Steve's Models

[Sailor Steve]

FUN 'N' GAMES, or problems with OCD.

I keep looking at the main reference for the Aviatik B.II, which is the Windsock Datafile booklet on the subject. They talk mostly about the prototypes and very little about actual production models. There are no pictures at all of the one I want to build. I found a few random photos online, but not many. I then looked at Wiki, of all places, and got the answer I was looking for. Aviatik was not an Austrian company, but a German one. That's why the Datafile didn't cover them - it's only about the German models. They opened a new factory in Austria, the Österreichisch-Ungarische Flugzeugfabrik Aviatik, which made the plane I'm trying to model. Still, there are no pictures I could find of the particular plane I want to build.

The kit comes with a nice metal top-half to the engine. The fuselage has a full cowling. I cut away the cowling and kept fiddling with it until the engine top fits in perfectly, then thought that maybe 32.19 had the full cowling. Too late to change it now. Then I remembered that in the summer they removed the cowlings for better cooling, at least according to sources on the Austrian Albatros.

The problem isn't the airplane, and it isn't the model. The problem, as I've been told many times, is that I think too much. As Bruce Lee said in one of his movies, "Don't think. Feeeeel."

Anyway, the fuselage is done, the lower wings are mounted and drying. Upper wing and primer coat (and likely much puttying and sanding) tomorrow.

[Sailor Steve]

Fuselage and wings painted, ready for assembly.

[Jimbuna]

Coming along nicely Steve

[Sailor Steve]

I seem to have fallen behind myself. Monday I had a lot of errands, and when I was done I was done in. No energy left at all. Yesterday I had some more things to do, so I didn't get back to the model until early in the evening. I ran into the same problem I had with the Albatros, namely that the upper wing is two pieces rather than one, and both mount to the central cabane. If the cabane is crooked, so is the wing.

The cabane was crooked. I tried adjusting it. No joy. I tried mounting the wings straight on the crooked cabane. There was a noticable gap on both sides. during the process I managed to jab my finger with the X-Acto knife. It didn't hurt much but it kept trying to bleed on the model. I finally ended up ripping the whole thing off and setting it aside.

This morning I started again. Mount the cabane struts to the fuselage. Glue the top piece, but only on one end. Place both wings. They're crooked, but the top piece is now semi-adjustable. Keep fiddling with it until the wings are straight. Glue the other end of the top piece. Glue the wings on. The struts aren't glued yet, but at least the wing is mounted. Three days behind schedule.

[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

[Buddahaid]

Originally Posted by 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

Interesting and odd that I've never known of that Fokker. Your Aviatik came out nice crash and all.

[Cybermat47]

The M.10z has a E.III fueselage. That must've saved money

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Cybermat47

The M.10z has a E.III fueselage. That must've saved money

Yes and no. I'm sure it saved money, but technically both are based on the original M.5 body. The first E.Is were factory designation M5K/mg, but the production variant had longer wings and was Fokker designation M.14. The E.II was also designated M.14, but had the 100hp Oberusel U.1 engine, and had a slightly longer fuselage to balance the weight of gun and ammo. The E.III was factory designation M.14v. It had additional fuel tanks to extend the endurance from 1.5 to 2.5 hours. I did a lot of looking but still haven't found what the 'v' stands for.

The M.7 arrived at the front in January 1915, the M.10 in May, the first E.I (M5K/mg) in June, the E.II in July and the E.III in October.

In any case having a fuselage of almost the same length will make for an easier conversion, so it will save me money. There are resin kits available for the biplanes, but they are expensive.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Buddahaid

Interesting and odd that I've never known of that Fokker.

Then you may be very surprised by M.9, also known as K.I (Kampfflugzeug, or Battle Plane). It was an experimental design for a 3-seater, with the pilot sandwiched between two engines and the outer fuselages each holding a gunner. It was flown twice, once with only the pilot and then with all three. The test pilot said very bad things about the handling. It seems that none of the fuselages were attached to each other, only to the wings, and when the wings warped so did the outer fuselages! Very scary to fly, I'm sure.

Your Aviatik came out nice crash and all.

Thanks! I'm fairly happy with it, and the wheels look better than the first pair I did.