210812: Kit contents. (Kit was a no-decals bagged kit bought for $1, but I have another complete kit in the stash.)
210812: Minicraft decals from 2002 look pretty good.
210813: First fit trials and pedestal installation (Airfix stand is too flimsy)
210813: Bagged kit was missing one back 7 row and one prop blade.
210813: casting replacement back 7 (from clear resin). Results poor, but it won't be visible anyway, so...
210816: These certainly won't do!
210816: Not sure what I'll do for the astrodome.
210816: Trying solutions for cabin windows. (variants of PVA, Kristal Klear).
210816: Fit of Passenger doors is acceptable.
210817: Securing the socket for the in-flight pedestal. Top and bottom will be flooded with 5-min epoxy.
210817: Drilling a tunnel for a 1.5mm brass spar to help set the dihedral
210817: Installing a 1.5mm brass spar to help set the dihedral
210817: Installing a 1.5mm brass spar to help stabilize the stabilizers
210817: Tape-up with the spars supporting the wings and tailplane.
210817: Beaching cradle adapted from 1/700 ship stand.
210817: Beaching cradle adapted from 1/700 ship stand.
210817: She has wings!
210904: Ready to close up the hull. Windows were filled with clear resin (dielectric tape on reverse).
210904: Ready to close up the hull. Bulkheads were installed to restrain the injected 5-min epoxy.
210904: Filing the socket into submission.
210920: Engines primed and ready for wash. Imperfect casting on replacement back seven is good enough since it will be invisible.
210926: Back seven painted and washed. Detail is surprising; note cooling fins. Diameter is ~10mm.
210926: Had to pop open the doors and re-install them (the window should be at bottom).
211111: Front Windshield part glued in, sealed with CA, and sanded into submission. Masks were custom-cut (all other windows were filled with clear resin).
211111: Hull bottom painted in Tamiya XF59 NATO Black and sealed with Future.
211111: That wing root will take some work!
211111: Ready to attach the wings. Note re-scribed panel lines on fuselage top.
211111: Sanding and fairing in the wing roots. Filler is CA (Superglue).
211111: Attaching the rear stabilizers. Note the brass spar.
211113: After a day in the paint shop. Silver dope is Humbrol Metal Cote rattlecan "Polished Aluminium"
211113: After a day in the paint shop. Silver dope is Humbrol Metal Cote rattlecan "Polished Aluminium"
211113: After a day in the paint shop. Silver dope is Humbrol Metal Cote rattlecan "Polished Aluminium"
211113: After a day in the paint shop. Silver dope is Humbrol Metal Cote rattlecan "Polished Aluminium"
211113: After a day in the paint shop. Silver dope is Humbrol Metal Cote rattlecan "Polished Aluminium"
211113: After a day in the paint shop. Silver dope is Humbrol Metal Cote rattlecan "Polished Aluminium"
211113: After a day in the paint shop. Silver dope is Humbrol Metal Cote rattlecan "Polished Aluminium"
211127: Painting the anti-glare, anti-icing boots. (Tamiya XF69 NATO Black)
211127: Painting the anti-glare, anti-icing boots. (Tamiya XF69 NATO Black)
211127: Painting the anti-glare, anti-icing boots. (Tamiya XF69 NATO Black with Future topcoat)
211127: Painting the anti-glare, anti-icing boots. (Tamiya XF69 NATO Black with Future topcoat)
211127: Resting on her beaching cradle after paint.
211129: Model dimensions are approximately 9.0" (22.9cm) length by 12.4" (31.5cm)
211129: Masking the visibility markings.
211130: Painting the top rescue/recognition markings,
211130: Unmasking (my favorite part!). Mix was a close match to the decals.
211206: Astrodome was improperly cast and very thick. Sanded to shape and polished into submission. Using decal film for framing.
211202: Using Tamiya flexible tape to mask the anti-ice boots.
211207: Astrodome results. Need hatch outline.
211207: Decals are printed at home or (Boeing logo) scanned from original decal sheet and re-printed.
211207: Decals are printed at home or (PAA logo) scanned from original decal sheet and re-printed.
211207: Decals for Pacific Clipper (Née California Clipper) are printed at home on inkjet.
Boeing Model 314 "Pacific Clipper" (née "California Clipper") with Pan American Airways c. 1941
(Airfix Boeing Clipper in 1/144 scale, kit SK602 c. 1967)
Depicts B-314 NC 18602 about the time of the US Entry into WWII.
On December 2, 1941, the Clipper departed from the Pan Am base on Treasure Island, San Francisco for its scheduled passenger service to Auckland, New Zealand. NC18602 made scheduled stops in San Pedro, California, Honolulu, Hawaii, Canton Island, Suva, Fiji and Nouméa, New Caledonia en route to Auckland when Pearl Harbor was attacked.
Cut off from the United States due to the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Captain Robert Ford was directed to strip company markings, registration, and insignia from the Clipper and proceed in secret to the Marine Terminal, LaGuardia Field, New York.
She landed at Pan American's LaGuardia Field seaplane base in New York City five weeks later, at 7:12 on the morning of January 6, 1942.
Ford and his crew successfully flew over 20,000 miles (32,000 km) from Auckland via Gladstone, Darwin, Surabaya, Ceylon, Karachi, Bahrain, Khartoum, Léopoldville (Belgian Congo), Natal, Brazil, and Port of Spain, and Trinidad.
I bought this kit for a buck in a bag with no decals or instructions at the IPMS Regionals in Richmond, VA. Although the date of this release is not marked, the kit dates back to the original Airfix release in 1967. I happened to have a later Minicraft release, which helped as I was able to scan the decals and re-print the relevant markings.
Windows were filled with clear acrylic resin.
Kit was painted with Humbrol Metalcote aluminium (rattlecan). Orange visibility markings were custom-mixed from Tamiya paints.
Lochsa River
Andrew P
