Danny Fenton Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Looks really good Simon, well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hooper Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 That's beautiful and innovative work there - fantastic! tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Tremendous! With such massive hubs and bearing area you must imaging you are going to be doing a lot of taxiing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robk Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 I love your building style Simon. Lots of inspiration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted February 15, 2016 Author Share Posted February 15, 2016 Thank chaps. Simon, from what I have heard these spend a lot of time going around in circles ground looping - so I will need a bit of wear in the wheels! Ok Going from slow to almost static, but finally got aroung to making my self a wire bender to make the uc legs - it took years thinking about it and an hour to make! Also made the Auxillary wing from soft balsa to give it a bit of 'bashability' having seen how spats fare on my landings. Last but not least I made myself one of my Super Sculpy pilots that I will make a mold from and cast in expanding foam as I usually do. He is a bit of a generic ww1 german pilot with flying gear from multiple sources of reference but he looks ok and is around 1/9 scale. The all important 'bits of plane balanced together shot' He is looking ahead to his first flight with trepidation... Definately coming together! Cheers, Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 Bit more progress. Its the first time I have scratch built anything with a wing floating in mid air at the top so to get my angles and position right I built a jig for the job I used this combined with much swearing, angle taking, measuring, wire bending, and bracket making to get the wing in place. I always like to make everything removable in case the unthinkable happens and I need to repair bits, so maybe made the job a bit harder than it needed to be. Got there in the end and even the pilot looks happy with the job, now cast in light weight expanding foam. I think she is getting there now. I cannot believe how much time such a small model takes up. Next on the list is the pushrods for the tail feathers, make a steerable tail skid, tidy up and fuel proof the engine bay and maybe just maybe get some covering over that lovely framework Cheers chaps, Simon Edited By mightypeesh on 03/03/2016 19:23:43 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Cracking work Simon John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 That is amazing Simon, really impressive work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 Cheers folks. Few more bits and pieces. First made some hinges from the old spar ripped out of a PZ Spitty - I knew I kept it for a reason! Then I got distracted by Herr Pilot sitting waiting to be painted. Does not look too bad next to the original. He is cast in a silicone mold using expanding foam, and has a coat of Halfords white primer on ready for acrylic paint. I use System 3 artist type paints. To speed up painting I have made a cradle to dry him under the lamp. And finish with a coat of matt varnish. I had a wobbly hand with the brush today and my eyes are getting worse, but he should good in the cockpit. And only weighs in at just over 3 grams! Not bad at all. He will be cut down a bit when he goes into the plane. Finally today i hinged the rudder using 3 robart pin hinges recessed in to be stuck at a later date. Thats all for now folks, Cheers, Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 You should be using a suntan cream when he's under that lamp, poor lad John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trebor Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Is his name Izaiah ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted March 6, 2016 Author Share Posted March 6, 2016 Sorry trebor, you've lost me on that one.... Unless the name Izaiah means 'small foam one that warms under desk lamp' .... Cheers, Simon Edited By mightypeesh on 06/03/2016 10:19:25 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trebor Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 It's just one picture looks like one eye is higher than the other Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hooper Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 More excellent work! I'm a big fan of using those ladder jigs to keep the wings aligned whilst the struttery is fettled. tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted March 6, 2016 Author Share Posted March 6, 2016 Thanks trebor - bit too abstract for me on a Sunday morning. I think he has got some castor oil in one eye from the engine which is why he is squinting! As I always tell my students 'goggles are no good if they are perched on your head'.... The struts were the biggest headache so far even with the jig. For a couple of bent bits of wire it took an extraordinary amount of time and head scratching to get right. I am sure when you have done a few it gets easier.... maybe! I am looking forwards to getting some covering on soon and then onto some detailing which for me is the fun bit. Cheers, Simon Edited By mightypeesh on 06/03/2016 11:16:59 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted March 30, 2016 Author Share Posted March 30, 2016 Hi folks. The covering is on! Whoopy! how exciting!!!......... Ok I must get out more....... Seriously though, this is the first time I have used Solartex and I must say I absolutely love it. It is so nice and easy to use and takes to compound curves beautifully. I wanted the 'linen' colour but could only get 'antique'. I am going to use Daler System 3 artist acrylics and mix my own colours from these, so I will give it a wash of white to knock back the colour a bit before I start to make it more 'fabricy' (is that even a word?) as the base colour will show through the camoflage a bit. I have been keen to try the good old cotton on double sided tape rib stitching technique which Danny highlighted in an article on rib tapes etc on his gorgeous Chippy last year - not sure which month - I think it had the Tony Nijhuis Mosquito as the special plan in it. Anyway I gave it a go and I must say that sticky tape, cotton and me do not go together - I very quickly looked like Paddington Bear when he got tangled up in sellotape! This spurred me to try a different way that was a bit less sticky and suit my way of working better. I used water slide decal paper and cut the sheet in half length ways and attached it to both sides of a bit of board with masking tape to keep it flat. The thread is polyester cotton as that was what was handy. Wind the cotton around as usual but as the surface is not sticky you have to keep it tight. I am using the reverse as well so keep it neat both sides. When finished give it a light coat of laquer to tack the thread in place and then give it a good 'flow coat' so that the cotton and paper are nicely wetted (but not dripping!). I gave it 2 coats and let it dry over night. There we go, Two sheets of water-slide stitching. You should get about 6 meters of stiching from the sheets depending on size. The advantage for me is that I could cut a pile of rib size bits and not get all sticky. I cut the strips with a rotary cutter and steel rule. 'Clearly' rib stitching....... ouch! Dip in water and lay on a plstic lid to soak in. You can just leave them in water but the bits will float away after a couple of minutes and the point is to make it easier! I paint a line of the decal fix on the wing before applying the strips. Looking good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted March 30, 2016 Author Share Posted March 30, 2016 Right, now I have a lovely pile of bits ready for the tapes over the stitching. It's not completely scale, but I am using this project to try out different techniques. Somebody somewhere said that building scale models consists of spending hours creating details that nobody but you will notice. My wife is definately looking at me strangely with the 'why?' look in her eye when I said what the little strips were for....... Oh, and I made some steps and handles from wire - once again not quite right but they add a bit of interest. For the wing tapes I decided to used some covering tissue. I tried solartex on some scrap but found the heat flattened the 'stitches' and my ham fists found it hard to keep it straight. It might be better with 100% cotton maybe. once again all cut to size. I am just painting a stripe of slighty watered down 'Easy Dope' and brushing the strip down before wiping off the excess. All in all quite stress and tangle free. What a lovely pile of bits and Pieces! I have also foiled the cowling with aluminium tape and added some rivets using the pva method. Thats it for the moment, just going to start another list of to do's and finalise just what colour scheme I am going for! Cheers, Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted March 30, 2016 Author Share Posted March 30, 2016 Did some work on the struts and finalising some angles etc today. Good excuse to take her out and take a couple of pics. The rudder is not glued which is why it is on the on the wonk. Looking mighty fine even if I say so myself Cheers, Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 Looks fabulous Simon, well done. You have good reason to be so chuffed Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Davis Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 Superb Simon. Best of luck with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 Yep it's a beauty John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trebor Posted March 31, 2016 Share Posted March 31, 2016 I wish I had your skill, cracking job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted April 2, 2016 Author Share Posted April 2, 2016 Thanks chaps. Now onto one of those defining bits of a Dr1's personality that are just as important as the tail shape or the number of wings - the twin Spandau machine guns! My self imposed scale is about 1/9th so first job was to find a decent 3 view of the gun and scale accordingly. The hardest part of the Spandau is the distinctive air cooling jacket around the barrel. My old eyes just would not cope with all that piercing and I did not want to resort to a laser on this model as I want to utilise what I have at home already to keep it simple. One day my desktop laser will come though! I decided that rather than cut out the slots I would just try leaving them clear and use acrylic tube for the barrel to give it the affect. To this end my favorite water slide paper came out again... I drew up the pattern on the computer using Illustrator, printed them onto the paper and sealed with Halfords laquer. The tube is just 10mm od tube. Well it seems to work although the ink is not as dense as I would like. I am going with it though as this plane is all about experimentation. The rest I am going to make from scraps of balsa, carbon tube for the barrel and bits of whatever looks right as it comes along as I am going for the effect of the guns rather than an all out scale build. Mmmmm very rustic A coat of paint improves matters. I used aluminium tape here and to get the shape on the muzzle I cut the strip in a very long taper so that as you wound it on it made the form. ....bit more black....... and than some washes of black mixed with silver and a bit of highlighting. I made a mistake on one that I am not going to point out, but I think they should look good on the plane. They have turned out better than I though they would when I first started to glue bits and bobs together and even the decal jacket does not look to bad at this scale. Once again, very pleased with the result! Cheers, Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robk Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Amazing building Simon - and at 1/9th scale too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Nice guns Simon can't spot the error myself john Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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