Adrian Hills Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 For this build I will be modifying the 1/32 Tiger Moth to represent the radio controlled Queen Bee. I will leave the floats as they are, even though they aren't quite right in shape. Have already blanked off the rear cockpit in which the electronics were kept. An important feature is the windmill generator on the port side of the fuselage and will add that. Am contemplating flattening the sides of the fuselage as Queen Bees were plywood like the DH60 Moth and not canvas - yet to investigate properly. As this had an amusing ground radio control box it will be represented as part of a mini diorama and use the kit standing figure as the operator. This has passed muster, being less that 25% built. The ground control with telephone dial. A while ago I took photographs of a Queen Bee and associated equipment at the De Havilland museum. For reference I have the Putnam DH book and the Warpaint on the Tiger Moth. Will probably do the scheme of Dark Earth/Dark Green on top with Sky on the sides and undersides and the floats silver as illustrated in Warpaint. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 This looks interesting, love the phone dial on the control box . Good luck with your build Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted January 9, 2022 Share Posted January 9, 2022 This is going to be really special, best of luck Adrian. Cheers Pat 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 I really love Matchbox's Green range of kits and this excellent Tiger Moth is certainly up there as one of their best. The Queen Bee conversion will be fantastic to see and I'll be taking a few notes to see what you end up doing before I attempt something similar in 1/72 scale (.... you might want to learn to rig first Rabbit Leader!!). Great choice Adrian. Cheers, welcome aboard and best of luck.. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Hills Posted January 11, 2022 Author Share Posted January 11, 2022 7 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said: I really love Matchbox's Green range of kits and this excellent Tiger Moth is certainly up there as one of their best. The Queen Bee conversion will be fantastic to see and I'll be taking a few notes to see what you end up doing before I attempt something similar in 1/72 scale (.... you might want to learn to rig first Rabbit Leader!!). Great choice Adrian. Cheers, welcome aboard and best of luck.. Dave This is what it looks like in 1/72. Floats are from a Matchbox Fairey Seafox. Mind you when I built that one, I think based on the Airfix kit, I didn't know the fuselage was supposed to be slab sided. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Hills Posted January 12, 2022 Author Share Posted January 12, 2022 Made a bit of a start. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Hills Posted January 17, 2022 Author Share Posted January 17, 2022 Just refining the surface of fuselage to find any apparent sinkholes and thought a good time to attach the tail. Was wondering whether to waterline the floats. Then Mr Dremel said he wanted to play !! Just need to find where to cut. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Hills Posted January 22, 2022 Author Share Posted January 22, 2022 Been off down a wormhole looking at other country's drones. Problem is my doctorate involved television in aircraft during WWII so I do tend to get rather over excited. I have been viewing an excellent talk given by Maurice Schechter in 2014 and the following two images are from that source. This is a 1943 experimental American drone that uses television guidance. The launch car was specially made and had '...two 165 horsepower Cadillac engines and could do 0 to 100mph in 1,500 feet', or so the newsreel claims. A year later the American Navy had produced the TDR. The guidance was via a television camera in the nose (Image Orthicon) as well as radar - an excellent combination. Had the British had that type of telemetry for their aerial reconnaissance then it might have worked better. The TDRs are shown at their base in the Solomon Islands. Note the 1000lb bomb slung underneath - they could have dropped it remotely but instead they liked to crash the whole thing into the target. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malpaso Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 I wonder what floats the Matchbox kit has? I think the decals are those of the Tiger Club's Tiggie created when Air Cdre Paul realised he needed to keep his seaplane hours up. Floats used were American, either Edo 200 or Aeronca Sedan depending on which history you read (or conceivably Edo 200 floats previously fitted to an Aeronca Sedan?). G-AIVW flew as a seaplane into the eighties so Matchbox likely copied those floats. I'm sure I read somewhere the Tiger Club plane was somewhat big-booted compared to original floats but can't find the source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Hills Posted January 22, 2022 Author Share Posted January 22, 2022 Malpaso, whilst in Canada I was told the floats in the kit were from EDO, but I stand to be corrected Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malpaso Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 1 hour ago, Adrian Hills said: Malpaso, whilst in Canada I was told the floats in the kit were from EDO, but I stand to be corrected Found the other book "puts on a lively display despite the weight and drag of the enormous Edo floats once fitted to an Aeronca Sedan". Edo were a go-to provider of floats for many other manufacturers' aircraft, up to and including a C-47. I guess the Tiger Club just had to use whichever vaguely right floats that were available to be fitted. Better too big than too small! The model looks great so far. Cheers Will 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Hills Posted February 10, 2022 Author Share Posted February 10, 2022 Had a bit of an intense, not so happy day. So cheered myself up with a return to the Queen Bee. Bit of paint on the engine and attended to the cover over the rear cockpit. Decided to see if tape would hold it for long enough for MEK to hold it. Seems to have worked 🙂 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Hills Posted February 10, 2022 Author Share Posted February 10, 2022 Engine assembly to fuselage and some doors. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 That engine looks very impressive in-situ Adrian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 This is coming on very well, engine does look good. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 Great to revisit this thread again. Your progress work is neat, tidy and very good. Nice going Adrian. Cheers.. Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Hills Posted February 18, 2022 Author Share Posted February 18, 2022 Got a bit of work done today - after clearing up a tree damaged in the storm. Decided to fit the nose cowling. I remember this was a bit of a problem first time I made this kit. Am sure I can smooth it a bit more. The floats also got a bit of attention from Mr Dremel. Then tidying up with a razor saw and nailfile before rubbing down on a bit of wet and dry like a vac kit. When I look at them again will tidy them further. Note that as they sit in the water the rear is submerged more than the front. I am using the Warpaint Tiger Moth book as a main reference. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted February 19, 2022 Share Posted February 19, 2022 On 18/02/2022 at 18:45, Adrian Hills said: Note that as they sit in the water the rear is submerged more than the front. this seems to show this well, more for the readers of thread if they don't have the reference mentioned. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Hills Posted February 19, 2022 Author Share Posted February 19, 2022 Cheers Troy. It is quite apparent that the design of the front of the float is quite different, but I have nothing in stock, including a vac sheet of floats that are anywhere near the correct size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 Nice update Adrian, the big Tiggie looks good and I hope you didn’t experience too much damage in those storms that have hit the worldwide news down here too. Cheers.. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 On 19/02/2022 at 22:41, Adrian Hills said: It is quite apparent that the design of the front of the float is quite different, but I have nothing in stock, including a vac sheet of floats that are anywhere near the correct size. I put the photo in just to show (to others) how the floats sat in the water, no comment on your floats, I had an image search and thought it might be interesting to illustrate what you described. I did just search up the Queen Bee I note you mentioned the float used are by EDO, well, one possible source for floats might be the Monogram Kingfisher in 1/48, which maybe about the right size in 1/32nd..... Bear in mind the kit floats are noted for being undersized, and the kit also offers a wheeled option, there maybe a pair of these out there is spares box land... I know I have a built and then broken down one in a box, if interested I could measure it? I'm wondering now if maybe some 1/72 Swordfish floats may work? The Frog kit had these an option. They look a similar shape., and, again a possible spare box denizen.... may well be too small in 1/72 to 1/32 match, maybe of use for a 1/48th Queen Bee, I know that no use for you Adrian, but maybe an idea for someone to investigate finding this and thinking about 1/48th version. Just having a ponder, hope of use, please ignore otherwise .... cheers T 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted February 21, 2022 Share Posted February 21, 2022 Interesting project Ade. Re the colour scheme I believe there were red wing tip on some. You can make this out in Troy's pic in above post. From the tip to a point level with the struts. And I think silver undersides. Not sky. But as usual there were variations. .. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Hills Posted February 21, 2022 Author Share Posted February 21, 2022 Here you see some other floats that I have in stock, both the correct length compared with the brown kit one in the middle. The green ones are from a Junkers 52 kit - which I am reserving to fit when I make my single engine Canadian JU 52 for the group build this year which starts on July 1st (Canada Day, so I'm told). The vac form ones I could use if I thought the model warranted it and if I hadn't just waterlined the kit ones. Frankly I would rather get on and build the kit rather than worry about doing more work and using up a perfectly good pair of floats that could be used for something else (Short Valetta, Cant Z511?). I am keen to clear the decks of my various builds so that I can concentrate on the Canadian one in July. Now to actually do some modelling 🙂 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Hills Posted February 21, 2022 Author Share Posted February 21, 2022 Bit of satisfying modelling. Slowly, slowly not rushing gets a better finish I have even filled in the gaps around the aileron cable anchors and will rub down when dry Now whilst that sits on to another quick one bought at the Old Warden model show recently. Amy Johnson's aircraft. Have just the right green, Gunze Mr Colour 318, JASDF light green. And like the Queen Bee I will have to blank a cockpit off, this time the front one. That is how it came from Wally Hope, already fitted with larger fuel tanks. It was red but she had it painted green. My IPMS Mid Sussex group is having a 'Classic Names' competition on 3rd March so I reckon "Jason" will fit right in 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted February 22, 2022 Share Posted February 22, 2022 I love the old FROG box Adrian. I haven't seen that style before Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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