A 'virtual' Short Super Sealand amphibian - SORTED!

PR19_Kit · August 26, 2025, 03:39:43 AM

I've masked and painted most of the wing floats by now, only the silver under surface to go, but masking them off on such a small item is a bit of a fiddle.

I've also glued on the semi-transparent fairing for the DF loop on the roof, and that's supplied as part of the canopy vacform, and it needed lots of precise trimming. That meant I was left with just the edge to glue it down with, and with superglue too as the kit's all resin.

I got round the problem by smoothing out a layer of slow superglue onto some clear sheet, and dropping the DF fairing onto it and letting it cure. That meant that I had a large area of undersurface to apply the glue to after I'd trimmed all the excess clear sheet.

Not only that, but the excess use of superglue to hold it in place meant that it was all nicely frosted on the inside, just like the real thing!

RESULT!

As the resin aerial mast had been eaten by the Carpet Monster some weeks ago I scratched one from some 15 thou sheet and a short piece of fuse wire and glued that on the roof too.

It's only got knocked off twice so far while I test fitted the floats................ $:-\$

Gondor · August 26, 2025, 04:59:35 AM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on August 26, 2025, 03:39:43 AMIt's only got knocked off twice so far while I test fitted the floats................ $:-\$

Sounds like it's doing rather well if it's only come off twice.

Wardukw · August 26, 2025, 11:44:02 AM

I agree with Al,,,your doing great so far Kit

PR19_Kit · September 15, 2025, 03:34:16 AM

After lots of fiddling and faffing about I've managed to draw up the decals for the Super Sealand at last and I printed them y'day.

With luck I'll have most of them on later today, and then I can get going on the landing gear, which is anything BUT 'normal'! The wing floats are part painted and I'll have them on soon too, but I figured putting the decals on with the floats in place was just asking for trouble, and endless re-gluing of the floats!

Wardukw · September 15, 2025, 11:13:48 AM

Looking forward to seeing this Kit 😀

PR19_Kit · September 16, 2025, 10:46:23 AM

I've got the decals on the Super Sealand, and it looks pretty good.

I forgot the UK Air Fleet flag on the fin but I'll print them up and put them on later.

I'll need to varnish the decals of course, and then it'll be time for the landing gear and wing floats, plus some small touch ups, and that'll be that.

Old Wombat · September 16, 2025, 01:18:25 PM

She's looking very good, Kit!

Wardukw · September 16, 2025, 06:03:53 PM

Quote from: Old Wombat on September 16, 2025, 01:18:25 PMShe's looking very good, Kit!

I totally concur with that

Rick Lowe · September 16, 2025, 10:04:47 PM

Quote from: Wardukw on September 16, 2025, 06:03:53 PM
Quote from: Old Wombat on September 16, 2025, 01:18:25 PMShe's looking very good, Kit!
I totally concur with that

Thirded! Lovely.

PR19_Kit · September 18, 2025, 03:44:24 AM

I've got all the decals on the Super Sealand now, and they're varnished as well, and I've attached the wing floats too.

The rather complex landing gear is also in the process of being installed, and so far I've got all three of the legs attached, and the gear doors and wheels are being painted.

I've also got the somewhat complex backstory done too, and that's a mix of Real World, WhiffWorld and FlightSim World as well!

There's a good chance it'll all be done by tomorrow.

PR19_Kit · September 18, 2025, 08:04:38 AM

How I DETEST painting wheels and tyres!

It's never a 'one go' paint job, I always have to go back and do it 2-3 times, grrrrrrrrrr!

The Sealand has quite large windows, and the manufacturers supply some clear sheet to cut them out from. NOT a good idea to my mind, it'd be a very fiddly job getting them exactly the right shape as they have curved corners. I decided to build and paint the whole model first and use PVA or Glue'nGlaze for the windows as I'm used to doing that for my 1/144 airliner models.

But the windows on the Sealand are maybe four times the size of a normal 1/144 airliner window and that takes a LOT of PVA to fill the hole, and there are 10 of them.

It's turning out to be bit of a fiddle, and so far I've got 2 of them done, plus a lot of Glue'nGlaze has ended up inside the cabin too. Luckily it's a high wing aeroplane so it won't be too visible.

I hope............

Rick Lowe · September 18, 2025, 10:45:29 PM

Probably not helpful now, but the conversion in Airfix magazine of the S-61, the guy cut a slot in the fuselage, glued in a length of clear and after assembly, polished the strip and masked the eventual windows.
After paint, he simply unmasked them and was done.

For the next one.

PR19_Kit · September 19, 2025, 02:10:10 AM

I've done that with airliner models in the past too, but it's a right faff doing it, getting the cut line straight etc.

The Glue'nGlaze is working OK, but it takes an AGE to go clear, all night in fact!

Wardukw · September 19, 2025, 11:06:36 AM

I'm pretty sure all that effort is going to be worth it mate ,,cause so far ,,it defentily has been

PR19_Kit · September 20, 2025, 08:05:19 AM

The Super Sealand's becoming a bit of a trial right at the end of the build.

The Glue'nGlaze windows are a real pain, and I've had to re-glue over half of the ones I've done so far. That wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to wait half a day for them to go off so I can see if they need another layer!

The tiny landing gear doors are proving a bit of drama to fit as the instructions suggest attaching them just by their tips! No way they'll last 5 mins like that, so I'm having to cut some support struts to fit underneath them.

And to cap it all BOTH wing floats and the tailwheel have come off in the last 24 hrs too. I've re-glued them with a much stronger super-glue, let's hope it's strong enough!