Chris's 1/72 Planet Models Breda Ba.44

Tim Marlow

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A gentle tap? I wish! It doesn't appear to be stuck to the transparent part tho' as I can't see any glue residue, even with the increased magnification of the photos

Unless the AK Crystal Magic glue I was using is THAT clear. Which is useful to know for future sticking
Could be stuck by static.
 

Steve-the-Duck

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Right, q'pla!
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All it took was pushing the blade up under the frame and winkling a bit, and it's done. It WAS definitely stuck at both ends though

Weird

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So, the close-in rigging is in and done and didn't take two hours for the first part wire and an hour for the next three, just the length of a Christopher Eccleston / David Warner x-over Big Finish audio...

And then, the next problem. This can't go on without something going astray
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The upper wings are on, yay! Just need a little paint touch up up top, BUUT...
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Despite all my careful fettling, dry-fitting, adjusting and whatever preparation, when I actually come to glue the damn thing, the top of the V just breaks off. I'd have expected the port side to go, as that's had the most fiddling about with done on it
What's more annoying is, with the holes pre-drilled, I was going to do the cross-wiring main rigging before adding the outermost struts, so the latter didn't get in the way. On the starboard side I'm going to have to do the struts to pull the wing down slightly into it's proper place, then add repairs to these broken bits, and THEN rig.
Port side first, I think, as that's settled in perfectly
Still, not far to go now: struts, rigging, mud-guards, exhaust pipes, then props and done

And then back to No.4, and the Hector
Hmm, is the GB finish the beginning or end of April? Want to get on and do my Thunderjaw next, BEFORE the next GBs!
 

colin m

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I feel you pain with foreign objects on canopies. For me it's normally dust. No matter how careful I think I've been, there's always dust on the inside.
It looks like you're having a bit of a fight with this build. But you're nearly there. Well done for showing it who's the boss.
 

Steve-the-Duck

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I'm holding it down and making it submit

truth be told, there's more work than I thought but it's not THAT much of a struggle
Maybe it is. A little

So, rather than trying to fit shims, I just took out the struts and added new ones entirely, from Aeroclub strut material. Must get some more of that, if I can... Honestly, I should probably have fitted these struts after adding the top wing, but there you go. Usually i would do that, especially with resin. I'd still have hade to strut and rig the bit close in to the fuselage though before winging up
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Also, the rear strut on the portside hadn't gone into its' slot, so added a new one there too
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And knocked off the vent pipe too. The white mark at the base of the strut appears to be a 'scanner artifact'. At least, it's invisible to the naked eye.

Wasn't happy with the back of the starboard wing join, so just a bit of filler there. Again,my own fault for not adjusting the wing fit when the glue was drying
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And I've replaced the vent and fuel pipe
There's going to be a lot of little touch-ups needed when I come to weathering
 

Steve-the-Duck

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Aaand..!
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All the outer wing rigging is double strand. I was going to use they 0.1 wire I usually keep for aerial cables, but i=that's very difficult to handle and keep straight. So, just doubled up the 0.2. The back is done now too, so only the outer styruts and the starboard wing to do. Another twelve lines
The end is nigh!
 

Steve-the-Duck

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Well, the BUILD is done. Still much work to do
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That's all the rigging in place
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Tail wheel, exhaust pipes and nose pitot added. There are no photos that show exactly what the probe looked like, and there's nothing in the kit, so just a few bits together (including the alternate joystick for biplane build #4)
The exhaust pipes don't appear on the drawings of the engines in the monograph, but they're certainly quite prominent on photos of I-ORIO. Which does make me wonder where the exhausts are on my Dragon Rapide, as that has Gypsy 6 engines too... Also, as the big mudguards do not appear on the militarised I-ORIO, I decided not to add them. I just wish that one photo properly showed the tail. But then, none of the militarised versions in service have a picture of the fin. When the hole was drilled for the tail wheel, the two fuselage halves began to separate at that point. But the break becomes invisible again when the wheel is fitted
 

Steve-the-Duck

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So, all there is to do now is touch-up paintwork and some weathering around the wheels and underside
Next time showing will be a 'Completed' thread...
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None of the challenges on this build have been insurmountable, and I went into it eyes open. The major problems were the thickness of the transparencies, and their unwillingness to fit easily, and not one of the struts from the kit that I actually used, being of the right length.; so, the break in the struts when the wing was fitted was self-inflicted. I was worried that when I cut the prop blades in f=half to fit them they'd just shatter, but that, mercifully, didn't materialise.

Honestly, with a big resin slab like this, you get what you pay for, and all the work it does entail. I doubt I will build the other Planet kit I've got, of the Breda Ba.88, as there are more recent and accurate kits available.
Did I enjoy the build? Let's say I'm SATISFIED with the outcome
But we;'re not done yet!
 

Allen Dewire

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Wow Chris!!! As much as this resin baby fought back, you won the war, Sir!!! It isn't the prettiest wing thingy, but it kinda grows on ya. Love the camo and the rigging. I guess the big question is..........How many times total, did you break off the vent/fuel pipe during the build??? I know the struts got sacrificed a few times...Top work Buddy!!!..........

Prost
Allen
 

Steve-the-Duck

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I guess the big question is..........How many times total, did you break off the vent/fuel pipe during the build???
Only twice, remarkably. And both times it was the port side. Now, if my micro drill bit hadn't broken off in the hole, they'd have been metal rod!

Cheers for the like too, Allen!
 
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