”Rommel’s Taxi”

Started by Paul Barber · 151 · 6 years ago
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    Louis Gardner said 7 years, 1 month ago:

    Paul, this is an excellent choice for the Group build, in both man and machine. From what I have read, this Tamiya kit is really nice.

    If you run into any problems along the way would you mind posting them ? I have one in the stash that is still sealed, and it's been working it's way closer to the top of the build pile... Thanks. 🙂

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    Paul Barber said 7 years, 1 month ago:

    It'll be my pleasure Louis - I will try to do a 'work in progress' style post from time to time.

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    Julian Shawyer said 7 years, 1 month ago:

    Great choice Paul. I saw one of these aircraft at Duxford a few years ago. It took off in a strong wind. The commentator at the air display said, it was airborne in 40 feet!

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    Tom Bebout said 7 years, 1 month ago:

    Paul, check out the 1/72 scale Storch I just posted concerning the Cincinnati Model Show. You can do this buddy and it would be a great addition to the group build.

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    Paul Barber said 7 years, 1 month ago:

    Here is the Storch at Duxford - perhaps the year you refer to Julian. The take off is incredible! And then it looks more like a glider than a powered aircraft.

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    Paul Barber said 7 years, 1 month ago:

    Tom, thank you, I just had a look at that 1/72nd Storch. A thing of beauty! The P39 is top class too!

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    Paul Barber said 7 years ago:

    So, seeing all of the fantastic activity in the group, and knowing that the estimable Louis Gardner will have presented at least 4 brilliant bits of armour before I have even dusted off my airbrush, I thought I'd post my very modest start!

    Here are some shots of the kit - Tamiya's 100th. The box has a cardboard sleeve. Upon opening it there is an envelope of metal parts including wing strut, landing gear supports, side panels and armour plates. There are 8 sprues (2 full-sized and 6 half-sized). These include a miniature Rommel or two - and I may have to grasp the nettle and make a figure given the relevance to the group build. There are masks included in the kit for the acres of glass, and I picked up a quick-boost set for the radio apparatus.

    The first sub-build I have started is the engine (the Argus As10 air-cooled inverted V8 engine, 180 kW (240 hp)) - much smaller than others I have built in heavier, faster planes. When built it will probably be significantly less than 1.5cm in length! Anyway the parts have been dry fitted and are sitting in a plastic cup waiting for painting and construction!

    6 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Louis Gardner said 7 years ago:

    Thanks for sharing these pictures of what is inside the kit. I left my Storch sealed. Dry fitting is the key for a good build. Spending time with the parts and making sure that they fit properly is the key.

    Looks great to me !
    Thanks again my friend

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    David A. Thomas said 7 years ago:

    Man, that is a daunting kit by all appearances, but also a good one.

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    Tom Bebout said 7 years ago:

    Wow, that's a lot of tiny parts.

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    neil foster said 7 years ago:

    I want one !
    N.

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    Ferry Dierckxsens said 7 years ago:

    What a fantastic kit. Even a metal wing spar and struts. Looking forward to your build combined with all the history involved.

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    Paul Barber said 6 years, 11 months ago:

    Thanks for all the kind words and encouragement gentlemen. After the U-boat it is nice to be back in the airplane business!

    The Argus 10 engine is now done. Very small but a wonderful Tamiya style fit. Tamiya acrylics - mostly as per instructions - with some alcad lacquers.

    A little research shows that it is an air-cooled 90° cylinder bank-angle inverted V8 first built in 1928; a low powered engine generally used in trainers and recon planes.

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    Louis Gardner said 6 years, 11 months ago:

    Paul, the Argus engine turned out fantastic ! It looks like a kit in itself.

    If this is an omen of things to come, then this is a good sign... 🙂

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    Paul Barber said 6 years, 11 months ago:

    Thank you Louis - it was a nice little mini-build. And it is funny you should say that, because it had its own decals, which I added this morning!