Vought's forgotten hero: OS2U-1 Kingfisher, Admirals plane (Bu. Nr. 1681)
1July 4, 2023
2July 4, 2023
3July 4, 2023
4July 5, 2023Structure behind the seat completed.
5July 5, 2023
6July 5, 2023Rails on the fuselage for the canopy sanded smaller. In the middle an engraving. On the top an additional flat profile.
7July 6, 2023
8July 6, 2023Support plate for the instrument panel in place. 0,303” gun and his support added (CE’s detail was not clear and not sharp enough).
9July 6, 2023Ammo box and the “ammo feeding channel” (white).
10July 6, 2023Bulkhead in place: fits.
11July 9, 2023Molded in engine removed.
12July 9, 2023Reworked openings for the exhaust tubes.
13July 9, 2023Panel lines and fasteners added.
14July 12, 2023Engine completed. I intend to install the ignition wires into the cylinder after painting.
15July 12, 2023
16July 12, 2023
17July 14, 2023Flaps and ailerons need to be reworked: only the ailerons have (narrow) cut outs. First step: filling of all cut outs.
18July 17, 2023Second step. Control surfaces sanded smooth. Fitting and detailing will be follow after installation of the wings.
19July 17, 2023New research results: head rest was mounted with a distance to the bulkhead (see next pic).
20July 17, 2023Foto: Cees Hendriks, IPMS Netherland (thanks for sharing🙂.
21July 17, 2023Raised panel lines sanded away. New recessed panel lines. (moveable) spoiler has wider and deeper lines as contrast to the true panel lines.
22July 17, 2023Cut out for the position light (wingtip). Outer circle as base for the blue formation light. The inner circle is not a light but a inspection panel.
23July 17, 2023New research results: the inlet on the right side is placed not in the middle of the wing chord but with an offset to the bottom.
24July 19, 2023Attachment points for the 4 float struts.
25July 19, 2023top left: formation light (amber green red).
26July 19, 2023Oversized openings for the bomb racks filled.
27July 19, 2023NASM, Washington DC.
28July 20, 2023Ailerons, step 2: cut outs in correct shape and position. Ribs in correct number and position.
29July 20, 2023
30July 23, 2023Ailerons „refurbished“. Rudder “under construction”.
31July 23, 2023As usual I used mother board block - connection pins from brass for attaching the moveable surfaces.
32July 23, 2023
33July 23, 2023Rudder reworked and in place. On the lower side I added an axis made of 0,55 mm wire.
34July 23, 2023NASM, Washington DC.
35July 23, 2023
36August 1, 2023Unfortunately all kit parts for the landing gear are very simple and particularly not correct. So I decided to make the most parts from scratch.
37August 1, 2023Both bulges (covers for the attaching points) are too flat.
38August 1, 2023
39August 1, 2023
40August 2, 2023It was the right decision to adjust the landing gear before installing the wing. It took so long, too. And I suspect it would hardly possible to manage it the other way around.
41August 2, 2023
42August 2, 2023
43August 2, 2023Prepared for gluing fuselage and wings together.
44August 2, 2023Tamiya tape as control/ adjustment of the correct dihedral.
45August 3, 2023Wings installed without problems & mess. CA applied from inside.
46August 3, 2023Triangle shaped openings in the fuselage (flap area) filled and sanded smooth.
47August 3, 2023Rear edge of the wing box was closed. Filled with plastic wedges and Presto-Green putty.
48August 3, 2023
49August 4, 2023Ailerons in place. 0,45 mm wire for middle & inner and 0,4 mm for outer.
50August 4, 2023
51August 4, 2023
52August 4, 2023
53August 5, 2023Flaps installed via 0,55 metal rod (squared profile).
54August 5, 2023
55August 5, 2023
56August 5, 2023
57August 5, 2023
58August 11, 2023The tail wheel was detachable. Installation point was a bulkhead, the opening was covered with a sheet metal screwed to the fuselage with 19 screws (step 3 in picture). Bulkhead added.
59August 11, 2023Template made of Brother p-Touch tape (step 1).
60August 11, 2023Contour for the milling engraved (step 2).
61August 11, 2023
62August 13, 2023Instrument panels completed.
63August 13, 2023NASM, Washington DC
64August 13, 2023I left the rear half of the observer’s panel and add the parts (pieces of 1,2 mm round rod) to the front half.
65August 13, 2023I used first time any elements of Anyz sheet AN005. I’m enthusiastic them the result is fabulous. 🙂
66August 13, 2023
67August 13, 2023
68August 14, 2023“Moulded on” wires replaced with wire. Anyz knobs & scales.
69August 14, 2023
70August 14, 2023
71August 21, 2023Parts for rear cockpit nearly completed in place. For better handling I divided the long cockpit bathtub in 2 parts.
72August 21, 2023Lower level of radioboxes.
73August 21, 2023
74August 21, 2023Hoisting cable, handgrips and doubler on outer side added.
75August 23, 2023
76August 23, 2023
77August 24, 2023I found that’s easier to scratch any parts than clean the resin.
78August 24, 2023
79August 26, 2023Cockpit completed. Prepared for installation of the fixed part of canopy.
80August 26, 2023New research results: the doubler on the fuselage ends few mm behind the trailing edge of the stabilizer.
81August 26, 2023The opening for the retractable landing light reworked / moved a bit afterwards.Bulge on the trailing edge and screws added.
82August 27, 2023Cowl flaps:
Stripe 0,13 mm thick and 2 mm wide divided in 14 parts (length about 4 mm). Glued to another stripe, 0,25 mm thick and 2,9 mm wide.
83August 27, 2023One edge of the 0,13 mm pieces sanded down.
84August 27, 2023
85August 27, 20232,9 mm wide stripe separated from Athen Rest of the sheet and cold blended.
86August 27, 2023Stripe separated in 14 equal parts (cowl flaps).
87August 27, 2023Last step: short pieces of 0,5 mm square rod glued to the inside.
88August 28, 2023Cowl flaps in place (1/3 open position)
89August 28, 2023
90August 28, 2023
91September 2, 2023Yellow, walkways and aludope for underside and tail finished.
92September 2, 2023
93September 2, 2023One of three clear canopy parts in place.
94September 2, 2023
95September 2, 2023
96September 3, 2023
97September 3, 2023
98September 5, 2023The last hurdle is taken: windscreen in place glued with CA without mess in place. 🙂
99September 5, 2023
100September 5, 2023
101September 6, 2023Colour test for the Admiral blue. 2/3 HU190 (Blue Angels) and 1/3 HU189 (Lufthansa Blau SM): tone OK, shininess OK, surface quality @ 1,8 bar OK 🙂
102September 6, 2023
103September 8, 2023
104September 8, 2023Admiral blue is completed. Masks removed without mess: very satisfied🙂
105September 8, 2023
106September 8, 2023
107September 8, 2023
108September 9, 2023Today I planned to apply all decals and noticed, that the Bu-Nr. 1681 was a OS2U-1 and not 3… so I hat to fix my mistake. Blue light on top on the front of the stabilizer, white light on the tail.
109September 9, 2023In the white area of the roundels I removed the black stripes from the wing: the stripe was clearly visible through the white.
110September 9, 2023As usual I used DIY made antiskid mat.
111September 9, 2023Formation lights: red, green and amber.
112September 11, 2023Screws and pitch control weights added.
113September 11, 2023Gun blast tube (2 o’clock) and carburetor inlet (5 o’clock seen from rear) are well noticeable.
114September 12, 2023
115September 13, 2023At last I scratched the tail wheel and support.
116September 13, 2023
117September 13, 2023
118September 13, 2023
119September 13, 2023Oversized hole in the prop filled with two plastic tubes and added a piece of 1 mm brass rod. 1,2/1,0 mm brass tube in the engine as counterpart for the prop axis.
120September 14, 2023Gun blast tube and carburetor inlet.
121September 14, 2023Cooling flaps actuators made of spare etched parts (Eduards ignition ring for an R-2800)
122September 16, 2023The exhaust tube has a “cuff”.
123September 16, 2023
124September 16, 2023
125September 16, 2023
126September 16, 2023The first time on own legs. 🙂. Right: 38,5 mm from ground to the bulb. Left: 39,5 mm… I think this is ok for this kingfisher narrow track.
127September 17, 2023
128September 17, 2023
129September 17, 2023
130September 18, 2023
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Comments
5 June 2026, 00:02 -
Album info
Similar to the TBM-3, I started this project several years ago (probably 10?). After a bit sawing and gluing both fuselagehslfed together I ran out of air 🙁 Thanks to Hanno's idea, I have now taken a deep breath. 🙂. Game over!
Group Build
Vought OS2U Kingfisher - groupbuild
3. July 2023 until 3. January 2024
3. July 2023 until 3. January 2024