Glitches in GPMs J2M3 "Raiden"

[sakrison]

This was posted in the "Shinden" thread but I thought it deserved its own thread, since it's a different kit by the same designer.

Originally Posted by bilas

I just received another kit designed by Lukasz Fuczek author of Shinden. This time publisher is GPM. Has anybody attempted to or built J2M3 Raiden? I wanted to start this plane right after I receive it but after seeing familiar design I put it on hold.

Funny you should mention that. I've been working on this kit, not realizing it was by the same designer. For the most part, the kit has gone together well and looks good. I've completed it to the point of attaching the wings. What's left is building the landing gear, attaching the tail feathers, and adding small details. I'll post a longer review but, for now, here are 3 glitches to watch for.

Part 18, the inside skin of the cockpit, also forms the joining strips for the outer skins, parts 20 & 39. But the lightweight paper #18 is printed on is too thin and the outer skins push inward leaving a gap--especially between parts 19 & 20. I had to fix this after the fact by cutting apart the sections and reinforcing those joining strips with scrap from the heavier paper in the kit. An easier way would be to laminate or photocopy part 18 onto heavier stock. That will probably require trimming the cockpit formers just a bit. Do lots of test-fitting.

Second, the wings are built as a single unit that fits into the well of the fuselage. But built per instructions, they don't fit. You have to trim a chunk out of the center section trailing edge to clear bulkhead/former #2. This will be covered by part #69, so it doesn't affect the end result; it just seems a bit of careless design. It's probably easiest to build the wings as instructed, then trim the center section to fit. That's what I did.

The third problem is more annoying: When you line up the yellow lighting bolt on the main wing fairings, parts 70R and 70L, with the lightning pattern on the fuselage, the front of the fairing wraps too far around the leading edge of the wing and the rear outboard edge of the fairing doesn't reach the trailing edge of the wing. Comparing it to the printed part to the cover photo, the portion of the kit's fairings aft of the wing seem correct, but forward of the wing's trailing edge, they're wrong. The front of the kit fairings also wraps too far around the leading edge of the wing. (The model pictured on the cover apparently wasn't built from the kit contained inside.)

The best way to fix this would be to cut the fairing in two--fore and aft--and apply it in two parts. (Photocopy the fairing and test-fit before you cut the kit part.) With some careful trimming and test-fitting, that should give you a good result.

I didn't figure that out until after the fact. I photocopied the fairing and spliced a filler piece along the trailing edge. It worked but not very well. Unfortunately, I don't think I can redo it without destroying the fuselage. Rats!--that mars an otherwise nice-looking model.

(I had a %$#@! headcold while I was working on it. If I'd felt better, I'd have spent more time working out a better solution. There's a lesson there, I think.)

No worries,

[sakrison]

This was posted in the "Shinden" thread but I thought it deserved its own thread, since it's a different kit by the same designer.

Originally Posted by bilas

I just received another kit designed by Lukasz Fuczek author of Shinden. This time publisher is GPM. Has anybody attempted to or built J2M3 Raiden? I wanted to start this plane right after I receive it but after seeing familiar design I put it on hold.

Funny you should mention that. I've been working on this kit, not realizing it was by the same designer. For the most part, the kit has gone together well and looks good. I've completed it to the point of attaching the wings. What's left is building the landing gear, attaching the tail feathers, and adding small details. I'll post a longer review but, for now, here are 3 glitches to watch for.

Part 18, the inside skin of the cockpit, also forms the joining strips for the outer skins, parts 20 & 39. But the lightweight paper #18 is printed on is too thin and the outer skins push inward leaving a gap--especially between parts 19 & 20. I had to fix this after the fact by cutting apart the sections and reinforcing those joining strips with scrap from the heavier paper in the kit. An easier way would be to laminate or photocopy part 18 onto heavier stock. That will probably require trimming the cockpit formers just a bit. Do lots of test-fitting.

Second, the wings are built as a single unit that fits into the well of the fuselage. But built per instructions, they don't fit. You have to trim a chunk out of the center section trailing edge to clear bulkhead/former #2. This will be covered by part #69, so it doesn't affect the end result; it just seems a bit of careless design. It's probably easiest to build the wings as instructed, then trim the center section to fit. That's what I did.

The third problem is more annoying: When you line up the yellow lighting bolt on the main wing fairings, parts 70R and 70L, with the lightning pattern on the fuselage, the front of the fairing wraps too far around the leading edge of the wing and the rear outboard edge of the fairing doesn't reach the trailing edge of the wing. Comparing it to the printed part to the cover photo, the portion of the kit's fairings aft of the wing seem correct, but forward of the wing's trailing edge, they're wrong. The front of the kit fairings also wraps too far around the leading edge of the wing. (The model pictured on the cover apparently wasn't built from the kit contained inside.)

The best way to fix this would be to cut the fairing in two--fore and aft--and apply it in two parts. (Photocopy the fairing and test-fit before you cut the kit part.) With some careful trimming and test-fitting, that should give you a good result.

I didn't figure that out until after the fact. I photocopied the fairing and spliced a filler piece along the trailing edge. It worked but not very well. Unfortunately, I don't think I can redo it without destroying the fuselage. Rats!--that mars an otherwise nice-looking model.

(I had a %$#@! headcold while I was working on it. If I'd felt better, I'd have spent more time working out a better solution. There's a lesson there, I think.)

No worries,

[Larry Marshall]

It would be great to see some photos of this as you progress. I love the Raiden, though it sounds like there are some glitches in GPM's version of it.

Cheers --- Larry

[Larry Marshall]

It would be great to see some photos of this as you progress. I love the Raiden, though it sounds like there are some glitches in GPM's version of it.

Cheers --- Larry

[Golden Bear]

Really, really interesting, David. I'm building a different kit by the same author and now you have activated my antennae to full alert!! I've just been impressed by the pretty colors and nice details. But I've only framed the cockpit so far.

[Golden Bear]

Really, really interesting, David. I'm building a different kit by the same author and now you have activated my antennae to full alert!! I've just been impressed by the pretty colors and nice details. But I've only framed the cockpit so far.

[Lukasz Fuczek]

Hello everyone,

so, I am!!!

[Lukasz Fuczek]

Hello everyone,

so, I am!!!

[Maurice]

Welcome Lukasz


Cheers
Maurice

[Maurice]

Welcome Lukasz


Cheers
Maurice

[tino]

I and welcome Lukasz.
I read my message.

What do you say about your model?

[tino]

I and welcome Lukasz.
I read my message.

What do you say about your model?

[Golden Bear]

Hey Lukasz!!! You've done some nice work with your models. Keep 'em coming.


Carl

[Golden Bear]

Hey Lukasz!!! You've done some nice work with your models. Keep 'em coming.


Carl