popeye the sailor

the bike rims look really good......gonna add to the detail for sure  

sweet little boat Greg!  the early amphibians look really cool 

thank you gentlemen.......gee Jack,  perhaps you can give me a head's up on what to expect for the next 20 years  !
 
I have never seen such an extensive line of 'Coca Cola' models...from what I've seen,  AMT had the exclusive    As mentioned,  I did see a 53 foot kit at Hobby Lobby,  but I was hesitant in pulling the trigger.  it wasn't a long box,  which indicates that the top,  bottom,  and sides were in multiple pieces {filler,  here we come!}.  for this trailer,  I may go with the Coca Cola motif,  seeing the the truck has the same logo.  I do want to do something different for the second one........and hopefully another truck to go with it.   a mural sound like fun too   the decal sheet is large and the kit even supplies a sort of gauge to help in aligning the logo 

the one aspect that is missing here,  is the conspicuity markings along the sides of the trailer.   according to the FMCSA {Federal Motor Carrier safety administration},  any trailer manufactured after 1993,  has to have conspicuity tape markings this enables motorists to see trailers better at night.  

the reflective tape can span the entire length of the trailer,  but regulations state that the amount of reflective tape must be half of the total length.  so,  for a 53 foot trailer,  there must be 26 1/2 feet of tape on the sides,  as well as along the bumper and bottom of the door {s}.  in 1989,  the NHTSA {National Highway Traffic safety Administration} published a rule that all light and reflective devices {reflectors},  be made of a reflective material,  which means that tail lights and the use of reflectors was mandatory.  I started working at Wal Mart in 2004.........we were still dealing with reflectors back then....if some of our trailer had them,  they had to be on there.
      
we use the 6 x 6...6 inches of red and 6 inches of white reflective.  there are other types of reflective tape,  like the 7/11 tape........7 inches of white and 11 inches of red reflective {we use this one too,  but it depends what DC the trailer comes from}.  as far as colors go,  red and white is the main combo.........as for the round or oval reflectors {mainly made of plastic,  but can be found as a placard decal} yellow is used which follows the lighting rules along the sides of the trailer body.....yellow at the front,  red at the rear.  the white tape seen at the top of the buck plate door opening is a requirement mandated a few years later.  the truck doesn't have a lot of reflective tape requirements,  but there must be some on the mud flap brackets,  and some form {whether it be the lights or round reflective material} of reflectives on the back of the cab.  I was having a devil of a time trying to locate some, but Egilman was kind enough to direct me in the right direction.....thank you    although it is not reflective,  it fits the bill perfectly!


whenever I replace any at the shop........I try to miss the rivets.....I hate that.  I came up with a way around this,  but recently,  the higher ups changed the policy that all side wall patches be buck riveted,  so that put a stop to my idea.  inside the box there is printed detail.......there is rivet detail on both sides.  to put my interior mod in the first steps to reality,  the floor must be painted.  it has wood grain detail....more modern high end trailers have metal floors........either of light steel or aluminum.

the little tabs you see along the sides pose some of the problems in fitting the sides.........some are a tad off,  while others are too big.  at this point,  I had finished with one side.

this wood strip will serve as the scuff liner,  wall bumper.  scuff liner are always a constant repair item...........some folks just don't know how to drive a fork lift.  you ought to see what it look like when the forks go completely through the side wall!  I've operated fork lifts and single power jacks.  I've also started to assemble the wheels..........really wish there was more detail here,  but it is what it is  

she coming along really good Chris.........you've got such a knack for these models!  

Don't forget rule #1, mates: Happy wife, happy life! Else you'll be living in a foxhole or doghouse.

I already get enough push-back on the 'man cave' status of the bonus room where I do my work. 😉

Maybe you could get a new wing dedicated to house the CCoyle Conservatory for the Advancment of Modern Art and History . 😁😁😁😁😇

I'm fairly certain that any hanging of models anywhere in my house or garage will negatively impact my marital bliss. 😮

Absolutely, I hang the outsized stuff I build, in the workshop/garage. We all want to see you do a “twin” one day Chris! 😁

The P-38 would only have an 18” wingspan.
 
Definitely hangable.

You've always wanted to, admit it, just haven't convinced yourself yet... {chuckle}

Uh-oh -- progress may be slowed in the short term. My boss, a former A-6 driver who shares my affection for military aviation, surprised me at work today by loaning me his copy of Dead Reckoning, an account of the P-38 mission that took out Admiral Yamamoto. I haven't read a good history book for quite some time. Of course, I told him he'll be to blame now for my increased felt need to acquire a P-38 for my stash, a purchase I've been avoiding due to the finished model's size in 1/33 scale. And no, I won't build anything in a different scale, so don't ask. 😁

So, after returning from a long weekend in Myrtle Beach, I made a tiny bit of progress. Work now shifts to making the 14-cylinder Pratt & Whitney radial engine.
 

Looking good!

Rudder and elevators dry-fitted. I will permanently attach these at a later date so they don't get knocked off during construction.
 

It helps when each stabilizer skin is a single piece -- no seams! Also, Mr. Dworzecki is a master graphic artist.

This is  Crazy  good   -  looks  just like  the  skin of the  real plane.
 
OC.

Horizontal stabilizers skinned.
 

 
Working on the elevators now. Same as for the rudder, there is no internal framing -- but there is a lot of fiddly folding, rolling, and gluing. Pics later.
 
Cheers!

Update: Fillets are done. These are always a tricky part of any airplane build, and these were even trickier than usual because there is a cutout for the wheel wells that leaves a strip only about 1 mm wide at that point for attachment.
 

 

 
And now we go back to the empennage. So far, I have only finished off the internal frames for the horizontal stabilizers.
 

 
That's all for now!

I am also a big fan of canopy glue, but use CA for almost everything else. However, I've never built a card model. Do you use canopy glue or something else for most of your construction? How do you hold the parts together while the glue dries?

I've taken to using canopy glue as my all-purpose glue for card modeling. It sets quickly, so holding or clamping is not an issue.

Mine is the Flying Tigers version.  My main airplane interest US WW2 fighters.  I have a couple of plastic kits on the shelf.  This kit looks great and I’m thinking about ordering one.

Hey, Halinski still intimidates me, and I have many finished models under my belt!
 
BTW, which version did you get, Flying Tigers or RAF North Africa?

This looks amazing, Chris!  I'm really glad to see this kit.  Based on seeing your other card airplane models, I bought a Halinski P40 kit with the laser cut frames and the canopy option.  But when I opened it, I was totally intimidated by it!  I love watching you build yours, though.

Amazing work Chris.  You've gotten really good at these card models.