72linerlover Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 (edited) Hi all, as someone of you probably know, I'm converting a 1/72 Heller DC-6 B into a DC-7 C. It is a long time ago started project and it will take long to be finished. Before posting further images and take space in the forum, I'd like to know if anyone is interested to seeing it. Please, moderators, tell me if I may post here instead of in the "in-progress forum", since I think it could be more appropriate. This is the beginning and this is what I aim to reach. Thank you Regards Euge Edited February 26, 2010 by 72linerlover Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TheFlyingDutchman Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 Sure we are interested! At least I am <_< Is this the Securité Civile kit? The firefighter plane with that awful yellow plastic? I have that one still on stock, planning to make a KLM DC-6 out of it.. but the plastic burns my eyes Quote Link to post Share on other sites
72linerlover Posted February 26, 2010 Author Share Posted February 26, 2010 Is this the Securité Civile kit? The firefighter plane with that awful yellow plastic? I have that one still on stock, planning to make a KLM DC-6 out of it.. but the plastic burns my eyes Yes it is. I bought two of them at half the price of the SAS/UTA liner version, since I needed two 6 to build one 7C. Not only the colour is awful, but… no other choice in this scale. Euge Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RCoulter52 Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 I will be following along as well, Euge. I have only one question. Could you give measurements as to where the cuts are to be made? I will not be making the forward cuts as I will be building a straight DC-7 as an airtanker as well as a DC-4. I have all of the information you sent but, the pictures will be an added bonus! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
72linerlover Posted February 26, 2010 Author Share Posted February 26, 2010 Hi Randie, I hope this will be useful. The aft cut is right after the end of the wing fairing. The aft extesion plug is 14 millimeters. Regards Euge Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TheFlyingDutchman Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 Not only the colour is awful The kit looks quite good to me, with smooth recessed panel lines and a nice cockpit window. Fit looks also OK to me.. what don't you like apart from the colour of the plastic? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
72linerlover Posted February 26, 2010 Author Share Posted February 26, 2010 The kit looks quite good to me, with smooth recessed panel lines and a nice cockpit window. Fit looks also OK to me.. what don't you like apart from the colour of the plastic? I'll explain step by step in the thread, but what come immediately on eyes is: the overall grainy finish the wrong bottom line of the rear fuselage – it is a smooth curve from the end of the wing fairing to the tailplane in the real thing and the kit is far from this the fuselage halves do not join in the middle of the length, but they do in the nose and the tail areas. Note that if you squeeze them, as you would glue them, the windows' line is no more straight, but depressed the wing fairings are different left and right OK nothing that couldn't be recovered, but just not a good kit. Euge Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trojan Thunder Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 Euge, Keep posting, any airliner conversion work is great to see here. I have a 6 but it will stay that way since the 7s were not operated in Oz. Looking forward to your progress. :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
72linerlover Posted February 28, 2010 Author Share Posted February 28, 2010 Stretching the fuselage Wing spear and central span extension The handle in the middle will be removed later. Checking the dihedral Regards Euge Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 Looks great so far Euge. How do you plan on doing the engine nacelles? You're a brave man! Also, note that the 7C used completely different main and nose wheels to other members of the 4/6/7 family. The nose wheel in particular is much fatter, and the hub is completely different. J Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ant Phillips Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 Ooh!!, I'll be following this build. I have a few DC-6/C-118 kits in the stash and only this morning, whilst tinkering with my Mach 2 DC-4 kit, I got to thinking about using one of them to replace some of the roughly moulded parts of the Mach 2 kit (essentially the whole kit ;) ) and maybe using the left overs to do a stretch a DC-6B to a DC-7. I can't wait to see more progress. Ant Quote Link to post Share on other sites
72linerlover Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 Thanks Jennings, for having pointed out the difficulty regarding the tyres, and it is not the only one. I am considering in these days how to replicate the nose wheel hub. As I told at the beginning, the project has started long time ago, so the nacelles are actually already done, but I'll post pics about at the proper time. They are made of a balsa wood core covered with milliput. More updates tomorrow. Regards Euge Quote Link to post Share on other sites
72linerlover Posted March 2, 2010 Author Share Posted March 2, 2010 Wing fuselage assembly test Modified vertical fin Correcting the tail plane incidence: it has to be +1 degree to the fuselage horizontal center line. I made two perpendicular cuts, without removing the parts. Then bent to the proper incidence. Regards Euge Quote Link to post Share on other sites
72linerlover Posted March 3, 2010 Author Share Posted March 3, 2010 Hi, all. This post is dedicated to the tail section of the build. It is applicable also to the DC-4 – 7B family. Unfortunately Heller didn't catch the correct shape of the bottom line of the aircraft. In the drawing you see in black lines the Heller DC-6B shape and in red the correction needed. It is not to scale, due to the large dimensions, but you can scale it up, knowing that the fuselage high is 49 mm. It is better to correct the tailplane incidence first and the fuselage shape later. In the next pics you see the correction outside and inside. Regards Euge Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hpennell Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 That is a great build you have going there, the DC-7C is a very beautiful bird indeed!. I did one about 20 odd years ago, the only difference is I used vac-form main wings from England at the time(I think long out of production now). keep us updated on your work, great job!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
carioca Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Great job, Euge! Keep it up, we'll be following! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
oldHooker Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 That's beautiful progress on the DC-7, Euge !! Love to see scratched modifications! :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VADM Fangschleister Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 (edited) Awesome. Your work is very clever and smart. Looks like you'll have a one-of-a-kind rendition. It's a good scale for that bird too. Lots of size and plenty of areas to detail. Keep up the good work! Very interesting! What happens to the donor kit parts? Will that become a DC-4? LOL Edited March 7, 2010 by VADM Fangschleister Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RCoulter52 Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 Awesome. Your work is very clever and smart. Looks like you'll have a one-of-a-kind rendition. It's a good scale for that bird too. Lots of size and plenty of areas to detail. Keep up the good work! Very interesting!What happens to the donor kit parts? Will that become a DC-4? LOL It could! That is a future project of mine, using Euge's research that he forwarded to me a while back. I plan on having C-54/DC-4, DC-6B and a DC-7 going at the same time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
72linerlover Posted March 8, 2010 Author Share Posted March 8, 2010 Hi, all. Please excuse me for my silence in the week end; I was busy with a great "Modeling Expo" in Verona. Thank so much guys, for your kind words. What happens to the donor kit parts? Will that become a DC-4? LOL Yes, the left over parts were enough for a DC-4, but the starboard tail section was used to recover a mistake in the aft passengers windows and the whole front fuselage went to a friend for another project. In fact I thought to use them for the DC-4, but I decided to fight with the Mach2 kit, when I'll be a grown up boy… Upper wings with new big nacelles. Flaps and ailerons have been cut. Some bits of cast parts, masters for new molds and an old Airfix B-29 engine. Regards Euge Quote Link to post Share on other sites
72linerlover Posted March 10, 2010 Author Share Posted March 10, 2010 Hi, friends. Some little works on the cockpit, just to put something that could be visible when closed in the fuselage. Cast parts for engines and propellers. Regards Euge Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VADM Fangschleister Posted March 13, 2010 Share Posted March 13, 2010 Just beautiful! I'll bet you are having a lot of fun. It's great to see this project coming along. Your castings are perfect! The cockpit is awesome!!! Keep it up! Fang Quote Link to post Share on other sites
72linerlover Posted March 15, 2010 Author Share Posted March 15, 2010 Thanks Fang for your kind words. Yes, I have a lot of fun in this project, but sometimes I am discouraged by the amount of work it requires. As I proceed and investigate the documentation, I discover some new things to be added. The friends give me motivation though, as you al well. Some updates: Passengers' seats installed Improved fuselage side walls around the windows and shades. Regards Euge Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ant Phillips Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 Hi Euge, I love those seats and you even have economy and 1st class, did you cast those yourself? I am following this build very carefully, it is a real inspiration. Happy modelling Ant Quote Link to post Share on other sites
72linerlover Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 Yes, Ant, I cast the seats. I made two different masters for the two sizes, than cast five of each and made a new mold for ten pieces to accelerate the process. Armrests and brackets are separated cast. Fuselage halves ready to be glued together Not so much will be visible from outside, but the fuselage doesn't look empty. Regards Euge Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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