Test fitting…
The first priority was to work out where the main elements of the plug and play system were going to sit, and how I was going to run the wires from the board to the power unit without them looking too out of place. As the instructions are for the Airfix kit, they do not correspond to the fit of the Tamiya.
The main issues I identified were:
The propeller fixing point is a fixed stud moulded on the main fuselage and that the speaker could not be placed under the cockpit as the much more detailed cockpit did not allow the space.
The speaker is a relatively easy fix at it sits nicely behind the bulkhead on the main fuselage, although it can be seen through the cockpit. It was far enough back, that with some painting to blend it into the aircraft body it wouldn’t be noticeable when completed. The circuit board fits nicely in the nose of the aircraft and the wiring ran nicely throughout.
The fixing for the micro engine had to be altered to fit the slightly different shape of the forward nose along with removing the moulded stud and drilling an access hole for the engine spindle to be co-located. I was concerned about ensuring the spindle was centralised to ensure the propeller was seated correctly, a lot of time was spent fitting and test fitting to make sure it was as close as possible to centre. The main challenge on securing the micro engine and spindle was the difference in surface formation between the fuselage and the unit. To ensure a good strong fit it was cemented and secured using putty and blue light activated glue.
The instructions suggest that the main power cables should be run through the fuselage and out by the tail wheel, I can understand why this is suggested as it is the closest point to the ground, however the wires are relatively thick and in my opinion look out of place in that configuration. I did have two alternative options, one was to split the leads and run one of them through the wing and out as if it was the refuelling line and the other down through the tail wheel, or in this case I opted to split the wires and run them individually down each undercarriage leg and behind the wheels; which I believe hides them in the best possible way.
Having spoken to the owner of Magic Scale Modelling, he is aware that the power wire issue is something that he wants to improve, and as I understand he is looking at a magnetic contact solution which in theory will hide the wires completely and allow the model to be moved from a base or diorama rather than being fixed due to the wiring system. Once I had decided on the solution for this particular build then I started the main build in earnest.
Howard Kilburn says
Just fantastic !!! and great model builds
regards Howard