Hello everyone,
In today’s update I would like to share the recent work I’ve done with the sharklets for the Airbus narrowbody family. They are a new version from the previous ones I have at the shop, so as soon as I start the production I will be changing the product.
The light covers is something I am currently working on, I want them to be transparent, at first as I thought while working on the B747 winglets, I thought to have the clear green/red part but although that is similar as how they should look when lights are on, the color is not in the cover itself but in the lights, so I am about to start doing my own mixes with the resin to have a transparent-blackish-smoke-tint to avoid the hard to avoid yellowing as it happens in the curing process and hope to have a realistic “glass” result.
I may make a couple more panel lines on the sharklet, but at this scale they practically should be unnoticeable, leading edge line needs to be clearly visible for masking/painting purposes.
I have been working on some antenna radomes, they are the ADF, a high gain antenna (HGA-7001) an intermediate gain antenna (IGA-5001) and a TCAS2 antenna.
The TCAS2 antenna I most surely will be swapping it with the UHF Satcom from the first set since the TCAS is on all airliners, it makes more sense for it to be in the “antenna set” rather than in the “radome set”. This is a bit unfortunate for me as I already started to produce a few of these sets.
I would like to make more of those “standard” smaller radomes, but I am also about to work on two larger radomes as well which will probably be available separately as it happens now with the Honeywell MCS8200 since they are bigger than those featured in the next photo:
This was a first test, so in the final product, there will be more quantities of these radomes and I may try a different approach to produce them.
I’ve been doing some research, but if anyone knows of other radome manufacturers/models, please contact me as I would be interested in including as many types as possible.
Production of the B787-9 cargo holds has already started and the first units are made, work continues but in the meantime I am also working on the production of some GSE items as they sell, I do not want to reach to zero to have them back available again, so new units for the catering truck were added and next week more for the stairs truck will be produced, my goal is to have them in stock as often as possible.
I am noticing that figure sets have been selling out so I am also taking my time to readjust them to produce them with the supports as I mentioned in my previous post. As I am finishing the new packaging for these figures, the first ones to be restocked are the medium/short haul flight crew, other sets will follow.
On regards the other projects:
The B747 cargo set is currently paused as I have been trying to improve the hump section, work will resume soon.
I am also working on the parts for the new baggage carts and a new type.
A new set of GSE models is going to be in production soon, but I am waiting to have more to share before I give more details about them.
I have everything ready to start the production of the Schopf F396, but I am still unsure if I will be able to release it by the time I release the cargo holds. I will try my best.
The 1/72 Schopf F59 is still in the works, recently a new body was remade and a new cast will be done soon together with the cabin walls.
The B747 winglet is also in the same stage as the Airbus sharklets so I am hoping to start production soon, although the B747 winglets will still require some extra work.
The 1/12 B737 cabin has been on pause for too long again, so I am going to test the sidewalls as I have planned and be joining structures step by step. Once the larger structures are done I will go for detailing of each individual panel.
My objective is to release the B787-9 cargo holds in about a month tops, work has to be done with the instructions and guide that needs to be written.
By the time of the cargo holds release I also want to have ready the “Antenna pack A” the “Antenna pack B” (radomes), the other larger radomes, the Airbus narrowbody sharklets, hopefully the A350 sharklets as well and a set of pitot tubes.
There is a lot to do, I have too many projects started but I am doing them bit by bit as best as I possibly can.
That is all for now, I hope to share some more progress next weekend.
Best wishes,
Guillem