airliner-civil-aircraft-modeller.com

I have been purchasing a kit from the Model Expo swap meet in Melbourne each year with the proviso that it be something that you don't see too often, relatively easy to put together and dirt cheap. This has resulted in My Nanchang CJ-6, and the Sea Venom for the last two years. They have made nice models that look great in my display cabinet and are a cool souvenier from the show.

This year I went `halves' with my good mate Simmo and we decided to get something for each other, based upon the above guidelines. Despite my due diligence in getting him a kit that matched pretty well everything (the Trumpeter Yak -18) I ended up being handed a kit that only matched one of the guidelines (that being dirt cheap). upon opening the kit, I was greeted with raised panel lines, raised rivets, poor mouldings and the punchline was that it had been started!! This kit was the Revell Martlett MK4.... Once alerted to the difficulty that I was going to have doing anything with the kit, I think Simmo felt a bit guilty and went out and got me something a little nicer. This time conforming with all of the rules. Anyway, enough gas bagging, here is the Glider.

Having heaps of fun with this one gents!



The kit comes with two wingtip options, one for the 15 Meter span and the other for the 18 Meter Span. I have chosen the ridiculously long 18 Meter wingspan option.



It doesn't look like it at this stage, but the wingspan on this model is HUGE!



I blended the wingtip into the main wing and then re-scribed the join very close to the original so as to provide a consistent panel line. The real glider has these wingtips as removable pieces to fit into the trailer, so the panel line is supposed to be there.



Onto the cockpit, and it is very well done for such a simple machine.

The kit provides for a neat decal overlay of the kit IP, which is raised.



The tub is equally as nice, and the challenge here was to create a lambswool seat. I painted the seat Extra Dark Sea Grey, them stippled black onto it in small dots, then blended it all back in with dots of the EDSG. The kit also comes with three different coloured decal options for the seatbelts that conform quite nicely with Microsol. The whole assembly is gloss at the moment but will be knocked back with a flat coat at a later stage.



Simple!





The kit canopy has benefited from a polish with Tamiya polishing compounds.



Almost ready for paint!

Geez, that looks awesome, Eric! I'll watch this one closely - picked up the same kit a couple of years ago at expo..

That is one sexy aeroplane! Ever done any gliding? I've done it a couple of times - pure flying. Must go again sometime. You do learn to use rudder with those long wings.
Very interesting build.

Very sierra hotel Eric and indeed quiet inspirational and educational. I was given a Revell 1:32 Duo Discus Glider as a farewell gift from work last week, (and the fact that I am now not leaving makes it even better ), and I must say that these Revell 1:32 Gliders are impressive kits that had, up till now, flown under my radar. Indeed I am so impressed with the glider kit that I bought a Revell 1:32 Piper Cub at Swap & Sell, (and thanks for the great price on this kit Wayne ), so that I can do a Glider/Glider Tug diorama setting featuring both these fine models. I will be watching this model intently with a view to learning from your techniques. Will you be entering her in our new "Civil Aircraft" category next year??
TOR
PS: love the background story of how you obtained the kit

NOICE.
Will need a high high high gloss?

That's different. Nice work so far Eric

Something to consider...

Onto the painting.

My weapon of choice for gloss White is mr Surfacer 1000 from the spray can. It goes on super smooth and responds well to sponge sanders in order to smooth it even further and remove imperfections. Of course this stuff dries to a satin sheen but we will address that later.

I used the tail as a handle. The model only just fit into the spray booth.

[url="http://s1206.photobucket.com/user/ericgalliers/media/70D05D32-2F77-4ADD-A3BC-3FBF741E0828_zpsou6uucft.jpg.html"][/url]

I bit of work went into smoothing the engine bay into the rest of the fuselage.



I chose to paint this model as per the box art, which also happens to be the most challenging due to the orange high vis panels that are painted all over the glider. The kit supplies decals for the rudder panel only and the rest need to be painted. I had some model master international orange that was supposed to have been used in my recent x-1 build that matches the decal exactly.

The instructions are quite specific on the placement of each panel, giving measurements in mm as to where they should go. I was masking and painting these panels about 2 hours after painting the white, which goes to show how good the mr Surfacer is.



The addition of the orange turns the awesomeness of this model up to 11!



To get the stripe under the fuselage, I firstly laid down a length of 6mm tamiya tape in the position that I wanted the stripe. I then masked next to each side of the tape, then pulled the central strip away and sprayed.







The hardest part of the scheme was getting the nose right.




Even though the pop up engine ruins the clean lines of the glider somewhat, I reckon it is an important design feature of the aircraft, and it was something that I want to display. Here it is during a test fit.



ErIc.

I think the pop-up engine looks great.....makes the aircraft look very functional.
Really lovely work as per usual Eric!!
Dam you, because of you and your inspirational builds I have just bought a Revell 1:32 LSB-a\1B Glider and am currently bidding on a Revell 1:32 ASK 21 Glider, to go along with my previously-mentioned Revell 1:32 Duo Discus Glider. My Revell 1:32 Piper Cub is certainly going to be one busy little tow-plane in this diorama I am planning.
TOR

I have decalled the model using the very nice ones that Revell give you. They are desigend by DACO and printed in Italy and are very high quality.

There is not much to this model. I have also added a grey wash to bring out some of the detail. As can be seen, the orange panel on the rudder is a decal and is an exact match for the Model Master enamel orange that was used to paint the other markings with.





One more coat with Gloss Clear then I will polish the shit out of it!