forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com
WW1 Aircraft Modeling => Under Construction => Topic started by: Trackpad on February 03, 2018, 03:34:47 AM
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Hi,
It's been a while since I was active on the Forum. Other activities such as church and contract work limited my time. However I'm still in the mix, as it were: my son's CC130E Hercules as flown in Afghanistan, an M113A1 for my Regimental Museum, and the Blue Max Dolphin that I've promised to Rowan Broadbent have all maintained my direct connection with The Hobby.
A couple of months ago I started a WNW Albatros DV, and allocated almost two years to get it ready for a regional competition. My intent was to do a pretty good job on this build. Those who know me know that I am a self-described "comfortably competent" modeller: guys like Przemol and Bertl have nothing to fear from me!
That changed this morning when I first heard of Des' passing. Des was a tower of strength to many of us on the Forum, certainly including me. I have already expressed condolences to the Delatorre family from my wife Sharon and me. Subsequently I remembered that, some time ago, a number of us did a "commemoration build" on the passing of Dan-San Abbott. I then decided, with all due respect to the memory of Des and to his family, to use my Albatros build as a salute to Des and what he has done for me and so many of us. I'll be trying to stretch my modelling limits as far as I can.
I hope and trust that this personal tribute will find favour among our membership. Des, this one's for you!
(https://i.imgur.com/zCPpXi3.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/TmBpTmA.jpg)
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Wonderful idea, Gary! And a most interesting topic you chose! I am looking forward to following this thread.
Richard
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A wonderful gesture Gary, and you've expressed it so well. Having been party to your plans for this Build, almost since day one with the falling together of our little group, the "Canadian Mafia" as Rowan so aptly branded us, I know it's a great project and will result in a superb Build. I am looking forward to your future posts and will be cheering you on every step of the way.
Cheers,
Lance
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Here is what I accomplished before taking on a quick (and almost finished) contract build in early January. Some of the pictures are very slightly out of sequence. Mea culpa: hadn't planned on doing the thread so soon!
Lozenge fabric backing fitted, including nail-heads and drilled out mounting holes for the seat supports, small instrument cluster using kit decals and AeroScale bezels, floorboard wood-grained with a home-made decal, two seat-mount sections made from aftermarket rod (never could get the seam lines off very thin kit parts properly!), the seat and two bulkheads.
(https://i.imgur.com/WMLIJVM.jpg)
The RB Productions seat-belt set assembled with the metal fittings painted Gunze Sangyo RLM 02. Very good seat-belts and easily assembled.
(https://i.imgur.com/YywRdyY.jpg)
Bulkheads and fabric backing assembled. Wood-grain effect on the interior surfaces using the tried and true oil paint method.
(https://i.imgur.com/slAXgDo.jpg)
Where we stand right now.The control column is dry-fitted to see just how it would sit, the instrument wires will be bent, spindled, twisted and beaten into place along the right surface of the fuselage interior up to the nearest bulkhead groove to them. BTW, the bulkhead grooves were taped over to ensure that no paint got into them and thereby make it a problem to fit the bulkheads as they should. The engine compartment is painted RLM 02 as some protection for the wood against oil or other engine liquid spillage.
(https://i.imgur.com/8Y1cn9J.jpg)
I'm almost finished my current contract build, so I should be back on this thread inside a week or ten days. Until then, thanks for visiting! 8)
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Hello, Richard and Lance,
Thanks very much for your kindness and encouragement. More progress on the M113A1 today: Dullcote, dusting and antenna fitted so far. Might get it done faster than even I expected. Richard, this is the contract build I'm doing now for a museum. Des must be prodding me to finish it up schnell and get back to some "real" modelling! 8)
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Wow Gary, Des would be proud. Great start to this special tribute. Looking forward to seeing your progress.
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Well, this is a surprise and a half. With a little more time than I expected to devote to this museum project yesterday, I actually finished it (well, got to the 99.5% solution) by late evening. As it doesn't get presented until late May I can now continue the Albi build with a clear conscience.
(https://i.imgur.com/4xp6pas.jpg)
Thanks for the help, Des. Nice to know that you're still helping me along! 8)
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Gary: I echo Lances sentiments on this build and "good on yer" for doing it. I too have been following this and look forward to your progress on it. It's a nice gesture and when you look at it, you will have that memory of Des and all that he did for this side of the hobby.
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Wonderful idea, Gary! And a most interesting topic you chose! I am looking forward to following this thread.
Richard
Exactly my thoughts.
Besides, I feel that all our builds which will be shown in the coming months here will have the Des' spirit behind. I managed to have some time at the modelling desk today and could not stop thinking of our Host and Mentor who was taken so prematurely from us...
But, Gary, that
Those who know me know that I am a self-described "comfortably competent" modeller: guys like Przemol and Bertl have nothing to fear from me!
is far too much for me. First of all your builds are by no means lesser than mine. But most of all, my builds are light years behind what Bertl used to show us.
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Ah, Przemol my kind friend, you pay me a wonderful compliment for which I gratefully thank you. However, if you will permit me I might add that, if you are a few light years behind Bertl I think that I am perhaps still several hundred miles behind you. All we have to do is to visit your immaculate build at the following link. Congratulations on an outstanding model and an excellent method of displaying it! ;D https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=8816.0
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Ah, Przemol my kind friend, you pay me a wonderful compliment for which I gratefully thank you. However, if you will permit me I might add that, if you are a few light years behind Bertl I think that I am perhaps still several hundred miles behind you. All we have to do is to visit your immaculate build at the following link. Congratulations on an outstanding model and an excellent method of displaying it! ;D https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=8816.0
Thank you, Gary, for your compliments, too. :-)
But let me place my bid - that model you showed just above is at least as good as the one you linked :D
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What a wonderful idea for a tribute, and a great choice of kit. I'll be following this with much interest.
I'd love to see your model of your son's Herc, too. Will you be posting photos of that project anywhere?
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Looking forward to this one, Gary! An excellent tribute to Des. The bits in progress look great!
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What a wonderful idea for a tribute, and a great choice of kit. I'll be following this with much interest.
I'd love to see your model of your son's Herc, too. Will you be posting photos of that project anywhere?
Hi, Kiwi,
Two Herc shots under construction. The first one has just about all of the several thousand (it seems like!) decals in place. The second shows the lightened effect I'm putting on the wing-walk areas: the a/c was in Afghanistan and was really covered with dust. The w/w areas were non-skid and so held more of the dust than the smoother air frame. I work toward completion of this build "now and then," with the goal of successful completion by perhaps midsummer 2018.
(https://i.imgur.com/LPumGAc.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/GBqCDQd.jpg)
Cheers, and thanks for visiting! 8)
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2 great builds under way !!!
Ed
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2 great builds under way !!!
Ed
Hi, Ed,
Happy New Year to you and yours, and thanks for visiting! ;D
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Thanks Gary, the Herky Bird looks great!
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2 great builds under way !!!
Ed
I agree with my Amigo! The Albatros interior is looking awesome. I am doing one now and hope mine looks as good when done!
RAGIII
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2 great builds under way !!!
Ed
I agree with my Amigo! The Albatros interior is looking awesome. I am doing one now and hope mine looks as good when done!
RAGIII
Thanks, RAGIII, for your very kind comment!
I've made some progress just forward of the cockpit over the past few days. The first two images below show the ammunition and cartridge recovery boxes attached to their bulkhead, and then the fuel tank attached to the other side of the same bulkhead. The fuel tank is built by joining two parts together which forms a seam right around the structure. Of the three "widgets" on the top of the tank, the two smaller ones fall right along the seam. Sanding and smoothing the seam in that area would immediately lead to damage to these two items. Accordingly, I cut them both off, smoothed the seam with no damage to the large item, then used my punch set to make two replacement "widgets" which were quickly glued into place. As to the black hose assembly: yes, I will paint the last 1/8th inch at the bottom!
(https://i.imgur.com/mgIWx3G.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/dcDXLvk.jpg)
The third image shows a test fit of the structure into the right fuselage. So far, so good. So-o-o...
(https://i.imgur.com/ucKJucq.jpg)
...we go the full nine yards and check the fit when the fuselage halves are buttoned up. Well, taped up! We look to be good at this point, so tomorrow Ill glue the structure into place on the right fuselage half and retape the two fuse halves so the the left side acts as a "splint" to hold the structure in place while the glue dries/cures.
(https://i.imgur.com/uvCy6rx.jpg)
The next few days will deal with the rest of the cockpit items, and then comes the engine and its fitting into the fuselage. More to follow. Thanks very much for visiting! 8)
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Outstanding progress! Looking forward to your next update.
RAGIII
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Outstanding progress! Looking forward to your next update.
RAGIII
Thx, RAGIII! Now, I could say that "this morning I finally got a cushion fitted to the pilot's seat, and the structure noted above is now glued into place," but that's kinda small stuff, took about four minutes. I'll just leave them for a more robust posting! ;D Have a great day! 8)
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Hello, Everyone,
Well, I'm making better progress than I expected. I got a bit more time over the past two days so the cockpit is pretty much done. The following three photos give various views of where we are now. I'm satisfied with the result, having shamelessly filched a few added ideas from Des' Albatros Build Log. There are a few gaffes here and there but if I turn out the lights no one can see them! ;)
I found the RB seat-belts a very good item. I just have to dampen them a smidge more to get that "worn and weary" look. And I finally got a cushion for the pilot! The scratchbuilt white-handled item (not sure just what it was for) is one of the details from Des' Log (he did a better job on his, though!). The joystick caused a few minor headaches, due mainly to my hamfisted lack of coordination, but the result is acceptable to my elderly eyes. So far I'm enjoying this build quite a bit just by slowing down, focusing on the challenge at hand and dealing with it as well as I can. All is good, all is well! ;D
(https://i.imgur.com/jcySYQM.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/o7CWSGJ.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/CczIka7.jpg)
The next step in the saga is the engine. This may turn out to be the challenge that broke the camel's back because I've bitten the bullet and purchased a number of engine updates, just to say that I tried to use them (which I've never done before!). Super-detailing? Well, it might not be "super" but I do hope that it will be somewhat "detailing!" Here's a photo of the various weapons I have in the "Engine Arsenal." Wish me luck! :)
(https://i.imgur.com/cmnqxTw.jpg)
Thanks for visiting. Have a great weekend, and I'll post the next update over the next week or so as we progress through the engine build. 8)
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Great update Gary, and some VERY nice work. The macro photos show a remarkably clean finish in the midst of some terrific detail work, those fuel selector switches are really nicely presented. That "white handled item" you've done so nicely is the auxiliary throttle, good catch as it's often missed. She's going to be a beauty!
Cheers,
Lance
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Hey, Lance, thanks for the visit and your very kind comments.
Your note on the Auxiliary Throttle drove me to look back at one of my photos. In doing so, I noticed a very faint line running from the Aux Throttle roughly down to the cushion area. Checking back on the build I found a very fine hair-like thread in place that I missed heretofore and which has since been consigned to Thread Hades. I would have kept it in place, but it wasn't an exact 1/32nd scale thread! ;D
Have a great weekend, my friend! 8)
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Gary,
I want to correct my previous statement about the "auxiliary throttle"; another member advises its an emergency engine shutdown or cut-off control. I was close but apparently my reference is incorrect! As for your "hair like thread" Wonderdog" is shedding like crazy presently, I wouldn't doubt some of it may have drifted your way with the storm winds! Couldn't be Jake!? ;)
Cheers,
Lance
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Wow Gary, the office looks great. Cannot wait for all those details on the engine.
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Beautiful interior work and nice job on the Emergency Engine cutoff handle! Looking forward to your next update!
RAGIII
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@Lance: thanks for the update on the throttle cutoff. I saw it on Des' Build Log and figured that, if he's got it there then it must belong there! Doesn't matter what it's called or what it does: put-it-in-the-cockpit-NOW! ;D
@Juan: Yes, me too. I'll be quite happy if they all get to where they ought to go with relatively little trouble! ;)
@RAGIII: Thanks for the thumbs up, my friend. Work on the engine has just started but I'll be three days working (computer simulation exercises) next week: build time will be limited. Then one day off followed by six more days working. The engine will take a while, methinks!
Have great weekends, All! 8)
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WOW, so far, Gary: It‘s a pleasure to me, watching your Albie coming together so nicely!
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WOW, so far, Gary: It‘s a pleasure to me, watching your Albie coming together so nicely!
RH, thanks for your very kind comment. The engine is underway (very early innings yet) and progress is being made. Painting three colours onto thirteen spark-plugs, each about 6/100ths of an inch tall, was an experience, I must say! :o
Thanks for visiting! 8)
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Nice work thus far Gary: I would have never thought of an auxilliary throttle handle either, but; now that there is "confirmation" from multiple sources, I will incorporate into my next Albi build.
Nice work on the seat belts. I can't seem to get them to look right and always revert back to the kit provided PE ones. Good on yer for those. You are making good progress on this Gary and I will be following along on your updates.
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Thanks, Mark. As far as the seat-belts are concerned, I've found that the RB offering is quite good. With a bit of practice the assembly is rather easy, and the shaping of the belts to the seat is accomplished by soaking the belts with water, letting the "fabric" become pliable, then shaping the belts to the seat and each other. I've still got a bit of adjusting to do but water is the secret weapon of choice for this small task! 8)
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It is moving along nicely, agree with all the above on the interior /seatbelts !!!
Ed
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It is moving along nicely, agree with all the above on the interior /seatbelts !!!
Ed
Hi, Ed,
Hope things are all good for you and yours. Yes, I wasn't sure of the RB belts but they did work out just fine. Thanks for visiting! 8)
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Hi, Everyone,
Work started on the engine some days ago, but shortage of time has slowed progress. Nevertheless a bit has been made, just enough for a short update.
The spark plugs (each one about 6/100's of an inch) are painted, with a few touchups yet to be made. Steel, white and copper are the colours and a 5/0 brush the weapon of choice. Probably use a 10/0 for the touchups. And I, too, have a huge wooden matchstick! ;D
(https://i.imgur.com/kKmliJm.jpg)
The lower engine section is now painted, decalled and weathered a touch. The cylinder bank will be the real challenge as I'm using the Taurus resin update sets. So far the six intake manifold nuts are fitted, as is the main shaft for the valve lifters and timing gears. Don't worry about the gap between top and bottom engine halves: they're dry-fitted only for the photo.
(https://i.imgur.com/ynxPg6U.jpg)
Note the front first-mounted spring. It, plus another, plus two connectors, plus a cover = five tiny parts for each of the cylinder heads. It took me about thirty minutes to do the separating, light sanding, gluing in place and aligning of the end of the connector to the head of the spring. This will be an interesting, challenging and exciting process. Rule of the Day? "Make haste...s-l-o-w-l-y!"
(https://i.imgur.com/27aZ7DM.jpg)
Thanks for visiting, and have a great weekend! 8)
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The rocker arms and valve springs add a nice dimension to the engine and will certainly bring that area of the model to life as will the spark plugs and harnesses. Key word here is S-L-O-W-L-Y as you mentioned. Looking good Gary.
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What you are adding to the engine will really enhance the overall Model even further!
RAGIII
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Mark and Justin,
Thanks for your encouragement and your visit. I'm pretty clear now that "slow" does not mean "lethargic." The extra bits and bobs are fine if you first think your way through them, which I have had to do because I rarely use them. Right now I'm giving thought to using Future/Pledge as an adhesive to fix the 30-odd tiny parts to the main timing/valve shaft. I figure that you have to fix the spring and the connector at the same time, then adjust them so that the one connects with the other correctly, and all before the adhesive dries/cures. PVC glue is too thick and may not hold the parts if overly-thinned. Epoxy is too thick. CA cures too quickly. But many modellers use Future to attach PE parts where the parts are not under any stress. I think that it'll work: thin, gets into the various crevices and dries to a fairly tough thin surface. We'll see! 8)
Edit: I found that the Future idea didn't work all that well. What did work was a 1:1 mix of Future and PVC glue. The engine is "motoring on" nicely. Update later as I'm working for the next seven days straight.
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Hello, Everyone,
It's been about three weeks since I posted an update here, but I'm happy to say that the Albi engine is pretty much done. I'll attach the water line to the upper wing radiator when comes time to fit the wing in place. With all that has to happen to the fuselage now, I didn't want that long and angled pipe flailing around the work bench!
For my first try at detailing an engine, this one looks all right to my eye. The metallized parts were by Alclad 2 and Gunze Metal Coat paints. Both worked well. I was really caught short with the upper valve control mechanism: thirty-one pieces of resin to get into place, lined up and glued. The spark plug leads, both to the plugs and from the alternator, posed a few challenges. They are made from thin soft wire that Vector puts out with their resin engines: very nice to work with. I used the kit manifold part rather than the Barracuda offering as I could not get the latter to fit properly. No criticism of the part, only a criticism of my skill level! The kit decals went on very nicely. Weathering and staining was a mix of light oil wash and thinned Gunze "Soot" and "Oil."
Here are three photos of the finished engine. I'll take a bit of a break and do some light painting of various bits and bobs before the next major phase: joining the fuselage halves and sorting through wood-grain and nail-head decals, PE detail parts and making the call between light grey and light blue for the forward fuselage area.
(https://i.imgur.com/WxgV8oc.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/8pB9orc.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/S01KcNL.jpg)
More later. Have a super weekend and thanks for visiting! 8)
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Top engine, I love the details, the wiring of the sparkplugs looks great.
Bye,
Manni
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Top engine, I love the details, the wiring of the sparkplugs looks great.
Bye,
Manni
Thanks, Manni. Much appreciated! 8)
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Yes splendid engine work!
Ryan
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Hi, Ryan,
Thanks for visiting, and thanks for your kind comment: it's very much appreciated!
Good luck with all of your future builds. 8)
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Superb results on the engine Gary! Being presently engaged in the same exercise on two for the AEG I feel I can confidently attest to the great work on the Taurus upper additions, you really aced the springs and rocker boxes etc. I too was challenged by that exercise (still not completed!) and my results don't look as good as these, nice work! 8) 8) 8)
Cheers,
Lance
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Superb results on the engine Gary! Being presently engaged in the same exercise on two for the AEG I feel I can confidently attest to the great work on the Taurus upper additions, you really aced the springs and rocker boxes etc. I too was challenged by that exercise (still not completed!) and my results don't look as good as these, nice work! 8) 8) 8)
Cheers,
Lance
Thanks, Lance. Just goes to show how much "good luck" I have to expend. Trouble is that I've burned through about sixty per cent of my allotment of luck but I have about seventy per cent of the model to build yet! ;D
BTW, good luck with your AEG. That's a few light years more complicated than an Albi. Fortunately all of the WWW kits in my cache are single engine types.
Thanks for visiting! 8)
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That engine looks fabulous!
Gaz
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That engine looks fabulous!
Gaz
Thanks for visiting, Gaz, and additional thanks for your very kind comment. 8)
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Great work!! Remember to check the fluid levels before you start it...
Steve
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Great work!! Remember to check the fluid levels before you start it...
Steve
Geez, why didn't I think of that before now?? :o Thanks for the reminder!! 8)
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Nice work on the motor, Gary.
FWIW, I find epoxy is usually the best bet for tiny resin parts (like the valve train springs and rockers) or anything that sits up & requires careful alignment. The great thing about epoxy is that even the "5 minute" variety really takes much longer than that to fully cure, meaning that you have a full five minutes or so to get the bit into position -- at which point, as it sets up, you can gently nudge the part with tweezers or a toothpick or whatever until it's perfectly aligned just as the stuff starts to really set up.
As for it being "too thick" -- I find this really isn't an issue -- usually all you need is a tiny dot of the stuff which I apply with a toothpick. (I dunk one toothpick into the sauce, and from that small dab take an even smaller dab on another toothpick. I use this second toothpick to dot the part...)
For larger parts I drill a shallow divot (or two) to give the excess some place to go besides squishing out the sides.
I have learned the hard way to only try to do one part at a time per batch of epoxy, wasteful, to be sure, but in the end, what do you really care about?
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Bo, Thanks for visiting and for your very kind comment on the engine. It certainly raises the morale marker, coming from you! ;D
I appreciate your information on epoxy usage. This will make future aftermarket usage, both PE and resin, more comfortable for me. Thanks for the instruction. Evidently I've been using too much, so the two key points I'll take from your post are:
a. dial back significantly on the amount used; and
b. use the shallow divot technique for bigger PE parts.
Your Albatros build is full of ideas that I'm shamelessly using for my build, at least those that I can actually employ. I'll have to give you part credit when I get the build finished. Thanks again for your visit and comments. 8)
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Your engine looks the business alright Gary. The plug wires, rocker assembly and valve springs will add some interest to the front as they are very visible. It' very well done Gary, the work is clean and the weathering seems to be just the right amount. A hearty Bravo Zulu my friend.
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Hi, Mark,
Thanks for visiting and for your comments. I wasn't sure of just how to address all the engine aftermarket items, but they seem to have fallen into place satisfactorily. I have another set of engine AM items packed away in my WNW Fokker E1 kit, so the experience here will be well-used there when the time comes.
Thanks again! 8)
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Bo, Thanks for visiting and for your very kind comment on the engine. It certainly raises the morale marker, coming from you! ;D
I appreciate your information on epoxy usage. This will make future aftermarket usage, both PE and resin, more comfortable for me. Thanks for the instruction. Evidently I've been using too much, so the two key points I'll take from your post are:
a. dial back significantly on the amount used; and
b. use the shallow divot technique for bigger PE parts.
Your Albatros build is full of ideas that I'm shamelessly using for my build, at least those that I can actually employ. I'll have to give you part credit when I get the build finished. Thanks again for your visit and comments. 8)
Lol, no need to credit me for anything.
There's a third point on epoxy usage I want you to take away-- at least this was a breakthrough for me:
The critical moment arrives about 5-8 minutes after you place the part on the model. Obvious enough when you say it, but at least when I was starting out (and I know you are not a beginner by any means) I would try to exactly position the part from the get-go and then struggle for 5 minutes holding it precisely in place, inevitably watching it fall off ten times, usually jelly side down making a big mess and more frustration. Once it finally dawned on that those first 5 minutes don't matter, all you have to do is get the glue in the right place, things got exponentially easier.
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Sorry I am abit late but had no computer access yesterday. Your engine is sublime! Outstanding results from your additions!
RAGIII
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Gary,
Just found this thread this morning. This an excellent way to honor Des my old friend. Outstanding skill and craftsmanship shine here. Love those little details you've incorporated. I'm looking forward to following along with your awesome build. Keep up the highest standards of Excellence my old friend.
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette
PS: I have no doubts that Des is smiling down on this fine tribute from above.
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Outstanding work on the innards, Gary, and that engine is truly superb!
Cheers,
Bud
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Great work on cockpit and the engine.
Ciao
Giuseppe
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Bo, good points for sure. I have a method of mixing very small amounts of the two epoxy components, but I tended to use too much, as noted above. This, plus your more recent guidance, will pretty much ensure that I don't make a hash of it in future. Thx again!
RAG, thx for your visit and comments. Don't worry about being late, as you can never be late for something you didn't know about. ;D
Greg, wonderful words for which I thank you very much. I hope and trust that all is well with you and yours. It's always a pleasure to see you on the Forum! :)
Bud and Giuseppe, thanks very much for visiting and for your kind and encouraging messages.
Thank you all for your wonderful support. It means a great deal to me! 8)
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In my last update I said something along the lines of "I'll take a bit of a break and do some light painting of various bits and bobs before the next major phase: joining the fuselage halves..." Well, sort of. There I was, merrily painting away at various items when I started to fiddle around with the engine compartment bulkheads and puzzling out just how this was going to get done without a major catastrophe happening. Well, one thing led to another, fitting bulkheads to fuselage grooves and slipping engine mounting boards into place, when all of a sudden the job came clear, the glue was applied, and the engine compartment was complete (at least as far as the support units were concerned) and the fuselage halves were together. Here she be:
(https://i.imgur.com/SjCMsDS.jpg)
Which is not to say that the painting mentioned was not done. I decided on a pale blue colour (the other option is light/pale grey. Take your pick: it's one or the other and no one can say for sure just which is correct) for the forward fuselage and various panels, struts, the spinner and the wheel covers and backing (a mix of Tamiya Matt White XF-2 and Gloss Blue X-4). The rudder got its red - white - blue repaint using Citadel Paints "Evil Sunz Scarlet" and "Kantor Blue" (don't blame me for the names, but these colours are a dead match for the red and blue that Rowan uses for his RFC/RAF roundels and stripes). You can see just how pale the light blue is by comparing the spinner colour with the white on the rudder. The oil tank is a dirtied-up copper with brass cap and steel strapping:
(https://i.imgur.com/aXKCrbu.jpg)
Finally, feeling as if things were moving along nicely, I started in to the white gloss application needed for the Aviattic five-colour lozenge decals. Just the smaller parts were sprayed as I am still working through what has to be done to the main planes before they are painted gloss white. Rigging holes have to be drilled out, some panels are to be removed, and the meaning of several small "dimples" must be clarified. In one case, two dimples on the bottom of the fuselage indicated where two holes had to be drilled, but nothing in the instructions indicated that. I found this out by revisiting Bo's Albatros build. Lots of good details in that thread!
(https://i.imgur.com/dmcWKcJ.jpg)
I also ordered the Windsock Special on the Albatros, just for the sheer, unadulterated heck of it. I can resist everything...except temptation! ;D
So that's where we stand at the end of this week. Many thanks for visiting, have a superlative weekend, and I'll post the next update next week. 8)
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Nice work Gary!
In my last update I said something along the lines of "I'll take a bit of a break and do some light painting of various bits and bobs before the next major phase: joining the fuselage halves..." Well, sort of. There I was, merrily painting away at various items when I started to fiddle around with the engine compartment bulkheads and puzzling out just how this was going to get done without a major catastrophe happening.
For anyone following along -- here's a broken record that I've been playing for a long time now as it doesn't seem to be catching on:
It's not necessary (or desirable, imo) to put anything ahead of former #5 into the fuselage before closing it up.
Former #5 is the one the fuel tank attached.
Formers 1-4 pop neatly and snugly into place with the fuselage all buttoned up, and they can be removed easily without damage too. It makes the problem of properly aligning the engine mounts a simple one, as you can jiggle them around ever so slightly until everything lines up perfectly. You don't need to put the fuel tank in, the spent cartridge chute, the engine(!), oil tank or anything. All that can wait until after the fuselage is painted and it's time for final assembly.
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Thanks, Bo.
The reason that I was a bit concerned about this step is the way in which it is described in Stage 5 of the WNW instruction booklet, Page 11. The impression I got was that the entire engine/former assembly had to be put together outside of, and before it was fitted into, the fuselage. Essentially, I used the right side of the fuselage as a jig to get the formers and engine platform lined up and oriented (all dry-fitted), then closed the fuselage to ensure that the formers matched up with the left side of the fuselage, and then glued the assembly into place. It worked, but not as easily as it would have done had I known what you know.
Wish I'd heard that record of yours earlier. Thanks for your comments! 8)
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Excellent update. I like the wood effect in the engine compartment. I have ignored Bos' advice on my build simply because of HABBIT! If I ever build another I will force myself to follow direction from the Master of Albatros production 8). Looking forward to the next update.
RAGIII
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Splendid work, Gary :o
Keep up the good work.
Von B
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RAGIII and Bob,
Thanks for dropping by and commenting very kindly on the build. RAG, yes, I'm afraid that I'm too mired in the '80's (or earlier!) to look at a build like a WNW offering and work out solutions applicable to the XXI Century. Bo's the guy for that. Never fear: I'll get to the end with some success using my ancient tools and outdated techniques! 8)
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Just a small update this week. I had hoped to get paint in place by now, but no such luck: too much goin' on here! I've got just about all of the PE in place with the notable exception of the louvres. I just could not get the little beasties to conform. Here's where we stand:
Everything except a coupole of frame clips are in place here. The louvres are made from very soft dental x-ray lead, shaped over the kit louvres and then cut out with a new scalpel blade. Not the neatest job in the world but it'll have to do.
(https://i.imgur.com/SG7yYu1.jpg)
Two more clips to fit on this side as well as the next two louvres.
(https://i.imgur.com/takJmdY.jpg)
I hope to get the rest of the PE in place today or tomorrow, then a priming coat, then the paint. I added a bit more blue to the forward fuselage light blue, and it now looks just about right. The original was a tad pale.
Not a big update but progress is happening. Thanks for visiting and have a grand weekend! 8)
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Nice and good work so far, Gary.
You should make a small correction: The two maintenance flaps on the underside must be mounted with the hinge forward towards the propeller.
Servus
Bertl
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Gary,
Really nice job on the louvres, once filled and sanded they'll be perfect. I used brass sheet shaped over the Kit ones, the dental lead sounds like an even more workable material. This is coming together very nicely, another winner from the Barling Bench methinks!
Cheers,
Lance
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Nice and good work so far, Gary.
You should make a small correction: The two maintenance flaps on the underside must be mounted with the hinge forward towards the propeller.
Servus
Bertl
Ah, the advantages of belonging to this Forum. Thank you, Bertl! I have no idea why I mounted them as I did, but you can be sure that they will be remounted immediately, if not sooner. Danke sehr! 8)
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Thanks, Lance. There are a lot of moving parts to this one, especially with the various aftermarket items in play. I can hardly wait until I get to the rigging...! :o 8)
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Looks great with the added / replaced details! I really like what you are doing on this one!
RAGIII
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PE is a great addition, I dare not to wipe out plastic to such details but it pays for sure with realism.
Ciao
Giuseppe
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Looks great with the added / replaced details! I really like what you are doing on this one!
RAGIII
Thanks, RAG. This is the first of two phases. My intent is to get the forward fuselage PE on and then prime and paint the light blue. Then do the reverse on the rear fuselage: paint, apply woodgrain decals and only then apply the required PE (but there is not too much of that). My learning curve is getting steeper with this build! 8)
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PE is a great addition, I dare not to wipe out plastic to such details but it pays for sure with realism.
Ciao
Giuseppe
Buongiorno, Guiseppe! Bo mentioned an idea that I'm using now. Before removing a plastic detail, drill a small hold to mark its location on the model. Then remove the detail. The small hole remains so that you can place the PE detail part in the correct location. You can see the small holes in the middle of some of my PE items. Then, before painting, just fill the holes with a small amount of white glue. The hole disappears, the PE is in place, and the construction continues. Caio! 8)
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"You should make a small correction: The two maintenance flaps on the underside must be mounted with the hinge forward towards the propeller."
Hi, Bertl. The correction is done. Thanks again for your quick observation. My mistake for sure, now fixed! 8)
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Wow Gary, just when I thought it could not get any better, it does....
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Wow Gary, just when I thought it could not get any better, it does....
Thanks very much, Juan. Your comment and all of the others that I've received certainly raise morale and increase motivation. Thanks again! 8)
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Gary, really enjoying your build! the details are absolutely astounding!
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"You should make a small correction: The two maintenance flaps on the underside must be mounted with the hinge forward towards the propeller."
Hi, Bertl. The correction is done. Thanks again for your quick observation. My mistake for sure, now fixed! 8)
Note also that one of them may need to be relocated forward or backward along the centreline to line up with the oil pump on the bottom of the engine; I can’t remember which engine the kit is correct for (160 or 180 horses)
The kit has both engines. The subject I'm doing has the 160 installed. I think that it's the 180 that has the oil pump installed on the engine bottom. But don't forget: I'm the guy who got the access covers wrong way 'round on the bottom line! :( 8)
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Gary, really enjoying your build! the details are absolutely astounding!
Thanks for visiting, Ian, and for your kind comment. Good to hear from you! 8)
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That PE work looks great! Your louvres look so much better than mine. I've resolved to replace any in the future with two pieces of styrene sheet laid over each other and gently shaped. All of my PE attempted ones looked like they were chewed by parrots.
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Thank you Gary for the suggestion, marking the detail before removing is a great idea. Might be a step toward more confidence with sheet metal and PE.
Ciao
Giuseppe
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As PE and I are definately not friends, I'm really liking this and look forward to trying some of those techniques outlined. That's what I like about build logs in general and this forum particularly; there is so much useful info here! :)
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Hello, Gazz, Guiseppi and Jeroen,
Thank you all for your very kind remarks and for visiting. I'm glad that my efforts are helping you with your modelling. To be honest, I only consider myself a middle of the road "Comfortably Competent." There are many other Forumites that are much younger and much better at this hobby than I am. I am still learning various ideas and methods (like drilling a small hole to mark the location of PE parts).
Have a great day, and just keep in mind that we are all smarter than pieces of plastic! ;D 8)
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Well, I got a bit more done over the past 24 hours than I expected. Here's where we stand now:
(https://i.imgur.com/nhPGfFo.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/1shZXCW.jpg)
Primed yesterday, got the nose colour on last night (a bit bluer than in the photos, BTW) and then added the base colour for the plywood rear fuselage this afternoon. Things just "clicked into place" all the way through the weekend. So I'll take a small break (until tomorrow) and then start the plywood paneling. I intend to mask various panels and lightly apply a filter here and there, then possibly do some translucent shading among the panels. Then I'll apply a gloss coat (two thin ones, actually) and start the woodgrain decal application. No idea how long (or not) this will take, but you now have an idea of the way ahead for the next little while. So far, so good. :D
Thanks for visiting, and have a great week, everyone! 8)
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Looking excellent! I really look forward to seeing the wood grain decals!
RAGIII
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Gary,
Absolutely beautiful work my old friend.Looking forward to seeing those wood grain decals too.
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette
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Looks great! Really looking forward to seeing where you go with it.
Gaz
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Very nice! I started this kit last year in the same markings and as usual I was easily distracted. I may have to dig mine out again. I really like your extra details and I will be watching.
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Hello, RAG, Greg, Gaz and Fred,
Thanks for visiting and for your kind comments. I'm into toning a few of the "plywood" panels now, and the effects are promising. I'll do a few more and then settle into the woodgrain decaling. I bought a second set of the Uschi van der Rosten wood grain decals and now find that the second set is slightly different in the "graining" than is the first set (bought a few years ago). Both sets have two sheets of different grain patterns. So I am now in possession of four slightly different grain patterns to use on the Albi. Well, maybe not all four, but it's nice to have the option! 8)
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Hello, Everyone,
Just a quick update to say that I've got various panels toned and will be starting the wood grain decal phase over the next few days. Pretty busy here as my wife and I are decorating our church for Easter and we have lots to do. Photos below showing where we stand. (Got a better "blue" forward fuselage in these shots: ;) )
(https://i.imgur.com/o1WxYKO.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/yJKEmZu.jpg)
I'm in uncharted waters now so I'm collecting information on as many methods of finishing the rear fuselage as I can find: the various woodgrain decal sheets; very thin paint filters; Tamiya Clear Yellow and Orange (and various mixes of both); combinations of clear and regular paints...and so on and so forth. You've just got to love this hobby. :o
More later! 8)
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I really like the varied base coat panel colors. Should look great with the grain decals.
RAGIII
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That's an interesting way of doing the fuselage. Thank you for sharing. I will borrow some of that when I do my next Albatros.
Gaz
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Looking forward to the decal results!!
Steve
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Here's a bit of an update as I explore a few methods of applying the wood grain decals.
So far I've found that the best method for me is to get the panel outline onto a piece of masking tape as described in the Uschi folder (I'm using Kamoi tape), then lay this over the decal sheet. Cut out the panel with a sharp craft knife, then remove the masking tape from the decal. Soak the decal until it slides off the backing paper. Brush a coat of Pledge/Future onto the panel area, then apply the decal and slide it into place. Use the brush to remove any excess Pledge from under the decal. Trim any decal overage with the craft knife and ensure that the decal covers the complete panel. Finally, brush a thin coat of Pledge over the newly-decaled panel and allow to dry.
Here's a photo of the first three panels in place along the fuselage bottom. I'll try to apply at least one panel per day over the next week or two.
(https://i.imgur.com/XLtcXdF.jpg)
Thanks for visiting. Have a great week! 8)
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nice, but the grain is going the wrong way! :o
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nice, but the grain is going the wrong way! :o
Lucky I'm not too far along. Pretty easy to fix. Can you point me in the direction of a good reference on which way the various panels are oriented? TIA!
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nice, but the grain is going the wrong way! :o
Lucky I'm not too far along. Pretty easy to fix. Can you point me in the direction of a good reference on which way the various panels are oriented? TIA!
sorry to bring that rain down, but somebody would've pointed it out eventually
As for the grain direction -- it's easy -- all panels have the grain is parallel to the thrust line. The reason for this is easy to understand; the panels were 3 ply with the outer panels having the grain in the same direction. So, the easiest bending direction is with the grain (of these outer panels), not against it.
Check the photos here of the TVAL repro, it is authentic in this respect:
https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=170.0
If you have access to the NASM book, there are lots of good pictures there of the original skin and repairs / replacements being fabricated.
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by the way, when I did mine, I also did it at the rate of one or maybe two panels a day at most. Slow and steady wins the day!
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"sorry to bring that rain down, but somebody would've pointed it out eventually"
Crypes, Bo, don't feel sorry. I'm glad to receive a few sprinkles of rain now and then as I motor through this project. What I fear is the combination of monsoon and tsunami that hits when I'm 80% complete and someone sends a post starting with "Oh, by the way..." and I'm virtually sent back to the start point.
Thanks for the "parallel to thrust line" information and the lead to Jamo's photos: much appreciated! 8)
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Gentlemen, I'd like your opinion on my next step: to revisit the painting of the rear fuselage panels on my Albatros. I've been scanning through several Albi builds on the Forum recently. I get the feeling that what I've applied may end up being too dark once the decals, filters and post shading are possibly applied.
I've "corrected" the directionally-challenged lower surface woodgrain decals by simply over-painting them. I've used a 1:1 mix of Gunze H-313 Yellow FS33531 and Gunze H-316 Off-White FS 17875. Here is the mix applied over the original decals:
(https://i.imgur.com/cfogPuk.jpg)
I've also sprayed a small sample of the mix on a test card, applied the Uschi WGSF-48 Super Fine "Rich" decal and then brushed some Tamiya Clear Yellow (left) and Clear Orange (right) over it. Here is the result:
(https://i.imgur.com/lZIUZ6R.jpg)
I've got any number of options here:
a. use the tested decal with an Orange overcoat, a Yellow overcoat, or no overcoat;
b. use the Uschi WGSF-48 "Pale" version of the decal, again with the three above options for over-coating;
c. amend the Gunze mix as it might be considered unsuitable for valid reasons;
d. consider any suggestions provided by those Forumites who are much more knowledgeable on the Albatros than I am.
I don't want to belabour the point, but I'd very much like to be "in the ballpark" before firmly committing to a valid "way ahead" for the rear fuselage finish. I've made one glitch already, and would really like not to make any more. TIA for any opinions, suggestions or comments. They will be most useful! 8)
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I'd suggest you always go a bit lighter than dark; it's easy to darken up a colour with clear filters later, but much harder to go the other way without using solid colours that will mask the decals. I use a 70/30 mix of white and wooden deck tan (i.e. off-white) as a basis far all my wood.
Thanks. How does your base colour compare with the mixed light tan I've used on the underside? ???
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Pretty close. :)
Perfect! ;D 8)
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It looks as though your new method will achieve beautiful results!
RAGIII
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It looks as though your new method will achieve beautiful results!
RAGIII
Thanks. I'll be doing a few more tests, then perhaps settle on a method. Depends on what other visitors might suggest in the meantime. So far the "go lighter" and "light tan" suggestions have the inside track, with perhaps a thin filter of clear yellow or a mix of the yellow and orange. As someone once said to me, "Make haste...slowly!" 8)
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Hi, Troops!
Almost there: I've settled on the Gunze mix of their H-13 Off-White and H-313 Yellow, 1:1 ratio of both paint to paint and paint to thinner (IPA 99%), airbrushed at ~15 psi. Thanks to those who provided information and suggestions. I eventually settled with "it's easier to start light and go dark rather than the opposite!" Here is what it looks like:
(https://i.imgur.com/gevT3A8.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ggg2dZ9.jpg)
As for the plywood decals, here's a test with the two I like best:
(https://i.imgur.com/ujFASGb.jpg)
Of these two I tend to the upper version as it seems to be closest to the final colour. The lower version gives more latitude for applying the final varnish cover, but for me it also gives more latitude to cock it all up! I plan to over-spray the decal with a very thin filter of the base colour and then apply a second very thin filter of a clear yellow/orange mix.
So I'll start to apply the wood grain decals in a day or two, about one or two sections per day with any additional available time given over to other details of the build.
Thanks for visiting. Have a great weekend and a super upcoming week! 8)
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The upper one seems to have a nice warm straw look. Why go for something else when you have what you need ! JMHO,
RAGIII
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Thanks for your input, RAG and RB.
I've got two panels in place now, starting on the five belly panels for some practice before I get to the more "exposed" areas. As I've only got one sheet of the "straw-coloured" panels (bought it a few years ago along with the "pale" sheet) I'm using the pale version along the belly and plan to use a mix of clear yellow and clear orange (1:1 ratio) to blend these in with the straw-coloured upper panels. Looks like Uschi changed their decal appearances relatively recently but I'm pretty sure that I'll have enough for the build.
One other "discovery" that might be of interest: I have a couple of phenomenally ancient sheets of Badger "Foto/Frisket Film," a very low tack film used for all sorts of masking. Whereas Uschi shows the use of a modern yellow tape to define the a/c panels (I have "Kamoi" tape), I'm finding the frisket film much better: lower adhesion (less chance of damage to already-decaled panels), it's clear (dead simple to identify the panels and mark out their lines and corners), and no damage to the decal sheet itself when I place the marked-out frisket panel onto it and then cut it out with a straight edge and an X-Acto knife. A quick Google search shows that the film is still available (I've had my last two sheets for literally decades!) and even the stock numbers remains the same: 601. If there is any interest, I'd recommend getting the matte finish as it takes pencil marking nicely when defining the underlying panels.
One or two more panels to be done today. I'll post photos when I get a decent number of panels placed. Have a great week, everyone, and thanks for visiting! 8)
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The lower panel looks almost perfectly as untreated plywood, the upper as it is varnished. Both very nice, but the upper is probably closer to the final look you need, so asking for less finishing work.
Ciao
Giuseppe
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Hi, Giuseppe,
Thanks for visiting and checking out my plan. I'm happy to read that you think my use of the "pale" decals on the bottom of the fuselage will work once I "varnish" them. Ciao! 8)
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Hello, Everyone,
A short update to say that the decaling is progressing nicely at just over one panel per day. I've got three panels decaled along the bottom of the hull and decided yesterday that I'd try to do two very thin "partial panels" on the fuselage sides. In the latter case I started to use the "rich" version of the decals. Here's where we stand early today:
The three lower surface decals are looking all right to me. I've read that,when the various panels were applied to the frame, the panel edges were chamfered in order to overlap the edges and allow the nails to hold both edges with just one nailing line. That means to me that the "panel lines" between panels would have been very small and not very evident other than the grain differences (and nail lines) between the panels. I'll try to replicate that appearance as I go along.
(https://i.imgur.com/mU4D8rz.jpg)
Here's the "thin decal" noted above, just the narrow rear edge of a regular panel that has mostly been covered by the forward fuselage paint scheme. The difference between the colour of this decal and those on the fuselage bottom is not very great, but it is noticeable. I'll see this more clearly when additional "rich" panels are covered.
(https://i.imgur.com/5KRKZjn.jpg)
As always, comments, criticisms and suggestions are welcome. Thanks for visiting! 8)
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Gary,
You are very close to making me a believer in wood grain decals. If you know my preference has always been not to show a distinct grain pattern then you understand the depth of my compliment ;D
RAGIII
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Rick,
Many thanks for your compliment and the explanation of its depth. I very much appreciate your input.
Well, I'm apparently getting the hang of this more or less, as I've got two more panels in place today with a minimum of swearing, sweat and double scotches. My next update will be in two or three days' time when I've got a few more panels in place. Tomorrow I think that I'll be tackling the panel that includes the cockpit opening. Now, that will be interesting, I'm sure. Thanks for visiting! 8)
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I really like those woodgrain on those decals, even though I've never been sure how much detail should be seen in either scale.
Nice work!
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I really like those woodgrain on those decals, even though I've never been sure how much detail should be seen in either scale.
Nice work!
Gaz, thanks for your very kind comment. I'll be able to judge whether or not the overall grain effect is too garish once the paneling is done. If it is, I'm considering a very thin over-spray of the original base coat. That might give the suggestion of the grain rather than a more unrealistic or over-detailed appearance. Not sure yet, as I'm in uncharted waters right now. Fortunately, my compass still seems to work. ;D
Thanks for visiting! 8)
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Getting caught up on your build here Gary. I thought the previous wood color looked spot on, but; as you say, with filters and weathering it could have gotten darker, easier to darken than lighten. I have used wood grain decals to good effect and it looks like your work is progressing nicely as well. The color looks slightly grey but that could be the light and the reflection of the blue background. Looking forward to seeing how it all turns out.
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Your being VERY careful with the wood grain decal application. I found breaking up the surface color prior to decal work helps to alleviate the repetitious or 'plain' look you are concerned with.
Making sure the knots are in different places helps too.
I used Uschi wood grain decals on my Gotha , I like them.
A translucent overspray when you have them all applied may help , check out the filters that are available , or a wet mix of a light tan overall can tie it all together.
Looks good!
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Thanks, Krow. Glad to hear that you've used the Uschi decals and apparently like them. I hope to get a few more panels applied over the weekend, so an update should be available by/on Sunday. Thanks for visiting! 8)
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No prob.
One really good tip for the decals is to keep the carrier sheet handy. If you bugger up the decal application , drop it back into the water , it will magically open up and lay flat ! , you can then try again or lay it back on the carrier sheet. I even let some dry out on the sheet and used them again . They are quite hardy.
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No prob.
One really good tip for the decals is to keep the carrier sheet handy. If you bugger up the decal application , drop it back into the water , it will magically open up and lay flat ! , you can then try again or lay it back on the carrier sheet. I even let some dry out on the sheet and used them again . They are quite hardy.
Very good point. That idea will surely save decal sections to "live and fight another day." I'll certainly keep it in mind as I move towards the more challenging panels toward the tail section. Thanks for the tip! 8)
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lol
Another tip?
Application of decal setting solution can go on for a few sessions. I applied some up to a week later trying to work the decals into the framework crevice' in the interior of The Gotha. A smallish paint brush works to push the decals around without damage.
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Here is a short update based on a few more panels applied over the weekend. I'm getting my own "routine" worked out so, as long as I have enough time, the applications should be done in about a week or so...maybe!
Here's where we are as of Sunday night my time:
(https://i.imgur.com/U7Kdtju.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/q1dJvrO.jpg)
Not too much required in the way of captioning: "Decals cut, applied, trimmed, varnished...repeat!" ;D
I'll probably leave off updates until the decaling is done. After all, how many times do you want to visit only to see just two more panels in play?? ???
Thanks for visiting, have a great week ahead, and spend some useful time with your builds until I finish off this phase. Best Regards, All! 8)
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Very nice, Gary! I'm logging this away in my brain for my attempt at wood grain decals.
Kevin
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Very nice work Gary. When you set out on this little adventure you were determined to make it a slow, studied, and "as good as it gets" Build, and you are more then on the objectives of the mission! This is great work for an Armor Modeller, and it's going to be a real winner. (and as you often say in our PM correspondence, I KNOW I'm gonna pay for that shot!) Take your time, enjoy, and keep those updates coming. I for one don't mind one panel at a time, especially when it's work like this! :) ;)
Cheers,
Lance
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"I for one don't mind one panel at a time, especially when it's work like this!" :) ;)
Cheers,
Lance
Thanks for your visits, Radarman and Lance! :)
@Lance: Well-l-l... after the Wild/Jets game last night, I did sneak another panel into place on the left rear fuselage, just forward of the vertical stab. Looks all right but I don't want to "go to the well" too often with little updates. So, maybe you can just take a look at the top photo of my last post, focus on the blank panel on the left rear fuse and repeat "Plywood, plywood, plywood!" ;D I'll just keep on paneling along for the next week or so and get out a good update when this phase of the build is done. And thanks for your very kind comments. As to the "Armour Modeler" quip, I recall the comment by Gerd Froebe in "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines," as modified: "An Armour Modeler can do anysink!" ;)
Cheers, All. Have a great week! 8)
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The wood panels are looking excellent Gary! I am looking forward to seeing them all applied!
RAGIII
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The wood panels are looking excellent Gary! I am looking forward to seeing them all applied!
RAGIII
Thanks very much, Rick. Trust me, my friend: so am I! 8)
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The wood panels are looking excellent Gary! I am looking forward to seeing them all applied!
RAGIII
Big Ditto here!!
Ed
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Big "Thanks for visiting" from here, Ed. Always good to hear from you! 8)
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Hi,Everyone,
OK, I lied. Here is a short update that I said would not be posted. However, we had a short bout of stomach flu (or something like) that put my wife and me down for the count for a couple of days. Accordingly, my "update schedule" has gone for a burton. Another item of interest is that tomorrow is April 21st, Captain A. R. Brown (officially credited with the victory over MvR: let's not get into that today!) came from Carleton Place, about 1.5 hours from my front door, and the local museum is featuring Captain Brown and two other WW1 veterans of WW1 tomorrow. So that visit will further set my "US" back a few days.
But a bit of progress has been made, especially in one small area. First, the paneling along the top of the fuselage is nearing completion:
(https://i.imgur.com/tMw2nOe.jpg)
Next, the "real progress:" I was a bit concerned about the decaling of the small area just aft of the rudder post. There is a significant compound curve to negotiate: left to right, over the elevated curve in the centre of the area, and the curve front to back as the small elevation diminishes towards the rear. I was really wondering just how, or if, the decal would negotiate this whole area. In the event, I used for about the first time Mr. Mark Softer and Setter. Once the decal was in place I used a Q-Tip/cotton bud to gently massage the decal into place. In the event, it didn't take much: the interaction of Softer, Setter and decal worked very well. This bodes well for other curves in the tail area to be paneled in the coming days.
(https://i.imgur.com/EZ1ryyA.jpg)
All the Best to everyone. Thanks for visiting and have a superb weekend! 8)
PS: Oh, yes: don't forget to watch for the possible Wingnut Wings announcement tentatively scheduled for April 21st! ;D
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The paneling is continuing to look absolutely Fantastic!
RAGIII
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Paneling is becoming better every day, and it's something worth to try, sooner or later. Longing to see the completed Albie!
Ciao
Giuseppe
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Hi, Rick and Giuseppe,
Thanks for visiting and for your very kind remarks. The methodology is new to me as I've made a few amendments to the Uschi directions. I'll probably be really comfortable once this phase is over...and I don't have to do another woodgrain decal exercise! ;D
Best regards, and best wishes for a great weekend! 8)
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I'm glad to see your decals are making the corners and curves. Mr. Mark Setter and Mr. Mark softer work very well together.
Well done.
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I'm glad to see your decals are making the corners and curves. Mr. Mark Setter and Mr. Mark softer work very well together.
Well done.
I had some problems with these two a while ago, and have only now more or less figured out which one goes where and how much of each to be used. Fortunately, I'm still able to learn, so I'm not dead yet. At least, I don't think so...! 8)
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Hi Gary:
I like the looks of the decals, wise decision to paint the plastic a lighter shade as the decals seem to darken it up a bit. Looks too like you're managing to get the compound curves alright. This is going to be a stunner I dare say.
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I'm glad to see your decals are making the corners and curves. Mr. Mark Setter and Mr. Mark softer work very well together.
Well done.
I had some problems with these two a while ago, and have only now more or less figured out which one goes where and how much of each to be used. Fortunately, I'm still able to learn, so I'm not dead yet. At least, I don't think so...! 8)
I use a lot of Future or Pledge, or whatever it's called in your locale. I had a problem with the Mark Setter leaving white stains on the Future. Consequently I stopped using Mark Setter for a while. I decided to try again with a difficult decal, and by a happy mistake I discovered that I could remove the white stain the Mark Softer.
Keep up the good work,
Gaz
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Thanks for visiting, Gaz. It's "Pledge" here in the Great White North." I've already used it under a number of the panels: so far, so good. I tried the "Setter/Softer" combination on the recommendation of Uschi, and have not experienced any decal lifting so far. Fingers crossed! 8)
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The wood panels are coming along nicely!! Uschi right? I think that's what I read again further back.
Steve
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Steve,
Yes,they are the Uschi decals. However, the sheets that I'm using are, I fear, no longer available. Before I started the paneling I ordered another set of decals using the same product number, only to find that, although the number of the new set matched my earlier set, the colours were different. Fortunately I'll have just enough of the "old set" to get the fuselage done, all things being equal.
Speaking of which, here is yet another "mini update." I thought through several options on to how to get the plywood in place around the cockpit and eventually settled on the “one full panel with the cockpit opening cut out” method. I wasn’t too sure as to how this approach would fare as there is something of a small compound curve on that panel. In the event, however, it worked out all right with a bit of cajoling and a bit more of brute force. The last real challenge will be the vertical stab and the lower fuselage:
(https://i.imgur.com/VbBC8J8.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/xA1K98b.jpg)
And lastly, a request: does anyone have any experience with using the HGW Airplane Nail Set for the WNW Albatros? Case in point: on the front of the envelope I'm told to "let the decal dry for four hours." However, on the back of the envelope where the "directions" are printed, I'm told to "let the decal dry out for two hours." I wonder what other "discrepancies' will surface during the application phase. I have only one set of these decals thanks to Lance Carroll (thanks again, Lance!) and the sheet is no longer in production. Obviously, I want to get it right the first time I use these, as the first time will be the only time and chance I have to "get it right." The thought of corking it up halfway through the nail application, and all of the subsequent problems after (hopefully) getting the paneling right is becoming interesting, exciting and challenging. So if anyone can post a few good hints and tips on how not to cork it up, I'll be very grateful!
Sorry to be so slow on this project. Life does get in the way sometimes! 8)
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She's shaping up beautifully, Gary! Those panels look awesome! I also have that nail set and am interested in how you proceed with them.
Cheers,
Bud
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She's shaping up beautifully, Gary! Those panels look awesome! I also have that nail set and am interested in how you proceed with them.
Cheers,
Bud
Thanks, Bud: much appreciated! Well, maybe I'll "get by with a little help from my friends!" However, my final defensive position will be to cut a few sections from the nail sheet that were to go on the forward fuselage (don't think I'll need those as the entire forward fuse was overpainted in the light blue). Then I'll spray a test area on some plasticard and try the instructions to see how the "nails" apply. With practice like that I ought to be in the ballpark, if not the infield.
Thanks for visiting. More anon! 8)
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She's shaping up beautifully, Gary! Those panels look awesome! I also have that nail set and am interested in how you proceed with them.
Cheers,
Bud
I agree with Bud on the look of the panels!
RAGIII
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Gary,
I have had similar experience with directions for HGW transfers for 109G's. One part of the directions says 8 hours, and one says 6.
The most irksome part of the HGW transfers is the fact that they don't all behave. When they work, nothing looks better. And they work best on an ultra-smooth surface. Any roughness, and they seem not to adhere despite sitting for 8 hours. But an ultra smooth surface doesn't seem to guarantee adherence, either. I wish that I was the only person that has had the problem. But better modellers than I have had the same disappointments.
Hope your nails work better!
Gaz
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Thanks for your replies and tips, guys. This is just the kind of feedback I'll need. I did find a short video on the HGW website, but it generated a few additional queries for me. Fortunately, some are now answered via your replies.
"Ultra-smooth surface." With the panels complete (more progress yesterday) I intend to apply a couple of thin coats of Pledge/Future after washing the surface. I hope that this will "smooth out" the surface sufficiently.
"They can't get too dry." Vital information! With what I saw in the video and what I have in printed instructions, I've got "drying times" of two, four, six and eight hours. Evidently, a longer time is better/safer.
"...don't use any setting solutions on them." Interesting, in that the video on the HGW site has the modeller applying "Mr. Mark Softer" over the entire wing of his FW190 before applying his sheets of "rivets." However, I'll take the advice provided here from someone who is in modelling and not sales! ;)
"You need to use the 'free lines' underneath..." Thanks for this tip. Any extra free lines are yours. Please send me your mailing address via PM.
Thanks again, gentlemen. BTW, here's the link to the HGW video I found, in case you haven't seen it, or others of the same type, yet. http://hgwmodels.cz/en/blog/gallery . 8)
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Well, gentlemen, the panel decaling is finally over and successfully completed:
(https://i.imgur.com/H3RAy0n.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/FKdv3FV.jpg)
I'm very happy to say that the balance of the paneling went off very well, no problems experienced. I finished the application last night, gave the fuselage until this AM to dry, then washed, rinsed and dried the fuselage to get rid of any excess setting solution. Next up will be a couple of coats of thinned Future/Pledge to seal the decals and prepare for the nail set application. That'll be in a few days but for now I'll relax a bit and do some detail painting: cockpit coaming, tail skid assembly, a touch up of the nose section that took a bit of a beating while the paneling was done...that sort of thing. I'm happy that all went well but I'm equally happy to be back in my comfort zone doing things I've done for quite a while!
Thanks very much for visiting. Have a superb weekend! 8)
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Paneling looks great !!!
Ed
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Very, very nice, Gary! I love the look. Those Uschi decals (the newer, high res ones) really do the job. I've used them on several models and have been very pleased with the results. This Albatros is shaping up to be a real show stopper.
Cheers,
Bud
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Hi, Bud and Ed,
Thanks very much for your kind comments, and for stopping by. Bud, we should compare notes as to any amendments made to the directions included with the Uschi decals. I made at least two major amendments: used frisket paper instead of the yellow tape the directions called for; and I purposely over-sized the decal panel by up to one mm just to be sure that all of the curves were covered.
And I apologize for the two photos used to announce the end of the paneling phase. This is the one I should have used! ;D
(https://i.imgur.com/xBXP5oW.jpg)
Best to All! 8)
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Noice!
Thanks, mate! 8)
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Looking really good!
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Looking really good!
Thanks, Gaz! Umm...I've been checking my map of Oz and can't find the state of Blotto... ??? 8)
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Well... It's easy to find once you've had enough XXXX Bitter.
(https://beerstore-2032.kxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/xxxx-bitter-beer-online-1368414823.jpg)
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Well... It's easy to find once you've had enough XXXX Bitter.
(https://beerstore-2032.kxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/xxxx-bitter-beer-online-1368414823.jpg)
Great! I'll check my local beer store. Thanks! 8)
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The wood panels are absolutely gorgeous! You have done an exceptional job in their application. Love the color scheme. Well Done!
RAGIII
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The wood panels are absolutely gorgeous! You have done an exceptional job in their application. Love the color scheme. Well Done!
RAGIII
Thank you, Sir, for your very kind comment! I must say that I'm guilty of lying to the Forum...again: I've just applied the third Future/Pledge clear-coat. I'll let it dry/cure overnight and then have a go at the detail painting discussed earlier. I've been chasing up photos of the tail and main u/c so I'm pretty much ready for those areas. And, of course, the nail decals are patiently waiting in the wings. Morale is good. All is well! 8)
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The decal work is a great success!! Looking forward to nails and details!
Steve
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The decal work is a great success!! Looking forward to nails and details!
Steve
"Nails and Details, Wings and Things." Thanks, Steve.
Glad that I've given myself about two years to get this build sorted! ;D 8)
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Things have been busy over the past few days. Fortunately, I've been able to do some experimentation on the nail decal front: two down, one more to try over the next 24 hours.
The two completed are as follows. I applied short lengths (+-1/2 inch) of the "free line" nails to two surfaces. The first was gloss white using only water as the transfer and adhesion means. The second was the same general idea, but applying the "nails" to a layer of dried Future/Pledge. I allowed each to dry for 24 hours. In both cases, I was able to remove the transfer film easily. On the gloss white surface a few of the nails did not adhere and came off still attached to the transfer film. On the F/P surface, all of the nails adhered properly.
The next and probably last experiment will be to apply FL nails to a dried F/P surface using a small amount of Mr. Mark Softer (as called for in the decal instructions) as the transfer/adhesion medium. This will be allowed to dry for another 24 hours. The results will be matched to the second experiment above. I'll choose the best result and move ahead with application.
As a bit of "fun" modelling history, here's a model of D4545/17 done in 1975 by...uhh...me. 1/72nd scale Aifix DV, sprue rigging and hand-painted lozenge using templates found in a contemporary IPMS UK magazine. Who would have thought that I'd be revisiting this subject 43 years later? ::)
(https://i.imgur.com/E34rCMW.jpg)
Thanks for visiting! 8)
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Looking forward to seeing the results of the nail decals. I like your old Airfix kit. Quite nicely done for the time!
RAGIII
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Gary,
The 1975 version is a neat comparison. I still have an un-built one kicking around here with the template for hand painted lozenge, (Use carbon paper, if you can steal some from a museum I suppose!) Great memories! No offense, but your new one looks like it'll be slightly better then the 1975 one , and then some! A pleasure to follow such a well researched and properly evaluated Build!
Cheers,
Lance
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@RAG, thanks for your visit and kind comment. Regrettably, the 1975 version has gone the way of the Carrier Pigeon, existing only as one hard copy photo and a digital image on my computer. Still, great memories of going cross-eyed painting in the lozenges one by one except for the light tan samples. The tan was airbrushed over the entire upper wing surfaces and then the templates came into play as the pattern was penciled in.
@Lance: carbon paper + a Gestetner machine = hi-tech for this old guy! Used to get four or five sheets of carbon paper in our field message pads. Not sure what the youngsters use these days what with iPads, GPS and laptops!
Thx, Both, for visiting! 8)
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Hi Gary:
The wood grain decals make this a stand out model as they look like actual plywood panels, very nicely done. The 1975 version doesn't look to bad considering what was available for the modeler to build a finished product like you have there. I remember doing the Aurora 1/48 Albatros using the carbon paper tracing method, as Lance mentioned, to do the lozenge with similar results. Considering the age and timeframe the kit was built, it looks pretty good.
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Your Airfix Alby looks great...and in 1975 I would have dialed you on my rotary phone and told you so.......but only after my 8 track finished....
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Your Airfix Alby looks great...and in 1975 I would dial you on my rotary phone and told you so.......but only after my 8 track finished....
"8 track?" What's 'n "8 track??" (Yeah, I know!!) 8)
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Yes sorry, armour - two tracks or a half track......
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The experimentation is done and I’ve pretty much got my version of the “nail method” sorted. It’s based on this YouTube tutorial put out by HGW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b56iLjL0oo
I figured that the producers of the sheet would know how to use it even though their printed directions were slightly "tilted." So I watched this video three or four times, taking notes and working out the process. Key points:
a. Use Mr. Mark Softer;
b. Be sure to wipe down the surface of the model with a damp cloth prior to applying the decals;
c. Be sure that you squeeze out excess water and Softer from under the carrier film once the decal is in place, further assuring that every rivet/nail head makes solid contact with the model surface; and
d. Leave the decal film on the model for an optimum time of around 8 hours (rather than 2, 4, 12 or 24 hours, or longer).
(https://i.imgur.com/Hbry5dq.jpg)
I applied the nail patterns to either side of the vertical stabilizer yesterday at 0700 AM and stripped off the carrier film at +- 1600 PM. No worries even though nine hours had passed. By comparison, a prior test of 24 hours had nails not adhering and the decal film difficult to remove.
(https://i.imgur.com/1GFooZs.jpg)
Today I applied the two nail patterns that run horizontally along the fuselage sides. I'll strip off the carrier film around 2200 tonight. This is one "fun twist" to the decals, in that you have to plan where you’ll be eight hours after applying the decal film and what might be happening at that place and time!
And (in case you really wanted to know!) I painted the upper surface of the two lower wing sections gloss white yesterday (just for something different to do!). ;D
I feel pretty comfortable with this technique now, which brings to mind an old quote from my earlier life: "If your advance is really going well...it's an ambush." Thanks for visiting! 8)
Edit: fuselage clear backing removed 2130 local time. All is well! 8)
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Love the nail patterns! Not sure If I'd be game to do it myself.
Gaz
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Really awesome results. Can't say enough!!
RAGIII
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From my overlook, I can't see an ambush in sight, Gary. It's perfect! Like my Amigo, Rick said, can't say enough.
Cheers,
Bud
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Hello Gaz, Rick and Bud, and thanks very much for your kind comments. So far pretty much so good, but I learned another lesson today as I applied four "sets" of nails: when HGW says "warm water" they mean WARM! Not Warm/Hottish, or Warm/Coolish, but just simply lukewarm, tepid, comfortable. I have an old coffee cup warmer on my work bench for heating water, and this AM I left it longer than I should have as I warmed the water for the carrier film on several nail sets. Result? Warm/Hottish. Effect? One edge of the first carrier film started to buckle up and crinkle with the extra heat, almost sealing some of the "nails" in the folds.:o Fortunately I can panic in a very controlled manner and was able to get almost all of the carrier film straightened out before it really started to grip the paneling. Needless to say, the other three "sets" got the water temperature dialed back a bit!
So the two sets either side of the cockpit and the two sets either side of the rear u/c are in place as of 1000 this AM, scheduled for carrier film removal around 1800 tonight. I was also able to get the dorsal set in place later in the day, so that carrier film gets removed around 2100 tonight. The only remaining nails are cut from the "free lines" on the sheet, and six of them (at various lengths) get fitted to the ventral surface tonight or first thing tomorrow. I'll be interested to see if these sections will match the ventral panel lines, as the panel lines may have a distinct curve to them and the sections are straight.
I'd feel a lot more daring if this sheet were still in production. As it is, if I cock it up I have no fallback other than trying to represent the nails with tiny impressions using a lead pencil!
But we're almost home now and so far, so good. Thanks to everyone for your very kind support and forbearance as I muddle through this phase of the build. I very much appreciate it! 8)
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Looking very good, impressive nails.
Giuseppe
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Looking very good, impressive nails.
Giuseppe
Thank you, Giuseppe, and thank you as well for visiting! 8)
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At long last, gentlemen, Operation NAILS is now complete. I fitted the five ventral "free lines" yesterday, then applied two thin coats of Future/Pledge (1:1 FP/IPA 99%) last night. All is well today.
Here are a couple of photos.
Not the best photo in the world but you can see sections of the nail pattern on the vertical stabilizer, the rear of the u/c fairing and some just forward of the horizontal stabilizer attachment point:
(https://i.imgur.com/wzUo61K.jpg)
This is a better image showing the "diamond" nail pattern under the cockpit. The upper edge of this set was the one that got wrinkled due to higher than necessary heat with the decal water. The pattern looks all right, though: I really dodged a bullet that morning! :-[
(https://i.imgur.com/GYIDLV6.jpg)
Continuing the advance, I'll now look to place the various PE parts and decals onto the fuselage, then get the u/c fitted so that the Albi can stand on its own two...wheels! Concurrently, and when I feel the need to shoot paint all over the place, I'll look to finish painting the gloss white onto the wings in preparation for the Aviattic decals.
Thanks very much to everyone who assisted and supported both the plywood decal application and the nails application phases. I very much appreciate the input. More updates in future, thanks for visiting, and the best of luck to all as you progress with your latest builds! 8)
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A very involved process but the results are worth the effort! Tempting me to try this someday!
RAGIII
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RB and RAG, thanks for visiting. I'm glad to get back to what I (more or less) know how to do: decals, attaching PE, losing PE to the carpet monster...all the fun things! I've got a busy weekend but I hope to get an update posted by Sunday afternoon my time.
Have a superb weekend, everyone! 8)
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The nails are very effective. Visible but not overwhelming.
Steve
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Hello, Everyone,
Sorry to be late with the promised update over the weekend. Reunions do tend to take up more time than expected! ;)
I've spent the last several days adding various bits and bobs to the fuselage, as follows:
Here is the first decal to be applied (no surprise! ;D). The nail pattern helped with its alignment,
(https://i.imgur.com/jRRUQsT.jpg)
The next two images record the engine and oil tank fitted into their places,
(https://i.imgur.com/Y8epvZH.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/cmICl1r.jpg)
A detailed image of decals and PE attached/applied on the left side just rear of the cockpit,
(https://i.imgur.com/vvDzpq6.jpg)
And two final photos of both sides of the fuselage,
(https://i.imgur.com/U9iezt1.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/l6wzZMU.jpg)
The elevator cable control openings all have their PE housings fitted as well. When my next set of surface details arrive from HGW I'll be replacing the few small parts that went missing in action and fitting two access panels under the horizontal stabilizers. In the meantime I'll probably start with the tail control surfaces and keep adding fuselage details. For example, a flare cartridge rack (empty) has yet to be fitted to the right side of the fuselage, just below the cockpit.
Steve, thanks for visiting and for your kind comment. And thanks very much in advance to all future visitors! 8)
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Slow and steady progress and looking very nice.
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Brilliant work! Looks absolutely Stunning with the roundels applied!
RAGIII
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That looks awesome Gary!
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Hello, Krow, RAG and Gaz!
Thanks very much for visiting and for your very kind comments. I'm happy with the build so far and hope that my luck continues. I'm just starting on the decaling for the elevator and horizontal stabs, and ought to be done in a day or two. Fingers crossed! 8)
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Hi, Everyone,
Well, I've finally got the horizontal stabs and the elevator decaled, each of these three fitted, the elevator control cables fitted and the two access covers fitted to the tail area. This has taken so long for two reasons: I cocked up the decaling of the stabs and had to get replacement decals (Thanks, Richard, for your speedy response); and we lost our 13 1/2 year old Golden Retriever on Sunday last. We're certainly going to miss our faithful Jake, but it appears that age has indeed taken its toll. :(
Here are a few pictures of the finished tail section. Nothing especially special, except that it's finally finished:
(https://i.imgur.com/dfMHKVh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/PjSTcwJ.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/jh67zop.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/DARCJuV.jpg)
Our Jake ~
(https://i.imgur.com/QVSzYTf.jpg)
Believe it or not, I've got the underside of one of the lower wing sections decaled. Next comes the PE paneling, then the RFC roundel, then the upper surface, then the build continues apace. Apologies for having had to slow the already glacial advance recently, but I hope to make up a bit of ground over the next few days. Fingers crossed! Thanks for visiting and best of luck to all Forumites on your current and future builds! 8)
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Gary,
My condolences on the loss of your faithful friend. It's not fair that they can't live as long as us.
Your Albatros looks sweet. All of that decal work has really paid off.
Gaz
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Gary,
My condolences on the loss of your faithful friend. It's not fair that they can't live as long as us.
Your Albatros looks sweet. All of that decal work has really paid off.
Gaz
Thanks for your two thoughts, Gaz. As to Jake, and as you say, if there are only two states to be in, we hope he's in the canine version of Queensland. 8)
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Sorry for the Loss of Jake. These Pets become more like Family and their Loss hits us hard.
The Lozenge application looks perfect. Well done!
RAGIII
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Thanks, Rick, on both counts. I'm glad to get back into the Albi build and into facets of the work with which I have at least a passing understanding! ;)
Great jobs on your Albatri as well. Excellent work! 8)
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Thanks, Rick, on both counts. I'm glad to get back into the Albi build and into facets of the work with which I have at least a passing understanding! ;)
Great jobs on your Albatri as well. Excellent work! 8)
I am not familiar with this aircraft and something has been puzzling me. The roundel on the fuselage is not where the cross would have been located. Was the cross somehow removed or is it overpainted?
RAGIII
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"I am not familiar with this aircraft and something has been puzzling me. The roundel on the fuselage is not where the cross would have been located. Was the cross somehow removed or is it overpainted?"
I'm not sure myself. However, I recall reading somewhere that the a/c had a broad green/white band around the fuselage just aft of the cockpit. With no sign of that marking or the fuselage black cross on the RFC photos, I think that the RFC repair crew removed them both, resanded and revarnished the fuselage, and then applied the roundels. As Rowan remarks in his "Captured!" notes, "The British cockades are all outlined in white and contrary to most captured machines, the British markings are most carefully applied." Perhaps this care carried over to the removal of the German markings and the refinishing of the fuselage. 8)
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"I am not familiar with this aircraft and something has been puzzling me. The roundel on the fuselage is not where the cross would have been located. Was the cross somehow removed or is it overpainted?"
I'm not sure myself. However, I recall reading somewhere that the a/c had a broad green/white band around the fuselage just aft of the cockpit. With no sign of that marking or the fuselage black cross on the RFC photos, I think that the RFC repair crew removed them both, resanded and revarnished the fuselage, and then applied the roundels. As Rowan remarks in his "Captured!" notes, "The British cockades are all outlined in white and contrary to most captured machines, the British markings are most carefully applied." Perhaps this care carried over to the removal of the German markings and the refinishing of the fuselage. 8)
Thanks for the answer. Makes sense to me now ;D
RAGIII
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A bit of news rather than a formal update: I ordered a 3D-printed Shapeways Teves & Braun radiator for the Albi a couple of weeks ago, and it arrived safely yesterday morning. In accordance with the instructions on the Shapeways website (found here: https://www.shapeways.com/product/XCNWU3F64/1-32-teves-braun-radiator?optionId=56454656) I've cleaned the two parts in my ultrasonic cleaner, lightly airbrushed the rad with Tamiya NATO Black, and started the cleaning out of the core slats with thin strips of 600 grade wet and dry sandpaper. This will take some time. Here's the very solid packaging with small rectangular rad at upper left in the box:
(https://i.imgur.com/50vBfp5.jpg)
Have a great weekend, and thanks for visiting! 8)
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Looking forward to seeing your radiator. I installed mine yesterday. All I need to do is find some appropriate PE to use for the metal straps on the corners. Any Ideas?
RAGIII
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Looking forward to seeing your radiator. I installed mine yesterday. All I need to do is find some appropriate PE to use for the metal straps on the corners. Any Ideas?
RAGIII
I thought that I'd cut a set from aluminum foil or other thin, soft metal. IIRC, they are simple rectangles (possible ignorance showing here!). That said, I'll be happy to take any guidance on the topic from you. ;D
I'm following the directions as found on the website, but I'd like to know if you have found a different and perhaps more effective way of clearing the core slats. I've been able gently to break through about three "gaps" with the thin 600-grade sandpaper strips. How did you clear these areas? TIA for any guidance! 8)
Edit: I found this on Bo's thread: "For cleaning between the slats -- don't use a razor blade. Instead, cut a 2mm (or so) strip from pie tin aluminum and use that to push the gunk out. Gentle does it. If the strip gets all bent up, make a new one. Water soapy water (Dawn works well) and an airbrush with the pressure set a bit higher than you'd paint with also is helpful. Mind the angle at all times. Once you have the gunk out you can go back with thin strips of 600 sandpaper in the same way."
More grist for the mill! 8)
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What's wrong with the WnW radiators?
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What's wrong with the WnW radiators?
Nothing, as far as they go. But the "real" radiators had spaces between the transverse "slats." With the coolant running through the slats, the spaces allowed air to rush between the slats and cool the coolant, which then recirculated through the engine to keep it within the heat parameters. The WNW kit radiators "suggest" the space between the slats. The Shapeways radiator has the actual spaces between the slats (plus other details such as the separate filler cap), thereby giving a much more accurate look to the radiator. More work, to be sure, but a better rendition of the radiator. Scroll down to reply #81 at this link (https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=9301.75) and following, and you'll see the difference. 8)
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Thanks Gary... I understand now.
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Thanks Gary... I understand now.
No worries, Gaz, my friend. All part of the hobby and our Forum. Glad to help! 8)
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Hello, Everyone,
I'm in process of decaling the upper and lower surfaces of the lower wing sections. I've also started on the fitting of the HGW PE details on the wing sections. I'm almost done so I'll post a few pictures in a few days.
While waiting for one of the decal sections to settle earlier today, I decided to continue cutting out the radiator opening in preparation for the eventual fitting of the Shapeways Teves & Braun radiator. So I used a dental burr to grind out most of the plastic, then used a new craft blade to cut out most of the remaining plastic up to the edges of the opening, then finished off with a medium sanding stick. Not expecting to go further (this was my first attempt at doing this work) on a whim I thought that I'd see how close the Shapeways rad would fit. Well, you could have knocked me off my modelling chair when the rad clicked into place and fitted perfectly! Here are a few photos:
The opening cut out:
(https://i.imgur.com/PfugcBg.jpg)
The rad in place:
(https://i.imgur.com/6fRAcuc.jpg)
The rad:
(https://i.imgur.com/btcDgQc.jpg)
I simply could not believe that the rad snapped into place almost effortlessly. This is a clear example of blind luck on my part. I probably should have purchased a lottery ticket instead today, but I'll surely take the "rad in place" result!
Thanks for visiting. Wing photos in a few days. Have a great weekend, everyone! 8)
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Sorry for your loss.
The completed fuselage looks really good and this radiator job is promising.
Giuseppe
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Giuseppe, thank you for your very kind remarks, and thanks for visiting! 8)
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You have done an excellent job on mounting your radiator. Much more clean than my work 8)
RAGIII
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You have done an excellent job on mounting your radiator. Much more clean than my work 8)
RAGIII
Thanks, Rick. I certainly appreciate your comment, but I must say that any success I've had with the rad is due to sheer luck rather than a high skill level. I saw a video on Youtube showing how a modeller used a dental bur to grind out a section of Spitfire wing in order to fit his aftermarket resin gun and ammunition chambers. It looked a mess initially, but after he trimmed the area with a craft knife and sanding stick, the aftermarket bits fitted quite nicely. At my age I'll grab any hints and tips that I can find! ;D
And his method, plus a fair bit of luck, worked for me. Thanks again, and best of luck as you progress on your Albatri! 8)
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That's impressive Gary and speaks volumes for the product not to mention your work. Have you considered the Shapeways wheels and spinner for this one?
Cheers,
Lance
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Nice!
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Hey, Gaz: thanks! ;D
Lance: I was hoping that I could use it, but I need a Wolff propeller and the spinner that Bo offers is for an Axial prop.Seems that the various spinners are produced specifically for a given prop so the Shapeways spinner won't fit. The wheels offered are the "rubberless" type, which were not fitted to D4545/17. 8)
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Silly me Gary, knowing your talent for research I should know better then to ask! Great work, and looking better with every update!
Cheers,
Lance
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Silly me Gary, knowing your talent for research I should know better then to ask! Great work, and looking better with every update!
Cheers,
Lance
Well, Good Friend, I've often said that the only silly question is the one not asked. One of the several props in the kit is a Wolff offering, so the spinner in the kit has to meet the requirement. I might just mount the spinner/prop assembly by friction only, in case a dedicated Wolff prop and spinner come onto the market in future (which will certainly be the case if I do not friction-mount the s/p assembly!) 8)
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Hello, Everyone.
As promised, here are two photos showing the completion of the lower wing section decaling along with most of the PE installed using 5-minute epoxy. I found out that using even a mild setting solution can cause problems. Some Micro-Set very quickly virtually melted one of the decal sections in less time than it takes to say "Dammit!" :o Probably a case of over-confidence, as I've been using the Micro-Sol/Set for quite a while, even on my Fokker DVII of a few years ago, with no worries. Fortunately I had a spare section to hand, so all was, and is, well. From now on, warm water is the medium for decals!
(https://i.imgur.com/uDknQOP.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/RyVgwH1.jpg)
I'm having a small problem with a couple of PE bits, but I'll post a short request for assistance later tomorrow. I'm off for a four-hour round trip tomorrow, back (I hope) early evening. Thanks for visiting! 8)
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Looks fantastic! Your lozenge application is superb even if you had a small glitch.
RAGIII
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Lovely looking model Gary,
The lozenge looks great.
Cheers,
Dave
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Thank you both, Rick and Dave, for visiting and sending your very kind messages. I hope to follow up with fitting the machine guns and other items on the forward fuselage. Once that is completed, I expect to modify the fuselage to monoplane status and then give it some feet. ;)
Thanks again for your visits! 8)
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As I mentioned earlier, here is the problem PE part. The part is circled at lower right and the diagram/instructions are circled upper left. The problem is with the rectangular part of the PE at the one o'clock position and the small square portion at four o'clock. I'm sure that the left edge (nine o'clock) aligns with the inside edge of the wing stub but, in doing so, I'm not clear as to how the "problem area" is folded. There are two "creases" along the two portions described above, but in trying various "creasing options" nothing seems to line up properly along the inside edge of the lozenge decal. I've pretty much destroyed the one PE part due to experimentation, but I have a second fret to hand just in case I needed it (which I did for another problem, already sorted!) so a replacement is readily available.
(https://i.imgur.com/E09Jrrd.jpg)
If anyone can clarify the way these parts are to be used I'd very much appreciate the help. If not, I'll just have to fall back on the "blind, stupid luck" that got the Shapeways radiator in place! ;D
Thanks in advance for any help, and thanks also for visiting! 8)
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Great thread Gary :D
Guy
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I think the narrower strip folds over its self then in toward the bigger plate. Then the two "discs' fold over top,one on the bigger plate the other on the folded in strip. Does that describe it?
Steve
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I think the narrower strip folds over its self then in toward the bigger plate. Then the two "discs' fold over top,one on the bigger plate the other on the folded in strip. Does that describe it?
Steve
I think Steve has it right. On the other hand, I am quite happy with the WNW representation so if I had the PE set I would take the lazy way out :-[ That is why your Albatros is looking so much more detailed than mine!
RAGIII
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Great thread Gary :D
Guy
Thanks, Guy. I certainly appreciate your comment and your visit! 8)
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Steve and Rick,
OK, thanks very much for your thoughts and insights. I'll give this option a try later today as it appears to be the answer. More to follow. Fingers crossed! (But not while I'm doing the folding! ;) ) 8)
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The answer does sound right to me too. A good way to check is to look at the kit part it replaces , if there is one.
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The answer does sound right to me too. A good way to check is to look at the kit part it replaces , if there is one.
Hi, Krow,
Regrettably, there is no kit part. The attachment points for rigging (and many other features available on the PE fret) are already molded on the kit parts. The routine is to shave and sand them from the kit parts, then use CA or Epoxy glue to attach the PE replacements. Here's a section of forward fuselage to illustrate. Note the three attachment point PE parts in place along the top edge, and the additional attachment point molded on the fuselage to the far right. That one got sanded off and replaced by PE once the fuselage plywood paneling decals were in place:
(https://i.imgur.com/SG7yYu1.jpg)
Thanks for your comments and your visit! 8)
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Well, gentlemen, I think that you've broken the code. The key point that I hoisted aboard while "bending" is that there is no reason to bend the various part components as far as they can be bent. The attachment point requires four cable connectors, two leading up to the cabane struts and the other two leading out to the inter-plane struts. So the first fold gave two holes while the remaining two folds provided one connection point each. I didn't even use a calculator to figure out that I now have four connection points = problem solved!
(https://i.imgur.com/pYY7Oi4.jpg)
I must apologize for the small image. The macro feature on my camera is not working. I hope to have it looked at next week in Ottawa. Maybe a new camera is in order?? ;)
Thanks again for this workable solution, and thanks to all for visiting. What a great bunch of Forumites we have! 8)
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Looking good !
Ed
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Looking good !
Ed
;D! 8)
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Hello, Everyone,
After having apparently solved the problem of that folded PE part, I began to have second thoughts. There was something that just wasn’t “right” about it. I dithered around for a bit and then decided that I’d use some thin plasticard to manufacture a doable plate for the rigging. I used the PE part as a template and cut the basic plate from card, then fitted a reinforcing strip along the outside edge. Four rigging holes were drilled into the plate once it had been glued in place. Phase One complete.
I’m using the Gaspatch 3-D printed Type “C” turnbuckles. These have circular attachment holes on either end. To attach them to the plate I threaded a length of thin (36 gauge) nickel chromium wire through one end of a turnbuckle and then bent the wire back on itself. Then, using my handmade eyelet making tool (https://www.ww1aircraftmodels.com/page26.html) I ran the “hook” of the tool through the bend in the wire (and not through the turnbuckle attachment hole) and turned the tool until I had an eyelet formed around the turnbuckle end. With the tool removed there is sufficient space to allow full movement of the turnbuckle, which will be needed when the rigging is fitted. With three more assemblies made, they were glued into place with small amounts of 5-minute epoxy glue. Finally I ran thin CA glue around the edges of the plate to ensure that all was solidly attached. Here is the final assembly on the right lower wing section:
(https://i.imgur.com/eBRitpa.jpg)
I intend to use EZ-Line for the rigging for the time being, with the Modelkasten line as a possibility. I’m new to the MK line and so have to do a bit of experimentation with it before I commit to its use.
Comments and suggestions are always welcome. Thanks very much for visiting! 8)
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As I said in my earlier PM Gary, I like this solution. Confirm the nichrome eyelets are glued to the card "plate" with 5 minute epoxy, no counter sinking into the wing or reinforcements? As a Tanker Buddy often says, "curious minds need to know"! ;)
Cheers,
Lance
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As I said in my earlier PM Gary, I like this solution. Confirm the nichrome eyelets are glued to the card "plate" with 5 minute epoxy, no counter sinking into the wing or reinforcements? As a Tanker Buddy often says, "curious minds need to know"! ;)
Cheers,
Lance
Hi, Lance. I drilled four holes into the plate, one for each turnbuckle. Each nichrome eyelet has a twisted "tail" about 1/8th inch long which fit fully into the drilled holes. All you can see on the plate is the nichrome "loop" holding the turnbuckle in place. I did this both to ensure that the turnbuckle was solidly anchored and also that the plate itself "ain't goin' nowhere." The thin CA was an afterthought, added as additional insurance that the plate will stay where I want it. Me? Paranoid?? Perish the thought! ;)
I've just started the work on the next turnbuckles so I'll post a photo or two once finished showing my method. And what's this? You have an Armoured Corps friend? You social climber, you! 8)
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"And what's this? You have an Armoured Corps friend?
I think you may know him.......... :)
Cheers,
Lance
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Thank you for an excellent tutorial on the Albie, Gary. Been taking especial notice on how you fitted Bo's radiator in, given me idea's for a few other builds. Also the walk through for the P.E., good work. Regards Pete in RI.
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"And what's this? You have an Armoured Corps friend?
I think you may know him.......... :)
Cheers,
Lance
Oh. That guy. Yeah, I've seen him around...! ;D
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Thank you for an excellent tutorial on the Albie, Gary. Been taking especial notice on how you fitted Bo's radiator in, given me idea's for a few other builds. Also the walk through for the P.E., good work. Regards Pete in RI.
Hi, Pete. Well, we do what we can, and I'm glad that what I've posted has helped you out. This Forum has helped me as well, so it's just a case of me passing on some information and being happy when it does someone some good. Best of luck with your current and future builds! 8)
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I've spent much of the last two days rigging my Alby. It put me to thinking about how you would work around those PE parts at the wing root. I'm glad you've come to a conclusion.
I'm using Stren 2lb test that I blacken with a sharpie before I add it to the model. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
Gaz
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Thanks for visiting, Gaz. Good luck with the rest of your work on your Albatros! 8)
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The rigging attachment points look awesome as does your turnbuckles.
RAGIII
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Thanks, Rick. Now that I've got this bit sorted it's a pretty clear road ahead...until I have to fit a British pitot tube to the right interplane strut and run the tubing along the upper leading edge all the way to the cockpit...! Gotta luv dis hobby! ;D 8)
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"I've just started the work on the next turnbuckles so I'll post a photo or two once finished showing my method."
Here’s a bit more detail on the turnbuckle story and how I approached it. Apologies for the imagery, but the macro feature on my camera gave up the ghost recently. With reference to Photo 1:
(https://i.imgur.com/gkTLUKA.jpg)
Top Left – single length of Nichrome wire
Middle Left – wire bent in the middle to roughly 90 degrees and threaded onto a Gaspatch turnbuckle
Bottom – wire is bent back on itself, eyelet tool hook inserted into the bend in the wire, not the loop on the turnbuckle end
Top Right – eyelet partially completed by turning the eyelet tool maintaining a bit of tension on the wire. Don't twist too much or the wire might break. The size of the eyelet loop will give you an idea as to when it is "right."
(https://i.imgur.com/93GNJhh.jpg)
Photo 2: the end result. Four turnbuckles fitted with eyelets. The eyelet “tails” will be trimmed and shortened in order to be fitted into the four holes to be drilled into their retaining plate.
And that's basically it. BTW, if you haven't made up an "eyelet tool" I'd recommend that you do. It's so simple it's genius. ;)
Thanks for visiting! 8)
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Simple but obviously effective tool 8)
RAGIII
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Simple but obviously effective tool 8)
RAGIII
I really hope so, Rick. Six of the eight WNW kits I have in my cache will need eyelets, as will the lonely Hobbycraft Nieuport 17.
On another note: good news from the front. the Albi lower wing is now firmly attached to the fuselage. Photos to follow soon. 8)
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Hello, Everyone,
With most of the lower wing turnbuckles in place it was time to attach the lower wing sections to the fuselage. Having scraped off any paint on the locating tabs of each section and then sanding them lightly, it was still a pretty tight fit. However, having applied a thin coat of Tamiya Extra Thin glue to the tabs, I was able to "encourage" them to slip into place. Both sections are now firmly in location:
(https://i.imgur.com/25qCfVY.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/hkbeOOg.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/6KndasA.jpg)
I think that it's time to fit the undercarriage to the fuselage and then to complete the other fuselage fittings (machine guns, gun-sight and others). Many thanks for visiting! 8)
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Your albatross looks stunning with the lower wings attached! I envy the absolutely perfect application of the lozenge decals!
RAGIII
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Thanks very much, Rick, for your very kind and much appreciated remarks. 8)
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Gary,
Love the way your alby is coming along. What did you paint the ammo chutes with? They have a great metallic look to them.
Gaz
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Gary,
Love the way your alby is coming along. What did you paint the ammo chutes with? They have a great metallic look to them.
Gaz
Thanks, Gaz, for your very kind comment. As to the ammo chutes, I airbrushed them with good old, tried and true, Alclad 2. I'll use Gunze Mr. Metal Color with a fine brush for small details as well, but I do like the Alclad 2 for larger items and areas due to the many colours and varieties Alclad offers.
Thanks for visiting! 8)
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Just a quick add-on to the post on the wing sections: a closeup of the turnbuckles fitted at the upper wing root (yeah, I got a new macro lens ;D). These are the Gaspatch items attached with a length of fine wire twisted into a small eyelet.
(https://i.imgur.com/rf2a4Dg.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/tawOlza.jpg)
The undercarriage is coming along slowly, as I have to do the weathering and "muddification" before assembling the item.
Thanks for visiting!
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Gary,
Looking mighty fine, great work! Your slow and studied approach is really reaping benefits on this Build, in older terms, "stay the course Sir"! :)
Cheers,
Lance
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Gary,
Looking mighty fine, great work! Your slow and studied approach is really reaping benefits on this Build, in older terms, "stay the course Sir"! :)
Cheers,
Lance
Thanks for visiting, Lance. And never fear, my friend. The advance may be slow but the course will be stayed. 8)
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Very fine updating. And the turnbuckles are a great touch towards perfection.
Ciao
Giuseppe
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Very fine updating. And the turnbuckles are a great touch towards perfection.
Ciao
Giuseppe
Giuseppe, thank you for your very kind comments! 8)
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Your buckles look perfect!
RAGIII
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Your buckles look perfect!
RAGIII
As Rick stated. The photography is also stunning.
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Hi,Rick and Juan,
Thanks for your very kind comments. I'm very glad that the turnbuckles "turned out" all right, and equally glad that my old camera could connect so well with a pretty good macro lens. A glass of wine, a quick prayer, point and shoot. And there you have it: "Photography 101" by Trackpad! 8)
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Hello, Everyone. I'm happy to say that the Albatros is now up on her somewhat muddied "legs," now that the undercarriage assembly is in place. However, I'm not happy to report that the u/c legs do not appear to be sufficiently rigid to support the weight of the fuselage. The result is that there is a small but easily seen "list to starboard" showing:
(https://i.imgur.com/5IEjEnX.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/XUR2Sik.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/YNJm2Zh.jpg)
This last photo shows the extent of the list. However it does not take much force to realign the wing correctly. As a result, I believe that I'll be able to adjust the wing to a level position when I rig the u/c assembly with thin fishing line. That said, I'd like to hear from anyone who has experienced this type of problem and who has solved it successfully. "When in doubt, ask the experts!" ;D
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and many thanks for visiting! 8)
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Just been back through your log Gary - stunning work in every department.
I agree with RB - had a similar issue with my LVG - thought it was the under-carriage but it was the wing. Corrected with tensioning the rigging and a little extra persuasion with CA at the wing root. Got it sorted to my eye before the upper wings went on.
Cheers,
Alistair
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Looking great, Gary. ;)
B :) B
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Hello Justin, Alastair and Bob,
Thanks for your input and your very kind comments. I plan to examine the wing section alignment based on your observations. Fortunately I had a bit of foresight in that I attached the u/c in the above photos with white glue only, and not too much of that. So I've been able to remove the u/c assembly successfully. Having applied a bit of downward pressure on the left wing section I was rewarded with a faint "crack:" looks like I may be able to adjust the wing angle without disassembly. I'll place the cabane and interplane struts onto the upper wing (white glue again) and see how that assembly fits the fuselage and lower wing sections. That should give me an idea of just how much the wing section adjustment(s) should be. Fingers crossed! ;)
Thanks again, gentlemen, for your assistance. I very much appreciate it! 8)
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Gary,
I believe Justin has hit the cause of the "Droop" (inside joke, apologies to Chris Johnson!) bang on. The frontal photo illustrates a marked difference in the dihedral of the lower wings to my eye when measured against the vertical alignment of the engine and horizontal orientation of the stabilizer assembly. I believe your intention to realign that starboard wing already underway will solve the problem nicely. It's looking really exceptional so far, I really like your "mud splatter" effect, a technique perfected over years of Armour modelling possibly??
Take your time she's a real gem!
Cheers,
Lance
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Hi, Lance. Thanks for your input. I've been thinking about this whole phenomenon over the past day or so, and have come up with the possibility of there being a certain "wing thing" problem with the WNW Albatros kits.
Ray Rimmell, in his Windsock Albatros build book, mentions that the upper wing ought to be flat: no dihedral. That said, more than a few kits do have dihedral in the upper wing: "a common consequence of premature mould [sic] release."
He then explains how to remove the unwanted dihedral, which results in a dead flat wing.
Later in the book he states that he "carefully bent up the gluing tabs [of each lower wing section] a little, slightly increasing their angles," thus avoiding and "possible tendency for the dihedral to 'drop out.'"
It appears, then, that there is at least the possibility of unwanted dihedral in the upper wing plus a requirement to increase the angles of the gluing tabs on each of the lower wing sections. I had seen a few scattered remarks in some build threads about problems here and there regarding the Albatros wings. The possibility of dihedral where there should be none, coupled with the requirement to bend gluing tabs to compensate for inaccurate dihedral, surely must lead to a frustrating exercise in "getting the wings right."
My question, then, is this: is there a thread dedicated to this potential problem and its solution and, if so, where might it be found? TIA for any information and/or guidance. 8)
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Sorry for the late reply Gary. First let me say again how awesome your DV is looking! Simply gorgeous work all around. I wasn't able to give my thoughts on the alignment but I think you and others have soled the issue. I actually looked back a page before you mounted the gear and it looked as though the port wing was sitting higher than the starboard... too bad we didn't notice then ::) As for a thread on correcting the issues I do not recall one dedicated "just" to that issue. I know we talked about it in my build log and I think perhaps in Gazs' log. If I recall correctly there was a great deal of correction advice in Bos' old build but don't remember if that is still available here. Perhaps we should start one for future reference:
How I made sure my wings aligned type thing. I think it was Justin that mentioned cutting the grooves / ridges found on the radiator which can cause issues. I bent my locating tabs and sanded. Could be helpful to others in the future.
Sounds as though you will get this sorted with no major difficulty.
RAGIII
PS: I also recall mentioning in my thread that it seemed to make a difference in the dihedral if I inserted the left wing before the right or visa versa ;D
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There are a couple of small guide ridges on the forward bulkhead / fuselage former that are supposed to guide the wing stubs into place and set the dihedral, however if the former isn't seated perfectly into the fuselage sides (it can rotate a degree or so in either direction) they just mis-align the wings and dihedral. I simply cut the sides off the wing stubs so that they don't touch the guides at all, cleaned out the recesses in the fuselage and cleaned paint off the wing roots, and they went in ok.
Thanks for the correction Justin. I was thinking it was the fuel tank :-[ I knew you had mentioned removing them 8)
RAGIII
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I've been offline doing a few "experiments" with the wing problem. Having been able to dry-fit the upper wing and check the orientation of both wings. It appears that both are pretty much in line when leading and trailing edges are compared. Accordingly, the main problem is the dihedral of the lower wing sections.
So, what to do. Simply put, I'm moving on with the forward fuselage and upper wing until comes time to mount the upper wing in place: machine guns, coolant piping, gun-sight and one upper cowling to be fitted; complete the painting of the upper wing (white) and then apply lozenge decals and other fittings; clean out and fit the printed Teves & Braun radiator...and then see how it all comes together.
It's a bit of a "leap of faith," but I think that I'm smarter than a piece of plastic. I'm reminded of something a senior French officer said during the German invasion of 1914, words to the effect: "My front is being pushed back, my flanks are being turned. Conditions being good, I attack!" There's nothing like optimism. Thanks for visiting! 8)
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Hello Again. I'm glad to be back on the Forum with a few updates and some good news. :D
First off, I placed the fuselage and lower wing assembly in a storage box, jigged the wing sections so that they were horizontal, and left them in place for a little over a week. I'm happy to report that, when I took the alignment jig away (small piece of wood and a Lego block!), the assembly stood virtually aligned and horizontal. Looks as if there was a bit of a bend or stretch in one or both of the u/c members, and the jigging helped to realign the legs. Here's what it looks like now:
(https://i.imgur.com/gustDLI.jpg)
Next, I'm happy to say that the wing is now decaled on both sides and the ailerons have but one side left to do which will be done tomorrow. I'm not the best installer of Aviattic decals but the results were, IMHO, passable. Here are the upper wing and the almost done ailerons:
(https://i.imgur.com/qvSp5ax.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/iC3T6NO.jpg)
Next step will be the fitting of the large roundels to the wing. I've given a fair bit of thought as to just how I'll approach that task. I've come the the conclusion that it will take several steps involving such actions as not initially fitting the aileron crank housing, lightly fitting the ailerons, applying the roundels, slicing the roundels at the aileron/wing joint, removing the ailerons, removing the portion of the decal that cover the slot for the aileron crank housings, dry-fitting the housings, identifying which portions of the housings are red and white, painting these areas plus the RLM02 underside, then gluing the housings into place (Warning: they only go into place one way properly and the two housings are not interchangeable!), and finally gluing the ailerons into place. Dead simple, right? Right?? Of course right! ;)
With any luck the roundels will be in place by Sunday or thereabouts. I hope to have the next update by then.
Good luck to you all with your current builds, and many thanks for visiting! 8)
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Great save on the undercarriage alignment and for someone who struggles with Aviattic Lozenge you struggle well!
Keep up the great work.
vB :)
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Great save on the undercarriage alignment and for someone who struggles with Aviattic Lozenge you struggle well!
Keep up the great work.
vB :)
Bob, thanks for visiting and for your kind comments: very much appreciated! Well, I do struggle fairly well but I'm really pretty good at camouflaging the odd small glitch! ;D
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As promised, here is an update on the upper wing roundels: so far, so good.
The first step was to airbrush an undercoat of white (only a bit larger than the roundel white area less the outline) to forestall any possible "bleed-through" of the lozenge decals through the white of the decal. My diameter was roughly 1/4" larger and, as you can see, was somewhat roughly cut:
(https://i.imgur.com/OPVrQhE.jpg)
With the gloss white centre dry, it was time to fit the main roundel. An easy way to locate the roundel is to have the 1/32" white outline to touch the trailing edge of the aileron and to run through the inside inner corner of each aileron (see below). The build image shows the roundel just after positioning, and you can see that there is a relatively large part of the roundel that has yet to settle around the left aileron and main wing. I tell you true, I sweated that potential problem for hours:
(https://i.imgur.com/ZKmjuPK.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/vDekQmT.jpg)
Next morning (Sunday) I was immensely relieved to find that the main roundel had settled much better than I had thought, and I was able to cut between the aileron and wing successfully. There were a few small areas where I used a bit of Micro-Sol to "settle in" a few discrepancies:
(https://i.imgur.com/525Atrg.jpg)
And finally, the red centre was placed and then surveyed in using a set of dividers to equalize "left-right" and "up-down" distances from the inner edge of the blue circle:
(https://i.imgur.com/TAlCXss.jpg)
Tomorrow I'll trim out the decal film that currently fills the bell-crank housing slots. Once their painting is finished, I'll fit them into place but I'll leave the ailerons off until the end of the build to ensure against any damage or displacement.
Thanks for visiting! 8)
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Nice process. The roundels really brighten things up!!
Steve
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Great work, the roundels and the lozenge look outstanding together.
The complete project is really, really good.
Bye,
Manni
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Here's a look at the Albi upper wing with the housings fitted, filled and painted and the ailerons dry-fitted. I'm now headed into some tedious work: prepping the turnbuckles for the underside of the wing, getting the cabane and interplane struts cleaned up and the radiator cleaned out, all working toward fitting the upper wing in place. Back in a while. Best to all! 8)
(https://i.imgur.com/qP2Jo84.jpg)
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The upper wing looks great Gary. Looking forward to seeing the radiator in place and how it compares to the kit radiator. I know what you mean about sweating out those roundels. I can never seem to get at least one right. Yours look right and your patience paid off with a nice set of roundels.
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The upper wing looks great Gary. Looking forward to seeing the radiator in place and how it compares to the kit radiator. I know what you mean about sweating out those roundels. I can never seem to get at least one right. Yours look right and your patience paid off with a nice set of roundels.
Thanks, Mark. Much appreciated, and thanks for visiting! 8)
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Manni and Steve, thanks to you both for visiting and for your kind comments! 8)
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Very nice work Gary.
It will be great to see your captured Albatros complete and compared with the archive photographs.
You have recreated a little bit of WW1 aviation history in miniature and in colour.
Best wishes for the rest of the build.
Dave
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Very nice work Gary.
It will be great to see your captured Albatros complete and compared with the archive photographs.
You have recreated a little bit of WW1 aviation history in miniature and in colour.
Best wishes for the rest of the build.
Dave
Uh-oh: no pressure, right? ;D
Yes, I'm using all of the 4545/17 photos on the WNW website. It's interesting to see just how different the a/c is from a "standard" Albatros: the markings are the obvious difference, but items like the fitted RFC pitot tube and the attendant piping to the cockpit along the right upper wing, and what appears to be a jury-rigged extension to the exhaust pipe (see both in the image below), are items that really set it apart. It's all part of the allure this build has for me, and it's the reason I scheduled so much time to "get it right," or as right as I can. As I mention here and there over the years, "Ya just gotta luv dis hobby!"
(https://i.imgur.com/TmBpTmA.jpg)
Thanks for your visit, Dave, and special thanks for your very kind comments. Trust me: no pressure. I'm enjoying the build and the challenges, warts and all! 8)
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Hello, Everyone. It's been only four days since I said that I was starting on three "tedious jobs." well...ummm...two of them are done and I'm the most surprised of all! ??? The required twelve turnbuckles and four struts are now completed, as shown here:
(https://i.imgur.com/JKxLU3E.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/aiD8P9A.jpg)
Now it's on to that pesky radiator, and I can guarantee you that it will take longer than four days. I think that I've got about six or so of the gaps cleared with about 30-odd more to go. Pie-plate aluminum strips, strips of 600-grit sandpaper, really thin needles...anyone have further ideas on tools for this task?::) It'll be a bit frustrating but the end result will be worth it. And I do have the time to get it right: only thirteen more months until the build goes into competition!
Enjoy your weekend, everyone. Many thanks for visiting! 8)
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I've just joined the forum and catching this thread some months behind, I have to say what amazing work Trackpad.
Is there anymore movement on this build?
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I've just joined the forum and catching this thread some months behind, I have to say what amazing work Trackpad.
Is there anymore movement on this build?
Hi, Kev,
Not very much. We've just returned from a trip to New York State that took eight days out of my schedule. That plus other priorities have kept me away from the Albi for quite a while. Plus which I now have three days of heavy catch-up around the house before I embark on nine days of computer simulation: four days on two separate exercises followed by five days of training on an update on another sim program. I can hear other guys on the forum grinding their teeth already while muttering, "Geez, I thought he was retired!" Well, I am retired, but I never really memorized the meaning of the word "No!" ::)
No worries, though. I'll be back on the Albi as soon as I possibly can. Thanks for visiting! 8)
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Well I was looking forward to my retirement in a few years, I'm not so sure now mate...............bloody hell!
Look forward to the restart :)
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Well I was looking forward to my retirement in a few years, I'm not so sure now mate...............bloody hell!
Look forward to the restart :)
Don't worry about retirement, Kev. Just study the meaning of the word "No," keep my situation in mind, and enjoy your free time. That said, I went into my post-career activities with open eyes, so I knew what to expect: no surprises! ;) 8)
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Did you say retired or really tired?
Steve
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Did you say retired or really tired?
Steve
"Retired," as in "Not Stopped Yet!" ;) And you'll be glad to hear that I actually did some work on the odd-shaped exhaust pipe fitted to the Albi:
(https://i.imgur.com/TmBpTmA.jpg)
Not a big job, but every journey starts (or restarts) by switching on the ignition!
Colour me "back again," and glad to be here. 8)
PS: The three-day exercise has been rescheduled. I've got three free days over the weekend. Hurrah! ;D
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Hello, Everyone,
Well, who would have thought that a simple exhaust pipe would be so complicated! :o
Here is a closeup of the current mini-project: the modified exhaust pipe of the Albi, obviously differing from the "standard" version:
(https://i.imgur.com/TmBpTmA.jpg?1)
No problem, I hear you say. Just lop off some of the standard piping, tack on a new tube cut to size and painted, and Bob's your uncle. Ummm...not quite! Turns out that the "new pipe" has to meet a length factor, plus it has to "bend" downward a bit, plus it has to fit through the cabane struts without touching any of them.
BTW, I have no idea why this tubular addition was...added. Did the Germans fit it before the a/c was captured? Did the RFC fit it due to damage as the a/c made a heavy landing when (sort of) shot down? Did aliens steal the original pipe, leaving the RFC blokes to fit anything that they could find? I just ain't got no idea!! All I have is this one photo showing the pipe as it appeared on the day that the recording photos were made. Accordingly, I'll try to use a bit of common sense, some luck, and one heck of a big magnifying glass! ;)
I first cut the existing pipe back only as far as the diameter which closely matched my (too large, it turned out) choice for the new section. That went no further, as the extension smacked right into the cabane assembly. Phase 2: get a smaller diameter plastic tube (a cylindrical coffee stirring stick fitted the bill nicely) and cut the existing pipe further back by about 1/8 inch. This time we had some success. I then painted the two parts, Alclad 2 Exhaust Manifold for the existing section and their Dark Aluminum for the new section.
Here they are as they now look. The first image shows the two parts plus a mounting length (not yet painted) to join the new section to the engine.The second shows the parts more or less dry-fitted to give an idea of what the finished assembly will look like. Weathering and detail painting next!
(https://i.imgur.com/61WasAs.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/QjyTRIb.jpg)
More to follow over the next few days. If I don't get back before Saturday, thanks for visiting and have a superlatively great weekend! 8)
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Gary,
Good to hear you got a bit of a reprieve on the part time ( :-\ :o!?! ???) job and it's good to see this project moving again. That exhaust pipe mod is a complicated one, the clearances through the cabanes are unforgiving and touchy using the kit version! Good old coffee stir sticks; that was the third or forth and the eventual solution to the extended exhaust pipe on my Brisfit, it's great stuff! With three days off you should be almost finished her by next week................ well maybe not quite! :o
Cheers,
Lance
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Hi, Everyone,
Believe it or not, more progress on the Albi. The radiator is now done and fitted into its slot on the upper wing. Also, the odd-shaped exhaust pipe is now finished (less the last pipe mount extension). Photos below show the radiator and the dry-fitted exhaust (checking relation to the cabane strut) before getting it anchored in place. Wish I had a better image of this bit! :(
I'm starting the attachment of rigging (EZ Line) to the turnbuckles on the underside of the upper wing, preparatory to getting the upper wing fitted.
(https://i.imgur.com/uBdSNeF.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/xYC61UI.jpg)
More later. Thanks much for visiting! 8)
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Great to see an update on this Beauty! Your work on clearing out the vanes on the radiator has Paid off! The exhaust pipe is awesome work!
RAGIII
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Thanks, Rick. It's good to get back on the horse! 8)
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Gary,
Been playing catch up this morning and found this awesome thread. Absolute beauty my old friend. Master Class project all the way.
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette
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Gary,
Been playing catch up this morning and found this awesome thread. Absolute beauty my old friend. Master Class project all the way.
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette
Hello, Gregory. Always glad to hear from you! Thanks for your very kind comment. This build has been a long time running, but I hope to make it a good one as a tribute to Des.
I hope all is well with you and yours. Thanks for visiting! 8)
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At long last the interplane rigging is now attached to the turnbuckles on the underside of the upper wing. Next is to add the machine guns, then fix the right engine cover, the exhaust build and the cabanes into place. Then the upper wing can be fitted. Wish me luck, and thanks for visiting! 8)
(https://i.imgur.com/1ck4iOz.jpg)
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I admire those of you that can attach all of those wires and then mount the wing. I would have wires wrapped around, between, and under struts ::) Looking great!
RAGIII
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I admire those of you that can attach all of those wires and then mount the wing. I would have wires wrapped around, between, and under struts ::) Looking great!
RAGIII
Thanks, Rick. As Baldric of Blackadder would say, "I have a cunning plan!" First, an optivisor. Next, two tweezers. Next, a pint of Guinness. Next, an obeisance to the Rigging Gods. And then we go to work. As a friend of mine said many years ago, "It's a big elephant.You can only eat it one small bite at a time." Start at centre line, work outwards, and take your time. I'll try to keep that in mind when I wrap a line around a strut! :o
Cheers, All, and have a super weekend! 8)
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Looking exceptionally fine Gary, and that radiator work was worth the extra time and effort, very impressive. As for "wrapping a line around a strut" just pop open another Guinness, it can only help! ;)
Cheers,
Lance
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Hello, Everyone,
Yes, I'm still here and still chopping away at the Albi. Unfortunately, I am on contract to do various things in support of Army training, and the contract came in left, right and centre over the past few weeks: a seven-hour one-way trip to run a three-day exercise, two more closer to home (eight days overall), plus a four-day course on a new computer simulation that we're about to use. All this plus the annual shoppingfest otherwise known as "Christmas!"
Notwithstanding all of the foregoing, I have managed a few minor leaps of progress all gathered around the forward fuselage.
Essentially, I've now got the machine guns, modified exhaust and the cabane struts all in place and sort of ready for the upper wing to be fitted. I was amazed at the fiddlyness of getting all of these pieces to co-operate! Two more turnbuckles have been fitted, one on either side of the nose. As I am hoping to get the top wing in place using all four of the interplane and cabane struts, I'm about to fit the RFC pitot tube onto the right interplane strut prior to fitting it. With all this finished up I should be ready for the upper wing. :o
Here are a few photos of the nose area:
Guns, exhaust and modified exhaust in place:
(https://i.imgur.com/eg35ry4.jpg)
One of two turnbuckles now in place, the other on "the other side of the hill!"
(https://i.imgur.com/4zuNylQ.jpg)
And, the other side of the hill! BTW, note the well-finished propeller retaining plate (if I do say so myself!) . I did that last night, then realized this morning that it will be completely covered by the spinner! ::) Ah, well, as many will probably say (and one has already said) "But you'll know it's there!" (Thanks, Mark! ;D)
(https://i.imgur.com/OorOk3u.jpg)
All best wishes for a wonderful "Merry Christmas!" go out to all Forumites and to your families. Be safe, have a grand time, and thanks so very much for visiting! 8)
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Nice progress!!
Steve
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Well, I'm quite sure that I got a visit from Des last night. While I initially only wanted to check the fit of the cabanes with the fuselage in the upside down position, this eventually led to getting the entire upper wing fitting completed. Thanks, Des! ;)
Checking the fit. Seems all right:
(https://i.imgur.com/WoyZcEf.jpg)
Here's the final result, with rigging lines all over the map (!) :
(https://i.imgur.com/INdf5xK.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/zOnjJdn.jpg)
Next the rigging and some external details. Thanks for visiting! 8)
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Congrats on the successful mounting of the upper wing. It and the whole Model look superb!
RAGIII
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Congrats on the successful mounting of the upper wing. It and the whole Model look superb!
RAGIII
Thanks, Rick! It looks to be all down hill from here with the possible exception of the rigging. But I'm cautiously confident. 8)
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Hello, Everyone. I hope that you all had a wonderfully Happy Christmas and that you are now motoring comfortably toward New Years' Eve!
Just a few updates on the project. I have now fitted the very first rigging line to the Albi. It was more of a challenge than I thought, and I'll need a couple of longer tweezers plus a surgical tool called an Alligator Scissors. You can see a small extension of the line on the lower turnbuckle. That's the type of cleanup the scissors can do very quickly. As it is, my selection of scissors falls quite short of the mark.
Here is the first rigging line:
(https://i.imgur.com/XjbeOsb.jpg)
Here's a photo of the scissors:
(https://i.imgur.com/RyVB0yJ.jpg)
If anyone can suggest a source for this item I'd very much appreciate the contact information. I'm in a small town about two hours from our capitol city of Ottawa (not too many surgical instrument stores near here!). TIA for any information.
The second point is that I've taken an interest in the painting of my 1/32nd scale pilot for the Albi. Here's a photo of the figure at very early innings. So far, so good. (Did I say that I haven't done figures since the 1970's??). ;)
(https://i.imgur.com/zu5JF1L.jpg)
Head and hands being done separately. It looks to be fairly all right to my uneducated eye, but if anyone has a few help-along observations I'd be very glad to receive them. Again, TIA for any input!
Thanks for visiting. Have a great New Years' bash and we'll see you in 2019! 8)
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Hi Gary, your doing a REALLY great job on this, but turnbuckles are only at one end of the line, not both. Usually down at the lower end on the wings. Regards Pete in RI
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Oh, and try Micro Mark for the scissors 👍
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Hi, Pete! Thanks for the information. I'll check the turnbuckle topic (obviously, I thought both ends!) and I'm on the way to the Micro Mark website right now! 8)
Pete, that didn't take long. Micro Mark has 'em, and I'm gettin' them. Thanks again, and Happy New Year to you! 8)
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Glad to help, happy new year to you too.
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Pete, I can now see where I mucked up the upper turnbuckles. The rigging wire passes through a simple loop attachment rather than a turnbuckle, then returns along itself to be anchored further down the length. From a distance one sees (or, more accurately, thinks he/she sees) a turnbuckle on the upper wing. Certainly it's "my bad!"
My repair might not be too difficult. All of my turnbuckles are attached to a manufactured wire loop at the wing surface. I'm pretty sure that I can break the turnbuckle right at it's upper loop, thus retaining my wire loop and providing the "real" attachment point. If this works it will surely save me time in the repair.
Thanks again for this lead. If we ever run across each other at a modelling event/competition, the beer's on me! 8)
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🍻sounds good
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Marvelous progress !
Ps: the tight spot angle scissors are part # 84737
Ed
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I thought I had responded earlier but apparently not. Awesome progress and I am sure you will sort out the extra turnbuckle! The leather coat on the figure looks terrific!
RAGIII
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Marvelous progress !
Ps: the tight spot angle scissors are part # 84737
Ed
Hi, Ed! Thanks for your visit, and Happy New Year to you. Yes, I've already visited the MM website and found the scissors. It and two other items are already on their way to the GWN. They'll all help with the Albatros and the other seven WNW kits (plus one Hobbycraft offering) in the cache. Cheers! 8)
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I thought I had responded earlier but apparently not. Awesome progress and I am sure you will sort out the extra turnbuckle! The leather coat on the figure looks terrific!
RAGIII
Hello, Rick. Pete's posting was a wake-up call for me. All of the "in error" turnbuckles are gone and simple eyelets have replaced them. The first accurate rigging line is now in place, with one or two more per day on the schedule. It's finicky, but I should have faster fitting times as I progress.
Thanks for your very kind comment on the leather coat of my "pilot." Essentially the coat, gloves, boots and helmet are slightly different Tamiya browns over-coated with Tamiya black and dark brown panel-line liquids. They emphasize the fabric folds nicely as well as giving that worn sheen look. The hardest part for me will be the face and hands, but I've got time to cork these up and redo them a few times.;) Best of the New Year to you, Sir! 8)
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I had a very good day on the Albatros today, even though I had to clear a 5-inch snowfall from the back deck, front steps and my 80-foot driveway over most of the afternoon. Even so, I was able to get four cabane clamps fitted where the cabanes were attached to the fuselage, the propeller assembly done, and six more rigging lines prepared for final attachment tomorrow.
Here are three of the lines threaded through their proper turnbuckle eyelets with three more on the opposite wing-root. You can see a couple of the cabane clamps in their new locations as well:
(https://i.imgur.com/w47zlV3.jpg)
And here is the propeller assembly. I refinished the spinner as I wasn't too pleased with my first try:
(https://i.imgur.com/HglUf53.jpg)
The build is progressing nicely. That said, I am always conscious of an old Army saying:" When your advance is going well...it's an ambush!" I'm wondering from day to day just when the next ambush will be sprung! :o
Best Regards to all. Thanks for visiting, and a "Happy New Year" to all forumites! 8)
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Very good looking -hopefully the model will remain ambush-free until it's done, and long after that! :)
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Outstanding! Funny thing about the wing mounting. I found Myelf doing the same thing on my last Albatros!
RAGIII
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January 20th, and not too much to show as far as progress is concerned. A number of factors have kept me from the modelling table, and when I do get a chance at it the rigging (and a fair bit of hamfistedness) is giving me quite the challenge. The EZ Line tends to curl under the influence of thin CA and I'll have to refine my method of attachment. All to say that although combat has been joined, time is on my side! I've got a week or so before I'll be away for a week or so. With any luck I'll get a bit more done by then.
Here she is, set for yet more effort and surrounded by my various weapons of choice. Thanks for visiting! 8)
(https://i.imgur.com/K0ZyIN3.jpg)
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Well, gentlemen, it's now March 1st and my last post here was January 20th. That's 39 days between posts. In that time I've experienced the most frustrating 39 days of my life regarding modelling: rigging the Albatros. That said, I’m happy to say that it's virtually done: photos attached below. I say “virtually” because I’m purposely leaving the two “nose to cabane strut” lines off until the pitot tube and air hose are placed. They’ll be sure to get in the way. However, both of these lines are attached to their respective turnbuckles. You can see them dangling from the nose area on both sides of the fuselage. It will take only a few seconds to get them into place when comes time. BTW, same goes for the elevator control wires. I knocked off about three at least doing the rigging, so the underside wires get fitted once the pitot and hose are done and I can put this thing down and leave it alone!
I’m dithering a bit WRT continuing on with the Albi or taking a bit of a break before the last lap. If I do continue with it now then perhaps another week or two might be needed, both to get the required items in place and to make a number of minor repairs to the build. I'll decide in a day or two: no work scheduled until Monday!
Here are two pictures of the Albi in its current state:
(https://i.imgur.com/7asuDlI.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/BiQyaX2.jpg)
That’s a lot of weight off my shoulders, I tell you true. I never thought that the rigging would be so confrontational, argumentative or downright painful. I’m frankly appalled at the number of outright dumb errors I made. Whatever the next build will be, it sure as Hades ain't gonna be the DH-2! <G>
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Sorry to hear that your rigging experience was so frustrating! For what it is worth the rigging looks Outstanding to my eye!! Beautifully done.
RAGIII
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Sorry to hear that your rigging experience was so frustrating! For what it is worth the rigging looks Outstanding to my eye!! Beautifully done.
RAGIII
Rick, thanks very much for your comment. I'm pretty much satisfied with how the rigging eventually turned out notwithstanding the fun and frolic it took to get there. Also, I didn't really think that our members would like to see reports on one mistake after another over a five week period! :o
As I wrote in my first post to this thread, "A couple of months ago I started a WNW Albatros DV, and allocated almost two years to get it ready for a regional competition. My intent was to do a pretty good job on this build." I'm where the above photos show, and the competition is still seven months away (end-September) so I'm well ahead of the power curve on this build. As an example, the rigging challenge was one of the reasons that I allocated so much time to the build, so it's not as if I got blind-sided with an unexpected problem. Challenge identified, challenge addressed, challenge overcome: moved on! ;)
I'd also like to make it crystal clear that I am not, in any way, fishing for sympathy. If anyone wants to know about the various hiccups that occurred with the rigging I'll be glad to enumerate them. Each hiccup got sorted out and overcome. This build is a tribute to Des (see first post on this thread) and I am sure that he wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
Best wishes to all. Thanks for visiting. Have a superlative weekend! 8)
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Gary, that's a very beautiful Albatros, indeed! I follow your build, which progresses with a speed I can handle very well..! I love models wirh a „twist“, like this one: The well known silhouette of a hun, „pacified“ by a set of cockardes...
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Gary, that's a very beautiful Albatros, indeed! I follow your build, which progresses with a speed I can handle very well..! I love models with a „twist“, like this one: The well known silhouette of a hun, „pacified“ by a set of cockardes...
Thanks, RH, and thanks for visiting. Nice comment as to "twisted subjects." The Albi markings are offered by Pheon Decals on the same sheet as you will find markings for a captured Sopwith Pup, resplendent in its black crosses. And I do have a WNW Pup in my cache, and the thought has often surfaced as to building the Pup as a captured subject as well. We'll see what transpires "in the fullness of time!" 8)
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I've been missing some updates on your subject and now can see an almost completed Albatros, wich is exceptionally well done.
Ciao
Giuseppe
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I've been missing some updates on your subject and now can see an almost completed Albatros, wich is exceptionally well done.
Ciao
Giuseppe
Giuseppe, thanks for your very kind comment. It took me several weeks to get the rigging almost completed along with a few other priorities to meet. However, I'll be finished this build in good time for the competition in September.
Ciao! 8)
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Hi Gary! That's looking pretty exceptional and the rigging is just fine! I hope you finish it soon - it's beautiful now and will be even better! Regards, Marc
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Hi Gary! That's looking pretty exceptional and the rigging is just fine! I hope you finish it soon - it's beautiful now and will be even better! Regards, Marc
Thanks, Marc. It is rather interesting in a dirty and beaten up sort of way.;D It just rather caught my attention 'way back in the 1970's when I did a model of the same a/c in 1/72nd scale. Things have surely changed in the last 40-odd years! 8)
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Gary,
Wow!! Outstanding works come from your bench my old friend. A Masterpiece in plastic.
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette
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Gary,
Wow!! Outstanding works come from your bench my old friend. A Masterpiece in plastic.
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette
Gregory, mio compadre! Good to hear from you! Thanks for visiting and thanks again for your very kind comment. We go back a long ways, do we not? I hope that all is well with you and yours, and that your modelling is enjoyable and productive. Best Regards! 8)
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Well, Gentlemen, I'm pleased to report that D4545/17 is now complete and has taken up residence in my display cabinet. Sixteen months is a long time but it was time well spent as a Memorial to Des, as I noted on page one of this thread. I can't enter the current Memorial build as I started this build so long ago. Accordingly, I've posted several images on the "Construction Completed" in case any Forumites might want to have a look.
Thank you all most sincerely for your assistance and patience over the past several months. I most truly appreciate all of the comments, suggestions and visits I received. 8)
Cheers, All!
Gary
(https://i.imgur.com/mCbR1hG.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/WXTguGc.jpg)
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Your build has been a true inspiration. The result is a Gorgeous Albatros!I love how she turned out!!
RAGIII
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Your build has been a true inspiration. The result is a Gorgeous Albatros!I love how she turned out!!
RAGIII
Hello, Rick, and thanks for visiting. Thanks also for your kind remarks: I very much appreciate them! The build was certainly long enough (!) but I'm happy that it worked out well, thanks in no small part to visits and suggestions, comments and critiques of many Forumites, all of which were welcome indeed. Best of luck to you with your current and future builds! 8)