" Flying Police Car " Cessna 172

TheChronicOne · March 14, 2021, 07:23:31 PM

I might change the title a bit once this thing solidifies in backstory. That said, I might leave its role a bit open-ended and let the observer speculate and come up with their own ideas about what it could be. It could be a real-deal flying law enforcement thing of some type... could be some sort of patrol craft or highway monitoring thing.... prisoner transfer thing.... just a straight hunk of PR-stunt (think the "DARE" corvettes and stuff.... they didn't use those for real police work, just to drag around to public events as a neat thing to gander at) or... whatever. But the plan is this... to make an intentionally simple, somewhat generic, Cessna kitted out in police style! I want to put overhead flashing lights on it, too. Not plausible but perhaps if I shape them in an aerodynamic way I could achieve what I'm going for and have it still be halfway reasonable.

Kit and decals on hand. I'll probably make it LPD for Lawton Police Department.... my hometown.

So far I've been clipping and cleaning up parts. Started on the nose weight. Glued the seats to the floor. Found some more supplemental transfers (stuff for N-Numbers, flags, and other random prospects). Should be a pretty easy going build.

jcf · March 14, 2021, 07:56:43 PM

Bubbles on the spats? Red on one, blue on the other, with a white strobe on the nose gear?

The current Washington State Patrol aircraft are pretty boringly marked with no obvious indicators
of police use - aside from things like the FLIR turret, which wasn't true in the past.

Then

Now

Old Wombat · March 14, 2021, 10:43:10 PM

This one looks like it could be really something, Brad!

Hope it's an easy & fun build!

Dizzyfugu · March 14, 2021, 11:57:44 PM

I am curious about the kit's molding quality, esp. the clear parts...

MiB · March 15, 2021, 01:20:06 AM

Any example?

thumbnail by ilmib, su Flickr

TheChronicOne · March 15, 2021, 01:24:49 PM

Brilliant, thanks, fellers! Inspiration is great. Pretty neat stuff here.

I plan to do a little more work on it today but I'm trying to do my taxes so who knows how much I'll actually get done. Hopefully more of "the plan" will develop and some more inspiration will hit whilst immersed in the mind numbing doldrum that is taxes.

So anyway... I'd like to at least finish the nose weight process which I'm doing in stages to allow the PVA to dry quicker. Just dumping BB's in there and turning it into a clump that doesn't move with PVA. In the past I did it all at once then it would take like a week to dry up all the way.

Not this time... time to expedite.

Rick Lowe · March 25, 2021, 07:44:30 PM

The old 172 is quite nice, though I did have problems with the rear window fit (likely of my own making, per BAU).
Though I only ever made the float version.

What about putting the flashing lights on the fronts of the spats?
Or along the top of the windscreen, I suppose, if you want to be conventional...

Or both?!

In that scale, you could get away with shaping some of the kit's clear runner.
Make them teardrop shaped, for the modern look, or use clear sheet and do for a light bar for an up-to-date look...

TheChronicOne · March 26, 2021, 12:01:29 PM

At this point I'm considering not dealing with any extra lights or antennas at all.

I'm losing ground and haven't gotten hardly anything done with it and (paying)work has divided my attention (and energy) so I'm going to focus on just getting it done and close to the end I'll re-visit the idea and if I have time left I might go for it.

Would be nice to get some stuff done today. I worked a tiny bit on the nose weight a couple days ago... basically just trimming PVA away from where the nose piece attaches to the fuselage. My next plans are to get the interior finished off so I can get on with the building process. Knowing how pesky these can sometimes be I need to get after it so I can unearth any problems and get them solved. I'm worried this thing will drag on too long, even with plenty of time left.

The Rat · March 26, 2021, 05:20:02 PM

Nice idea, horrible kit. If it's like the one I fought, the rear window will be almost unrecognisable as such.

TheChronicOne · March 26, 2021, 05:27:45 PM

Right on.

I was afraid of this stuff and y'all mentioning it verifies that I will definitely appreciate proper utilization of time on this one.

Someone reeeeeally oughtta make some new tools of these types of small GA aircraft. I think they're really neat and despite being of the time and of the quality they are my lil collection of Arii kits is one of my favorites because of the neat subject matter. I'd like 'em in 1/144, too. I think the name of the company is "F-Toy" and they make kits (of sorts) of them but they're not exactly inexpensive and not readily available, either.

Rick Lowe · March 26, 2021, 08:36:41 PM

I agree some new-tools of them would be nice - it's not as if there're none around anymore, either!
(It seems light GA design mostly stopped after these came out - but then if it's an efficient design, why change it?)

TheChronicOne · May 23, 2021, 12:51:43 PM

GOOD GOD. How bout that delay? Back at it now, though. Made some decent progress recently. I've got everything but the main wings and the fuselage primed up ready for paint. I've found that the stupid windows, at least the side ones, have to be installed from the inside so that has completely altered the build phase progression. Now I have to stop and get the sides of the fuselage painted white so I can put the windows in then turn around and mask over it so I can finish putting it all together and doing the putty and sanding in turn to finish priming and painting it. Dumb. I hate when I have to do it like this but there's no other way unless I mask each little individual window and I'm not about to do that... this is alot easier and I can blend any transition line that may appear and in this instance I can even put it where it'll be beneath a transfer.

People warned me about the rear window, too, and sure enough the damn thing is quite a bit too large to fit in the hole provided.

Dumb. Oh well, it's easily enough fixed... I just have to keep filing on the edges of the window piece and eventually it'll fit in the little hole. But.. man come on... why is it stuff like this is so difficult to get right? I did another little 1/72 plane not too long ago, the MiG-8 and the windows on that stupid thing were WAY off and so bad I decided not to use them at all rather than trying to hold the tiny things in order to re-shape them.

ANYWAY... I've settled on a livery, I think. This thing is so small that I might have to switch up some of the markings just to get everything to fit. I have some stripe decal stuff I'd like to use but it might take up so much space that I can't put any lettering on the sides of the fuselage.

So.... I dunno... I'll figure it all out once I get it all painted and ready.

Old Wombat · May 23, 2021, 05:15:34 PM

Quote from: TheChronicOne on May 23, 2021, 12:51:43 PM
So.... I dunno... I'll figure it all out once I get it all painted and ready.

Quite often the best way!

TheChronicOne · May 23, 2021, 05:45:00 PM

Pretty fun that way, too! I enjoy "fluid" builds that.... .... well.... kind of determine their own course. No real plan... just sort of start working on it and the plan will reveal itself at some point. Adds a bit of mystery and intrigue. On a similar note.. some of my favorite builds have come of having to totally throw out an entire plan and do something different. Starts out as one thing.... finishes as another. Sometime sticking to a strict plan of progression can be really satisfying, too, but can often be rather boring in comparison.

Anyway!! More work done.... I've painted everything aside from the main wings (to be painted after attached) nose gear/strut and the propeller (and a couple antennas and what I think is an exhaust pipe... I always paint those lil things after I glue them on at the very end........). Now some of the fun begins... I have a couple ideas to add some subtleties to the paint job to make this thing interesting without overburdening it with too busy of a scheme. I'm thinking at this point things should sort of speed up a bit. If things aren't too terrible with getting those windows situated then I'll soon have a whole plane and be fully into paint after getting the wings blended in.

TheChronicOne · June 12, 2021, 09:35:14 PM

I ain't givin up! I'll run this thing right up to midnight on the 14th.

Things worked out pretty well this week and I've found time to get the Flying Police Car up to date and I've made good progress last night and tonight. Cutting it close on the deadline but if I don't get too carried away with the livery I should be able to get it done. All the windows are in and the wings are glued on. I used Milliput to shore in the area around the back window. Painting, for the most part, of stuff like struts and gear is done. I have the nose gear to work on a lil more and one last thing to add to the props/spinner but all of this will take.... ohhh.... 10 minutes maybe? Tomorrow I'll mask over the windows and do a lil wet sanding then get the final coat of white paint on the gloss it and start on the transfers.

A long way to go and plenty of refinement left but believe it or not I do believe I'm closing in on the finish, although it doesn't look like it.

Struggling to come up with content means I've not been posting much so in the interest of.... ehhh.... interest, this will be a duplicate post both for the build page and my build blog page.