Fairey Firefly MK5 from Vance Mosher plan

Well still continuing with the rubbing down of the wing ready for paint. Damn tedious. There always seems to be another mark or ding to be filled and flatted! Top side is looking good then turned over and inspected the underside which I thought was 99% done but wasn't happy with the radiator outlet flaps. So cut them off and remade them from thin ply. So more sanding, filling sanding! 



On the upside, splashed the cash and ordered the paint. Took some sourcing to get the correct paint code. I tried all the scale model forums, ex FAA guys I know and the Fleet Air Arm museum, got there in the end. For reference they are BS351 C 640 Extra Dark Sea Grey and BS381 C 210 Sky. The temptation to put paint on before I finish the preparation is immense! Its been so long in the build stage that I just want paint on it now.

Underside of the wing seems pretty close, well as close as I thought the top surface of the wing was, until I flatted it down ready for paint and found loads of marks and dents! Will  this never end? 



So more stopper and sanding to do. I think I'll take a break and go flying today.

It is an endless task but the real ones must have had scratches and dents in them, my Beaufighter  will have, 

Those retract units we are using the lugs are week they have a tendency to break off on a heavy landing, there was a guy Paul i think his name was on here that built a SR71 and he used the same retracts and they broke on a heavy landing, i used them on my own design turbine jet but i wrapped tinplate from a gallon can around them and it cured that problem, but on its maiden flight it hit the ground so hard the whole assembly came up through the top of the wing, but the lugs were ok   

I think the wing is ready for paint, well nearly. I just need to add the rivet detail. So I bought some dress makers marking tools. No they are not instruments for teasing on a Saturday night!!   Not that I know anything about such things. 

 

I'll cut off some of the spikes to get the right rivet spacing. The size should be about scale. The model is 1:6.5 so panel rivets are going to be very small, approx 1mm. Enough to see but too small to use a hot tube to cut them in. I'll use the hot tube in a soldering iron for the screws.

All the various access panels have been added as have the panel lines. I'll do a final wing fitout and test then put the paint on.

 

Getting closer.
 

I've managed to get some time of the Firefly. Got distracted by having to repair my 64" Chipmunk which had elevator servo failure. Fortunately it was in a very shallow decent at the time and crashed into some gorse bushes. Damaged the D box and several scratches and dings on the fuselage. Managed to repair it so back to the Firefly. 

All the panel lines have been done and spent yesterday putting the rivets on. I didn't use the dress making tools. They didn't leave a decent mark. I used a 1mm brass tube, silver soldered to a soldering iron tip, at 300C and touched the surface for 2 seconds. Seemed to work well. During a tea brake the bloody wing fell off the stand and crashed into my open toolbox. The trailing edge caught it full on and cut into the trailing edge. So had to repair and refinish that. I know how BB felt when the Beaufighter fell on the floor.

 

Also sorted the nav light recesses so that the clear cover sits flush with the wing and not on top of it. Lined the inside with smooth card ready for paint. Saves trying to sand such a small area and get it smooth.

 

Anyway its sorted now and the rivets are done. Just a few dummy panels to fit and make the screw marks and its ready for the top coat. That is the wing 80% done. Just got to paint it then fit it out.
 

Its looking good Ralph i like the rivets