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1/48 DH-2 - What Have I Let Myself In For? +++ Completed ++++


Bonhoff

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Well,

 

Back to work after a weeks holiday in the sun so I thought I'd better get back on with this lunchtime project.

 

As an experiment I cut down masking tape into strips and masked out the ribs on one of the wings, this was then airbrushed over with a coat of Tamiya Smoke thinned with Johnson's Floor Polish.

 

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I fear, not for the first time, that I might have overdone this.

 

Would have carried on with more ribbing but I came home one day to find that all the tape I'd cut out was missing off my cutting mat - Mrs Bonhoff explained that one of our cats had peed over the cutting mat, rendering the tape useless.

 

Now thinking about cutting my losses and just putting another coat of Deck Tan over the top of the ribbing as I'm starting to lose the will to carry on with this one - any opinions?

 

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And here's all the little bits - Not sure you can call this one a "Weekend Edition" when you expect the modeller to apply 40 odd manufacturers emblems to the struts :banghead:

 

Till next time

 

IanJ

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Decided to "grow a pair" and carried on masking the ribs out - I'm aware that at an approximate scale 50mm wide they're probably (Probably? They're way...) overscale but I can't cut the tape any thinner. It'll do as the kit only cost a tenner and I'm only using it to learn how to do biplanes anyway.

 

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Hopefully should be able to get this sprayed up in the next couple of days then on with trying to join the two wings together.

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Rest of ribbing now completed.

 

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However - While attempting to make a jig for the top wing I dropped one of the struts, which promptly vanished under my table so my first job tonight is to clear the floor and find it or scratchbuild another strut:rant:

 

3 weeks to go!!

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So, a fruitless search on the floor meant I had to fabricate a new interplane strut.

 

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A whittled down cocktail stick and a couple of stubs of pencil lead superglued to the ends.

 

I spent a little while trying to sort out a jig to support the upper wing, then gave up and just glued the struts in place.

 

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Life was made a lot easier by using CA adhesive to fit them, quick drying time being a real advantage here - The missing interplane strut was still being fabricated at this point, I'd also decided to put it at the back where any deficiencies in my strut whittling abilities would hopefully be masked.

 

The two rearmost cabane struts could be fitted afterwards, as these sloped backwards to the upper wing locations.

 

Then it was a case of gluing the upper wing to the (at this point) 9 struts - Each locating hole, top and bottom, had been drilled out to ensure each strut would locate properly once the wings came together. I then placed a drop of CA in each hole, the upper wing was then placed upside down on the bench and each strut wrestled into place.

 

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Well! That was a pleasant surprise - by some strange quirk of fate the top wing seemed to be located correctly which meant that I wouldn't have to rely on my "Plan B" of hoping there'd be enough twist in the structure for me to make any corrections.

 

This isn't how I'd recommend you do this at home!

 

It was then a case of sorting the tail feathers out - These were masked and sprayed with the same future/smoke mix used on the rest of the airframe, the tail was painted the stated shade of green and then the rudder markings applied. These were a bit oversized but the application of Microset then Microsol meant that the extra overhanging bits of decal actually folded over and laid down on themselves saving me having to trim and make good with paint. 

 

The boom / outriggers were then added and the tail attached - Now once again, I'm not sure if it was by luck or Eduard's engineering, it all fitted together quite well leaving me with the DH-2 in this state.

 

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One with and one without flash - The outstanding struts and undercarriage had been added by this stage as well.

 

Forgot to mention the grey paint - If you've been following this then you'd remember that I felt that the grey paint on the fuselage looked like the surface of the moon under macro lens conditions, I'd micromeshed it then waited to paint it after the ribbing was sorted. I didn't fancy masking out and spraying so the hairy stick was the quicker option.

 

Once again, using the "Dr.Pepper" approach (What's the worst thing that could happen?) I decided on using some Tamiya paint. As we all know, this can be fraught with peril if you manage to overpaint a bit that hasn't quite dried. I decided on using some Future to thin the paint with prior to brushing.

 

It worked as well! Feeling quite pleased after this weekend's efforts.

 

Now to consider the rigging.....

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Rigging a DH-2...... Argh!

 

Had some EZE-Line in for such an eventuality but really, in my experience it should be called "Line" as I'm finding very little that's "EZE" about it.

 

Spot of CA adhesive at one end of a strut, piece of elastic measured with a pair of dividers half inched from my stepson's school maths set, place end of line in CA spot, let set, CA spot at other location, stretch line so end is in glue, let set, release grip on tweezers and "Twang" - One end or the other becomes unstuck and I have to start the whole business again.

 

Best way I've found so far is rather than do each bit separately is to thread a longer length of line though several points and glue each point in turn.

 

So here we are.

 

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Propeller painted with Vallejo Dark Mahogany, followed by a coat of Future.

 

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In the absence of any brass paint I've had to use a rather grainy tin of Humbrol Gold enamel for the hub and tips, this was then followed with a coat of Burnt Umber oil paint for the grain effect - given the temperature in the UK at the moment I'm hoping this'll dry by the weekend.

 

Plane now on desk being rigged.

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Did a bit more rigging Thursday lunchtime and that's as far as it'll get before the deadline guys and gals.

 

Spent Thursday night being poorly but decided to try and go to work on the Friday. Managed the first 5 miles of my 50 mile commute and turned back as I felt absolutely wretched. Think it was my first sick day in 5 years.

 

I felt that bad I never even considered going in the Iancave.

 

The result of this is that the DH-2 is sat on the desk at work in Peterborough and I'm typing this at home in North Leics. 

 

I'll post in the RFI section when it's completed - thanks for watching and good luck to all those who are still attempting to make the deadline.

 

KR's

 

IanJ

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  • 2 weeks later...

Control Horns. One is ringed red in the photo below.

 

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They're absolutely the tiniest pieces of plastic I've ever encountered. That is a cocktail stick alongside by way of comparison, the camera wouldn't focus on something so small.

 

I lost 4 to the carpet monster. Could do with spares on the sprue for such an occurrance but have made a couple for the rudder from slivers of plasticard in the meantime. As for picking them up I had to dig the scalpel blade into the horn to grip them and then managed to glue them in place. 

 

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Whether they'll stay there when I attach the control lines is anyone's guess...

 

 

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Getting closer to completing the rigging.

 

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It's a bit like banging your head against a wall, you sort of get used to it but it's going to be such a relief when it's over.

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Nice build, I've always fancied building one of these. Now I've got a reference to work off I will give one a go.

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