FineScale Modeler WWI Aeroplane Group Build 2013

Marc, I tried stripping out the E Z line once but it didn't seem to be continuous fibers, I only got short lengths out of it.  You stripping method must be superior to mine.  To get it thinner I stretch it more and that seems to reduce it about 30% in diameter.  Doesn't work well with fragile antennas, though.

jeaton01

Nice website, Tim!  Definitely bookmarked.  I noticed that the wires were doubled and that a single wrapping covered both turnbuckles.  But it seems odd that Fokker used wire x-bracing instead of just a single diagonal tube to truss the cockpit bay, since the fuselage was built of tubing and not wood.  I guess I better do some more research before I try a D VII.

Yeah, the wires are doubled, but because of the WNW kit's tight tolerances, I wouldn't be able to pull it off. Glad you found the website helpful!

Thanbks for alkl the ideas guys. I am useing a very fine fishing line that on the spool looks dark brown, this is the first time i have used it. Despite the dare i think i will leave them as they are. The background in the photo doesn't help.

My nerves simply couldn't stand stripping this out and doing it again.

Well got my paint job fixed up.

and made these to help me rig the plane. not quite accurate but hopefully still looks good and makes the rigging a bit easier with the eyelets. I made them by twisting 28 gauge brass wire around a sewing needle

This stuff looks good!! I'm not much into the First World War stuff but I can sure respect all of you who build this kind of model and pull it off.......well! Really good job you all, Joe

shiv, nice recovery. And thats some detailed scratchbuilding.

Here's a better daylight picture.http://i295.

GM, thats very nice. Does the trolley come with the kit.

Bish - excellent rigging job sir - I echo the amazement that this is your first time out for rigging.

Greg -  beautiful interior work - and we have the pictures to prove it, even after it's closed up!

Tim - you sir, are continuing to impress for your first bipe as well.  Keep up the good work - I love the wraps

GM - Wow.  I can't ever build my Fellixstowe now.  Beautiful!  I'd also like to know where the trolley came from...scratch?

Shiv - nicely played, sir - excellent recovery

As for my F.1, a milestone has been reached: the fuselage is stuck together - intentionally, I might add.  I have been reminded yet again that this is not a WnW kit.  I had to add filler to the fuselage seam just to keep it from being slightly concave.  But I will overcome...

I have drawings and 3-D model ready for my gear spreader adventure, but a possible snag has developed in my case for work purchase...stay tuned.

Have a fun, safe, productive weekend everyone.  And HEY...Tim and Aaron...are ya done with the latest vlog installment yet?

GM - I just had a thought while showing your trolley to a colleague - is that the CMK beaching gear for the Revell BV.222?  If so, it fits like a glove!  Take care...

Chuck Davis

And HEY...Tim and Aaron...are ya done with the latest vlog installment yet?

Yes, Aaron and I filmed the latest vlog, but the boys in production are backed up and won't have it out until Monday morning. I will get it out to you guys ASAP, I promise!

Update: Looks like they're putting a special rush on it just for us! Still will be out today!

Fair enough.  That will make Monday a little more tolerable, then...

As promised! Here's the latest vlog! 

Enjoy and have a great weekend, everyone!

Hey guys,

Just got home from the office and wanted to reiterate what Aaron and I said in the vlog: You're all doing amazing work and deserve a huge round of applause.

Chuck - Thanks for the pat on the back for the turnbuckle covers. I think they turned out all right.

Have a great weekend!

Chuck Davis

GM - I just had a thought while showing your trolley to a colleague - is that the CMK beaching gear for the Revell BV.222?  If so, it fits like a glove!  Take care...

The kit came with one which is kind of a sad looking affair. After the model is finished I'll need to either make something or improve Roden's.

I finally got back to my E IV last night.  Since all the interior came out I was able to fish control cables for the rudder and elevators through exit holes in the back of the fuse and glued the rudder cables to the rudder bar.  Had a splitting headache after staring through magnifying specs for an hour. Pics did not show what I wanted in enough detail.  Heck if I can barely see it how can my iphone camera???

Anyway great work everybody!!

freem

Another great vlog, Aaron and Tim. You guys are almost like a vaudville act, part of what makes this GB so much fun.

Tim   As much as I appreciate your comments on my wicker seat, it may have taken me about the same time to build it as it took you to wrap your turnbuckles. The frame is styrene rod and sheet, the "wicker" is a piece of brass screen with a few strands teased out to mimic the typical Sopwith weave pattern. Maybe 25 minutes total.

shivinigh  Great save on the Roland paint job. I'm also glad you went with the mauve & green instead of the brown and green--it just looks so cool for a warplane.

GMorrison  I'm gobsmacked by your work on the Felixstowe so far, really getting inspired since I've got one waiting in the pile. And the CMK trolley looks perfect with it.

freem  Look forward to seeing the progress on the E.IV.

Love all the stuff so far. Hope everybody has a great weekend.

Well doing some cleaning today and found my missing engines for the Gotha bomber that I have so when I finish the Rolland i can get started on it. Always amazes me what you might find under the couch.

I was able to complete my cockpit and closed the fuselage. Then I started to play with putty and sanding sticks. Did 3 putty/sanding cycles as there was a step on her belly where the fuselage halves joined. When I was just thinking about the priming I dropped her on the floor :-(. There was some nasty damage, but northing beyond repair. The engine and 2 other parts located in the engine compartment unglued, so I had to get the fuselage separated again, glue them and redo the puty/sanding phase. 

After that I did a fast priemer (Mr. Surfacer 1200), polished it with Tamiya polishing compound. Then followed  green, some masking, white, polishing again ( I wanted to be sure that the paint won't leak so I made sure that the masks will stick nicely), A LOT of masking, then came teh RED :) . I finished  it with decals :).  As it is visible the green requires quite a lot of touch-ups and after them, there will be decals all over the nose.

At the moment the wings are undergoing the same sequence (brushed them white today)

Here are few pics

Nice work, Ssasho0! Thats a first-rate masking job.

sasho - man, that is some serious masking! Very nice! Ya gotta love how colorful these birds can be.

shiv - very nice recovery on that paint mishap. She's lookin' real good! Nice work on scratching those eyelets too. I copped out on mine and am going with the Gaspatch ones this time 'round. Having done a ton of bipes over the years, if I scratch any more of those little buggers, I'll be seeing them in my sleep!

GM - really nice work so far! I had no idea what kit the trolley in the pic was from, but it looks cool! Can't wait to see what you come up with for the correct one!

It's been a while, but I'm happy to say that enough progress has been made on the E.III to finally post a few more pics. I'm sticking with the origional plan of completing the entire fuselage assembly before the wings are added. She's still got a ways to go before that happens, but here's where it stands so far.....

The fuselage was painted with Tamiya XF-22, lightened a bit with white and reapplied in a random pattern, and finished with a random splotching of Tamiya smoke. The metal on the cowling is a base coat of Alclad II dark aluminum and dabbed with Reaper blackened steel using a foam sponge (thanks for that tip Chuck!) to replicate the metal finish that is so unique to the Eindecker. The decals are next,along with the main gear, the rudder, the gun, and the control and bracing wires/turnbuckles in the appropriate locations. This kit has been a dream to build so far - I can't recommend it enough!

Wow, Mike, that is some seriously impressive metalwork, The whole thing is shaping up beautifully!

Ssasho0 - Nice!  I love that scheme...great job so far

Mike - awesome metal work...this will be an outstanding model.  You have more guts than I had attaching the elevator...

Hope everyone's having a good weekend.  It's finally nice weather here, so I just came in from measuring the porch for new railings.  There's a lot of that going around, I guess...

Ssasho0, now thats a great job, thats some patient work.

Mike, that metal looks brilliant. You say that was unique to this aircraft. Was this just down to the way they worked the metal.

Ssasho0 - great execution on the red/white checkerboard.  This is going to be a very colourful bird.

Mike - the Eindecker is looking awesome, judging by the green shade it must be one of those units used by the Austrians?   Regards the cowel, this probably is one of the more difficult finishes to simulate - btw, I think on the bottom section you have  best captured what we see in period photos. 

I can only describe it as a disorganized pattern of swirls.   I'm not sure if this created by hammering the metal or is from some type of grinder procedure during the metal working.

regards,

Jack

Thanks guys!

Chuck - I'll admit I had some reservations about attaching it at this juncture. Gonna have to be very careful from hereon in - those attachment points are small indeed! (and I also found out how difficult 'random' is to replicate - thanks again for that tip!)

Bish, Jack - my understanding on the metal finish has been that the pattern is a result of residue from an anti-corrosion process the metal undergoes, but I may have to look further into that now. Also makes me wonder why it's not seen on other aircraft of that era with natural metal surfaces showing. Jack, the paint scheme is for E. Udet's mount, but I'm not sure if that was an Austrian unit or not.

Mike - interesting question about the Eindecker cowl (I've also a kit on this subject ... Eduard 1/48), so did some digging at the Aerodrome forum.  From what I gather stated over there, we are both correct.  Pure aluminum was machined, spun or "engine turned"  being the more technical term, but jeweling is also mentioned.  This process was applied to both sides of lower grade aluminum sheet metal.  The result was the swirl patterns, and this is what provided the corrosion protection.  

Here is the thread:

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/camouflage-markings/33076-fokker-engine-turned-cowls-2.html

regards,

Jack

Hi Men.

Sorry but not much time for the hobby lately.  But I am building up a nice reserve to spend on the hobby down the road.

I have been lurking all along though.

Shiv that’s a nice recovery

GM.  Couldn’t think of the righting to say so I’ll keep it simple.  WOW!

Sasho. All that work is going to pay… already is.

Mike. That looks so nice.  I had conversation recently about techniques used in one facet of the hobby that can be transferred to another.  Looking at that metal I am already thinking of way that will transfer to application in armor.

A slight pause in the work load has allowed me at least a little bit of bench time.

The guns are ready to go.  I used the Master set but replace toe front piece with the one from the kit PE fret.  That has the sight and front as one piece.  No way was the Master sight going to survive.  Cockpit and engine bearers all inside and fuselage buttoned up.  Holy crap that was tedious.  The WNEW tolerances make for some tricky work.  And I still needed a shim on the bottom.  Not sure what the pipes under the guns are but I added some brass tube to the bottom of the fuselage where they exit and the panel lines rescribed.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Holy cow! This must have been the weekend for gettin' it done. I had gardening and lawn work to do, but I'll get some work done around the office when I can.

Ruddratt - Everything that can be said has been said about that cowl. Thumbs way up!

Sascho - Great looking checkerboard. It seems we're all recovering from small dings and dents. You can't even tell.

Wing_nut - Looking good. As to the pipes, I haven't a clue. I wonder if Mike, Jack, or John might have an opinion.

I am sweating the front end of the D.VII. I think I've located the problem that Chuck and couple of other modelers have run into, and I'm test-fitting over and over. I just need to bite the bullet and put everything together. Truth be told, I can't wait to start putting some paint on it.

Give yourselves a big hand, gentlemen. This was a huge weekend. Lots done, but still lots to do! I'll be in with some pics in the next couple of days to show you some progress.

Marc - as per usual, great work!  Since I too am building an Albatros, I looked into those two pipes on the underside of the fuselage.   Again, kudos to the members of the Aerodrome forum:

There is a line of drain holes down the center under the fuselage, plus there are two cartridge ejection chutes which look like a sidewise 8, slightly to the port of the center line.

regards,

Jack