PRESENTATION
Mc
Donnell Douglas Trijets are important aircraft in commercial aviation. They
emerged in the mid seventies as the need for bigger widebodied aircraft rose due
to the development of air
transport.
The
DC10 started as medium range transcontinental transport in the DC10-10 version.
The DC10-30 and DC10-40 series are improved long range versions. Later the
aircraft was futher improved with an extended fuselage, revised wings
incorporating winglets for aerodynamic efficiency and improved engines to become
the ultimate in Mac Donnell Trijets :The MD11. I built two of these trijets : a
DC10-30 as flown by AOM (Air Outre Mer – Overseas Air) French airlines and a
MD11 flying with China Eastern.
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CONSTRUCTION
DC10
was built from a KC10 kit. The main reason is that the Hasegawa KC10 kit
incorporates the revised (rounded) front wing to fuselage fairing. This is the
configuration of the AOM aircraft I wanted to depict. Second advantage is that
this reduces the amount of filling and sanding that will be necessary to cover
windows. The counterpart will be the need to cut, fill and sand boom operator
station smooth and scribe luggage doors on starboard fuselage.
MD11
is built from a Swissair MD11 kit which incorporates the needed PW engines as
commonly used by the swiss airline and China Eastern. As mentioned before and as
I prefer to use decals in this small scale I had to fill and sand windows
smooth.
Half
fuselages are assembled, tail added, windshield glued in position and it is also
filled and sanded smooth. Wings and stabilators halves are glued together.
Wingroots are carefully shaped and the tightness of the assembly is dryfitted
and tested. This is because I prefer to build in subassemblies where fuselage
and wings are painted separetly. In the same manner engine pylons to wing fit is
prepared.
Landing
gears are painted and detailed according to documentation and wheels added.
Engines also are built.
Fuselages
are detailed according to photos to add all the small lights, antennaes, air
exchangers that are around the aircraft.
Fuselages
are painted white.
DC10
wings and stabilators are painted aluminim. I decided to try the metal foil
approach on flaps and ailerons. Coroguard areas are decals on my kit.
MD11
flying surfaces painted Xtracolor Boeing grey. Leadings edges are silver.
Coroguard areas also are decals.
Wings
and fuselage are mated and the aircraft start to take shape. Landing gear are
cemented, taking care all wheels are on the ground. Take is needed there, as on
B747s (or Harriers for military aircraft fans). This is the case whenever an
aircraft has more than 3 landing gears/wheels. DC10-30s and MD11s both have 4
gears.
That's
the time for decaling now. I used aftermarket decals on both kit : a Flightpath
sheet on the DC10 and a Liveries Unlimited sheet on the MD11. Wheel doors and
beacon lights are added and a light weathering is all what is needed to complete
those little jetliners.
Eric
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