forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com
WW1 Aircraft Modeling => Under Construction => Topic started by: IanB on August 02, 2016, 07:07:19 AM
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I had some time yesterday for modelling but didn't feel in the mood for drilling all the RE8's rigging holes, and I'm still waiting for the paints for the twin Fokker build, so what to do?
I decided to prepare for my next project, or more accurately, decide what it would be. Since I'm really enjoying building the 2 Fokkers together I thought I'd do another double build. 3 of my last 4 builds have been Fokkers, (E.III, D.I & D.II) so I decided to dig out 2 of the very first kits to enter my stash: Classic Planes' Sopwith Tabloid, and Eduard's old Sopwith Baby.
Here's what I have to start with:
First the Tabloid..
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4236/35656907516_cc45fb2822_c.jpg)
Not too bad, but pretty basic. There are no stencils or guides of any sort for either the struts or the undercarriage so I'll have to measure those myself using the DF plans as referance. I will use an Aeroclub engine and prop, and it will be modeled to represent number 168 which, piloted by Lt RLG Marix, attacked the Zeppelin sheds at Duesseldorf on October 9th 1914, destroying Zeppelin Z.IX. This will be my first vacform kit build......
and the Baby...
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4121/35309211630_9545e39665_c.jpg)
- this one is more like a limited run kit, with a huge amount of flash on most of the parts. I assume it was one of their first! Having said that, there are 3 small PE sets: one for engine details, one for the interior, and one for struts. The latter won't be used but the other 2 look very useful!
The blue on all the roundals is a little too bright so I'll use aftermarket ones, but there are 2 sets of Sopwith factory stencils so I may be able to use the other set on the Tabloid!
I then made a start on cleaning everything up, starting with the Baby:
I removed the humps fore and aft of the cockpit which were on the Schneider, but not on the Baby, then started on the wings. They were first thinned quite considerably. About 1mm was removed from the leading edges, I straightened the wing tips as the moulded tips had a slight curve to them, and corrected and slightly enlarged the centre section cutouts.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4018/34886927913_0612e4c8a5_c.jpg)
Finally, I cleaned the flash off the float parts and glued the 2 halves of each of the 3 floats together. The horizontal stabilisers and elevators are totally wrong and will be replaced
Today I made a start on the Tabloid. After removing the parts from the sheet they were all cleaned up and checked against the plans. The horizontal stabiliser and elevators were reduced in width by a couple of mm to start with - the easy bit!
Cockpit and engine cutouts were carefully opened up and filed to shape, and the 2 cooling intakes on the nose drilled out.
The wings were also reduced in chord by about 1mm, corrections were made to the centre cutout, and Mr Dissolved Putty was applied to the aileron edges as 168 was a wing-warper. The fin and rudder are too small so I'll make new ones, and the top of the cowling is a little too shallow, so maybe a little milliput will help there once it's all together. I still have to remove the little dots so characteristic of Classic Planes' vacforms....
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4265/34886750313_51e7f5bd56_c.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4215/34886749333_bd32e4dd13_c.jpg)
These will probably sit at this stage for a while until the others are finished....RE8 rigging holes tomorrow!
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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This is going to be another great one Ian, really looking forward to is.
(FWIW, I think the Eduard Sopwith Baby and Schneider were the first Eduard kits I ever bought oh so long ago. I thought I was being pretty esoteric and exotic when I did so.)
Warren
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This is going to be another great one Ian, really looking forward to this.
I agree. Another brilliant project.
Cheers,
Bud
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Always enjoy your builds and the fact that you're doing a vacform is doubly interesting.
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Oh, I will follow this build. Very intresting, because my family is living in Düsseldorf since many generations.
Manni
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Ian,
You have become a Fix everything that doesn't look right building machine! I, like the others, am looking forward to this one! Great start!
RAGIII
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I do not know why you do not have a standard header: putting right the…………
Another very interesting pair - I have both on my list to scratch build one day, but when I do get around to them it will be one at a time! Looking forward to seeing these two gems being brought to completion. Also looking forward to the next RE 8 instalment, but will be away for a few days so I will just have to wait a bit longer….
Stephen.
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Thanks for the encouragement gents!
Rick, Stephen - I had not looked upon this as a "correction" build, but it looks as though it may turn out that way!
I'm waiting for some decals for the double Fokker build so I took the Baby out again today...the first thing I had to do was thin the fuselage sides to get the cockpit opening a little more to scale. Then I compared the fuselage to the drawings and realised that the top of the nose needed to be lowered a little - taken care of very easily by a little sanding, but more importantly, the rear fuselage was way too deep.
I decided the easiest way around this was to cut the bottom off completely, chamfered slightly, so that I could simply add a piece of plastic card to give me a new underside.So it was marked up....
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4145/35527496882_49d8b05a6a_c.jpg)
This shot shows one side done, and the other side marked with a black marker to show just how much was removed..
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4279/35309209600_07d163a0fb_c.jpg)
and finally it matches the drawings...
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4092/35565898521_ff9f4c7cf4_c.jpg)
The last correction that is needed may have to wait until the fuselage is together. The upper fuselage and cockpit opening are both wrong. Because the kit was moulded as a Schneider, with the raised forward fuselage, I will need to add filler to restore the correct curve over the top. The cockpit opening is also too square at the front, and too elongated at the rear, and needs to be more of a regular oval shape. I think the easiest way to do that will be to overlay a piece of plastic card once it's all together, but I may rethink that later.
Ian
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I have repainted the Fokker D.I fuselage so couldn't do much with that today.....back to the Baby!
I took another look at the floats and realised that they, too, are way over sized. So that was today's task. The shape was not far off but they were much too deep, and also needed quite a bit of filler on the seems along the sides. Here's one sanded down and compared to the uncorrected kit item....
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4215/35309212770_e9a47570a4_c.jpg)
The same treatment was given to the second main float and the tail float, which fortunately only needed a little filling and minor reshaping.....
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4137/35527500202_4027acb20a_c.jpg)
Followed by half an hour removing everything from my bench and cleaning all the sanding dust!
That should be all the major corrections taken care of, so next up should be some actual progress...
Ian
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Man, that's quite a bit of work! I don't know if I'd ever have the courage to attempt a vac-form build.
Where do you find those drawings?
Thanks,
Steve
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Where do you find those drawings?
Windsock Datafiles, you can find them used on evil-bay, Byrd Aviation Books here in the U.S., or direct from the publisher:
http://www.windsockdatafilespecials.co.uk/datafiles-10-c.asp
FWIW, HTH,
Warren
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Thanks Warren!
Yes, I use Datafile drawings for all my builds. They are not 100% accurate though, and I always check the dimensions of the drawings against the quoted measurements for each aircraft and adjust as necessary on my printer. Some, such as the Fokker D.I, actually vary on the same page and have the wingspan different in plan and front views! So a little extra care and checking is needed to be sure.
Ian
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Ian,
Just absolutely outstanding work on the fuselage correction as well as the floats. This is continuing to be a great build thread!
RAGIII
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So I was right - these will be correction builds after all! Still excellent progress and great to see these being built.
I agree with you about the WS DataFile drawings - there are errors in them including differences in plan and elevation views which any modeller should take care with. I know to my cost……. The FE 8 has a side elevation drawing in what seems to be 1/76 scale on a supposed 1/72 sheet.
Stephen.
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Yes Stephen, you were!
Since I'm still waiting for some custom decals from Poland for the Fokker build I've been doing small bits and pieces on this one in the meantime. I've added some rudimentary framework to both, and the firewall to the Tabloid. I'm not too worried about total accuracy here as most of it won't be visible.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4118/35309214090_b2950bd1d3_c.jpg)
I then looked at marking up the holes for the control cables and while doing so, realised that the cut out for the horizontal stabiliser on the Baby wasn't long enough - it finished too far aft. So that was marked up and filed out....
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4043/35657098116_66ebca55f9_c.jpg)
Then I marked the positions of the holes for the cables, and filed out the rear of the Baby fuselage to allow for the control cables for the water rudder...
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4099/35657102976_3a3d557651_c.jpg)
That rear end cutout will be refined a little more once the fuselage is together.
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Great progress Ian.
Warren
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Thanks Warren.
I got a little more done over the last couple of days, slowly but surely starting to get some details in the cockpits. Eduard made this relatively simple by providing some PE (actually quite a lot) so that was painted and CA'd in. The instrument panel has a printed backing which was painted white on the reverse side and looks pretty good!
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4258/35696889185_a13fbcf1ea_c.jpg)
I still have the rudder bar and control column/wheel to add, plus the seatbelts.
The Tabloid had nothing but the seat so that has been fabricated with reference to pics of a replica. It may not be 100% accurate but it's good enough!
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4278/35696136295_c979b8d8a3_c.jpg)
Again, the controls and seatbelts have still to be added.
I had a little "moment" with the Tabloid engine too....I'd already allocated an Aeroclub engine and prop to this kit when I first bought it so never looked at it again until I came to think about mounting it - after it had been painted. Then I realised I had a bit of a problem - too many cylinders! I'd just gone with the 9 cyl (100hp) version that was included with the kit, not realising that it should have had a 7 cylinder Gnome (80hp). Fortunately I had one left in the spares box so that's been painted up and is now ready to install. All that trouble and only the ends of 2, maybe 3 cylinders will be visible anyway!
Oh well, at least it's correct!
Thanks for looking in,
Ian
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The first big hurdle cleared today....
I fitted PE seatbelts in both aircraft and the rest of the interior parts in the Baby, which meant I could close that one up!
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4206/35696888045_eb4f02279c_c.jpg)
The next step on that one will be to fit a new underside, and cut a new upper front panel to correct the nose and cockpit opening.
The Tabloid has also seen some progress. After the seatbelts were added I bit the bullet and went ahead and made a control wheel for it, Fairly simple, but fiddly!
First a piece of .33mm nickel silver rod was gently heated, then it was wrapped around a piece of 3.2mm plastic rod
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4138/34887902013_9f1e7ce270_c.jpg)
The ends were pulled with pliers to tighten it around the rod, then it was cut at a point where the two ends overlapped
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4028/34887902303_37e9f131c5_c.jpg)
The result:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4144/35528474222_1ae0444178_c.jpg)
Then the really fiddly bit - adding the cross pieces. the hard part being not gluing it to the cutting mat.
Finally, all done - one control wheel
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4281/34886748123_48f9c7d894_c.jpg)
The last job today was to attach the engine (the correct one) to the bulkhead, and a dry fit of the fuselage halves to make sure it is positioned correctly.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4123/35656904306_0cf63e6957_c.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4260/34886746873_bea84db808_c.jpg)
The halves are only placed together and won't be glued until the rest of the interior is done. I may also add some extra strips inside the fuselage where rigging lines attach, to give a little extra plastic for the attachment points - I've not built a vacform before so I'm not sure if it's necessary, but it seems a good plan to me...any advice from those experienced in vacs would be welcomed!
Ian
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Excellent!
Warren
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Thanks Warren!
More progress today, first the easy one...the controls were added to the Tabloid and it is now buttoned up!
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4262/34886746293_b1f7b86089_c.jpg)
A lot more was needed on the Baby, so I started by cutting out the upper front fuselage from the plans and taping it to a piece of .005" sheet. The cockpit opening was carefully cutout, then widened slightly to allow for the curve (remembering that the plan is flat but the top of the fuselage isn't. It was then attached to the fuselage with PlasticWeld. Unfortunately, a little too much in one spot.....
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4036/34856215054_0ec408b8a9_c.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4283/35696886255_709acd5ba3_c.jpg)
Nothing that can't be sorted with a little filler, but annoying......
I also needed a new fuselage underside so I cut a piece of .015" card and added it. After that was on, I thought I might as well add the lower wing too!
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4128/34856211704_59b3517836_c.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4071/34856210234_b9f4a8377f_c.jpg)
Filler was then applied where needed - thankfully not too much - and left to dry.
So,what to do next...I knew the cowling would need some work, so......
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4079/34856209034_dfccba91f4_c.jpg)
That is actually the 2 halves of the cowling, held together with flash - so much flash in fact, that I had to use a saw to separate the 2 parts!
There's nothing like a nice, thin, scale cowling.....and this is definitely nothing like a nice, thin, scale cowling!
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4214/34887549363_051f7b9969_c.jpg)
so, out with the files, sanding sticks, and sharp knife blade, to scrape out a reasonable cowl from that lump of plastic... here's how it turned out
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4235/34856207044_a7b7e5fed3_c.jpg)
Not too shabby, though I do say so myself! The other half was similarly dealt with, and the 2 were attached to the front end. Here's how they fit (I use the word "fit" in its loosest possible meaning).....
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4287/34887546913_ef56cbe7ac_c.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4044/34856204874_8539cb5f42_c.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4034/34856203784_4536efe623_c.jpg)
Of course, to be fair, I have changed the profile of the nose, so a not-too-good fit was to be expected.... Once that is properly dry I'll attach a piece of plastic strip inside the upper part, covering the joint, to provide a little more strength and also some extra plastic so I can sand the top down to match the new profile, then sand back the lower edges to match the bottom of the fuselage. Hopefully it will be that easy....
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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That's some very impressive "real" modelling you've done on her Ian. Nicely done so far, and it's looking mighty fine!
Cheers,
Lance
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Ian, I've got a couple of these in the stash, bought in the 90's when I decided that I wanted to get back to modeling, and WWI a/c in particular. Watching you on this build has me vacillating between trying to build mine using your build as a guide for improvements, or just selling them, LOL!
Great progress brother.
Warren
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I really enjoy seeing the modifications to get things corrected. Both of these are progressing very nicely!
Steve
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Lance & Steve,thanks, much appreciated!
Warren - go on, build them - you know you want to!
Another good day at the bench, although a lot of it has been just sanding and filling. The Tabloid fuselage seams were treated to a few doses of Mr Dissolved Putty and seem to be good - obviously I won't know for certain until I get some primer on.....
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4141/34886745453_bc12c4dbfe_c.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4285/34855349364_4aa84e8d25_c.jpg)
The first job on the Baby was to get that cowling sorted out, so out came the sanding sticks, then the putty, then the sanding sticks....you know the story....
I'm pretty pleased with it now!
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4282/35566485751_5754680540_c.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4257/35566484971_1e4a91c2a8_c.jpg)
Then I tackled something that is not on any of the plans, but is definitely on the aircraft! I have no idea what it is, but there is a small bulge (fairing?) under the fuselage, just aft of the engine. It may be just a shield for something under there to keep the oil off it, or maybe it's supposed to help the oil run outwards and not along the underside of the aircraft - any thoughts? Whatever it is, it's now on the model...
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4240/34856200304_fea980c6fb_c.jpg)
Finally I finished off filling the upper wing cutout, which isn't on the machine I'm modeling.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4145/34856198744_cf922ff546_c.jpg)
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Great progress Ian. That fairing is very interesting, I wonder what it is?
Warren
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That's some very impressive "real" modelling you've done on her Ian. Nicely done so far, and it's looking mighty fine!
Cheers,
Lance
I agree with Lance completely! Very well done and a great tutorial on using Modeling skills to fix all of the various issues with both kits!
RAGIII
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Thanks Rick, Warren. I'm still not certain that the item under the cowl is a fairing and not just a single sheet of metal as a screen for something, but I'm going to leave it as it is.
I got some primer on them both to see where more work was needed. That showed up pretty much what was expected: along the spine and a small area on the cowling of the Baby, and the spine and underside of the Tabloid. Those have now been attended to and they're ready for another coat to see if any further work is needed:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4028/35657671496_caf0ac3582_c.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4121/35656899746_871fb2a964_c.jpg)
After that I decided I might as well make up the nw tail feathers, so those were cut from .020" sheet and are now ready for final detailing. Here is a look at how bad the kit parts were in comparison:
The Tabloid: The horizontal stabiliser wasn't too far off, but it would have needed a lot of thinning so I thought it easier to just make a new one anyway...
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4129/35656900886_d8dcc72714_c.jpg)
The Baby: The horizontal stabiliser was not even close on this one, and the rudder was too big....
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4236/34856202704_895d6bace2_c.jpg)
so next up will be another primer coat to see what else needs further attention.
Ian
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Ian,
Holy cow two of my favorite Sopwiths in on build. Best yet one a vac kit in 1/72 scale. BRAVO!! Outstanding progress to date my old friend. Keep up the excellence.
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette
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Thank you Gregory, we try to please!
The woodwork has now been painted. For anyone wanting an easy way to do it in small scale here is how i went about it:
First step is a coat of either interior Tan or radome Tan, one is a little darker, but t really makes no differance. This time around I used Interior Tan (enamel).
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4080/34887533153_2ec6c1dbb4_c.jpg)
Once dry, I use a flat brush and Model Master Leather (acrylic). I dip the brush in thinner then brush it on, finishing with one long stroke covering the whole panel to get the continuous grain effect. It can be reworked a few times, and since it's acrylic, it can always be removed completely from the enamel base and done again if it looks really bad...
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4288/35657669166_85a778b6f7_c.jpg)
Once that's dry, a coat of Tamiya Clear Orange, again thinned a little. The last 2 steps can be repeated if darker tones are required.
Here are the floats...
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4231/34887531363_53b6426c69_c.jpg)
and the cockpit area of the Baby..
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4134/35657667776_270cf398f4_c.jpg)
I'm happy with those, so next up will be some CDL......
Thanks for looking in,
Ian
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Very nicely done wood grain on the floats and cockpit coaming!
RAGIII
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Well done Ian.
Warren
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I go away for a few days and you half finish two kits when I am gone!! Not fair!!
Truly excellent work Ian - two aircraft which are on my to do list too. I like your method of achieving a wood finish too - similar to mine but different too. Excellent work all round - especially the cowling on the Baby.
Stephen.
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I got some more done on these, but not much to photograph. The end result is that I now have some aluminium paint on them, although I think I may need top redo the top of the Tabloid....
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4114/35566480441_b78e74e2ff_c.jpg)
Ian
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Continuing to look great Ian!
RAGIII
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Brilliant work, Ian!
Cheers,
Bud
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How you can work on 4 models simultaneously totally beats me! These are looking really good - and so small too. Great work.
Stephen.
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Cool! I have been looking for a Tabloid 1/72 scale model to build. Can anyone help me find one?
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James, I think it's going to be a question of putting a search on ebay and waiting. It's not even listed on Modellbaustudio Rhein-Ruhr, which is Classic Planes' shop.
I put a gloss coat on the Fokkers today so decided to have another look at this. It's been sitting in front of me while I've been working on the two Fokkers and I kept thinking something wasn't right...a day or so ago I figured it out...
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4206/35527300062_6d2ebdab3c_c.jpg)
The fuselage halves aren't symmetrical!
I thought about it and came to the conclusion that there was only one way to put it right....cut it in half! :o
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4238/35656912986_bd274fdd26_c.jpg)
a little light sanding on one side, some plastic card "lugs" in the forward fuselage to help alignment, and we now have this....
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4108/35309035880_8eff70032e_c.jpg)
Much better! I have applied a little filler around the join and will let that dry thoroughly before any further work. I also think I'll reskin the rear decking as it really looks pretty crappy, especially now it's been chopped in half!
Thanks for looking in,
Ian
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Although I probably would not have noticed without you pointing it out you have done a great job correcting the assymetrical fuselage!
RAGIII
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You would have when I put the rudder on, Rick! I'm just glad I spotted it in time.
Ian
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Well done Ian!
Warren
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Symmetry is always a problem with anything with wings - try a scratch build or two or a conversion and you will know what I mean. I agree that the upper decking is not up to your usual standard - by the next photo I bet it will be!
Stephen.
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Thanks Warren!
Stephen - here is my effort to correct the decking!
I stuck a piece of masking tape on and trimmed it to shape, then used it as a stencil to cut out a piece of .005" card fro the decking.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4288/35527294232_c11eb03c6f_c.jpg)
The stringers were marked out on the back of the card using a ballpoint pen
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4089/35309033630_b870366af8_c.jpg)
which left me with this, viewed from the correct side...
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4257/35696142075_ef791fda59_c.jpg)
That was then taped in place down one side and carefully stuck down in stages with PlasticWeld. Care is needed with this stuff as a little too much will quickly melt the thin sheet!
Here's what I ended up with after a bit of cleaning up. I also decided to slightly change the cowling profile as the edges weren't quite straight or sharp enough...
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4238/34886752803_149b19fe41_c.jpg)
I'm much happier with that now! Someone on another forum also pointed out that the cockpit opening wasn't quite square so I've adjusted the front edge of that too.
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Thank you Ian, that's brilliant. I have a Flashback Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter that's been languishing for years because I messed up the upper decking. I'll have to give this method a try in order to fix it.
Warren
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The decking looks great!
Thanks for sharing that technique.
Steve
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Outstanding work on the decking Ian! It looks excellent!
RAGIII
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Brilliant, simply brilliant. Great save, I will have to file that technique for future use.
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Outstanding work on the decking Ian! It looks excellent!
RAGIII
I totally agree with Rick's comment.
Stephen.
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Great technique on the upper decking, Ian, and one I'll file away for future use! This version is a huge improvement over the original, nicely done!
Cheers,
Lance
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Vast improvement on the upper decking, Ian! Your skills really shine through.
Cheers,
Bud
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Thanks everyone!
After doing the Tabloid rear decking I was not quite sure whether or not I needed to do the same for the Baby. Finally I decided that if I was not sure, then I should probably do it, so I reskinned the rear decking on that too...
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5470/30064323464_5217c33d9c_b.jpg)
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5492/30064322264_c2119bddfd_b.jpg)
A big improvement there too so a good choice in the end! I then added some of the PE detail to the floats in preparation for building and attaching the float struts..
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5800/30659280276_140f250c66_b.jpg)
It gives them a little more interest, at least.
I hope to get the 2 Fokkers finished tomorrow so that I can really get on with these two.
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Awesome work on the skinning of the rear deck! The PE looks great on the floats!
RAGIII
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Another excellent update Ian. This will be another pair of models which demonstrate what can be done with some patience and effort. It reminds me too that both of these are on my to do list…..
Stephen.
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The work done thus far and those floats look fantastic. Looking forward to your next update.
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Beautiful work sir, just beautiful.
Warren
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Wow Ian, I was missing this double WIP, very good work, and a lot of interesting inspiration...
Antonio
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Thanks gents, much appreciated!
After the last few builds with scratchbuilt tail feathers, I'd decided that the plain plastic sheet was too bland, and the micro masking tape strips were too big, so for these 2 I'm trying something else. I attached thin strips of .005" card, and then gently sanded them down even further.
Here's what I started with, just the strips added:
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5829/30691012061_bd1577f982_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NL4sCn)
and a comparison shot:
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5533/30779286935_5b3d97a50f_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NTRTEX)
So far I'm pleased with how they look, a coat of primer will reveal the truth.....
A little more progress on the floats too. They've been joined together, and I've made new struts from .020" x .060" strip, thinned down slightly as .060" was a little too thick, but .040" was too thin....
(https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5629/30691013931_642f3edb34_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NL4tbB)
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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I spent most of yesterday working on these, measuring and drilling all the strut location holes, and a little bit of painting - so nothing worth photographing!
Today I attached the tail surfaces in preparation for the first coat of primer.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5679/30730002872_e4a7c7a235_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NPvieJ)
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5685/30758728881_f17ef6e9a5_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NS3wtK)
That left me with nothing much I could do with the airframes until those had dried. I knew I had to build some beaching gear for the Baby so that is what I did this afternoon. .040" x .060" strip was used for the main cross-member, which was filed out at the ends and drilled to take the brass rod "axles". The rest was added to match the pics in the Datafile as best as I could make them out, but none of them are very close so a lot of it is just guesswork. I'm happy with how they look so I'll leave them as they are. The wheels are again my own 3d printed items.
The float struts are finished apart from some holes for the rigging, but they are not yet attached to the floats, just sitting in their holes for the pic,
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5326/30758727271_52b83767ab_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NS3vZZ)
(https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5829/30211391843_5cd40acfc1_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/N2Fhfg)
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5714/30758728081_ad5bc9b1f4_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NS3weX)
I hope to get my new airbrush in the next day or so, so I'll be able to get on with the priming then!
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Ian, watching you bring these to life is a great learning experience for me sir. Thank you for the education! Great work.
Warren
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Terrific progress Ian!
RAGIII
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I've not made a lot of progress on these lately, mainly due to my own bad preparation on the painting. That resulted in me having to strip and respray the aluminium a few times before I finally got it sorted out.
My new airbrush is great, and has made life so much easier. Airbrushing is now actually enjoyable! Finally, after many attempts at fixing the problems, and trying to limit the damage, I just did it properly and didn't worry about trying not to damage adjacent areas.
So here's where I am now....
(https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5527/30690015830_78dc188ccb_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NKYmtY)
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5748/30991680345_c4f234e43e_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PdCsQi)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5545/30690016560_71af56227c_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NKYmGy)
As far as the Tabloid wings go, I decided to sand off all the rib details and add it again. Unfortunately I used .010" x .020" strip instead of cutting strips of .005" as I did with the tail surfaces and that just didn't work so I have to redo all the ribs.....a job for tomorrow!
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Great skills Ian,
And super subjects! I think Vacform is beyond me! But must be very satisfying...
Guy
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Thanks Guy, I'm sure it isn't - this is my first and it really isn't that different from anything else apart from having to add tabs to the fuselage halves to provide something to add the glue to......
After all the trials and tribulations with the aluminium I finally got the wing undersides painted. The Tabloid needed to show a shadow of the framework, and the Baby appears to need lighter rib tapes, despite the fact that it's CDL - maybe it was painted with something a little different than the CDL used on RFC aircraft due to the conditions it served in (any ideas?) I tried a number of different methods: the framework on the Tabloid was drawn on with a brown pencil and sprayed over. The light tapes on the Baby I have previously done with white decal strips sprayed over, but that is very tedious. I tried a white paint pen, but it was too thick, so I tried a white graphite pencil. That didn't show up over the CDL. In the end I resprayed the undersurfaces white and masked them with Jammy Dog mm masking tape. A coat or 2 of CDL, then the tape was removed and another thin coat applied to tone down the white. It's still tedious but much better as I can at least adjust the masking tape to get it straight much easier than I can with the decal strips, and I know they're all going to be exactly the same width. Shame about that pen though, if anyone knows of an ultra fine tip white paint pen please let me know! Ditto in brown....
Here's what the wings look like now, first the Baby:
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5538/30293760623_de2b2dd04a_k.jpg)
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5479/30986808901_7c39ed6f99_k.jpg)
and the Tabloid:
(https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5767/30293758683_98534684fa_k.jpg)
(https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5556/30986810331_2ee8349f1f_k.jpg)
and yes, the masking tape removed a chunk of the aluminium paint under the Baby, so that needs to be repainted yet again!
Next up is a strut making session!
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Great work Ian. I do like the wood effect you've achieved.
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Both are really shaping up nicely so far Ian :)
Terri
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Great work Ian, love what you are doing. Looking forward to your progress.
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Both models look really great. I think that the rib detail is especially fine - even if somewhat tedious to achieve. Still worthwhile though.
Stephen.
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Great effects on both sets of wings !Worth the effort!
RAGIII
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Thanks everyone, your comments are most appreciated!
Despite the lack of posts this week I have been busy. Unfortunately when I came to dry fit the upper wing I realised my measuring had been off somewhere.... the rear cabanes were about 1mm too far forward: not much, but it meant that when viewed from the side they weren't in line with the interplane struts. I also found that the holes I'd drilled in the upper wings were 1mm too far apart: again not much and on any other aircraft it probably wouldn't notice, but since the Tabloid cabanes struts were vertical it most definitely showed!
So that is what I've spent much of this week correcting......filling and redrilling the holes, and refinishing the surface.....
Today I finally fitted the upper wing and attached the cabane rigging. It will sit overnight now, and tomorrow I will see about fitting the lower wings. The observant may think, hang on, weren't those already fitted? The answer would be yes, twice in fact, but they're so fragile they fell off again both times during handling. Hence fitting the upper wing first (the cabanes are wire pinned) then I'll attach the lower wings to both the fuselage and the interplane struts at the same time to give them more strength.
(https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5670/31258789595_d50ac851d7_k.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5777/30437630624_708c31ef87_k.jpg)
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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That reads like a scratch build with holes being in the wrong places and wings and other bits dropping off! Still the model looks really good at the moment and hopefully you will be third time lucky with the lower wings. Really looking forward to seeing the Tabloid completed as I have one of these on my to build list too.
Stephen.
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Thanks Stephen,
Here she is with the lower wings on - permanently! Most of the rigging is in place and just needs tightening, only the landing wires to add:
(https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5684/31285799195_e02b8be3d8_k.jpg)
(https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5633/31141422572_ecaaf93232_k.jpg)
Ian
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looks great . i like to watch your builds
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Looks great as a biplane an your rigging is looking excellent!
RAGIII
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That looks very nice indeed! I do like your rigging method and your treatment of the rib tapes is just beautiful.... Lovely! Marc
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Thanks Alby, Rick and Marc for the feedback! It certainly looks a little better as a biplane I must admit!
....and here she is all trimmed up..
(https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5759/31159579522_b4d6df26e1_k.jpg)
(https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5754/31303862515_256e71d795_k.jpg)
This has not been one of my best builds: another mistake discovered today when I noticed the lower left wing was warped! Somehow it appears I trimmed one strut shorter than the others. I'm not quite sure how as they started off the same - they were all cut on the Chopper, so they HAD to be the same!! Anyway, I eased the joint apart at the top of the left rear strut and the wing straightened out. I have filled the very small gap with CA glue to secure it and will complete the repair and paint touch up tomorrow when it's all set.
Ian
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Nice work on the strut fix! Looking outstanding!
RAGIII
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Ian,
Beautiful work as expected my old friend. Over the years I'll noted that the strut locations pips are not always where they should be in some vac kits. Excellent correction on yours. Keep up the excellence!
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette
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Thanks Rick.
Gregory, unfortunately I had noticed that and filled all the pips. The error in strut position was entirely my own doing!
I had another good few hours on these today, but nowt worth a pic. I switched back to the Baby and made all the struts. The same system as I used for the Tabloid - .020" brass rod for the cabanes and .020" plastic rod for the interplane struts. Strips of .020" x .020" plastic rod were glued to each to give the required depth to the struts. While waiting for those to dry I measured and drilled all the strut mounting locations, then drilled all the rigging holes. After all that drilling I then gave the struts a thin coat of Mr Dissolved Putty to hide the seams. When that's dry (tomorrow) I'll sand them to shape....
Ian
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The struts are now done, and today I attached all the rigging lines and the cabane struts.
I now have a hairy Baby....
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5529/31364174525_c6f9815a2f_k.jpg)
She is also now armed, but probably not too dangerous....
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5628/31220278832_5cdacce7f4_k.jpg)
Ian
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Great work with this tiny tings. Will turn out great, when ready rigged.
Manni
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Thanks Manni!
No work today so the Baby has been rigged......a couple of shots just after the wing was added
(https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5595/31361991606_bf76649adb_k.jpg)
(https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5553/30576923774_f80ffeb0c1_k.jpg)
and all tidied up...
(https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5587/31361989996_95331e4f8d_k.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5496/30576922664_6fa4dd0ae6_k.jpg)
Of course dimwit here forgot to add the windshield before attaching the upper wing! Consequently it's not perfect, but it will do - it's as straight as I can get it, and it's pretty well hidden under there too so it's not too desperate!
Both of these are now ready for the upper wings to be touched up and then it's on to the floats/landing gear.
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Great job Ian!
Warren
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Lovely rigging Ian,
Guy
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Your rigging looks excellent. Nice and tight and to scale!
RAGIII
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Great job. From the start up to the rigging. Very good work.
Manni
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Very interesting WIP. I have great admiration for such kind of work.
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Outstanding work on both aircraft. Cannot believe this is 1/72. Looking forward to your updates.
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Lovely looking build and progress... It's very enjoyable following this... Your rigging is shaping up beautifully... Regards, Marc
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Just catching up Ian. My you do move with these models but your standards remain incredibly high. Just a great thread to follow.
Stephen.
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Thanks to everyone for the comments, all very much appreciated!
I finally got around to a task I'd not been looking forward to: attaching the floats!
I had been pondering various different possibilities for rigging them bearing in mind that there is a drag wire to the wings, and there are 2 small "bullets" to hold the wires in their correct positions. I decided that the easiest would be to drill the float struts and thread them as I normally do, adding the home-made "bullets" at the same time (I hope....). The only problem being the size of the struts, so a 0.15mm drill bit was used - I can barely even see the holes...this is NOT going to be fun....
Anyway, that joy is still to come. Today I achieved my goals......
(https://c3.staticflickr.com/1/123/31120916690_189bf7cc2f_k.jpg)
(https://c4.staticflickr.com/1/467/31376458611_ed51f4e8f8_k.jpg)
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/1/378/31376456681_1bfccdcea4_k.jpg)
I do believe they're even straight, and the wings are level - result!
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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That is Sweeeet....Bravo!
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Hi Ian, lovely job you have done so far. Looking forward to you progress.
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Your making good progress on both Ian , well done so far 8) Lovely work on the floats !
Terri
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Excellent progress Ian! It looks great sitting on the floats! I am sure you will nail the float rigging!
RAGIII
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Great work Ian - looking forward to seeing this one finished.
Stephen.
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Thanks to Thumbs, Terri, Juan, Rick and Stephen for the comments, much appreciated!
I thought that it would be a wise move, before going any further, to get the decals on. Especially in the Baby as the aileron rigging and drag wire from the floats pass through the underwing roundals. So that's what I did today.
The Tabloid only needed the Sopwith logo and the number on the rudder so that was easy enough, although I had to cut off the "The" above the Sopwith to get it to fit. The numbers come from an Aviaeology (yes, that is how they spell it!) of pre WWII RAF and FAA serial numbers. They're a little wide, but seeing as the rudder has the Sopwith decal, 2 layers of white for the square, and 3 individual numbers on each side, I wasn't about to add to the work by cutting each number in half and overlapping them!
The Baby's fin has the wrong style "The" - because the correct decal disintegrated and I didn't have another copy with the flat wording. It'll do!
(https://c5.staticflickr.com/1/674/31477073476_8a2df0cc05_k.jpg)
The rest of the Baby's decals, apart from the serial number, are from the Microscale roundals sheet (that's also where the replacement Sopwith logos came from) as the decals supplied with the kit had a blue that was far too light.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/771/31477074456_2449b98af9_k.jpg)
(https://c5.staticflickr.com/1/32/31477075236_4f89acdd89_k.jpg)
I also used the centre spots from a Pegasus sheet on the fuselage roundals, as the centres on the Microscale ones were too small.
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Even better with the Markings applied!
RAGIII
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I bit the bullet today and tackled the float rigging!
I needed to come up with some way of adding the little "bullets" holding the wires between the floats, and decided to use .025" rod, which I sanded to a point at one end. I then drilled through it, and using a permanent marker, made a small mark at 90 degrees to the drill hole, then drilled through that. I was hoping this would work but really had no clue if I was being too optimistic....
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/1/458/31421864961_0295a8188f_k.jpg)
It looks as though this may work! After drilling and threading them, I chopped the fronts to length and carefully rounded them off. Then came the hard part - adding those to the strut assembly, bearing in mind that since I'd threaded them, I'd have to add them from the inside ie under the narrow angle of the struts at the float end.....
It worked!!
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/292/30696604144_1cd1daa182_k.jpg)
The front line runs out to the wingtip as a drag wire, so those ends have been attached to the wings and I'll leave it at that for today. Tomorrow or Sunday will see them tightened up and secured. Then I need to figure out how to get the bullets lined up instead of pointing upwards.....
Ian
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Looking great Ian,
Love the 'bullets'
Guy
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It seems you have achieved your goal once you tighten the lines! Very nice work!
RAGIII
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That is a brilliant bit of rigging Ian. Excellent lateral thinking about how to solve a problem - in the true spirit of modelling.
Which Microscale sheet has the Sopwith logos? Are they still available?
Stephen.
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Hi Stephen,
This is the sheet I've been using, it's 72-0006
http://www.ebay.com/itm/WW-I-BRITISH-INSIGNIA-MARKINGS-STENCILS-MICROSCALE-DECALS-1-72-/262732180576?hash=item3d2c0eec60:g:MuIAAOSwYSlXgZjj
There are stencils for Sopwith, Short, Mann Egerton, A.V. Roe, Eastbourne Aviation, and Westland, along with quite a few varieties of "lift here" stencils.
Well worth the money!
Ian
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She is looking quite striking. Looking forward to your progress.
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Thanks Juan!
I finished off the float rigging today. Having already secured the drag wires to the wings, I then secured the fuselage ends of the rear wires and let those dry. While I was waiting I made a little jig to rest the "bullets" on to ensure that they stayed in the correct place and gave me the correct angles to the wires.
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/1/449/31582277305_1f107fc35a_z.jpg)
That was held in place with a piece of masking tape and the wires were tensioned and held by small pegs until the CA went off.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/181/31435805912_62a25112ae_k.jpg)
The whole thing was repeated for the forward wires, and this is what I ended up with after they had all been secured and trimmed...
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/1/58/31582279905_e3e2d5337a_k.jpg)
I'm happy with that! I'm not going to bother with trying to get them aligned fore and aft as the wires slacken slightly as the bullets are twisted, so they'll stay as they are.
I then turned my attention to the tail float assembly. The struts are a fraction too short so I think I'll make new ones. The water rudder is a 2 piece PE item. I stuck the rudder parts together but removed the shaft it is mounted on and replaced it with a length of .016" brass rod.
(https://c5.staticflickr.com/1/626/31435803852_7ca8b08967_k.jpg)
and that's where I'm leaving it for tonight. I have an early start tomorrow, but also an early finish, so I may get some more done tomorrow afternoon.
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Excellent results on the rigging and tail float!
RAGIII
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Thanks Rick!
Another good afternoon at the bench today.
I got the tail float fitted, attached the beaching trolley to the main floats and did some touching up on the paintwork. I then decided I needed to actually make something, so I built up a trestle for the tail to sit on...
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/302/30764806304_5ed6e3fa68_k.jpg)
(https://c4.staticflickr.com/1/389/31606336675_1bbf69b993_k.jpg)
(https://c7.staticflickr.com/1/311/31568980286_00546f33b7_k.jpg)
Tomorrow I should be able to get the tail and float rigged and start on the control surfaces.....
Ian
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You are building a very fine pair there, Ian. I especially like Baby, even more now when I realised you chose 8151, which I built some time ago from the same kit. Good work!
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Nice work indeed! That float rigging really came out great!
Steve
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Amasing little plane. Ready rigged andd on its floats it looks great.
Manni
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Thanks Prez, Steve and Manni.
Prez, I'd love to see a pic or two of your build.....
I got the trestle painted and fitted, and all the float rigging is now complete, including the lines for the water rudder. I used .002" stainless wire and I can't for the life of me see how anyone could use this for an entire model, it took me as long to fit 8 small wires on the float as it usually does to rig half the wings! I kept losing the tiny bits of wire and it took ages to get them straight enough to fit!
Today I added the tail surfaces then gave the Baby a light wash using pastels and water, wiping most of it off and leaving just enough of a trace to break up the colour a little and make it a bit less bland. I then gave it a quick blow over with gloss acrylic.
So here's where she is as of tonight....
(https://c7.staticflickr.com/1/696/31502326062_01308fbf7c_k.jpg)
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/684/31502325232_90f0fe9b81_k.jpg)
(https://c3.staticflickr.com/1/128/31502324442_d419bc63c0_k.jpg)
Hopefully tomorrow I'll get the control horns on and be able to make a start on rigging the control surfaces.
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Looking better and better, Ian.
I have showed my build log back there in The Aerodrome. Some photos are still on my website:
http://www.ikb.poznan.pl/przemyslaw.litewka/modele_pliki/baby.html
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Beautiful work Ian! You are really getting close now!
RAGIII
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Thanks Rick! Prez, that is gorgeous, I'm not going to attempt to add any painted detail to the fuselage as from the pics i have of the aircraft it just looks dirty. I think the dope used on the seaplanes may have been thicker, or coloured, as opposed to clear, as there are no rib shadows evident - only the lighter tapes associated with the later PC10/12 doped aircraft.
Anyway, I had a good afternoon on this and got further than I had hoped. All the rigging is done, engine and prop attached, gun reattached, and the stabiliser struts and pilot's step added. A few little touch ups, and I may add the Anderson pump to the rear cabane strut, and that's it finished!
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/1/521/30858817943_8a8d625204_k.jpg)
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/1/477/30858817233_7d16b0f6c0_k.jpg)
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/1/361/30858816623_690aeb3ad6_k.jpg)
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/1/715/30858815953_47d38ea513_k.jpg)
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/1/647/30858814673_21b5946c0b_k.jpg)
Next pics of thos one will be in the completed section!
Now back to the Tabloid....
Thanks for watching!
Ian
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Superb completion on this little beauty Ian, just looks like it must have been a joy to fly! The last photo is very nicely posed, I'll be watching for her debut in the completed section.
Cheers,
Lance
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Beautiful little gem. The plane looks great, nice finnish. The rigging is perfectly done and the wood of the swimmers brings life to the plane.
Chapeau,
Manni
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It's beautiful Ian!
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Missed some of the recent updates - that Baby is the best I have ever seen. That is a truly beautiful model - an outstanding build.
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As always with your builds I have enjoyed following along! You are truly a master at improving very basic kits. I am looking forward to the final pics in completed Models!
RAGIII
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Excellent.
-
I have got back to work on the Tabloid, and started on the undercarriage.
I've used .020 x.040 rod for all of the parts. The first task was to make the skids, so I sanded down the end of a piece of balsa to the curve I needed, then sandwiched the 2 strips between some thicker sheet to stop it twisting and taped it to the balsa.
(https://c3.staticflickr.com/1/524/31397659010_e0669e40a6_k.jpg)
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/1/572/31653854121_895d411f17_k.jpg)
A quick dunk (about 10 seconds) in some hot water, followed by running it under a cold tap and I have 2 curved pieces...
img]https://c3.staticflickr.com/1/674/31397656490_fdfd3addfd_k.jpg[/img]
They were then cut to length and sanded down, and I now have 2 skids for the undercarriage...
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/1/751/31653853181_eab172f2a9_k.jpg)
The other parts are all straight so they were simply cut to length and I've started on painting them all prior to fitting.
I'm off home to the UK tonight for a week so this will be my last update until I get back.
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Simple and effective method for bending material to shape - works every time! Great - keep it up Ian.
Stephen.
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It does indeed Stephen!
A good amount of progress on the undercarriage today. I got all the framework fitted and most of the rigging has been done. Just the fore-and-aft rigging to do and that will be with stainless wire as I can't drill and thread here....
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/1/482/31875588711_ea77d42998_k.jpg)
and all trimmed up....
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/627/31618540800_b109fa4414_k.jpg)
Now to add the axle - I think I should have used my normal method of adding two thin strips either side of the axle but it's too late now so I'll have to think of something else.....I'm not sure quite what I was thinking when I added just a single strip for the spreader bar, but it's done now....
Ian
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Well, folks, I managed to get this one done today as the last completion of 2016! A little bit of touching up here and there but that's it.
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/1/643/32011015925_fcff9edd95_k.jpg)
More pics in completed models tomorrow when I have some decent light.
Thanks for looking in, and Happy New Year everyone!
Ian
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Another outstanding build from a less than outstanding kit! A pleasure following along!
RAGIII
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Two beautiful models Ian. Always enjoy your builds.
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Two incredible 1/72 builds. Have enjoyed looking in on your journey. Lovely builds.
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As the others have written, two fantastic builds from not the best of kits.
Stephen.