Wingnut Wings - Hansa-Brandenburg W.29

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Hi all,
Like 'Kamil', I'm building the Hansa-Brandeburg W.29 from my dual box set (includes the Felixstowe F2a).
So far I've built the cockpit assembly, with additions of:
1. Control line rigging for the rudder and elevator (ailerons not required).
2. Control tube for the throttle.
3. Supply pipe from the pilot's pressure pump.
4. Seat belts were from the 'HGW Models' fabric set.
5. Copper wire wrapped pilot's control wheel.

Comparing the kit supplied 'Benz' engine to the photo's on the Wingnut website, shows various anomalies that I'll be correcting, as I intend to have the engine panels removed:

Valve push rods:
The engine has the valve push rods molded as flat ‘bars’, which looks unconvincing, as the push rods were just that, rods.
Ignition lead support tubes:
The left and right sides of the engine cylinder bank should have flat support tubes for the ignition leads.
Ignition leads:
Although the kit supplied engine has pre-molded spark plugs and molded magneto’s, the actual ignition leads from the magneto’s, via the support tubes, to the spark plugs, need to be created.
Valve springs:
The engine valve gear has pre-molded valve springs, which are solid and don’t look like springs.
Fuel priming valves:
The engine has no provision for fuel priming valves, which were fitted to the right side of the cylinders.
Crankcase ventilation:
The engine does not have the four crankcase breather ports, which are fitted on the right side of the engine crank case.
Coolant pipe:
There is no cooling pipe to connect between the water pump (on the bottom rear of the sump case) and the inter-connected cooling tube, which runs along the right side of the cylinder bank.

Anyway, onward and upward.

[ktrembacz]

Good to know that i'm not alone Nice wood effect!
Good luck! We're going head to head 

[Juan]

Outstanding start, really looking forward to your progress.

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Thanks guys.
Kalim - I'm a great admirer of your techniques for representing weathered wood and leather - I'm not quite there yet but I try,

Mike

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Hi all,
The first stage of modifying the Benz engine.
The pre-molded 'push rods' and spark plugs have been cut away.
The rods will be replaced by 0.4 mm diameter Nickel-Silver micro-tube.
The spark plugs were made from 0.4 mm micro-tube, slide into 0.6 mm diameter micro-tube.

The next step is to create 'flat' tubes for supporting the ignition leads.

Mike

[lcarroll]

Mike,
    Very nicely done on the horrible flat push rods. Wingnut Wings fixed that problem on the Benz IV in the LVG Kit by supplying a second set of cylinders without the slabs on my Duelist Version.
   I had great luck using aluminum cake pan material in an Etch Mate for the flat shield on the ignition wires on that engine if you haven't considered that option. I'm looking forward to following the "Sandbagger Magic" on this one!
Cheers,
Lance

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Hi Lance,
Yes I spotted the revised cylinder banks in the LVG kit, although that particular engine has the push rods on both sides.
The W.29 has them only on one side.
I'm going to try using my 'Albion Alloy's ' Strutter to create the tubes.
It's designed to create an aerofoil shape, but I think it'll work out OK,

Mike

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Hi all,
I managed to create the flat support tubes for the ignition leads by modifying two unused wing cabane struts from the 'spares' box.
I made up four photo-etch attachment brackets that will attach the tubes to the cylinder bank.

Next up is replacing the springs on the cylinder head valve gear.

Mike

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Hi all,
The first of 12 valve gear  - only 11 more to go!!
Basically I separated the kit supplied valve pair and then cut away everything except the lever.
A 0.5 mm tube was secured into a hole drilled into the bottom of the lever to represent the lever support rod.
A length of 0.4 mm tube was cut for the push rod.
The spring was made by wrapping annealed 0.2 mm diameter copper wire around a 0.6 mm tube (secured with thin CA adhesive), then the exposed end of the rod into a 0.6 mm hole in the cylinder recess.

Mike

[Juan]

Wow Mike, a lot of work but looks fantastic and adds an incredible amount of detail.

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Hi all,
That's the basic Mods done for the engine.
Still a bit of tidying up to do.

Next is the water pump coolant pipe, fuel priming cups and crankcase vents,

Mike

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Hi all,
Coolant supply pipe added (0.7mm lead wire) - from the engine driven water pump to the cylinder manifold on the right side of the cylinder bank.

Next in line - Crank case vents and engine control linkage.

Mike

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Hi all,
The four crank case vents were cut from the photo-etch from 'RB Productions' - ‘RB Productions’ Radiator Mesh (RB-T027). These will be attached to the engine
after it has been painted, when they can be ‘weathered in’.

The engine control linkage is 0.4 mm Nickel-Silver micro-tube for the rods and 0.12 mm copper wire wound around 0.3 mm micro-tube. Again these will be fitted after the engine is installed.

Mike

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Hi all,
Well the engine is done as far as I can go, so now it's onto the airframe.

Mike

[GazzaS]

That looks awesome!  Really love the worn decking around the engine!

Gaz