Steve's Models

[Sailor Steve]

All done except for paint, decals and rigging.

[TLAM Strike]

I don't know much about WWI aircraft so what is that squarish object above the engine?

It looks like it is right in the pilot's field of view.

[Sailor Steve]

It's the radiator. Not only is it right in his line of sight, if it takes a hit the scalding water will blow right in his face. No, not in his face. Maybe that's why they put the observer in front.

The fuel tank is also right over his head, suspended from the upper wing. No fuel pump, so gravity feed is a necessity.

Many of the early planes had radiators mounted on the side. See the AEG on page 4. The problem there is that a hit will drain it in seconds, since it's below the engine. Albatros, tried that with their first fighters, then moved it to the upper wing, where it could empty right into the pilot's face. Finally they moved it a couple of feet to the right. The Fokker D-VII, like the SPAD and SE.5a, has the radiator mounted to the front of the engine, right behind the propeller and out in the slipstream. If it takes a hit the water blows onto the engine.

I'll have close-ups when it's done.

[Sailor Steve]

Well, it's been eight days since I painted the national markings and put the decals on, and I haven't touched it since. I've looked at it a bunch of times, but just haven't had the will to get the job done. I've done a huge amount of research into my next project, but I won't start that until this one's in the bag.

Yesterday I decided to take it to the game unfinished. Halfway to the suitcases I dropped it. Luckily nothing serious broke, but one of the wheels popped off and though I searched high and low I couldn't find it. I have a new pair of wheels set aside for mounting and painting, but first I have to go to the hobby shop to buy some more brass wire of the appropriate diameter, and I'll probably make that part of tomorrow's errands.

Someday it will be finished.

Maybe.

[Sailor Steve]

At long last love! It's fnally done and ready for the game stand, not that I've actually used any of my new planes yet. Since they are all from the same period it's likely that the one with the best performance will get used and the others never will. Still, I like building and it's nice to have them.

The Austrian Aviatik B.II:

[Jimbuna]

That's one cool looking bird Steve

[Sailor Steve]

For my next project I may be a little too ambitious. I'm planning to build the Fokker B.II, but the plane itself is fascinating to me.

Fokker numbered their models with an 'M'. M1-M4 were Anthony Fokker's original 'Spin' ('Spider') monoplanes. M5 was the monoplane he based on the Morane-Saulnier 'H' he had purchased, M5K ('Kurtz', or short wing) and M5L ('Lange', or long wing). M6 was an M5L with two seats for observation use.

M7 was a sesquiplane based on the M6 fuselage, and had an upper wingspan 4 meters (15 feet) longer than the lower. They then made the M10e, which was similar but had a shorter upper wing and longer lower wing. Finally they made M10z, which was a full biplane.

There were only 20 M7s built, some going to the Kaiserliche Marine and some to the Austrian Air Force, which designated them B.I. The number of M10e is unknown, but tiny. They were also called B.I by the Austrians. M10z was called B.II and there were only 23 of them.

My problem is that I think both planes are cool, so the part I mentioned at the first about ambition is that I'm planning to build both at the same time. We'll see how it goes.

M7:


M10z