graupner focke wulf

[paul cheswick]

hi there after my dad passed away earlier this year i decided to try to restore his balsa model focke wulf by graupner. it has been sat on top of his wardrobe for 60 years but has a lot of damage. i have the full scale plans and recently took thE P A W  Diesel engine to the company that originally made it and the guy stripped cleaned and got it started after 60 years stood. any help advise or info you can give me about how to begin or if i can get any spare parts would be really appreciated.

 

thanks

 

paul

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Welcome to the forum Paul.  You haven’t really given a great deal of information about the model - what model, what is the wingspan, is it RC or control line?

 

To be honest, I think it unlikely that any spare parts would be available for a sixty year old model from a defunct manufacturer so you will most likely need to make or adapt any parts. Perhaps if you post some photos of what you need to repair or replace, advice may be forthcoming - or if you’re extremely lucky, some old stock parts. 

[David Davis 2]

Welcome to the forum Paul.

 

I doubt that you'd be able to find spare parts for a kit as old as this. Can you please give us some more details? E.g, its wingspan, whether it's free flight, control line or radio controlled.

 

If it is free flight or control line you would benefit from the advice of some old greybeard who is familiar with this sort of model, and with diesel engines for that matter.

 

If it's radio controlled I would advise throwing the radio away and fitting something more modern.

 

Finally, if it is an r/c model and you are a novice pilot, please give it to an experienced pilot for its initial flights. The real FW 190 pilots were not beginners were they?. Model FW190s are a delight to fly in the hands of a competent pilot but if a beginner tried to fly the model he would certainly crash it.

Edited September 22, 2022 by David Davis 2

[David Davis 2]

PS. There is quite a lot of information about a Graupner control-line FW 190 here: https://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=11699

 

Is this the model you have Paul?

[paul cheswick]

hi, sorry about the lack of info.  the wing span is approx 38 inches and it is a control line i think as it has 2 wires coming out of the end of one wing.

i do have the original scale plans and new sheets of balsa so i will start to make the parts. the front plastic engine cover is missing and the cockpit cover also. yes david that is the model i have, i remember years ago the box was with it but sadly that has disappeared .

thanks for your replies.

 

paul

[paul cheswick]

here are a couple of photos,

[Peter Miller]

I am almost 100% certain that this is the Graupner Focke Wulf Ta 152 control line kit.  I actually bought a kit at the RAF Championships way back in the late 50s.  Never built it though.

I had just sold or traded in a Chacksfield tuned ETA 29. for it.

Nice kit, in fact amazing for its day

[kc]

I think we all understand the idea of restoring such a model as a nostalgia project , but most of us wouldn't try to fly it as a first plane.

It is possible to make your own canopy mouldings from old lemonade etc bottles using a balsa shape put inside and shrinking the plastic with a heat gun etc.   You might also find the base of a plastic bottle that could form a cowl.   There is a firm which moulds canopies etc from your own mould or supplies various popular ones from stock- see Vortex Vacform.     I doubt you will find anything for such an old model but it might be worth asking.

  

It might be more worthwhile to use just the engine and build a suitable model and actually fly it.   Plenty of suitable vintage models which can be flown with RC now.

[paul cheswick]

i don't actually want to fly it just restore it to its former glory from 60 years ago as i remember it.

thanks for the tip with the plastic bottle i'll give it a go.

i'll check the vortex vacform website too.

 

thanks 

 

paul

[J D 8]

  The balsa of the model is very probably rather brittle after so many years but as you do not intend to fly it not a problem. Wings and horizontal tail look usable but the fuselage looks poor. As you have the plan a new fuzz may well be less trouble.  As above plastic pots/bottles for cowling. [ You may well have difficulty choosing the right hair shampoo/washing up liquid next time you are shopping ]😀

[paul cheswick]

😆 just cutting the template for the fuselage now as you are right it's very brittle and in poor condition 

[kc]

Good luck with reviving this model - there are several threads about repairing models on this forum  such as this one.  Also some info somewhere about moulding canopies.

A couple of things that might help -

1. bending balsa for 'turtledecks'   try wetting the balsa on the outside only and it will curve and can be held in a curve by holding it onto something round until dry.   ( best done on fresh balsa not old crispy stock! )

2.  Instead of wetting balsa can be bent around a tighter curve if the outside of the curve is wrapped with masking tape or anything, so preventing it from splitting outwards.

[Peter Miller]

43 minutes ago, kc said:

 

A couple of things that might help -

1. bending balsa for 'turtledecks'   try wetting the balsa on the outside only and it will curve and can be held in a curve by holding it onto something round until dry.   ( best done on fresh balsa not old crispy stock! )

 

Wet the wood on the outside and use a heat gun to get it round easily

[paul cheswick]

thanks for that, ive taken most of the brittle wood off now from the outside and making new.

also making new internal struts. whats the best way of cutting balsa ? craft knife or stanley blade etc.

 

thanks

[Peter Miller]

A good  craft knife or, better still a scalpel, for balsa wood. A fret saw is essential for plywood formers

[kc]

A Swann Morton No3 scalpel is the ideal knife - blades are very sharp and cheap.  Art shops sell them and they are also used by surgeons.    I favour the Retractaway ( which is only slightly dearer & has retractable blade which is safer ) with 10A blades.  Much sharper than the average craft knife.   A Stanley knife can be used for cutting thin ply when the blade is new and the thicker blade stand up to more pressure than the 10A Swann.. 

Edited September 22, 2022 by kc

[kc]

Beware cheap boxed sets of knives which are useless!

 

Swann Morton prices seem to vary enormously - more than any other item? -so shop around.

   Even a 'snap off' type knife will do for occasional use on balsa but the genuine Swann Morton are so much more pleasant to use and they are always handy for other things.   Blades are always available as surgeons and artists  use them. 

 

[paul cheswick]

Great thanks very much for the inf.o.

I have just cut and glued the first part of the fuselage which has gone quite well. 

I'll post some progress photos as I get on.

 

Thanks 

Paul 

[Peter Miller]

I would add that I buy blades be the 100 box but at least stock up on a good number.