forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com
WW1 Aircraft Modeling => Under Construction => Scratch builds => Topic started by: RLWP on March 01, 2020, 03:27:27 AM
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Well, here we go again:
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/COWBiplane-No10.jpg)
This was entrant No. 10 in the Military Aeroplane Competition of 1912: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1912_British_Military_Aeroplane_Competition (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1912_British_Military_Aeroplane_Competition)
The Coventry Ordnance Works put in two entries, 11 which failed due to engine problems, and 10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COW_Biplane (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COW_Biplane)
I used to live near the Ordnance Works as a student, and live not far from Coventry now, so this aeroplane sparked my interest
(http://www.primrose-engineering.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cow-biplane-1912/DSCF0446.JPG)
(http://www.primrose-engineering.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cow-biplane-1912/DSCF0447.JPG)
Richard
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Not a bad days work. Fuselage basic box made:
(http://www.primrose-engineering.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cow-biplane-1912/DSCF0448.JPG)
And the engine in place:
(http://www.primrose-engineering.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cow-biplane-1912/DSCF0449.JPG)
That's a Gnome Omega Omega (two 7 cylinder Gnomes back-to-back) using the WNW kit. The engine in that form is in the Fokker E.IV, WNW thoughtfully include the correct front plate for the Gnome along with the Oberursel one. It's a lovely thing, these WNW Omegas/Oberursel engines are ideal for many early aeroplanes
I wanted to roughly mount the engine early to make sure it fitted the fuselage - the one on my Nieuport X fouls the sides. It also showed up inconsistencies in the drawings I found, one having the fuselage at 3' wide, another at 3'2" - the latter is correct to fit the engine
So far, so good
Richard
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Great to see you working on another scratch build Richard! You have wasted No time on your start. Looks great to date!
RAGIII
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Quick progress, Richard. In the picture, the engine looks off center to the fuse. I trust it is centered.
I'll follow the COW - not too closely as I don't want to step in anything :P
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Quick progress, Richard. In the picture, the engine looks off center to the fuse. I trust it is centered.
I'll follow the COW - not too closely as I don't want to step in anything :P
It is balanced on top of a couple of bits of wood, just for show. So it could be siting almost anywhere at the moment
Just as well really, I have got the engine centreline too high and the side panels wrong - I forgot to check my drawings against photographs :-[
I'm correcting that now
Richard
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This is a really interesting build and I will be following closely as usual. I do like these very early types - although this one is relatively simple by the standards of the time it is still a little known type and therefore has my full interest.
Stephen.
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Not the prettiest of aircraft , but it is interesting and different so I will follow along as well ( I don't want to be left out of the group you know ;))
You are off to a cranking start so far Richard with the fuselage construction :)
Terri
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These scratchbuilds of yours are fascinating Richard,an interesting subject,I'd not heard of this aircraft before.
Cheers,
Dave.
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I like the look of this. I will be watching 8)
vB
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This is a really interesting build and I will be following closely as usual. I do like these very early types - although this one is relatively simple by the standards of the time it is still a little known type and therefore has my full interest.
Stephen.
It does have some oddities about it that may come out as my build continues. Aeroplane 10 wasn't a success at the competition and went on to be rebuilt at Larkhill. The rebuild work was pretty extensive adding ailerons and increasing the wingspan quite a lot:
(http://flyingmachines.ru/Images7/Putnam/EE/109-1.jpg)
From: http://flyingmachines.ru/Site2/Crafts/Craft28648.htm (http://flyingmachines.ru/Site2/Crafts/Craft28648.htm)
She eventually lost the geared propeller too.
These scratchbuilds of yours are fascinating Richard,an interesting subject,I'd not heard of this aircraft before.
Cheers,
Dave.
I guess I like to build aeroplanes that no-one else does, so a kit will have some unusual feature added, or a scratchbuild will be of something no-one in their right mind would make a kit of!
Not the prettiest of aircraft <snip>
Terri
What are you saying! ;D
Here von Buckles might disagree (or not - depends what 'interesting' means)
Anyway, c'mon and shake your tail feathers:
(http://www.primrose-engineering.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cow-biplane-1912/DSCF0451.JPG)
(http://www.primrose-engineering.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cow-biplane-1912/DSCF0452.JPG)
She looks to have a lot of fixed tailplane and not a lot of elevator. The later rebuild added more surface area to these. I've just been rereading 'Sagittarius Rising' where Lewis refers to the all flying tailplane of the Morane Saulnier Parasol:
(http://www.greatwarflyingmuseum.com/aircraft/images/france/morane_saulnier_l_pic.jpg)
There was a lot of learning going on at that time. The Parasol was reportedly very lively to control, I guess number 10 was rather hard to disturb from whatever course it wanted to follow
Also, notice the full width fuselage running from engine to elevators, and the curious double headrest fairing for the side-by-side seating
Richard
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It was the backend that really tickled my attention - If you follow my meaning :o
You seem to have hit the ground sprinting. Nice!
von B
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It was the backend that really tickled my attention - If you follow my meaning :o
You seem to have hit the ground sprinting. Nice!
von B
These big parts are relatively easy and quick to make. It will all slow down when I get around to the rigging, which appears to have been designed by a spider
For instance, the support wires on the elevators:
(http://flyingmachines.ru/Images7/Flight/1912/625-4.jpg)
At least one more pair than usual
Richard
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It is the rigging that makes these early types so interesting at the end of the day. That and their shapes - as you write there was a great deal of learning going on at the time. Which makes me respect those early aviators and designers all the more.
Cracking model BTW!
Stephen
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It is the rigging that makes these early types so interesting at the end of the day.
The oddest feature is hard to find in photographs, this is the closest:
(http://flyingmachines.ru/Images7/Flight/1912/625-6.jpg)
The struts have their own reinforcing wires. There is a horizontal king post on each side with a bracing wire running from the top, across the tip of the king post and back to the bottom of the strut.
You can make out the bottom of one of these bracing wires in this picture:
(http://flyingmachines.ru/Images7/Flight/1912/440-3.jpg)
And that shows another unusual feature, the wing warping lines running through the bottom of the rear struts. There is a similar pair on the top of the wing
Strange stuff, reminds me of sheave blocks and bowsprits on sailing ships
Richard
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You have made quick work of the fuselage and tail surfaces and they look great! The rigging does look challenging but I am sure you ill manage!
RAGIII
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This certainly has odd features around the rigging.
Tail rigging is like the Tommy's. I'll be tackling that before too long.
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I found this drawing on the internet somewhere, annoyingly I can't find the website now:
(http://www.primrose-engineering.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cow-biplane-1912/COW-bi-ld-1.jpg)
You can see the bracing wires on the struts, then little triangles with horizontal wires. I can't find anything to confirm those triangles or wires - yet
Richard
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The use of triangle bracing on struts seems to have been rather more common than some people think. The Caproni Ca 5 that I built last year had them and I have seen other aircraft with them too - usually early types such as this or large ones such as the Ca 5. I suspect that your drawing is correct but looking for such tiny features on grainy photos is a bit of a challenge.
Stephen.
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Interesting and unusual subject, I will follow your progress.
Ciao
Giuseppe
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The use of triangle bracing on struts seems to have been rather more common than some people think. The Caproni Ca 5 that I built last year had them and I have seen other aircraft with them too - usually early types such as this or large ones such as the Ca 5. I suspect that your drawing is correct but looking for such tiny features on grainy photos is a bit of a challenge.
Stephen.
Is that what I can see on the outer struts here?:
(https://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/SmithGaryL/8921L.jpg)
Richard
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Looks like you are going to have to hire a few more Spiders !
Terri
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Richard
Yes, the dark horizontal lines are bracing that hold the apex of the triangle. They are clearly visible on other photos of the Ca 5 and I represented them on my model with small pieces of stretched sprue. It looks as though the Cow machine may have had triangular bracing pieces instead of horizontal bars but if possible I would check that first.
I am not sure why the struts were braced in this way as I am not an engineer - perhaps one of our colleagues could cast light on this issue?
Stephen.
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I have three conflicting drawings, only one shows those triangles. I have found the bars on something, probably a picture so I shall use those
I think the triangles are wires but I haven't found them in a picture - yet!
All good fun
Richard
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Very fascinating project, like all of your scratch builds. Just out of interest: any idea how the interior might have looked like?
Andreas
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Very fascinating project, like all of your scratch builds. Just out of interest: any idea how the interior might have looked like?
Andreas
Approximately - no idea at all!
One of the drawings I found shows Deperdussin controls with a rudder bar, and the wheel can be seen here:
(http://flyingmachines.ru/Images7/Putnam/EE/107-1.jpg)
That picture also confirms the pilot on the left and that the seat is quite low. The drawing also shows a rough location for the control panel and seat, and possibly some pipes for the pulsometer
It must have had a hand air pump as the main tank is below the floor and there is a gravity tank. It must also have had some kind of fuel and probably air valves plus the standard Gnome controls.
I'll probably go with whatever was used on an early B.E.2
It has just occurred to me, the 1912 Military Aeroplane Competition may have specified what controls should be fitted - I wonder if I can find out?
Richard
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Some more progress:
(http://www.primrose-engineering.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cow-biplane-1912/DSCF0455.JPG)
Between the fuselage and the lower wing is the main fuel tank, with a large fairing covering it. That fairing shows how sometimes problems turn to your advantage
The fuselage was supported on six legs:
(http://flyingmachines.ru/Images7/Putnam/EE/105-1.jpg)
and that's how I was was thinking of making my model, but I couldn't see how to work the fairing in. It's quite a complicated shape, the top plan form is an arc at the front, a rectangle and a triangular tail. The bottom is more or less an elongated raindrop, curved over the top of the wing. Blending those together must have been - interesting
Then I had a thought. What if I made the fairing on it's own, suck it to the bottom of the fuselage and mounted the wing onto that? And that's what I did:
(http://www.primrose-engineering.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cow-biplane-1912/DSCF0454.JPG)
Instead of a wobbly problem, I had a nice, solid connection to the lower wing
Richard
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I Love watching how you guys handle your scratch building challenges. The fairing and lower wing section look awesome!
RAGIII
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Simple solution to the problem: the outboard struts will simply add strength. Excellent example of scratch building.
I find it fascinating how problems can be solved by ruminating over them for a while, and then approaching them in a crab-wise manner.
Stephen
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Nice solid foundation to build on now , most excellent Richard . How do you get clean cuts on your brass tubing ? This is something I struggle with a few sizes .
Terri
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Nice solid foundation to build on now , most excellent Richard . How do you get clean cuts on your brass tubing ? This is something I struggle with a few sizes .
Terri
Small diameters (up to about 1mm) I cut with a scalpel blade like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o10w7aVmIk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o10w7aVmIk)
(I can't remember how to embed a video on such an ancient forum software as this)
Larger ones get cut off in my Wolf Jahn watchmakers lathe
Richard
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Looking good, Richard. A solid lower wing mounting is a good thing!
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Looking good, Richard. A solid lower wing mounting is a good thing!
It's an absolute bonus in this case, Ken. Especially with the upper wing sitting on top if eight cocktail sticks!
Richard
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That will be dicey!
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That will be dicey!
I have a cunning plan...
Richard
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I have no idea why this has caused so much trouble:
(http://www.primrose-engineering.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cow-biplane-1912/DSCF0523.JPG)
(http://www.primrose-engineering.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cow-biplane-1912/DSCF0524.JPG)
I'm pleased with that
Richard
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That is some truly impressive brasswork.
Stephen.
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That is some truly impressive brasswork.
Stephen.
The secret is to file off all the excess solder (both hard and soft), then give everything a good polish
Hides a multitude of sins...
Richard
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I agree with Stephen. Nice work.
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It may have given you fits but the results are outstanding!
RAGIII
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It may have given you fits but the results are outstanding!
RAGIII
The issue was the two gas torches I have. One silver soldered a couple of joints perfectly. When I tried the next joints the torch produced a huge flaring flame which melted the ends off the axle! I stripped and cleaned it, and now the flame is too small
The other torch I have is too big and uncontrollable.
Looks like I need to buy a decent gas torch
Richard
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Despite the setback,it turned out beautifully Richard.
Dave.
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Despite the setback,it turned out beautifully Richard.
Dave.
All just a part of the game, Dave.
I think in any creative activity you usually end up demanding more of a tool than it can deliver. Then it is time to upgrade
Richard
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Gas torch behaved perfectly this time - bloody thing
(http://www.primrose-engineering.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/cow-biplane-1912/DSCF0554.JPG)
Richard
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Perfectly true ;)
Nice scratching, Richard. Very nice.
von B :)
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very nice scratchbuilt!
it is turning into a great masterpiece!
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That is a lovely tail skid. This is going to be another scratch built winner!
Stephen.
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That is a lovely tail skid. This is going to be another scratch built winner!
Stephen.
That tail skid looks like a piece of wrought Iron Furniture I once owned 8) That being said, Beautiful work!
RAGIII
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Thumps up Richard :)
Terri
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I was wondering what that was.
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What a fantastic job on the undercarriage!
Andreas
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This is an odd and interesting aircraft Richard. It's a beautiful build an I especially admire your work on the undercarriage and the tail skid.
I will have to take up soldering again one of these days too.
Willem