Boeing 314 Clipper (1/144 Airfix)

[Stuart]

So then - let's get this started.

It was pretty damn hot here yesterday, so whilst my wife sat on the swing seat in the garden reading, I chilled out in the house watching Red Dwarf and doing an old-skool build on the Kitchen table.

Here's the kit...



...a box of bits! This kit was tooled in 1967 from the markings on the inside. one of the good things is it actually has the clear parts for the windows, a lot of the Airfix 1/144 stuff doesn't.



It also had the old style instructions and some (hopefully) useable decals...



For this build I'm trailing this low odour plastic magic glue. As I build in the house I'm often on the look out of ways of reducing the impact on the other's in the family, and TET is the worst offender at the moment (although I did use TET for the clear parts).

[Stuart]

So after one episode of the Dwarf (I was watching series five) I cleaned up all the wings and things and got them glued together...



Two more episodes and I'd got all of the clear parts fitted (and there are many) and the fuselage together...





The only issue I had was one the upper deck twin window sections was short-shot and missing a window - I'll replace it with glue-n-glaze after painting.

[Stuart]

So by the fourth episode of Red Dwarf (I actually watched 'Holoship', 'Terrorform', 'The Inquisitor' & 'Back to Reality' for those in the know) I'd managed to get all the main parts of the airframe together.



The Plastic Magic 10 second cement works well enough, it's a bit messy and had a few issues I need to learn how to control, but that all comes with experience - but it performed well and everything the following morning feels solid & it certainly didn't detract from the fun of the build and is definitely no worse than tube glue.

The kit itself, considering it was tooled in the 60's, is actually pretty good. It all fit together well (even the windscreen clicked into place) and I've had no issues with gaps - I do have a few steps here and there though which I'll take care of today with some Revel Basic filler and some of this new Ammo white filler I bought to replace my empty tube of Perfect Plastic Putty - again it's water based and good for small gaps. Once that's done, and to carry on with the simple way I started this kit, I might well dig out the Humbrol Enamals to paint it, so I don't have to arse about with primer.

Overall thought it was a fun way to spend a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon, sat at the kitchen table, having a laugh and playing with some plastic.



I might pick up a few more of these simple Airfix 1/144 kits, it was fun not to have to deal with the interior and a rather enjoyable build.

Cheers!

[Medicman71]

Very nice Stuart!

I'm telling you, there's a resurgence of people doing old kits. This one is going together like my Orion. Even Flory Models has been reviewing and building some old school Monogram kits.

[LyleW]

Smithsonian Air & Space just ran a piece on old kits.

[keavdog]

Great to see and hear that shes going together well. I want to do a clipper and I really like 1/144 or 1/200 for large planes/airliners etc. Time to start hunting

[Stikpusher]

Stuart she is shaping up to be a real beauty! The lines of the Pan Am flying boat clippers did live up to the lines of the old age of sail clipper ships.

[BlackSheep214]

Stuart.... I absolutely love that 10 Second Liguid Glue. I find it better than Tamiya liquid glue. Of course I still use Testors tube glue too.

[Stuart]

Thanks Gents!

Very nice Stuart!

I'm telling you, there's a resurgence of people doing old kits. This one is going together like my Orion. Even Flory Models has been reviewing and building some old school Monogram kits.

Smithsonian Air & Space just ran a piece on old kits.

It doesn't surprise me, there is a lot of classic good kits out there if you can get hold of them. Yeah the detail may be basic, but the shapes are there.

Great to see and hear that shes going together well. I want to do a clipper and I really like 1/144 or 1/200 for large planes/airliners etc. Time to start hunting

If you can get one I'd recommend it, it's a nice little kit.

Stuart she is shaping up to be a real beauty! The lines of the Pan Am flying boat clippers did live up to the lines of the old age of sail clipper ships.

I agree Carlos, it really does have a nice classic look to it!

Stuart.... I absolutely love that 10 Second Liguid Glue. I find it better than Tamiya liquid glue. Of course I still use Testors tube glue too.

I have to say that so far I'm quite impressed by it.

[Stuart]

I've assembled the engines and am in the process of painting them...



It's really interesting that this little 1/144 kit has detailed two piece engines and separate cowlings, whilst my 1/72 Sunderland of the same vintage has a ''fake'' engines moulded into the cowlings - talk about A and B team.



Cheers!