maurice northcott

Hello All, Please bear in mind I have written the operations for each item below as if it were carried out in one go – they weren’t – each operation on the various subjects was carried out as time allowed. Consequently the various operations on each component was carried out in rough parallel. All this followed a visit to the dentist L Well, first up was the easiest, the fin cap. A couple of blanks cut out with the bandsaw then glued and clamped together. Shortly after they were shaped in profile with the sanding disk. Then they were matched to the top fin rib – they were trimmed with the Permagrit and then glued in place with pva and pinned. Shown in the first photo, although camera angle has enlarged some bits and reduced others, same as I told the wife. Next was the rear fin extension. This was one method used to enlarge the fin area of the full-size 190D. Like most other WW2 fighters, the 190 series suffered from “snaking” and “porpoising” and various methods were tested to reduce these effects. It was a simple parallel section fitted to the rear of the fin post 125mm wide (to scale, almost exactly 24mm). Back to the model – two blanks were bandsawn from ½-inch light balsa and pva applied to one face of one blank (photo 2). This was smeared evenly over the face with a bit of spare wood (photo 3). The second blank was offered up to the first, straightened up and kept in place by a couple of pins until the clamps could be applied (photo 4). The two blanks for the upper parts of the engine cowl bulges were measured and cut out of soft ¼ sheet balsa – I chose soft because I knew they would have to bend a bit. One of them was pinned into place on the forward upper cowl along the hinge line in that position. The rear end tapers off over what would on a D-9 be the top gun cowl, but the D-11 did not carry guns in that position (photo 5). Photo 6 shows a view from the front to show 2 things – one is the amount of bending needed so that the blank stays in contact with the cowling (I think it will be necessary to soak the blank in water and bend it over a former and let it dry overnight – when doing this I find it best to bend it a bit more tightly than is necessary and it will return a little, but still retaining the amount of bend required). The other thing shown in this photo is a straight edge running down from the blank until it touched the side of the cowling – this will be the approximate line of the lower part of the bulge. I am thinking at the moment that the best way to produce the lower section of the bulge will be soft sheet again, but with micro-balloons filler forming the absolute lowest part where it blends into the cowl. We shall see…. Last are the often missed bulges around the tailwheel retraction area. The rough-hewn tail underfairing is shown pinned in position in photo 7 (first attempt at fin in the background - never throw anything away until 3 models further down the line, otherwise you will find you need it. The next photo (number 8) shows the tail underfairing flat on the board and should explain pictorially why the bulges are necessary – when the tailwheel retracts, the front of it would retract into the hole in the underfairing (just), but look at the aft end, its far too narrow for the tailwheel, consequently the need for the bulge both sides. The last photo (9) shows the oversized bulge blanks alongside the tail underfairing. When fitted and hollowed, these will allow the tailwheel to retract. However, I will not be fitting or finally shaping them until after the underfairing is finally fixed. That’s most of it for today, there was a bit more work done on the fin but I am sure you have seen enough of that to date .. I know I have, but work will continue Cheers all mauric

No not been hibernating - been out on the porch with the old grey dog and whittling. Well, metaphorically, at least. Been gradually chipping away at the fuselage/fin leading edge transformation piece. Been checking so many photos in so many books, and also using a Revell 1/32 plastic 190D - I know where they got their information from and it looks so so accurate, so why not? Never fails to amaze me how time flies when researching anything.... Off to  the Club tonight, so it will be tomorrow I will commence on some other details - the bulges both sides of the front fuselage (Further research indicates these are far larger than previously thought) and the oft-missed bulge both sides of the tailwheel opening. Also fit the fin cap and the parallel section added to the rear of the fin post.   Edited By maurice northcott on 08/03/2017 15:05:55 Edited By maurice northcott on 08/03/2017 15:07:03

Thank you "bouncebounce crunch". My opinion is that I have been making models (including free flight) from when I was a sprog - I was so young when I started I cannot put a firm age on it. I was inspired by a 1/72 Stirling made by my Father, who served in them amongst others during WW2. That model was carved from a hardwood but not balsa, the canopy and turrets were made from perspex and it was painted in the paints held on the Squadron. From that I became aware of "scale colour" when I was about 8 years. RC started for me in 1973. During my modelling life I had a number of tutors who helped me in many ways and In gratitude to all them, I do now like to pass what I have learned onto others. I do still retain the ability to learn something new and try to do this at least once a day. Be the fiercest critic of your own work and never, ever give up in the face of adversity. Love your "nom de plume" Thanks again maurice   Edited By maurice northcott on 08/03/2017 07:47:45

Hi All New fin and fuselage/fin translation basically constructed - see photo below. Please disregard the "belling out" at lower section, still got to do that bit. To my eye it is much more akin to a 190 than that thing I had there a day or 2 back. Happy (or at least a happier) bunny......... Still a bit of work to do on it today, so I will push on..........

Thanks Dwain and Tom, I do hope so I have been working on the new fin since this morning - but I had something else necessary to do today as well. All the new fin is now done except applying the sheeting, deliberately left until tomorrow. As part of the learning curve for the new fin I spent a bit of time practising on the old one. You wouldn't believe but I do have a set of full-size coordinates for the same area on the later "common fin", ie similar to the fin fitted to the 152 series, but not for the earlier standard fin. Another bonus of the research was the finding of a photo of a radial 190 with the later "common fin", so that's another 190 to make....

Posted by Erfolg on 03/03/2017 21:07:12: Oh my God, you do seek perfection. Well yes, with particular regard to what I see as Kurt Tank’s beautiful 190/152 series, yes I do seek perfection. It doesn’t apply in the same way on other models though. But that is what I see as one of the best things about this diverse hobby (some of us obsession?) we all participate in - the modeller has the choice of how much or how little effort they put in. Today was spent at the flying field and later in the garden using the “mouse” on a couple of wings (one being the 190D). As the weather looks rubbish in our area for tomorrow, I should be able to produce the new fin. As it happens, a bit more delving in the old files produced some info that should help with the fuselage/fin translation tomorrow.

Hello All Well, yesterday, together with somebody else we spent the day measuring, checking etc and think we have sorted out what is the problem. The leading edge of the fin is too broad. I had 3 options to choose from - leave it as it is; modify it; build a new fin. I decided today to build a new fin. I know from the past that when there is a part of one of my models that I consider is incorrect, it doesn’t matter how much I am assured by others that it don’t look too bad, I am never satisfied. So there we are. Decision made, now to get on with it.

Well, after checking, carving, checking, Permagitting, checking, rechecking, carving, Permagritting, checking etc ad infinitum, by 1800hrs I was much happier than 24hrs before. Still not satisfied though, so probably more carving and Permagritting to come. Anyway, as from tomorrow I may concentrate on other areas to give my eyes, brain and books a rest - plenty more to do. Photo shows where I was at 1800hrs.

Posted by Jon Harper - Laser Engines on 01/03/2017 10:20:50: ... are admitted to an institution we can at least arrange our building tables in a circle and keep each other company. No luck there Jon et al. In "an institution" they would'n't let us have any sharp knives Don't ask how I know..............

Morning All Not a great deal of photos from yesterday, but a lot of researching and thinking done .. all the blocks used have been more closely shaped and first hollowing out done - the hollowing of the fin leading edge is shown in the first photo, together with the X-Acto tool used to do it. This was from the X-Acto "Router Assortment" No. X135. They come in a bubble-pack nowadays of 4 different routing shapes - all very useful. When the blocks are final shaped, the final hollowing can follow. I had a look at some of my other 190 models compared to full-size photos. The Meister one demonstrates that Meister did not understand the fin leading edge at all, despite their claim on their plan that theirs was the most accurate model 190 ever!!! The 2 Brian Taylor models seem to indicate that Brian (as usual) was  much closer to fully understanding it. Therefore when I start the next one, I will search out his plan and see if I can incorporate some of his method of construction. How many times, over the years have I said or thought "Thank you Brian" !!!!! In finishing the day off, I applied a bit of Fine Surface Polyfilla where it was needed - 2nd photo. Cheers, maurice Edited By maurice northcott on 01/03/2017 08:14:24 Edited By maurice northcott on 01/03/2017 08:15:09

Hi Erfolg - thanks for the comments, but as John Stones 1 referred to.... the 190/152's are all beautiful to me.... - if only they could cook . The fin was first enlarged by the addition of a parallel section on the rear end and the second time by making the leading edge parallel to the main spar (ie more upright). This latter fin shape was used on the152's and some other Versuchs aircraft - but the Versuchs fins were not all exactly the same (I have official drawings of all). Some people refer to the later fin as a 152-fin, but it was actually (as proven by another official drawing) a revised fin for all later builds of the 190 including the A-10 (there are photos of 2 190D-9 with that type of fin, perhaps there were more). Yes, the most difficult part of the 190 series to me is first understanding the shape of the bottom of the leading edge of the fin and secondly, reproducing that on a model - in fact I have been working on just that all morning. Yes that parallel section inserted in the transport joint (which was at 7 degrees to the aircraft manufacturing datum) also raised the rear end by a small amount due to that 7 degrees, thereby creating the "banana" effect. I have been wearing the anorak since 1973 when I started full-depth research into the 190 series, understanding the design etc. I built the original fuselage on a horizontal crutch based on the full-size construction datum (including the raising at the rear end....... John Stones 1 - Agreed, get the mods involved "ugly" indeed Dwain - Hahahaha sure did matey Cheers maurice Edited By maurice northcott on 28/02/2017 12:55:09