Reviresco SE.5a Build Project

4:15 AM Update: Still cleaning off flash, filling in cavities, and in general spiffying up the parts...

In one of my prior threads, I had been asked by Gregbond77 if the inner wing struts had come with the kit... foolishly I said "Yes". It turns out I can't count well in the wee hours of the morning. The kit actually came with only three of the four inner struts.

So now I have two projects that are partially on hold till I can get that ride to the hobby store for brass and styrene rods... grrrrrrrrr...

I will post some pics of the cleaned up parts (they are actually coming along quite nicely) just as soon as I clean the rest of them up... but for now I think Mr. Head is going to meet Mr. Pillow...

Oh... Did I mention that I may be buying my model kits from Skytrex from this point on??

Build Tips Se5a
1. clean off all flash.
2. paint interior of cockpit.
3. make sure cowling fits into fuselage(hold halves together with fingers) it is easier to file and sand while in two halves.
4. glue fuselage together.
5. glue lower wing to fuselage, very important step get it set up straight!
6. Sand down tabs of struts so they fit loosely in hole of wing. I hold struts between two erasers with only tabs sticking out file gently. Or you can drill holes in wing larger. Your call.
7. Primer everything. For small parts put tape on a long toothpick(or other stick) wrap once then reverse so sticky side is on outside. this will hold small parts so they don't fly away. Of course you can only do one side at a time.
8. paint underside of top wing and struts(you may want to remove the bottom stringer from the struts as this will clean up the model, but leave the top stringer on as this will make putting on the struts much easier).
9. glue struts to top wing make sure wings line up.
10. fill in holes in top wing where strut tabs poke through. Do the four holes for cabine struts as well.
11. paint fuselage and bottom wing, and top wing. Put on decals?
12. glue top wing on.
13. glue cabine struts to wing and fuselage. I turn the model upside down for this step.
14. glue coweling on.
15. under carriage, use white glue to glue axel and struts together place on model(it should still be upside down) to get it straight, let dry. This holds the three parts together and makes final assembly really easy.
16. glue under carriage struts to fuselage.
17. glue wheels to axel.
18. glue prop to cowling.
19. send vodka to Washington Squadron Commander.
20. I did this from memory, so any questions let me know. I hope I did not leave any thing out.
21. Just remembered don't forget to glue on tail units at some point, like before you do the under carriage. And paint the red white and blue stripes on the rudder before you glue on the tail units.

Thanks Greg! I may do most of my painting after assembly, but will definitely use the guide to get me through the build. Digital Vodka to be sent to your inbox soon!

Steps 1 and 2 Completed : Flash removed, Cavities Filled, Details "Fine tuned"

OK... About three hours of work and some very sore fingers... it amazes me that these are the same parts and even came out this much better. I am sure I will have to do some more cleanup work after I assemble and base coat...

Note the three, not four, inner wing struts in the upper right corner. Grrrr....



On to the assembly!

Step 3: Assemble the fuselage halves, filling and sanding any crevices.
Step 4: Attach the lower wing, filling and sanding any crevices.

Moving right along I assembled the fuselage, which went together pretty well and only required a little filling and sanding after drying. I then attached the lower wing, taking care to keep it nice and straight. Agina this fit will and only required a small amount of filler and sanding.







Things progressing well for now, next I will test fitting the undercarriage so that I can glue it together and have it ready to attach near the end. Thanks for the tips Greg!

Step 5: Attach Struts and Upper Wing
Step 6 : Fill and Sand Strut holes
Step 7: Attach Radiator.

I ended up using aluminum rod for all of the struts, was much sturdier and gave the plane a cleaner look than the supplied struts. They was also a bit easier to install. It took me a little while to get it just right as I used no jig and this was my first time doing a white metal aircraft this small. Radiator went on fine, and all the holes filled in nicely with white putty.









Now for the small parts and the undercarriage using Greg's nifty white glue tip!

Step 8. Prime Aircraft and remaining parts. (Changing up the order of things a touch.)

Just like my SE.5a project, this part was pretty simple... since it is very cold outside I used my makeshift spraybox in my attic so I could vent the overspray out the window as I sprayed in a warm environment. A window fan on reverse, cardboard box, an exacto knife, and some furnace filters... and Alackazam!! Ten minutes later I have a spray box! No fumes... no mess!










From here I will be airbrushing on some base colors, and then hand painting the rest of the model. Note that I have decided to use the pilot here, and not do so on the Tripehound. I may also get started on my Reviresco Camel tomorrow, to fill in time as I wait for paint to dry...

I'd also like to say thanks to everyone for all the encouragement and positive comments on both of these projects as I have progressed. It means a lot to me!

UPDATE: 12-14-2010

OK so I am well past the halfway point on the painting and am dedicating most of today to finish this project. I am waiting on a family member to return from an errand to fetch me a fresh bottle of Future Floor Wax.

I plan to have this mini ready to fly at tomorrow night's tournament at Krystal keep in Dayton! Stand by for further developments!

Step 9: Paint Aircraft and Remaining Parts.
Step 10: Assemble Landing Gear, Horizontal Tail Sections, and Upper Gun.
Step 11: Apply Decals - Microset and Microsol.
Step 12: Clear coat, and Dull Coat.
Step 13: Affix Gimble Mount

The painting took a while... like I have said, getting those cow spots just right is painstaking... I ran into some trouble with getting good color coverage, and ended up switching over to some of the new Games Workshop Paints. This fixed the problem. Painting the fuselage details under the top wing proved tricky, but I muddled through. In the end I think the final outcome was good. The landing gear was a difficult fit... but I managed to get it to look somewhat decent. The decals went on fine; I used smaller roundels due to the "Cow Spots". I may go back later and add a Black or Navy "C" to both sides of the fuselage.

The gimble mount works well, but next time I will rough up the ball bearing a bit before I glue it in. The weight of the model tends to make it slip sometimes when moving the aircraft during a game.

Here are the pics of the final project... be gentle with me!













On a side note: This aircraft managed to score kills on the entire opposing Central Powers flight in its first sortie. Three kills and a safe trip home! I would say that makes "cow spots" pretty lucky, even if the brass wants nothing to do with them!

THUS CONCLUDES THE REVIRESCO SE.5A BUILD!