Jump to content
Model Cars Magazine Forum

AAR Eagle Weslake T1G, Dan Gurney, 1967. MFH, 1/20.


Recommended Posts

Good morning,


Well, let me introduce the superb AAR Eagle Weslake!
It changes from red, but orange and green were not that far away .. the red (s) either either!

The kit is not more complicated than that, but the installation of the rivets promises to be... sporty and time-consuming.

I started by cleaning the parts of the bathtub / chassis, the interior of which is almost invisible once the tub is in place.
Only a small part on each side is polished.
The assembly is, as often, carried out by welding.

a65b6510.jpg

8e652510.jpg

The main parts of the V12 are also assembled

763b1b10.jpg

2040b610.jpg

And we start to put a little color

7e00a010.jpg

The body parts are prepared, adjusted and the locations of the threaded fasteners for solid fastening.
And then, we had to get there, the hull is pierced (0.35) in anticipation of riveting ...
Resin rivets with semi-round head of 0.5 for a tail of 0.3.
There are many!!

540bad10.jpg

Riveting is ... DONE !!
I decided to use rivets of different sizes for different reasons.
For the lateral parts, rivets of 0.5 for the most part, of 0.4 for the outline of the hatches and of 0.8 in aluminum for closing them.
for the upper part of the hull, 0.4 convex / flat head.
These are used for:
- appearance / aesthetics, a kind of scale effect as with painting,
- ease of applying decals.
FYI, there are 1620 ... rivets.

531f6410.jpg

91a3cd10.jpg

f4402110.jpg

bf2fc710.jpg

fe2e1910.jpg

The body parts have been primed and, for some, painted or partially painted

777c5510.jpg

136a7310.jpg

4e9e8010.jpg

The engine has progressed well

a34ddd10.jpg

26a4f210.jpg

137dc210.jpg

4fb3a010.jpg

I took the opportunity to work a little on the exhausts and their pronounced traces of heating.
Temporary assembly.

ef6fd310.jpg

7f01e710.jpg

The gearbox is fitted with pretty accessories which I decided to modify: The filter holder, one of the fuel pumps and its filter.
The oil filter covers are redone in aluminum, as is the crankcase of the fuel pump motor.
Machined aluminum and brass hardware is added to provide a little detail to these subsets.
As with the exhaust manifolds, the filters are chemically burnished, then polished and slightly "worn".

56668410.jpg

47054610.jpg

a14b4610.jpg

224d7810.jpg

79209310.jpg

Here is the set with the gearbox, painted with a mixture of Gun Metal and semi Gloss Black, 53 and 85 Humbrol.

832a7d10.jpg

fb27db10.jpg

Make way for the dashboard.
It is primed and painted in my beloved Humbrol 85, a little more diluted than usual and applied in thin coats a little more diffuse to make it slightly less satin.
The counters have their strapping polished.
The decals installed will be covered with "glass" cut to the punch for more realism.
Small machined switches from Top Studio and a few instructions complete the package.

52ae5110.jpg

e8322f10.jpg

The steering wheel is prepared in the same way as the dashboard.
The original mold is removed and the Allen hardware and its washers installed instead.
A passage of oil allows to shade the colors.

Finally, the tank connection pipe is polished and painted with Candy Electric Blue ZP.

bc05cf10.jpg

Still progressing. ;) 

2f11fa10.jpg

077e8610.jpg

27378310.jpg

The steering rack will be installed later

a1f34510.jpg

.. just like the radiator.
It is modified, as well as the pipes connecting to it, in order to weld the fluid inlets / outlets on the body of the radiator.
I brought a little detail with the lateral perforated reinforcements and the manufacturer's plate.
The interior is quickly fitted with a lead wire to simulate the cooling circuit behind the grid and fill the void.

856e2010.jpg

0a579d10.jpg

The wheel disc is primed and painted, then  finalized, a machined valve installed.
Everything is assembled to the machined rim.

bc1ee410.jpg

f616b210.jpg

Masking of the bodywork parts before the passage of the sublime blue whose glitter base is extremely fine.

0e1c6a10.jpg

43331210.jpg

The parts exposed and presented in a white assembly

caf60110.jpg

76028e10.jpg

The hubs are detailed, primed and painted

20bfd610.jpg

he original discs are decked out with important grooves that I don't like ... at all!
As for my other models on which I reproduce the scratches of the discs, I made a tool allowing me to maintain them.
The shoulders must be thin, both in diameter and in thickness, in order to be able to machine most of the disc.
The small "jaws" on the second image are those used on a 312F1 for example.
They then went on the lathe to give them a better appearance.

e68c7210.jpg

1e52a110.jpg


Installed on a wheel for control: could be worse.

eb88d210.jpg

The body of the rear shock absorbers is hidden and then painted.
The springs receive a layer of gloss black.

3a764f10.jpg

The radiator is painted and the tin solders reproduced according to the images I have.

56075610.jpg

 

The dashboard is finished, wired and the windows installed on the meters.
I did not really manage to take a photo that shows it correctly ... Sorry.

297b9a10.jpg

f0fddf10.jpg

Last masking step before varnish

5f3cdf10.jpg

A shot of white

7d15f610.jpg

Disassembly of the parts and installation on their support for the varnish step and presentation in the box so as not to be bothered during this step.

03c5a110.jpg

Gravity (EU) sprayed, fresh (Flat Pattern 0.3 Meng)

6e0a1610.jpg

c7f70110.jpg

It dries quietly

e5620a10.jpg

6af68e10.jpg

It's dry!!
I couldn’t really resist a little "Test Fit"

05f0bc10.jpg

51f81910.jpg

56181710.jpg

160e8110.jpg

For fun:
I made a small sheet of carbon this morning to dress small aluminum plates.
They help me to present the pieces for photos, supports for models ...
And, in the afternoon, I decided to make one to present the Eagle with the extra decals and old dry transfers.
It's funny, it relaxes and above all I like it!


25114510.jpg 

a0999b10.jpg

26bb1b10.jpg

I may shoot a layer of clear coat on it tomorrow to standardize everything and protect transfers, more fragile than decals ...
 

Quite a few tests for the parts to be assembled on the bodywork elements today.
The inside of the nose is painted mat black and the decals installed.
The reinforcement plates of the anchorages of the tie rods are painted in Polished Alu Metal Cote with a paintbrush and slightly polished.
The tank caps are modified and fitted with machined banjo connectors.
It remains to tweak them a little with oils.

Finally, as mentioned yesterday, I varnished the small presentation plate.
It will be used to brighten up the table during exhibitions!
It remains to polish the edge of the 2024 Alu plate.

7857e310.jpg

01fbb410.jpg

2f29ad10.jpg

c1168710.jpg

3061e610.jpg

13f30410.jpg
 
Connecting session.
The gear box is now installed on the engine.
Done for rear with engine/oil filters, fuel connections, underside tubing from engine to radiator...

Next step will be the front radiator hoses and ducts installation and the rear drive train.

 
1dd98610.jpg

5756a210.jpg

76f44210.jpg
 

Well, of course, I lost a part ...
Not that small and yet nowhere to be found after a good part of the evening and the morning...

The part, the lower left anchor of the rear axle push bar (or tie rod ...), has been redone.
I quickly turned a piece of 2x2.25, glued to a plastic card base.
A 0.8 stainless steel tenon and a resin bolt to finish and install.
Quite a few mods and parts for the upper arms to do what I wanted, but it's done.

Sorry for the quality of the photos, but the episode "Carpet Monster" (and I don't even have a carpet!) Made me a little ... irritated.
I hope it will fit anyway.


4b984910.jpg

11fced10.jpg

f2a40510.jpg

aea71910.jpg

030d3610.jpg

 

Pipes, ducts and radiator connected and installed.
Lower suspension arms and steering rack in place.

e582df10.jpg

52d5d310.jpg

2241f410.jpg

91eee410.jpg

9375aa10.jpg

2e706910.jpg

462e6210.jpg

More soon.

Pascal

Edited by Pg265
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bonjour,

Thank you very much for your kind comments Mates.

A bit of cleaning in the working area...

c2de9210.jpg

Front end progress with radiator mounts and air scoops.
Rear completed with anti roll bar and exhausts.

30be1a10.jpg

82651710.jpg

8416c010.jpg

71171410.jpg

4edc9310.jpg

It begins to take shape.

7e181c10.jpg

d1f7b310.jpg

7efb5f10.jpg

294c9e10.jpg

d7e99810.jpg

0fb94d10.jpg


I finished the rear brakes this evening.
Everything is modified and scratched to match my doc.
The cockpit is finished and the upper part of the hull will be glued.
I also added the welds at the junction of the exhaust pipes and the 3 in 1.
Then we have to deal with the front ...

18bebb10.jpg

ed94b110.jpg

Last details added ...

99fe9d10.jpg

856e6b10.jpg

af604210.jpg

I can call this one done today.

15597910.jpg

3ce95710.jpg

a8b88a10.jpg

d53cf510.jpg

Sorry for the poor quality pictures...

 

Pascal

Edited by Pg265
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

 

Thank you very much for your nice comments!

@Pete J.: well… once you know how to do!…🙄

For me, one of the main feature of the Eagle are its stunning chrome exhaust tubes. There are so visible and offer a great contrast with the blue.

So, as I wanted to depict as well as possible the real thing, I thought it wouldn’t be stupid to use the same material: Steel.

I study few good pictures of the real car and just try to replicate the heat stains using a mini torch on my steel tubes.

I first made a first try on one to see how the color changed around the red hot area, then try to be as close as possible of the real thing.

That’s all! Just steel tube, a mini torch and great pics! 🥶 Nothing more, nothing difficult!

 

Pascal

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, Pg265 said:

Hi,

 

Thank you very much for your nice comments!

@Pete J.: well… once you know how to do!…🙄

For me, one of the main feature of the Eagle are its stunning chrome exhaust tubes. There are so visible and offer a great contrast with the blue.

So, as I wanted to depict as well as possible the real thing, I thought it wouldn’t be stupid to use the same material: Steel.

I study few good pictures of the real car and just try to replicate the heat stains using a mini torch on my steel tubes.

I first made a first try on one to see how the color changed around the red hot area, then try to be as close as possible of the real thing.

That’s all! Just steel tube, a mini torch and great pics! 🥶 Nothing more, nothing difficult!

 

Pascal

 

Pascal -  Thanks for telling me.  No wonder it looks so real.  They are real.  I thought you had figured out how to paint them!  I have seen so many airbrushed exhausts the just look terrible, I was hoping you had cracked the code.  Oh, well, back to the bench!  Thanks. 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good evening,

Thank you very much for all your kind comments!

I’m glad you enjoyed the WIP and like the result. That really was a pleasure to build this one. 
I looove the car, Dan Gurney is one of my all time favorite pilot and an awesome guy, the kit is a marvel… What else?!

Thanks once again. ;) 

Pascal

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

Hi,

 

Thank you!

Different brands, shapes and sizes of resin and metal rivets were used on this one… and on all my other builds.

I used rivets from Calibre35, MasterClub, Scale Hardware.

0.5, 0.4, spherical and flat spherical.

I use a thin tweezer to hold and insert rivets in their holes, glue them on the backside with CA glue and cut the back with a S&M 15T blade.

An Xacto #11 is used to separate the Calibre35 rivets from the base/sprue, as well as those from MFH which were used for the 256F1.

 

Pascal

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...