Fokker Dr.I by Mike Dowling - FINISHED - Artesania Latina

[cog]

On 26/03/2018 at 7:52 PM, Mike Dowling said:

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.

Which doesn't mean those should remain static (can always try to persuade you ...)

[Mike Dowling]

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.

[popeye the sailor]

very tedious work to keep all the pivots movable....then all the fastenings that go along with it.   my hat's off to all who can achieve this......an act of the purest insanity      I have trouble even with plastic kits......one ill drop of glue,  and I've failed  

 

the kit has me fooled........clearly can see what looks like mold lines on the frame parts   kinda interesting

[cog]

1 hour ago, Mike Dowling said:

You will be wanting me to build one with a working engine next.

Actually, since you mention it ...

[Mike Dowling]

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.

 

 

[cog]

2 hours ago, Mike Dowling said:

In the end who is going to move them anyway ? I can't find 1/16 pilots anywhere although I spent ages looking.

How are your bonsai skills ...?

 

Oh golly, another kit impatiently waiting for some TLC (knifes, glue, and paint) ... already looking forward to the next one. But first things first ... Dr 1 (could be a 007 film title )

[shihawk]

To be honest i wouldn,t worry about having moving parts ,as u say who will move them anyway ? i would be more concerned about the finished look  . problem with moving parts is people are inclined to move them and usually break them !!!!

 

[Mike Dowling]

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.

 

 

[Mike Dowling]

[Canute]

You have some well trained spiders, Mike.

 

Your rigging is excellent.

[cog]

Impressive Mike. Very nice rigging ... looks like you've done it before

[shihawk]

Now i am impressed and a bit put off by all that rigging , didn,t think there would be that much in a plane , i live and learn .. thats the benefit of build logs ,they let u see what you are in for .

 

 

 

Boyd

[Mike Dowling]

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.

[shihawk]

on the real thing would all that riggin have been wire ???  was thinking about fishing line as a sub !!

 

[Piet]

I started going through your log day before yesterday, yesterday and caught up now. This sure brings back memories from a previous life when I owned and operated an aircraft repair business.  Yeah, repaired quite a few damaged steel tube fuselages and wooden as well as metal rib, fabric covered airplanes.

We never made much money but I had a lot of fun, especially test flying them after they were put together.

As a matter of interest the more modern steel tube fuselages do not have the bracing anymore. Some more high performance aircraft had diagonal tubing welded instead though.

You are doing a bang-up job Mike. Hope you don't mind tagging along.

 

Cheers,

[Mike Dowling]

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.

 

[Mike Dowling]

We have a tailplane !

 

[cog]

Nice!!! Looks pretty sturdy too

[mtaylor]

14 hours ago, Mike Dowling said:

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.

 

Most of the early WWI planes did use piano wire and turnbuckles for adjusting tension, if I remember correctly.  Lightweight, readily available, and relatively  simple to use.  The caveat is that later in the war, the faster, heavier fighters and the bombers needed something stronger and went to braided cable.

[Mike Dowling]

And now we have a fully rigged rudder and tailplane !!

[shihawk]

my opinion -- it would be a shame to cover all that work !!!!!!

 

[Canute]

Nicely done, Mike. The skeletons of those old string bags were ingenious construction.

[popeye the sailor]

holy cow Mike.....your moving right along!   the rigging looks super...stabilizer and rudder looks sweet!   your making me want to bring my Fokker out again.it's in the closet at the moment.......lot of sanding and shaping the leading and trailing surfaces of the wings,  as well as the fuselage.      it's nothing like what your doing though.......really nice work there!   

[Mike Dowling]

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 ?

 

[Mike Dowling]

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. 

[RussR]

54 minutes ago, Mike Dowling said:

What do others think because I can't make up my mind ?

 

That shouldn't be a problem, just do two of them. One covered and one not covered. 

[Mike Dowling]

That's one idea but the bank manager won't like it.

[RussR]

26 minutes ago, Mike Dowling said:

That's one idea but the bank manager won't like it.

I know what you mean, I am surprised that I get away with what I do.

"Boys need there toys".

 

My vote is "not covered.

That is a lot of work to be covered forever.

[shihawk]

sry for causing indecision Mike , but i did start with " my opinion "  your the captain, or should i say pilot ??

 

[Mike Dowling]

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.