I have commenced the build by making the unusual undercarriage, fuselage support and top wing support, this had been made from a very fine grained timber.
A full build log of this model can be found here
http://www.ww1aircraftmodels.com/page49.htmlThe timber I used is very easy to work with and is reasonably strong, it sands very nicely. The first photo shows the method used to make the fuselage support member, cutting it from a solid piece after it was glued to the legs was a lot easier.
This photo shows the two leg assemblies ready for attachment to the skids, the front legs have the strengthening bar. To cut the timber out to form the fuselage support member I used my Dremel, firstly with a cutting disc then finished off with a drum sander.
This next photo shows the front and rear leg assemblies fitted to the skids, the skids are made from styrene sheet with the curve formed around a piece of aluminium tube. For strength I fixe the skids to the legs with five minute epoxy.
I will be using a set of Steven Robson 760 wheels for this model, this photo shows a trial fit. I will endeavour to find a set of whitish O Rings for these wheels as they would be more appropriate for the era of this aircraft.
I made the top section of the assembly using 0.03mm styrene sheet, most of this will be hidden inside the top wing, I need to add the incidence adjusting gears and chains later.
I made the aileron actuating bell crank which mounts on the rear of the undercarriage frame. Bear in mind that all I have to go by with everything I have done so far are photos, I have no measurements at all.
I painted the timber with Humbrol Gloss Cote with a few drops of Humbrol Clear Orange added, this gives the colour I was aiming for. The green is a mixture of Humbrol No.65 and Humbrol No.226, this gives me a colour which matches photos of the Battaille.
