DFW T.28 Floh (1/48 Eduard - 1995)

[andonio64]

Hallo everybody,
My new project is about one of the most strange planes of the WW1 period, the "Never Fighting Lady" DFW T.28 Floh (old Eduard kit, 1995)



Everybody knows the story of this machine, my choice is intended to build a new plane before the year ends…
I have no documentation but Wikipedia and a plan I found on the web somewhere some years ago, I don’t remember where.

Here is the kit’s only sprue (front / back)




The kit includes a nice photoetched fret, the decals are simple (nice Axial logos for the propeller) and a small acetate leaf for the instrument panel



Instructions sheets:





Flashes alla round but they do not seem to be a difficult challenge, the fuselage has no holes for the wing and tailplanes pins, and the exhaust holes are not pierced. Also the rigging holes have to be drilled.
What ‘s worst IMHO is that the air intakes on the funny face of this plane are not even indicated, they should be replaced by decals, which I do not think I acceptable.

After checking the sprues I realized that the rudder and fin are missing... they should have been here:

But they’re not!

I will make them from scratch…

Yesterday evening I started with a couple of operations on the fuselage:

Exhaust holes, drilled and made a bit more realistic with six chunks of brass pipe



I also prepared a hole where to insert the propeller’s stem:





I will need also to scribe the lines of the front panel (engine access).

OK that’s all for now, thanks for looking.
Antonio

PS
My inspirational references are:

Arnaud

Martin

Pustota

Red Baron

[Juan]

Awesome subject Antonio, looking forward to your progress.

[ALBATROS1234]

very nice so far, one day i need to build mine.

[lone modeller]

A most interesting subject. You will no doubt perform your usual magic and turn a respectable kit into a little gem.

Stephen.

[andonio64]

I'll do my best ...thank you guys!

[eclarson]

Looks like a fun project!  I had no idea Eduard made a 1/48 Floh.

Eric

[Des]

A most unusual aircraft but one very well known, looking forward to seeing your build of this kit, what you have done so far is very good.

Des.

[jamieg]

When you build the interior, be aware that the seat sits quite a bit too low. You need to add something to the top of the seat platform to raise the seat high enough for the pilot to see out of the cockpit. You don't need to ask how I know!!!

[gbrivio]

There was a "WWI warplanes - great war classics in profile" vol. I, by Albatros productions, containing a brief article about the Flohwith six photographs, scale drawings in 1/72 and 1/48 and a colour profile on the front cover.
Best whishes for your build.
Ciao.
Giuseppe

[Alexis]

Not one we see very often getting built . Following along ....




Terri

[andonio64]

Looks like a fun project!  I had no idea Eduard made a 1/48 Floh.

Eric

Yes Eric, here it is, there is also one ELF models Floh but in 1/72. I had it and to be honest I found it better than this kit, but the 72nd scale is not my favourite although sometimes I build it. So I preferred the 48th and Eduard was the way to go.

Thanks Des, Terri, Jamie and Giuseppe for your encouragement.

@Giuseppe, I know that Mini-Datafile, thanks but actually I feel comfortable enough with the visual clues I get from the quoted forum-mates, I just would need a 48th precise drawing of the Fin+Rudder to make it from plasticard...

Antonio

[RAGIII]

Nice start on another very basic kit! I am looking forward to seeing you get this one together and improved!
RAGIII

[andonio64]

Thanks Rick,
yesterday I googled "dfw floh technical drawings" and found this drawing, then I made a couple of attempts resizing it to the dimensions of the fuselage of the kit, and got a good starting point to rebuild the missing rudder.



Was the rudder a single piece (such as - for example - the fokker eindecker or triplane) or did it have a fixed part and a mobile part?

Antonio

[jamieg]

Andonio;

The rudder appears to be a single piece affair from the drawings/photos I looked at and that is the way the colour three view that comes with the kit shows it. There is a distinct gap between the forward part and the top of the fuselage.

Jamie

[andonio64]

Thank you jamie, according to you what is that vertical dashed line in the middle? it seems a sort of stem around which the rudder turns.