Vought's forgotten hero: OS2U-1 Kingfisher, Admirals plane (Bu. Nr. 1681)
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July 4, 20232
July 4, 20233
July 4, 20234
July 5, 2023Structure behind the seat completed.5
July 5, 20236
July 5, 2023Rails on the fuselage for the canopy sanded smaller. In the middle an engraving. On the top an additional flat profile.7
July 6, 20238
July 6, 2023Support plate for the instrument panel in place. 0,303” gun and his support added (CE’s detail was not clear and not sharp enough).9
July 6, 2023Ammo box and the “ammo feeding channel” (white).10
July 6, 2023Bulkhead in place: fits.11
July 9, 2023Molded in engine removed.12
July 9, 2023Reworked openings for the exhaust tubes.13
July 9, 2023Panel lines and fasteners added.14
July 12, 2023Engine completed. I intend to install the ignition wires into the cylinder after painting.15
July 12, 202316
July 12, 202317
July 14, 2023Flaps and ailerons need to be reworked: only the ailerons have (narrow) cut outs. First step: filling of all cut outs.18
July 17, 2023Second step. Control surfaces sanded smooth. Fitting and detailing will be follow after installation of the wings.19
July 17, 2023New research results: head rest was mounted with a distance to the bulkhead (see next pic).20
July 17, 2023Foto: Cees Hendriks, IPMS Netherland (thanks for sharing🙂.21
July 17, 2023Raised panel lines sanded away. New recessed panel lines. (moveable) spoiler has wider and deeper lines as contrast to the true panel lines.22
July 17, 2023Cut out for the position light (wingtip). Outer circle as base for the blue formation light. The inner circle is not a light but a inspection panel.23
July 17, 2023New research results: the inlet on the right side is placed not in the middle of the wing chord but with an offset to the bottom.24
July 19, 2023Attachment points for the 4 float struts.25
July 19, 2023top left: formation light (amber green red).26
July 19, 2023Oversized openings for the bomb racks filled.27
July 19, 2023NASM, Washington DC.28
July 20, 2023Ailerons, step 2: cut outs in correct shape and position. Ribs in correct number and position.29
July 20, 202330
July 23, 2023Ailerons „refurbished“. Rudder “under construction”.31
July 23, 2023As usual I used mother board block - connection pins from brass for attaching the moveable surfaces.32
July 23, 202333
July 23, 2023Rudder reworked and in place. On the lower side I added an axis made of 0,55 mm wire.34
July 23, 2023NASM, Washington DC.35
July 23, 202336
August 1, 2023Unfortunately all kit parts for the landing gear are very simple and particularly not correct. So I decided to make the most parts from scratch.37
August 1, 2023Both bulges (covers for the attaching points) are too flat.38
August 1, 202339
August 1, 202340
August 2, 2023It was the right decision to adjust the landing gear before installing the wing. It took so long, too. And I suspect it would hardly possible to manage it the other way around.41
August 2, 202342
August 2, 202343
August 2, 2023Prepared for gluing fuselage and wings together.44
August 2, 2023Tamiya tape as control/ adjustment of the correct dihedral.45
August 3, 2023Wings installed without problems & mess. CA applied from inside.46
August 3, 2023Triangle shaped openings in the fuselage (flap area) filled and sanded smooth.47
August 3, 2023Rear edge of the wing box was closed. Filled with plastic wedges and Presto-Green putty.48
August 3, 202349
August 4, 2023Ailerons in place. 0,45 mm wire for middle & inner and 0,4 mm for outer.50
August 4, 202351
August 4, 202352
August 4, 202353
August 5, 2023Flaps installed via 0,55 metal rod (squared profile).54
August 5, 202355
August 5, 202356
August 5, 202357
August 5, 202358
August 11, 2023The tail wheel was detachable. Installation point was a bulkhead, the opening was covered with a sheet metal screwed to the fuselage with 19 screws (step 3 in picture). Bulkhead added.59
August 11, 2023Template made of Brother p-Touch tape (step 1).60
August 11, 2023Contour for the milling engraved (step 2).61
August 11, 202362
August 13, 2023Instrument panels completed.63
August 13, 2023NASM, Washington DC64
August 13, 2023I left the rear half of the observer’s panel and add the parts (pieces of 1,2 mm round rod) to the front half.65
August 13, 2023I used first time any elements of Anyz sheet AN005. I’m enthusiastic them the result is fabulous. 🙂66
August 13, 202367
August 13, 202368
August 14, 2023“Moulded on” wires replaced with wire. Anyz knobs & scales.69
August 14, 202370
August 14, 202371
August 21, 2023Parts for rear cockpit nearly completed in place. For better handling I divided the long cockpit bathtub in 2 parts.72
August 21, 2023Lower level of radioboxes.73
August 21, 202374
August 21, 2023Hoisting cable, handgrips and doubler on outer side added.75
August 23, 202376
August 23, 202377
August 24, 2023I found that’s easier to scratch any parts than clean the resin.78
August 24, 202379
August 26, 2023Cockpit completed. Prepared for installation of the fixed part of canopy.80
August 26, 2023New research results: the doubler on the fuselage ends few mm behind the trailing edge of the stabilizer.81
August 26, 2023The opening for the retractable landing light reworked / moved a bit afterwards.Bulge on the trailing edge and screws added.82
August 27, 2023Cowl flaps:
Stripe 0,13 mm thick and 2 mm wide divided in 14 parts (length about 4 mm). Glued to another stripe, 0,25 mm thick and 2,9 mm wide.83
August 27, 2023One edge of the 0,13 mm pieces sanded down.84
August 27, 202385
August 27, 20232,9 mm wide stripe separated from Athen Rest of the sheet and cold blended.86
August 27, 2023Stripe separated in 14 equal parts (cowl flaps).87
August 27, 2023Last step: short pieces of 0,5 mm square rod glued to the inside.88
August 28, 2023Cowl flaps in place (1/3 open position)89
August 28, 202390
August 28, 202391
September 2, 2023Yellow, walkways and aludope for underside and tail finished.92
September 2, 202393
September 2, 2023One of three clear canopy parts in place.94
September 2, 202395
September 2, 202396
September 3, 202397
September 3, 202398
September 5, 2023The last hurdle is taken: windscreen in place glued with CA without mess in place. 🙂99
September 5, 2023100
September 5, 2023101
September 6, 2023Colour test for the Admiral blue. 2/3 HU190 (Blue Angels) and 1/3 HU189 (Lufthansa Blau SM): tone OK, shininess OK, surface quality @ 1,8 bar OK 🙂102
September 6, 2023103
September 8, 2023104
September 8, 2023Admiral blue is completed. Masks removed without mess: very satisfied🙂105
September 8, 2023106
September 8, 2023107
September 8, 2023108
September 9, 2023Today I planned to apply all decals and noticed, that the Bu-Nr. 1681 was a OS2U-1 and not 3… so I hat to fix my mistake. Blue light on top on the front of the stabilizer, white light on the tail.109
September 9, 2023In the white area of the roundels I removed the black stripes from the wing: the stripe was clearly visible through the white.110
September 9, 2023As usual I used DIY made antiskid mat.111
September 9, 2023Formation lights: red, green and amber.112
September 11, 2023Screws and pitch control weights added.113
September 11, 2023Gun blast tube (2 o’clock) and carburetor inlet (5 o’clock seen from rear) are well noticeable.114
September 12, 2023115
September 13, 2023At last I scratched the tail wheel and support.116
September 13, 2023117
September 13, 2023118
September 13, 2023119
September 13, 2023Oversized hole in the prop filled with two plastic tubes and added a piece of 1 mm brass rod. 1,2/1,0 mm brass tube in the engine as counterpart for the prop axis.120
September 14, 2023Gun blast tube and carburetor inlet.121
September 14, 2023Cooling flaps actuators made of spare etched parts (Eduards ignition ring for an R-2800)122
September 16, 2023The exhaust tube has a “cuff”.123
September 16, 2023124
September 16, 2023125
September 16, 2023126
September 16, 2023The first time on own legs. 🙂. Right: 38,5 mm from ground to the bulb. Left: 39,5 mm… I think this is ok for this kingfisher narrow track.127
September 17, 2023128
September 17, 2023129
September 17, 2023130
September 18, 2023131
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September 18, 2023
Kommentarer
3 April 2025, 16:57 -
Album info
Similar to the TBM-3, I started this project several years ago (probably 10?). After a bit sawing and gluing both fuselagehslfed together I ran out of air 🙁 Thanks to Hanno's idea, I have now taken a deep breath. 🙂. Game over!
Gruppebygging

Vought OS2U Kingfisher - groupbuild
3. Juli 2023 til 3. Januar 2024
3. Juli 2023 til 3. Januar 2024