1/10th scale Blackburn Beverley.

[MalcolmDouglasPorter]

Yes indeed Paul, it is good to put faces to names. I hope to acquaint myself with a few more "faces" in May.

Started to get a bit more serious about building up the frames on the boom where they are a little short of the line. Two pictures showing the before and after. I used some balsa to build this frame, it seems to have done a good job and of course was easy to rub down to the line. I will be patient and continue to do this until I am satisfied that the skin will attach properly all the way along the boom. As I said before, the top is easy, the lower end will be a bit more tricky, but I have plenty of meat left on the bone to form the longitudinal fairings. Amazon are unusually slow in dispatching my Dremel kit.

[MalcolmDouglasPorter]

Some more of the same today. This is a frame on the main fuselage assembly. These repairs are all on the Port Side so far. Got a few more to do this side, then turn the model round to do the other side in a day or two.

Amazon have dispatched my Dremal kit at last, so I will be able to move on with the fairing portions of the frames. I recon this could cause a bit of chicken talk? (Foul language?) LOL!

[MalcolmDouglasPorter]

I am satisfied that the Port Side is pretty much ready for the skin to be added, that is to say the top half. I have spent my time today gluing on the extensions where needed on the Starboard Side, just a couple more small pieces to glue on tomorrow. I will then sand them all together rather than one at a time as I did the other side. There is still the rear end of the boom to sort out, I'll tend to this when the rest is done.

Happy bunny now that my new toy has arrived. I have ordered the angle attachment, seems that I could need it?

[Alan Cantwell 1131]

Have you tried the ammonia in a bag trick yet?

[Bob Thompson1894]

That will ruin the Dremel, Alan.

[MalcolmDouglasPorter]

Not yet Alan. I imagine I will use this to make the balsa flexible, set it up on a bending jig and allow to dry out fully before sticking to the frames. I will need to do this out doors as my lungs are already giving me enough trouble.

Lots of sanding done today on the frame extensions. The amazing thing is that much of the extension wood has completely rubbed away.

[Alan Cantwell 1131]

Dont forget, make a nag up, put some of the ammonia in, put the wood in, seal the bag, leave it, for a few hours, i used to leave it overnight, but ne carefull, eye and skin protection

[MalcolmDouglasPorter]

Started some serious work on the starboard fairing today. This rear assembly has quite complicated shapes. I have to admit that I was not looking forward to this, it seemed a daunting task, but now that I have started it, I am reasonably pleased with the progress. The picture shows this progress, but still a lot to do. In the construction industry we had a saying, "if it looks right, it is right". I should apply that principle to this aspect of the model? You can compare the progress with the similar picture on page 13. I have done several other little bits and pieces at the back end as well. I have been using a combination of the Dremel and hand sanding. My intention is to get the starboard side into shape, and when satisfied I will make some cardboard patterns of each frame and transfer the shapes across to the port side. Hopefully that side will be faster to finish? Not to sure of the sequence of skinning this assembly, but it seems a good idea at the mo to start at the bottom?

The second picture is one of those I am using to shape the fairing. This is one of my pictures taken at Fort Paull last year.

[MalcolmDouglasPorter]

Been busy doing "other stuff" today. I expect to be doing this for the next couple of days. However, having looked at the model and the pictures since my previous post, I have noticed that the frame shapes are not correct at the back end of the fairing. I have the usual surgery job to do now. All will become clear as I progress with this and post pictures. Basically, you should be able to spot that the underside of the fuselage is flatter than the model, although slightly curved, and the fairing actually is lower than the fuselage at this point, whereas on the model it is above the lower fuselage. This accounts for the curve that you can see in the above picture of the frames, the fairing should be pretty much level with the top of the clam shell doors all the way along until they curve inward and terminate. The joys of scratch building?

[MalcolmDouglasPorter]

Not going to get any time to do anything today or tomorrow, but I have just set up a datum line which is parallel to the centre line and level with the mean datum of the aircraft. This will enable me to make the correct observations and adjustments. Making observations from the photographs, for the most part the fairing appears to be level in elevation, and in plan it is waisted for about the first half of its length and curves inward towards the rear end. This rear half, the boom, is proving to be the bogey man of this model, but I will get it right! I would like to have resolved this before the May Bank Holiday when I hope to be including it in the static display at East Kirkby.

[paul needham]

Looking foward to seeing her in the flesh Malcolm.

[MalcolmDouglasPorter]

Thought I'd just show you another one of my pictures (cropped) to show the fairing. It does appear to curve upwards towards the rear end?

[Philip Goff]

Dear Malcolm
I can remember seeing the Beverley at the RAF Coltishall
Battle of Britain open days, when I was a boy.

Then I saw it as a large impressive aeroplane
but now seeing your excellent model,
I can see what a complex shape the Beverley had.

A very unusual and interesting subject being very nicely built I might add.

Regards Phil G.

[Phil Clark]

Suggestion..................

Remove the fairing parts of the boom formers completely. Skin the boom then add the fairings back on in high density foam with a hardwood 'spine' to give a hard edge before glassing to harden the foam.

Producing the boom minus the fairings will give you a lot less headaches and glassed foam versions would be very easy to work with.

[MalcolmDouglasPorter]

Thank you for your continued support chaps. I have thought about doing just that Phil, so your suggestion is not falling on deaf 'uns. I will continue with my programme of modifications, and if this fails, I will then revert to your suggested method, although I will more likely use balsa block to build the fairing?

I strengthened the dorsal spine at the C of G point and attached a cleat for suspending the model for balancing. Obviously this is a long way off, but now is as good a time as any to prepare for this. I will very probably add an access hatch at this point for any future balancing.

The second picture shows the mods to the boom frames to produce the fairing. I believe that I am on the right track, but if this does not work out too well, I will attempt that method which Phil has suggested.

[MalcolmDouglasPorter]

I have been slowly plodding on with modifying the frames for the fairing. This picture is supposed to emulate the pic of the real thing above. At least the general shape can be seen progressing. Still a lot to do but I am confident of getting it to look right.

[MalcolmDouglasPorter]

The pictures are more of the same I'm afraid. The idea is to try to show the changes as they happen. The Starboard Side is almost ready and is looking much more like it. I think it is probably good enough to start transferring the shapes across to the Port Side. This calls for the ever available corn flakes boxes to make patterns. Hold it on there, run a pencil line round it, cut it out and transfer the shape to some lite ply and hey presto? The Starboard Side has taken about a week to sort out, but the Port Side will be done in a jiffy by comparison?

I cannot guarantee that I have got this absolutely right, and it is possible that some fettling will be needed as I skin this. The shapes are more apparent now that the model is assembled, not an easy job to establish on the drawing board, on the dining table!

What is not too clear in the pictures is the extensions to the rear frames. They were slightly too small and the wrong shape, now looking much better! This mod can be seen in the bottom picture albeit a bit fuzzy.

[MalcolmDouglasPorter]

Had a quiet day yesterday, other stuff to do, but today managed to transfer the frame shapes across to the Port side on four frames. Still plenty to do but will not have a lot of time this week as I have hospital and dental stuff to deal with. I intend to have this aspect sorted for East Kirkby.

The pictures show one of the frame extensions glued on and cut to shape. This now needs fettling to the line.

[MalcolmDouglasPorter]

You can see from the picture that many changes have taken place. The correct shapes of the frames became more obvious as I compared the model to photographs. I am now on the right track to getting this as correct as possible, although there will be some more corrections to make, possibly adding some small pieces here and there to get the correct shapes as I skin this part. To think that a couple of week ago I had the desponds over this back end. It has been a night mare, but I have persevered and am now much happier.

I have some hospital and dental stuff to do, and I will be fiddling about with bits and pieces to get this model ready for East Kirkby, so postings could be fewer for a while.

[MalcolmDouglasPorter]

Been busy since my last post. Had a scan at the hospital, a dental appointment, a day out in London on Saturday taking 'er indoors to the theatre (birthday treat), saw Billy Elliot which is highly recommended, especially for you Durham chaps, lunch out on Sunday and Monday getting over all that lot.

However did a little job on the Beverley yesterday, adjusted the lower connection arms of the two main assemblies. There was some flexing caused by a small gap where the arms slot onto the joining bar. I decided to remove this problem by angling the slots and gluing a wedge onto the bar. This causes the joint to tighten automatically as it is lowered. Although the upper arms are a good fit, I may do a similar thing there to ensure a tight fit. I may also fit some braces to the lower arms as well, this will not add any significant weight, but will ensure rigidity of the arms.

The model is now ready for East Kirkby. See you there?