Knights of the Sky II- The End

ModelCellar wrote:

StephenLawson wrote:  ludwig113 wrote: heres a few bits and pieces i've managed to get my hands on over the last couple of months........... Excellent score ludwig!   The D.VII needs some attention in the fuselage depth and a larger rudder & fin.  The rest all get reasonably high marks.   Ignore the D.VIII rigging instructions for the cockpit.  The Spad has one access door too many on the right rear of the fuselage.  Most people didn't like the PE struts.  I liked them.  They are easy to flesh out.  The undersurfaces of the Dr.I wings need to be sanded down a bit. But still accurate and great kits to build.  All of the excellent busts were mastered by Mike Good (model Cellar & Jaguar figures) Model on!    Hi Ludwig (and others), I am always amazed at the awesome builds on here and the unbelievable modeling work - VERY inspiring! Those DML kits are really cool and the addition of those great busts make them rather 'special'.  However, I just wanted to clear something up about the busts:  Mike Good did indeed do those busts that are included in kits.  However, they were done in the early 90's and I (Model Cellar) had nothing to do with those.  Fast forward 10+ years: the Model Cellar is producing WWI aviation oriented figures in 1/48 and 1/32 scale AND busts in that same scale (1/12) done by the same sculptor - Mike Good.  We are producing the busts to expand the "collection" that was started with the Richthofen, Rickenbacker, Udet and Goerthe busts in those kits.  In the past year Model Cellar has released a Raoul Lufbery bust, 2 different Francesco Baracca busts (one with officer's cap and one with a bare head), and a Werner Voss bust.  ...all sculpted by Mike Good.  We have several busts waiting in the wings and several more in the 'pipeline'.  ...and we intend to keep adding to the collection.  I know most on here are airplane builders, excellent airplane builders at that! ...and you may shy away from painting figures and busts, having to shade uniforms and get flesh tones correct etc.  Figures and busts seem to be their own little hobby.  Well, here is an idea: you can assemble the bust, spray it a bronze color, apply a wash of dark green, and a soft drybrush with brass or metalizer to highlight the fantastic detail - mount it on a pedestal and you have a great 'desktop model'.  It's easily done in a weekend and it's a quick project that gives you that "I finally got something finished" feeling !LOL!!  (a tip: do the Bronze color in enamels, let dry overnight and if you do the wash with acrylics (waterbased) it will not lift the enamel base coat - hence the ability to do it all in one weekend) Try it!  I'm sure you'll like it! Visit our site to see the Lufbery, Baracca and Voss busts. Regards, Paul http://www.modelcellar.com/

paul,thanks for the info on the busts,i will have to checkout your site for the others.

the udet and Goerthe dml kits were quite easy to find,the Richthofen was quite hard and the rickenbacker was very very hard to find......but i wanted the set.

what a great idea with the bronze busts,i have kind of got stuck with painting my udet so i think i'll strip it and go the bronze route.

cheers

ludwig(paul)

Hey all, the Gotha has come to a dead stop at the mo. Ive got the orion decals coming though from the states, that should get me back and running. Ive been busying myself with the smaller stuff like weapons, bombs, undercarriage etc.

Im a bit concerned about the other kit decals, the crosses and work no's etc. If they are anything like the lozenges, they are not worth getting wet. Stephen, or anyone for that matter. Have you had any experience with Rodens decals on this kit? Or is it worth me just scanning the kits decals and getting them reprinted on some decent decal paper?

Ooh decisions decisions.

...Guy 

Luftwoller wrote:

Hey all, the Gotha has come to a dead stop at the mo. Ive got the orion decals coming though from the states, that should get me back and running. Ive been busying myself with the smaller stuff like weapons, bombs, undercarriage etc. Im a bit concerned about the other kit decals, the crosses and work no's etc. If they are anything like the lozenges, they are not worth getting wet. Stephen, or anyone for that matter. Have you had any experience with Rodens decals on this kit? Or is it worth me just scanning the kits decals and getting them reprinted on some decent decal paper? Ooh decisions decisions. ...Guy

if your that worried i would scan them, even if you dont use the scan at least you have a backup option.

i've done that a couple of times...........peace of mind......

ludwig113 wrote:

ModelCellar wrote:  StephenLawson wrote:  ludwig113 wrote: heres a few bits and pieces i've managed to get my hands on over the last couple of months........... Excellent score ludwig!   The D.VII needs some attention in the fuselage depth and a larger rudder & fin.  The rest all get reasonably high marks.   Ignore the D.VIII rigging instructions for the cockpit.  The Spad has one access door too many on the right rear of the fuselage.  Most people didn't like the PE struts.  I liked them.  They are easy to flesh out.  The undersurfaces of the Dr.I wings need to be sanded down a bit. But still accurate and great kits to build.  All of the excellent busts were mastered by Mike Good (model Cellar & Jaguar figures) Model on!    Hi Ludwig (and others), I am always amazed at the awesome builds on here and the unbelievable modeling work - VERY inspiring! Those DML kits are really cool and the addition of those great busts make them rather 'special'.  However, I just wanted to clear something up about the busts:  Mike Good did indeed do those busts that are included in kits.  However, they were done in the early 90's and I (Model Cellar) had nothing to do with those.  Fast forward 10+ years: the Model Cellar is producing WWI aviation oriented figures in 1/48 and 1/32 scale AND busts in that same scale (1/12) done by the same sculptor - Mike Good.  We are producing the busts to expand the "collection" that was started with the Richthofen, Rickenbacker, Udet and Goerthe busts in those kits.  In the past year Model Cellar has released a Raoul Lufbery bust, 2 different Francesco Baracca busts (one with officer's cap and one with a bare head), and a Werner Voss bust.  ...all sculpted by Mike Good.  We have several busts waiting in the wings and several more in the 'pipeline'.  ...and we intend to keep adding to the collection.  I know most on here are airplane builders, excellent airplane builders at that! ...and you may shy away from painting figures and busts, having to shade uniforms and get flesh tones correct etc.  Figures and busts seem to be their own little hobby.  Well, here is an idea: you can assemble the bust, spray it a bronze color, apply a wash of dark green, and a soft drybrush with brass or metalizer to highlight the fantastic detail - mount it on a pedestal and you have a great 'desktop model'.  It's easily done in a weekend and it's a quick project that gives you that "I finally got something finished" feeling !LOL!!  (a tip: do the Bronze color in enamels, let dry overnight and if you do the wash with acrylics (waterbased) it will not lift the enamel base coat - hence the ability to do it all in one weekend) Try it!  I'm sure you'll like it! Visit our site to see the Lufbery, Baracca and Voss busts. Regards, Paul http://www.modelcellar.com/     paul,thanks for the info on the busts,i will have to checkout your site for the others. the udet and Goerthe dml kits were quite easy to find,the Richthofen was quite hard and the rickenbacker was very very hard to find......but i wanted the set. what a great idea with the bronze busts,i have kind of got stuck with painting my udet so i think i'll strip it and go the bronze route. cheers ludwig(paul)   Hi Ludwig (Paul?) Cool!  TRY IT!!  I'm sure you'll like the result.  If you go the bronze route, also try this:  I did two of them and mounted each of them them on a small square Mahogany pedestal.  I put green felt on the bottom.  Then I made a "nameplate" on my computer.  I printed it out on regular paper.  I did it with a parchment color background and a thin black line border.  I simply glued it on the front of the pedestal.  On the back I made another small 'nameplate' with some vital stats such as number of killls, squadron #, KIA date if applicable.  They make REALLY GREAT little statues - AND if you put them next to your built aircraft they almost become little 'trophies' for your case!  ...and unlike those huge casting blocks on the DML busts (as you saw on UDET), my busts don't have any at all.  There is no clean up at all.  They assemble and are ready for primer in minutes.  (I just don't understand why DML (or anyone else for that matter) would sprue an officer's cap FROM THE TOP OF THE CAP!?!?) Good luck! Paul ww.ModelCellar.com

Hi Paul,

I am a keen figure painter amongst other things. I've painted all of the original 4 Mike Good busts that were included in the DML kits, although Udet got blonde hair due to a lack of references at the time. I even contacted Mike Good way back then to see if I could get one of the original few Lufbery busts that he did, but missed out like everyone else.

They are fantastic busts, Mike is my favorite sculptor. I'll look forward to continuing this series avidly.

Cheers

Tony

 ModelCellar, I've seen some of the figures posted in KOTS I, and really liked the look of them. Mike Good has a talent for capturing the "Character" in his sculpts. Very cool stuff. I checked out the online store and had a question. Are there any plans to expand the 1/48 scale line to include pilots from other nationalities?

 A small update. I did manage to get what I believe to be most of the structural rigging done. Lots of touch up to be done. Had a grey area I wasn't to sure about. The box art didn't show any rigging on the upper areas of the booms, but the drawings did. I tried to follow the rigging for the DH1a by omitting the lower boom/wing braces and the horizontal/cross bracing on the first boom struts. Anyway here are a couple shots of the progress. 

 Mo

Guy- Bummer about those decals!  I have not used Roden's decals, though have read a bit about them being difficult.  Supposedly, the newer ones are OK but the older ones can be tricky.

Mo- Stunning work there!  Excellent wires, looks very scale to boot.  Really enjoying watching this one come together.

For anyone having a tough time with older decals, Roden decals or any decals. Here is a bit of fun.

Click here

Mobius,

What can I say, I am always willing to help.   At least the Eduard decals sit reasonably well, and as you found out, do look better after a sealing coat is applied.  Your build looks very nice indeed!

After looking at your latest in-progress photos, I must again ask, what are you using for the rigging as it really does look nice.

Luftwoller

". . .Stephen, or anyone for that matter. Have you had any experience with Rodens decals on this kit? Or is it worth me just scanning the kits decals and getting them reprinted on some decent decal paper?  Ooh decisions decisions. . .Guy 

Greetings Guy,

The older Roden decals are a bit of a challenge but they can be worked with. Here is one of their Fokker D.VII modified to an OAW late type in the Roden kit lozenge and Ukrainian markings.

Thx for the help Stephen. If i was to use the kit Decals, thats deffo the way id go but apparantly the otha night lozenge decals are on there way. Delivery date 2 to 3 weeks. (They are coming from Canada). I shall keep you all informed.

...Guy

 Daywalker thanks for the encouraging comments. I can see light at the end of the tunnel on this one. The plan is to use brass strip and styrene round stock for the control cable pulleys. Get them attached and a few more holes drilled then finish up the rigging.

 MPScotty, Thanks for the positive comments. I'm using monofilament fishing line that measures out to .13mm/.005". It's a bit overscale for 1/48 but does the job for me anyhow. What amazes me is how sturdy the entire structure of the aircraft becomes after rigging. The DH2 is a pretty stout little aircraft.

 Mo

Mobious wrote:

ModelCellar, I've seen some of the figures posted in KOTS I, and really liked the look of them. Mike Good has a talent for capturing the "Character" in his sculpts. Very cool stuff. I checked out the online store and had a question. Are there any plans to expand the 1/48 scale line to include pilots from other nationalities?  A small update. I did manage to get what I believe to be most of the structural rigging done. Lots of touch up to be done. Had a grey area I wasn't to sure about. The box art didn't show any rigging on the upper areas of the booms, but the drawings did. I tried to follow the rigging for the DH1a by omitting the lower boom/wing braces and the horizontal/cross bracing on the first boom struts. Anyway here are a couple shots of the progress.       Mo Hi Mobious, Nice work you've got going there! Yes we have plans to do other nationalities in the 1/48, AND the 1/32 (as well as the busts too).  We tend to alternate among the three.  ...but as that 80's dance tune goes: "So many men so little time" =).   My wish list is long.  Keep watch. Regards, Paul www.ModelCellar.com

mobious, very nice work on the DH.2!

How sturdy are the twin booms? I've seen some reviews of the kit that prompted me to opt for ones made from brass rod, as they implied that those assemblies were a bit weak structurally and could actually bow or bend over time.

 thanks rudratt, the booms are very soft. It was little tricky getting the rigging taught without bowing/twisting. I worked from side to side to insure equal pressure as the lines were ran. Brass would really make it a tough bird. After the rigging was set and the CA dried it has strengthened considerable. Here is a shot of the boom rigging with the lines weighted.

 There are six clips hanging from the boom structure. Although it does strengthen the booms, I am a bit concerned with the time factor you've mentioned.

 Mobious

mobious, I'm sure time will tell. I am hopeful that the rigging you installed will add to the structural integrity of the boom assemblies.

I played around with my DH.2 a bit when I read those reviews to see how easy it would be to modify the booms, as I wasn't too confident in my abilities to make complete new ones from scratch. I opted to replace just the top portion of each boom with brass rod (with the help of a jig) in order to retain their origional shape and size.

Stephen- I like that Ukrainian D.VII, have never seen one in those markings before.

Mo- Do you have any detail shots of your fabricated pulleys?  I would really like to see them if you have any.  I need to make some for my Morane Saulnier. 

Mike- Excellent idea replacing part of the boom, a little brass for strength but leaving the rest for alignment.  Well done!

Hey ruddratt, I would recommend using the brass. Not only an excellent idea but it would make the rigging less hassle not to mention the peace of mind!

 Daywalker, The plan is to "fudgingly" use plastic rod glued to the struts as pulleys with the brass as decorative mounts. Hopefully they will resemble a pulley and not a piece of round stock stuck to the strut.

 Mo

I made some progress on the Morane Saulnier today.  Finished cleaning up the fuselage seam, and smoothed out the prop/spinner assembly.  Sprayed some primer on the check everything, and it looks good!  Next up, the landing gear!

 Looking good Daywalker. The engine looks pretty well hidden behind that huge spinner. The copper intake really shows. The interior work looks great. Looking forward to updates on the Morane.

 Progress on the DeHavilland has slowed a bit. Moving Day for my brother. Did manage to get the control rigging finished and the tires painted a lovely pink. The pulleys didn't turn out as planned. Anyway, it's on to the decals and base!

 Mo

Daywalker wrote:

I made some progress on the Morane Saulnier today.  Finished cleaning up the fuselage seam, and smoothed out the prop/spinner assembly.  Sprayed some primer on the check everything, and it looks good!  Next up, the landing gear!

Looking good Frank.

StephenLawson wrote:

Daywalker wrote: I made some progress on the Morane Saulnier today.  Finished cleaning up the fuselage seam, and smoothed out the prop/spinner assembly.  Sprayed some primer on the check everything, and it looks good!  Next up, the landing gear! Looking good Frank.

Looking very nice Frank. Was that a steel cooling fan behind the spinner? The metal effect looks very good.

...Guy

Thanks fellas!

Guy- That's the engine mostly hidden behind the spinner that you see. 

 I think that is one cool subject Frank!  The way they rigged the MGs to fire thru the prop was just scary! Let alone how it steered by bending the wings themselves.  Your doing a mighty fine job on her!  The engine is spiffy and it looks real smooth with the primer on it.  I have heard the gear struts are the worst part of that kit. May take a bit of tinkering as the fit there can be frustrating.

 Nothing a man of  your talent cannot overcome I am sure.  I would probably turn it into a spagetti dinner!   I am waiting to see how you tackle that rigging part. It looks quite complex. I saw someone has a 1/32 version out now.

 The pit looks awesome. Still a lot of questions to how it really was or wasn't  as no real ref exist but what you have done has me convinced!

 Most excellent my friend!

 Hey daywalker, looking forward to seeing more of the Saulnier updates. I really like the way it looks so far.

 Had to call this one complete. I've been chasing my tail with all the touchups. Thought I better post pics before I start knocking more than a screw loose. Anyway here is the Airco DH2, No7851, from 32 Squadron, France 1916.

 Best Regards,

 Mo

Mo- That is a stunning representation of a DH-2 my friend!  Rigging looks very scale to me, and the colors look "right".  Can't get over how real it looks.  Thank you so much for sharing this, and for another beautiful build here at KOTS II.

Thanks Aaron!  It's a nice lil' kit, you should try one!   Funny you mention the landing gear, as I was playing around with that last night.  I am thinking about replacing a couple of the struts, as the kit-supplied ones come up short in a couple of spots.  Shouldn't be TOO difficult (famous last words! ) LOL

Mo, thats awesome fella. The rigging looks fantastic. Sort of looks like a 'Cats cradle' of wires LOL. What did you use for the rigging. You probably said, but i missed it.

...Guy

We are truly in the presence of greatness here, fellas!

Frank, your Morane is really progressing nicely. I remember building one of those a few years back, so now I'm really looking forward to seeing how that turns out in the hands of a master.

Mobious, simply stunning work, my friend! Really makes me want to take another crack at mine and this time see the project through to completion. I'd love one of those sitting in my display case. Yours is a wonderful addition to this GB.

It's been a while since I have worked on this one, but here is an update.  Painting is mostly completed.  Decals are from PD decals, and worked well.  You do have to paint the individual colours of the fuselage motif however!  Lozenge is Techmod (as I had no other alternatives and did not want to use the Roden lozenge).

And dry fitted to the undercarriage:

BC