Steve's Models

[Sailor Steve]

I spent most of the day out running errands, one of which was to buy some new sharpies for wing ribs. I did manage to get the ribs marked and the first coat of paint on.






I did find something really cool last night. There is a company called Wingnut Wings, who specialize in very highly detailed 1/32 scale World War 1 planes. Twice 1/72 is 1/36, so 1/32 is even larger. I've known about them for awhile and have not had any interest in building something that size, but now there is a company making laminated wood propellers for those kits. I'm still not planning to ever build one, but just the thought that someone wants to do something like that tickles me pink.

Wingnuts kits. Click on 'Customer Models' to see how detailed some of these big kits are.
http://www.wingnutwings.com/ww/

And propellers from The Prop Shop. This review gives nice comparisons between the stock plastic kit props, which are very nice themselves, and the superlative wood props. Scroll down to see the author's fantastically detailed engine with the propeller test-fitted. It almost wants to make me build something that size just to see it.
http://scaleplasticandrail.com/kaboo...-the-prop-shop

How about 1/32 scale super-detailed rotary enginges?
http://www.taurusmodels.pl/

Oh! Did you know they now make a 1/32 scale B-17? Only three hundred dollars! Of course that's before you start buying all the detail sets.
http://www.scalespot.com/onthebench/b17g/build.htm

This is the reason I haven't purchased a Revell U-boat. I know I would have to buy all the photo-etch sets, all the torpedo-loading and posed crew sets, all the enterior sets and everything else to build the model I would want. Then it might take me the rest of my life to finish it.

I don't know if I want to do that or not.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

This is the reason I haven't purchased a Revell U-boat. I know I would have to buy all the photo-etch sets, all the torpedo-loading and posed crew sets, all the enterior sets and everything else to build the model I would want. Then it might take me the rest of my life to finish it.

I don't know if I want to do that or not.

Yes you do actually...then you can bequeath it to me

[Sailor Steve]

Everything's done but the details.

[Jimbuna]

Should look excellent when fully finished

[Sailor Steve]

99.9% done.




I came across a guy who makes decals for German WW1 propeller logos - all of them. Four sheets' worth, plus one of Austro-Hungarian logos as well. I ordered the A-H sheet and one of the Germans. As soon as it comes I'll stick the correct logos on the prop and then it will be done. I'll have the usual "done" photos then, but since they may come tomorrow or not until next week I'll be starting a new project tomorrow.

[Jimbuna]

Now that is definitely a keeper

[Sailor Steve]

New project: Lloyd C.II, another early Austro-Hungarian two-seater. What's different about this one is the wing shape, which is meant to make the plane look somewhat bird-like.



As can be seen, this is another vac kit, so the pieces need to be cut out and sanded to fit.

[Gerald]

^How long does it take to build a plane, then the average time?.

[Sailor Steve]

If I worked hard all day, two days. As I do work, one week. Since I do other things and some days don't work at all, in reality about two weeks. On the other hand a look at the dates of my posts would tell that.

[Sailor Steve]

Basic body parts cut out, not yet sanded. There are no plan drawings, so I'll have to go by feel when locating the interior.



There is some discrepancy in the descriptions of this particular plane. Some sources say the wings were covered with a plywood skin, others say that practice started with the C.V. There doesn't seem to be a Datafile for the C.II, and I can't find any more information. If I can't find anything by the time I paint the wings, I'll go with the traditional 'fabric' look.

[Aktungbby]

In gazing at a LLoyd CII photo(1 only) which has 'linen covered' flatface plywood on the fuselage but normal ribbing viewable from under the top left wing. Clearly fabric. A later rendition of a side view of the similar Lloyd CIV shows again the plywood fuselage and fabric wings but is not a photo but a detailed color rendering. The CV was a true departure,"with airfoil shaped ribs" surrounded by spanwise longerons covered in plywood sheeting-strong light and IMPOSSIBLE to fix in the field as moisture collected in the wing and warped the plywood. A full color rendition of the V strutted CV shows no ribbing to the wings, with scalloped upper ailerons and tailfin, as with the photo of the 1915 CII. I can't wait to see a Lloyd FJ 40.05 or the surreal 40.08 3 engine LuftkreuzerII!Fabric...as you surmised.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

Clearly fabric.

I've looked at several photos and the ribbing on the earlier versions seems to lead to that conclusion, as does a clear picture of the C.V which shows no ribs at all, but join lines with very wide spacing. That said, I never consider anything to be "clear" when dealing with this subject. I've recently come across a site by a guy who insists that photos show that no Fokker eindekkers left the factory in "natural" clear doped linen finish, but that all of them were painted some darker color. Yet as part of his "proof" he talks about Allied descriptions, including "green", "brown", "wheat" and "beige". The latter two sound like CDL to me, so different people reach different conclusions.

A later rendition of a side view of the similar Lloyd CIV shows again the plywood fuselage and fabric wings but is not a photo but a detailed color rendering.

Which makes it useless. I've looked at many painted side-views, and many of them differ in their interpretations of individual machines, let alone whole types.

The CV was a true departure,"with airfoil shaped ribs" surrounded by spanwise longerons covered in plywood sheeting-strong light and IMPOSSIBLE to fix in the field as moisture collected in the wing and warped the plywood.

Source?

A full color rendition

Again not something I can use.

Fabric...as you surmised.

I surmise nothing. I need actual proof. I've contacted my friend with the Austrian Army Aircraft book. It should have better information that I've seen so far.

[Sailor Steve]

I just recieved an email from the guy I bought the propeller logos from. He just shipped them today and said I should expect delivery on Wednesday at the soonest, possibly as late as a week after that. Frustrating, but not much I can do about it.

[Aktungbby]

Sorry: on google and the model madness site below it. The Hiero engine Lloyd CII site has a large unclear photo and a small thumbnail photo which can be enlarged and is quite clear; showing the left upper underside of the normal ribbed wing. The CII site mentions the plywood fuselage but says nothing about wings. If the CII wings were plywood also the site should mention that as well, as it does for the CV. Apparently the CV plywood wing had a tendancy to peel in the slipstream if damaged as well as the moisture problem. Also viewed Knights of the Air:Made in Austria and Special Hobby1/48 Model Madness of a Lloyd CV. The CIII and CIV renditions show the wing poorly, as you say, but in that 'yellow' dope color you discussed in a previous post, again indicating a fabric rather than plywood wing.http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircr...ircraft_id=739

[Sailor Steve]

Bad news. The link keeps sending me to an ad redirect site. Probably something in my system, but I can't seem to get to it.

Also, while I don't distrust Wiki the way some people do (in fact I find it quite useful) I have come across some discrepancies in their aviation sections that lead me to look for further documentation. As I said, I'll find out what I can from the Austrian Army book. It was written by the leading expert on the subject, so I'll trust his research over anybody's. I expect I'll find the same answer, but I won't be satisfied until I know something for sure.