1/48 BAT FK26 Commenced 31DEC 21 Completed 12 SEP 22

[Boomerang]

 Starting to put the BAT together.

Applied fuselage decals.
Double checking the strut locations and hence holes for rigging.

Exhausts have had the ends fitted. Coat of earth brown applied. Read somewhere that earth brown with a bit of graphite over the top gives a "used" effect. We shall see.

Have to manufacture the exhaust brackets yet. Also two switches for the fuselage on the left hand side of cockpit.

Cheers

Gordon

[lastvautour]

Great job on the decals Gordon. I use a bit of copper in my paint for most exhaust pipes.

Lou

[Gearup]

Fantastic work on the BAT. Watching your progress really make the details evident. As I have noted before, one starts to see an aircraft in a different light as you set out building a model of it. The cockpit looks ready for a pilot, nicely don. Got to admit, the designers of the aircraft may have not thought through mounting the (probably) red hot exhaust pipes beside the passenger windows!! Great looking model.

Fraser

[Boomerang]

 Will try again. All locked up for some reason.

Thank you Fraser .

I think the pilot would have had hearing issues with a 12 cylinder engine burbling away a few feet from your head.

Exhausts and wings attached. Struts  and rigging next.

The BAT logo was traced onto some PVA'd and primed paper using Tamiya primer from the bottle applied 3 times with a sharpened  bamboo skewer.

Cheers

Gordon

[Boomerang]

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[Boomerang]

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[Boomerang]

The pin in the tail is not the tail skid.

Onwards .....

Gordon

[Boomerang]

Struts done. Undercarriage and propeller added for inspiration. Holes in wings are for rigging ( the next challenge).

Cheers

Gordon

[lastvautour]

Looks fantastic Gordon.

Lou

[Boomerang]

Thank you Lou.

Rigging is the next challenge.

Some poetic licence has been taken.

Onward.......

Gordon

[Gearup]

Looks really good! A question on paint color. How do you determine the colors of a civilian type aircraft when only black and white photos exist? I am currently in this dilemma on the Orta build

Fraser

[Boomerang]

Fraser,

Having had a quick look at pictures available for the Orta I can see your problem.

I had the same problem with the Caproni CH1 .
There was a cover painting on a copy of MAN that had the colours which I thought were right .
As there was only one built I went with the only 1/72 model that was around and used that.

With the  BAT there have been some models ( scratch built ) built.

So there is a bit of info around on the net for it.

There is one "K-167" which is the second airframe on a Dutch modelling site. This has been done all off white.

There was one that that was operated by Instone airways which was blue and silver.

With reference to the pic on page one G-EAAI was the first airframe. I've decided based on other pic's of it with early straight rudder that the main colour was white. The Upper wing appears to me to be white. There is a distinct variation in tone at the lower wing root which I have taken to mean that the lower wing is silver. The struts are white.
So that's the way I am going to finish it.

I don't consider myself an expert . From various past "discussions" on other forums it comes down to the type of film used etc..,
I won't rake over that.

In the case of your Orta there are lots of possibilities .

I will try and put together some theories (assumptions ) and put them up.

Which aircraft are you considering?

Cheers

Gordon

[Boomerang]

 Fraser,
Some assumptions .....

Pic's found on 1001aircraft pictures and a Russian site.

OO-AMS .   I'm not sure if this has been touched up But...
                Love the chrome exhaust collector.
                It's is painted.
                I will assume that they are the colours of Belgium. Red, yellow and black
                Overall yellow ? Or a colour similar to the Tipsy a creamy colour. Black over red striping . Black rego.
                Underwing rego red.Striping on exhaust red. Gloss black propeller.

OO-AKY.     Once again Belgian colours.
              Overall cream/yellow. Red fuselage. Yellow? Fuselage reg.
              Underwing rego black. I would surmise that the upper colour of the wing is red (wraps around leading edge.

OO-ABI.  Natural metal cowling . Overall cream/yellow. Possibly Blue fuselage rego. Not sure on the wheels..

It is a very nice looking little aircraft.

Hope this helps a little bit and doesn't add to the confusion.

Cheers

Gordon

[Gearup]

Thanks Gordon. Your analysis if the coloration is going to be a big help. I had not considered that the aircraft of the time would use the national colors.
Attached are two pictures from the web of the exact aircraft I am building. The overall lighter scheme is the one I am trying to recreate. The two tone version of the aircraft appears to be a red based paint (dark) that the aircraft received after it was rebuilt from an accident. The landing gear collapsed after a forced landing...

I received an article from my son-in-law's family that showed both schemes at different times. The lighter one is my focus because of the ARPIC logo on the tail. His company was an early air compressor manufacture that was eventually bought out by Atlas-Copco. The darker scheme has his grandfather at the controls.

Thanks very much. I will now consider and off white or a yellow Belgian flag color or possibly a tan color.

Fraser

[Boomerang]

Fraser,
I like the family connection.

I am impressed with the colour scheme on the "red" one.

Looking forward to further progress.

The link below has some links in it that you may have already explored. There is a shot of OO-ALL that looks like it's silver . Check the overspray on the inner port tyre.

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/89685

Cheers

Gordon