forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com
WW1 Aircraft Modeling => Under Construction => Vacform Kits => Topic started by: IanB on March 01, 2020, 04:13:57 AM
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Sorry to have been away for so long, but what with relocation, and getting distracted by WWII aircraft and a car or two, my WWI models have unfortunately taken a back seat for a while.
However, despite my best efforts I have caved in to the Vac form and resin kit builders new group build and I will be starting the Scaleplanes RAF FE8 kit which was one of the first vacs I added to my stash. I have some after market goodies in the form of a SmallStuff Monosoupape engine and Aeroclub prop which although slightly too large is at least the correct pitch for a pusher and can be filed down, and a Miniworld Lewis gun. Wheels and national markings/serial have been sourced from the spares stash. The only issue is how I will do the number on the nacelle as I have no decals that will do the job. I'll sort that out when I come to it, and it will be less of a problem than figuring out how to do the tail framing!
Here's what I have to be going on with:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49600807386_fe79e54d2b_z.jpg)
Did I mention how tiny it is?
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49601067967_8b64bd9b0b_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49600308843_b0d25ea8c8_z.jpg)
I spent this afternoon scaling up the plans from the Datafile (why are the profiles and plan view different sizes? They are not to any particular scale either!) and sourcing the bits I needed. The last act of today was to outline the parts to be removed.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49601068282_0867f8ebde_z.jpg)
Oh well, here we go.....
Ian
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Will be tagging along :)
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One of the most underrated and forgotten pusher planes of WWI. Great you are doing this one. I also have the WDF in my library and frequently wondered about these strange scale plans... Well, mistakes can happen everywhere I think.
Andreas
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Now this is a type we don't see very often at all . Will be following along on this one . I built a 48 scale kit of the is using lone star models vac kit , it wasn't very good and I only ended in using the two fuselage halves - rest is scratchbuilt . Looking forward on your progress :)
Terri
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Hi "Thumbs", please do!
Andreas and Terri, welcome aboard, good to see you here!
Just in case we have any vacform "newbies" looking in, I'll document the whole process. So here we go!
First thing then, is removing the parts from the sheet. You will have noticed in my previous post I had outlined the parts with a black marker. Next step is to break them out, literally! I usually start by using scissors to cut the sheet into sections, each containing a part. Then using a knife blade, score around each part, but not too close. The plastic can then be bent and snapped off.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49604041296_9c4b5a58a2_z.jpg)
leaving you with this
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49604295617_9d93bb0c20_z.jpg)
I then score again, carefully right along the edge of the parts. This is why I said not to go too close last time. If you left enough, you can grab the excess with a pair of pliers and bend it away, again snapping it off cleanly. If you prefer you can omit the first snapping out part, but I prefer to work with gradually smaller pieces rather than trying to bite it all off at once, it gives me better control over what I'm doing.
That left me with this
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49604041061_a3ae57790d_z.jpg)
The wing undersides look like this
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49604295477_c9e94cf8b4_z.jpg)
Don't worry, it's all going to be sanded off! That's why I drew the black lines earlier
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49603538833_da9f6aa601_z.jpg)
So that I can see how far back I have to sand them! Not too important on the wings as I will just sand to the correct thickness which, on the trailing edges, will be much thinner than that line. But on other parts it's critical.
If the kit is made correctly!
Fortunately I checked the fuselage nacelle before I sanded it down...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49604041386_abc4faf7c9_z.jpg)
It's actually the correct width without sanding, so that means it's going to be awkward and probably need filler!
After sanding the wings down, I checked them against the plans
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49604041436_8f75b45079_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49604040801_7f5f61e747_z.jpg)
Not too good! The trailing edges need extending, as do the tips, and the centre cutout on the lower wings is the wrong shape, although it's too small so could be cut back.
It looks as though I'm going to have to make a set of wings too, so this kit will basically consist of the fuselage nacelle, suitably corrected, and a bunch of scratchbuilt and aftermarket parts!
Oh well, good job I didn't pay for it!
My printer died this morning too, so I need to buy another one! I guess I'll have to use the one at work for now!
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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wow Ian, it seems you are tackling a pretty poorly designed vac! So now on to scratch building :-[
RAGIII
PS: Your work looked great prior to comparison of the parts to the drawings!
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Ian, STOP : the plans you are using are 1/48 scale !?
Regards,
Matt.
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No worries Matt!
The originals are, but the other plans in the DF are different sizes for plan and elevation so it was easier to reduce the 1:48 plans than to enlarge the dubious scale ones twice for plan and elevation!
Ian
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On with the latest installment of "Tales from the Table Top". Part 3: The Sorry Saga of a Scaleplanes Vac"
When we last saw the FE8 she was feeling very sorry for herself. Methinks it was an inferiority complex caused in part by having undersized parts. Understandable!
To remedy that, some minor surgery was required. The first step being to sand off the edges where extensions were needed to give a flat joint surface. The areas needing attention were the trailing edges and tips of all 3 wings. Once that was taken care of, strips of .020" x .060" were added to the trailing edges, and .030" x .100" to the tips.
That was done last night, and some Mr Dissolved putty added to the joints. This morning I started sanding them down. First I tackled the lower wings, the inner trailing edges were cut back to the correct positions and the new edges shaped.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49609168442_77e5b78b8e_z.jpg)
One done
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49608915356_15e89f038e_z.jpg)
To make sure they match, I marked the second one using the first as a template.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49608916471_505f1ec205_z.jpg)
That, and the upper wing, were then treated the same way.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49608915816_26c7147427_z.jpg)
Since the parts also have a concave underside, usually perfect for an early aircraft but unfortunately not this one, I did a skim of Milliput fine. It was rolled out into a thin sausage and stuck on, the flattened out using plenty of water, before finally using a scrap piece of thick plastic sheet, chamfered to an edge, as a scraper, again with water to smooth it out and level it off. It's a very messy process and difficult to see how well it worked. Hopefully it will be ok and i can always finish it off with PPP now that I have a solid base to accept the strut pins later.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49608398078_c9fd4a3260_z.jpg)
The wings now look much better and the span is acceptable top and bottom.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49608398448_91b540c5d9_z.jpg)
On to the nacelle. Again the kit part is not good. The front end is too low, the cockpit opening is too low, and the cockpit sides are too vertical. Apart from that it's not too bad!
Sort of like this
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49608398408_1eb1772b44_z.jpg)
This is how the cockpit should be
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49609168662_0a9d710e08_z.jpg)
and this is what we get
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49608915516_bcc1f9d217_z.jpg)
You'll see I've already added some Mr Dissolved Putty to help with the adjustment. That was before I though it through. The first issue was to correct the nose. After pondering a while I settled for cutting it and bending it up. I made a small cut either side, forward of the cockpit and inserted small spacers.
Here's the cut on one side
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49608398318_76dbdb0c22_z.jpg)
Bent upwards
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49609168997_1a9a7fa34d_z.jpg)
Much better!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49609168967_2a5ea7a8d9_z.jpg)
and with the spacers glued in, it was held in place with dolls house pegs. The gaps have been filled with more Mr Dissolved Putty and they have been set aside to set over night.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49608916026_66296d5449_z.jpg)
One final pair of shots to show the corrected wings over the plans.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49608916381_324445e3cf_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49608397633_604296d479_z.jpg)
Oh look, it's Happy Hour! Time for a beer.
Thanks for looking in everyone, have a great evening!
Ian
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Quote: "Oh look, it's Happy Hour! Time for a beer."
Ian,
A man after my own heart; after that sequence of modifications and repairs I hope you had two! Nice to see you back in action here, it's looking very nice!
Cheers,
Lance
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Very innovative and successful mods Ian. The results look excellent!
RAGIII
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Ian , you are making really excellent progress on the corrections . Huge difference ! What are your plans for the cockpit ?
Terri
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Thanks Lance, I had at least 2!
Thanks Rick, much appreciated.
Terri, my plan at the moment is to add stock strip to the sides to raise them and see how it looks. Milliput or Mr Dissolved Putty may come into use, added on the inside to enable me to sand the outside to the correct shape. I will also add a smidge of Milliput to the nose to reinstate the slightly bulbous shape of the upper nose surface.
That's the plan, we'll see how and if that needs to be amended!
Ian
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By this point, I would have binned the 'kit' and scratchbuilt it.
Good work!
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@kensar - It probably would have been easier, but not as much fun!
On to today's progress.
I'm very happy with the wings. This is the underside of the upper wing. I tried to get some oblique light on it to show the blemishes, but since there aren't any visible it was a bit of a waste of time!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49613385061_6001bf19fb_z.jpg)
Then it was on to the nacelle. The side pieces went on easily enough and I'm happy with those.
A small fillet has also been added at the rear which will be filed down with a rat's tail file when dry to give the curve up to the rear sides. Because the sides are now higher, the rear of the cockpit doesn't need drastic alteration. However the hump behind the pilot's head was far too small so I rumaged in the spares box and found these
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49613642787_4ccb4e49bb_z.jpg)
I think they came from the Sopwith Baby. Filed a bit narrower and reamed out with the rat's tail and it should work nicely!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49612865578_d74d68e3cb_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49613384646_e4ffa5a7d9_z.jpg)
It can be extended further aft once in place.
The last item on the cockpit nacelle was to add the final blanks to shape the front of the cockpit opening. Strips of .020" x .060" were added and again Mr Dissolved Putty was added to the seams. Once that's all properly dried I'll file and sand it all to shape.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49613643157_a37d2930c8_z.jpg)
That should complete the adjustments needed, at least until after the halves have been jopined when I can finish off the final shaping. The underside at the rear will also need to be opened up and an angled piece inserted to give a slant to the underside, although the nacelle edges remain where they are. A strut will eventually be positioned between the lower rear edges of the nacelle too.
Last job today was the prop, which was actually done while waiting for other bits to dry so i could work on them again.
I started with an Aeroclub prop which was slightly too large so the tips were clipped to give the correct prop diameter of 34mm, then it was out with the needle files to reshape the blades, then thin them to a nice sharp edge.
Halfway
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49613384976_16c4072962_z.jpg)
and finished
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49613642887_28ee57ca88_z.jpg)
I'm happy with that, almost a shame to have to paint it!
That's it for today folks and progress with undoubtedly slow now as I'm back to work tomorrow.
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Hi Ian,
I'm following your excellent work with interest as the F.E.8 is one of my favourite WWI aircraft, and in the right scale...
I admire your efforts to carve a decent model out of the old and inaccurate Scaleplanes kit. Keep up the good work!
Ehud
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Coming along nicely with the corrections Ian , really like that prop ! :)
Terri
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Thanks Ehud and Terri, much appreciated!
Just a quick update today as I got the sanding and reshaping of the cockpit nacelle completed. I have also added a floor along the entire length as it will double as a locator tab and also give a base for when I have to add filler along the seam! I'll add more tabs later.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49617101498_3b0e345cf9_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49617618901_40f93d29f9_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49617618651_d74fd9f0e7_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49617618766_8d50d334a6_z.jpg)
That'll do nicely for now. Final shaping of the nose profile with filler can be done when it's all together.
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Your corrections to the profile on the nose seem to be working nicely. I am looking forward to the net step!
RAGIII
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Really Ian I agree with others: it would have been easier to scratch build this one. I did convert mine from the Airfix DH 4 and that was less work than you are having to do.
Stephen.
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All part of the fun, Stephen!
I do enjoy correcting the kits when possible, although I'll scratchbuild if that's impossible (Merlin Fokkers for example!)
Ian
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Hey Ian , so far the fuselage halves are really starting to take shape now and should excellent once the finally touch ups are done . I's not an easy shape to work with . You asked the question about the lower panel , the lower panel shouldn't be there It's the same as the DH-2 . I left my off to show off all the detail . But they were removed on some aircraft at the unit level to improve cooling . I haven't seen any photo's to support that though , so it's all speculation .
Terri
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That’s without any doubt one of the most work intensive build jobs I’ve ever seen. Chapeau, what a great result so far. I am sure it will become another little jewel.
Andreas
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Sorry it's been a while since the last update, busy at work!
Well, that and a total failure at soldering!
I recently bought a new iron and wanted to try it out, but for the life of me couldn't get anything to stick together! I persevered for a whole afternoon before putting it down (before I threw it!) and going for a beer.
Yesterday I tried again and couldn't get any solder on the tip. Every tie I tried to tin it, the solder just formed a little ball Anyone have any ideas?
I ended up using solder paint and got the cockpit framework done, including what will be the "spars" for the lower wings, to give them a positive location and a bit of strength. I was thinking of adding the cabane struts but that would mean removing the upper centre section of the nacelle and would make it awkward to fabricate the fairing along the spine, so I will just drill holes for those and CA them in.
Anyway, here's where I got to.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49675539036_f2ff5a48e7_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49675001408_2a7cc58090_z.jpg)
I'll leave the two bits sticking out the back for now as they give me something to hold it by when working on it/painting it.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49675001343_77be301772_z.jpg)
The gun mount was also done
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49675822062_e846e70ddf_z.jpg)
I will CA the cross braces for the seat support, and the rudder pedals/control column as I don't want to break the joints I already have!
I'm happy with those but would love to know why I can't get the solder to stick!
Ian
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Terrific progress and very clever work on the interior frame and spar assembly.
RAGIII
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Ian
You are doing some fine work with that little vac. It is one thing to correct the shape of the shells, a whole 'nother order of magnitude to get a tiny frame to fit well inside. I have never heard of solder paint. Does it actually bond the join? Where is it available?
sp
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Terrific progress and very clever work on the interior frame and spar assembly.
RAGIII
Agree with my Amigo, I did a lone Star in 1/48 and so know the problems, compounded by 1/72 scale, great work !
Ed
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I like it Ian , shaping up awesome !
Terri
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I agree with Terri! It's one of my favorites!
Dan
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@ smperry This isn't the exact stuff I have but the same idea.
https://www.solderconnection.com/p592/Fryolux-Leaded-Solder-Paint.html
Ian
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Thanks Ian
I'm going to try some.
sp
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Well I think I've sorted the soldering problem. I turned it on again today and.....nothing. It's totally dead. Less than 2 weeks old and used twice. Bu**er. The warranty is only good in the US so I guess I'll have to fork out for another one. It certainly won't be this one again!
So back to the old iron and I put together the rudder bar and control column, then gave it all a quick blast of paint, including some grey on the inside of the nacelle to give me an idea of where any further attention might be needed. It doesn't look too bad but I'll clean it up a little more anyway.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49682976397_05869bba59_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49682152743_f9fdfd25d7_z.jpg)
I also put together a PE seat and added some plastic strip to the bottom which will be shaped when it's dry to position it correctly.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49682685846_c3886ec0e0_z.jpg)
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Looking good Ian ! :) 8)
Terri
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Excellent!
RAGIII
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Thanks Terri and Rick! I must admit I'm enjoying this one, so far at least!
A little more progress today as I am now forced to stay at home for at least 2 weeks as I'm sure are most others. Unfortunately I'm not in a position to work from home so we have to use up our vacation time. Still, at least that means I'm being paid so it could be worse!
I spent this afternoon adding the rest of the interior framework using .020" x .030" strip and .015" dia rod. I had originally done the side frames with .010" x .020" strip but it looked out of scale so I pulled it all out and did it again. I think it was worth the effort!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49694428112_2fdf0f9d19_z.jpg)
and fortunately everything seems to fit!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49694428267_0f44b19650_z.jpg)
so it all got another coat of grey.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49694125646_78498c4cd2_z.jpg)
The seat also got it's base coat of CDL so text job for tomorrow will be to add the CDL to the framework and panel behind the pilot ready for the wood painting. I'm not looking forward to painting those tiny frames but I did get myself some decent small detail brushes at Telford last year so it should be easier than previously!
Have a good night all! Stay safe and thanks for looking in.
Ian
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Excellent progress. Your interior is going to look awesome!
RAGIII
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Ooooo , now I really looking forward on seeing some pint on her . She is looking might fine so far :)
Terri
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Thanks guys, wait no longer for paint! At least in the interior....
I got a bit more done today on the interior. Paint all done now,
Step 1 for the woodwork was the CDL coat,
Step 2 was a "wash" of acrylic "leather"
Step 3 a coat of Tamiya clear orange.
Job done!
I know I too pics of each stage but my phone appears to have been hungry today so there's only one left
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49697411781_ddf3925184_z.jpg)
After that it was time to start putting it all together, including the PE seatbelts.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49697742517_618e409608_z.jpg)
Sorry for the dearth of pics, I'll try to remember to feed the phone tomorrow morning! So tomorrow's tasks are to add the control cables in the cockpit, including something in the back to stick the exterior ones to when the time comes, add a couple of rudimentary instruments, then stick the halves together.
Stay safe, and thanks for looking in!
Ian
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More progress!
In between making a beer run and grocery shopping (I had to forgo the water, tomorrow is good enough for that!) I managed to get quite a bit done today.
I had to replan my construction after realising that I had added the foot boards so could not now add the gun mounting across them. Instead I drilled a hole in the floor and trimmed the post for length. I had also forgotten to make the little wooden support for it so the "woodworking" kit came out again. After cutting and sanding it to an acceptable shape and size I painted it CDL. Once that was dry the "leather" wash went on
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49701245592_7de884ab0e_z.jpg)
Followed not too long after by the clear orange
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49700937666_6bf6d1ff62_z.jpg)
All was then attached to the tiny tub!
Thoughts then turned to how I was going to attach the control wires for rudder and elevator. I decided the best bet was to CA the lines to a small piece of plastic card so I could glue that inside then push the wires back into the tub once it was closed up to ensure they stayed safe. A piece of tape on the ends SHOULD ensure that I can pull them out again later.....
The lines were duly run across my silver marker, then CAd to little bits of strip, which were painted black, just in case! I made sure the lines were as close together as possible, then they were threaded through the holes and the little black piece was glued inside the rear of the tub.
Another few minutes playing with offcut plastic card gave me the rear lower panel which was painted and attached.
I decided to forgo the internal control cables and the one or two instruments as it's already quite busy in there and I'm not sure I could fit them in!
That left me with this
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49701245422_011e1281c7_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49700405043_8e4a80d209_z.jpg)
That'll do for me! So out with the glue!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49700937961_48acf6fe11_z.jpg)
She will sit overnight to ensure all is good and set, then out with the filler and sanding sticks!
Thanks for looking in folks, and stay safe!
Ian
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Lovely work on the painting and construction of your interior!
RAGIII
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Thanks Rick!
Evening all!
Time for today's close of play update.
My plans for today were thwarted upon inspection of the nacelle. It hadn't stuck well enough, despite the tabs. So the first job today was to adjust the tape and brush Gators grip into the joints, making sure it went all the way in between the floor and the shell. After that had dried I moved the tape and repeated the process in the areas that were now revealed. I'll leave it now until tomorrow just to be sure it's properly set.
That meant I had to find something else to do, so I started on the wings. There were 2 jobs that needed doing (apart from drilling all the holes!) and I was a little wary of the second one....
First though I marked out and removed the ailerons and tidied all those up. That also required filling the moulded aileron lines as they are too thick and in the wrong place anyway, the ailerons are smaller than the kit ones. They were removed by using a micro saw for the ends, then repeated scribing along a metal rule with a no11 blade until I could break them off. That ensured a nice straight, clean, edge
The second job?
Adding the dihedral. I was hoping that I'd be able to bend the wings and they'd hold the new shape, but was not sure about what would happen to the milliput I'd added earlier. I marked each one up and held them against a metal rule to give a good edge, then carefully applied a little pressure. It worked! The wings were all done in a short time, then each was compared both to the plans and more importantly, to each other. A slight difference from the plans won't be noticeable but if they are different from each other that will definitely show!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49704075073_2428e991ae_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49704074958_e06d52695e_z.jpg)
That will do! There was one slight crack in the milliput but nothing serious and it will be easily dealt with. That leaves pinning the ailerons, and drilling the strut/rigging holes. That should be fun!
What other jobs could be done at this stage?
Tail feathers!
Cut from .020" sheet as usual, there was just one small difference to my normal procedure. To ensure that the tail is as strong as possible and straight, I left the rudder and both fins attached. I carefully measured and marked up the fins, scribed a line, then cut a slot with a small saw blade. I had to widen it very carefully with a no. 11 blade but it now slips over the stabilizer nicely.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49704922477_3b97f9a3f4_z.jpg)
I simply scribed the rudder joint on and will work with that.The elevators will be separated later. It looks good and I think it will add a bit of rigidity to the assembly.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49704074733_5bd2ffe7cb_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49704922237_e81a7850be_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49704922892_d484ff1840_z.jpg)
Last job for today was to cut the brass rod for the tail booms. First off I had to figure out the lengths. Normally I'd use the 1:48 plans and scale down but since these are all over the shop and the only ones I'd corrected were the 1:72 ones I had to measure even more carefully than usual! After measuring top and bottom at least 3 times I triangulated to get the true length.
For those not too sure, there are 3 simple steps. I first measured the length along the boom itself on the side view. That gave me the long side of a right angled triangle. Then on the plan view I drew a vertical line from the tail mounting towards the nose (This represents the measurement we just took from the side but is not the right length because of the slope, hence why I measured it along the boom from the side, not just the distance between the front and rear ends of the boom!). The distance between this line and the wing mounting gave me the short edge of the triangle. The diagonal is the boom length! Top one is 57mm and the bottom one 54.5mm.
I spent quite a while mulling over what size brass rod to use. I couldn't find any reference to what size they actually were so did it by eye, comparing to photos. I first went for .8mm and cut all 4 before deciding they looked too stubby, so I did it again with .6mm and I'm much happier with the look now. I think .8mm scales out to about 2.25" and .6mm to 1.75" (43mm) which is not out of the realms of possibility. The struts between top and bottom are .5mm.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49704604556_45be57f804_z.jpg)
So that's where we are tonight. Tomorrow will hopefully see the nacelle cleaned up and shaped correctly, and possibly even the soldering of the tail booms. We'll see how I feel when I get to it...
Stay safe, and thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Thank you Ian for the concise tutorial on getting the correct boom length. A mm off in 1:72 can be noticeable, not to mention the satisfaction of having gotten it exactly right. Looking forward to your further adventures in scratch building.
sp
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Thanks SP!
I noticed in another post you said you're on Florida's nature coast. I lived in Crystal River for 7 years!
Ian
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Ian
They have had US 19 torn up from south of Homosassa Springs up to the airport for the last 2 1/2 years. At least when they are done the non-residents will zip through much faster. They are also extending the Suncoast Parkway up to Hwy 44 in Crystal River, the tree murdering Orcs :-) The only hobby shop in the area is Rob's in Ocala a good hour away, as is the nearest IPMS plastic modeling club. You probably picked a good time to depart.
sp
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excellent Math and Progress on your build Ian! The tail surfaces and wings look outstanding! I am also an Ex Patriot from Florida, although I lived on the East Coast Near Ft. Lauderdale 8)
RAGIII
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Great! Amazing scratchbuilding and a lovely little cockpit!
Andreas
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Fantastic progress Ian . Even in this scale the wings are very thin ! I really like how this is shaping up so far , just super :) Can't wait to see how the booms turn out ;)
Terri
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Thanks all, glad you're enjoying it!
My maths was ok, but I didn't follow my own instructions...
Good job I checked the lengths on the plans! Obviously they don't match the plan for length because they don't take the angle into account, but with the same starting point and the same finishing position re the tailplane, they should have the same ending point, just a little further back - they didn't! The lower boom should be 56mm not 54.5mm! (The 54.5 was the straight line length from the plan! Doh!)
That little escapade took up a while this morning, measuring, re-measuring, trying to find the source of the error. Eventually I ended up with 2 lower booms of the correct length.
Putty was applied generously to the tub, sanded, reapplied, re-sanded, etc throughout the day until I got to a point that I'm happy with. The upper part of the nose still needs some final tweeks (don't mention MacBeth! @The Spadgent), and I will add milliput tomorrow to shape the rear fairing behind the pilot's headrest.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49708672727_b65a4790a3_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49708350126_af6644431f_z.jpg)
It's certainly looking a lot more like an FE8 than it did originally!
More work was done on the wings but not photographic enough I measured and marked them up and drilled all the strut location holes. That took a considerable amount of time this afternoon as a mistake here will be very obvious. To make sure they all line up, I drew a line along both spars, to which the struts were mounted. The rear spar was marked off after measuring against the plans a few times to ensure it was the correct measurement, and the front was marked relative to that. The rear locations were then drilled out with the smallest drill I had to get a good centre. To ensure the front lines up I laid the wing on it's leading edge, put the drill into the hole in the rear spar and slid an angle up against it. Without moving the two I drilled the front on the previously drawn line and up tight against the angle. Repeat 4 times, then drill out the holes with the correct size drill and the strut locator holes were done. The holes in the lower wing have been drilled all the way through, not necessarily because that was how I'd planned it, but because I had carefully marked and drilled the underside! Doh!
Then it was time to bite the bullet and start on the wing struts. They are tiny, 18mm long, with a .5mm gap each end for the locator pin as after looking at pics it is clear that the wooden part of the strut did not touch the wing. They have all been cut to length using .020"x 040" (.5mm x 1mm) strip and the first 2 have been shaped. It doesn't take long, but it is a little tedious so I'll finish that tomorrow. The shaping is done by sanding the rear edge to shape (narrowing the top and bottom slightly leaving it slightly thicker in the middle, the front edge is straight), then sanding it to a sharp edge. The front is rounded by gently scraping the corners off with a scalpel blade.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49708350296_b13cc655fd_z.jpg)
Once they are all shaped I will cut a small slot in each end of each one and add a brass pin as a locator.
Stay safe folks, and thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Excellent job on the tub so far Ian , looks awesome ! It took me two tries on the tail booms when I did my project , for the very same reason ;)
Terri
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Outstanding progress! The tub is literally taking shape as are the struts! I envy your Math abilities as Mine are sorely lacking. It is My Normal to Measure once and cut twice 8)
RAGIII
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Rick that's far more economical than measuring three times and still having to cut twice!
Ian
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Today seemed to drag...and drag....
I started off with the milliput. A small piece was added to the upper rear of the tub and (eventually) made to stick to the plastic instead of my fingers. It was then carefully (well, not really, butchered slowly more like!) shaped using damp fingers and a clay modelling spatula. One of these...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49711607208_23d15c9aa6_z.jpg)
Really useful to get the basic shape and size sorted out. After a little while, I ended up with something that vaguely resembles the rear fairing.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49711607428_23748ed60f_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49712465012_3747a4219b_z.jpg)
Pretty close! Final tweaking/sanding will take place tomorrow.
That's pretty much it for the tub except for the cabane struts. I'll give it a coat of primer before adding those just to be sure there is no more major reshaping to be done.
Then came the boring bit, the struts. I finished off the shaping and sanding then took a break, trying to put off the final stage. Eventually I faced up to it and starting with a micro saw, cut small slots in each end. Those were enlarged with a saw blade.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49711607123_a86c3031d9_z.jpg)
Then I cut 16 3mm lengths of .4mm rod to add as the locator pins. A dab of CA on one end, line it up over the slot, and squeeze from the side with the tweezers. The pin pops nicely into the slot and is (usually) straight too. Easy enough to tweak it a little if not. Oh and they very rarely stick to the tweezers if you're quick with the squeeze!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49712143676_a83d45793b_z.jpg)
The pins will be trimmed to length later.
So tomorrow's jobs are: final shaping of the tub's rear end, and cleaning up the strut pins with a dab of ppp then sanding down to ensure there are no gaps anywhere, also correct any flaws caused by sawing and inserting the pins.
Stay safe all, and thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Great attention to detail, Ian. You are doing this model proud. It will look so neat when completed.
Keep plugging along!
Dan
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Your careful application of Miliput certainly has transformed into an excellent representation of the correct shape 8) The struts look great and You make it look easy! I am sure I would botch the job ::)
RAGIII
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Thanks Dan, Rick, your comments are much appreciated!
As to today's progress, again much work but not much to photograph. the first job was to tidy up the struts. A quick smear of PPP over the pin joints and a sand down, taking the time to check for splayed ends due to clamping the brass pins in. Easily corrected with a swipe of the sanding stick.
Then on to the tub. I thought it prudent to test fit the lower wings and it's a good job I did. I forgot about the incidence angle! Easily rectified at this stage by sliding a scalpel blade between the framework and the tub sides, then gently bending the rear end down a little so the rear spar sat below the level of the tub bottom. Reattach with a little CA and Bob's your Uncle! Unfortunately that loosened the panel I had added on the rear underside so I cut another one from .010" sheet and slid that in. It actually fits better than the original did!
PPP helped tidy it all up and the final test fit is far better.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49717115431_c2acd34dc8_z.jpg)
I also spent some time with a jeweller's file tidying up the spine fairing, added some more PPP to the rear engine plate and cleaned that up, and gave the whole thing a final once over before spraying some Humbrol Light Grey on it to see where any extra work might be needed.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49717115281_ae45b1c52b_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49717430627_c4dae7d834_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49716577558_1811770217_z.jpg)
I'm pretty surprised at how little extra attention it needs, considering the surgery it's had!
A couple of areas either side of the cockpit where I added the extra pieces, and a coupe of extra bits here and there but that's about it. I'm not going to worry about small inconsistencies in the nose as the originals were metal and very often dented. I don't want seams where I've added new bits, but it's not a problem that it's not perfectly curved and even all around.
Another job ticked off was to drill and pin the ailerons. A .030" drill bit and 010" brass rod did the job. For this task I always drill the ailerons first then fit the pins. Once they're set the get trimmed to length and I line them up on the wing and mark along either edge of the pin with a FINE marker. The hole in the wing gets drilled between the lines! The most important thing is to get the hole drilled centrally on the wing and aileron edges, as otherwise the aileron will sit either too high or too low and the only way to correct it is to re drill the holes.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49717115171_2010790773_z.jpg)
Finally for today a few more smears of PPP on the tub.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49716577173_1787aa88ca_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49717115081_e93d323b7c_z.jpg)
Note that I also changed the way I'd secured the rigging lines. I kept knocking them so I cut a couple of small lengths of .6mm tube and threaded the lines through those. Tape secured the lines to the tube and the tube was slid into the hole. I also notice then how far off the holes are, they don't match up either side at all. I have no clue how, as they were measured of with calipers, but they can't be changed now. Fortunately the view from directly above will be obscured by the top wing but it's annoying.
That's all for tonight, stay safe and thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Must say Ian , she is really taking shape now with the wings and all , which turned out fantastic ! The closer you get to paint , more excited I get . Awesome just Awesome !!!
Terri
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Great progress on the Ian. It's a lot like a scratchbuild.
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Nice recovery on the wing mounting. Your Tub is looking superb. Terrific work all around!!
RAGIII
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This is amazing work, Ian! Very complex and virtually a rebuild of the kit! Not for the faint-hearted! But I'm learning a lot and enjoying the problem solving! Regards, Marc
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Thanks for the feedback everyone, ad welcome aboard Ken and Marc, and glad you're finding it useful!
To be honest Marc the kit is terrible. If you are up to vac forming your own cockpit tub I'd go that route, but it's my kind of modelling so I'm having fun!
Ken, it is indeed like a scratchbuild, but with the added difficulty of having to correct crappy parts instead of making them correctly to start with! Can we say "sucker for punishment"?
Terri, steady! Emergency medical help may not be available!
I was asked to go into work tomorrow for training but all involved decided that discretion was the better part of valour and we wanted to complete at least 2 weeks out, so that will start next Monday instead.
After a few phone calls sorting out our training schedule this morning I settled down to the tub. I spent all day on the tub! (on it, not in it!)
First I sanded down the filler I'd added yesterday, along with the remnants of the surface detail as seen in the previous post. I wanted to get all the final detailing done, so that meant a lot of measuring and plotting to get it right. It's always easier when you have a datum, so I marked the line along the top of the inspection panel which is roughly half way up the side. That gave me reference points for the panel, all the stitching, and from that, the struts and rigging holes.
Needless to say it's a lot quicker typing it than it was doing it! The first thing was adding the PE stitching. I know it's a tad over scale but I still think it looks better to have it than not to, as long as it's stuck down well and there are no gaps under it.
Having the PE in place gave me the references I needed for the drag wire holes that needed drilling just under the lower front edge, and then I could cut the access panels from plumber's tape and stick those on. The top edges of the PE also gave me the references for the strut holes so after much measuring and remeasuring those were drilled, then the rigging holes.
That pretty much took care of the sides, so I drilled the spine for small pieces of .25" rod to represent the fuel and oil filler caps. There is also one thing which I haven't figured out, but I think is part of the fuel system. On the right shoulder, just in front of the forward cabane strut, is a small attachment which looks like a fairing of sorts. The fuel gauge is on that side of the cockpit against the rear wall, so I think it is part of the plumbing for that. Anyway, it's been added! I think I'll need to add the gauge itself too, if i can get in!
Here's where the tub is as of this evening
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49721028487_15612a9d24_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49721028372_fcde5bd74e_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49720713611_184d8ef9f3_z.jpg)
The reason it hasn't received another grey coat is that I applied another thin skim of PPP to the sides and as of pic taking I was still waiting for it to dry.
The last detail job on the tub is the spare drum racks. I have used .010" strip and fabricated those. I just need to cut the slots for the strap handles and maybe drill them for a small piece of brass rod to represent the mounting bolts.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49720177133_207efb3af9_z.jpg)
The base plates have since been sanded to shape to match the sides.
That's pretty much it for today, who knows what tomorrow will bring! Hopefully I'll be able to finish the tub and solder the booms. I'd like to get this at least assembled before next Monday!
Stay safe all, and thanks for looking in!
Ian
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keep going the way you are , you will have this finished up before Monday , really nice work Ian :)
Terri , trying very hard to contain myself with all the joy I have deep within ...I will tone it down notch ;)
P.S. , not type seen built very often ;)
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I like the stitching a lot. Sometimes "Scale" is not as impressive as the look. JMHO.
RAGIII
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Thanks Rick, I agree that in this case having it on there, albeit slightly overscale, is better than not having it at all a s it was very prominent.
Terri, sit down...we don't want you hurting yourself! Another brief update coming! ;D
Well, another day into modeler's isolation, I feel that we, more than most, are better equipped to deal with this. At least we're not sitting around looking for something to do!
First thing this morning was to finish off the spare drum racks. I got a little carried away and added some .010" brass rod as the "bolts".
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49723488453_fb32c2b5f7_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49724339677_107fa24fba_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49724339612_38a6324259_z.jpg)
I'm pretty pleased with those, I wasn't looking forward to trying to bend them into shape but they were relatively simple.
The tub then went back into the spray booth.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49724339487_21933b3938_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49723488173_cfe97a458d_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49724023721_73555d0119_z.jpg)
With that taken care of my thoughts turned to the nose decals. I remembered a couple of fellow posters on Britmodeler mentioning Inkscape so I downloaded that and spent the afternoon reading tutorials and playing around with it. I'm by no means good at it yet, but I did get these
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49724023651_f350f2b136_z.jpg)
They're on white paper, but I think I may print them on clear and use these as masks to spray the white, then add the red border as a decal. I don't think I'm accurate enough with a scalpel to cut those out, and they'd leave a white edge anyway. Something to do tomorrow!
Stay safe, and thanks for looking in!
Ian
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The "tub" is looking very good Ian, you've done a great job on adding details and cleaning up the cosmetic work required. It's going to be a very nice addition to your shelves, and not a common one at that!
Cheers,
Lance
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The Tub looks Beautiful! well done on all of the details and surgery!
RAGIII
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It's too late Ian , already inflicted damage to myself ! ::) This is what happens when you keep a blonde in suspense for to long ...we wonder off and stuff just happens :o
To tone down the stitching and blend in better would white glue mix with water brush over the stitching filling in the smaller space a just tiny tad ?
Terri
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Nice detailing, Ian.
Is Inkscape a drawing program?
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Thanks Lance, Rick, much appreciated!
Terri, I hope your wanderings went ok! I used some watered down Gators Grip to try to fill the gaps under the stitching, I forgot to spray it today though to see if it worked. Tomorrow!
Ken - yes, it's free too! It's quite a lot to get used to but the tutorials included are a great help and make getting started pretty simple.
A slow couple of days yesterday and today as far as the amount of work done on this, but progress is being made. Yesterday I fitted the lower wings, using gators Grip to give me time to adjust them. Needless to say that was pretty much it for the day as I wanted to be sure they were properly set before doing any more.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49730517193_daa0e3bfdb_z.jpg)
This morning PPP was applied over the pins and sanded down. Of course there's only one way to be sure that it doesn't need more work so...back into the paint booth!
I gave the wings, ailerons and tail surfaces a coat of Tamiya white.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49731063151_f769b48c3d_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49731063186_30824585e5_z.jpg)
While that was drying I decided to test my eyesight and assemble the engine.
It's small!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49731387477_9a9a5a45dd_z.jpg)
All 9 cylinders were successfully removed from the pour frames, a task not made any easier by the fact that in between the cylinders are the spark plugs (yes, you read right!) and there are only 2 spares! It's almost impossible to get a fine saw in without knocking the plugs off, so I used a number 11 blade and scored either side then they snapped off easily. Phew!
Cylinders and spark plugs added
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49730515723_49bbfe4ea5_z.jpg)
Of course it would have been much easier to paint it first... bugger!
Anyway, it now has a coat of Tamiya gloss black in preparation for Xtreme metal aluminium/steel tomorrow, then I can fit the rocker arms and puch rods. The rods are also supplied but they are so ridiculously thin that the last one of these I built I didn't manage to get one single push rod off without breaking it. I'll use nickel silver rod! In fact the kit I received has 4 sets of rocker arms/push rods just to provide the 9 push rods needed, the others are missing or broken! Fair play to Small Stuff for that!
Well that's it for tonight folks, stay safe and thanks for looking in!
Ian
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That engine looks like it will be Jewel! I have enough issues in 1/32nd so I can't even imagine doing it in 1/72nd!
RAGIII
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They sure did Ian ! Ended up coming home with a 6 pack , having the last one now ;) This is really turn out wonderful Ian , looking forward to the next round 8)
Terri
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Next round coming up! Although not much to add this time.
This morning was spent tidying up the PPP added last evening, then it was back to the spray booth for a new coat.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49735436982_15c577d8f4_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49735113051_ebb21b967b_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49735436892_0f2d8d0204_z.jpg)
and the engine got a steel coat.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49734569933_de72fa1515_z.jpg)
I changed my plan for the number 6 on the nose. I figured it would be much easier to mask out the 6 and spray the PC10, than spraying the number, hence the white nacelle now!
After that I was planning to attack the booms, but after thinking about it I decided to wait until I've finished the nacelle and got the cabane struts on just so that I can be absolutely sure that I get the gaps correct.
So that was it for this one for today.
Stay safe all, and thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Nothing wrong with that Ian , progress is progress ;)
Terri
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Looking Fantastic!
RAGIII
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Cheers Terri, Rick, much appreciated!
This has slowed a little as I'm back at work on a training course. I'm not usually quite this happy to be back at work, but this is of course a little different!
Next job is to mask the rib tapes and spray CDL, so that started today. The first step is obviously to mark the tapes out, and to do that I simply copied the plans I am using an extended the tapes lines. For the lower wings I cut a large slot in the plans so I could tape them to the upper surface and see where I needed to add the tapes.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49756674218_a09d1e4c82_z.jpg)
The upper wing was easier as I simply taped the ends of the wing to the plan.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49757199851_6b6bd5a32a_z.jpg)
I use Hasagawa 0.5mm tape for this and it's simple to apply, just hold the dispenser close to the rear edge, pull the tape forward with tweezers and line it up. I usually do all the tapes then fine tune them visually to ensure the gaps look even.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49756674128_a1e8860309_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49757534342_7eee87015e_z.jpg)
A couple of the aileron and elevator tapes are slightly inset from the wing tapes (for the around the control horns) but they were still added as one piece then cut with a scalpel and repositioned.
A quick blast of CDL on those, as well as the prop and struts as a wood base colour, and we're done on this one for today.
The reason I do it this way is simply to highlight the tapes. I sprayed a white base, with that masked and a CDL coat sprayed, I will then remove the masking and give it another thin CDL coat so the ribs look lighter. There's method in my madnes!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49756674533_562bbeffb8_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49756674368_5ce90fbd70_z.jpg)
So tomorrow's job will be remove the masking and spray another CDL coat, then finish the wood on the prop and struts. I may even get the aluminium engine mounting panel done too, we'll see how quickly it dries.
Thanks for looming in, and stay safe!
Ian
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Excellent progress. The rib tapes and wing should look perfect when done!
RAGIII
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Excellent progress since I last dropped by Ian. The ribs should look really good when you put the top coats of paint on.
Stephen.
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It’s looking better and better with each step!
Andreas
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Seems to be a rash of F.E. 8 s about the place, Sir....
You are going above and beyond with this one. Excellent work!
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Thanks Stephen, Andreas and OM for the comments - OM, there may be, but not in "the one true scale" ;) Good to see you back too!
Well after nearly a week here's a small update. Things have been done, but not much to show visually. Plus I kept putting off stuff I didn't fancy doing....
First of all, I finished off the struts and woodwork on the prop.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49787972993_b005a938d0_z.jpg)
The pins have also been clipped to size, and the holes in the bottom of the lower wing filled so the struts don't stick through.
The prop, first after its "leather" wash
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49787972703_9a77094644_z.jpg)
then after the final clear orange coat
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49788512801_6ffbdf9a41_z.jpg)
I still need to do the tips and paint and add a PE hub. More jobs I've been putting off!
Today I got around to removing the rib masking and filling the unwanted holes in the underside of the lower wing. Here's how the wings look now.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49787972868_c3e17d6e61_z.jpg)
They now need another thin coat of CDL to tone down the ribs and blend it all in.
The final job I tackled today was the main one I'd been putting off, the cabane struts. I started by trying to use brass rod and bend it to shape at the same time as trying to CA the ends together. That just got extremely frustrating so I gave up on that plan and resorted to my usual plastic strip with brass pins. The strip has been shaped and the pins added.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49788512921_59b7b759d7_z.jpg)
I've only added pins to one end as the plan is to mount them and adjust the pins to get the correct lengths. Then I'll add a small piece of plastic strip to the upper ends where they meet which will be drilled to accept a pin for each pair. That should make it all strong enough and also allow me to remove them for painting the wood finish.
That's the plan now, anyway...
Annual recurrency check in the sim tomorrow. Oh fun.
Worse, I've been doing two weeks of ground school instructor training on the King Air, and my recurrency is on the Embraer. That should be interesting...King Air systems/numbers on an Embraer anyone?
Stay safe and thanks for looking in!
Ian
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"Annual recurrency check in the sim tomorrow. Oh fun."
Ian, fun, isn't it"? It never goes away until it does................. enjoy it now as the older I become the more I miss it!
Just remember to put the power up in the turns, pull back to go up, and pull back harder to go down and you'll be just fine! 8)
Best,
Lance
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Looks like solid progress, Sir.
The part I hate doing, and always put off, is wind-screens....
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Ian, my highest respect for this careful work on a vacu kit!
I don't own a vacu yet, but own more then I can build in my life, so the probability is very low that I will build one. But anyway thank you very much for the very detailed description!
It's almost impossible to get a fine saw in without knocking the plugs off, so I used a number 11 blade and scored either side then they snapped off easily.
I have build a lot of those engines, mostly 1/48, only one 1/72.
The resin is very soft, so I cut those parts with a razor blade. I opened a new triple blade - be careful with the plastic - and I have now very sharp and thin blades to work with that engines. I think this was a tip on the extended manual, the link was on every manual page.
Great result so far! I will follow.
Cheers,
Frank
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Struts,prop, and wing painting look outstanding!
RAGIII
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Thanks to Lance, OM, Frank, and Rick for the comments, I hope you are all staying safe!
Sorry for the long delay in updating folks, I just couldn't get the mojo to finish off those bloody little cabane struts. I forced myself to do it today and I'm glad I did. It really wasn't too bad after all. As stated earlier my Plan A was a waste of space. The problem was trying to get the correct slope to the rear, have them meet dead centre when viewed from the front, and get the height correct. All at once!
I made up a couple of templates to assist in getting the forward pair right. Very simple, but it worked. A couple of pieces of card cut to fit and marked for height. I also did another template with a cutout 19mm deep so I could be sure I got both front and rear struts at the correct height - I simply sat it across the fuselage and ensured that the top of the strut sat nicely under the template.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49817451537_dee4221994_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49817143256_3bd32f2fc3_z.jpg)
As you can see, the mounting holes for the centre struts need to be in line with the wing struts, so the template also helped there. It was a very slow process as I had to first cut the struts roughly to length, then glue them together and wait until they were dry enough to sand the top down level. After that I could add the mount itself. I made that from a tiny piece of .010" x .040" strip, drilled to accept a piece of .016" brass rod which was CA'd into the hole. I trimmed up the strip, filed the joint surface to ensure it was flat, then glued it to the top of the pair of struts.
Front one done
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49817451697_760645beb7_z.jpg)
and the rear
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49817451687_f156d28970_z.jpg)
They are not glued to the nacelle yet as I want to remove them for painting. They will be reattached once they and the nacelle are painted.
Of course I will only really know if i got it right when I come to attach the upper wing!
With that job out of the way I can finish off the prep on the wings. They need, in order: rigging holes and holes for the control cable pulleys drilled, Final coat of CDL, PC10 on the nacelle, wing and tail upper surfaces and wrapped around the edges, (hence finishing the undersides first).
Then it's decals on the nacelle and final assembly!
Oh, and I need to make the landing gear before painting the PC10 too.
Have a good weekend folks! Stay safe and thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Hi Ian , it took me awhile on mounting the struts , not something to over rush with . I do like how the struts turned out so far and you have a good plan for lining it all up . So far your build is really shaping up wonderful ! Looking forward on the next run on updates :)
Terri
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It looks as though your planning and template are working well! I have to keep checking the scale because this doesn't look to be 1/72nd!!
RAGIII
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Looking really slick! Can't wait to see this one done and dusted...Dan
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Thanks Terri, Rick, Dan, for the feedback and comments.
I too am looking forward to getting this one in the cabinet Dan. It is my first pusher and not a common kit. It's also the pushers that really got me interested in Great War aircraft so there will be more! (I also have Small Stuff engines for the DH2 and the Caudron G3 and G4 - not pushers, but still the lattice tail to deal with!)
So onwards to today's session!
Most of it was spent at the spray booth. There were a few things I wanted to get done today. In no particular order they were: A second coat of CDL on the undersides, paint the cabane struts, aluminium coat on the engine mounting, paint the prop hub PE and control horns, also PE.
I got all those done, and some work on the Airfix Fairey Battle too!
Here is the evidence!
cabane struts done
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49841677337_0330d857df_z.jpg)
undersides (the actual colour is a little yellower than it appears on the pic)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49841377406_37b30c71e4_z.jpg)
I didn't take a pic of the PE, but I also did the rudder. I cut a 2.5mm strip of tape and masked the centre white stripe, then decided to see how accurate i could get with the airbrush and sprayed both the red and blue with no further masking.
It turned out pretty good, but there is a faint trace of red overspray on the blue so I will mask off again and respray the blue.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49840837708_90d7c49767_z.jpg)
Not too bad though for a first attempt at spraying anything even remotely accurately!
Tomorrow's jobs sound like fun - drilling rigging holes and making the main landing gear will be the first priorities. If I get time I will start preparing the masks for the undersides. These aircraft had the upper surface PC10 wrapped around the edges onto the underside of both wings and tailplane so I'll need to cut the masks from tape. After all that's done...paint time!
Have a great weekend folks, stay safe, and thanks for looking in!
Ian
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Nicely done on all. I really like the subtle rib tapes!
RAGIII
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I agree with Rick, those rib tapes are quite subtle as appropriate to the scale and perfectly executed.
sp
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Thanks guys!
Evening all!
Plans for today all accomplished!
I spent most of the morning drilling all the rigging holes, and also the mounting points for the landing gear and control cable pulleys. There are 10 of the latter: two just inboard of the inner rear struts for rudder and elevator cables, two under each lower wing, and two more above each upper wing! I tried not to drill through the lower wing but it's so thin I did so on a few of the holes. The outer ones shouldn't be an issue as they will be covered by the roundels and hopefully the inner ones will cover up without major problems.
Here's a taster of how close together the rigging holes are...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49846463672_9553d4dee9_z.jpg)
That meant this afternoon could be used to make the main landing gear. I used my usual method of (0.5mm) brass rod with plastic strip CAd on to give some shape.
I managed to get two legs pretty well matched up, and tweaked the bends to make sure they give the correct measurements as far as spread and distance from the bottom of the nacelle. They fit well enough now so I can make final adjustments when they are glued in place. Here are the bare brass legs
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49845624328_d45d45e857_z.jpg)
I then added strips of .5 x .75mm to give the required shape. Initially that gave me this
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49846463947_62fb5af242_z.jpg)
but on comparing to photos I wasn't happy with the rear leg (the outermost one on each side). I decided to sand down the strip to the rear and add a piece of .5 x .5mm strip to the front of the rear leg. Outer edges of all the strip had the edges rounded off and the rear leg was thinned to match the depth of the front. I now have this which I'm much happier with.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49846463837_46bd33c01e_z.jpg)
A smear of PPP which will be sanded down tomorrow evening and the legs are done!
Masks next....
Thanks for looking in, and stay safe!
Ian
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Missed the earlier post Ian: my you really are going to town on this one! Your method of making the undercarriage struts is a very good one - strong and neat at the same time. I must keep that in mind when I next scratch build a 1/72 scale land plane - which will not be too long in the future I hope!
Stephen.
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Nice progress Ian , excellent job on the under carriage struts and alex . Those are some nicely painted wings as well .
Terri
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Outstanding work on the struts Ian. The look to be quite strong!
RAGIII
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I worked yesterday so have a "normal" weekend this week, instead of Friday and Saturday. I still can't get used to that even after nearly 2 years!
Continuing on from the last post I got some paint on the undercarriage today to check for any sign of extra work being needed. A couple of smears of PPP should see these sorted.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49874878451_b05f5e8f5e_z.jpg)
Then it was masking. I did the lower wing earlier in the week. Today I got the tail and upper wing done, along with attaching 0.3mm masking tape on the upper surfaces for the ribs. I still need to do the riblets along the leading edges.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49875187457_fe7d38f3b0_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49874346713_5df948f66c_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49874346333_96890f0763_z.jpg)
I'm not sure if I should give that a coat of Mr Surfacer, or smear some PPP along the edges to blend them in. Recomendations?
More tomorrow hopefully!
Thanks for looking in and stay safe!
Oh and Happy Liberation Day to all Channel Islanders!
Ian
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Use what is thinner, because it is easier to add another coat than to remove what turned out to be too much. I always get impatient and try to get away with one coat of whatever and then spend way to long sanding it down, usually doing collateral damage, so go with light coats built up slowly.
sp
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I thought I'd get some paint on this today so went ahead and did so. It's now green! However, I'm not sure about the rib tapes as they're far too obvious. I may still attempt to blend them in with a smear of PPP but that will now have to wait until later in the week.
here's how she looks as of this evening.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49877730333_c312fb9db1_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49878568277_a0586c83b6_z.jpg)
If that doesn't work they'll come off. It will look better with no detail on the upper surface than with these sticking out like a sore thumb!
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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I like her Ian , she is cute for her size ! Agree with you on the ribs . They are to pronounced and really stick out , looking forward on seeing what you do with them .
Terri
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Perhaps the Tapes are oversized, but I would be Damn Proud to have done what you have done with this kit!
RAGIII
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Thanks Terri,
Having looked at a load of pics on Vintage Aviator, it's quite apparent that the fabric is very taut and there is virtually no sag. What little there is would be impossible to do in this scale. I'm therefore toying with the idea of treating them the same way as I do the undersides, and removing the masking then spraying to leave the rib tapes slightly lighter. It worked fine on the Donnet-Leveque so I think that will be the way to go.
Rick, many thanks! It has been fun so far, if not a little challenging, but I like it that way! Hopefully the booms will be up to what I have done so far!
Ian
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Well folks, after referencing pics on Vintage Aviator it was clear that the fabric is very taut and there is no visible change in levels where the ribs are. There really isn't much of a colour difference either in most pics, but as mentioned above, it needs something to liven it up a bit. I therefore decided to follow the same technique that I used on the undersides. That meant removing all masking.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49894215371_a9b370f95a_z.jpg)
The wings will be given another coat or two of PC10 which should leave the tape areas slightly lighter and add a bit of visual interest.
Other than that, today was a detail day. I painted the metalwork on the landing gear and cabane struts. Tamiya black, nothing special, but another job done.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49894215451_8d415f05c7_z.jpg)
The cockpit nacelle needed a couple of extra bits that I'd missed. Some FE8s had something stuck under the nacelle. It looks to be central (side to side) and is just forward of the elevator control horns. Maybe its a fairing of some sort (for a compass?) Not all aircraft had it, but the one I'm modelling did, so that's been glued on. I also made up an intake for the engine. 0.8mm aluminium rod was bent and drilled out. I would have used tube but couldn't get it bent tight enough without kinking, even with brass rod inside it.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49893700768_b0d7cf0817_z.jpg)
That's gone in a little ziplock bag with the tailskid I made the other day! Finally, wheels. I had intended to use my own 3d printed ones but they are fractionally too small. I found a recycled pair of Aeroclub wheels taken from the Meikraft SPAD I built, which was destroyed by my relocation experts when I moved over here, so they've been cleaned up and will be painted tomorrow, along with the upper wings. I also had to fill the axle hole with CA and redrill it smaller so they'd fit but that went fairly easily.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49893700708_e6f8ea3c7f_z.jpg)
That's about it for today. It doesn't look much but took most of the afternoon, hopefully tomorrow will show some visible progress.
Thanks for looking in, and stay safe!
Ian
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Already looks better with the tape removed and will look excellent once a bit more paint is applied ...getting closer and closer to the rigging ;)
Terri
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You've made quite a lot of progress on this since I last looked in. Nicely done.
Sometimes those round shapes that need a tight bend can best be done by heating a styrene rod and bending.
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Thanks Terri, and Ken for the tip!
Music turned up (I'm on a Magnum binge at the mo, fabulous band and way too under rated!) and off we go!
As you would have seen in my last post I had removed the masking for the ribs on the wings. I had gone a little over the top with the paint so I had some rather big ridges along the tape lines. Those were lightly sanded down to leave just a trace of their presence and the wings were returned to the paint shop.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49897751502_550da3b575_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49897441411_6e24955ebf_z.jpg)
I'm very happy with that. Subtle but definitely there, which is just what I wanted. Unfortunately I also did the top wing which I had intended to leave until after it was mounted and rigged to make it easier to blend in any repairs needed after the rigging sessions. Bugger. I'll have to be even more careful with the rigging now!
The rudder was also finished off. It looks a little rough but is actually ok, and with a matt coat there should be no issues.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49897441681_606d05ef7d_z.jpg)
The wheels were painted too, but there is more work to do cleaning up the inner faces on those.
There was one other little job which I have kept putting off, and which I decided to tackle today. Masking and painting the prop tip shields.
I spent quite a while trying to figure out how best to do it and keep the shapes constant. Finally I realised that the masking tape I'm using is see-through so the plans were reduced to the correct size (the prop was not drawn to scale) and I stuck masking tape on both sides over the prop tips.
One of them needed to be removed which showed up an interesting feature of this stuff - the printed pattern was stuck to the tape, very clearly marking exactly where the cuts needed to be made.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49896923468_2d7ca1d66f_z.jpg)
Unfortunately they were still too small to do that way and ensure that they matched, so they were cut out with a scalpel blade directly from the plans. Since I had put tape on both sides I knew that I would have 2 matching masks. They were also cut slightly wider than necessary to wrap around the edges.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49896923398_a943564dc6_z.jpg)
This stuff is tacky enough to stick multiple times, but not too tacky that I can't peel it off paper.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49897441501_9ac6bdaa6e_z.jpg)
Once all the blade tips were done I added thin strips down the edges (just in case!) and covered the hub.
The end result:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49896923278_6222d48830_z.jpg)
More than happy with that, so now just the hub to add and that will wait until I come to mount the prop.
That's it for now, I may get some more done later, we'll see.
Thanks for looking in and stay safe!
Ian
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WOW! Looking sweet, Ian. Such attention to detail. Really making the most of this model.
Love it! :D :D :D
Dan
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Those wing ribs really look the part Ian. This is going to be a super pusher when you finish it. Just in time to start another one....!
Stephen.
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Both ribs and prop are Superb!
RAGIII
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Still about ribbing. Some time ago on the Britmodeller forum, John Aero (John Adams from Aeroclub) posted advice on ribbing in the thread HP 0/400 built by MOA (Gabriel Stern) - link below.
https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/profile/491-john-aero/content/page/8/&type=forums_topic_post
I tried his method, it's ok, although I don't know if I'll use it on my models.
Regards
Paul
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Thanks Pablo. I saw that, but still decided that the ribs do not stick up above wing level (except maybe a tiny bit right at the leading edge) so decided not to add any tape of any sort which would cause them to be raised. It's just too much in this small scale.
It seems I forgot to post the pic of the underside of the wings. There were a few areas of seepage but easily corrected with a scalpel blade and VERY gently removed by scraping, but otherwise the wrap-around has come out nicely.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49912964452_0067fc8f09_z.jpg)
I started to add the decals on the nacelle this evening. Numbers from the Pegasus sheet.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49912666101_29e3b9ddf8_z.jpg)
The big number 6 on each side of the nose which I printed myself didn't come out too well, although the concept seems ok. The problem was accurately trimming the number out of the white backing sheet without leaving a white edge. I got one ok but then it folded on itself and stuck together. By the time I got it separated the red edge had started to seep. I printed 4 so I have given the other 2 another sealant coat and will try again tomorrow with a fresh number 11 blade.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49912668691_d98656899d_z.jpg)
The wheels also needed more work. Apparently when I first used them I had filled the inner sides with putty to reduce the tyre overhang. Unfortunately I couldn't get that smooth so I scraped it all out and pulled out my (relatively) new circle cutter. Two 8mm discs of .5mm sheet later and I have these.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49912150758_4814d5ce84_z.jpg)
Much better! One other unexpected benefit of redoing the wheels was that I noticed that it was not only the outer faces that were white. The inner faces were also, so the whole lot can now be repainted correctly!
That's all for now, thanks for looking in!
Stay safe!
Ian
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Always feel good when the decals start being applied . shaping splendly so far Ian . Looking forward to the next up-date :)
Terri
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Looking very good Ian. You are making it harder and harder each update for me to keep my 1:72 Blue Rider Vickers Fb.9 in the bag. It is a real pleasure to see those decals going on that little gem.
sp
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Thanks guys!
I attempted the number 6 again tonight. Not too bad..
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49917147847_3a18b436c1_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49916334148_ee87283bdd_z.jpg)
I know many have said it, but really, it doesn't look that bad "in the flesh"! The white edges are barely visible with the naked eye. My main concern is the white. Or more accurately, the not-quite-white! I think plan "A" will be to print some more tomorrow and see if I can lay another one over each of those to brighten up the white. The edges can be cleaned up with a fine brush.
More to come....
Thanks for looking in, and stay safe!
Ian
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Looking great Ian! The numbers should work out well with the second layer! Either way though I am sure it would be difficult to see in actual size. One wonders how well the numbers covered the PC 10 on the original 8)
RAGIII
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In agreement with Rick Ian , another decal on top will be perfect . To much of the PC is showing . It would take a fair a mount of white to paint the numbers in the field so a little of the underline base colour would slight show . But I guess that would also depend on how thick of paint they were using . Either way Ian , I have really enjoy following your progress , you'r doing one hell of job on this one ! Still can wait for the rigging to start :o
Terri
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Thanks Rick and Terri. I hope it works out, but there is a plan "B"...
My first option was originally to paint the white then mask the numbers, and I tried hand cutting masks but they were crap. Hence this attempt. However I'm still not 100% sure it will work and I may have to resort back to plan "A" so to that end I have ordered a Silhouette cutter so I can cut them properly if (when?) they are needed!
I printed 6 more 6's today, they have been sprayed with fixative and will sit until tomorrow....
Since decals were no longer on the cards for today I made these.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49919410981_a371b58670_z.jpg)
1mm aluminium tube with a .5mm brass rod stuck in to fix them. Any guesses?
No, they are not "potato mashers"! They are, in fact, "pulleys" for the tail control cables and have been stuck in their holes in the lower wing as shown here
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49919709772_c5db43d915_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49919411016_8c9e0a29ee_z.jpg)
Happy with those, and much easier than trying to cut lengths of plastic rod then drilling them! (Then painting them aluminium!)
Thanks for looking in, and stay safe!
Ian
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In this scale , the pulleys are perfect !
Terri
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Thanks Terri!
Today's jobs: Decals and paint.
Part 1 - s I mentioned I printed out some more 6s yesterday so this morning I set to work to see if I cold make this work. Instead of using a scalpel blade though, this time I used my Iris scissors. This gave me a much closer cut and much more control too. After applying the decals over the previous ones I left them for an hour or two, then went at them with a very small brush. First I used PC10 on the white bits, then red to touch up the borders as necessary. I still have a slight problem with the white, and it's not the PC10 showing through. I noticed that despite a good coat of sealant, the red was bleeding. I think maybe because I cut right up to the edge and "broke the seal" as it were. However, despite the slightly pinkish look I think they'll do. Opinions welcome!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49922045103_38df46eb44_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49922045178_1e1ab43ee5_z.jpg)
Upon further comparison to pics of the actual aircraft it is obvious that the number is too tall and thin. I think this happened because of my "cheat". Instead of adding a border I printed them with the edge line wider. Instead of adding on to the outside of the number when increasing width, as I'd expected, it expanded inwards. In other words, what is red here should be white, with the red border outside that, giving the appearance of a taller, thinner, number. Since I don't intend to sit in front of my cabinet comparing it to the photo, I'll stick with what I have, although it's slightly annoying, having gone to great lengths to get it right.
The eagle eyed will also notice that I have added a larger centre to the roundel. It's still slightly smaller than the photo but much better than it was. It too will stay as is!
In other news, the wheels got painted white (both sides!), the stitching got a dry brush of black, and the decals got a dull coat. RAF Green paint was also sprayed at another project.......(I'll post details of that on the off topic page as I should probably bring you all up to date on that too!)
Thanks for looking in, and stay safe!
Ian
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Looking great to My eyes. You have worked wonders in 1/72nd scale. I couldn't do this in 1/32nd!
RAGIII
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Thanks Rick!
I took a small hairy stick to this this morning,
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49926002903_6db4acc213_z.jpg)
Less pinker! ;D
I'm staying with that.
Maybe cabanes on tomorrow...
Ian
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You are to hard on yourself my friend , that looks perfect to my eye . Well done so far !
Terri
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Thanks Terri! As someone else mentioned, it would look fine if there wasn't a nice bright white roundel next to it to compare it to!
Anyway, it's staying as it is now!
I had planned to attach the upper wing today, so the first step obviously was to add the cabane struts. I used Gators grip to give me a little time to get them set correctly, then a tiny drop of thin CA to fix them in position
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49930263161_e1d76bf208_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49929746908_5490b9302d_z.jpg)
Unfortunately I then knocked off the little brass pin on the rear pair whilst fine tuning the wing alignment. I CAd it back on but decided to leave it alone after that to ensure everything was set properly. Work was done on the battle instead!
Tomorrow?
Maybe...
Thanks for looking in, and stay safe!
Ian
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Why is it that we always seem to be able to knock something delicate off a model just when we are trying to be most careful?
Looking very good indeed Ian. Will look even better with the top wing on - then the fun can start with the booms and tail unit!
Stephen.
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Stephen, it does!
The day has arrived!
Time to fit the upper wing. First on just the cabane struts plus the two outer front struts to keep it level.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49933457583_c171f42e75_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49933974816_a8243ce7a4_z.jpg)
Spacing looks good, alignment looks good! I'll let that sit for a couple of hours before continuing with the rest....
I feel like I'm on Blue Peter...I haven't actually waited since that last post 'cos it's actually "one I prepared earlier"!
Anyway, once the first two struts had had a chance to set properly I continued with the other 6. A tiny drop of Gator Grip was added to the strut holes (not the strut end, just in case I didn't get it in first time - that would clog up the pre-drilled rigging holes. Ask me how I know...)
This is what I had to aim at (using a sharpened tooth pick)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49934280967_f070098b86_z.jpg)
The struts were added alternately left and right to keep it balanced, and after a fairly straight forward session I ended up with this.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49934280877_78d81c9770_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49934280817_58b8069dfc_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49933457678_6912856b24_z.jpg)
The struts are all in line, despite the first pic. Viewed from the end they are parallel.
It looks like something Bert Rutan's Grandfather might have designed!
Anyway, that's it for this one for today. Thanks for looking in, and stay safe!
Ian
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Excellent work on fitting all of those struts! Looking Fantastic!
RAGIII
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Now she is starting to take shape , excellent job with the struts and mounting the top wing !
Terri
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Thanks Rick and Terri! Unfortunately, as I'm sure you noticed the upper wing is too high!
I know exactly where the error came in. The Datafile gives the "gap" as 4'6". Oh goody, I thought, now I can get it exact! So I measured everything to give me a gap of 19mm between the wings. Without reference to the plans. Or measuring the distance between nacelle top and upper wing. One simple check would have showed that I was doing it wrong! I think the "gap" referred to is between the lower (or upper) edges of the spars, not the physical gap between the wings!
I did decide that accuracy had to come first (you didn't really doubt that though, did you!) and removed the upper wing this morning. By the way, 2mm is 50% of the correct gap between the top of the cockpit nacelle and the bottom of the upper wing, just to give an idea of how large the error was!
Holding each strut as close as possible to the join I popped them out one by one with no problems. If anything it highlights just how fragile these models are, and how much strength the rigging adds! Only one of the pins came off in the hole (the rear cabane, which I had CAd on when it came off) and since that hole goes right through I was able to push it through with a piece of brass rod.
Part 1 complete: wing removed.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49938408416_e6ef5285b7_z.jpg)
To shorten the cabane struts (which I left in place on the nacelle) I clamped a steel rule in my desk vice, which, by the way, arrived last Friday. I'd forgotten I'd even ordered it as it was ordered on Feb 28th! The cabane strut was rested against the rule to support it and I gently removed 2mm with a micro saw. I did take a pic showing the difference, but my camera ate it. Sorry!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49938711922_3cf95a5283_z.jpg)
That is now correct!
Here's 2mm chopped of the ends of each strut.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49937895353_1a9317a208_z.jpg)
I had to do each one individually as the pins are slightly different lengths so I couldn't just put the end of one pin against a reference and chop it.
As of writing, the struts have all had new pins added and are nearly done with touching up the paint. The next session should see the wing re-attached.
Thanks for looking in, and stay safe!
Ian
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Bravo! on a great save. You had the skills and tools to do it right and the intestinal fortitude to tackle the job in the first place. Great piece of modeling.
sp
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What a great progress on that machine.
Andreas
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I have made that error a few times , even on my FE-8 build . I even have my inter struts set to far forward . Did at first by then it was to late to fix .
Nice progress on making the repairs and glad to hear you caught it before it was to late .
Terri
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Thanks folks & welcome back!
As promised, the upper wing has now been reattached, with the correct gap. (At least if it isn't correct, it's now a small enough error not to notice!)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49951933812_649c74b885_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49951643966_2dd67f8a87_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49951934107_f838960c76_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49951643871_8f7700942a_z.jpg)
Much better!
And a quick comparison:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49951934042_53f113cff4_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49933457678_6912856b24_z.jpg)
That was definitely worth the effort.
With a bit of luck I'll be able to start on the rigging tomorrow!
Thanks for looking in, and stay safe!
Pubs now open here, albeit with restrictions, so a beer is in order!
Ian
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Thumbs up Ian ! That is perfekt , good luck with the rigging and don't go crossed eyed ....leave that for the beers ;) Enjoy
Terri
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Beer definitely deserved after all that eye straining, patience testing micro surgery. It looks absolutely superb!
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Quite a nightmare that you handled with ease Ian, very nice recovery and super modelling!
Cheers,
Lance
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That correction went perfectly Ian. I am so impressed with the slight dihedral from the first bays out. That takes some seriously accurate strut measuring, and to think that was after correcting the strut lengths. The booms may put up a bit of a fight but they don't stand a chance with you. Enjoy your well earned beers
sp
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A Most impressive save and correction! Your FE8 is really looking the Part Now!
RAGIII
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Nice save, IAN!!! That really looks satisfying especially when you show those two pics side-by-side. Definitely worth the work.
Well done...Dan ;)
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Thanks folks, much appreciated!
I received news last Sunday that I was to be laid off, and had 4 months notice. Needless to say my mojo has been a little low of late, but I have been tinkering now and again. I started on the rigging and one of the inner struts broke, so I had to make and paint a replacement.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49988254573_e39fef3533_z.jpg)
When I went to fit it, I had to redrill the holes as they were clogged with CA. Whilst doing the upper wing, I broke of the extension I'd added to the trailing edge.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49988254623_b82705938c_z.jpg)
Both strut and trailing edge have been reattached so hopefully tomorrow i can continue with the rigging.
On a happier note, I have been offered a freelance contract so may not have to leave, which would be huge as I have nowhere to go, my house in the US being rented out! I'll know better what is in store when I get to see the contract....
Thanks for looking in, and stay safe!
Ian
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Ian,
Sorry to hear about the job uncertainties and I hope it all works out in the end.
The FE8 is looking great, The 1/72nd scale rigging would make me crosseyed.
Best of luck,
Kevin
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Nice work, I too hope the job works out!
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Sorry to hear about your job loss Ian. I worked for a company for 15 years and last year decided to change. I joined my new company in October last year. I was put on furlough at the end of March and had my contract terminated 2 weeks back with 1 months notice. First time ever for me and not a nice feeling.
BTW I was told by e-mail, no call or personal contact at all.
I wish you success in the future.
Steve
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Sorry to hear about the jo Ian but really glad you were able to repair that strut! Looking forward to the rigging!
RAGIII
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Thanks for the best wishes folks, most appreciated!
Having fixed the strut and broken wing addition, I started a few days ago on the rigging. As I mentioned before, the main thing here is to think ahead and plan it out. There will often be more than one wire needing to be threaded through one hole.
I started with the stagger wires. (the wires running fore - aft between the struts)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50054284493_cd3e9ee7b7_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50054862396_9344ce2f4e_z.jpg)
You will notice there are a couple of wires taped to the wing surface. As I mentioned above - more than one wire using the same hole! These are the long bracing wires that will run from the outer struts, across the booms, to the tail. They had to be added now or i would need to drill more holes!
Then on to the flying wires.
I fixed all 8 of them on the inboard bays, then realised I'd forgotten to add the drag wires! (Refer to above comments!). Fortunately I was able to pull the foremost of the 2 rear wires loose, redrill the holes, add the drag wires to the holes in the fuselage, then re-thread both the drag wires and flying wires through the same holes. Saved!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50054862201_8ee0d850ec_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50054862006_1fd5bd176b_z.jpg)
Finally today I finished securing the flying wires and all associated ones too!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50054862381_6313d1a392_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50054862466_3d1203d359_z.jpg)
Next up, the landing wires!
Thanks for looking in, and stay safe!
Ian
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Coming together nicely Ian.
Steve
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The rigging looks excellent. Moving along well!
RAGIII
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Looking great Ian.
When you get to the point where you fix the holes on top of the top wing and the bottom of the lower wing, please take some photos and describe how you repair the surface. I have a few 1/72 vac kits and fixing the rigging holes has held me back. I would love to know how others handle that.
With the parallel double flying wires, this model is turning into a real little gem.
sp
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Rigging is really starting to make head way Ian , be sure to stop a give those spiders a few beers for the awesome work they are doing .
Terri
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Thanks to Steve, Rick, SP and Terri for the feedback. Much appreciated folks!
The spiders have had a beer or two Terri!
sp I'll be sure to do that. Plan 1 is always to cover them with decals where possible of course, but on a 2-bay aircraft that's not so simple!
I mentioned in the previous post about planning ahead and using one hole for ore than one wire. Another reason for planning, and constant checking, is to ensure that the wires don't foul each other. For instance, it's never possible in this scale to get holes perfectly aligned, so with the flying wires fitted I needed to make sure that the landing wires didn't pull them crooked when they were tightened. Dry runs are essential. For most of the landing wires it worked perfectly and the wire runs between the two flying wires without fouling. A couple had to be run behind the flying wires or they would have been pulled apart by the landing wire. The same applied when doing the drag lines yesterday, ensuring a straight run (does it go over or under the crossing wire?) is essential.
Of course before any of the threading can begin, the holes also need planning. I try to make the fewest number possible, both to aid cleanup, and also because there's not much room! I prefer to drill blind holes in the lower wing, but sometimes that isn't possible. eg for the lower drag wires, they are fixed into the fuselage sides so the only way to tighten them is by pulling them through the wing. The other reason I have so many holes going through on this is simply that the wings are very thin - they weren't intended to go through! Work out in advance which end of each wire will be fixed first and which end/hole needs to be a through hole and/or a shared hole. Sometimes a through hole helps as it enables one wire to be run for two purposes. eg on my Sopwith Tabloid build, the landing gear bracing wires ran through the skids, became drag wires to the lower wing, then ran up through the lower wings and became landing wires too!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/627/31618540800_d48cf11377_z.jpg)
If anyone wants further explanation please shout, I'll be happy to go into more detail
What that all means is that all the wires are now attached, taut, and secured!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50057962932_4c8e31090a_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50057146973_fcfcf21d12_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50057962852_4a9f5aec9d_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50057962767_abd7fd8a56_z.jpg)
Next job then is to tidy up all the ends and repair the wing surfaces.
Thanks for looking in, and stay safe!
Ian
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Much helpful info Ian, thanks. I can see that a few xerox copies of the drawings used for marking hole and wire locations could be helpful to the memory challenged among us such as myself. The old P to the 6th power engineering saying applies here for sure. When I consider how much time gets wasted going back to fix mistakes, time spent marking and using drawings is way less in the long run. Looking forward to seeing how you fix the holes where they come out.
sp
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Your planning is paying Handsome dividends!
RAGIII
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Hi Ian, you know I love this build after seeing it elsewhere. Good to find it here too. Hope you are well and have things sorted now.
Richie
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Thanks Rick, Richie, and sp.
Copies of the drawings would certainly be useful. Most biplanes have fairly standard basic rigging patterns: stagger wires (on aircraft that are not wing-warpers), and flying- and landing-wires. But the arrangement of other wires such as drag wires, landing gear, etc, varies quite a lot so it's useful to make a plan before starting, that's for sure.
Step 1 of the clean-up!
First off, I always sharpen up a toothpick and touch thin (the thinnest I can get) CA to each side of each line to ensure the holes are filled and the lines are secured. Because it's thin it should wick in, and it doesn't set too quickly on the surface so any excess can be cleaned off. I use the back of a standard knife blade or even a finger tip. But be quick if you wipe it with your finger, don't let it glue your finger to the wing!
Using a NEW #11 blade the ends were trimmed off. A new blade is essential as you barely have to touch the tip against the wire and it drops off. With an old blade, even one that's not very old but has been used, pressure is needed and that's where things start going bad, like gouges in the wings!
After that a smear of watered down PPP, wiped off with a damp fingertip, is all that should be required to fill any remaining holes.
So that's where I am as of this evening.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50071025888_0034137409_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50071025838_a0887369a7_z.jpg)
As I mentioned in a previous post, I erred in painting the upper wing too early. I usually do the base coat and remove the masking, then leave the rest until after this step. That way I don't have to worry about losing the rib detail because I have to add more coats. I remembered before I did it completely so hopefully a spot touch-up with a small brush then the final coat will hide any signs of the fixes.
We'll see...
Thanks for looking in, stay safe!
Ian
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That makes a lot of sense Ian, thanks. I am afraid I don't know what PPP is. Is that white glue or something else? I have no idea.
sp
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Perfect Plastic Putty. It can be (and should be!) thinned with water and it can then be wiped off with a damp finger tip, cotton bud, whatever you want. It means you can fill small holes and imperfections without having to sand!
Ian
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AH, I see. Never heard of it before, but that's why some computer geek invented search engines. I will track some down. Thanks Ian.
sp
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Good informative post, thanks for sharing your technique. It looks very effective judging by your terrific work.
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Excellent info! I hadn't thought of using the PPP to fill the holes!
RAGIII
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smp - I hope you found some, shouldn't be too hard to find.
Thanks Richie and Rick, hopefully this post will continue to show that it works (at least well enough for me!)
Just a brief update today. As you may have gathered I've lost my mojo a little of late and have kept putting off doing much of anything. A few spells spent sitting at the bench contemplating possible methods of attaching the booms and that's been about it. I was going to solder the booms and central strut before fititn gthem to the wings but now I'm not sure they'll slip between the wings if already soldered, so I ordered some epoxy and may use that, attaching each boom separately with the tail as a guide, then adding the central strut afterwards. That plan may also change, but that's my plan at the moment.
Anyway, before that step I have to tidy up the upper wing surface, so that was done today. A final sand of the areas most in need - those on the inner rear interplane struts and the area just behind them where i'd gone a little too far with reaming out the mounting points for the upper booms and gone through in a couple of places, then the wing edges were masked. I spot repaired the worst areas, then gave the entire upper wing surface a couple of light coats to finish it off and blend in the repairs. A quick coat of grey on the booms and that's it for today.
Before:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50151233582_b7baa62e5a_z.jpg)
and after:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50150998811_5e204cc2a6_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50151233672_7840e59cc0_z.jpg)
and the booms:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50150998866_5af63bd93d_z.jpg)
I CAd the ends to an offcut of plastic rod to hold them for painting. Hopefully they'll come off without damaging the paint!
Thanks for looking in, and stay safe!
Ian
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Ian
Good to see you are back at it. The Vet managed to dispose of this month's disposable income so I haven't acquired any PPP yet, but is on the list. And Itchy Brother and his fleas has quit his incessant scratching which toned down Momma's incessant gnawing on my ear so all is well.
My latest strut painting was kit struts and they had nice plastic "pins" on the ends which allowed clamping with mini alligator clips on skewers. How did your CA method work? Did the struts come loose without loosing paint? I had over a forest of over a dozen clips sticking out of a slab of foam as they dried. Your method looks more efficient.
sp
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Hi Ian,
It's great to see this underway again, hope you are well.
Richie
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Ian ,
Really nice work on the top wing and will look great once the decals ore on , or are you going to mask and spray these ?
terri
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The painting of the wing looks excellent. Great to see you back at this one!
RAGIII
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Thanks all!
Terri, they will be decals, gloss coat sprayed today, along with the tyres. I also added the prop hub (PE) and dug out the decals for the wings, prop, and tyres.
Ian
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Fantastic work in such a small scale, Ian.!
I’m not too bothered about pushers but that’s only for my own aesthetic reason. However this is an outstanding piece of work.!
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Thanks Ian. I must admit that it was the pushers that got me into WWI aircraft, they are just so unique and have a certain "character" to them. I plan on building as many of them as I can!
Another small update. They seem to have been coming few and far between lately but I think that now I've got the wing surfaces done it's "all downhill from here!"
The latest news is that decaling is now completed! Yesterday I attacked the prop and tyres. Yes, you read that correctly Tyres!
I bought a set of LF Models tyre logos and this is my first attempt at using them. They are nicely printed, in white, on a pale blue backing sheet! There are two logos on the sheet: PALMER and PALMER CORD AERO, and they are sized for 5 different wheel diameters: 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 15mm, and 18mm.
There are 20 PALMER logos in all sizes except 18mm, which only has 9 for some reason, 8 PALMER CORD AERO logos in 8, 10, and 12mm, and 6 in 15 and 18mm. Since the tyres had the logo on both sides this means only 4 tyres with the AERO logo in the smaller sizes so it could get expensive if you want to do all your tyres.
Firstly a little warning. They are virtually impossible to see on the backing sheet, which makes cutting them out accurately a tad difficult However, I did get them done. Eventually
Lesson 1 learned the hard way: Do them one at a time!
I tried to trim 4 at once with the scalpel. I got it done ok, but when it came time to apply them it became obvious that I had handled them too much and out of the 4 only 1 was usable. The printing on all the others had been damaged by my handling them. I decided then to only do one side of each tyre, and the replacement decal, trimmed separately, was fine, but still almost impossible to see until the paper was wet.
Anyway, they look pretty good and I will certainly buy more at some point. They do add that little extra to the look!
The prop logos are from the same company, and although slightly over scale are better than not using them at all.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50165868091_0c6fb2054f_z.jpg)
Part of Poland PE prop hub (SE5a type) also added.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50166125472_2a4181b4ae_z.jpg)
Today's job was to finish the decals, and add the wing roundels.
Easy!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50165331308_9d168dee92_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50165868111_41aaa4c228_z.jpg)
A decent coating of decal solution and those will be left until tomorrow when I can finish the wings with a light wash and seal coat.
Thanks for looking in, and stay safe!
Ian
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Lovely update, the wings look so delicate and neat. The roundels have really brought them to life.
I must invest in some of those Palmer decals, they look the business. :)
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Not much more to go now Ian , she is shaping up wonderful . :)
Terri
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Prop wheels and roundels all look great Ian.
RAGIII
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Thanks Terri and Rick. I must admit I'm very pleased with how she's coming on, especially as it's my first attempt at a pusher.
Richie - you have been warned, but they are definitely worth the effort!
It's a holiday weekend here so I've had 3 days at this Needless to say that hasn't resulted in much progress! I did a light wash on the wings and dull coated them. It should really have been a gloss coat but I dull coated the underside of the upper wing so the rest has to match. Oops!
Yesterday morning was spent making up a high-tech jig (plasticene squished to the right height!) and the lower booms were fitted. I decided against the epoxy I'd bought as I don't know how it will affect the plastic. I'll try on something unimportant first! So back to Gator's Grip! The rigging lines were attached to the boom undersides and trapped between boom and wing to secure them then it was left alone until late afternoon when I added some thin CA to the joins to reinforce them.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50175261143_d98015a811_z.jpg)
This morning showed them to be secure so I continued with the upper booms.
Here's where she sits now, until at least tomorrow afternoon!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50176055052_1126a2255c_z.jpg)
I have also decided on the next model. The Taube will wait as I won't get the engine for it until Christmas. I was undecided until I looked at my display cabinet and noticed a big gap - no 1915 Allied aircraft! So as a teaser, this is what will follow....
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50175797046_1252074dd2_z.jpg)
Thanks for looking in and stay safe!
Ian
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Excellent hi tech jig - who needs expensive tools.!!
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Like Ian said , who needs hi-tech tools !
I do the same as well with what is on hand , Oooo another pusher and it's the gunbus ! Well I will be following that build once the Fe-8 is wrapped up which by the way looks great with the booms in place .
Terri
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The booms are looking Terrific in place! The Gunbus is an aircraft that has been taunting Me as I look through My references. I will follow along when you get started!
RAGIII
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Excellent jig Ian. I found the FE 8 to be one of the more difficult pushers when I came to fix the booms - yor method of fixing them looks to be better than the one I used.
Good to see that the pusher bug has bitten properly - they are real aircraft in my opinion and it will be interesting to see what a master modeller makes of the Gunbus.
Stephen.
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Thanks Ian, Terri, Rick, and Stephen - not sure about the master modeller bit though!
In the buildup to attaching the tail a number of other tasks were required first so they were taken care of over the last couple of days. Mainly re the tail assembly. I had already painted the fin and rudder stripes but wasn't happy with the stripes as the paint was too dark. Does anyone have a good match for the RFC red and blue in Vallejo or Ammo acrylic?
The tail skid was added and painted, then I used a decal for the rudder stripes. When all was dry I attached the fins and rudder to the horizontal stabilizer and rigged it all.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50201523258_ecb3ff5c86_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50201523098_61f70d7582_z.jpg)
Happy with that.
As I mentioned above I knocked off two of the four booms yesterday so had to reattach them and let them dry overnight.
This afternoon I started on trying to attach the tail assembly. I had a few possibilities as to how I was going to get it mounted correctly, hold the rigging wires in place, and glue it, all at the same time. All of those quickly failed the practical test.
I settled on adding the rigging wires first, then aligning the booms with the holes I'd drilled before applying a small piece of masking tape to hold it all in position The plan was then to simply add glue and leave it.
Ha!
The big problem is that the booms meet the tail assembly in the horizontal plane, so there is no rigidity until the tail is attached!
I put the plane on its nose on my turntable and the small pegs I used to tension the rigging obviously pulled the tail forward. I think it would have been easier to have added a small lip to the rear end of one of each pair of struts to stop the tail sliding forwards. That was my main issue, the other was trying to get it vertical, horizontal, and level in all 3 axes at the same time. One small adjustment in one plane put one or both others out, or made the tail slide forwards and I had to start again!
After about 3 hours of adjusting, readjusting, and re-re adjusting during which time I got it very nearly right many times then made one more little tweak and it all went pear shaped, I finally applied glue.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50201523028_9ddc873f28_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50202330862_bc259b49a2_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50202330962_060b32dd2d_z.jpg)
I'm definitely glad I finished rigging the tail before attaching it, and she will sit like that until my next session, tomorrow at the earliest.
Time for a beer!
Thanks for looking in, and stay safe!
Ian
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A very well deserved beer it was too. Proper fiddly work I reckon, looking forward to the next installment. I'm going to restate Stephen's words, 'Master Modeller!'.
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Coming along just wonderfully Ian , looks sweet with the tail feathers in place . It was challenging for me when I was at this stage on my build . I also like your modified close pins for clamps :)
Terri
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Thanks Richie and Terri, although I still refute the "master modeller" tag - I'm still learning....
Here's how she looks with all the pegs removed. A little extra CA in places and I needed to tighten up a couple of the drag wires but otherwise all ok.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50207045972_c00915fc1a_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50207045827_874bd45d7b_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50207045742_b129526c96_z.jpg)
If I did this again I think I would leave the drag wires and associated wing rigging loose at the wing end, and fix the wires on the tail, along with adding the aforementioned strip of brass/plastic strip at the rear end of one of the booms, through the tail, to ensure they align correctly. Once the tail is set in place I could then adjust the tail position slightly by tensioning the drag wires at the forward end.
You live and learn!
Ian
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That's a fantastic bit of modeling Ian, getting those tail planes properly aligned on the booms. I always seem to struggle with struts and such. Very nicely done! ;D This one is shaping up into a very fine model of an interesting aircraft. Looking forward to more.
Best regards,
Bob
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Awesome !
Terri
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I missed a couple of updates but can see this one is really moving along. Tail surfaces and booms attached and rigged. Gorgeous work on all!
RAGIII
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Thanks to Bob, Terri, and Rick for the feedback!
There was however that little niggle in the back of my mind. It didn't quite look right....
All was not well in pusherland. It must have been F(E)8.
OK, I'll stick to modelling.
Anyway, the tail was crooked. Not really any great surprise as my method of attachment left far too many variables. It was actually about 2mm further to one side than the other and slightly crooked as seen from behind. I managed to ease the booms off the tail and pull the rigging lines out and the Gators Grip cleaned off easily. That left me with this.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50218133326_f05401ab40_z.jpg)
I had expected to have to remove the booms too but they lined up ok once the tail was removed so I left them in place. New rigging holes were drilled separate from the boom mounts and I cut a piece of square masking paper to use as reference. The FE was then taped to that and everything double checked before the tail was CAd on and everything checked again.
Result!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50218354657_376b300d60_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50218133421_569ac72150_z.jpg)
That's much better, I just need to be careful not to pull it all out of kilter when I rig it!
That's tomorrow's job, enough for today!
Thanks for looking in, stay safe!
Ian
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Your striving for perfection is admirable to say the least! Looking Great....Again!
RAGIII
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On the tail end of my booms I ended up adding pins so when the tail was mount there was more bite to the assembly and it took me a few tries on getting everything lined up right . So I'm impressed Ian by your willingness to get her correct !
Terri
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Wow, Ian. That about covers it! :o
Extremely well done...Dan ;)
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Has it really been 3 weeks since my last update? Blimey!
It's not that nothing has been happening, it has. Just very slowly!
When we left this the booms and tail had been fitted and the cross-bracing from the outer wing struts had been fitted.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50304695312_2e0d7a5164_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50304541886_55e0b56937_z.jpg)
That meant the next step was to fit the cross bracing between the upper and lower booms on each side. I had thought about this a lot and had already fitted the wires at the front end, trapped under the booms when they were attached. They can be seen n the pic above, taped to the top of the upper wing to keep them out of harm's way. My plan was then to tension the lines and secure them before slipping the struts in to secure everything. There are 3 wires involved each side - the first is already fitted, the cross-bracing from outer struts to rear of opposite boom. Then there's the side bracing mentioned above, trapped under the boom at the front end and needing to be tensioned and secured on the boom at the exact point the strut will be attached. The 3rd is the side-to-side cross bracing between the upper and lower ends of the struts.
My first attempt was to do all 3 at the same time. I tensioned the fore-and-aft wire and taped it to hold it secure, then held the side-to-side one across it to pull all the wires against the boom so I could add a tiny drop of CA to secure them all.
Another high-tech jig was employed to ensure the attachment was at the correct place, and would be equal both sides.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50303857428_dc19e3338a_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50304542031_af48a5cb66_z.jpg)
This approach didn't work too well, at least on the first side, so I decided to attach two lines, one at the top and one at the bottom, to one of the struts as per this pic.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50303857378_57c8627647_z.jpg)
That meant I had one less variable while adjusting everything, and worked much better.
Part of the reason this update has taken so long is because my method required one small operation to be done, then I had to wait for it to dry properly before the next small step. Another is that I kept destroying work already done!
Here's the first strut in place.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50303857343_7ee46f6898_z.jpg)
That worked ok and was happy with it so proceeded to the other side. While tensioning that I got careless and pulled the entire strut off again, along with the associated wires.
Oh bother, said I.
and left it alone for a few days.
The strut and wires were eventually refitted, and left alone again.
next step, repeat the process on the other side. Without pulling it all off again!
Instead I pulled the wire out from under the lower boom.
Oh bother I said, once more.
and left it alone again.
It took a few attempts to resecure that line, but eventually it was done and I could progress.
The lower boom attachments were done first. The wires tensioned and taped in place, then a tiny dab of CA applied to secure them.
I then resorted to yet another high-tech jig to hold the upper wires in place while they cured: two tiny clothes pegs and a cocktail stick.
The upper cross wire was held by one peg which was slipped over the cocktail stick. The second peg secured the first at the desired height to hold the tension. The fore-and-aft wire was trapped between the cross wire and tensioned, and then all 3 were adjusted to cross the boom at the same point, making sure that point was level with the ones on the other side and the lower one on the same side.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50304541126_be670820c1_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50304541096_8558beafb6_z.jpg)
Once that was hardened I could trim and fit the second strut!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50304694662_2f895b9784_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50304694477_dfca1f63dd_z.jpg)
Done!
Next step now is to tension the rear half of the side cross-bracing (between the struts and the tail) and add the small strut at the rear end. That SHOULD be far simpler...
Provided I don't pull the struts off....
Time for a beer.
Thanks for dropping by, stay safe!
Ian
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I would say it is time for a beer after all that maybe even two ! ;) .
Well done on getting the struts in place and how you tackled the rigging . Never seen it done in that manner but it did work out well for you . Excellent work Ian !
Terri
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Even after reading your explanation I have No Idea how you did the struts and rigging but they look Fantastic 8)
RAGIII
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Thanks Terri!
Rick, I'm not sure I really understand myself how it all worked, but it did so I'll save the method for future reference!
A day off today, so I forced myself to finish off the boom rigging.
Two small pieces of .4 x .75mm (.015 x .030") rod to make the small rear struts which should have holes in but I didn't bother drilling them. They were actually brackets for the adjustable tail plane. The leading edge of which could be moved up or down and bolted through the respective holes in these brackets to fix it in place. The wires were tacked in place in the same fashion as before and the brackets were then CAd in place between the wires to secure them. A little thin CA was thin added to ensure a secure bond and fill any small gaps.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50318973603_e6c9c562c9_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50318973543_8140183652_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50319643041_59dff522a9_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50319643196_2196a007d9_z.jpg)
The brackets need to be painted grey, and there is some touching up to be done on the struts and booms but nothing major. After that has been taken care of the next step will be rigging the elevators and rudder.
More fiddly fun!
Thanks for looking in, and stay safe!
Ian
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Shouldn't there be an engine in there somewhere? Hope you don't undo some of that work fitting it in!
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The engine will simply be glued to the flat rear of the nacelle. It won't be a problem to fit it after rigging. I'll place the aircraft on its wing leading edges, nose down into the hole in the centre of the stand to allow it to set at the right angle.
Ian
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Wow Ian, just "WOW"! Rube Goldberg has nothing on you, that sequence of rigging and the use of shims, tape, pins and Lord knows what else is either sheer genius or the greatest of the great grand coincidences known, beautiful to watch and, like Rick, I have no clue how it actually worked! A tribute to your modelling skills, especially given the small scale Sir, and a delight to follow along.
Cheers,
Lance
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Fantastic job on rigging ! :)
Terri
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Holy Cow...gotta agree with Terri et al.!
Dan
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This is simply wonderful, Ian.
"That's the stuff to give the Hun!"
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Looking Fabulous Ian!
RAGIII
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Thanks everyone for the feedback, much appreciated!
Progress has been very slow of late, mostly because I really don't enjoy this part of the build, but also because I have been short of available time. So here is a quick update.
The tail boom rigging is done and the touching up has also been completed. That left me with this...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50379856017_f4cbf6eefd_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50379676026_3ae144fe3b_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50378979598_ec2eff06e7_z.jpg)
The next step is to rig the tail control surfaces, and since I had already attached the lines to the nacelle, I simply had to pull them out from their hiding place and attach them.
If only!
After a lot of swearing and adjusting I managed to get them separated and in the correct order to attach them without having them crossing each other. They were then CAd to the pulleys on the lower wings.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50379856142_a260019648_z.jpg)
The ends were taped to the cutting mat to stop them getting tangled again. Problem there is that masking tape doesn't hold this stuff very well!
I also managed to pull out one of the port wing flying wires. I have no idea how as I wasn't working in that area, but I have still to figure out how to reattach it. I may have to remove it and replace it with wire but that is still open to options.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50379855987_0994c53430_z.jpg)
Finally, after much swearing, I managed to get the upper elevator control horns and wires attached. I'm still not sure about the left side and may remove it and do it again. We'll see how I feel later!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50379675801_a2cf40eba4_z.jpg)
I still can't for the life of me figure out why PE makers make the control horns as separate parts for upper and lower instead of one piece so I could just cut a slot in the elevator/rudder/aileron and slide it into place. It would be so much stronger and so much easier to fit and align! I may well make my own along those lines in future since the first part to come adrift is always a control horn.
Anyway, that's where I am now. Rudder and lower elevator still to do providing I don't break any more wires off!
Thanks for looking in!
Ian
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I sure agree about the one piece, upper/lower control horns. Sooo much easier and the upper and lower horns align so well when you are done ;-)
sp
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Sure hope you give those spiders a few extra beers ! ;)
Fantastic job on the rigging and like the others I agree on the PE control horns , one piece is much better .
Terri
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Another small update as I have to keep forcing myself back onto this one. I finally got the tail control lines all fitted.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50449750003_05a46592c3_z.jpg)
and then got them trimmed up I only knocked one off while trimming, I was pretty pleased with that, and it went back on again without any problems as at least it had the forethought to come loose before I'd trimmed the end off the wire!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50449749873_8198533419_z.jpg)
However, I did manage to cut one of the upper tail bracing wires while trimming, so more repair work. At least this one is simple to get to!
Next up was that flying wire I tried to reattach the loose end but it wasn't going to work so I trimmed it off and cut a length of 0.066mm nickel-chrome wire to replace it. It's almost exactly the same diameter as the fishing line so the only difference is the slight sheen to it, plus the fact that I can't tension it. It's not perfect but it will do!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50450617197_9416efc767_z.jpg)
While I had the wire out, I also added the cross bracing under the rear of the nacelle, and then attached the engine air intake and elevator control horns.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50450448526_91a0612972_z.jpg)
I now need to sit and make 8 tiny pulleys for the aileron control lines. Needless to say, I'm not going to do that now.
Beer time.
Stay safe all, and thanks for looking in!
Ian
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One line at a time , your getting there Ian :)
Terri
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Good to see this plugging along, Sir.
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Looking Incredible! I can't wait to see those Tiny Pulleys!
RAGIII
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Thanks for the feedback folks, Rick, pulleys ahoy!
I have not been idle. Despite the lack of updates there has been progress, it's just been very slow. Here then is a summary of that progress.
When we last visited, I was getting psyched up to make lots of tiny pulleys. They are 1mm discs punched out of 0.25mm plastic rod, drilled, and mounted on 0.4mm aluminium rod.
I needed 8 so I made 8
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50574868673_26b881f495_z.jpg)
Silly me, I should know better by now. 4 fitted on the underside and 1 left! The other 3 are watching me from somewhere not far away and sniggering to each other.
I also added 4 control horns while I was at it so I wouldn't have to wait for them to dry when I came to fit the wires. Of course that train of thought is only relevant if I don't didn't knock some off later anyway!
Which left me with this x2
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50574868528_9c21e0b95d_z.jpg)
Then it was time to add more wire! I had decided on a plan of action previously. There are double linkages on the ailerons with the lines joined just inboard of the inboard pulley, so I had decided to add the first line all the way to the outer attachment, then tie another line on for the inner attachment. The biggest problem was simply getting the line to sit on the edge of the .25mm discs so I could glue it in place. Eventually the outer lines were done.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50575741067_2d44b4d0b7_z.jpg)
Then when those were good and dry I tied on the inner ones and added a spot of CA to the knot to keep it from sliding.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50574868158_fd2e01e590_z.jpg)
Getting the lines attached to the control horns has always been a pig of a job. For some reason this time around I suddenly had an idea. I snipped off a short piece of plastic rod of the same size as the horns and cut a slot in one side with a micro saw. I then simply slipped this in under the wire, just behind the control horn, with the wire in the slot, then slid it across until the wire was resting against the side of the horn at exactly the right height. A drop of CA was added while I held the wire taut - easy to do as it was resting on the little plastic block, et voila!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50574868133_a251cc283d_z.jpg)
To avoid pulling it off when tensioning the rear end, I used a piece of .25 x 1.5mm strip for the same purpose. Slipped under the wire just behind the horn it meant I wasn't pulling down on the CA joint while tensioning it.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50574868263_4f4c1381bd_z.jpg)
It worked! The underside rigging is finished with the exception of the landing gear and elevator control horns (both of which, needless to say, have been knocked off!)
The landing gear has also been added.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50574868033_5ef66c34c8_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50575603331_dd1404fd85_z.jpg)
It needs a little tweaking to straighten it up, and while I was attempting that, I loosened the left strut between the booms again.
I have managed to get it and the associated rigging back in place and am now leaving it well alone. I may remove the landing gear again to tweak the angle slightly but that will wait.
To sum up, I am now on the home straight. I need to fix the undercarriage, do the aileron rigging on the top side, including adding the pulleys and control horns, then finish and add the engine. Then it's a quick touch up around the cockpit and add the Lewis gun, and she's finished!
Stay safe, and thanks for looking in!
Ian
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You aren't alone in the pulley adventure . When I made my and it came time to add the control lines I faced the same as you did and even managed to nock off a pulley or two .
She is looking fantastic and these smaller details really add to it . Your in the base and there load ....looking forward to the home run !
Terri
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Inventive techniques and excellent results. I admire what you are doing, especially in 1/72nd!
RAGIII
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Thanks Terri and Rick, much appreciated!
A small update today.
My silver marker has dried up so I've ordered another one. No point trying to finish the rigging until that gets here as I can't see it! So progress over the last couple of days has been in two directions:
Firstly the landing gear was removed, straightened, and refitted. She looks much better with both wing tips at the same level!
The second area of work was to finish off the ridiculously small and detailed engine I added the rocker arms and then the push rods from steel wire. The prop got CAd onto it and it now awaits finishing of the rest as I will fit it once all the rigging as done and wheels have been fitted. The main reason is that I can hold it by picking it up with my thumb and index finger holding the nacelle. I won't be able to do that with the engine in place which only leaves the wing tips as areas to hold without breaking anything. Did I mention she's a tad fragile and very busy with rigging?
Anyway,
Here's the engine.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50632889451_781da4f7ee_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50632143373_9ed8e2029f_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50632143298_80ae0c03bd_z.jpg)
Thanks for looking in. Hopefully the next update will have the rigging completed
Stay safe!
Ian
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Excellent work on the engine and prop :)
Terri
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The prop and engine are Fantastic! You are continuing to Impress!
RAGIII
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Hi all, back again for another brief update, but first, thanks to Terri and Rick for the feedback - it's most definitely appreciated!
I did have a little OH **** moment earlier in the week when I tipped the turntable onto which I had taped the model, only to remember as it slid off onto the bench that I had removed the tape holding it in place! A quick check revealed that the left upper boom had popped loose at the tail end. Fortunately it was quickly and easily CAd back into place and all the rigging remains taut.
Phew!
An unexpected day off due to a schedule change has left me a little extra time to spend on this, although I'm still waiting for my new markers for the rigging. Having said that, at least I can get everything ready so when they arrive I can get straight on it.
Today's jobs then:
1) Finish the rigging on the underside - namely the elevator control horns and undercarriage.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50656241641_27f0fdafa8_z.jpg)
Done!
2) Finish painting the cockpit edge (there was a metal bead around it, presumably to remove what could otherwise be a rather sharp razor like edge to the nacelle!) and add the pilot's head rest.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50655505963_bae70a45f7_z.jpg)
Done!
3) Add the pulleys and control horns on the upper wing for the aileron rigging.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50655506218_18979eddb1_z.jpg)
Done! These pulleys are flush on the surface and not proud like those on the underside, which made them far easier to fit.
Jobs remaining now:
Aileron rigging on the upper wing
Repair a tail rigging line which I accidently cut when fitting the elevator lines.
Paint touch up on the control horns and one or two other areas
Fit the wheels
Fit the engine
Fit the Lewis gun - I also need to make a spent cartridge bag and do some work on the mounting.
Definitely on the home straight now!
Thanks for looking in, stay safe!
Ian
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Stunning work Ian! The details are incredible. It amazes Me that there is no injection kit of this aircraft in any of the normal scales . It really is a cool looking bird!
RAGIII
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I'm really impressed with this so far Ian , super work so far :)
Terri
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Right then, where were we?
Ah yes, aileron rigging.
I have had a horrible lack of mojo over the past couple of months and getting this done has taken far longer than it should have done. However, over a period of a few days I got it taken care of, bit by bit. Then redoing bits that came loose and doing them again...etc etc....
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50746791091_ee2bb32ba1_z.jpg)
and trimmed up...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50746791056_bc114d1e01_z.jpg)
To make absolutely sure I didn't repeat the mistake I made on the tail, when I accidentally cut one of the lines while trimming another, I made a simple "modification" to my scalpel.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50746050413_6e618532d5_z.jpg)
It worked!
Once that job was finished there were only a couple of things to do:
repair the tail rigging:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50746893347_3509a20cd8_z.jpg)
Done! (The line was cut off and replaced by .06mm wire)
Touch up paintwork on the control horns and a couple of other areas - done but not worth a pic
Add the wheels, engine, and Lewis gun.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50746893147_03bd027fa6_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50746893262_eba44be4a2_z.jpg)
I gave up on the idea of a spent cartridge bag - too bl**dy small!
So, as of now, I am officially calling this one DONE!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50746050383_ca203f9944_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50746893112_5e8404737e_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50746050178_4a28c2c706_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50746893517_184eb7e48f_z.jpg)
RFI to follow when I get a chance to take some decent pics.
Many thanks to all who followed along and provided feedback, and Happy Christmas to all!
Stay safe!
Ian
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Looks great Ian. I'll look for it in the RFI section.
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Looks great! Thank you so much for the detailed primer on correcting the shape of a kit, and all the detailed info with it.
Rick
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Brilliant work sir!
WD
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Superb Results Ian. Good to see this one finished. Your log has been informative and inspirational.
RAGIII
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Ooh, that is beautiful and so Special, Ian! For a vacform it's 110%!! Well done! Marc
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Ooh, that is beautiful and so Special, Ian! For a vacform it's 110%!! Well done! Marc
I couldn't agree more! Fantastic!
Cheers,
Ernie :)
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Oh, Ian, that is breathtakingly gorgeous! A vac? In 1/72? You could tell me this was 1/32 and I'd believe it forever. Stunning work!!
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Thanks all!
Hard to believe it was nearly a year ago that I finished this.
I hope to get back to the Taube and Gunbus soon, just need to finish the Fairey Battle first.
Ian
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I hope to get back to the Taube and Gunbus soon, just need to finish the Fairey Battle first.
Sounds like a good plan. Hang on...
Gunbus
Oooooooh yes please!!
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The rigging is marvelous.
And thank you for the life hack, regarding the scalpel. A simple bit effective solution. I will copy that.
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Absolutely splendid sir - I doff my cap to you ;D
Just had a very pleasant hour catching up with this thread and your travails during the build. So much stuff in there worthy of praise I don't really know where to start. You've made a fabulous job of it - congratulations
Paul