NHI Kolibri N-3, scale 1:48, scratch build

[GrantTyler]

Little by little she comes together. The windshield is nearing completion, still need to add the canopy framing.
It's very delicate; I am using 0,5mm brass bars and CA to join the pieces. Once I start the 1:24 scale build I'll definitely opt for another approach. It's clear that the current frame is not perfect, although the deviations are in tenth of millimeters, but at this scale it shows mercilessly.
View attachment 474409

The fuselage also saw some progress; I managed to add the Tail Rotor Strike Guard, the torsion bar for the pilot seats and the floor board with the tail rotor pedals.
The benefits of building this as a trial model becomes more and more evident the further I get into the buikd, especially the build sequence and items to be completed, before adding parts to the assembly.
View attachment 474410

Good morning Johan. You have a thing for “tiny”….first your Fokker now this. You must have super hero eyes. Kudos. Cheers Grant

 

[RDN1954]

Great work so far Johan! If I could make a suggestion, I would make the windshield out of three pieces of thin clear plastic (top, front and bottom), then join them to thin strips of wood that make the frame. I hope I explained that clearly. Then you can paint the frame pieces.
I know the frame is curved, however I have made curved wing tip frames using a jig (made of wood) that you pin thin pieces of laminate to, that are pre soaked in water. You can make 2 or 3 pieces thick by adding one at a time and gluing to the previous one. Once dry you have a solid piece that is preformed to the curve.
Just food for thought, and may be more applicable to the larger scale model.

Hey Dean, thank for your suggestions, they are appreciated.
I think you're right in suggesting to first fabricate the transparencies and then add the framing. I think I maneuvered myself into a corner by first building the frame, which is illustrated by the fact that I used almost exclusively single curve or straight parts and didn't have anything solid to locate the parts,resulting in endless fiddling to get it somewhat right.
Using (laminated) wooden parts didn't even enter my mind, maybe due to the scale, as you implied, but worth considering for the 1:24 model.
I have some ideas on how to possibly build the frame for the 1:24 model, but I first have to build some sort of a demontrator to prove the feasibility of those ideas.

 

[RDN1954]

Good morning Johan. You have a thing for “tiny”….first your Fokker now this. You must have super hero eyes. Kudos. Cheers Grant

Morning Grant, yes, it sure is tiny and I am ruing the day I decided to go for the 1:48 scale on my Fokker Spin and now again on this helicopter. Luckily I'm in the possession of multi-focal glasses, which I always put those aside for this kind of fiddly work...
Btw, how's your little projet coming along, it's been a while since you updated?