forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com
WW1 Aircraft Modeling => Under Construction => Topic started by: macsporran on October 04, 2022, 07:40:10 PM
-
As Hamlet almost says 'Frailty thy name is model-maker' - how fickle is our choice of subject matter.
Here was I, fresh from difficult builds of Roden and Special Hobby Nieuports, determined to get stuck into one my mouth-watering WNW kts and what does my eye alight on? a Royal Blue Fokker biplane - and I just have to have it!
The offending (attracting?) subject appeared in a pile of Osprey books acquired for a song in a (sigh) model shop closure and only now getting full attention. Apparently Josef Jacobs felt his light-coloured Fokker D.II was too visible glinting in the sky and warning off potential prey, so he asked the ground crew at FokkerStaffel West/Jasta 12 to paint it 'dark blue' to afford him a little camouflage.
No post painting pictures exist, only pre-'blueing' so your imagination is free to interpret what the resulting machine would have looked like. This always attracts me - where critics can't produce any picture to nit-pick where a cartridge holder should be placed! Also a rattle can of Halfords Ford Royal Blue paint has been catching my imagination for a nice colourful build, if I could only find a subject for it!
I noticed the 1/32 Special Hobby Fokker D.II sitting dustily atop my stash
If I had only been in the bath I could have shouted Eureka and run naked through the streets - a la Archimedes!
Sandy
see attached images from Osprey's Early German Aces - please remove if any copyright issues but on the other hand I'd heartly recommend this title to everybody and think these extracts can only promote the book. (Even if I slightly differ from them in my interpretation of the colour scheme!)
-
Osprey's thoughts (with some of the Halfords paint decanted from the rattle-can.)
S
-
The Special Hobby kit.
A typical SH kit, this gives you fairly accurate outlines and some nice details but construction akin to a short-run subject. For example, there are no locating pins for fuselage halves, little in the way of mounting locations for struts, empenage etc. And if anybody is brave enough to use the PE rigging tensioners and turnbuckles, I'll take my hat off to them.
But, for 30-odd quid and PE, resin parts and nice decals I'll buy anything they'd like to produce. (Hint, hint) Great value for money.
Sandy
-
The Paint
As an aside, these automotive rattle-cans are a terrific way of acquiring a huge range of colours of high-quality paint at very low cost. I use the primers all the time and a 500ml can of white if I remember correctly is 7.99GBP - and often on 3-for-2 offer. The beiges are good for linen etc.
Don't use straight from the can as you'll end up with a thick blob entombing your model. I cut a short length of drinking straw and slip it over nozzle before decanting into little hotel shampoo bottles. You have to leave caps loose for a day or two to de-gas otherwise your little bottle will blow up hugely and maybe explode! (Always open these bottles carefully!)
Sandy
-
Ooooh, this sounds cool Sandy! I didn't know Jacobs flew a D.II (that said, I know precious little about the type anyway) and this looks like a cool scheme to build. Standing by patiently but excitedly for updates!
-
Great start so far Sandy and an interesting subject. I've always had an interest in these early Fokkers and hadn't come across the dark blue one mentioned which should stand out in all that steaky camo. :D
(I seem to remember having a vac form in my preferred 1/72nd somewhere, although that may be an in line engine rather than the D.II. I must dig it out again for a look)
Paul
-
Thanks guys, on to initial construction.
I don't intend this to be a museum-quality build as I can already see there are going to be problems (such as mounting the top wing) - and I don't want to expend months on the sub-assemblies only to end up throwing the whole thing against the wall in frustration! I may regret this later, but we'll see.
Lots of cleaning up required and test fitting of internals to make sure the fuselage will close up. Experience of building vacforms comes in handy in positioning alignment tabs. I can see the front of the engine will be visible so conrods are replaced with steel rods rather than the flat PE of the kit and spark plugs are drilled out and replaced with brass tube and fuse wire. Some initial pre-assembly painting. You can see at this stage I use all sorts of paint - Revell acrylics, Humbrol enamels, Vallejo washes, Mr Metal, artist oils, etc
Sandy
-
I always think the 'office' most important as it's the bit you always look at first to see if you could climb in and start her up! For wood finishes I favour Revell Aqua water acrylics as a base colour - 'beige' is perfect, it dries quickly, brushes easily and within a few minutes you can start to work your oils in. I use a lot of W&N Fast Drying Medium with their Umber and Sienna colours adjusted to taste, then some Tamiya clear orange/ yellow/ red variations for details such as the control stick handles.
The linen fabric interior is Revell beige with a little oils worked in with lots of the FDM to dirty it up. It won't have much impact on the final effect, especially after the internal rigging and control wires are applied, but you'll know it's there!
At this stage I feel the kit's tube framework is a little heavy but I'm not going for a competition winner - in fact I really just want to get onto the blue paint scheme!!!
Sandy
-
Some internal bracing and control wires added last night, instrument crossbar and time for zipping it all up.
Sandy
-
Cement all set, so I'll apply some filler this morning and give it time to set during the day to possibly crack on tonight.
I've been recommended this 'Perfect Plastic Putty' product as being fast drying, easy to mould with wet fingers while applying and rock-solid setting. It's also supposed not to shrink at all, so we'll give it a try in place of the usual Green Stuff, Milliput etc. Time will tell...
Sandy
-
Cement all set, so I'll apply some filler this morning and give it time to set during the day to possibly crack on tonight.
I've been recommended this 'Perfect Plastic Putty' product as being fast drying, easy to mould with wet fingers while applying and rock-solid setting. It's also supposed not to shrink at all, so we'll give it a try in place of the usual Green Stuff, Milliput etc. Time will tell...
Sandy
Looking good so far Sandy :)
Interesting to see how you get on with the PPP.
I've just been recommended 'Knifing putty' used by car repair shops for repairing scratches in paintwork etc. (Most of the usual fillers are fine on big cracks, but I've found they don't work so well on those annoying little tell tails when you've filled a seam and rubbed it down, but you can still see a trace of the join)
Just bought some which I'll try at the next opportunity
Paul
-
Pleased with the results with the PPP. Although it set very quickly I gave it plenty more time to cure, then set to work with sanding sticks, flexi-file and micro-mesh. Applied a little more filler to a tiny hairline along top seam. This where the wet finger application is very useful. Final sanding and happy with final effect. I'll certainly use this stuff again.
This stage highlighted some of the shortcomings of the Special Hobby approach. The cowling only attaches to the top of the fuselage not the sides and the cheeks don't touch the firewall so rather float in place. In order to avoid messing up the future paint job trying to align this later, I taped cowling to top of fuselage and glued cheeks to cowling sides. This created a perfectly fitting but removable cowling. I'm sure SH could have engineered this better.
Also you can see the additional wing supports I installed below cockpit floor before assembly to try to give some strength to this very weak area of the kit. More of this later as I've just managed to snap the stupidly fragile lower wing centre section and am signing off so I can have a good swear - I'll explain why later.
Sandy
PS underside is only roughly sanded as there wll be more work required when, (if), lower wing is mounted.
You can see lack of any undercarriage mounting indication from SH.
-
Hmmm. So. The lower wing is not a good fit on this kit and requires much fettling to get it fit into the under-fuselage slot in a convincing manner. Either the fuselage is too wide or the wings are too close together. Whichever: a good deal of trimming is required of both wing and body to get it to fit and, as mentioned previously, the centre section spar is a very fragile moulding anyway. Result. Snap. Two separate wing halves, which might not necessarily be too much of a problem but here it is a disaster.
It's a disaster as the whole wing mounting setup on this kit is very ropey. Normally I would secure the cabane struts and mount top wing, then hang the lower wing off it - as in my previous Roden and SH Nieuport builds. However here the cabane struts are two puny little inverted 'V's at the front and a very fragile, upside-down 'U' at the back for the wing-warp mechanism - with no mounting holes or points to use as guidance. If the lower wing were reasonably robust it could help support the structure but, with a broken centre section that ain't going to happen.
If I can get it all together I'll be able to run fishing line right through both wings and make the rigging functional to add strength, but my fears are it will just collapse as I try to set it up.
I've now tried gluing the centre section in place but I'm failing to get any strength in the joint with lower wings just sagging after attachment. I will have to reinforce somehow within the narrow space available. Actually I could see right at the beginning that this joint was going to be a problem, but I didn't think I'd snap the damn thing to make it ten times worse. Bugger, bugger, bugger!
If I were starting again I would just fill the fuselage trench and mount steel pins right through for the (detached) lower wing halves and treat it like a vacform. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
... and now, on further study I see there is no rigging to brace the upper wings from falling forwards - there are no crosswires on the struts, presumably not to impede the wing warping. How the hell did this thing stay in the air. All of the stresses on the airframe must have been handled through those puny little cabane struts. What a deathtrap!
A beer and a break I think.
Sandy
-
After a wee pause for reflection, let's go again. The wing is a problem but I won't let the little blue bu**er beat me!
I've reinforced the fuselage slot, inserting more plastic card and applying much liquid cement. When it's time to mount the wing, hopefully this will give a solid enough base to epoxy it in securely in place. I will use structural rigging - ie fishing line right through the wings to hold it all together - 'just like the real thing' as Airfix used to say!
So, cockpit masked, Halfords white rattle-can primer applied, undersides rib markings in pencil, Halfords 'Ivory' sprayed on underneath. Masking for Eisernkreuzen fields attached and some pre-dirtying of areas behind engine splotched on.
The one extant photo of D541/16 (pre-blueing) shows the usual oily muck splattered over cowling and fabric, so I'm flicking thinned black and brown paint from a brush onto fabric areas before applying the blue colour. I'm working on the assumption the ground crew would have wiped the plane down a little before painting so the blue didn't just slide off. In my representation, they will have wiped the metal areas fairly thoroughly.
Onwards and upwards.
Sandy
-
I want the serial number to show through a little, so rather than applying over the white primer - and perhaps losing it completely under the blue coat, I decide to apply a little blue first of all. Now when I spray the topcoat I can mist the serial without leaving a pale halo around it.
You'll also see I diverge from Osprey's assumption that the white fields would be covered. I've masked mine to keep a white field. Also the metalwork.
(I also sprayed on a little blue as I'm dying to get an idea of what it will look like when finished!!!)
Sandy
-
All the blue now applied and dried.
Fuselage masked prior to spraying the metal nose panels.
Sandy
-
Looking forward to seeing this one Sandy. That blue color should really pop!
-
Thanks Tim. Yes the blue color is the total reason I'm building this kit!
And it has now been applied. Ta-daaaa!
Fuselage metalwork has had a coat of Tamiya XF46 aluminium and the detail brush has been used to apply squiggles of Mr Metal Chrome to replicate the effect of the machined 'turned' finish. I have applied a little more weathering with Vallejo washes but there is still significant filling and sanding once the lower wing is attached so we'll keep this to a minimum at the moment.
Once the blue was on, I couldn't resist adding the black crosses to make the blue pop.
... and I am delighted with results so far!
You'll see that I differ from Osprey in my interpretation of what was actually painted blue. I'm with white fields for the crosses and unpainted metal areas - mainly coz I think it looks great!"
Sandy
-
Sandy ,
That's really excellent work and progress. I really love your turned metal look on the cowling it's spot on.
Regards
Dave
-
That's looking really good, Sandy.
-
Ooooh, nice work Sandy! She looks great! The metalwork is excellent and the blue really pops - it reminds me of those faux-camo schemes used in inter-war films.
-
The metal work looks terrific! I'll be borrowing your technique to use on my own future builds.
-
Looking great! I can't wait to see what it will look like when it's done - definitely not your average color scheme! 8)
-
Thank you everybody - yes, the idea of a royal blue plane with white fields and a turned-metal nose is what really grabbed my imagination to begin with and the colours are certainly fulfilling my hopes!
Now the worst (or one of the worst!) stages of this adventure. Attaching the lower wing securely while trying to fix the accidentally snapped spar. All attempts to fix the spar by gluing it failed. I should have filled the fuselage slot, cut and drilled the wings, back at the beginning and would recommend this for anyone attempting this kit.
Note to Special Hobby: for wing attachments like this, please look at how, say WNW, have moulded a chunk of fuselage with the wing in (eg) their SE5a - for future releases or re-issues.
Anyway I'd added additional plastic tabs in through the slot, under the cockpit floor and now was time to epoxy the wings in place. I put everything under weights and supports to set overnight.
It looks hopefully strong enough - there's quite a bit of filling and sanding. so hopefully it won't fall apart, but we'll see. I just need it to last until I can get the top wing in place and get some mono thread through the wings to hold it all securely.
Like the swan - serene on the surface but paddling like f**k underneath - she looks OK so far!
Sandy
-
'Everything OK so far' - as the man falling past the 30th floor of the Empire State Building said!
Wing is as secure as it will ever be with epoxy fully cured so onto filling and sanding.
More PPP added and I'm really liking how quickly this stuff sets solidly. Also, how you can work it with a wet finger into all the crevices then smooth the surface. This reduces significantly the amount of coarse sanding - which is very welcome here!
Fine sanding completed and we're ready to start drilling mounting holes for step (seen here) and undercarriage (next).
As mentioned previously there is little indication for where these holes should be, demonstrating the short-run nature of the kit.
After touching up the paint I can add a bit more engine muck. I am aiming for a fairly clean machine just after it has been repainted blue, but these notoriously filthy aircraft would still be pretty messy.
Sandy
-
Grateful as I am to Special Hobby for producing a kit of this rara avis it certainly is not a shake-the-box model. Cannot complain at the price but some areas do tax the imagination as to how to go about assembly.
The cabane struts, as mentioned previously, consist of two forward inverted 'V' struts which are fairly fragile but will do the job adequately. The rear cabane support however is an inverted 'U' bar which holds the pulley rings for the wing-warping mechanism. It is extremely flimsy and has no locating marks for attachment to top wing. It will be crucial in determining the angle-of-attack of the upper wing (and parallel to lower wing). I need to attach the 'U' to upper wing to test fit wing height, etc but can't just glue it in place in case adjustment needs to be made.
So, I resolved to drill the 'U' and insert steel pins to locate in holes drilled in wing to test fit and adjust. This is where my cheapo ebay USB mini-drill is invaluable. I mark a spot with a sharp point and then the drill gently does its work without applying any stresses to the delicate bar. If I were using pin vices to open the holes I would almost certainly bend or break one of the legs while drilling.
(I've not used either my mains or my battery Dremel since getting this magic little drill which you hold like a pencil. They're relegated to the garage now!)
Anyway, phew, holes drilled, steel pins CA'd in place, trimmed, then plugged into drilled wing.
Sandy
-
Okay, all the bits are ready, I can't to get an idea what it will look like with top wing in place!
Phoaaa!
Sandy
-
Sandy, this is looking cooool! I love it! Tremendous work so far!
-
Thanks Zac. Bit under the weather at the moment with a hefty bout of man-flu! Once the nose stops dripping I'll get back onto the wee blue beastie.
Cheers
Sandy
-
This kit is fighting me all the way! I've cleared out all the rigging drill holes and commenced mounting of the top wing.
Perhaps it's my own stupid fault but I've never been a great fan of jigs. When I've tried them previously I've usually managed to catch something on extricating the model resulting in collapse of all my careful work! When making vacforms and suchlike in the past I would fashion cabane struts from flattened brass tube (or strutz if available) to give a strong anchor, stick the wing on and true it up, then attach interplanes at leisure. I'm trying to do the same here but using the flimsy plastic struts provided.
After much frustration I'm finally happy with the attachment and can get on with popping in the interplane struts and starting a little structural through-wing rigging to give it all some strength. Thankfully the wings have been nicely moulded by Special Hobby and have no warps or banana bends, which helps enormously.
Sandy
-
Thanks for sharing your experience Sandy, I know a few of these are floating around the forum and I for one find it an immense help to learn from someone who's "been there, done that".
-
Cheers, Zac.
On with the structural rigging. As mentioned before, I cannot see any wires to stop the wing cellule falling forwards onto the cowling: everything is braced to prevent backwards or sideways movement. There are no cross braces on the struts otherwise this would inhibit the wing warping mechanism. Everything appears to have depended on the two rear cabane struts, which seems awfully optimistic to me. I haven't read of too many wing collapses on these early Fokker biplanes so perhaps my fears are unfounded - but give me ailerons anyday!
I'm using chameleon coloured fishing line so it doesn't show up too well untinted as yet - but it is there!
Also I'm at the stage where I start to look for a suitable pilot. I don't have a Jacobs figure but he wouldn't have won his medals to wear, or much recognition, at this stage anyway. He was quite short so a 1/35 ICM figure will do nicely. Here an Infantry officer body with a capped head (rather than a picklehaub) and pistol arm swapped for another. He was blowing a whistle but I'm going to give him an ersatz cigarette to cup in his fist. It should impart the nonchalance needed for anybody crazy enough to fly one of these things in combat!
Sandy
-
Wing cellule rigging completed and Mr Metal carefully applied.
I tend to dry brush this to minimise chances of metal colour flicking on linen areas, although some kitchen roll loosely applied under wires is always a good precaution.
Final trimming of any protruding wire-ends carefully carried out with a new razor blade and touch-ups applied where necessary.
(The eagle-eyed might spot that I managed to knock the brass elevator cranks off the tailplane bar while fettling other areas. This kit continues to fight me all the way!)
Sandy
-
Tailskid assembled, cranks fixed and elevator mounted and rigged.
Now it's starting to look like a real fokker!
Sandy
-
Can't resist balancing it temporarily on its undercarriage to see what it'll look like.
(Why didn't I spray the wheels blue at the same time as the rest of it? Doh!)
Sandy
-
That nice blue color is a departure from what we typically see here. Coming together very well!
-
She's looking great Sandy, more power to you!
(Why didn't I spray the wheels blue at the same time as the rest of it? Doh!)
Use my excuse - "I'm representing field repairs!" ;D
-
Lovin' this thread Sandy (even if I've not been commenting) ;)
Model's looking tip top and I can hardly wait to see it finished. Strange how some just fight you all the way like this one appears to have done whereas others . . . .
Paul
-
Thanks K, Paul, Zac - encouragement always welcome!
Undercarriage painted and dirtied up, rudder fitted and a bit of prep work on the figure - and the wee blue beastie is turning into the home straight now.
Got a bit of work to do on the prop and some final varnishing and then junge Meister Jacobs to complete and she'll be ready to join the Staffel!
Sandy
-
Glad the blue is turning out as I hoped
S
-
Just catching up on your build now, Sandy. So very late to this party. Admirable work on this unique model, and I commend you for sticking with it when others may have relegated it to the shelf. Well done indeed to this point - and the finish line in sight :-)
Cheers,
Gary
-
Something about this build just makes me smile - I don't know if it's the blue, the exquisite cowl swirls, or a combination of all factors!
-
That's beautiful Sandy, loving the swirled effect on the metal parts. 😀
Richie
-
Thanks again for the encouragement, chaps. Just about there now.
I'd almost finished the figure when I realised I'd left some binocular straps moulded in place - for a man who wouldn't be wearing binos! With all the shading and washes already applied I had to razor the straps off and re-paint. Doh again! although this time it was my fault, not SH.
Pics soon
Sandy
-
That is really taking shape, Sandy -
Great turned metal effects and the blue looks good.
Regards
Dave
-
I do not know, how I missed this interesting thread. Fine modeling all arounf this unusually coloured model. The interplay of blue and silver with machining effects is very attractive. I am looking forward to see it completed.
-
Thanks Dave & Prze, just about there now.
I spent a little time on the Jacobs imposter. Primed with Halfords white, the uniform was painted with Revell Aqua Stone Grey acrylic. I like these Revell paints - cheap and easily thinned with water, they brush beautifully. Humbrol Leather for boots and belts, the appropriate black mixed in for shadows, then Vallejo black wash to accentuate details. Study of various uniform plates showed this type of jacket tended to be rather more green-tinged than the trousers so an AV green Game Wash was applied with results I was very pleased with. Finally I realised he was missing the distinctive black visor on his cap so a sliver of lead foil from a wine seal was painted and applied along with a piece of fine rod for his cigarette. I had been very happy with the face but adding the visor obscured most of his expresion - Oh well, such is life. Attach to base and he's ready for muster.
Sandy
Sorry for the crappy phone camera pictures, I must try to get my SLR working.
-
I think I've done as much as I want to now on this one.
Poor phone camera pics for which I apologise - also, taken on a surprisingly bright November day here in damp Scotland. The bright sunshine streaming through the window rather overwhelmed the tone balance and makes the blue even brighter than viewed by the naked eye. Still, it does rather make it pop!
I'll try to get better SLR pics for the "completed" section.
Sandy
-
and again...
-
and again...
-
and again...
-
yet again..
-
... and finally, here she is sitting in the LSK shelf.
The kit certainly put up a good fight all the way to the end, but I think it was worth it to get that bright, bright blue plane in the cabinet!
Sandy
-
Great job Sandy.
I particularly like the blue colour scheme. I bet you are proud to have that one in the display cabinet.
Alan.
-
Thanks Alan. I'll need to do Goering's white D. VII and MvR's red Dr. I on the same shelf to complete the psychedelia! 😊
S
-
Nice looking Fokker.
I especially like the metal burnishing the cowl and turtle deck,
Mike
-
Great stuff Sandy, the blue scheme is so striking. Your cabinet is stocked with some beautifully made models!
Richie
-
Lovely work throughout Sandy, and what an impressive 'Gaggle" of great looking models as a setting! Nicely done!
Cheers,
Lance
-
Thanks Mike, Richie & Lance
I won't need to wear the sunglasses making the next model!
Cheers S
-
Very nicely done! I think it looks rather elegant in blue, not gaudy at all.
Now that DVIII probably required sunglasses... 8)
-
Lovely blue scheme, making a great pair with the metal parts finisinh. And also great figurine aside.
Ciao
Giuseppe
-
Lovely job Sandy!
-
Thanks Jeff, Guiseppe and Zac
Now I'm in the usual doldrums after completing something trying to decide what to build next!
S
-
You have completed this one during My absence and I must say it is gorgeous in all aspects!
RAGIII