Author Topic: 30 years model building lessons & improvements (Read 7761 times)

fred cesquim · « **on:** May 18, 2016, 02:04:25 PM »

dear friends,
in 1986 my grandpa bought me this plane here in Brazil, Olimpia Jr. manufatured by Casa Aerobrás (still in activity today).
I was 13 years old, and this was my first model ever.
Funny fact is that the same guy that sold me the plane is still at the shop selling models, his name is Fernando
30 years later i decided to build the same model with the same engine and see what have changed and how my building skills improved, and even more, figure out how i managed to build this model without most of the tools and knowledge necessary!
The picture bellow was taken 1987 when i finished the plane just before the maiden flight.
will add more pictures and stories soon!

fred cesquim · « **Reply #1 on:** May 18, 2016, 02:13:13 PM »

the model was a project of Mr. Kioshi Ueno, 1983 for 15-20 engines
Mr. Ueno is a relative of Casa Aerobras founder, the late Mr. Shoji Ueno.
follows kit box artwork, the same still used today, yes, the kit is still available!
and magazine ad from the 80´s

fred cesquim · « **Reply #2 on:** May 18, 2016, 03:54:29 PM »

Aerobrás shop in the 50's, still looks absolutely the same! and the smell of balsa & dope is the same of my youth!
on the other picture we payd a visit to Fernando and to smell the shop, everybody that visits the shop talks about the "modelling smell"
i´m on the left, Fernando in the middle and Ronei, another friend and ace builder
when i intered the shop in 1986 and asked for the kit, he patiently opened the box, explained everything, made a list of things that i had to purchase.
by the time i live in the northwest part of Brazil and told him that i had to buy everything as model shops there are inexistent. He spent about 60 minuts telling me everything.
Few months ago i was there and saw the same scene again! he was selling a simple rubber band model and explained everything, even sold the guy a plywood piece to build the model over it!
talk about good costumer service!

DanielGelinas · « **Reply #3 on:** May 18, 2016, 05:10:25 PM »

Thats very cool Fred!
Thanks for sharing good memories.
I wish the shop we had still existed. You are very lucky!
Cheers,
-Dan

fred cesquim · « **Reply #4 on:** May 18, 2016, 06:23:58 PM »

thanks a lot Daniel!
indeed we are lucky to have Aerobras around! will post some internal pictures, you will see how it´s still 50´s looking!

fred cesquim · « **Reply #5 on:** May 18, 2016, 06:26:56 PM »

i have won a set of ribs from Fernando, and a plan, so i cut a kit and started to build, this time took just a few days!

Randy Cuberly · « **Reply #6 on:** May 18, 2016, 07:22:22 PM »

Nice work Fred.

Looks a little like an early Veco Brave. A popular kit from the 50's here in the States!

Randy Cuberly

john e. holliday · « **Reply #7 on:** May 19, 2016, 09:26:22 AM »

Amazing you still have a shop like that. Mail order has killed our local shops as my self is guilty of not ordering thru the local shop. I remember Charley's Hobby Shop having or getting the latest combat or stunt kit as well as the engines. He even attended contests with the Flying Eagles in the 60's. He is still missed.

Randy Cuberly · « **Reply #8 on:** May 19, 2016, 11:31:20 AM »

Quote from: john e. holliday on May 19, 2016, 09:26:22 AM

Amazing you still have a shop like that. Mail order has killed our local shops as my self is guilty of not ordering thru the local shop. I remember Charley's Hobby Shop having or getting the latest combat or stunt kit as well as the engines. He even attended contests with the Flying Eagles in the 60's. He is still missed.

Hey Doc,
I'd forgotten Charley's Hobby Shop. Thanks for the reminder. Good times spent there!

Randy Cuberly

fred cesquim · « **Reply #9 on:** May 19, 2016, 02:32:36 PM »

Quote from: Randy Cuberly on May 18, 2016, 07:22:22 PM

Nice work Fred.

Looks a little like an early Veco Brave. A popular kit from the 50's here in the States!

Randy Cuberly

thanks a lot Randy
but i see no relation to the Brave, have searched Brave pictures and maybe the size is the same, will post better pictures here!

fred cesquim · « **Reply #10 on:** May 19, 2016, 02:37:37 PM »

Quote from: john e. holliday on May 19, 2016, 09:26:22 AM

Amazing you still have a shop like that. Mail order has killed our local shops as my self is guilty of not ordering thru the local shop. I remember Charley's Hobby Shop having or getting the latest combat or stunt kit as well as the engines. He even attended contests with the Flying Eagles in the 60's. He is still missed.

indeed it´s amazing John, the place seems to be a time capsule, next time there i´ll make better pictures
the other day i´ve heard a funny thing about the late owner, Mr Ueno: when someone asked for rebates on prices (and unfortunately Brazilians do it frequently)
his absolutely polite reply was "just buy something that fit you pocket". Never gave any discount!
He was a gentleman and a very nice person, Brazilian modelling owes him so much for this hobby!

fred cesquim · « **Reply #11 on:** May 19, 2016, 04:30:40 PM »

ready to the yellow and silver trim
only deviation from the original design was the adittion of wheel pants
as the idea was to see how much my building skills progressed in the 30 years, this is part of the improvements

john e. holliday · « **Reply #12 on:** May 20, 2016, 09:53:01 AM »

That is looking nice.

Serge_Krauss · « **Reply #13 on:** May 20, 2016, 11:30:23 AM »

Thanks for the pictures, Fred. Nice plane and nice shop that brings back very happy memories of what we used to have!

SK

Randy Cuberly · « **Reply #14 on:** May 20, 2016, 11:40:39 AM »

Quote from: fred cesquim on May 19, 2016, 02:32:36 PM

thanks a lot Randy
but i see no relation to the Brave, have searched Brave pictures and maybe the size is the same, will post better pictures here!

Well maybe it's just me but except for the open cockpits I see a strong relationship.

Randy Cuberly

fred cesquim · « **Reply #15 on:** May 20, 2016, 12:41:12 PM »

Brave have open cockpit, rounded fuselage, turtledeck, completely different tail
thinner airfoil and a bit different wing shape
in common: wing under thrust line, fuse landing gear, engine upside
but, who knows, maybe the desinger here was a lazy guy and all of his several designs are American copies...still i see no similarities aside the upside engine

Randy Cuberly · « **Reply #16 on:** May 20, 2016, 12:53:02 PM »

Hmmmm...

OK Fred, whatever you say!

My comment wasn't meant to be critical. I built and flew several Veco Brave's as a teenager in the 1950's. Looking at this airplane simply reminded me of those good times!
I hope you have good luck with the airplane.

Randy Cuberly

Scott Richlen · « **Reply #17 on:** May 20, 2016, 01:56:57 PM »

Thanks for posting the picture of the old hobby shop. Wish I could find one like that anymore.

fred cesquim · « **Reply #18 on:** May 20, 2016, 02:24:42 PM »

Quote from: Scott Richlen on May 20, 2016, 01:56:57 PM

Thanks for posting the picture of the old hobby shop. Wish I could find one like that anymore.

come to Brazil! would love to go there with you!

fred cesquim · « **Reply #19 on:** May 20, 2016, 02:30:33 PM »

Quote from: Randy Cuberly on May 20, 2016, 12:53:02 PM

Hmmmm...

OK Fred, whatever you say!

My comment wasn't meant to be critical. I built and flew several Veco Brave's as a teenager in the 1950's. Looking at this airplane simply reminded me of those good times!
I hope you have good luck with the airplane.

Randy Cuberly

sorry Randy no cricitc taken, just comparing designs too! never had a Veco model, Brazil had borders closed to imports until 1988 and after that you have to pay 80% taxes to import! so we have few foreign models here....

Dennis Adamisin · « **Reply #20 on:** May 21, 2016, 08:32:16 AM »

Great project Fred! Olympia Jr is a good looking model, the wheel pants are also a nice touch. Thanks for sharing, and also thanks for the pictures from that great hobby shop. Brings back memories of similar shops I used to go to...

fred cesquim · « **Reply #21 on:** July 03, 2016, 10:27:09 AM »

hello folks!
sorry for taking long to return!
finally i am close to apply the clear coat
what happened all this time, besides rain:
first i have used SLC + Sylkspan on the wings, decided that was too heavy for the Max15, after fully primed, then stripped the covering and covered with surplus blue oracover, primed and painted red ( if you´re guessing why i haven´t used red oracover on first hand: i live in brazil and this pity country have now a full shortage of modelling goods). when sanding the red, some of the blue started to show, i freaked out and stripped aggain LOL
ok, friend of mine was coming from USA and finally brought me a roll of red orakover
now just added the yellow trim over the red oracover, and gave up the intented silver trim, because i liked the look and thought tha would be over to add a third colour, plus, my original model was only 2 colours indeed
now i will add the grey ink lines and clear coat!

Avaiojet · « **Reply #22 on:** July 03, 2016, 11:39:57 AM »

Fred,

Looks really good, the clear will make it pop!

I know you do you're own graphics and lettering, your yellow lettering looks like a perfect color match, vinyl or paint masks with your lettering?

Charles

fred cesquim · « **Reply #23 on:** July 04, 2016, 04:20:06 AM »

hello Charles!
thanks a lot man!
i use vinyl just for masks, all the yellow is paint
the small lettering on the wing TE was a nightmare to do due t it´s diminutve size
but i am a stubborn kind

Avaiojet · « **Reply #24 on:** July 04, 2016, 03:23:39 PM »

Quote from: fred cesquim on July 04, 2016, 04:20:06 AM

hello Charles!
thanks a lot man!
i use vinyl just for masks, all the yellow is paint
the small lettering on the wing TE was a nightmare to do due t it´s diminutve size
but i am a stubborn kind

Fred,

I can get lettering masks down to about .25". after that it's a killer. I'm always looking for thinner mask material. A change in the blade, more angle, helps.

Paint does look better with almost an invisible edge.

You do really good work.

Charles

fred cesquim · « **Reply #25 on:** August 26, 2016, 02:46:20 PM »

she´s ready to go! tomorrow will maiden

fred cesquim · « **Reply #26 on:** August 26, 2016, 02:49:18 PM »

will be back with pictures from the flight, tomorrow

john e. holliday · « **Reply #27 on:** August 26, 2016, 08:45:12 PM »

That looks gorgeous. Now don't go putting divits in Mother Earth.

MarcusCordeiro · « **Reply #28 on:** August 27, 2016, 04:19:15 PM »

It flew gorgeously today....
Fred is an artist... Plain and simple...

Marcus

Ted Fancher · « **Reply #29 on:** August 27, 2016, 06:24:54 PM »

Bravo, Fred. a beautiful airplane that, no doubt, brings back a lot of memories. That's one of the things I've loved about the vintage stunt movement around the world. All the planes I've built for VSC, etc. have been repeats of airplanes I either built and flew back in their own "era" or ones I coveted after seeing the originals! All American, Sr., Ares, Ruffy, Tucker Special, Veco Chief, Chizler, Barnstormer, Stuntwagon. Great personal memories from each and every one.

You appear to be a marvelous craftsman, by the way.

Ted Fancher

RC Storick · « **Reply #30 on:** August 27, 2016, 07:43:49 PM »

Looks great good job!

Avaiojet · « **Reply #31 on:** August 28, 2016, 05:06:58 PM »

Fred,

Outstanding as usual Master said the grasshopper.

And you fly off a hard surface to boot!

Charles

Michael Boucher · « **Reply #32 on:** September 24, 2016, 06:37:39 AM »

Great looking model. I really like the use of the grey lines, outstanding.

fred cesquim · « **Reply #33 on:** November 03, 2016, 04:39:06 PM »

thanks a lot Michael, really the grey is my trademark
come up with that when i was doing a Mustang and the transition from the silver to a deep blue made the black disappear
after that, only grey ink lines!

Dennis Leonhardi · « **Reply #34 on:** November 04, 2016, 11:41:28 PM »

Great reports and nice work, Fred! The hobby shop photos bring back some memories ... We have a few pretty decent hobby shops in the Minneapolis - St. Paul area, but they're virtually wall-to-wall RC.

Dennis

fred cesquim · « **Reply #35 on:** November 07, 2016, 12:18:32 PM »

last weekend we had our annual meeting "naftalina" when you can enter with models up to 1980, and have to be built by yourself.
i have wond best control line model with the Olimpia, and the meeting organization gave a reward for Fernando, the guy with the moustache, he´s the Aerobras seller that sold my first Olimpia back in 1986 and still works there at the same shop! he got a lifetime award for helping modellers for more than 55 years!