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The David Wilson Memorial Group Build 2024 => The David Wilson Memorial Group Build 2024 => Topic started by: Dirigible-Al on October 09, 2024, 08:56:31 PM

Title: Zeppelin LZ.77 in 1/700
Post by: Dirigible-Al on October 09, 2024, 08:56:31 PM
With only 3 weeks to finish this I will give it my best shot to do another one for Dave. I picked this one because it has very few parts and about a third of them are for different versions. This will be all about the paint job rather than the building of it, one of my weak points but this is a good opportunity to improve it.

(https://i.imgur.com/6QKSbfQ.jpg)

The bits appear to fit well and are pretty crisp. I put together the two envelope halves and it needed a little filler right at the very front and the very back. There were four sink holes in the mold on one side which I filled as well as two small gaps at the top where the location points were. Gun position went in OK with a little gap on the sides. The instructions tell you to attach the gondolas to the keel before fitting it. I decided to just fit the keel first as I have visions of those gondolas getting eaten by the carpet monster if I continue to build this with them on. The keel was the only bit that needed any real amount of sanding, it was just a little too wide. Before fitting it I enlarged the attachment holes for the gondolas.

(https://i.imgur.com/KTAd9Tn.jpeg)

(https://i.imgur.com/wZR6ku3.jpeg)

(https://i.imgur.com/9pXNS0C.jpeg)

(https://i.imgur.com/wSwnxSe.jpeg)

That's it for this morning, waiting for the glue to set before continuing. Thanks for looking in.
Alan.
Title: Re: Zeppelin LZ.77 in 1/700
Post by: PrzemoL on October 09, 2024, 09:31:02 PM
Fingers crossed for seeing it complete before the deadline ;-) But it does look like a good candidate for a quick project.
Title: Re: Zeppelin LZ.77 in 1/700
Post by: malaula on October 10, 2024, 04:16:39 AM
This manufacturer is new to me ...I had a start on a zeppelin in 1:720 scale some time ago.What put me off then were the envelope seams-should they be scribed or not in that scale?Would they even  be visible at all?Plus,how to render the clear parts of the gondolas,let alone the props... ???
I'm looking forward how you will tackle this
cheers
Matz
Title: Re: Zeppelin LZ.77 in 1/700
Post by: NigelR on October 10, 2024, 05:53:45 PM
A nice choice Alan. I'm looking forward to seeing this progress.
Title: Re: Zeppelin LZ.77 in 1/700
Post by: Dirigible-Al on October 14, 2024, 12:51:38 AM
I have momentarily stalled on this one because I was supposed to get scale pictures of the Q Class so I can mark where all the vertical structural lines are on the envelope but unfortunately wasn't able to do them yesterday. In the meantime I put together most of the gondolas leaving out the fragile PE for fear of loosing them, they will go on later. I brush painted the envelope and it now looks mor like a Zeppelin.

(https://i.imgur.com/TcNOfWC.jpeg)

(https://i.imgur.com/a3ft0UU.jpeg)
Title: Re: Zeppelin LZ.77 in 1/700
Post by: NigelR on October 14, 2024, 01:42:31 AM
Nice progress Alan, it is starting to look more like a Zepp.....

If you need any info, lmk as I have quite a lot of Zeppelin references and might be able to help.
Title: Re: Zeppelin LZ.77 in 1/700
Post by: Vickers on October 14, 2024, 10:47:14 AM
Really cool choice, Dirigible-Al. I always thought that the Zeppelins were a very interesting exploit in aviation, sort of like the Titanic- impressive and yet doomed. I think you've made the right choices in deviating from the order of assembly outined in the instructions and that you'll make the deadline.
Title: Re: Zeppelin LZ.77 in 1/700
Post by: Dirigible-Al on October 15, 2024, 12:09:55 AM
Thanks Vickers, I should make the deadline providing I hit no curve balls. Thanks for the offer Nigel but I do have enough stuff on Zeppelins. It would have speeded up things if I had the 1/700 scale plans especially in drawing in the ribs. I managed to do this using a bit of Mathematics, Tech drawing and masking tape. From an out of scale drawing I worked out the ratio between the ribs of the drawing and the ribs on the kit. There are two points on the envelope where I know what where the rib is, one behind the gun emplacement and the other touching the forward most points on the horizontal rear stabilisers. To avoid making them wonky I used a thin strip of masking tape that had marked on it the point where the tip of the nose is and the distance to where the rib is. Going round the envelope like the hand on a clock I got my first rib. I divided the distance between this rib and the other where the stabilisers are by the numbers of ribs between them. Next I cut a strip of masking tape to that exact width and used it to mark all the ribs between those points. The very front and rear were hand drawn by marking with spacers made from paper.

(https://i.imgur.com/AhpQADr.jpeg)

(https://i.imgur.com/Lty6C9v.jpeg)

My eyes are now shot after looking at all those parallel lines.
Alan.
Title: Re: Zeppelin LZ.77 in 1/700
Post by: NigelR on October 15, 2024, 04:18:58 AM
Nice work Alan, those ribs look good.
Title: Re: Zeppelin LZ.77 in 1/700
Post by: KiwiZac on October 21, 2024, 02:01:26 PM
Nice work Alan - one of those areas of modelling that?s never grabbed me personally but I enjoy seeing others tackle!
Title: Re: Zeppelin LZ.77 in 1/700
Post by: Dirigible-Al on October 28, 2024, 03:52:28 AM
Cheers Nigel and KiwiZac
Unexpectedly I have to work a PM shift this final week of the build and that kills my bench time, I was counting on that lost time to complete this. I will however still push on with this until it is finished even though it will now fail the deadline.
I managed to do something today, the stripes that run down parts of the envelope were put on with watercolour pencils using masking tape as a straight guide then rubbed to blur them a bit. I sprayed Matt varnish over then so they wouldn't dissolve in paint later. Finally I brush painted a few coats of watered down Yellow Ochre acrylic paint in the direction of the stripes.
Thanks for looking in. Alan.

(https://i.imgur.com/EmBL8vw.jpeg)

(https://i.imgur.com/6i2sQ75.jpeg)
Title: Re: Zeppelin LZ.77 in 1/700
Post by: NigelR on October 28, 2024, 07:14:24 PM
That looks very convincing Alan, clever use of coloured pencils to get a nice subtle effect. Looking forward to seeing this one done, even if it does just miss the deadline.
Title: Re: Zeppelin LZ.77 in 1/700
Post by: PrzemoL on October 28, 2024, 08:06:42 PM
It does indeed look very convincing with the delicate shadows.
Title: Re: Zeppelin LZ.77 in 1/700
Post by: macsporran on October 28, 2024, 11:01:43 PM
Cool model, whenever it is finished - the intention was sincere.
So difficult to get straight lines around a complex 3D structure: these look perfect.
I'll enjoy next update, whenever it is.
Sandy
Title: Re: Zeppelin LZ.77 in 1/700
Post by: Dirigible-Al on November 11, 2024, 03:23:47 AM
Thanks for your support Sandy, Przemol and Nigel. I have seen quite a few renditions of the spotted cow camo and many of them show the darker parts as various combinations of green, brown and/or black. I personally think it was all just black over the biege and ocre yellow stripped envelope. The black was not put on uniformly and appears mottled slightly as seen in archive photos. I really screwed up a build a while ago when I drew the camo on with felt tip pens, then coated it with future to seal it only to see the felt tip ink dissolve and merge into everything else on the model. I tried this again with the hope the same thing will happen but to my advantage AND IT DID! I of course practiced first on a scrap bit of plastic. The ink from the black felt tip pen did it's own merry dance under the future but ended up uneven and looking mottled with blurred furry edges you only normally get thru airbrushing. I still need to do some tweets like putting back on some details lost that were the duralumin structure seen underneath the envelope and other parts marred by handling but now at least the envelope looks close to how I want it.

(https://i.imgur.com/XjjuPy1.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/UxIo89t.jpeg)

(https://i.imgur.com/Z1S8As3.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/lpM1BUo.jpeg)

To help I downloaded the instructions from another kit and blew them up on a photocopier to the same size as the model.
Thanks for looking in, Alan
Title: Re: Zeppelin LZ.77 in 1/700
Post by: gedmundson on November 11, 2024, 04:29:45 AM
Just catching up on your build, Al - wow, what a great project and your progress is excellent.
Cheers,
Gary
Title: Re: Zeppelin LZ.77 in 1/700
Post by: NigelR on November 12, 2024, 12:33:06 AM
Excellent work Alan, that came out really well, a very clever effect. FWIW I'm with you on the camo, I find some of the renditions rather fanciful.
Title: Re: Zeppelin LZ.77 in 1/700
Post by: Dirigible-Al on January 20, 2025, 02:07:37 AM
Sorry for the delay on this guys.

All the bits are on this now so it only needs a bit of tidying up. The gondolas were put on by sticking a piece of wood, cut to the right size, using vaseline. The wires connecting them to the envelope could then be glued on and when set the vaselined wood was slid out. The last stretch, the P.E., has been a nightmare for me and taken about double the hours to complete than all the rest of the kit combined. Most of it was too small for me to see and handle and being so small it was flimsy. Some of the P.E. needed bending and I found bending it once was OK but if the bend needed adjusting (which they mostly do more than once) a second bend was risky, a third reckless and I don't think I ever got to a fourth without it snapping. A lot of the bits that should have been P.E. are actually scratch built replacements made from wire or paper and put on with the use of a jewellers loop and three pairs of reading glasses. The carpet monster got well fed on this build. In fairness to the manufacturer I cannot think of any other way to provide those parts without making them clunky and appear out of scale. The base came from the manufacturer but I added a larger clear plastic piece to the bottom for fear of it tipping over. The front pillar was replaced with a longer clear plastic piece I made to make it look like it is ascending and also to display some of the underside. I was going to put in a couple of 1/700 scale figures in the gun emplacement at the top but I will leave that until I need to do figures for the next 1/700 build and do both at the same time.

I will put this on the completed section sometime over the next day or two tidied up with better pictures.

Thank you all for your support on this build.
Alan.

(https://i.imgur.com/jgruPkr.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/bzyXMGz.jpeg)

(https://i.imgur.com/k7kTXD4.jpeg)

(https://i.imgur.com/jUaWwMM.jpeg)

(https://i.imgur.com/42uBJaM.jpeg)

(https://i.imgur.com/1MKuxhP.jpeg)

(https://i.imgur.com/YZi0CzO.jpeg)
Title: Re: Zeppelin LZ.77 in 1/700
Post by: NigelR on January 20, 2025, 03:24:35 AM
Very nicely done Alan, I look forward to the completed pics.
Title: Re: Zeppelin LZ.77 in 1/700
Post by: Dirigible-Al on January 21, 2025, 02:55:12 AM
Cheers Nigel, completed pictures can be found here https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=14818.0