1:32nd scale Mosca-Bystritsky MB bis fighter

[RichieW]

Oh Mike, that is spectacular detailing!

[Mike Norris]

Hi all,
The basic 'V' strut assembly for the top of the fuselage is done.
The strut supported the flying and landing wires at the front and the pulley on the rear for the wing warping wires.
The machine gun mounting was also attached to this assembly, but that will be added later in the build, as will the rigging fittings.
The assembly was made with soft soldered Brass Tube of profiled 1.1 mm and 1.4 mm diameter with internal reinforcing Brass rods of 0.4 mm and 0.8 mm diameter.

Now onto the wing supports and landing gear.

Mike

[Mike Norris]

Hi all,
I've added the rear support for the wings, made from 1.5, and 1.1 mm diameter tube with 0.8 mm internal rod.
I've also added 0.5 mm diameter rods to the engine cowl, which helps to support the thinly moulded cowl to the fuselage.
I need to add a wind blat screen below the rear wing support and a filler cap as well as rudder and elevator control line exit ports under the fuselage.

Then it's onto the landing gear.

Mike

[RAGIII]

Awesome work Mike!
RAGIII

[Alexis]

Really coming together Mike 


Alexis

[Mike Norris]

Hi all,
A few updates.
I didn't bother using the kit supplied resin landing gear - enough said.
Instead, I made a replacement using profiled Brass tube of 1.2 mm, 1.4 mm and 1.6 mm diameter and 0.5 mm diameter Brass rod.
All of which was soft soldered.
The axle retaining hoops were made from 0.4 mm diameter lead wire.
I've added a scratch made tank filler cap, cockpit rear wing shield (0.5 mm thick plastic card) and engine cowl retaining straps (0.5 mm sanded flat plastic rod).
The cockpit surround padding was added using ANYZ’ silver braided line (AN015).
Lastly I've added the rudder and elevator exit ports in the underside of the fuselage.

Suffice to say I'm not using the kit supplied rudder assembly and tail skid.
So that's the next job,

Mike

[Mike Norris]

Hi all,
The basic tail unit is done.
I disregard the entire kit supplied parts, apart from the elevator halves.
Basically the resin was badly moulded and with no reinforcing rods.
Also short shots and the rudders were the wrong shape.

The tail skid and its support frame are made of 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.8, 1.2 and 1.4 mm diameter Brass tube or rod.
T two rudder were cut and profiled from 0.8 mm plastic card.
The photo-etch control horns for the lower rudder and elevator are from the ‘Jadar’ WW1 1:48th scale control horns (S48087) set.
Most of the assembly is a loose fit at it all can't be fitted as a complete assembly until later in the build.

So, now it's onto some final details on the fuselage before construction starts,

Mike

[Rookie]

This is looking wonderful Mike.

You must have a hotline with K&S or Albion Alloys, with all that brass work going on in all your builds.

Perfect soldering work again, and so many added beautiful details!

Willem

[Mike Norris]

Hi all,
The last strut work is now finished.
This is the mounting frame for the machine gun.
One version of this aircraft carried a Colt machine gun, fixed to the forward fuselage and fired through the propeller arc.
The propeller was protected by Nieuport type deflector plates.
The version for this model had a early Lewis type machine gun that was fixed at an upward firing position of an inverted V frame.
This fired the weapon over the arc of the propeller.
This mounting was made from 0.7 mm diameter tube with 0.3 mm diameter internal and wrap around rod.
The replacement 'GasPatch' machine gun had it shoulder stock removed, as the weapon was most likely fired by operating a cable from inside the cockpit.

Now at last I can think about actually building this model!!

Mike

[IanB]

This is wonderful work. I'll have to bookmark it as a reference as I have a 1:72 kit of it in the stash!

Ian

[Fvdm]

Your metal work looks awesome Mike. I also like the color of the seat. Will you tell use what color you used? I find it always difficult wich color to use for a seat.

[Mike Norris]

Hi Fvdm,
As usual all details of this build will be included in the build log I produce on completion of the model.
However, the seat, which I replaced with a seat from the resin ‘BarracudaCast’ British wicker AGS seat (BR32234) set, was painted as follows:
1. Primed with 'AK Interactive' Grey (AK758).
2. Airbrushed with ‘Tamiya’ Desert Yellow (XF59) acrylic.
3. Brushed with ‘AK Interactive’ Light Wood filter (AK-261).
4. Weathering applied using ‘Flory Models’ Dark Dirt fine clay wash.
5. Sealed by airbrushing with 'Alclad' Light Sheen (ALC-311) clear lacquer.

Mike

[RAGIII]

The details you create with tubing and rod are second to None Mike!
RAGIII

[Mike Norris]

Hi all,
The pre-shading has been applied to the fuselage, wings and flight surfaces.
I've attempted to represent the engine as best I could, given that the kit supplied moulding is the worst I've seen.
The single piece engine is misaligned so there is a step at each side of the cylinders.
Only 6 inlet manifolds were in the kit, there should be nine (replaced with spare 'Roden' manifolds).
No valve gear or push rods or spark plugs either.
The kit engine had to be used as no other replacement engine would fit inside the engine cowl.
In fact I even had to remove the top of four cylinders to get the kit engine to fit (the can't be seen in the cowl).
I've used the resin propeller in the kit, but replaced the centre boss plate with a spare 'GasPatch' part.
I've discarded the kit supplied wheels and replaced them with 'GasPatch' spoked wheels.

Mike

[Fvdm]

Thanks Mike. Those wheels look fantastic!