Jump to content

Junkers D.1 - 1:32 Wingnut Wings.


Recommended Posts

Junkers D.1  - 1:32 Wingnut Wings.

 

box.jpg

 

The Junkers D.1's main claim to fame is that it was the world's first all metal monoplane fighter. It entered service in very small numbers in October 1918, just before the end of the First World War. Further examples saw action with the German Freikorps in the Baltic during 1919. An example of the kit was received from Wingnut Wings, reviewed here.

 

I was so impressed with it, that I could not resist starting it right away. The cockpit area is quite a 'birdcage' of tubework, but has been broken down into comparatively few parts. The moildings are exquisite, and I started by removing all the interior parts to make into a few sun assemblies ready for paining and priming.

d1-2.jpg

 

A quick dry fit if the main parts shows how well it all fits. The precision is so high that no glue is used here;

di-1.jpg

 

Interior painting is suggested as either bare metal or grey-green primer. I went for bare metal as I want to show that this was an all metal aeroplane. The two side frames at the top of this photo had a few injection 'towers' to cut off their rear faces, something to do with ensuring that the plastic flows fully through the mold I guess. It is a 30 second job and simple to do, but don't miss it or you'll have problems fitting the cockpit between the fuselage halves. After a spray of Halfords rattle can grey primer, I gave everything a spray of Tamiya X1 Black. I find that if you are going to apply silver paint, by far the best thing to do is apply a black undercoat.

d1-3.jpg

 

A coat of Vallejo 'Metal Color' aluminium followed. (Ok, technically these were steel tubes, but I'm happy with this colour).

d1-7.jpg

 

The fuselage parts were done at the same time. However, such are the close tolerances on Wingnut Wings kits that I have learned that even a coat of primer & paint on mating surfaces can interfere with the fit of the cockpit area between the fuselage halves. Just that little extra thickness can keep it from making a tight join. amazing but true, so I routinely mask off areas where cockpit bulkheads & frames will butt up to. It is only a 15 minute job. but will save you hours later.

d1-5.jpg

 

Primer & then black on;

d1-4.jpg

 

Then Vallejo 'Metal Colour' Dark Aluminium. I'm probably taking a bit of artistic license here, as I want to have a contrast between the fuselage skinning and the framework.

It's got nice paint free channels for the frames to sit inthough!

d1-6.jpg

 

I'll let this lot settle down before starting on painting all the little brackets & fittings etc.

 

Thanks for looking

 

John

 

  • Like 15
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good start, John

 

I'm going to be following this with real interest so good luck on your build.

 

Regards

 

Dave

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

All internal components are now painted and instrument & placard decals applied. The etched brass seatbelts were painted on the fret and then cut off reay for application. The shoulder belts have cutouts, and fit over lugs on the back of the seat.

d1-8.jpg

 

The lap straps fit into little slots in the bulkhead, with enough length that can be bent over and secured with cyano on the back of the bulkhead. This isn't that easy to see on the instructions, but obvious if you look at the parts.

d1-9.jpg


The throttle cables and rudder lines are best fitted to the control column assembly while it is a separate unit. I used fishing line for the rudder cables, and fine copper wire for the throttle lines.

d1-10.jpg


The gun cables were started from under the gun mounts on the bulkhead, and will be attached to the triggers on the control column after all is fitted together.

d1-11.jpg


Main parts ready for assembly.

d1-12.jpg


Unit fitted together with one side panel left off for the photographs.

d1-13.jpg

 

d1-14.jpg

 

I added a small rectangle of plasticard on the rear of the bulkhead, over the cutout for the rudder lines. I drilled two 0.3mm holes on each side of it to feed the rudder lines through and secure them with cyano.

One fuselage half dry fitted. Superb detail throughout and absolutely incredible fit. It all fits like a glove, and is seriously impressive.

d1-15.jpg

 

d1-16.jpg

 

Finally the main unit has been glued to the fuselage floor. The two fuselage sides will be the next parts to join around it.

d1-17.jpg

 

Like a good book, I can't put this down as I am enjoying it so much.

 

Thanks for looking,

 

John

 

  • Like 16
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Work moved to the engine for a while. I assembled as much as I could into sub units.

d18.jpg

 

A base coat of black, and ignition wiring from fine copper wire.

d19.jpg

 

Completed engine;

d20.jpg

 

d21.jpg

 

d22.jpg

 

d23.jpg

 

Fuselage sides added to the base unit. The fit was perfect. The triangular cut out behind the cockpit is to allow you to get a finger in and press press the side unit over its locating tab.

d24.jpg

 

Superb fit of the underside join.

d25.jpg

 

Top decking and tailplane fitted next, again the fit is extraordinary.

d26.jpg

 

Wings also fit together perfectly. I just ran some Tamiya extra thin into the seams and pressed them together.

d27.jpg

 

Beautifully crisp trailing edges, and I love the detail where the aileron fits in.

d28.jpg

 

Wings now attached. Once the fuselage is done, the build really moves at a rapid pace.

d30.jpg

 

Dry fit of the engine into its bay. I'll leave it out while I prime & paint the main airframe.

d31.jpg

 

Thanks for looking

 

John

  • Like 10
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow!  Like many (I suspect), I have acquired some WNW but not yet dipped my toe into building one.  With my obvious Naval bias, I expect it’s hardly a shock to find that in my stash I have a “Tripehound”, RNAS Pup and “Ship’s” Camel - and if they ever get around to a Bristol Scout, 1&½ Strutter, Nieuport 10 or Shorts 184, they’ll be snapped up, too.

 

Looking at builds like this just makes me want to start one of them - but I have too many half-finished projects as it is, so a modicum of self-restraint is needed.  But you’re not making it easy!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Chaps, comments are much appreciated.

 

Paintwork has started now, all airbrushed Tamiya acrylics. First up a coat of Halfords rattle can grey primer. Normally I'd sand it afterwards but it's not really practical on this corrugated surface.

d1-32.jpg

 

Then light blue on the undersurfaces. The instructions show that the capping that covers the wing joint was painted white on the underside.

d1-33.jpg

 

Then the wings & tailplane in green and mauve.

d1-34.jpg

 

Next stage is to mask these off and spray the fuselage black.

 

Thanks for looking

 

John

  • Like 11
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks chaps, a few answers below.

On 5/7/2018 at 5:26 PM, clive_t said:

Looks great does that. Regarding the air brushing of Tamiya acrylics, do you spray them as is, or do you thin them?

Clive, I thin them about 50/50 with Isopropyl (IPA).

 

19 hours ago, monsjmse said:

Beautiful work so far. Is this the first WNW not to require any rigging?!

Their very first kit, the Junkers J.1 is also rigging free!

 

box.jpg&key=3e70cb5b8360a34f274fbd9fa3a8

 

 

19 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

That looks great but i didnt know Tamiya has a Mauve ?  

You are correct, they don't!

I usually mix my own paints when a shade I want is unavailable.

For this model I have used XF-23 Light Blue on the underside, XF-67 Nato Green on the upper surfaces, and my own mix of Mauve from X-16 Purple, XF-53 Neutral grey, and a dash of XF-7 Red.

d1-35.jpg

 

I always keep a few empty paint jars and clean them out. They can then be used to make a batch of my own colour, and kept with my 'regular' Tamiya paints. I usually spray a spot on the lid to indicate the contents. Always make sure you have enough before you start, you don't want to be mixing another batch when you model is only half painted!

 

Cheers

 

John

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A bit more done. Having studied the instructions I noticed that the tailplane is shown as also painted black, and not the light blue & green/mauve. The Windsock datafile has a good picture of this aircraft taken from behind, confirming that it was the same colour as the fuselage.

d1-36.jpg

 

And on with the black, again airbrushed Tamiya paint;

d1-37.jpg

 

d1-38.jpg

 

It's getting there, not too much more to do now. I'm not one for heavy panel lines, I think it looks 'arty' and admire people who can do it, but for me it tends to look unrealistic. I'll give it some light weathering though.

 

Thanks for looking

 

John

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow!

 

Your working on this at an incredible pace! 

 

Great progress, John it really is looking superb.  I've just recently completed Wnw s Fokker EII eindecker and I found that to be an excellent kit for fit and a nice trouble free build - this one is looking even better in this regard.

 

Looking forward to your next instalment.

 

Regards

 

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks chaps.

 Latest progress, Guns are made using the photo etched jackets,

d1-40.jpg

 

Undercarriage is on;

d1-39.jpg

 

It has the only rigging required on this model. I drilled out the 2 anchor points on each leg, and the central ring on the fuselage. A single length of fishing line was then secured on one leg, passed through the fuselage mount, and back down to the opposite leg. Stretched cotton but turnbuckles were fed onto the lines, which have been ties & cyano'd, but not yet trimmed off. Probably the easiest rigging job ever!

d1-41.jpg

 

All ready for the decals to be applied. The radiator, gun troughs, and forward cockpit coaming were all very precise fits and required a lot of care to get them sitting just right. The fit of the removable cowling side panels is spot on, they couldn't be better.

d1-42.jpg

 

d1-43.jpg

 

Next up is decalling, my favorite stage!

 

Thanks for looking,

 

John

 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...