4 th Edition - DH Scale Modeler's Club

DH ScaleDerek’s DiaryThis is the first of a series of articles writtenby Derek Pennington, which chronicle eventsin his long career in aviation, as they relate tohis modelling subjects.Italeri Martin B-57B in 72nd scale.Article and Photos by Derek Pennington4 thEDITIONFeb, 2004Time: Spring, 1950Place: Royal Air Force station Kirkham, Lancashire, England.Winter, a welcome change - just the day to do a little "square bashing"...foot drill to you non-militarytypes. We stood in open order, ramrod straight, a bunch of couth youths, all of sixteen years old,undergoing our weekly drill which got us RAF Boy Entrants out of the classrooms for a few hours,which was somewhat satisfying.Overhead, a sleek blue shape slipped effortlessly in a graceful arc. Eyes popped skyward, headssurreptitiously turned. The Flight Sergeant in charge was flicking glances upward, so emboldenedby this, I took a pace forward, pounding my feet in the approved manner. The" Chiefy" looked atme expectantly, to which I said, "Permission to watch the aircraft overhead, Flight Sergeant". Hegrinned and said, "I thought you would never ask. O.K., stand at ease, stand easy". We cranedour necks watching the Cerulean Blue English Electric Canberra prototype, marvelling at its shape,and as we did so, it was joined by three others so as to form "one in the box" formation. TheEnglish Electric plant at Warton was a few miles south.(cont’d on page 4)QUICK TIPWhen sanding resin parts, use “wet” gradesand paper and water. This way, the resinsanding residue, which can be toxic, is lesslikely to become airborne and end up beinginhaled.Coming EventsMar 10/04 Next Meeting of ScaleModellers Chapter)Mar 14/03 WellCoME 8 model showGuelphApr 04/04 Buffcon 21 model showBuffalo N.Y.1

On The TableDespite showing that it had a full charge on it when I signed it out, thebatteries in the camera packed it in after about a dozen pictures at thelast meeting. Still, we managed to put together some shots of most ofwhat was on the table for the February meeting, and there was noshortage of great subjects.Derek Pennington brought in a 1/72 CRJ that he waswell along into the build of. Derek related that it was amulti-media kit by Welsh Models that he is building aspart of a review article. It certainly looked to be shapingup into another beauty.Iain Fraser, demonstrated his diverse skills bybringing in not only his traditional small scaleaircraft offering, in this case a Revell 1/136 P6MSeamaster, but also showing us a nifty little pieceof armour in the way of a Fujimi 1/76 KV-1Aheavy tank. A lovely little target…oh, I meantank.Lorenzo Condotta brought in the first diorama to beseen at our club meetings. This was a combined fatherand son effort, portraying a typical WW I scene donefor a school project. Very deservingly, the projectreceived an A+.In keeping with his pre-WW II French Air Forcetheme, Joe Sheppard brought in a very niceAzur 1/72 Bloch 15 fighter. This wascomplimented with an equally lovely 1/72Hasagawa Tanker truck.2

On The Table cont’d:Terry Cooper brought us in some interesting, if notdown right esoteric subjects for our viewing pleasure.Seen here are a couple of his beautiful 25mm figures,the first being a British Infantryman, circa 1812, whilethe second was a rather voluptuous “Dragonlady” withher pet. Terry also brought in a “1/48ish” scale Weirdofighter done in a SEA scheme.I, myself (Wayne Bowman), wanting to give everyonea break from my Seafire perils, brought in a previouslycompleted Hasagawa 1/32 FW190-A7 done in themarkings of German ace Heinz Bar. This model tookgold in its class at the Noreastcon competition heldhere in Toronto a few years ago.Froilan Reyes showed us his Italeri 1/24 Jeep MB,which he has in the works. Froilan scratch built anumber of detail components for this, including newhandles and mounting fixtures for the hand tools. We’llbe anxiously watching to see how this projectprogresses.In the realm of paper media, Bruno Campoli brought in acollection of his paper/card models, including thisastonishing 1/72 La 5. The La 5 model was designed byKancho Iliev and built by Bruno as a test-build for Kancho.Equally as impressive was Bruno’s Luft 46 project inthe form of a BV 212.3. Bruno not only built this, buthe also did all of the design and pattern development.Now that’s what you call “scratch building”. Bruno alsobrought in a self-designed 1/48 Convair XF-92 Dartand a 1/60 Ho229 from Fiddlersgreen.net Thanks alsoto Lino who took the pictures of Bruno’s work.Sandy McRorie did a “drive- by” with his 1/35 Valentine. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a photoof this owing to our battery problem, but we all saw that much progress was made on the buildsince we last saw it at January’s meeting. It’s definitely shaping up into a real gem.3

Derek’s Diary (cont’d from page 1)It was another three years before I was to getmy hands on a Canberra, and by that time, theGlenn Martin Company in Maryland had beenchosen to Americanise the design and build it forthe US Air Force. The B-57A was to all outwardappearances, quite similar to the B.2 version inthe RAF, but it had Wright J-65 engines(Armstrong Whitworth Sapphires built underlicence) instead of Rolls Royce Avons. Quicklynow, what other aircraft used this J-65 engine? But the best of the breed by far, was the B-57Bwhich incorporated a new nose where the crew of two sat under a one piece tandem canopy, arotating, removable bomb door, onto which the ordnance was loaded, and rear fuselage speedbrakes, or as the aircrew called them, "speed boards". This model was to be built in relativelylarge numbers, 400 in all, and remained in service until at least 1981, where one was seen at theNorth Bay, Ontario Air Show. Numbered 0-2500, she was one of the first of the B models builtand must have served her time in Vietnam.It was Italeri night at the Aerobuffs, a group dedicated to building 72nd models. Each Christmasmeeting we selected a Campaign and a kit manufacturer to build to on a specific month. Thechoice of this Italian Company was a popular one, as their kits are, in the main, inexpensive andaccurate. I had always wanted to build the B-57B, all gloss black, and so I dug the kit out frommy Polystyrene Pit, and started work.Like most of the kits from this manufacturer, the Canberra is good. Raised panel lines show itsage, but a gentle rub down removed them, and as all Canberras were smooth and beautifullybuilt, I decided not to rescribe.The parts went together with the minimum of fuss, the only areas needing a mild amount ofattention being the rear fuselage air brakes, which are too thick if you want to close them, theoptional wing leading edge gun fit (either .50 cals or 20mm cannons), and the engine air intakes.Other than these items, the kit was a pleasure to build. I had put what I believed to be sufficientweight in the nose, but it turned out to be not enough. I drilled a hole in the underside of thenose, poured in lead shot, and now have a model that sounds like a maraca every time I pick itup! I couldn't resist putting the 750lb bombs under the wings, since this aircraft was usedextensively in Vietnam, where it sustained a sortie loss ratio of 9.7%. Pretty hairy!At The Next Meeting…(Wed Mar. 10/04)(cont’d on page 7)‣ Jay will give another try at giving a seminar onresin casting.‣ We’ll gauge interest in a club expedition to theBuffcon model show in Buffalo in April.195 Carlingview DriveChapter members receive a 10%discount on models & accessories4

From TheEditorStudying the “Fling” EffectSolar, nuclear, fossil fuels, these sources have beentapped for years to meet the ever-increasing demand forpower in the industrialized world. Scientists andengineers have toiled for years to develop means tobetter harvest these sources of energy. Amidst all of theirefforts though, lurking in the dark corners of modellingworkshops and known only to the small community ofplastic modellers, is a new and undeveloped source ofpower, which could spell the end to OPEC. It is ofcourse the vast amounts of energy tightly bridled insideplastic parts, which, when released, causes these partsto spring off of the workbench and fly vast distances intothe nether reaches of the room (a.k.a. the “Fling” effect).This energy release, which may well be more powerfulthan the much sought after room temperature fusion,can be traced to the lowly styrene molecule. As withuranium, these seemingly innocuous bits of styreneneed only an external initiator to set free the fury ofenergy held within. Carefully sculpted explosives wereused as the initiator for the first nuclear detonations, butfor the styrene molecule it seams that a simple pair oftweezers or an exacto knife is all that is needed.Surf’s upHere are some modelling relatedweb pages for your enjoyment:http://www.72scale.com/- Specializing in 1/72 aircraftmodels- Has kit reviews and anawesome gallerywww.aeronautics.ru/- Great source for all kinds ofreference material, from WW IIcockpit photos to modernarmour- great selection of period photosof German WW II armour &aircraft also(thanks to Jack Grabowski for pointing outthis site)www.acme.com/licensemaker/- make your own customizedlicence plate for your model carhttp://www.ne.jp/asahi/paperm/yasu/2art_w/e_f1_list_1.htm- source for Formula 1 papermodelsAt first glimpse, the amount of energy released by the styrene molecule appears to berandom, but after studying this phenomenon for years, I have developed a number of groundrules which can be used to accurately predict the amount of energy released:1) Energy released is equal to distance of flight, which is in turn proportional to the timespent building the part (i.e. the longer it took you to build the part, the farther it flies).2) Distance of flight is inversely proportional to the size of the styrene part (i.e. the smallerthe part, the further it flies).3) Where the styrene part is large enough to be easily spotted on your laminate floor, thedistance of flight formula changes, and is equal to the distance to the nearest deep pilecarpet, plus 12 inches.Like Einstein and Hawking before us, I am convinced that we modellers will one day beheralded as pioneers in uncovering the secrets of the styrene molecule. In the mean time, Icontinue to search for that little, white fitting that flew from my tweezers last week.Till next month… WB5

Just a minute!!Here are the minutes from the last meeting:‣ Chapter members now receive a 10% discount off of models and modelling accessories atAviation World.‣ Our attempts to get sponsorship information from the Buffcon show organizers have beengenerally unsuccessful so far but we’ll keep trying.‣ Derek informed us that we had all of the necessary documentation together for our IPMScharter application, and it should be winging it’s way to Ottawa in the very near future.‣ We may submit a collection of photos of the members’ models to set up as a gallery on theIPMS Canada website. Wayne asked everyone to email him a high quality image of one oftheir completed models to include in this collection.‣ Wayne indicated that he was trying to organize a meeting with the IPMS Toronto SteeringCommittee to discuss possible cooperative ventures for the upcoming year.‣ Derek told us about a seminar that Tony Bell had run for IPMS Toronto on modelphotography. He indicated that he’d approach Tony to see if he’d be willing to give thesame presentation to our club at a future meeting.‣ Iain broached the idea of developing a club calendar for 2005. The idea was generallyaccepted, and Iain indicated that he’d investigate printing costs, etc. associated with it.‣ Wayne apologized for getting Marcel Devlieger’s surname wrong in the last DH Scale.Seen on the ShelfThe following are some new releasesthat have been spotted on the shelf atlocal retailersSubject Scale Manufact’rXanavi NismoGT-R (R34)1/24 TamiyaBf 109K-4 1/32 HasagawaGlenn Martin167 "Maryland"1/48 FonderieMiniatureSpad XIII 1/72 EduardCrusader Mk I 1/35 ItaleriB57 Canberra 1/144 OzmodTools and TechniquesWeatheringUse a silver pencil crayon (e.g. Prismacolour) forreplicating paint chipping. It’s very controllable,and can be wiped off with water if you make amistake. These pencils are available at most artsupply stores (e.g. Loomis and Toles).ScratchBuildersCornerOne of the mostuseful tools used in scratch building, is apunch and die set. It can be used for creatingprecision hole patterns for parts likeinstrument panels, and the resultantdiscs/blanks can be used to replicate accesspanels, knobs, dials, etc.6

Slide ShowsGotta love those fine de Havilland productsThanks to Bill Buckley for putting togetherthe slide show that we presented at thelast meeting. The photos were taken byBill during his visit to the EvergreenAviation museum in McMinnville Oregon.Thanks also to Mike Marino for theimpromptu Formula 1 slide show, whichhe ran during the later parts of themeeting.Jacques Villenueve at 2003 F1 Grand Prix of ItalyCongratulations to Terry Cooper, winnerof the February meeting’s prize draw.Terry walked away with a Bombardiertravel mug and $20 gift certificate forHornet Hobbies. (We’d also like to stressthat it’s purely coincidental that the ClubTreasurer won the draw…….really!!!!)Derek’s Diary (cont’d from page 4)Tamiya Gloss Enamel was used to paint themodel. With a gloss yellow rudder, yellow speedbird motif on the tip tanks and red lettering,numbers and striping it all makes for a strikinglooking model. I wasn't too happy with Glossfinish; the paint was rather old and had started tolump up. Moral of the story is to strain the paintthrough some form of filter or use a new bottleeach time.The Cartograph decals with the kit are goodalthough they need industrial strength solvents tomake them conform. There are other decaloptions available from Micro Scale and itsderivative, but none of them suited my purpose. Ihave a War Eagle, nee Falcon, 48th Canberravacuform and it figures large in my modellingfuture.... that is after the Wyvern, Meteor 8, SeaVixen, Privateer conversion, and a LockheedVentura from Bill Koster. So many models, solittle time. Although being retired, there really isno excuse.The Canberra, in British, French, German and USservice was modified extensively, so that theairframe carried all manner of weird lumps,bumps, appendages, and warts. It could result ina fascinating collection of aircraft. My favouritestory is the one where Dutch F-16s attempted tointercept a Canberra P.R. 9, and as they closed in,saw their prey climb easily away from them. Withthe F-16s at max altitude, and on the edge ofcompressibility stall, they had the Canberra turnand intercept them, even though the airframe waslimited to only 2Gs!References:- If your interest is only on the B-57 inservice, then by far the best reference is "B-57Canberra at War- 1964 to 1972", by Robert C.Mikesh, published in 1980 by Ian Allan. Theauthor flew over 2,000 hrs in the beast, and knowsof what he speaks. There are many otherreferences to the Canberra, which would fill apage by them selves.DH Scale is a monthly newsletter produced by the de Havilland Employees Sports Club, ScaleModellers Chapter. For any questions please call: Wayne @ X3008 or email atwbowman@dehavilland.ca7