Macchi M-5

[harv]

..........harv

[sandbagger]

Hi all, 
The ‘Isotta Fraschini V4B’ six cylinder engine for the Macchi M.5 is more or less completed.
There are engine controls and pipes to add, but these can't be done until the engine is fitted to the model.
The only change I made was to replace the spark plugs and leads I'd made with I think better versions.
The plugs are 0.5 mm diameter tube with 'RB Motion' Aluminium nuts at the base. The HT leads are 0.2 mm diameter lead wire.

Mike

[Bomber_County]

I’ve run out of superlatives.........

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
The kit illustration showing the rigging for the engine support 'Z' struts is wrong.
It shows correctly bracing rods fitted midway up the struts and routed across the fuselage between the front and rear struts of the two 'Z' struts.
What is not correct is that it shows a bracing rod fitted along the left and right sides of the 'Z' struts, spanning the front, centre and rear struts of each.
In reality a bracing rod was fitted across the fuselage between the rear struts, centre struts and front struts.

I've pre-rigged both 'Z' struts, which will be finally rigged once fitted to the fuselage,

Mike

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
The engines bottom support frame is complete.
The rigging is 0.12 mm diameter mono-filament, with 0.5 mm tube and 'Gaspatch' 1:48th scale Type C turnbuckles.
The three bracing cross bars are 0.4 mm diameter tube, with twelve end brackets from twelve plates (item 43) from (‘PART’ photo-etch for Fokker Dr.1 -S32-023).
The bars have an ‘RB Motion’ Aluminium Nuts Hex 0.79mm (1281-A) at each end.

The struts are reinforced with solid steel rods, so careful drilling through struts was required to avoid hitting them with the drill!!

On this particular aircraft, the wind driven pressure pump for the fuel system was mounted on the centre cross bar.
I discard the kit supplied photo-etch item and made a pump from sprue and a propeller from the 'spares' box. 

Next up is to fit the engine then add the various controls and pipes to the engine, including those from the cockpit and fuselage fuel tank.

Mike

[harv]

Outstanding sir.......harv 

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
Well just for a change ----

The lower engine support 'Z' struts support the radiator/engine cowl and the engine itself.
When I test fitted the lower 'Z' struts into the fuselage, I found they were leaning rearwards when in fact they should be perpendicular to the fuselage.
Therefore I 'tweaked' them to correct that. 

A second pair of 'Z' struts are bolted to the front and rear struts and span up and forwards to attach to the underside of the upper wing, forming the central support structure.

I decided not to use the kit supplied upper ‘Z’ struts and replace them with struts created from micro-tube and rod, for the following reasons:
The photo-etch engine bearer plates and top of the lower engine ‘Z’ support struts have no locations for attaching the upper engine ’Z’ struts.
When test fitted into the location holes in the underside of the upper wing I found that the bottom of the struts on the two upper ‘Z’ struts were way too far rearwards and therefore not aligned with the tops of the lower ‘Z’ strut assembly, to which they should be attached (probably due to my correction of the lower 'Z' struts).
The actual upper ‘Z’ struts were made of three separate struts, not one combined assembly as provided with the kit parts.

To do this I drilled three 0.5 mm diameter holes through the lower 'Z' struts and the photo-etch engine bearer plates.
Then I created four support rods from 0.5 mm brass rod.
Finally I created four brass aerofoil sections that slid onto the support rods.
The upper wing now locates correctly onto the wing 'V' struts and the created brass struts.

Now I have to create the single struts that span between the top of the rear struts and the bottom of the front struts.

Remember - modelling is meant to be fun

Mike

[Lothar]

I've just read through this whole thread and not only am I blown away by your knowledge and understanding of the subject but most importantly by your sublime workmanship - that's perfect modelling at the highest level - I'll take a deep bow 

Lothar

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
Thanks for the encouraging comments - for this build I need them
I made the cross struts in the same manner but the locating rods for these struts were soft soldered for strength.
A 0.5 mm diameter hole needs to be drilled into the underside of the upper to locate the top of the struts,

Mike

[harv]

..OMG.....harv

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
I've added radiator cowl support struts (0.5 mm diameter Nickel-Silver tube).
Also the air pressurisation pipe (for fuel tank) between wind driven pump and the fuselage fuel tank. Made from 'PlusModel' 0.3 mm lead wire.

Now to do are:

The auxiliary pipe between the fuselage and the intake manifolds.
The throttle control rod from the cockpit to the two carburettors.
The fuel supply pipe between the fuselage fuel tank and pipe between the engine carburettors.
Oil pressure pipe between the engine and the cockpit gauge.
Magneto wiring from cockpit starter magneto to engine.
 
Mike

[DocRob]

Work of art here, I like the decision to construct your own struts out of brass. Does aerofoil mean, that you gave an ordinary brass tube an aerodynamic shape?
I plan to do that for my Fokker D.VIII build, because the kit struts are so weak. I bought some Albion connectors for soldering into the flattened tubes.

Cheers Rob 

[sandbagger]

Hi Rob,

Yes - I use a 'Strutter' from 'Albion Alloy's. Basically you use the Strutter in a vice to crush micro-tube to an aerofoil shape with your support rod inside the tube.

I've used it a few times, the most of which was building all of the wing struts for my model of the Fokker D.VIII (E.V), but also for the Sopwith 'Swallow', skeletal Fokker D.VII, SPAD XIII and now the Macchi M.5, (all detailed in my PDF build logs - link below).

I've used Albion Alloy's 'Connecto' as well, but I find it easier to use the Strutter  - plus being solid struts they are stronger that jointed struts,

The amount of crushing to an aerofoil shape depends on the diameter of the supporting rod and the material of the tube. For example - a large diameter tube supported by a much smaller rod will crush down much flatter than the same tube would with a larger supporting rod. Also crushing too much may cause the tube to split at the sides, depending on the tube material (Brass, Nickel-Silver, Aluminium), 

Mike

 

 

[HubertB]

Did not know this ne existed. Now on my « immediate buy » list ! Thanks a lot for the tip.

Hubert

Edit PS : only I can’t find where to buy those. They are not even indicated on the Albion Alloy website, and they are not selling to the public anyway  

[DocRob]

Thanks Mike for sharpen my blurry thoughts about how to produce these struts. I have saved your great build log about the Fokker D.VIII for getting mastery advice, when I start mine.

Cheers Rob

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
I've attempted to represent the various controls from the cockpit to the engine.
Given the limitations of the model (especially after so many alterations) and a lack of information, some 'poetic license' was employed.

The auxiliary pipe from between the fuel the intake manifolds (0.5 mm Nickel-Silver tube with 0.8 mm brass tube connection).
The throttle control rod from the cockpit to the two carburettors (0.2 mm Nickel-Silver rod - throttle lever and support from 'spare' photo-etch).
The fuel supply pipe from the fuselage fuel tank to pipe between the engine carburettors (0.5 mm Nickel-Silver tube with 0.8 and 1.0 mm brass tube connection).
Oil pressure pipe from cockpit exit to engine (‘Model Factory Hire' (MFH) 0.4 mm black tube). 
Cockpit starter Magneto wiring from cockpit exit to engine magnetos (‘Model Factory Hire' (MFH) 0.4 mm black tube). 

Now it's onto prepping the rigging before the upper wing is fitted,
 
Mike

[sandbagger]

12 hours ago, HubertB said:

Did not know this ne existed. Now on my « immediate buy » list ! Thanks a lot for the tip.

Hubert

Edit PS : only I can’t find where to buy those. They are not even indicated on the Albion Alloy website, and they are not selling to the public anyway  

Albion Alloys used to have a special modelling tools site, but it seems to have been pulled.

However the link below shows the 'Strutter' apparently in stock.

 

Bottom of the page,

 

Mike

 

https://www.microworldgamesllc.com/Albion-Alloys_c602.htm?page=5

 

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
On the homeward stretch now.

The upper wing with pre-rigged lines, has now been fitted.
That included of course the scratch made struts - tricky but done.
The tail unit (fin/rudder and elevators) has also been fitted.

There's a way to go before the aircraft is finished, let alone the figure and display base.
Some of the things needed include the necessary paint touch-ups, final rigging, tail plane support struts (scratch), attach wing floats, gun sight, upper wing vent pipe (radiator).
One last major job left to do are the wing outer bracing struts, which as usual, are not supplied in the kit.

Mike

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
These are not very good shots but I thought I'd post up the rigging installed, along with the wing floats.
There's a bit of painting to do then it's onto rigging and bracing the tail unit,

Mike

[GazzaS]

Beautiful!

[harv]

What a joy to behold! Absolutely beautiful.....harv

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
I've some progress on the wing outer bracing struts, which are not supplied with the kit.
Created from 0.9 mm diameter tube, formed into an aerofoil shape and with internal 0.5 mm locating rods soft soldered.
Beforehand the locating holes of 0.6 mm diameter were drilled into the upper and lower wings.
I've still got the central cross bars to do, but nearly there,

Mike 

[GazzaS]

Continuing to amaze!

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
As the aircraft model is more or less finished, I've started on the pilot figure.
The figure is the ‘Allarmi’ WW1 Aces of Italian A.F. (32063). 
The figure had a walking cane in the right hand, but I've removed that as I intend to have the figure leaning against the fuselage.
I also chose to use the head without flying helmet and goggles, as the aircraft will be on its beaching trolley and trestles (so not about to fly). 

Mike

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
The pilot figure has been painted.
With that done the Macchi M.5 model is now finished, apart from setting it up on its display base.

Thanks to everyone who followed this journey and for your encouraging comments on what turned out to be a 'challenging' build.
I'll be posting up the completed model photographs once the display is done, which hopefully will not be long,

Mike