Author Topic: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III & D.IIIa in 1/144 scale  (Read 19602 times)

Offline Juan

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #15 on: January 02, 2020, 12:00:31 AM »
Both projects look fantastic, made even so more at this scale.

Offline lone modeller

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #16 on: January 04, 2020, 07:28:42 AM »
Just found this: I am lost for words. I converted an Fe 2 in 1/72 scale and that was difficult enough for me. To try one in this scale would be pure madness for me!

The amount of detail that you have achieved would look good on 1/48 scale. The fuselage of the Pfalz is truly exceptional and the wings are equally good. Clearly you have some experience of making models - and very good ones too.

Stephen.

Offline kensar

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #17 on: January 06, 2020, 12:20:33 AM »
Amazing detail on these two projects.

Offline Borsos

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #18 on: January 06, 2020, 04:40:06 AM »
I hope to reproduce the wings too.  There's quite a lot of work in them to do the ribs and the radiator.  Whether or not I can do both versions will depend largely on the wings and whether the resin holds its shape and doesn't warp.  The upper wing seems common to both, but I'll make the pointed D.III lower wings as the initial master and modify them afterwards to do the slightly shorter and more rounded version for the D.IIIa.

Fingers crossed that it all works out.  Mind you, it's a walk in the park compared to another project that I have on the go.






Please tell me you have put a WNW Fe next to a gigantic match. Even in 1/32 this is great work.
Andreas
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Barbusse.
"Ein Berg in Deutschland kann doch einen Berg in Frankreich nicht beleidigen. Oder ein Fluß oder ein Wald oder ein Weizenfeld."
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Offline Gisbod

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #19 on: January 06, 2020, 06:09:28 AM »
Good grief,

I’ve seen some modelling in my time but that takes the biscuit..

Nothing short of incredible- it genuinely could be a good 1/32 model.

I take my hat off to you William...

Guy
“Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth -
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.”

P.O. John Gillespie Magee 1941

Bughunter

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #20 on: January 06, 2020, 07:45:52 AM »
That absolutely clean work in such tiny scale is absolute impressive and outside my imagination :o
If I'm not confused I commented on it already on scalemates.

Cheers,
Frank

Online lcarroll

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #21 on: January 06, 2020, 09:47:35 AM »
Doesn't happen often however I am lost for words ................... this is spectacular work and in this tiny scale??!!?
My sincere compliments William, this is real modelling and in a new dimension!  8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
Cheers,
Lance

Offline RLWP

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #22 on: January 06, 2020, 08:16:19 PM »
You can't fool me - you've made a 4:1 model of a matchstick!

Lovely modelling William

Richard
Hendon for flying - the fastest way to the ground!

Offline William Adair

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #23 on: January 09, 2020, 06:20:12 PM »
Ah, if only I had a dollar for every time somebody mentioned a giant matchstick!   ;D
I'd make Mr Jackson an offer he couldn't refuse and have him do a sideline of 1/144 beauties.   :P

In the meantime, I guess I'll just have to keep soldiering on.  The Fee is definitely my first love in aircraft of the period, and the scratchbuild above is in the life's-work category.  At the moment it is at the stage where the booms are being added, so I've taken a break for a while so as not to risk burning out on it entirely.  I can probably post the saga so far when I get back into it.

There's stacks of potential in 1/144, despite what some very indifferent injection moulded kits would have you believe.  I hope they will see a similar renaissance one day to what 1/32 kits now enjoy.

The Pfalz D.III/D.IIIa components are still coming along.  The fuselage was placed in a simple jig to check all its dimensions and proportions.  The top of the rectangle of styrene is aligned to the centre line of the fuselage, and an exact copy of this rectangle is overlaid upon my scanned drawings which I have open in photoshop.  By using the ruler tool, I can use the sides and bottom edge of the jig as datums to plot the position of any detail on the model surface.  Very handy when doing things like strut locations!



I also began the radiator for the top wing.  Scribing some acrylic sheet and inlaying it into the surface.  However it didn't quite meet with the Teves & Braun seal of approval...   :-[



It was alright at first.  But after a few days I realised it was perhaps a bit clunky.  Not enough louvres, and the two strips down the middle were overscale.  In the end I popped it out and had a think about what to do next.  I later found a much better photograph of the top wing and was able to count the louvres.  Or rather, the spaces between them.  30 scribe lines each at 0.13mm apart...   :o



I don't mind some fine detail but that did seem a bit mad.  Anyway, enough said about that for now. 

Next was the wing ribs.  I did these the same way as the fee and the little Sparrowhawk over in the off-topic builds section.  Thin temporary lines of .2mm scotch tape were laid down in the position of each wing rib.  The area either side was then masked off with a wider strip.



The idea is to express each rib with a thin line of primer.  Before spraying, the thin strips of tape are lifted off and the areas to be painted are brushed with a rolled up ball of blutack to get rid of any stray dust.



A medium-thick coat of primer later:



Generally speaking it is a bad idea to rip the tape up through the paint.  The tape has to be freed by sanding off the excess primer.  In this case though I could at least prise up the pieces for the short ribs so a to provide a level surface for sanding.



Sanding and removing the tape then gets me to here:



After that the wings get polished with a block of neoprene rubber and some Tamiya plastic polish.  It smooths the surface out and helps blend the rib detail in.  It's hard to see in photos at this stage, but here's a couple of shots of it in progress.  When time permits I'll give it another coat of primer overall and see how it looks.




Online RAGIII

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #24 on: January 09, 2020, 10:29:29 PM »
There is only one problem with your build! I will run out of ways to say Amazing  8) Your skills are superb!
RAGIII
"A man has to know his limitations": Harry Callahan

"Don't slop it on" Lynda Geisler

Offline William Adair

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #25 on: January 09, 2020, 10:47:17 PM »
To be sure, to be sure.  I'm only six inches tall!  ;D

While the wife was lolling about in the bath with candles and bubbles and whatnot, I was able to sneak off and get that primer coat on after all. 
Not a bad start, but it needs a bit more polish to even out the ribs.


Online PrzemoL

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #26 on: January 10, 2020, 12:16:18 AM »
Fee in 144th! With all those details visible... The radiator on D.IIIa... The spectacular idea to make the ribs on the wing...

I feel like Rick - not enough ways to express the admiration.
Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul,
Ash nazg thrakatuluk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul.

Offline Robin

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #27 on: January 10, 2020, 01:14:05 AM »
It's not that long ago when people got burned at the stake for lesser witchcraft. :o

Robin :)
« Last Edit: January 10, 2020, 01:37:53 AM by Robin »
Found my mojo and clipped it's wings, so it won't fly away.

Offline Thumbs up

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #28 on: January 10, 2020, 01:19:51 AM »
 :o

Online lcarroll

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #29 on: January 10, 2020, 02:12:23 AM »
    "There's stacks of potential in 1/144, despite what some very indifferent injection moulded kits would have you believe.  I hope they will see a similar renaissance one day to what 1/32 kits now enjoy."

   ........... and it's work like yours here that will help in that quest. When the incredible progress in quality and variety of scale, subject matter, and engineering in plastic scale modelling over the past 50 or more years is considered development of the 1:144 potential seems logical and no doubt a great opportunity for the industry. The challenges of working in the smaller scales are a great attraction IMHO, and not every modeller has vast areas available for storage and display. A well done Scratch Built Model gains immediate respect and admiration from the vast majority of those involved in our hobby, the smaller the scale the more the compliments seem to flow. We all comment to the effect that if you want a particular type modeled just do a Scratch Build and some company will release it as a kit! A few more Builds like yours here (& we have "Ondra" on the record with some spectacular 1:144 work as well) and I'd bet one or more of our Kit Companies takes a serious look at the market potential! Keep up the incredible work!
Cheers,
Lance
« Last Edit: January 10, 2020, 03:36:25 AM by lcarroll »