FW 190A &190D from the same basic model

[Erfolg]

I have started to think about finishing the "A" model now.

I have not found an obvious solution to the issue of the arming plug.

On e apparently very attractive idea that went through my mind was to have a plug in mock bomb, which could incorporate a landing wheel and held in place to avoid accidental displacement by use of a 0 BA screw. Then it dawned on me, bomb would need to be attached to the underside of the wing at the CG, Not the body!

I am toying with accepting that it will be pretty ugly sticking out of the side of the model, when inserted and a ugly hole when not armed.

Are there any aesthetic ideas out there?

I cannot do any doping until my wife returns to her child minding duties, which could be this Monday, that is if the son-in-law is fit enough to return to work.

Also I cannot do any modelling as my work room is full of models, due to goddaughter No. 2 staying with us, using the bed where I store a number of models, keeping them cosy, and in comfort. All wardrobes and hanging spaces are occupied.

[Erfolg]

Lang Nasen Dora hast geflogen!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My test pilot put it through its paces and pronounced the model as very smooth with no discernable stall.

On the down side the model needs more down elevator, as it has run out of down trim. Also there is a need for greater aileron throws.

There is another issue, in that my launcher had difficulty holding the model for launching. I need possibly a launch trolley of some type.

All in all, a success, with a few reservations.

[Colin Leighfield]

Congratulations Erfolg, elevator and aileron trims are easily resolved. The issue of how to hold for launching is the same as with the Seafang and one of the reasons I haven't been prepared to try and fly it on my own. I've made a launch trolley for it as well, so I've got no excuses.

[Erfolg]

Colin

I am thinking of something along the lines of a CL speed dolly.

The difference would be is that the rear wheel would be steerable, via a servo and separate Rx (OK for Futaba as it does not have a model check), I would conceive the use of large wheels . and a light ply frame.

There is one problem that I need to conceptually resolve. Our site is very bumpy, being an old refuse tip. This requires that the model is positively restrained, until flying speed is achieved. I have a number of ideas, all lack that certainty of failsafe release.

I have a number of models which would benefit from this launching concept!

Any ideas?

Edited By Erfolg on 22/08/2015 18:47:22

Edited By Erfolg on 22/08/2015 19:00:18

[Colin Leighfield]

I think it was Chris Golds who described using a dolly with a steering servo which connected to a socket under the plane that in turn was connected via a Y-lead to the rudder servo. When the plane took off, it just pulled out. Sounds like a working solution.

With your bumpy field though, do you think that a bungee catapult might be the best solution? Using a foot pedal, they seem to work very well.

[Erfolg]

It probably seems that I have forgotten about the std. Balsacraft kit version. To some extent it has been a consequence of flying and a bit of maintenance.

Plus the realisation that at one of my clubs, there is no longer anyone who is physically capable of launching a model, which is surprising that many of these guys were once top flyers, who could self launch a model, launching some one elses model was a doddle. My other club essentially has possibly two star launchers, a couple more who can be coaxed into the task. So I have been diverted into a launch trolly, which is still ongoing, in refinement of function.

But back on the "A" is my present policy. The present task is the preparation for covering. THe one issue in this area is need for a shorting plug which is not an eyesore. The item I made for the "D" is quite chunky and unsuitable as it was for the "A".

After a lot of back of the mind thought, looking at a lot of the sub variants and their additional bolt on items, I decided that simple is possibly the best, which is use one of the side ducting bulges as the item, even if it has to be bigger than scale. I had considered a plug in dummy bomb, with wheel, which I discounted on the amount abuse it would see on landings. Some ideas such as wing mounted bolt on heavy cannon packs, introduced more issues than it would solve.

So I have started on a low profile jack plug. Which uses stdard plugs cut down

Whichis cut down and a shorting section, which I will solder in position. Then file down to the shrting section.

[Erfolg]

Having finished making a shorting plug and installed it, leaving fly leads to connect into the rest of the wiring, I have been planning to cover the wings and body.

You may well think, prepare, what is there to prepare. It is the time of year that is the issue. During Spring and Summer I open all the windows in the house at the 1st. floor level and start to dope. It is just to cold to do this for any length of time, during Autumn. So planning is waiting for my wife to stay at my daughters, looking after the kids, until tomorrow night. That gives me essentially today.

I am well behind programme, having just managed to cover the wings and dope them twice.

Possibly what makes it worse is that I use Lidl Bau Universal thinners to reduce the dope to a 50:50 mix. I think it is the thinners that is the worst stink.

I am not sure I dare do any more tomorrow,as I have some other things to do tomorrow. Can I ventilate the house in time?

[Erfolg]

I have just finished covering the model with tissue.

Part way through the process I needed to thin one of the cans of dope I have, to a 50:50 mix. I poured the rest of my Bau Universal thinners in, then reached for my one remaining can of the Lidl product, started pouring it in and realised that something was not the same. Further investigation revealed that the product that i had relatively recently purchased is "All purpose thinners", everything looked the same, except the wording. Further investigation revealed that the product is now Xylene and water, rather than the complicated mix of aromatic chemicals in the earlier product. On the plus sides, it still mixes ok and seems to smell less heady.

Anyway, it is now the bit of rubbing back a little and re-doping.

That is before final finishing and painting. Sounds easy and it won't take long will it!

[Erfolg]

I have just finished doping my model, whilst doping, I was thinking that is this the most effective methodology for an average model?

In my case

• I rub the model down as a starting point.
• I then cut out the the med. tissue out about at least 25mm oversize.
• Taking each piece at a time I wet the tissue and let it drain.
• I place the tissue on the model, guide into place, removing as many of the wrinkles as possible.
• I dope through the wet tissue using dope thinned @50%.
• Let it dry.
• Sand of to edges as is appropriate
• Sand lightly using a decorators flexi block.
• Redope, with the 50% dope.
• sand back lightly.
• dope again.
• Final sand back.

This is a rather tedious , slow, and smelly process. Are there better ways?

[Erfolg]

I am a little disappointed in that there is no feed back with the doping process. Either to say, "you do not want to do that, do this" or "I do the same". Perhaps the one thing I would not have wanted to read, was, I finish using sanding sealer, approx. 20 coats, sanding between coats, as that process is not for me.

I have just finished hinging all the surfaces.

My problem now is, what paint scheme to use? Many seem to be various shades of grey, which is not always that visible in the clag that is often a UK sky. The other alternative does seem to be a standard dark green and black green colouring on the wing. The rest of the colour scheme seems to be a little problematic, were they a grey finish or the sky blue?

Generally I am not to concerned with real camouflage colours, just to be sympathetic to the period/type and most importantly me being able to see it, as clearly as possible. With that in mind, nice red or yellow aircraft colours appeal.

[TinPot Pilot]

How about this one ,is it yellow enough ?

found here.

[Erfolg]

Seems unlikely that it is anything but a fanciful representation of what a training school aircraft might look like.

At the moment I cannot link, reading the Wikipedia history of Hermann Graf, it seems most unlikely that he would have flown an aircraft in these colours or the 190 when he was an instructor for pilots intercepting Mosquitos, the wrong sort of flight school.

Looking for G3 SL did not throw up anything promising. Even captured aircraft used for investigation, were not painted all yellow, mainly the underneath.

.​

[TinPot Pilot]

If you are happy to use a colour scheme from a captured aircraft, there are a number of aircraft repainted red by the Americans such as this one here .

This seems well documented eg here

[Erfolg]

Hi TinPot

I have looked at and considered the various links. Strangely the USA repainted aircraft just do not fire my imagination, the aircraft looking very drab and washed out.

The Hermann Graf aircraft seem pretty typical although the red and yellow painted nose is ok, the area is pretty small.

I will continue to ponder.

[Erfolg]

This models colour scheme is causing me some angst.

The one decision now taken is that the model will be painted up as JG 1 , post 1943 camouflage. That is because that is because the kit came with a set of "water slide Decals" from this squadron and the emblem is post 1943.

There is also the advantage that JG 1 had a number of well known members, such as Heinz Bar, Herman Graf and quite a few more.

[Erfolg]

On Monday i went to B&Q complete with my coloured picture of a 190. Elements of the picture were scanned and three pots of tester paint mixed. These pots are from memory 375ml in capacity, certainly more than enough for at least 3 models. I paid more than some have at £2.85p. Perhaps for OAPs Wednesday is a better day where you get 10% discount. The paint is Johnstones, matt, although other finishes are available.

There was one slight issue in that although a mixing code is on the pots, there is no clue as to what the colour actually is inside. So I have dipped my finger into each one and smeared the label, so that initially i have an idea.

After my dismal performance spraying my Delta, I need to thin the paint far better, to do this I could do with some small jars, ideally the same size as those which fit my spray gun (airbrush), with lids. At present looking around, I have not spotted or seen anything .

[mightypeesh]

I find the choice of colour schemes for my models just about the hardest thing about a build so I can sympathise with the angst. I love wings pallette as a starting point - it does lead you down some dead ends sometimes with made-up ones - especially the 'what if' colour schemes from inside the artists head!

Look forwards to seeing the paint,

Cheers, Simon.

[Erfolg]

i agree that there seems to be an awful lot of made up schemes, particularly German aircraft on Internet pictures. Probably closely followed by USA aircraft, particularly where WW2 aircraft are restored for private use and the owners applies something that they like, which are then copied by us modellers, as they are real, although not necessarily representing what we think.

There is also for some an issue, with German aircraft, that would be painted by the ground crews, as the factory may have supplied a partial finished aircraft or repairs are made. Then there was the policy of daubing whitewash onto the aircraft when it snowed in winter, which would change daily as the wash was washed off by use and the general weather.

As for me, I go for a general finish, preferably something that can be seen, the opposite of camouflage).

[Erfolg]

Up here the weather is atrocious, my wife has gone out for an hour or so. On that basis it is the first opportunity to do some spraying.

I have found a few old food spice jars, washed them out. Then the little flap things were cynoed up.

On Saturday I put some of the paint into one of the jars, then reduced the viscosity by adding 50% washing up screen liquid. Checked the shaken bottle for mixing, which seemed about right.

My first attempt at spraying were not that good. I then thinned it some more, there was a slight improvement.

I then increased the spray pressure by an extra 20 psi, now at 60 psi. This is a lot higher than I have ever used before, although the spray pattern was now acceptable.

I am very reluctant to further thin the paint, as without one of the volatile solvent, the paint will tend to take a long time to dry and be prone to runs.

The paint seems to have good covering characteristics, one more coat could be good enough for me.

[Erfolg]

Having finished the first paint, I decided to fit out the model in preparation for final finishing.

Having installed all servos and their linkages, installed the motor and ESC. I then decided to see where the CG was relative that required. There is a significant issue here. At present it seems that some 357 grams will be required to get in the right ball park.

It would be reassuring or cause of concern if some feed back from Leccyflyer shines a light on his 190a or anyone else, would be appreciated.

[Erfolg]

Knowing I need 375 grams to get the CG roughly correct, I have cast just over 1 kg of lead, in segments, which will fit into the cowl, secured with epoxy resin. This should work OK as the cowl has been lined with GF in epoxy resin.

I will try for a sharper image next time, I am not sure what I have done wrong.

I really would appreciate any input from Leccyflyer or any one else who has built the Balsacraft 190 or similar kit as to their experiences with ballast required, what was used, where and how it was or is fixed.

[Erfolg]

Having stuck the nose weights in place I had thought I would be in a position of waiting for various items to arrive and leaving time to ponder where and how to install my sub wiring harness between the Lipo, ESC and the shorting plug.

To start the process I had moved the plug and tails from the shorting plug into a space, which would not interfere with the Lipo for insertion and removal, that is when it comes.

The day started with my new Rx arriving, this evening the Lipo has arrived.

The next job is the sub harness then a wattage test/check.

Anyway BMFA meeting tonight so it will have to wait until tomorrow at least.

[Erfolg]

 

I have been seeking information from other Balsacraft 190 owners for information with respect to Lipo info. Unfortunately the response has been lower than i had hoped.

I am now in a position close to completing the model. I have incorporated a harness, pretty much the same as the latest RCM&E mag. The difference being is that my build is just standard bits, modified slightly, with local reenforcements to support the assembly.

Although the front of the body seems in principal to be empty, in reality the front of the model is pretty crowded. Particularly with the 3700 lipo.

When i see pictures in the mag, of others models, I am impressed how well laid out all the bits and pieces are, and are neatly placed. This is something which I find difficult to achieve. To keep the Rx out of the way and to ensure that the rx aerials are arranged at 90 degrees to each other, I have placed the device at the rear of the wing opening. One aerial is run through a cotton bud tube into the rear of the cockpit, the other simply pointing to the back of the model, down the rear fuz. The Rx is to be velcrowed onto a plate which can just be seen in the first picture

I am now in a position to start testing the whole motor Rx system as a unit. The servos set initially using a servo tester. I have some concerns in fixing the motor assembly onto the model using servo wood screws, as I prefer nuts and bolts. Access at present is preventing this solution. If I can get just one mechanical fixing, I will be happier than just wood screws. The issue is actually tightening the nuts.

The other test I need to undertake carefully is the current draw. The reason is that I know in principal how much the motor propeller should draw, as I use the same motor on both my 2m Sagitta and the TH CS. What is under suspicion is the ESC, which is reclaimed out of the HK Firenza, which seemed to suffer a loss of power, not having the humf to complete a pretty ordinary loop, by running out of height, which I think was due to a lack of power.

There is one other aspect i am keen to check and that is there any significant difference in the all up weights between the A and D versions.

Edited By Erfolg on 26/11/2015 21:05:06

Edited By Erfolg on 26/11/2015 21:06:43

[Erfolg]

It is setting a new model up when you realise how stupid you can be.

I carefully inserted all the leads into Rx, pulled the shorting plug, inserted the battery, fastened up the model. Inserted the shorting plug, having ensured that the model was safe, from a propeller perspective.

Now I had checked previously that motor combination and worked and was pretty sure that it was rotating the right way. I was also confident that the ESC range was fully set ( as i am still wary of running at full throttle without a load, from reading that this was not a desirable state of affairs) as it it was used in the HK Firenza.

It did not, it sat there, it was beeping in protest, it was not happy.

It took some time to work out that the rudder and throttle were in the wrong Tx slot. Although I did note the rudder was right over. Once this was sorted I ran the motor up a little, which confirmed that it was indeed rotating the right way.

I then checked that the ailerons worked correctly, one was not. This turned out to be an issue with the "Y" lead, which i had switched during an earlier check to a longer one (to ease connecting the wing). The replacement one had the signal lead removed, for use with a twin motor ESC set up. So yet another "Y" lead has been used.

By this time I had set the rudder to a new neutral position, which of course was now an extreme position.

I found that both ailerons were slightly down, which required resetting to neutral.

It has brought home to me that all the pre and partial system testing, prior to the full system testing are all opportunities to get something wrong. As all these things had been individual, and partially system tested until the full system test, where I fully expected everything to be routine. Yet I had managed to introduce faults which were not there initially.

I still have to do a watt meter test and recheck the CG.

The way things have gone it may not be as routine as I would expect.

The good news is that the Anton is at present very slightly lighter than the D (Dora).

[Colin Leighfield]

Sounds just like me Erfolg, another day at the mill!