1/33 Curtiss BF2C-1 Hawk/answer [FERTIG]

Three years ago, when I started paper modeling, I was happy everyday enjoying model building.
Now I can't keep my passion on models that I am making because of long suspension. My character of fall in and out of love quickly must be serious failing as modeler.
To change my mood, decided to start building this "Curtiss BF2C-1 Hawk"
I like this chunkily built between the war airplane.

The kit consists of four pages of B4 card including silver printed parts plus one sheet of paper for framer.

Today made part of framer.

Thank you all for dropping notes.

Hummm MADD syndrome. Every modeler seems to go through it at least one time. We are MADD brothers. I am not alone. We shall get over MADD someday hand in hand.

But, in my case, in addition to long break of modeling and falling in and out of love with stuff, one of cause is no improvement of my skill these days. First one year after started paper modeling there were notable improvements I noticed each time I build new model and it drove me crazy but lately my modeling let me down. Then always think that next one I must make it carefully so that it will turn out to be better but in the middle...., oops, and then go in for a new project.. vicious circle

I hope my construction report will be of any help to you regardless of workmanship. I will report both success and failure hoping it will not be succession of failures..

teamds,
Ad saying goes "Easier than one thinks" Why don't you start building. It's really enjoyable.
Hm, when I, MADD patient, say it, not convincing enough

Today continued frame build.
Where marked with red circle, there was no cut mark of slit. After assembled the framer I found and cut it.

When cut out the parts shown below, cut it along the line as usual but perhaps because of special printing, certain amount of ink was stripped off. Then I cut it leaving 1 to 2mm margin first then cut along the line.
Right side of parts is cut out leaving margin. You will see there is less stripped off ink.

Quote

Original von Ricleite
Great frame, Yu! The parts are so nicely cut One thing that I note is that, when the fuselage cross section changes rapidly (often near the nose) that change becomes noticeable within a typical frame thickness (1mm). It means that the smaller fuselage skin part tends to get fatter at half frame thickness because it is shaped 0,5mm before.
How do you handle that? Cut the frames at an angle close to what the skin should be?

@Ricardo
I didnt even think of it. :rotwerd:
My building is always not fully prepared but just accept things as they happen to come my way.
As an example, in the middle of building I realized that openings on framers are necessary for skinning and hastily made them as you will see in the picture.
I look dumb.
Tomorrow I will make a study on what you pointed out. Thank you for your advice anyway.

@Fred,
Thank you for your advice.
I bought silver color pencil and enamel for touch up. Advantage of pencil is, in the first place, no waiting time for drying, in the second place, no run off liquid onto printed surface. Disadvantage is that I am clumsy at pointing a pencil because it has past almost three decade since I pointed a pencil the last time.

teamds
Cheer up!

Made cockpit quickly just following kit instruction because, for this kit, what I am interested the most is skinning of silver colored card.
To prevent lumpy surface connected skins before glueing them onto the framer. Just put skin on the framer to find out how to proceed.

Matthias, gloomy, Lluis,
Thank you for your encouragement

Michael
Thank you for your kind words.
Now I understand how Caesar felt when he said "You too, Brutas?"
On the other day, my compatriot friend modeler sent me pictures of his completed Ki-84. It was a nicely built cut model version.

"You too, Michael?"
It's a nice kit. All parts fit well. You can enjoy it.
Good luck

This weekend I struggled a lot with this silver printed kit.
It was really hard time and I forgot to take pictures during build.
My unusual way of skinning might have been wrong but I can't stop trying new way since I am a curious neophilia.
I like saying " A failure will be a stepping stone to success"

@Gunni, Peter and Norm,

Thank you for your kind words.
Putting it that way, I have a feeling that this model looks better...

Today struggled with these small parts. Before making them, I thought its not a big deal. But, it didn't fit to the drawn line on fuselage. I had to cut them little by little until they fit

@Norm-san,

To round up cowling I used earpick that technique I obtained peeking your thread sneakingly. It really nice

@Ricardo-san,

Yes, this plane has complicated strange design but it attracts me though I don't know why.

@Martin-san,

Perhaps you also like golden age aircrafts. F-11C looks stout. I hope you build it someday

This week made main wheels and tail wheel. I'm tired out. I don't want to make wheels for a while :(.

Thanks Bernhard and Michael

I am happy to hear both of your comment because my attempt seems to be paid off.

@Gunni, Gloomy, Peter
Thank you all for your comments.

Wheel material is 1mm thick cardboard. Glued four layers of cardboard and cut out inner circle.
Then file it with sand paper filling dent with putty for plastic model and instant adhesive.
If you try it you will find out it is very easy.

Today only left side landing gear finished. The paper included in the kit isnt my friend and will never be my friend. They wouldnt listen to me. To round up small diameter pipe that you will see near main leg I had to peel off reasonable thickness of backside paper.
To facilitate peeling off backside paper, round it up first so that it helps de-lamination. After stretching, it is easy to peel off backside paper.

Seeing the model in the picture, square struts look out of place. I will replace them with round pipe later using obedient paper

Norm-san and Martin-san

You are men after my own heart :prost:

I am on the road from today for a while. I miss paper modeling
But, here in Vietnam massage is less costly compared to my home country. I could enjoy good massage every day to release stiffened body caused by stubborn cardboard
After regain energy I will try to tame them 8)
Chaaaaaarrrrrge!!!!!

Have a nice weekend

@Michael-san,

Believe me. Your build is really nice.
I was on the road whole of this week and come back home this morning. What I did first after arriving home is, of course, card modeling

@Martin-san,

Hummm The taming of the glue by Wiccoll Shakespapeare papeare good suggestion may be. Having believed your suggestion innocently dashed to a bookstore as fast as Card Lewis multi-cardmodeling Olympian for the book. At the bookstore shopkeeper told me I was lucky. He said the book I bought was the last one in the world. They sold out the book taking 500 years. After read it through I was amazed even in a renaissance epoch Shakespapeare hereinafter referred to as Papeare captured the essence of cardmodeling.
To the members who dont know about this book I would like to summarize what The taming of the glue tells us. Papeare said that we shouldnt care even ill-tempered paper insult us repeatedly and what they are like as long as they will bring us finished model. I feel like I became wiser
So far I was wrong. I must reform myself.
The paper included in the kit is really nice. They are my best friend and will be best friend forever.

Today I made right side landing gear and fuel tank.
Following Papeares tip applied a bit of water to back of main strut of landing gear and rolled it up. The paper was smoothly rounded up without having creasing.
This book became my Bible.

@Fred,
Ive already bought all interwar racer planes from Fiddlers Green
Look at picture. I love golden age racers

@hvt,
Yes, I made fuselage in a strange way

@Gloomy,
Now with engine assembled it looks like grasshopper
As I didnt come up with effective way to handle this glossy paper, just made it same as ordinary card. Still seam line bugs me but I expect they wont stand out after assembled upper and lower wing.

Martin,
Thank you very much for your compliment

@Llouis,
If you insist, I will keep posting :D, thanks

Tonight made exhaust pipe. I already know how hard to handle this paper so decided to make it thinner so that rounding up small diameter pipe will be easier.
First round up paper a couple of times so that it causes delamination and removed backside of paper

Seeing picture, it might not be good to delaminate paper for exhaust pipe