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I began building the Heller 1/72 scale Super Connie last fall, and here I am nearly 7 months later and still not on the home stretch, with plenty left to do. I built one of these way back when they were new to the market, and I was eons younger and way less experienced. This is a great kit, in spite of all the problems that make it a large challenge to build well. And it is large. A 1/72 scale Connie is big, which translates into lots of gap filling, sanding, and compensating…and to some extent, improvising where there are shortcomings. With all of the after market detail availability, this kit can be finished into quite a work of art, if one is willing to spend the time, effort and money to do so. I’m certainly not complaining…this has been a great journey so far, requiring lots of patience and study to make things work. Wanted to share with everyone the progress, as I am pleased with how things are going. I decided early that I wanted to use the Fisher solid resin engines; they are quite nice, and have the option of attaching the cowl flaps open or closed, so I have chosen to attach mine in the “trail” position. Also using metal landing gear, and PE parts for landing gear bays, and utilizing small gauge copper wire for hydraulic and electric lines in the bays. This one will be finished in KLM “The Flying Dutchman” livery, though I haven’t decided which particular ship will be depicted. Using decals for the blue striped window cheat lines from Dutch Decal, detail and de-icer decals from F-Decal, and 3D windows from Vintage Flyer. This is my first attempt at chopping and hacking off the engine nacelles to properly accommodate the Fisher engines, and found that I had to do quite a bit of sculpting and sanding to make the nacelles even. In spite of dropping the whole assembly to the floor while masking detail work, tipping over an open bottle of Alclad Airframe Aluminum on the workbench while airbrushing, and allowing a press tool to fall across a wing digging a trench into the primer…I am pleased with the progress…I’ll post more soon…and the finished model will be posted well…whenever its finished.
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WOW! Your work is amazing, and that’s before you are even finished with the kit!
Kurt
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Very nice. Paul Fisher’s product is top notch!
Alan Aronoff
Where there's a will, there's a relative.Wow 😳
Excellent work ! Post more in progress pics
*The TWA 707 in the background is quite nice as well 🙂
All the best,
Cesar
MIAThanks, cesare747!
The next process is polishing the Alclad application. I’ll use a soft, smooth, clean cotton cloth with light sweeping motions to polish away the residue. Once that’s done, I’ll touch up some paint overspray, paint details around the gear bays, apply the wing de-icers, attach the landing gear, bay doors and rods, then will come the decals, antennae, navigation and position lights, and finally the engines.
The TWA 707 is also a Heller 1/72 scale completion. You can see more of it and the whole stream of the Connie process here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/155287691@N07/
And here is the 707 at Airliner Café:
http://www.airlinercafe.com/photo_18858.details
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You are brave for tackling this project! The Heller Connie is really a handful, and the results you’ve achieved with it so far are impressive. As for dropping models, and dropping things on them, I can all too easily relate to this, as I’ve dropped almost every one of my models at least once while in progress, and I, too build in 1/72. Don’t give up! Looking forward to seeing the results, as are you I’m sure.
Beautiful 707-320B, too!
Alex
JAT = "Joke About Time" :pp
Update…
She’s standing on her own three legs! The metal landing gear will provide steady and long dependable legs for this heavy beast. I really like using the white metal gear, because they are so pliable, easy to work with, and very sturdy. Finished the polishing and touchup around the gear bays. The doors are completed, and will be attached soon. Next she’ll be ready to start accepting her colors and livery…so no more posts for while. It’ll take some time before she’s fully “dressed…” and she’ll be ready for show soon. Thanks EVERY ONE for your kind comments and encouragement.
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This is incredible. I’ve owned at least two of those kits, gave up on the first and sold off the other, so I know what you’re up against. You are doing some amazing things with that model. I’m looking forward to seeing the finished aircraft!
Jodie Peeler
"In any dispute the intensity of feeling is inversely proportional to the value of the issues at stake." - Sayre's Law
That landing gear and gear bays are incredible! I’ve wished so fervently that someone would do a really accurate set of brass gear legs and resin wheels for that kit, but alas, to no avail.
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That landing gear and gear bays are incredible! I’ve wished so fervently that someone would do a really accurate set of brass gear legs and resin wheels for that kit, but alas, to no avail.
Thanks, Jennings! The bays were a challenge to say the least. I used the Plus Models C-121 Warning Star wheels, bays, and PE details for this Connie, and the Scale Aircraft Conversions Constellation white metal landing gear struts. Combined with the Plus Models details and PE parts, the result is quite good. But patience is required, time to study drawings and interpret instructions, good lighting, a magnifying glass, precision tweezers, creativity to improvise jigs for holding small parts while painting and detailing, and very small dispensing tubes for the Zap Gap. I used various gauges of copper wire for the brake, hydraulic, and electrical lines. G Factor makes a brass set of struts, but I know nothing about them, or their availability or accuracy. I would suspect that brass would not be as “modifiable” as the white metal, meaning, one could not carve and trim the metal away as necessary to fit the kit holes. I did visit the Connies at the Pima Museum in Tucson, the one at Udvar-Hazy in Virginia, and the Columbine at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, and took many pictures of the gear bays and various details to get it just right.
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Would the Plus Models detail parts be suitable for an earlier Connie (649/749)?
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skyking918…..
Would the Plus Models detail parts be suitable for an earlier Connie (649/749)?
Not sure. I did not research the 649/749 series at all, since all of the parts I was looking for were for the 1049G. I do know that Extratech made some PE parts for the 749, but they may be very hard to come by. I did a quick search at Hannants, but did not see any 749 Connie parts in 1/72…they did have them in 1/144 for the Minicraft kit. A couple of Czech suppliers show them on their website, but whether they are actually in stock and you can get them would be anyone’s guess. Fisher Models has the resin engines and props for the 749, which are quite nice…
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Jennings :
That landing gear and gear bays are incredible! I’ve wished so fervently that someone would do a really accurate set of brass gear legs and resin wheels for that kit, but alas, to no avail.I looked at both brass gear and SAC white metal gear when I did my !/72 Connie a few years ago. Paul’s suggestions are correct, IMO. The brass gear is almost impossible to manipulate. The SAC gear is pliable. Most desirable attribute for the nose gear to create the canted wheels. The brass simply wouldn’t bend. As well, the Plus Models parts are excellent. That takes care of the wheels.
Alan Aronoff
Where there's a will, there's a relative.I am at a standstill and need some instructions and suggestions…any and all are welcomed…
I am in the process of decaling the Connie, using the Dutch Decal sheet for the KLM Super Connie. It is recommended to apply a “light varnish” to the decal sheet before trimming and dipping in water and applying, as the decals are thin and will probably split and become difficult to move or adjust once applied. How do I apply a light varnish, having never done this before? Airbrush? Rattle can household Krylon clear (which I have read some folks have had success with)? I have plenty of Testors Model Masters clear coat lacquer finish; could this be thinned for airbrush use, utilizing a #1 nozzle and low air pressure?
HELP!
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I’d use Microscale decal film. That’s what it’s made for.
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Jennings :
I’d use Microscale decal film. That’s what it’s made for.You mentioned this product once before and I took your advice. I applied the decal film to Vintage Flyer EA DC-7 sheet. I brushed on a thin coat and let dry. The decals became too stiff and they wouldn’t bend, they broke instead. I didn’t know how to apply a thinner coat so the DC-7 becme AA instead. I would love to learn how to apply it as I have a 25 year old SAS CV-990 decal I am afraid to use right now.
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https://haksuara.co.id/wp-includes/web/slot-pulsa/Spent the better part of this afternoon completing the port side tip tank. She’s beginning to take a good shape wearing her colors….
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Update…
Had to go back and correct the location of the NAV lights on each of the tips tanks. They were originally mounted too far aft, so I removed them, made a repair, and drilled a small “seat” for each lens in the correct position. Thanks to my friend Alan (radioguy) for the recommendations and instructions on correctly seating the NAV lights…”school never stops!” Also completed the decal application on the tail, and applied the fuselage cheat lines, cockpit windows, and PE windshield wipers. The large cheat lines were nearly a nightmare, cracking and splitting, even with Microscale decal film applied. They were repaired with some patience and thanks to an extra repair stripe included with the decal sheet. Next step will be to apply the cabin windows, finish up some detail decals, and apply an acrylic sealant before attaching the engines as the final step. Here are the latest pics from the progress…..
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Looks great, Paul! I love that scheme for the Connie.
Alan Aronoff
Where there's a will, there's a relative.Great work! KLM’s always had good schemes, minus perhaps their latest swoopy one.
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Antennae rigging…pressed and glued two small pieces of thin styrene together, then cut to shape, sanded until smooth, then drilled a small hole for the cables to attach. There are two small drilled holes in the center and port vertical stabilizers to accept the cables when pulled just slightly taught.
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Great work ! Also nice to see that you did it in KLM livery, I as a retired KLM pilot have it in TWA !
For all you guys, I have huge information like blue prints, etc. of KLM aircraft.
Kind regards, Gus
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The landing gear and bays are awesome,as is the overall finish. But…where did you get the detail labels for the gear and fuel caps? Homemade?
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The landing gear and bays are awesome,as is the overall finish. But…where did you get the detail labels for the gear and fuel caps? Homemade?
The small decals on the landing gear, and in the bays are part of the landing gear detail kit from Plus Models, purchased from Hannants, and manufactured in Czechoslovakia. The detail set includes wheels, tires, brakes, photo etch parts, gear bays, some small gauge wire (I actually used several different gauges of wire), and the small decal set. Plus Models is wonderful to do business with…I lost the original set of decals that came with the kit, and PM replaced them at no cost, and in short order…even from the Czech Republic! The landing gear struts are white metal from Scale Aircraft Conversions. The fuel caps are laser decals from Nazca, scrounged from the Boeing 707 super detail set. The only thing “home-made” on this model are some of the wiring in the landing gear bays, and the upper fuselage antennae mast and cables.
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Update…
I made a sort of “jig” on the workbench with c-clamps and spare plywood, some foam rubber, and a clamp to hold the model perpendicular to the floor, so that I could mount the engines to the nacelles, allowing the weight of the resin to press against the epoxy. I’m allowing for curing before placing her back on her gear. This is the home stretch! Attach the props, give her a gentle wash, get her staged, and she’ll be done. Almost home……..
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She’s finished! Posted for inspection…thanks to every one for your kind words…I’ve posted here the short biography of the actual airplane…ENJOY!
http://www.airlinercafe.com/photo_23528.details
This is the 1/72 scale Heller/Humbrol Super Constellation, completed as an L-1049H-82. This particular Constellation (Dutch registration PH-LKN) was entered into service in 1958 as one of 23 Super Constellations at KLM, and one of only three “H” model Connies in the fleet, configured as a “combi” for passenger and cargo carriage. She was christened the “Hermannus Boerhaave”, and could seat 112 when fully configured for passenger carriage. Sometime prior to her retirement from KLM in 1962, she underwent a livery design change, emerging in the later KLM Constellation livery of dark blue stripes over and under her windows. Following retirement, she flew for World Airways, then Flying Tiger Line. She was damaged beyond repair as a result of a fueling accident on Kingman, Arizona, and ended her useful life as a gate guard at the Mojave County Airport there in 1971. Sadly, as has been the finish for most of these beauties, she was broken into scrap in 1975. This model has been a long labor of more than a year, but nonetheless a joy and learning process to finally complete. Many thanks to my newly found Canadian friend “radioguy” for his much appreciated and treasured guidance, suggestions, and instructions from his own experience in Connie building…”school never stops!”
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No other word applies but “superb.” Wow. Thank you for sharing not only the photos of the finished model, but the story of how you got there. We can all learn from this, especially since (as I know) that’s not the easiest kit to work with.
Jodie Peeler
"In any dispute the intensity of feeling is inversely proportional to the value of the issues at stake." - Sayre's Law
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