"Shelf Queen 2025 GB" Eduard 1/48 Hannover CL.IIIa....FINI...

[RAGIII]

Looking great. I think your choice on the tail feathers was perfect!
RAGIII

[Borsos]

Fantastic progress. Wings and fuselage look really spot on.

[Allan31]

Experimenting with louvers is over and I'm resorting to the Archer 3D printed decals. Not exactly correct but good enough.
After buying a couple or sheets the wrong size, I found these at the correct spacing and trimmed them down to the correct width.





You can see how the rocker arms have taken a beating. I will have to try and make replacements from sheet styrene.

I've actually come to the point where I'm attaching things to each other. Seems like many weeks of preparation.
When I attached the tail feathers, they didn't look right. I seem to be caught in a loop of endless fixes and correcting.



I debated just leaving them like that but then wondered about my future ability to get any sleep. Oh hell, I've come this far. Snap, snap...



I shaved off a good 1/16" near the front and to 0 at the back.



Jeez..

At some point, the tail skid went AWOL. It looked a lot like a D.V skid so I pinched one from the Glencoe D.III that will never get built.







Close enough. I've added a GasPatch Spandau but still need an ammo shoot. I added the exhaust manifolds and as a homage to the original builder who had already painted them, I left them as is.



I did my best on the rocker arms, not perfect but good.



So I finally have an almost complete fuselage ready for oil washes and weathering.





Whew.....

[NigelR]

Great progress after a few setbacks. I think those louvre decals look pretty good. The end result will definitely be worth all the effort.

[Allan31]

It just doesn't end with this thing......

Part is me and part is Eduard. I went to attach the lower wings to the fuselage using the Datafile drawings as a guide.
"That's funny, why is Eduards wing back almost a 1/4 inch from the drawing?".....



When I checked the top wing alignment and it was correct I knew I was in trouble...



So, is the top wing too far forward or the bottom wings too far back. Top is correct, bottom is wrong.
I was willing to live with this as I am so done trying to fix this thing.

However.....

Cabane struts fit fine with just a slight bit off center. There is something goofy with this kit, I'm thinking Eduards eyeballed some stuff rather than actually measure it. The space between the outer edge of the top wing crosses and the outer edge of the wing as example, the rear empennage in my last post, I digress...
Getting interplane struts to reach was problematic and to compound the issue, I dialed in a little too much sweptback. This culminated in way too much dihedral in the lower wings.






My bad. The lower wings are twice the dihedral they should be.
I was going to leave it, rig it, put it up on the very back of my darkest shelf and go out and work on my Merlyn.
So, I re-assessed this morning. All my other fixes throughout this build have worked great so why should I quit on the last lap now.



Actually I didn't even bother with the saw. Snap, snap, snap, snap.....





I cleaned up everything and positioned the wings per the drawing.




You can see the hole where the pin on the wing should be, I will drill new holes and make brass pins in the wing. there is a slight 2-3 degree clockwise roll to the upper wing. I will align the lower wings with the same roll so they match. You can't see the mis-alignment with the fuselage with the naked Mk.I eyeball.
I don't know If I can save the struts, I think I can.

I have no idea how all this is going to effect the landing gear and it's positioning on the fuselage.

I will jump off that bridge when I get to it.....

[Big Sky Modeler]

Quite the battle with this kit.  Your fixes look great and it's turning into a nice Hannover.

[Flamingo]

What a struggle.
IIRC the u/c vee struts are too short giving propper axle position only when hanging down vertically,
so better check carefully.
Cheers Joachim

[NigelR]

OMG! You are showing incredible dedication to accuracy here. I would not have bothered, I doubt anyone would have noticed unless you had told us. She was looking really good until you snapped the wings off (), but I am sure you will recover this.

[Allan31]

Ya know how some people can buy a kit, open it, read and follow directions, paint it in whatever their favorite color is and stick on the shelf smiling? Yea, I don't know either.....

The wings looked really ridiculous the way I had mounted them before so I snapped them off and started over.
Much, much better results this time matching the Datafile drawings almost exactly.

As I suspected, this correction now put the landing gear struts in the wrong position. The axle should be in front of the leading edge of the wing and the forward strut should attach directly below the cabane strut attachment point.




I measured and re-drilled new holes.




Came out great on the first shot. I'm really pleased the wings all are in the correct position, they line up with each other, landing gear is in the right spot now, top and bottom wings are parallel and align with the rear empennage. I was able to save the struts with one just barely reaching but it's in.





Rigging next, wheels, propeller, rear gun.
I think that's it and what ever is left to do requires no further surgery.

I can't believe I'm actually at this point now.......

[Borsos]

Congratulations on finishing all the surgery. It was definitely worth it!

[NigelR]

Even more corrective work that is really paying off. Nearly there now, keep going......

[Allan31]

All the little bits have been done, only thing left for tomorrow is rigging and add little post rigging bits.



I can't believe I'm actually going to finish this....

[NigelR]

That looks really good. The lozenge and overall paintjob are excellent.

[Allan31]

Wow. A struggle but mostly self imposed. I'm pleased with the finish.







Just a quick couple of shots to show it really IS finished.

I will do a full shoot and post in "completed" Friday.

[NigelR]

Yay, it looks great. I will save fulsome praise for the completed shots....