Roden 1/72 Fokker D.VII (OAW) and Albatros D.Va -> Jasta Raben

[Juan]

Outstanding Jeroen, have a look at some of the WnW instructions on their site for the flare colors.  They have them listed as red, blue green and white.

[jeroen_R90S]

Thank you, Gregory, Rick, Warren and Juan!
I've managed to get the front struts for the Fokker wing on (the ones running from the fuselage to the forward bit of the top wing) and have fiddled with the remaining 6; 4 more wing struts and the 2 tail supports.
Thanks for the tip on the WNW site, I found the notes about the flares, but not much else, so I browsed the "customer models" section and found some examples on the Pfalz DIIIa. Thanks Juan!

I've also cleaned up the pre-drilled rigging holes and fiddled with a way of attaching the Albatros lower wings. Can't really seem to find a way to use my D.III jig, ad the D.Va is too rounded. The D.III has a more flat belly, so to speak.

I'm still modelling in short stints to prevent rushing these to the finish Thanks for the support!

Jeroen

[Manni]

Beautiful planes. You do an outstanding job, Jeroen.
Manni

[jeroen_R90S]

Thank you, Manni!

I've hit a little snag with the Albatros... I used measurements from a Wingnut Wings kit for the struts and interplane gap, and they looked spot on. However, when I dry-fitted it all it worked, but the engine wasn't installed. It turned out that the engine somehow sits a bit tilted and too high, which I failed to notice.
The result is now that not only the interplane gap is "optically" too small, but also that the decompression handle on the back of the engine hits the top wing.

I've used some old struts leftover from my Gotha built to fabricate extensions, unfortunately this also means my carefully adjusted cabane struts needed lengthening. I've added all the plastic extensions and sanded them into shape, but will need to re-paint and re-fit them all.
Not insurmountable, but annoying none the less -and no-one to blame but myself!

While all of that is drying I opened the Wingnut Wings Fokker DVII box that has been eying me for over a year. Everything is huge! But all those flimsy struts and tiny Roden parts do help with e.g. removing and cleaning up all the thin fuselage frames of the big Fokker.
When there's more to show than a big pile of cleaned up grey parts I'll open a build log for that one, too.

Jeroen

[RAGIII]

Bummer about the Albatros struts but I am sure you will sort it out! I am looking forward to your big Fokker build!
RAGIII

[jeroen_R90S]

Well, it was sort of sorted with strut extensions:


Until I tried to fit the machine guns. Since the engine sits too high they interfere with the to-be placed exhaust and intake manifolds.
So it was either leave off the guns, save the wings and toss the  fuselage, or cut the engine free and lower it.
Well, I'll save you all the gory details of cracked open seams, lost engine valves, paint damages here and there etc etc...

And I forgot the broken wing...

But, after much fiddling...

The wing is now settling after being re-glued and the engine now sits in it's proper place. Unfortunately I'll probably have to re-shorten the struts now... but I'll save that for later after I repaired all the other little damages. I've kind of used my modelling energy for a week on this model.

The big Fokker has had some small sub-assemblies prepared and glued, and it is a relevation after a few dodgy resin conversions and Roden biplanes!  Like I wrote, it's huge for me -the engine alone is nearly the same size as the whole 1/72 D.Va.

Still happy I decided to persist with the little Albatros, though....

Jeroen

[jeroen_R90S]

Oh, with all the fiddling I completely wasted one of the Roden machine guns... Anyone have a spare Spandau from sprue Z around...??

[RAGIII]

You are a better Man than me. I probably would have given up had this been my build  That being said keep on going, you are almost there now.
RAGIII

[jeroen_R90S]

Thank you -once the wing is set, I can re-try the struts (cutting a bit off is always easier than lengthening) and add the broken off intake manifold and replace some of the broken little valves. A bit of paint touch up here and there and it'll (hopefully) mostly be hidden by the top wing and machine guns later on. Hopefully someone has a crashed project and a Spandau around, I can always try Roden but that might take a while...

Thanks for the support -I try to teach my little boys to be determined and persistent, so I guess I sometimes have to lead by example! 

[WarrenD]

 
So sorry this happened, but glad you stuck it through.

Warren

[jeroen_R90S]

Thank you Warren -since the rest of both models went quite smoothly I was due for that little disaster that seems to haunt every model I build. Too bad you know it will happen, just not when!

This afternoon our oldest boy (4) had a birthday party at a friend, and while our youngest was sleeping I managed to repair some damaged paint, scratched the 3 missing valves and re-drilled the prop shaft hole. Definately something wrong with either the engine or the fuselage, as the top is now OK, but the prop shaft is way too low. I suppose that's why I missed the engine sitting too tall on top -if the prop shaft is centered, what could be wrong then?

Anyway, wing is properly back on, paint damages fixed (need some polishing), forward part of the intake manifold put back on, valves repaired and I added the sole remaining machine gun:

Now hopefully I can find another gun and that sheet of acetate to make that odd windshield... then it's off to the paint shop for strut painting for both models and hopefully some more assembly towards completion.

Jeroen

[WarrenD]

Did you use the kit engine?

Warren

[jeroen_R90S]

Yes, it was the kit engine. Problem is probably like all Mercedes DIII engined Roden models, the generic engine sprue doesn't always mate up with the kit very well. On the Fokker I had to cut the entire sump and front end up, or it would have been too high and far rearwards so the exhaust doesn't fit.

Thanks to Mathias (Malaula) I have a new Spandau on the way so I took advantage of this knowledge and painted the repaired struts and wing radiator
I also painted the struts of the Fokker at the same time, so that should see some work being done later, as well.

Jeroen

[WarrenD]

 

[jeroen_R90S]

Well... it doen't happen very often, but I'm miffed... I took all measuments from a Wingnut Wings D.Va but somehow it seems the top wing stil looksl too low to my eye -even after lengthening the struts?




But I'm not really that knowledgable on the D.Va so I may be wrong... honest opinions (and even better, actual measurements of the interplane gap near the wing roots, and coaming to top wing!) would be mostly appreciated. Now that I have a Spandau ready for paint I'm kind of stuck and thinking in circles.... 
If I were to mount the windshield now it would almost touch the upper wing.

On the other hand, the remaining struts of the D.VII fitted very well and are now securely in place.

Miffed,
Jeroen