Mike Dowling
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Everything posted by Mike Dowling
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I might have expected that from you Carl !!! Sorry Torbogdan, don't know your real name, the lading edges are made from brass. I wish they were thinner as they are a beast to bend and if you don't get it right they tend to twist the wings. I have finally decided to do as I did before and half cover the plane. I have already started and will post a few pictures tomorrow.
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Apart from relocating the fuel tank in the correct position (!!!!) the bottom wing is done unless of course I decide to cover half of it.
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Making models is much for fun than job hunting !!
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I discovered today that I had put the fuel tank in backwards !! Not a wonder I had to file so much off it. Anyway, situation remedied !
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The trick was to soak them first and then put them on and work around the bend very slowly. The result, 18 capped ribs and no breakages !
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I am still thinking about the covering - or not. All thoughts welcomed. I have started the lower wing. Next stage is to cover the the ribs all round their edge with teeny weeny wood strips !! How many do you reckon I will break ?
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Now look folks, maybe you don't understand what I am trying to decide about, but, for those who haven't sen the Sopwith - this is what I mean.
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That's one idea but the bank manager won't like it.
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The magazines for the guns, the oil and fuel tanks are installed. The fuel tank was huge struggle as in order to fit it I had to file away quite two quite big areas on the underside to accommodate the legs on the firewall mount. I got there in the end. The firewall is held on by four 0.5mm bolts theoretically with nuts on. There is no way on this planet I could get the nuts on so I just had to cheat and glue them. They would be very hard to see anyway. Basically the fuselage is now done except for 'wood' panels to go on the sides - they are made of metal but have to be disguised as wood. This depends on whether I cover half or not which is where I need your help viewers ! Otherwise the next stage is to start on the lower wing.
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You really are doing a marvellous job on this.
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I must admit to being in a bit of a dilemma now. I know what you mean Boyd but I was only going to cover half the plane like I did with the Sopwith. All the insides would show from one side and likewise for the wings. What do others think because I can't make up my mind ?
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We have a tailplane !
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You are more than welcome Piet and thank you for the interesting information. I think Boyd that piano wire was used for the bracing, in the Sopwith anyway.
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Don't be such a scaredy !! If I can do it anyone can. The rigging on the fuselage of this is much more complicated than the Sopwith but conversely the wings on this are much easier - if ever get to them - just wrestling with the tailplane at the moment.
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Firstly a big thank you to all who are watching and liking what they see. Its great to be able to share the log. Now, here is a turnbuckle. After 36 of them and a lot of string (!!!) here is what it looks like now.
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There are a lot of pieces of brass tube that hold the metal sections together and small indents in various places where bits have to attach. If that's not what you mean Popeye then I didn't clean the edges well enough with filing. I thought I had done OK. Now, joking apart guys, the Sopwith I made which was a model airways kit did have the correct articulations to make everything move in theory. What let the situation down was two things. Firstly the thread supplied for the cabling was quite stretchy and secondly a couple of what should have been pulleys in the wings and rudder bar were not smooth enough to allow the thread to move freely across them. The end result was that everything did move as it should but not enough. John Blackwell who also did the Sopwith had I think similar problems. Obviously the AL kit was never intended to have moving parts. I don't know if the model airways version of the fokker does but I do know that the Albatross I have in my stash should !! In the end who is going to move them anyway ? I can't find 1/16 pilots anywhere although I spent ages looking.
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Popeye, everything you see is metal, no plastic at all on this kit except for the plastic thread provided for the tensioning wires which, by the way, doesn't work. Despite the video instructions on how to do it the thread will not stick to the deadeyes. I have had to resort to black polyester thread instead and sofar have done about half of them. I know what you are thinking Carl and you can stop it !! This plane is going to be for'static display' definately. I only discovered this when I put in the control stick which has no articulations at all and my skills are not up to scratch building one that has especially at this tiny scale. Neither does the rudder pedal so the same applies. You will be wanting me to build one with a working engine next.
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All the cockpit instruments are now installed. I took the precaution of laying in the cables before putting the seat in and am glad of it. I don't think I could have threaded them through some of the tiny holes afterwards. Next step is to install all the cross brace tensioning cables and there are quite a few!!
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Not quite my friend. What might sway your choice is that the rudder, ailerons etc on the Sopwith were supposed (!!!) to move when the model was finished. On this one, despite the appropriate cables, they are not supposed to function.
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I also discover that the piece behind the pilots seat is called a bulkhead though it doesn't really compare to that on a boat. Anyway, I have 'rigged' it on !
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It will not look as though I have done very much but, all the required 'c' shaped pieces are on. I think I fitted about 28 although loads more were supplied. Each one had to be filed down after removing from the sheet - that was fun!Maybe that is why there were so many allowing for the fact that you were going to 'lose' some! I thought you might like to see one! It'son the end of my finger. I have also added some other parts on the fuselage frame. I have also painted it all ready for the next step which is fitting the cockpit accessories that I have already made up.
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