Challenge Build 737-268C - AIR SAUDIA -

[TheChronicOne]

Yikes! Sounds like a glutton for punishment! I entertained converting -something- into a 747SP but almos just as quickly dismissed that idea.... I'm praying Zvesda will put one out some day.

Funny you say that about the SP as it was the Article in an old FSM where someone cut down the Revell kit I think it was to an SP that got me reinterested in Airliners long after I had built some when I was at Primary School.

Well here's the latest comparison :



Worth it? Definitely but need to find a quicker way to do it next time. Daco/Skyline Cockpit transparency definitely the way to go methinks.

Getting there!!! The windscreen area is looking improved now. Mine is all jacked up. The port side is.. uhh.... ballooned out and if I were to leave it like this it would look like a cheap toy for sure. I'm going to have to chip away at it and get it back down to the clear piece and start again.. it's all messed up.. Back to yours, even a less than stellar result is still a result, though, and the experience of having done it the way you did will prove useful in the future even it's nothing more than knowing that you'd rather do it another way instead!!!


I like your anecdote about the SP. It's a good thing! I never dreamed I'd find myself so into building airliners myself but now that I'm here, I wouldn't trade it! I'm not giving up on my military stuff by any means but I never could have predicted myself really enjoying working in 1/144 and building such neat subjects. I think a lot of people don't know what they're missing...

[TheChronicOne]

Working on the wings. I've had my plate full the last few days and I've also been trying to make time to play Red Dead Redemption II (which is turning out to be utterly magnificent, by the way) so my model work has decreased but I enjoy it so much, I still find time.



Works for me! I've since cleaned up the edges of the silver paint and they look much better. I still need to paint on the lights but I stopped short as I had a problem today involving a flat tired (this is NEVER fun, I don't give a damn if you drive a tire service truck that specializes in being mobile and fixing tires on the road, even those guys are like, "DAMN!!!!" when they get a flat) so I didn't get much done.

Also, I found a couple anti-collision lights or whatever I hadn't planned for.



The two in the middle. One is just behind the slats or whatever and one seems to be located on one of the "rails" or whatever they are that the flaps slip around on. Since they're actually lit in this picture, I can't pinpoint exact location and what they look like when not lit so I'll look at my references and go from there.

I keep forgetting, but, then, keep remembering that I bought this thing not too long ago and it has a ton of good info in it:



A great lil book to have. It's missing things, however, such as some of the stuff I've been looking for concerning overhead pictures and good references for the wings... but..... Worth every damn penny spent on it.

[Ansett A330]

The two in the middle. One is just behind the slats or whatever and one seems to be located on one of the "rails" or whatever they are that the flaps slip around on. Since they're actually lit in this picture, I can't pinpoint exact location and what they look like when not lit so I'll look at my references and go from there.

I don't know if we are allowed to link other similar Sites but there are a couple of 737-200 Walkarounds on line (including at least one with a Gravel Kit) that show exactly where and how big most if not all of the Lights are (and also things like Pitot Tubes and even air flow activated "Flaps" or "Gates" on some of the Ram Air Intakes.

[TheChronicOne]

Ta!

Next time I sit down to work, I'll find them. My search-force is strong.

[TheChronicOne]

Getting some work done today on the 737.

I'm through painting the wings... I just need to mask them off and spray on some gloss clear where the wing walk decals will go.


Not too shabby airplane wing if I say so myself.

I decided NOT to try to simulate the bulbs inside the light housings (decided it wouldn't look very realistic) and also decided not to bother with the two little lights I was wondering about the other day. I stopped and looked around at some models done by others, the sorts that are in Fine Scale Modeler publications and a bunch of the ones I looked didn't bother with those lights and some didn't even bother with landing or the wing tip nav lights! I guess it's all a matter of personal preference. I do kind of wonder, however, if this is the type of thing judges would look at in some sort of competetion? Personally I at least want my landing and wing tip lights and can't really see myself omitting them.


Next I'm trying to recover the shape of the windscreen area. It had gotten to the point where it was just a sort of blob of undefined area up there and not only that, it was ballooned out on the left side so even if I were going for a more cartoonish look it would still look ridiculous. This is where I'm at now but it's still difficult to tell so I'll sand the area to get it smoother then prime it to see what the deal is. As far as the rest of the fuselage, it's finally coming together as far as the finish and it shouldn't take too many more passed with sand paper.



So that's that.... not sure how much more I'll do to it today but these were definitely a couple of steps in the right direction.

I think I'm going to have a piece of pie.


EDIT: I may re-shape the nose too, now that I'm looking at it? It seems like it should be pointier. Could just be the angle of the photograph. It doesn't look as bad from the side but it still doesn't seem quite pointy enough.

[TheChronicOne]

Stopped and decided to scour the 'net for some more specific pictures and knowledge about the specific aircraft I am modelling, HZ-AGA. Turns out it was the first one Saudia took on delivery. How cool! Found some pictures if it, too, along with some of other 737s in the fleet to use for reference or just to have.

So, in the spirit of fair use:


Not my bird, but is a useful photo for painting the belly.




My bird, port and starboard.


Not sure what this is from, but handy.


I believe this is shortly after delivery.

Pretty neat stuff!

[scotty100368]

Hey Chronic!

Also note that HZ-AGA was a combi model - it has the large main deck cargo door and adjusted window spacing!

[TheChronicOne]

Hey there, bud!!

Thanks!!! I'm glad you said something, I never noticed the adjusted window spacing!!! I'll have to look at my transfers and see if they are accurate as far as that spacing. If not, they came with a spare section of cheatline so I should be able to cut the decal in question and make it work. They do come with the outline for the big cargo door so I'm hoping they had the forethought to make the window spacing correct as well.

[TheChronicOne]

Haven't given up on this, I've just been busy with the ATR-72. That said, like I said, I haven't forgot and I did some pretty substantial work the other day trying to re-shape the nose and wind screen area. Man, it was bad.. I'm not even sure how it got like that. This time around I cleaned out more of the area on the windscreens and tried my best to get everything even, aligned, and symetrical. It looks better. I also had to work on the top of the nose itself as it was "built up" on the port side just like the windscreens themselves. Wow... like I said, not sure how the hell it even got like that but I tried my best to fix it.

After that, I went around the entire fuselage and carefully looked for and tried to fix any blemishes or irregularites in the finish. I found some of course... sanded some more on the crown, sanded some more on the windows areas, found a pock mark that I filled and sanded, and numerous scratches and generally shenanigans on the finish. After that I sprayed it up with more primer and it's been drying ever since. I'll take a look at it later to see how succesful I was. I might be at the point where I need to just slap another 2-3 coats of primer on it to get the finish nice and smooth then I could sand it one last time and it's ready for appliance epoxy.

[Ansett A330]

https://youtu.be/6t1vaF50Ks0