Subject: Re: [email-masked]
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2007 11:53:19 -0700

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: [email-masked] 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2007 9:14 PM
  Subject: [email-masked]

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  "Berliner / Joyce XFJ-1 by 

  Merlin Models in 72nd scale" 

  by "Keith Hudson"

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  In the late 1920's the Berliner / Joyce Company was a new, small company composed mostly of ex-Curtiss engineers. Having had some initial success with the P-16 2 seat pursuit with the army they then fielded the XFJ-1 in response to a US Navy specification for a new fighter issued in 1930.  As a design it featured many features that were then in vogue in Europe- the main feature being the upper wing being attached to the fuselage in the same manner as a parasol aircraft- and then suspending the lower wing below the fuselage with struts. It did have an all metal monocoque fuselage but otherwise was a very typical aircraft for the time. It did not have much success in the competition, having a distressingly strong tendency to ground loop( and was rebuilt at least once due to this) and even after being refined was not entered into series production. The initial prototype was purchased by the Navy for use as a test aircraft due to it's remarkably robust construction -it was terminally dived regularly from over 12,000 ft- and stayed active in this role until the late thirties. Click on images below to see larger images

        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 03.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 03.jpg 
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  As far as I know the only kit available of this rare bird is the venerable Merlin Models kit in 72nd scale.  The kindest thing that can be said of any Merlin model kit is that is does provide a superb starting place to begin a replica of the airplane chosen- and to be fair is no worse than any other short run kit from that era (1980's?). I scored this one on E-bay for the whopping sum of $6.00 - the other great thing about Merlin kits is there doesn't seem to be intense bidding on them!  As usual with these kits keep the big pieces - the rest do truly look at home in the waste bin- in this case I used only the fuselage halves, wings and tail feathers. I did decide to use the tires, engine and propeller from the Monogram F4B-4 kit (it having some of the best detail parts going in spite of it's rather advanced age) to speed up the process and the rest is a bit of time to scratchbuild.  First step is the interior- some tamiya tape for framing-some small bits added- and on to the assembly of the fuselage. I do like to separate the control surfaces-so this is the time to do it- and also to sand the fuselage to shape after the filling process has occurred. The wings do need quite a bit of thinning to carry an appropriate airfoil shape but luckily the plastic is soft and it goes quickly. After getting everything smooth and straight I then begin the process of restoring the detail by use of tamiya tape and paint- using it to create the ribs and detail on the wings -sealing it in and heavily priming it to "soften"the detail just enough to make it look natural- and also using it as a masking to create detail by priming heavily and removing the tape to leave the primer build up as surface detail- this works best and shaped or curved areas where tape really doesn't lay well. Both types of this are demonstrated in one of the build pics- the wings are with tape left on- the stabilizers/control surfaces are with it removed as a mask. In building biplanes I do highly recommend using the metal strut stock -attached with epoxy and soldered together if necessary- to create a strong/stable joint to build on without the worry of it breaking later on. The biggest pain was the strut work- all hand cut and added after basic painting had been completed.

        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 02.jpg here  

  After assembly the painting process begins- I chose a more unique interpretation of the colors for this aircraft based upon a casual comment by Peter Bowers in his book "Forgotten Fighters" - that it had a blue scheme reserved for executive aircraft on it as a prototype. After looking at the available pictures I did see that the color of the fuselage was indeed darker than a light grey should be- but not as dark as the insignia blue in the rudder stripes(see attached pic) so I went with a basic true blue /yellow scheme as a safe alternative since this was also used on the navy racing aircraft of the period. I always scribe the aircraft after decals and clearcoating- so I added the panel lines with some rivet detail, added some exhaust pipes -used the chrome Alclad for the propeller  and made the windscreen from some sheet acetate.

  Click on images below to see larger images

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  Photos and text © by "keith hudson"

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