Posts
Kopher, maker of resin conversion parts for 1/72 and 1/144 airliner
models. Here are some comments on Dana's latest product, a set of
resin parts to convert Airfix's venerable 1/72 scale Sunderland to a
Sandringham. I apologize for the lack of photos, but I have no
digital camera. So you'll have to do with my word pictures!
What you get are:
1 Nose Section (to replace much of the upper nose of the Sunderland
forward of the cockpit and above the hull chine; i.e., that portion
of the Sunderland's nose which held the gun turret and associated
fairing.
1 Tail Turret Fairing (replaces kit tail turret and portion of
fuselage under tail turret)
1 Dorsal Turret Plug
2 Nose Intake Scoops
4 P&W Engines and Cowlings (replace kit engines and cowlings)
4 Upper Engine Intakes
4 Cheek Engine Intakes
These are all beautifully molded in a resin of some kind which saws
and sands like polystyrene, and they contain absolutely no bubbles or
other flaws. (I believe that Dana works for a rapid prototyping firm,
and making resin parts such as these is his day job, so he knows what
he is doing. I have purchased many of Dana's conversion parts over
the years and have never found a flaw in any of them.)
Not included are 4 Hamilton Standard props, which are to be taken
from either a B-24 or B-17 kit, necessary to complete the conversion.
Some small-diameter tubing will also be necessary for the exhaust
stacks, but the locations for these are prominenty molded ito the
cowlings. Paint scheme is up to the modeler; no decals are included.
Accompanying the parts, which arrived well packed in bubble wrap bags
and a padded mailing envelope, is an 8 1/2 x 11 page of instructions,
an 8 1/2 x 11 3-view, and an 11 x 17 sheet containing port and
starboard fuselage side views showing window locations of "a
surviving example of the Sandringham." Dana suggests attaching
photocopies of the plans to 0.060" styrene sheet with spray adhesive,
then drilling out and filing the window openings to the correct size
and shape, then fitting the finished window section into matching
cutouts in the Sunderland fuselage and filling widow apertures with
Kyrstal Kleer or equivalent after painting is complete.
A quick trial fit of the Tail Turret Fairing, after removal of the
lower section below the turret on both fuselage halves, revealed no
problems, other than, in Dana's own words, "a certain amount of
filing and sanding [which] will be necessary to get a correct fit,"
but nothing that a modeler with some experience in doing conversions
such as this (which probably includes most, if not all, AMD members)
can't handle.
Installation of the engines/cowlings requires cutting off those
portions of the kit nacelles molded on the wing surfaces flush with
the leading edges of the wings, but this should pose no problems either.
If you are interested at all in models of flying boats, you will
appreciate this conversion kit, which is well worth the asking price
of $40 plus mailing in the US ($3.50 to Carrollton, Texas, from
Dana's home in Colorado) For further details, contact Dana directly
by email: dkopher(at)skybeam.com.
Disclaimer: I have no financial interest in Dana's business, other
than as a satisfied purchaser of his products.
(Apologies to those on the Wings of Peace group who are seeing this
twice.)
Michael McMurtrey
IPMS-USA #1746
Carrollton, Texas
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