Unknown Fokker D.VII. Plastic Supplied by WNW

[GazzaS]

I'm actually at a rough place in the build.  Adding the cowl pieces to complete the front end shows me that something isn't right.  Something I have been worried about the entire time.   Because I have heard about how things can happen if you glue over paint or are slightly off.

So, I've got the whole front end squeezed together and drying.  Hopefully it won't all pop off when I pull off the tape.

To relieve some of the pressure, I've snipped one of the motor mounts on both sides.

So far, I can't really tell where I went wrong.  But I don't want to tear the fuselage apart as I used reinforced joints and CA to make a super-strong dorsal joint behind the cockpit.  I know that the seam can show over time as it can take a long time for plastic cements to completely cure...even months.   

So, despite my best efforts to avoid making the interior too big for the exterior, I ended up there anyway.

I'm hoping that in the end, none of these problems will be noticeable.

[RAGIII]

Having finished 5 of the DVII kits I must admit to having had mixed results with the fit of those panels.
RAGIII

[GazzaS]

Having finished 5 of the DVII kits I must admit to having had mixed results with the fit of those panels.
RAGIII

Thanks Rick!  I don't feel so bad, now.  It's like the build is sailing along...  and then you're confronted with some 3d puzzle that defies easy dry-fitting.

[GazzaS]

Hello Friends,
    To follow is a tale of woe.  For despite my best attempts to follow suggestions regarding paint and fitting, I failed.  When the moment came to attach the lower wing, that magic moment when you know whether you've done everything right or wrong, I discovered that the nose of my Fokker was angled to the right.  I applied gentle pressure, hoping to realign the parts with minimal fuss and damage.

But the little frame holding engine and cockpit was too firm and would not flex.  Instead, it crushed like an eggshell in my hands.


I felt pretty bad for totally wasting a WNW kit.  Especially now that I can't just order one.  I appreciate how WNW engineered the thing...  but it requires a bit of perfection.

[RichieW]

Oh no Gazza, what a real shame! Is it irretrievably damaged or will it be possible to get it back together. Either way I recommend a nice cold beer as a remedy before doing anything else. I was really enjoying this build, hope it can be salvaged.

[GazzaS]

Thanks Richie!
      It's a hurtful waste. 

    After a restless night where I spent a lot of time in a half sleep thinking about how I might avoid the same thing happening with my lone remaining Fokker D.VII kit....  the Goering special.  Because I really wanted to do this build.

After much thought, it occurred to me that a way to avoid repeating the problem was to install the frame-cockpit-engine section into the fuselage while the glue joints was still soft.  And avoiding until the absolute last minute gluing anything that will make that section rigid.  That meant that everything had to be painted/decal-ed/rigged beforehand.

It was a fiddly process, with some undesired to-and-fro-ing.  I even had to sever the fuel cell to firewall joint because somehow I'd got it wrong.  But anyway, here is where I'm at now:


You'll notice that now I'm using the Benz IV engine in place of the previous Mercedes D.III au.  This isn't really important because there is so little known about the subject in the photo.



So far, I feel a bit more confident about the way this second build is going.   I'm in a place where I can still manipulate the engine on forward.

I don't know if I can salvage the other kit.  Everything depends on that frame.  Perhaps if it had been engineered so that the struts and LG were attached to the fuselage shell instead of that dang frame...



Gaz

[RAGIII]

I am sorry your first DVII has suffered what hopefully becomes a setback rather than Demise! The second one is moving along nicely. I am sure you are now aware that constant test fitting on this kit is a requirement. Keep going and I will remain a a fan and supporter of your work!
RAGIII

[RichieW]

The second one looks amazing Gazza, I have the Goering DVII in my stash so will take the warning about getting the frame to fit into the fuselage.

[Vickers]

Looks like you're well on your way to good save, Gaz. Way to gut it out and keep up the great work! I've seen models with less serious issues end up half-built in the tote of shame for decades.

[GazzaS]

I am sorry your first DVII has suffered what hopefully becomes a setback rather than Demise! The second one is moving along nicely. I am sure you are now aware that constant test fitting on this kit is a requirement. Keep going and I will remain a a fan and supporter of your work!
RAGIII

Thanks Rick!  Yes, this kit is a bigger challenge than expected.

The second one looks amazing Gazza, I have the Goering DVII in my stash so will take the warning about getting the frame to fit into the fuselage.

Thank you, Richie.   Here's a new warning I just discovered this morning:  The BMW motor is taller than the Mercedes motor.  So, what I would do is avoid completely building up the motor.  First I would get to where my pictures are, now.  And then I would build the Front end assembly with radiator, but not attach it.  Because when you get to the point where you need to "slightly bend" the small pipe near the top of the radiator, you may find that the piece you are supposed to bend is too short.  What I had to do was to replace the short piece of pipe that the directions said required gentle bending with 1mm copper tube with three bends in a part only 1/2 inch long.



 You may also find, as I did that the sump of the BMW engine is pushed-up a bit by the U-shaped brackets at the base of the motor mounts.  I had to shave the widest parts of the sump's curve.


You may also find that your magneto pipes interfere with the port side upper cowling.     Then, I have shaved the port upper cowling down to almost see-through.


Maybe I've done it all wrong.  Hopefully somebody who has used the BMW engine can let me know. 

Looks like you're well on your way to good save, Gaz. Way to gut it out and keep up the great work! I've seen models with less serious issues end up half-built in the tote of shame for decades.

Thank you, Vickers.  I think I would have given up if I were not very keen to realize the scheme I want.   Or, if I didn't have the second kit handy without any scheme planned for it.

Gaz

[Alexis]

Wow Gary , wasn't expecting this with your first one , very sad to hear of this and know what the gut feeling is like .

Second one is proving to have its challenges as well , which by the way is looking really good far .

If you decide to toss the first one in the bin , let me know and I will take it off your hands .

Terri

[GazzaS]

Wow Gary , wasn't expecting this with your first one , very sad to hear of this and know what the gut feeling is like .

Second one is proving to have its challenges as well , which by the way is looking really good far .

If you decide to toss the first one in the bin , let me know and I will take it off your hands .

Terri

Terri,
    That's a fine idea.  Send me a postal address at your convenience.   I'll be able to send it once I'm sure I have all of my plastic and decals sorted.

Gaz

Gaz

[Bughunter]

Gaz, that is really hard fro my eyes to see such an accident
I'm always impressed by the amount of details and quality of those WNW kits, really pitty, that they are nor more available! So such accident hurt even more

I hope you will have now a trouble free build until finishing!

Cheers,
Frank

[GazzaS]

Thank you, Frank!  I hate wasting any kit. 

Fortunately, after much fiddling, we've passed that particular danger stage.


But there is still much fragility and alignment concerns to worry about.  Now I can start some masking and some painting.

Thanks for looking.

Gaz

[RichieW]

Gazza I'm so glad you've cleared that particular hurdle and can have some fun painting. If the masking you did on the props is anything to go by you're going to smash it out of the park.
Richie