The Blue Max! Pfalz D.III

[GazzaS]

Still sick...   plugging along regardless.  Go see the doctor later in the arvo.

 

The underside of the wing was the largest, uninterrupted area of lozenge.

I'm beginning to understand why I'd rather just paint the damn thing...lol

 

I was afraid that the pink rib tapes would dominate the predominately blue upper surfaces.

Patience is the order of the day.  WNW tell you to use a blow dryer instead of decal softeners to snug-up their decals.  I use both.  The decals react well to Mr. Mark Softener.  But I imagine if I don't give the decals some drying time before I hit them with the blow dry that they scatter around the room.  And trying to get them perfectly straight...  I have no idea!

 

The second level of the jig comes in handy as I try to avoid touching the wet ones while adding the newer ones.  I'll go snip away the excess then hit them with Mr. Softener.  

And just think...  there are the underside rib tapes as well as a wrapping tape that goes all the way around the upper and lower wings...

 

Gaz

[Jeff]

7 hours ago, Clunkmeister said:

I once woke up on my rack with my big toe tagged D.O.A.   And someone also had written FUBAR across my forehead with a black fat tipped magic marker.  Probably the same joker.   I have absolutely zero idea how I got back on base. We had been given a Liberty Pass at 1400 Saturday through to 0400 Monday for PT on the green.  I guess I enjoyed 4 or 5 hours of that time. Chow hall scrambled eggs and sausage don’t go down well when nursing the Mother of All Hangovers  

So I have empathy. 

[GazzaS]

Well, just spent two aggravating days with decals.  The rib tapes were the easy part.  More difficult were the edges.  I did some research and found two styles in modern photos.  I know...  "how accurate are these?" you say.  Well...  I'm not that worried about accuracy, and trying to find good period photos up close is time consuming.  Next 2 photos for discussion only.

One type of edge is done on this Fokker D.VII.  The rib tape material is used, and looks quite neat.

Of course, for this to be a viable option your rib tapes on top and bottom have to line up perfectly.

The other type I found was on this Pfalz D.XII:

I figured to do this method, the wrap-around pieces had to be twice to three times as wide as the rib tapes.  So, I went with 2mm wide strips.  There were times when I thought that maybe 3mm would have been better.

 

This steep angle shot shows the leading edge wraparound strip to good effect.  Just so you know, this wing ain't perfectly straight.

 

The area above the arrow gives you an idea how easy the unprotected edge of the decals is to damage, making the wraparound a necessity.

 

Trying to get it even is very difficult for me.

 

 

I haven't done much non-decal stuff.  Here is the weathered wheels.  I'll het them with some green grass stains and some spatters, too.

 

Thanks for looking!

 

Gaz

[DocRob]

11 hours ago, GazzaS said:

I haven't done much non-decal stuff.

Hehe, at least it's less painting this way . I like your solution with these Lozenge strips applied. I was checking my Pics of D VII's from Pensacola Florida and Berlin Gatow Museums and found no evidence of the usage of any kind of tape around the edges. I don't know how accurate these planes are restored. At one point or another we have to settle for some artistic freedom or years of tiring research. You seem to reach an end with decaling and are closing to the finish line. 

Cheers Rob

[GazzaS]

Thanks Rob.  I’ve decided that with any model that unless you have period photos covering every angle, in glorious colour;  at some point you just have to do what you want.

[GazzaS]

One of the staples of WWI aircraft for me, is the laminated propeller.  I know every plane didn't have one, but I think it's a great detail.

You can buy perfect laminated one from some guy in the Ukraine, or even laminate wood yourself.  I decided to use one of the four that come with the kit.

The upper wing complete except for the cooling louvres on it's underside. 

 

The decals have been sealed with Future...  basically the whole aircraft.

I used the kit's PE jacketed Spandau's.  I'll use some metal pigments to highlight the guns after the matte coat is put on the plane.  Also, there are two fine lines that go from the engine to the wing.  I broke the plastic kit part and replaced it with two pieces of copper wire.  I tried to weather the leather cockpit combing. but haven't got it right, still. 

 

Once the Future cures, I'll weather the plane and then fit all of the eyelets.  Once the eyelets are fitted, I can put the top wing and struts on.

 

Cheers!

 

Gaz

[Bomber_County]

Gaz, absolutely stunning, was the swear box very large when  you were nearing the end. You’re a braver man than me..........

[GazzaS]

Phil,

Thank you!

    Most of the swearing associated with this kit has been while I was on my knees looking for a few dropped parts.  They're really nice kits with great fit.   The parts count isn't huge or over-engineered.

    I find the most challenging aspect is that you do things in a different order.  For most models decals are very close to the end of the build.  Here, they've taken up a big portion of the middle of the build.  For the rest of the build I'll have to ensure that no plastic glue hits the decals.

 

Gaz

[Jeff]

STUNNING !

[GazzaS]

Thank you, Jeff!

 

Preparing to Rig:  Be warned, some blurry close-up images.

One of the tricks passed to me by Bob of Bob's Buckles was to use a bit of tape on your finger tip to hold the small parts when they aren't in your tweezers:

 

The next series of photos are close-ups of the eyelets glued into their positions on the plane.  Most of the locations have raised detail as well as molded-in holes.  The huge holes are the locator holes for the struts.  Also, the control arms for the moving surfaces are thick enough to drill holes into:

 

The next set of photos show the control cables glued into holes in the aircraft:

 

A gratuitous machine gun close-up:

 

 

Gaz

 

 

 

[Jeff]

This is going to be epic, and I can't do this.,......................

[GazzaS]

1 hour ago, Jeff said:

...I can't do this.,......................

 

I don't know your circumstances.  But if you can build any model, you can do this.  I have poor close-range vision (severely augmented by a visor).  I have heart palpitations which make my hands shake (the doc says I don't need medicine).  And am also known to be rather uncoordinated.  (Last guy picked for teams at playground sports:  Me)

And as I said before:  This isn't my first time.  But it is my third.   And there are plenty of ppl out here on the interweb willing to pass along their knowledge.

This model isn't perfect.  There are lots of guys at it better than me.  But I have fun trying to do it, and I feel real good about it when it's done.  If I ruin it (the fuselage and lower wing assembly have been dropped at least three times already) it falls under the columns of "fun" and "trying to get better at my hobby".    An adventure with a small pricetag.  If I ruin it...  I can buy another or build something else in the stash.

Remember:  It's only plastic, fishing line, wire, and Super Glue... oh and a little paint and decals.

Sure beats mowing the lawn and washing and waxing the car.

 

Gaz

[Jeff]

9 hours ago, GazzaS said:

 

I don't know your circumstances.  But if you can build any model, you can do this.  I have poor close-range vision (severely augmented by a visor).  I have heart palpitations which make my hands shake (the doc says I don't need medicine).  And am also known to be rather uncoordinated.  (Last guy picked for teams at playground sports:  Me)

And as I said before:  This isn't my first time.  But it is my third.   And there are plenty of ppl out here on the interweb willing to pass along their knowledge.

This model isn't perfect.  There are lots of guys at it better than me.  But I have fun trying to do it, and I feel real good about it when it's done.  If I ruin it (the fuselage and lower wing assembly have been dropped at least three times already) it falls under the columns of "fun" and "trying to get better at my hobby".    An adventure with a small pricetag.  If I ruin it...  I can buy another or build something else in the stash.

Remember:  It's only plastic, fishing line, wire, and Super Glue... oh and a little paint and decals.

Sure beats mowing the lawn and washing and waxing the car.

 

Gaz

Maybe I can do this................ Well, Gaz..................... I guess my problem is that , it is my confidence, more than anything, I am my own worst enemy, BUT after a lifetime of everyone telling me I what I do is no good, and I suck at most everything , it has shaken my over all confidence............ I know that is a poor excuse, and I should just jump in the deep end, and go for it..... YOU are absolutely right in what you say about having fun and trying it.....I actually build models for ME and no one else, so once again , I should heed your advice, and play on....when I look at some of the ones that have criticized over the years, they aren't much better than the next guy......don't know why I don't heed my own thoughts........................I'm lucky so far, no real issues, yet, my hands are fairly steady, my eyes still work, my back gets sore ( so what ) I suck at scratch building, I like models and playing with them, I have some decent tools, a fairly good place to 'work' on my kits, no where to display them ( LOL) I love being here with you guys, and at the moment, due to aging parents and their needs, I have virtually no time for any of this............... I'm like the old dog who can't jump anymore due to being old, but it is still in his heart to try.................... so I will TRY............ you made a motivational point, I will get on it....

I did throw this together, although it is most definitely not the right scale ( 1/72) but the paint and decals was a challenge, and I thought the overall effect was ok.... NOT to the level of what I see here by any stretch... it is supposed to look like the real pic when Delta Yankee was in her glory days.....

[GazzaS]

   

3 hours ago, Jeff said:

 

I did throw this together, although it is most definitely not the right scale ( 1/72) but the paint and decals was a challenge, and I thought the overall effect was ok.... NOT to the level of what I see here by any stretch... it is supposed to look like the real pic when Delta Yankee was in her glory days.....

That's a great looking model, Jeff!   Clean, straight, all the angles look good.  Looks flawless to me.

 

Gaz

[Jeff]

Awe....................... Shucks Gaz,........................ I appreciate your kind words and sorry for the thread hi-jack............... I promise to stick to the subject from here on.....

[GazzaS]

13 hours ago, Jeff said:

Awe....................... Shucks Gaz,........................ I appreciate your kind words and sorry for the thread hi-jack............... I promise to stick to the subject from here on.....

Don't worry about it, Jeff.  I'm not bothered.  In fact, I'm glad to see how nice a model you can make.

 

Here are some more images of what I'm up to:

I'm using a vaporizor box to raise the model to eye height.  Trust me, trying to look under that wing while it's below your line of sight makes you feel like a turtle with a crook in his neck.

 

Two powerful LED lamps as well as a light background.  The light backgound makes it easier to see into your eyelets.

 

Pardon the over-exposure.  I was trying to use the flash to make the eyelets and brass tubes easier to see.

First blood...  so to speak.  The landing gear are rigged!

 

Cheers!

 

Gaz

[Jeff]

I'm getting this now, I think, your rigging is so precise, and I know rigging is tedious to do at best, and intimidating but  your results will be worth a sore neck for sure, I'm really lovin this, and will use this thread as a tutorial  for when I take the plunge......to rig correctly........ your pics are great so no worries there, Pal.... looking forward to more....

[GazzaS]

Got the struts and upper wing on as well as some of the plumbing.  I've left some of the plumbing and the exhaust off until later, though.  Started the rigging, too.  I always start at the center of the model and work my way outwards.  Sometimes I partially heat-shrink the cables so I can dry fit other cables correctly.  Nothing worse than shrinking your cables and finding that they've crossed on the wrong side.

 

 

Gaz

[Ryan]

Gaz you may have written this above, but what size is the brass tube?

 

[GazzaS]

7 hours ago, Ryan said:

Gaz you may have written this above, but what size is the brass tube?

 

Ryan,

   It's .5mm tube that is 3mm long.  For the control surfaces the tube is 2.5mm long.

 

Gaz

[Ryan]

perfect, thnaks.

[GazzaS]

Hi Everyone!

    I completed this build today.  My completion photos can be seen over at the completed models section...  or you can click on this link:

 

 

Cheers!

 

Gaz