Fokker D-VII 1/33rd Fitter's Paper Model with Matt77 Repaint

[rhallinger]

Dan, that is an exceptional solution, and looks very good indeed.  I think you nailed it!  It must have been with great trepidation that you started cutting the assembled Model (rhinoplasty--haha, made me chuckle).  I would have been very nervous!  Outstanding work all around.  Of course, I was confident you would find a way.

Best,

Bob

[NinetythirdLiberator]

Thanks, All...

And Matt77:  The whole model is really lovely except for the nose needing a tweak.  I sure couldn't have designed this model as builder-friendly as Fitter did.  I don't think I'll get it perfect, but I hope it looks a bit more accurate.  Fitter's Nieuport and Balilla are pretty astounding.  I do think the D-VII nose is a tough one to get absolutely right.

We'll see how it goes!

More soon...Dan 

[matt77]

This is best solved with parts 41a 41L 41P and 42





matt77

[NinetythirdLiberator]

Nice, Matt77...that does look great.  I also tried cutting the chin to make that lower panel but now I'm leaving mine as is.  I'll need to study your post some more!  If mine turned out like that...I'd be very pleased! 

Slowly but surely, it's coming along.  I'm trying to use as much of the kit parts as possible by cutting them into smaller pieces and adding them at what I'd assume to be natural breaks.  The radiator/cowling is still looking hard to do.  The rough edges in the front have been left on purpose since I'm not quite sure where the cowling will go. See below...

I did see another issue I hadn't before while I was working on it last night.  The radiator edges/cowling should basically start right at the inspection panel curve and as is, it will sit further forward of that curve.  I may have to live with it, though.  Sort of depends how that darn cowling really adds up.

I took a small break and just added the upper cowling around the engine and plopped in the MGs.  I only made the opening around the cylinders a bit wider and sanded the paper backing a bit to make it easier to smooth into the rest of the forward fuselage.

Getting there!
Cheers,
Dan

[rhallinger]

Nice work on the chin cowl Dan.  I'm anxious to see how the front-end turns out after your surgery.  I hope it will look close to Matt77's non-fitter kit of Udet's D.VII.  Good luck!

Best,

Bob

[RAGIII]

That certainly is already looking much better Dan! Looking forward to your progress!
RAGIII

[NinetythirdLiberator]

Hi Folks...

I finally made some progress and I'm calling it a "win" even if it's not perfect.  Still needs some touch-up and burnishing while the top needs to be finished in front of the exhaust, but I like it much more than the kit parts.  It's no Matt77, but we can't all be that amazing...

If I build this model again, I'll also shorten the nose which will also make it look better.  Anyway, here it is!  Much more to come, but this was a hurdle I was not looking forward to!   

Dan

[Radarman]

Hi Dan,
Looks like you've got that tackled. That demonstrates how complex it is to change something from 3D to 2D and back again.

                                                                                                                  Take it easy,
                                                                                                                   Kevin in Port Orchard

[RAGIII]

I think your fix on the front looks 100% better. Looking forward to More!
RAGIII

[NinetythirdLiberator]

Thanks Kevin and Rick!

Tonight I did a tiny bit more.  I got the little shelf part on the top of the cowling done.  Also, what I think is the radiator cap/tube.  I think it needs one more tiny piece on top but you get the picture.

Finally, I assembled the prop as the kit instructs.  You can see it's made of several laminations much the way l've made flying model balsa props in the past.  But I'm not sure.  I think it looks too rough and the hub is also not thick enough.  I think I'll do some sanding and try to shape it a bit more, paint it, then I'll judge it again.

I'll start the wings tomorrow!!!!! 

Cheers to you all,
Dan

[rhallinger]

Dan, I somehow missed your clean up of the chin cowling.  All things considered, it looks really good, just like a D.VII nose!  I know how you suffered through that surgery.   Very nice (and not easy) fix.

Latest round is looking good.  I am anxious to see how the propeller turns out with a little more of your TLC.  As you know, so far I have wimped out on paper props, being 0 for 1 on that topic.

Best regards,

Bob

[NinetythirdLiberator]

Thanks so much, Bob.

I got the prop and hub done tonight. For the main prop, I sanded it down to remove the paper ridges and this left a pleasing, natural "white" color of the paper between the laminations.  I then airbrushed a bit of Tamyia "clear orange" over the blades to knock-back the stark white and I think it looks ok!  Much better than I thought.  Last night I was ready to ditch the whole thing.

Trouble was, the hub is way too skinny and looks kind of lame.  So I cut off the blades and used a chunk of Prisma Color Pencil for my new, thicker hub.  It's an almost perfect diameter!  Lucked out, there.  The blades were then glued and blended in and looked ok.

Finally, the prop retainer needed to be re-done.  I used a paper punch of the right size to cut it out and added eight little holes with a tiny drill.  The whole thing was "painted" with a silver Sharpie and attached to the hub.  I then put a small piece of pulled plastic sprue in the middle to approximate the main prop shaft area.  Looks neat-oh...

Then I cheated on my radiator cap...I had an old WNW sprue and cut a piece from one of the wing-mounted air speed indicators and it adds some interest to the paper cylinder radiator tube.  More neat-oh!   

Overall, going quite well.  Ok...wings tomorrow...I promise.

Dan

[rhallinger]

Neat-oh, indeed!  Dan, that prop looks like wood, and the colors are very pleasing.  Nice fix for the hub; How'd you every figure our the pencil ploy?  I like the ingenuity!  Prop boss turned out very well also.  I guess I'll have to try a paper prop next time, if I can make it look as good as yours.  Nice detail on the oil cap.  Looking forward to those wings . . .   

Best,

Bob 

[lone modeller]

Reading through this build log only served to further increase my respect for you as a modeller Dan. You are working with materials which until recently you were not familiar, and with kits which are clearly for those who have some experience of working with paper models. Your ingenious solutions are wonders to read - as good as any plastic/multi-media models such as I make, and in some instances, better.

I really am in awe of those of you who make these paper models - they are real works of art and a tribute to your skill.

Stephen.

[NinetythirdLiberator]

Thank you so much, Bob and Stephen.

And Stephen...your scratch builds of things like that Dornier Riesenflugzeug sort of set the bar kind of high!  Amazing stuff.  Most of what you see on these paper models is the art work and that's not even my doing!  Yes...it takes some time to get to know the paper, but it's well within everyone's grasp.  I do like them, though.  Somehow, it feel more like you are putting a real airplane together and I enjoy that...

Got the lower wings started by cross-graining my spars to make them a bit thicker to fit the rib slots and much stronger.  Then the ribs go on, then the skins!  Worked well with a bit o' sanding and tugging around at the paper.  I'll do the other side tomorrow and then fix them to the fuselage.  Then, on to the top wing!

Stay tuned,
Dan