forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com
WW1 Aircraft Modeling => Under Construction => Topic started by: vincentm on April 06, 2015, 10:11:55 AM
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I didn't plan to build more than one Albatros D-V in my 'WWI list' but you all know how it goes: you start with one, then two, three...at least, building both at the same time will spare time, and moreover, I've already built and painted two spare Mercedes D-III engines.
The first is a Jasta 18 late D-Va with external aileron cables and reinforcing braces on the V-struts. Those red and white birds are just gorgeous. It will be one of these four, of which I have time pix:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/_doc_p12.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2152)
Two of them are visible on this shot:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/_doc_p13.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2153)
The second is the well known black D-Va of Ernst Udet at Jasta 37:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/_doc_p14.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2154)
This aircraft is well documented, and I found this very picture interesting, because building the aircraft in this state and position would highlight the underside five-color lozenges which are usually not much visible.
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/_doc_p15.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2155)
Both kits will be from Roden, as this kit is actually a D-Va with the above mentioned details. It is also the most accurate D-Va in 1/72 scale in my opinion, although certainly more difficult to build than the Eduard issue, because the upper and lower wings must be built from several parts (due to common tooling with their D-III and D-II models).
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/_kit_r10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2156)
This pic is blurry, but it shows the wing parts with the optional center sections for other versions:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/_kit_r11.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2157)
Luckily, it will not be necessary to make a precise wing building for Udet's aircraft, as everything was more or less bent during the crash...The lower wings must even have a negative dihedral angle.
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I am really looking forward to seeing what you do with this build!
RAGIII
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I have the decals for Udet's plane from an FCM sheet, and I've already drawn the lozenge sheets as well as crosses and insignias for the Jasta 18 birds. I'm still working on various versions of the lower lozenges before chosing which one I'll use for printing.
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Here are the two Mercedes engines with valve springs, spark plug wires and a little piping added, along with a painted Wolff prop.
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag26.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2175)
Well I'm cheating a bit, those parts were made during my last serial build (Pfalz D-III's) as they use the same engine.
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Excellent!
RAGIII
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What a beautiful pair of engines, well done, along with a really nice propeller.
Des.
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Thanks. If I have enough courage, I'll try building the Spandaus in series too, as I have 4 to build, I can add a pair or two since they will soon be useful...
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Very good beginning.
Martin
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Cool ! Following along on these ones ...
Terri
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Thanks.
I've started with the wood effect inside the fuselage and on other wooden parts:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag30.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2193)
Since it will take time before the oil dries up, I've rebuilt the four Spandaus using the Roden breeches and Eduard PE parts:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag31.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2194)
Both engines with the completed and painted Spandaus (matt black + pencil)
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag33.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2202)
I've printed the lozenges for both aircraft, adding rib tapes and underwing crosses which will spare a lot of time. Here's the sheet for the Jasta 18 bird:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag34.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2203)
I will try using the decal instead of paint for the upperwing topside as this should also spare time for rib-shading. But I will have to manage and find the same red for the nose using paint this time.
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Your DVas' are looking great. The wood work and self made decals look fantastic.
RAGIII
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Very good work and painting.
Martin
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Both the painted pieces and the decals look very good.
I will be interested in seeing how the wing top works vs. painting. Do you foresee any trouble matching colors with the painted fuselage?
Chris
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Do you foresee any trouble matching colors with the painted fuselage?
yes this is the main possible issue. This is why I printed the decals before painting anything, since it's easier to mix paints to match the printed color.
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the panel lines have been rescribed since they were too shallow, and some were missing:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag38.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2211)
Next, cockpit walls, floor, cockpit strengtheners, fuel and oil tanks. The fuel tank is not thick enough but on my previous D-V, I had trouble housing the engine. This time everything fits.
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag39.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2212)
Detailing the cockpit sides. On the SB side: small dashboard, greasing pump and various bits:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag40.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2213)
Left side: handles and levers. A rod under the floor is used to attach the rudder pedals and stick on it. The seat has had a cushion and belts added:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag41.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2214)
Last, the tubular structure that carries the RPM gauge. I made only the empty shell box since the ammo cases are not visible from the cockpit aperture:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag42.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2215)
On Udet's machine which will be shown upside down , the cockpit is very simple, including only the RPM gauge and seat. The belts were glued without being bent, since they will hang from the cockpit. The horseshoe-type frame in front of the engine was also scratchbuilt since the broken spinner makes it visible:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag43.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2216)
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Nice work on the details Vincent!
Ian
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Great detailing for the interior.
Martin
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It appears that footstraps on the rudder bar and control cables would be visible through the cockpit aperture. I will make them on further Albatroses.
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag50.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2251)
The closed fuselages. I used Milliput to fill up the gutter between the fin and fuselage. Milliput is shaped with water before drying, which prevents from further sanding and preserves the kit's surfaces.
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag44.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2245)
The stabilizer and control surfaces in place. This is Udet's aircraft with a bent rudder. The engine cutout lip was made with stretched sprue.
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag45.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2246)
As shown on the pic, Udet's right upperwing is broken.
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag46.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2247)
Hinges were later made from adhesive aluminum. The control horns were made from plasticard glued in slots and shaped in place.
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag48.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2249)
Parts of Udet's machine: the broken aileron, exhaust stack and broken spreader, on which the wheel axle was scratcbuilt.
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag49.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2250)
Both fuselages prepared for painting: metal parts were painted with cellulosic aluminum while wooden and fabric-covered parts ware quickly painted in a light shade of brown, just in case the following paint would flake here or there:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag51.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2252)
The wings have just received a white primer on the lowersides and light tan on the upper.
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Beautiful work in any scale but even more stunning in 1/72nd!
RAGIII
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Great stuff Vincent
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Excellent update :) I also use miliput a lot of filling those gaps and then my wet finger or cottonbud to get rid of the excess without the need of sanding - great stuff!
Best regards,
Sasho
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Thanks. I also used cottonbuds on this one, as well as on the lowerwing-fuselage joint of my previous Pfalzes.
They're rather ugly at the moment with their rough coat of brown, but painting will come soon, starting with the white areas.
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Very great work Vincent.
Martin
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Thanks.
The Jasta 18 bird has had its tail painted pure white, then the ribs have been masked:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag52.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2267)
Then a coat of off-white oversprayed with white to melt all up. It's not much visible on photos, it requires to be discrete but it works. On Udet's machine, the tail has first been painted white, the stripes have been masked and a coat of black has been sprayed. After that, the cockpit padding received a basic brown color.
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag53.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2268)
The wings uppersides have been painted light tan to alter the lozenge color in an attempt to simulate the linen color underneath:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag54.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2269)
The lower sides are white in order not to alter the lozenge colors and have white areas under the crosses which were printed along the lozenges. All holes for masts, wire hooks and cables have been drilled, then the radiators have been painted.
I started applying the lozenges on Udet's upperwing, but the ink started to flake when I rubbed it with a cloth...So, to prevent this, I had to spray another coat of varnish on all the decals I had printed, and re-print this area.
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag56.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2271)
This shot shows how the undercoat alters the lozenge colors:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag55.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2270)
Udet's both lower wings. I still have to paint the tape that goes around the whole wing, since I couldn't print this with the rest.
Printing the rib tapes with the lozenges helps sparing a lot of time.
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag57.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2272)
I was eager to see how would look the Jasta 18 upperwing with the red decal including rib shading and crosses. There will be some touch-ups to do with red paint but it works and I like the color. This wing upperside was painted white as an undercoat not to alter the shade of red and to create white areas around the crosses.
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag58.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2273)
Now I need to make a mix from red paint to get the same shade and do the touch-ups, and paint the front fuselage the same color.
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Looking great!
Drew
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Very nice modelling. Fine shading on the wings. Great interior detail!
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Very good work.
Martin
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Thanks. I've reprinted the faulty decals and should be done with the wings tonight.
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Truly brilliant work all around, Vincent.
Cheers,
Bud
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Thanks Bud.
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Your DVa's continue to look terrific! Excellent work to date!!
RAGIII
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Thanks. I've just painted the outline of the wings in light blue on the Jasta 18 bird which has blue rib tapes. I still have to do the same with pink on Udet's aircraft, and i'll post a few more pics when I'm done.
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You are creating a pair of beautifull looking models Vincent, the wing work is excellent.
Des.
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Thanks Des.
I almost regret to glue Udet's machine upside down on its diorama, since it's a beautiful machine. But I've already bent the right wing, rudder, and crushed the spinner so I can't go back.
I found that Humbrol #60 is a quite good match to the Jasta 18 upperwing color and started the touch-ups.
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Excellent job, Vincent! This is shaping up to be a brilliant
project. Your work in the little scale is amazing, my friend!
Cheers,
Ernie :)
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Excellent job, I like Albatroses, :)
Adam.
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Thanks. I too definitely like Albatroses, I also plan a D-II, one or two D-III's and a pair of austro-hungarian Oeffag's. I think I'll want a D-III or D-V with a natural wood fuselage when I'm more comfortable with wood effect, and a D-V with green and purple wings.
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I've re-printed the lozenges on the right half of Udet's upperwing. The rest will not be visible when the aircraft is glued upside-down on its diorama. I think the white stripes were most probably two chevrons, following the discussion about Udet's machines. But once again, since nothing will be visible in the end, I've only put two angled white stripes.
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag59.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2277)
I've finished three props. The Wolff one on top-left will be used on Udet's machine. It is a copy made from Milliput, so when I'll break off a blade, it should look more like broken wood than a plastic part would. The Garuda on the right will be used on the Jasta 18 machine, and the Axial in the middle will be kept for a further plane.
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag60.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2278)
Udet's upperwing has received semi-buried hooks for the wires:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag61.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2279)
I've added the expansion tank and scratchbuilt the pipe that goes to the radiator on the Jasta 18 bird:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag62.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2280)
Small parts waiting for the end of the build. The strange black thing with flaked paint is Udet's crushed spinner. The metal folds were made with a modelling knife and smoothed by sanding. I've chosen greyish-pink rubber for Udet's tyres since the true color is not possible to guess on period pics:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag63.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2281)
Both fuselages with their decals. For the Jasta 18 bird, I first planned to build Monnington's machine but the only available pic is blurry and small, so I finally chose this one on which most important details can positively be identified on photos in the "Jasta 18" book: D-Va additionnal V-mast braces, white square below the upperwing crosses, and lozenges on the lower wings. The only guess regards the rib tape color, but since I read that those machines were OAW-built, I made blue ones.
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag64.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2282)
I have scratchbuilt a camera on a tripod for the Jasta 18 diorama since one is visible on one of the period pics. The other small thing is the flare gun visible on the Jasta 18 bird upperwing just beside the rearview mirror:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag65.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2283)
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Beautiful work!
Drew
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Very wounderful update.
Martin
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Thanks, and though the fuselages have a toy-like look with this glossy varnish. The next steps are installing the weapons and trying to give a little age to the birds, but it will have to be discrete since both machines looked rather clean on the period pics, especially the red & white Jasta 18 machines.
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Rearview mirror added on the Jasta 18 a/c upperwing:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag66.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2284)
Last updates prior to weathering the fuselages: telescopic gunsight on Udet's machine (not much visible), control cables, windshields, machine-guns and exhaust stacks:
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag67.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2285)
and tail skids
(http://i19.servimg.com/u/f19/11/49/47/92/montag68.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2286)
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Perfect detailing.
Martin
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Unbelievable work in 1/72nd! Just Beautifully rendered!!
RAGIII
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Thank you. Some modellers here put even more details inside those very small kits, I think I will also have a try at building one with removed cowls one of these days...As for me, I like building them as close as possible to the period documents I can find, including all 'addons' that each pilot used to have installed, like a telescopic gunsight or the flare-gun on the Jasta 18 machine. I take inspiration from what some of us achieve on bigger models like wood grain, propellers or exhaust colors.
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Great piece of skills going on here!!! ;) It looks great!!!
Lukas
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Thanks Lukas. At last they look a bit more realistic after weathering the airframes and adding a coat of flat varnish.
The lower wings have been attached to the root-part under the fuselage. Udet's upperwing, which will lie upside down on the ground, was sprayed with a miw of flat varnish and sand paint, to make it a little dull:
(http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/49/47/92/montag10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2290)
Udet's fuslage has received the same treatment with a brush used vertically, which caused dust traces and broke up the too dark shade of the black paint. A final coat of flat varnish has been added.
The exhaust stack has been first painted burnt-metal, then polished and various washes of rust have been added onto the welding points.
(http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/49/47/92/montag11.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2291)
The upperwings have received a dirty wash (black + brown oil) in the hinges and around the radiators. The mirror and radiator lever are visible too:
(http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/49/47/92/montag12.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2292)
The Jasta 18 bird appearing rather clean on the pix, I've put a very light wash into the panel lines, mainly around the engine. Weapons are visible besides the perforated windscreen typical to this machine:
(http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/49/47/92/montag13.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2293)
A bit of dirt around the tail surface hinges and horns. The overall look of lozenges is quite different with blue rather than salmon rib tapes:
(http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/49/47/92/montag14.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2294)
The lower wings were glued with insuficient dihedral angle, so I had to raise-up the wing templates (visible here between the wings) in order to have enough height at the cabanes level. I will then have to remove the templates and slightly bend the soft lower wings in order to give them the good dihedral and glue the V-struts in place. The rigging will further help for rigidity.
(http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/49/47/92/montag15.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2295)
To end up, the structure of the maintenance tent. Only the front half will be built, and the cutting plane was cut into cardboard. Then the tubular frame was made from Evergreen rods. The tent itself will be made from glued and painted cloth.
(http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/49/47/92/montag16.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2296)
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Excellent! Your two Albs are looking great! Your painting is spot on. They look much larger than 1/72.
George
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Superb!
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Beautiful work, Vincent! These will be real gems when they're finished.
Ian
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Beautiful work, Vincent! These will be real gems when they're finished.
Ian
Second this 8)
Terri
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This is continuing to be a fascinating build to watch. Your techniques and results are awesome!
RAGIII
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Great job!
I look forward to seeing the development of your work on the tent.
Оtherwise "Black beauty" is wonderful.
Best Regards
Hristo
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Thank you all.
Sure, the black "LO" is definitely beautiful, I been thinking it's a pity to put her upside-down for a while. But now that wings and rudder are bent, and the prop broken, there's no way back. But that doesn't matter since her duty is to show up the underside lozenges.
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Really fantastic work, Vincent!
Drew
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Outstanding paintwork and great working to all.
Martin
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Thanks all!
The cabane struts installed on Udet's machine. This requires a precise adjustment of the templates but when all eight attachment points are aligned, the most difficult part of the build is behind you. The arrows show the weathering, consisting into a wash of a rather clear earth color, instead of my usual dirt mix of brown and black oils.
(http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/49/47/92/montag17.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2299)
After the cabanes were glued in place, the templates were removed and the V-struts installed, with elastics keeping the wings in place. Unfortunately this led to an excessive dihedral angle for the lower wings.
(http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/49/47/92/montag18.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2300)
I have gently un-glued the V-struts from the lower wings, added a small plastic rod and cut the reinforcement braces away. This view shows a close-up on the valve springs and all the bits and pieces below the upperwing: radiator grid handle, gun levers etc
(http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/49/47/92/montag19.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2301)
After that, the base of the V-struts is glued again on the lower wings, using again the elastics. The dihedral is now much closer to that of the real thing.
(http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/49/47/92/montag20.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2302)
An underside view of the "Jasta 18" bird, since not much of this will still be visible when it's stuck on its diorama. I have added mud spills behind the wheels and tailskid. The holes in the underside cross are for the aileron cables. They will be filled up with a touch-up of white paint.
(http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/49/47/92/montag21.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2303)
Now it's knitting time. Except two on the right, the wires are now made from nylon thread which is much easier to tend though more difficult to paint. The picture shows the method: a large buckle is made in order to have enough room for handling the wire tip and tube. When the tip has been passed a second time through the tube (as on the photo), you just need to draw on the wire tip while pushing the tube towards the wire's end and hook.
(http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/49/47/92/montag22.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2304)
It's not as easy as it would seem to make loose wires, as some of Udet's aircraft need to be because of the crash. Sometimes the thread goes in the wrong direction and does not look like hanging as it should. I will have a go with thread of a smaller diameter on the other side and see if that's easier.
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Really starting to take shape now , finish line is getting closer ;)
Terri
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Those look gorgeous.
James
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Very great work.
Martin
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finish line is getting closer
Sure, Terri. It always looks like you'll never see the end, with all those little things to scratchbuild and paint. And suddenly it comes to rigging and at last, the end is now close.
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Your Albies continue to be stunning examples of work in this scale!
RAGIII
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Thanks. I'm completing the rigging on the red and white bird. I'll post pix when it's all done on both aircraft.
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Here's the front part of the maintenance tent for the Jasta 18 diorama. The tubular structure has been covered with fabric, which then has received a coat of white glue. This has made the fabric and folds in it look heavier, and has hardened the whole thing when cured. Once painted and drybrushed, the fabric's weaving looks rather heavy. I guess I'd better use silk for 1/72 scale...
(http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/49/47/92/montag23.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2315)
Rigging the birds: a buckle is made at the first end by having a wire pass through a hook in the wing, and both ends go through a micro-tube. Then you just have to push the tube towards the hook in the wing, put a drop of glue inside the tube and cut one end of the wire away.
(http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/49/47/92/montag24.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2316)
Tension (another wire is shown here). The first buckle is done. Then you put a tube onto the free part of the wire before having it go through the hook at the other end. Next step is to have the tip go though the tube a second time, which is usually tricky. When it's done, the wire is tensed by holding it with pliers and pushing the tube towards the hook with it, while pulling the free end of the wire.
(http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/49/47/92/montag25.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2317)
Usually the tension is OK but you may have to increase it a bit with a hot scalpel blade.
Aileron cables are simple "go-through" wires which pass through holes in the lower wings. I hold them in tension with adhesive tape then drop CA in the holes.
(http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/49/47/92/montag26.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2318)
Rigging completed and painted steel color on Udet's machine.
(http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/49/47/92/montag27.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2319)
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Very impressive Vincent!
Ian
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Really amazing for 1/72. Very nice work.
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Absolutely Beautiful work! The Tent Hanger is very Impressive!!
RAGIII
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Great work, I admire it all very much -- although I must say I am not quite convinced by the turnbuckles. I think at this scale they take attention away from your otherwise superb details. JMO.
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Like Bo I think the turnbuckles are to thick. But very good work.
Martin
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Thank you all. Yes the turnbuckles can only be too thick with this rigging method, since the wires have to go through twice, which is not the case on the real thing. Actual turnbuckles are not much larger in diameter than cables themselves.
I know what I could do: at the turnbuckle end, a very small tube (the turnbuckle) in which the cable would come at one end, and a ring at the other. The other end of a rigging wire doesn't have a turnbuckle but some kind of muff around a buckle made from the cable itself (usually they are located under the top wing, turnbuckles being at the other end over the lower wing (probably for accessibility). These muffs could still be made from tubes the way I do now, and this would allow for cable tension using the same method. A small sketch:
(http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/49/47/92/hauban10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2320)
Now this requires finding or building those rings from metal wire, and to put the rings on the wing hooks before gluing them in place, while avoiding to put glue on them...'turnbuckles' would then have to be glued on ring tips, and cables insiede the turnbuckles. I'll have to try this on a platicard template.
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What size is the rigging wire?
Martin
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They are made from 0.16mm nylon thread. It's still a little too thick, I'm thinking about replacing them with 0.12 on the Jasta 18 aircraft. I've been trying to figure out the actual diameter of cables. I found no information on this but looking at close-ups, they seem to be made from multithread steel and I think they should be a little less than 1cm in diameter. At 1/72, 0.12mm should be fine.
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I think the actual 1:72 scale diameter is around .002" which is .05mm. I use .005" which comes to 0.127mm and that looks fine. The actual size of the lines varied according to their use, from around .05mm scale to .13mm so you're in the right area. Someone posted a diagram of RAF wire thickness on BE2 and SE5 (I think) fairly recently so you can work out the correct scale thickness from that if you can find it.
Ian
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Thanks for the info. I tried to figure out the wire diameter from closeups with mechanics around, and it looks like wires are around half the diameter of a finger.
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The wires were definitely stranded. The drag wires were 1x38 (a core of 19 wires twisted in one direction, covered by an outer layer of 19 wires twisted in the opposite direction. The running wires were 17x2 -- 2 bundles of 17 wires twisted around each other. You can find all this info in the NASM Stropp book.
Unfortunately, they don't cite a diameter, but info from other sources gives a typical diameter of the flying wires at around 4mm. In 1/72 scale that works out to ~.06mm.
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If it can help here is my solution to the turnbuckles + eyelets "problem"
http://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=1731.msg34646#msg34646 (http://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=1731.msg34646#msg34646)
I know it was an 1/48 scale model but maybe it can give you some hints for a future build...
Please accept my great appreciation for your superb build !!!
Ciao
Antonio
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Thank you both.
Very interesting info Bo. I had noticed the wires were stranded on the closeups of a VTAL D-V. So, the drag wires are then most certainly thicker than flying ones, and probably close to a 1cm diameter. My 0.12mm nylon thread should be OK at 1/72. Flying wires are too thick, but fortunately they are in the shadow of the upperwing most of the times, which makes them appear a little thinner.
Yes Antonio the new method I want to try looks a bit like what you did on your model, the main point being to have thinner tubes for turnbuckles. I was thinking about using buckles from an Eduard PE sheet but the inner diameter of the hole is inferior to 0.10mm, which would be too small. So for the time being, the only thing to do is building buckles the way you did.
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The red and white birdie is waiting for the new 0.12mm nylon thread and I'll redo most of the rigging when I have it. I've ordered black thread which will hopefully be easier to paint "steel" color and more discrete.
Meanwhile I completed the stand which is basically a wooden frame painted black with plaster inside. The plaster has been painted and drybrushed then I sprayed flocking material of various shades of green. The maintenance tent was then added.
(http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/49/47/92/montag29.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/11494792/2343)