forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com
The David Wilson Memorial Group Build 2024 => The David Wilson Memorial Group Build 2024 => Topic started by: lone modeller on May 05, 2024, 05:44:45 AM
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Evening All,
I have posted in the announcements section that I had missed this until now: I have been seriously distracted from modelling for a time now and had not seen this GB. i already have a project in hand which is inappropriate as a subject and more than half finished, so I am going to start a new one specifically for this GB. I will be slow at first as I want to finish the other project, but I think that I can complete this one well before the deadline.
The subject is the Deutsche Flugzeug Werke (DFW) B1 Mars. This machine came in one of two variants: a monoplane and a biplane - mine will be a biplane. Both were two seaters and were intended for reconnaissance. They entered service prior to the outbreak of hostilities in 1914 but saw service in the early months of the conflict and so meet the criteria for the GB.
I have made a start by gluing two pieces of basswood (lime) together which will be shaped to make moulds for the fuselage.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53698385846_c1fa341f2f_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2pP9ghJ)
While the glue is setting I can proceed further with the Short project!
Thanks for looking.
Stephen.
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I Love the unstarted kit :D I look forward to your Tribute Build!
RAGIII
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Looking forward to your build log!
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Well done LM, the DFW Mars is a great subject. If memory serves me right a biplane version was purchased by and served with the British, the Ottomans also had at least one too.
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Very interesting project, looking forward to this.
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Thank you gentlemen for your kind comments - they are much appreciated.
Enathan: thank you for the correction - I have amended the heading on this thread. I am not sure how I managed to confuse the two types.
Alan: yes a machine was delivered to the UK in May 1914 and went first to Farnborough and then to Eastchurch where it was based when war broke out. Apparantly it was sent to the north of England in August in case it was mistaken for an enemy machine.
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What an interesting project! The Mars is such an ugly dinosaur it is almost beautiful.
The british machine had the number 154, so it was a naval plane.
Do you use the Woodman drawings?
This picture is from Deutsches Museum, Munich
If you want more references please check your messages.
Greetings Joachim
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evening All,
Although I am still working on the Africa/Hibernia/Short S 37 I have also spent some time working on the DFW Mars Here is an update on progress with that project.
I carved the fuselage male mould and cut a female mould from plywood. The two fuselage halves were plunge moulded from 30 thou plastic card:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53744203923_d48af85a8b_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2pTc6pz)
The moulds were cut from the card, and I have also cut out the wing blanks. The upper wing was swept back so I have had to cut that in two pieces which I will join together later. I have marked in pencil where the ribs will be cemented later:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53744342179_1b01fa2e86_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2pTcNvi)
Thanks for looking.
Stephen.
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Wow Stephen! Another Great example of your scratchbuilding Skills! Fuselage and wings look great.
RAGIII
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Another amazing example of scratchbuilding in the group build. I feel slightly embarrassed just assembling a WNW kit..... :D
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Very nice work! Fun to see all the skills required for a scratch build :)
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Evening All
Belated thanks Rick Nigel and Ben for your kind comments - I really appreciate them.
Now that the S38/HMS Hibernia is finished I am returning to the DFW Mars build. I have glued 10 x 20 thou strip on to the wing blanks to represent ribs, and have given them a preliminary sanding but I have still got to add Mr Surfacer to smooth out the edges. This shows the strip as applied but before sanding:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53840422942_f5cf33969e_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q2GeYb)
Above is the lower wing and below the upper wing halves:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53841671689_b74176d87f_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q2NDbi)
I cut out the openings for the cockpits and inserted 30 thou plastic card strips to the inside of the front fuselage halves. The latter will provide a better anchor for the exhaust pipes which will be added at a later stage:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53841576388_ca9c01a49a_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q2N9Rb)
On the outside of the front fuselage I cemented small pieces of 30 x 40 strip to represent cooling louvres. I glued the pieces of strip in the correct places and then sanded off the leading edges to create a curved half-rounded section:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53840415857_124d701e6f_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q2GcS2)
The cockpit details were simple for two reasons: the original cockpits would also have been simple - just wicker seats and a control wheel and rudder bar, and some simple instruments. The second reason is that I could not find any details of what had been there so I had to guess what things looked like. In any event very little will be seen on the finished model so there was no need to worry too much. Having joined the fuselage halves I removed a small section from the nose and cut a piece of 60 thou card which replaced the original nose. I did this because I wanted a frim location for the propellor shaft later and a slightly more angular nose:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53840415867_bd10f4c481_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q2GcSc)
I have also cut a slot in the rear fuselage to take the horizontal tail surface later.
The cockpits of the Mars had bulges in the top of the fuselage. This was because the fuselage was very narrow and the shoulders of the crew would have been very cramped if extra room had not been provided. To achieve the bulged sections I have cemented two curved pieces of 30 thou card over the apatures in the fuselage - these extend down the sides so that I can shape them:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53841310326_9ac0db3075_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q2LMKU)
More to come later. In the meantime, thanks for looking.
Stephen.
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Really taking shape Stephen! The details are looking great!
RAGIII
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Nice work on those louvres. The wings and fuselage are looking good as well.
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Evening All,
Many thanks Rick and Nigel for your kind comments - they are really appreciated.
After the curved plastic additions to the fuselage had set overnight I was able to drill holes where the cockpit openings would be and enlarge them with half-round and round files. I also needed to add quite a lot of filler to the bottoms of the fuselage additions and especially the rear of the rear cockpit opening to smooth everything and get a more accurate profiles. The coaming strips were added from 20 thou rod. I also inserted the horizontal tail surfaces into the slot that I had cut in the rear fuselage:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53887607175_9431b789f1_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q6S5cr)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53887607180_e0ba2508e1_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q6S5cw)
The wing and aileron ribs have been filled with Mr Surfacer 1000 and sanded to profile:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53887415118_3f228e2fd7_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q6R677)
The next step will be to add the lower wing halves to the fuselage and fill and clean the joints, and join the upper wing halves so that painting can begin.
Thanks for looking.
Stephen.
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Great progress! Really like how it's shaping up :)
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Really starting to take shape, Stephen.
Great stuff.
Sandy
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More wows from me, that is looking fantastic so far. Really looking forward to seeing this interesting subject come to life.
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Inspiring as usual.
Alan.
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That is really impressive work on the fuselage and cockpit openings! Wings are looking great. You are well on your way to another Magnificent build!
RAGIII
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I love the stage where all the individual bits come together and start looking like an aeroplane. Really enjoying following along with your progress.
Dutch
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Evening All,
Thanks to all of you for the very kind remarks. I am sorry to write that I have not been following the GB as closely as I would have liked to have done: life and other events have been a constant distraction from modelling for most of this year, and it is sapping my energy and motivation. Your very supportive comments have really helped me to keep going and I have been plodding along as and when I have felt able to and can report some worthwhile progress at last
After I had joined the upper wing halves I succeeded in painting the model - the white took several coats as I had thinned the paint and had to keep applying layers to hide the filler! The black of the fuselage by contrast was much easier, but because I do not like painting the whole process seemed to take a very long time:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53918998673_ede094e7b1_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q9CXNa)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53917858917_b47b23cae3_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q9x7Zc)
I cemented the lower wing to fuselage struts in place before I attempted to fit the upper wing. The fuel tank was attached to the upper wing but fixing the upper wing to the lower wing and fuselage presented more of a challenge than some biplanes because the inter-plane struts had a large angle of stagger. However a simple pair of card jigs solved the problem by supporting the upper wing while I inserted the outboard struts:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53917858892_fe00237c98_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q9x7YL)
The cabane struts were not painted prior to fitting because I forgot to! They were cut to the required length from shaped Evergreen strip as were the other struts. I used 25 thou rod for the wing skids:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53917858877_9592644ede_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q9x7Yv)
The struts underneath the tail were added from 30 thou rod. The main undercarriage structure was made from 20 x 30 strip, filed to aerofoil shape and the thinner inner bracing was made from 25 thou rod. This was assembled by attaching the main lags first and then inserting the rod and gently pulling the structure together and supporting ithe legs with small strips of wood while the cement set. The result looks like this:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53918998643_d00b2e0dc0_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2q9CXMD)
There are more details to add before I can rig the model but at last I can see the end in sight.
Thanks for looking.
Stephen.
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I am sorry that things have been distracting you and hope it is nothing Major! That being said your Mars is looking terrific as a biplane. The paintwork came out nicely. I also always love your jigs and can certainly see why they were needed on this one!
RAGIII
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Life often gets in the way of things like modelling so it's great to see you back on this one making substantial and very impressive progress. This is looking fantastic, there's some great modelling and problem solving going on here and it's fantastic to see this scratchbuild of a really interesting subject coming together. Keep us updated as and when you can and I hope modelling provides some brief respites from the pressures of everyday life.
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Hello Stephen, it's really great you are able to crack on with this. That said, despite your distractions, your moving this on quicker than I would be, scratch building is sooooo muchhh lonnnngerrr than kit building.
Alan
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Starting to look like the real thing!
Regards Joachim
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Great work! Im always amazed what you scratch building guys are able to pull off ;D
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Evening All,
The last parts have been added to the Mars and I have rigged it with rolled copper wire as per normal for my small scale models.
The axles for the wheels were cut from a paper clip and the wheels CA'd to the ends of the axles after the axles had been passed through holes drilled in the undercarriage legs. The small tail incidence wheel was made from thin rod wrapped around a paintbrush handle and immersed in very hot water, with the spokes of the wheel cut from 10 x 20 thou strip. The model was rigged over several days because I either lacked the time or energy to complete it more rapidly. Finally I glued the propellor to the nose:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53959270079_2397fa2764_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2qdcn5K)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53959401245_b47d0e3c74_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2qdd35e)
I will post more photos in the completed models section shortly.
Thanks for looking.
Stephen.
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I’m afraid I have missed this thread. Like you I have been distracted from the hobby, including taking part in forums. Great work, I’m glad you foubd the time and motivation. It’s a curious looking type I had never seen before :) There is not a lot of models of types from just before the war. The rigging looks tricky, it was wise not to rush!
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That is one of your most stunning builds, in my opinion! I think it is a very fitting tribute. Simply gorgeous and the rigging is incredible!
RAGIII
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Another modelling masterclass Stephen, incredibly impressive sir!
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Very impressive results! I am always impressed by your and others' scratchbuilds, but this one is slightly more impressive than most.
/Fredrik
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Lovely to see this one done. Will comment more in the completed models section.
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The Mars looks like a flying dinosaur and your model captures that very well!
Regards Joachim