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P.O. Box 875638, Wasilla, Alaska 99687, USA
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Kit #001, Fairchild
model 71
CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS - PAGE
6 |
Now we jump to a pair of Fairchild kits that are farther along;
an FC-2W2 on its first test fit and an F.71 that has been masked
for filling fuselage seams; the fuselage chines of the F.71 have
also been built up with stretched sprue and surrounding area masked
and filled.
The FC-2W2 shows some of the plastic bits that the frame tubes
will be glued to. There are more, but the bottom ones are painted
over here. The unpainted area behind the wing spar cutout is where
a slab of scrap will be glued into place for a brace before the
roof is cut away from the assembled front halves. The entire windshield
area will be cut away before joining the halves, and side window
sections installed.
With surrounding areas masked off, seams can be thoroughly filled
without creating a cleanup nightmare. Triangular chips of scrap
styrene were also glued against the back corners of the wing center
section to simplify fairing the rear turtledeck into them, before
filling began:
Small filler pieces are needed at the tail end for both of these...different
shapes for different reasons...
The framing behind the windshield was added to the assembled front
fuselage halves after the roof was cut away and before the rest
for the interior was installed. The pilot's seat is mounted on
a slab of plastic which is painted black and then trimmed in aluminum
to simulate the original trusswork (some frames were black, grey,
primer red, or whatever was handy during the last rebuild, later
in life...). Of course the detail under the seat is invisible
except through that hole in the nose that won't be there...
The difference between an FC-2W2 belly (on the right) and an F.71
belly. I wish I knew this before I made the mold! That's styrene
rod and Green Stuff, but embossing the ribs from the inside of
a sheet of .010 and gluing it to the belly would be quicker, neater
and easier, I think!
The tabs made it easy to align and pose the wing tops on the spar
for a couple of Edo pics. Just a little trimming may be needed
for the inboard ends of the folding "flap" sections,
before final assembly.
The tank ribs have been marked with a pencil and scored with straightedge
and knife, and all control and panel lines scribed a bit...
Just couldn't wait to see it
on floats!
