Hi all - here's another one I decided to start for the group build (not sure if i'll get it finished in time, but we'll see!).
I've wanted to build a 1/48 Fokker E.IV for quite a while, but there are no viable kits out there of this model. So I have decided to convert the Eduard Fokker E.III kit to an E.IV, which is a relatively straight forward conversion. The E.IV had essentially the same wings, tailplane, rudder and other major bits and pieces to the E.III, but with a different fuselage. The fuselage on the E.IV was longer, and obviously the cowling was longer to house the twin-row rotary engine. The E.IV also had the obvious fairing around the cockpit. Thus the fuselage effectively needs to be scratch built.
I have made a start on the extended length fuselage (based off the drawings in Josef Scott's Fokker Eindecker Compendium Vol 2) - so far I have scratch-built the flat sides and tops, and the cockpit fairing. I vacuformed the fairing using a small vacuform machine I recently picked up, over a balsa wood master. This was my first attempt at vacuforming; I think it worked out ok, and the holes still need to be cut, but I have the niggling feeling I might need to re-do it.... I've also made a start at modifying the Eduard cowl to extend it for the longer engine. Here are some pics of it so far:
It's very very early days on this one, and so far it kinda looks like an E.IV... but you have to start somewhere...!
All feedback welcomed.
Cheers,
BC
