[JustPlaneNuttz]

PHOTO: Tricatus

Prologue: I wanted a Johnnie Johnson Spitfire Mk IX for my collection. After looking around, I decided I would get the Corgi one, as I happen to like the overall appearance best. I know about the Gemini Aces one, but I liked THIS one. Upon further investigation I found there had been a few releases of this (some of only 500!) and a long-gone Aviation Archive version, which I would have preferred. I ended up with the ‘Legends’ version -- which at first seemed fine, as initially I planned to have this sitting on its landing gear anyhow. Plus -- it was a ‘nice-price’. Well, wouldn’t you know it, but I decided this plane would look best in-flight on the stand within my grouping. (*Groan*) . . . the landing gear needs to be retracted which simply means it has to come off!

Why?: I can hear you asking “Why not just rip the gear off and throw it up on a stand? Why go through all this trouble?” Good points -- BUT:

1. if your model is sitting on a upper shelf, the unfinished appearance could be exposed and
2. you may well be displaying your models on a mirrored or highly reflective glass surface. Exposed again.
3. If you are like me, you are wee-bit obsessive/compulsive and can't resist a challenge!

Options: My first option was to find a 1:72 kit that had the retracted landing gear, then file-fit it and simply paint. Easy. Well, I searched all the model shops here in Toronto and found nothing. I wasn’t interested in dorking around online so that left only one plan of action. Use the existing landing gear and place it in the ‘up position’. Of course doing this means a heavy modification of the gear using a couple of files and a drop or two of super glue. What follows is how I went about that. (WARNING: Not for the faint of heart!)

Attack!: As you can see from Fig 1, the gear has to come off the model. Thanks to several mentions here by others in the forum, yes, the hot water technique does work -- but -- you also have to ‘work’ the gear very carefully, making sure it doesn’t snap off. It didn’t just pluck out. As you can see in Fig.2, I was able to get them out cleanly.


PHOTO: Tricatus (Left) & JPN (Right)


Precision: Now came the fun part -- filing the bits. Fig. 3 shows the tools I used -- my ‘cutting file’ (orange handle) that has a very sharp edge that isn’t visible here, my ‘grinding file’ which is just a semi-coarse 3-sided file, and of course, my small vise grips(!) Fig . 4 shows the parts that now need to be filed very precisely in order to fit the extremely shallow wheel wells. You can see the door closest has some of this started.


PHOTO: JPN

After separating the wheels from the doors, I have to ‘thin’ the wheels down to fit INSIDE the wheel wells and accommodate the door over it without bulging. That means I have to file the wheel VERY thin. Gripping about 1/3 of a wheel with the vise grip, I start and begin the grinding process, as shown in Fig. 5. After about 2 minutes or so (checking often for evenness) Fig. 6 shows the near-desired result. Almost thin enough!


PHOTO: JPN

Dry run: Now with all the parts filed to their initial dimensions, I had to check the fit. The doors will be my biggest area of concern, as you can see how much needs to be done in Fig. 7. The pegs that take the glue and normally hold the gear in place really need to be shortened AND filed to fit the dimensions of the wheel well. I also had to do a light amount of filing around one of the round edges of each landing gear door. The wheels themselves DO have to be near-paper thin. Once thin enough, I used my ‘cutting file’ to separate them from the last third of the wheel, and proceeded to fit them at the bottom end of the wheel well. I poked them into rough position with a sewing needle, then lightly placed my finished wheel door over to ensure an accurate fit and positioning. I also wanted a slight hint of that wheel hub showing -- but NOT the axle hole. Fig. 8 shows the ready-to-glue position. (Sorry for the really out-of-focus shots!!!)


PHOTO: Some bum off the street!!! Geez, JPN -- learn to focus!


Bring it home!: Now here is the nerves of steel part. Once satisfied with my filing, I CAREFULLY removed the door with the sewing needle, so as NOT to disturb the position of that thinned down wheel. A single drop of super glue is required at the hub area of the wheel to hold it in place. I made sure the glue got to the inner wheel well support that the wheel actually sits on too, so it will hold. When dry, I simply place the wheel door on top, and put a drop of super glue near the non-wheel end of the strut. That should do it. For a less permanent solution, you could hold the door on with museum putty.

Now I have ONE done -- and as my wife always says: “Wash, Rinse, Repeat!”

Finishing touches: With both doors & wheels now in place, all that was left to do was touch up the ends of the doors with a drop or two of paint. I didn’t bother to fix up Corgi’s misalignment of the invasion stripes though. Perhaps another day.


PHOTO: JPN

You can now see the finished work in Fig. 9(Above). All that was left to do was plunk it in its stand, as seen in Fig. 10. Done.


PHOTO: JPN

If you are thinking of doing this with one of your Legends, it may help you to know I don’t have outstanding modeling skills or eagle-sharp eyesight (anymore). I last built a model kit in 1967! Although I did this modification over the course of 2-3 evenings, total time was about only 30 minutes doing all the filing, fitting and finally gluing. Using parts from a Spitfire plastic kit would have been infinitely easier, and perhaps a bit quicker. Certainly would have been less nerve-wrecking!!!

-30-

[tank nut]

Cool job!! Keep up the good work!!

[JustPlaneNuttz]

Originally Posted by tank nut

Cool job!! Keep up the good work!!

Thanx, chief -- much appreciated!

BTW: I think you have hit your PEAK with that avatar!!!!
WHOA Nelly!
-

JPN

[11SQNLDR]

Fascinating stuff JPN, I love the photos, the sense of challenge & of course the final result. To me this is what our hobby is all about - passion to acquire the ultimate models

[JustPlaneNuttz]

Originally Posted by 11SQNLDR

Fascinating stuff JPN, I love the photos, the sense of challenge & of course the final result. To me this is what our hobby is all about - passion to acquire the ultimate models

I have to agree and thank you very much!

JPN

[STARMAN 352ND]

Great Job JPN....
JP

[Shamrock]

Nice piece of work JPN. Did something similar with the Finucane Legends MkVb. Will post some snaps soon.

[smartd]

Nice job. Looks good in flight.

[djjeffhall]

Wow, you make that look so easy. Great job.

[JustPlaneNuttz]

Originally Posted by djjeffhall

Wow, you make that look so easy. Great job.

Thanx!

Yes, it does look deceivingly easy! The fact is, although it didn't take too long, it was still a bit tricky, as I had no back up parts in the event I botched something. I usually have a few 1:72 model kits around that serve as 'parts mules'. No Spitfires this time, though. In the end, I was just lucky!

JPN