Steve's Models

[Sailor Steve]

I was getting ready to put the markings on yesterday when I realized I hadn't given it a gloss coat yet. Decals adhere better to a glossy surface than a flat one. I sprayed on a coat of clear gloss and waited. At bedtime it still wasn't completely dry. This afternoon I finally got the decals in place.

[Aktungbby]

Noting your four blade propeller decals for the periodI just came across this pricey ($1022.32) original BE12 on Ebay for a BE12 1 blade and hub with authentic decal ?cannot find W.E.B Ltd.-London on line to verify if legit! http://www.ebay.com/itm/WW-1-BE-12-Biplane-Four-Blade-Propeller-Cut-to-one-propeller-and-mounting-boss-/201373131521

[Sailor Steve]

Top wing mounted.





And there it's going to sit for awhile, because it doesn't have an engine. I was going to try to scratchbuild an RAF 4a for it, but then I remembered I have a source for engines - a guy who has a large supply of old AeroClub white metal engines of all kinds. I emailed him last week, and he told me to call, but I ended up leaving a message. I haven't heard back from him, so I'm going to try to call again tonight. I may start the rigging tomorrow, or I may just put it off until the engine comes and start a new project Friday. We'll see.

[Sailor Steve]

I've set aside the BE.12 pending arrival of the engine.

My next project is a bit difficult to describe, so I'll start with the planes themselves.

With the advent of the single-seat version of the Nieuport 10 the Fokker and Pfalz eindekkers had met their match, and when the Nieuport 11 arrived on the scene in January 1916 the Fokker Scourge was over. The Germans had nothing to match the new fighters, and everyone was scrambling to come up with something better.

The Fokker corporation decided their best course was to turn the E.III into a biplane. They first came up with the M.17, a direct conversion, except it was powered by the older Oberusel U.0, an 80-horsepower 7-cylinder engine.

M.17, werke number 433





At the same time they developed the M.18, the same airframe except powered by the 100-hp Mercedes D.I.

M.18, w/n 434



Anthony Fokker himself in the cockpit.


While they were nimble planes with good performance, and had an excellent view above and all around, downward visibility was practically nil, which is bad for a fighter and even worse for landings.

Fokker immediately came up with a second pair of prototypes. Werke numbers 499 and 501 were still called M.17 and M.18 respectively. W/n 499 still carried the 80-hp U.0 engine, but the inline motor in 501 was upgraded to the 120-hp Mercedes D.II. These were tested in April 1916. Idflieg wanted more stability and agreed to purchase both types if the wings were extended to two bays.

The Austro-Hungarian Luftfahrtruppe ordered 22 of the single-bay M.17s and 6 of the two-bay versions, both designated B.II, as well as 16 of the inline-engined two-bay M.18s, designated B.III.

Idflieg purchased the M.18s first, which led to them being designated D.I, with the earlier M.17 being called D.II. They would later build a biplane version of the E.IV, called D.III, and then the D.IV, powered by the 160-hp Mercedes D.III engine.


THE MODELS

Twenty years ago or more I built a vacuform kit of the Fokker D.I, while a couple of my gaming friends built models of the D.II. One of those friends moved away and I ended up in possession of his D.II model. In my recent plans to build a complete set of planes for our game, I purchased a Meikraft kit of the D.I, and HR Models resin kits of the D.II and single-bay Austrian B.II. Normally expensive, the price was right so I grabbed them, planning to pick up the others later. I would build the complete set and then give my older models away. The first stage would be a "three-fer". I planned to build the B.II, D.I and D.II at the same time.


Recently I began looking around for kits of the later D.III and D.IV, only to find there aren't any. Some were made, back in the day, but are now impossible to find.

This of course led me to change my plans. My intent is now to rebuild my old D.I kit, bringing it up to my current standards. I will convert the B.II kit into a D.II, since the only difference is the longer wings of the latter. The D.II kit I own will be converted into a D.III, and the D.I kit will be modified to represent the D.IV.

So, the first stage is to tear apart the old D.I kit and rebuild it. It needed repairs anyway, some of the struts being gone. I took out the rest of the struts, and this is the model at the starting point.

[Sailor Steve]

Took the top wing and cabanes off, removed the pilot and the old engine, which was very wrong. Sanded off the old decals and scraped off the dried glue from the old strut mountings.





The Meikraft kit came with a very nice model of the Mercedes D.II, including photo-etched brass wiring harnesses. Here is the engine with the intake stacks and wiring harnesses installed.

Port.


Starboard.




When I build the Meikraft kit it will be converted to a D.IV. I've already purchased a very special model of the D.III engine, so I don't mind stealing this engine for my rebuild.

[Sailor Steve]

I finally managed to cross paths with the guy selling the engines. The RAF 4a for the BE.12 should be here within the week.

Meanwhile, the Fokker D.I has the strut holes drilled out and is painted. From what I can tell the earliest units, like the eindeckers, came from the factory in clear doped linen. This paint scheme seems to have been done in the field.

[Sailor Steve]

Decals in place. I've just now finished that job, and haven't applied the overcoat yet.

[Sailor Steve]

New engine painted...






...and installed.

[Sailor Steve]

Unfortunately tearing out the old engine took some of the cowling with it, so I have to use thin plastic to rebuild it. I didn't have much time today since I had some errands to run, but the sides and top are installed if not shaped yet.

[Sailor Steve]

The three engines I ordered came today, and the one I needed for the BE.12 was the WRONG ONE!!! Not wrong as in "He pulled the wrong package", but wrong as in several decades ago somebody put the wrong parts in the package, and all these years later the one he sent me is that one!

Not his fault. Right now he's checking to see if he has any more, and it they are properly packaged. If not, I'm not sure what I'll do next.

[Sailor Steve]

Nose rebuilt, gun installed, experimental paint. I'm still trying to duplicate the buffed look the early Fokkers had.

[Sailor Steve]

Nose repainted again, top wing mounted, some touch-up paint.

[Sailor Steve]

It's finished. Not as good as I had hoped, but still not too bad for a rebuild.

[Aktungbby]

better than anyone else's rebuilt I'll bet; is there any particular significance to the Spartan symbol-inverted 'v'?

[Sailor Steve]

I have no clue. That's the way the only photo I've seen shows it.