fly it.

My first real scale model was a Hurricane and its lovely, but still hasn't flown.

The Chipmunk is an excellent choice, great flyer, fixed undercarriage. Other good choices are many of the high wing cabin models just watch the amount of glazing. I did a Super Cub for indoor scale and it was a great choice.

 

I too peered into Pete's DH9 (or was it Micks??) and seeing the half eaten sandwich and mug of coffee made me feel quite inadequate.

 

Cheers

Danny

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47 minutes ago, Geoff Copping said:

I've enjoyed this thread from a nostalgic point of view too.

I started my aircraft engineering career as a Junior Technician at Cranfield College of Aeronautics Department of Flight servicing the Auster Aiglets that they used for student training back in the 1960's.

Had a few flights in them on 'weather checks', including aero's.

Happy days?

 

Thanks Geoff, the Auster has always been a favourite of mine, my Dad learned to fly in one, and there were always one or two at Sherburn, where my Dad ran the maintenance outfit on the airfield, so they were always around.

I didn't realise the Aiglet was aerobatic, that's something I wasn't aware of!

Cheers

Danny

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3 hours ago, Danny Fenton said:

Thanks Geoff, the Auster has always been a favourite of mine, my Dad learned to fly in one, and there were always one or two at Sherburn, where my Dad ran the maintenance outfit on the airfield, so they were always around.

I didn't realise the Aiglet was aerobatic, that's something I wasn't aware of!

Cheers

Danny

Just loops, spins, barrel rolls and stall turns, nothing too extreme but exciting for a youngster.

 

I remember checking the fuel pumps, jam your foot against the wheel, hang on to the engine bearers then lift the priming lever to de-activate the two pumps, one at a time, whilst the engine was run at full throttle. quite refreshing !!!!

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I know often it seems as though stuff goes to plan and it seems unfair, but just to prove it doesn't I applied chart tape to the cowl and when I fitted it to the model the lines were not the same on each side. 

 

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This pic shows the cowl just after the tape was removed.

 

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And this just after I sanded the lines off again and re-applied more Chart-Pak tape. Using 1/32nd for this as the cowl lines are much more pronounced.

 

The camera angle makes the lines look less than parallel, they are parallel...... 

 

Ah well I couldn't have just left it that way. Not sure how the error crept in.

 

Cheers

Danny

 

 

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Danny, the tapes can be bought in various widths, typically 2", 3", and 4" but all have the same pink pitch.

Below is a short length cut across with standard pinking shears, these have a 5mm pitch, so the difference is barely distinguishable. Overlaid on the tape is a strip of sport first aid tape (see packet).

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The tape is coated with adhesive but if unwound and steeped in thinners, all the adhesive is washed away leaving an open weave which will take dope very well.

I've recently recovered a DB SE5  (which wouldn't have had pinked tapes) however the ragged edge result is passable for the sort of pitch you'd expect on a 1/5 or 1/4 scale model.

104607a.jpg.dc062ff30db50bb4a80a601aca4468bc.jpg

 

While they don't look as smart as the Mick Reeves tapes, its a much cheaper option and once doped and painted, the casual observer probably won't think its out of place.

 

The best stuff to use was 3M Hair Set Tape, this had small pinked edges and was ideal for 1/4 or 1/5 scale, unfortunately its just about unavailable now, hence the nearest alternative I've found which is first aid tape.

 

Hope this helps!                

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