1/200 Hasegawa Mac Donnell Douglas 

TRIJETS

by Eric Bade

--------------------

 

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.

Click on images below to see larger images

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

Click on images below to see larger images

Photos and text © by Eric Bade