Dornier Do 18-D *Finished*

[TheBaron]

6 hours ago, Procopius said:

Geeze oh pete, Tony, I just saw this. Wow. WOW.

I always dreamed that one day I'd make somebody say that on the Internet.

6 hours ago, keefr22 said:

 

Sorry if you've already mentioned it Tony, but from where did said brass come? My looking for thin strips has thus far been fruitless...

Keith, there's another Keith here who might be able to help:

http://www.modellingtimbers.co.uk/3.html

Most reasonable prices and swift delivery.

 

I hope you get what you need.

3 hours ago, jrlx said:

Tony, the gun supporting structures turned out excellent and the work on the lower wing actuators is impressive.

It's one of those things Jaime.

You just know if you didn't push yourself that you'd  be staring at such parts forever more and wondering how it might have looked 'if only'....

1 hour ago, Tomoshenko said:

Yikes Tony I'm just catching up. The gun mounting bits is just sublime.

Ta for that Tomo.

Another small step for Baronkind.

Here's my secret:

I don't know what's hardest to accept - that this is a bona fide game or that I find such a scenario mildly intriguing.

'Advance directly to the Ruhr - do not pass go, do not collect 200 engine cylinders'

Bagsie being the flying boot.

1 hour ago, Tomoshenko said:

as much good as a pub with no beer!

Is that what is known as a Wetherspoons?

Not living in England for over 30 years means I'm not up on all the latest trends....

 

[keefr22]

10 minutes ago, TheBaron said:

Keith, there's another Keith here who might be able to help:

http://www.modellingtimbers.co.uk/3.html

Most reasonable prices and swift delivery.

 

Thanks Tony, off for a browse...

 

K

[amblypygid]

25 minutes ago, TheBaron said:

I don't know what's hardest to accept - that this is a bona fide game or that I find such a scenario mildly intriguing.

 

Splendid. I playtested the first edition many years ago (checks emails. Ten years ago. Blimey.) At that time it was a very enjoyable, fast playing, thematic Euro, so I hope in the intervening ten years that it's retained the fun part!

[jrlx]

23 minutes ago, TheBaron said:

You just know if you didn't push yourself that you'd  be staring at such parts forever more and wondering how it might have looked 'if only'....

You're absolutely right. I always try to improve those areas of a model (or of my work on a model) I know I would be regretting forever if left unimproved.

 

Cheers

 

Jaime

 

 

[TheBaron]

15 hours ago, keefr22 said:

Thanks Tony, off for a browse...

It must be catching Keith! 

I experienced the need to follow up @hendies recommendation of brass rod and seem to have acquired some somehow...

14 hours ago, amblypygid said:

 

Splendid. I playtested the first edition many years ago (checks emails. Ten years ago. Blimey.) At that time it was a very enjoyable, fast playing, thematic Euro, so I hope in the intervening ten years that it's retained the fun part!

Is this how it starts Chris? Please don't tell me that in about five years it will have led me to cosplay?

(Nobody tell the Martian - I'm already in trouble with him for not changing gender at Telford...)

13 hours ago, jrlx said:

I always try to improve those areas of a model (or of my work on a model) I know I would be regretting forever if left unimproved

Where psychology and material reality collide Jaime! 

 

Well, it seems that I just can't catch a break on decals en ce moment - into the print room at work earlier to find that the colour laserprinter is spitting forth fitfully it's last lungfuls of toner and that replenishments won't be arriving until the New Year. A test print revealed that it still works fine, as long as what you want comes in shades of fawn and yellow. Not being inclined to render the beast thusly as a plague-ship means this aircraft may well end up getting coloured in with crayons at this rate...

 

[Brandy]

mmmm, crayons! Don't forget to remove the paper first though, it sticks to your teeth.

 

Ian

[TheBaron]

1 hour ago, limeypilot said:

mmmm, crayons! Don't forget to remove the paper first though, it sticks to your teeth.

I cant still remember that quite particular taste that the cheap Woolworths' brand had - somewhere between marzipan and imminent chemical poisoning....

 

Succinct is the order of the evening. 

 

Souvenir shots taken of this:

Because it's now looking like this:

 

 

 

[keefr22]

Is this a 'Spot the difference' competition Tony? Pic at t'other end of the link looks exactly the same as the one in the post to me. Or have I failed the test?!

 

Keith

[TheBaron]

50 minutes ago, keefr22 said:

Is this a 'Spot the difference' competition Tony? Pic at t'other end of the link looks exactly the same as the one in the post to me. Or have I failed the test?!

Jeez your reactions are quick Wyatt Earp! It must only have been less than 20 seconds for me to change the original post!

Do you want the Strictly Come Dancing Calendar or the Johnny Vegas rubber mask for first prize?

I'll have to hurry you....

[keefr22]

Errr,ummm,errr.....

[TheBaron]

Actual actuators active tonight.

 

It started off with these. 0.4mm tube soldered to some brass strip:

Thence in the middle of excess solder being filed away:

0.6mm tubing then inserted into housing for a test fit to sort out length:

Followed by testing the 0.4mm tubing doesn't encounter any obstructions sliding in:

Having sorted out all six fitted (three per wing):

First the housing, followed by the actuator were fixed into place with epoxy:

The two outer ones on each wing control the aileron, the inner one (in focus below) operates the landing flap:

None of the brass parts will be trimmed to length at this stage as first I want to mark and cut recesses into the respective flaps and ailerons to mount them into, and then to trim them back flush once I've established those points and fixed the parts together:

The idea is that the three actuators we've just added per wing will take most of the weight, the six hinges per wing will act more as bracing:

The third hinge outboard on each wing acts as a double hinge, marking where the aileron and flap are split into two sections:

Enough actuating now.

 

My eyes hurt after that.

 

Night chums.

Tony

 

 

 

[keefr22]

Most excellent mini metalworking again Tony, cracking job!

 

Night, night

 

Keith

[giemme]

4 minutes ago, keefr22 said:

Most excellent mini metalworking again Tony, cracking job!

 

Night, night

 

Keith

I agree 100% with K, Tony

 

I don't think I understood one point, though: are you going to trim the brass bits in place, I mean after having glued them? If so, what are you going to use, to get a neat cut and not risking to dislodge them? TIA

 

Ciao

[perdu]

That is an awfully good question Giorgio

 

I am just a bit interested too

 

Just a bit

 

 

A bit

 

 

 

 

 

OK I am very interested when will you do the trimming Tony?

[hendie]

1 hour ago, perdu said:

OK I am very interested when will you do the trimming Tony?

 

is this some crazy new dance craze I am unaware of ?

 

 

 

 

Nice detailing [as always / once again / as we have come to expect ***   ]

 

*** please circle as appropriate

 

 

 

1 hour ago, perdu said:

That is an awfully good question Giorgio

 

I am just a bit interested too

 

no doubt we should prepare ourselves to be amazed and astounded at the sudden appearance of some veritable *must have* magical new cut-in-placery tool!

[perdu]

Of a definite certainty H, I await breath abated...

[hendie]

1 minute ago, perdu said:

Of a definite certainty H, I await breath abated...

 

the dance or the new tool?

 

I can just hear Bryan now...

Had your fill of quadrilles
The madison and cheap thrills
fed up with balogna
then tune in your Marconi
Grab a wizzened crony
and do the Trimming Tony

 

 

 

 

 

[perdu]

G u l p

 

Send him, hmm, no HER away somebody

 

She looks hell bent on revenge for countless deceased family members

 

 

No wonder The Bruce was a spider fancier, that one could convert my missus

 

 

 

Forcibly

 

[jrlx]

Impressive work on the actuators, as always

 

Cheers

 

Jaime

 

 

[Brandy]

Wot they said! Not much to add really, the detail meister strikes again!

Hendie, I'm not a fan of spiders at the best of times, especially when they have such huge maracas! I bet he could get over a wall too......

 

Ian

[TheBaron]

15 hours ago, keefr22 said:

Most excellent mini metalworking again

I'm regretting not buying that very fetching miniature anvil that I saw for sale at Telford. Not that I need it, just that it was very fetching...

 

15 hours ago, giemme said:

I don't think I understood one point

 

13 hours ago, perdu said:

That is an awfully good question Giorgio

Giorgio, Bill: The plan (I say 'plan' of course to diginify my speculative fumbling forward with anything approaching a methodology) is for the hinges (six per wing) to fit into narrow slots cut into the upper surfaces of the moving parts to act as bracing. I've tried to angle these so that they won't need much if any trimming down at all, due to the 1mm thickness of the flaps/ailerons at those point. The three actuators per wing (which will form the main load bearing parts) will go all the way into slots on the flaps/ailerons but I'll mark any excess before gluing such parts into place. Trimming should be a simple matter with a Japanese Whale-back Saw:

Or not..

12 hours ago, hendie said:

the sudden appearance of some veritable *must have* magical new cut-in-placery tool!

The lower brass 'slats' of the actuators are thin enough to snip any excess from with small surgical scissors without too much fuss (these scissors are apparently called 'Angled Wagners'  - who knew?):

I did something similar back when soldering up the internal rests for the retrieval poles on the C-119 build and trimmed the tubing to size in situ in order to follow the internal contours of the fuselage. It was one of the reasons I elected to solder the connection between these parts and the brass tubing (if that makes sense?) in this instance, for a bit of extra oomph on the bond.

 

I'll post pictures of it all going horribly wrong later.

11 hours ago, hendie said:

the dance

Spider-maracas!  Love it!

11 hours ago, perdu said:

Send him, hmm, no HER away somebody

That clip reminds me more and more of Bez from The Happy Mondays...

10 hours ago, jrlx said:

Impressive work on the actuators,

Thanks Jaime; the proof of the pudding will be in how well this tidies-up now of course...

9 hours ago, limeypilot said:

I'm not a fan of spiders at the best of times, especially when they have such huge maracas!

The things you hear on this forum Ian.

World-class!

 

Hopefully have more for you when I'm home later chaps...

 

[giemme]

5 minutes ago, TheBaron said:

Trimming should be a simple matter with a Japanese Whale-back Saw:

Right, now I get it ....       
 

Ciao

[perdu]

Yeah, it was obvious really wasn't it

 

I don't know how I missed it, it was so obvious

 

Really

 

 

😩

[pheonix]

Just catching up again Tony. Your soldering skills are very impressive indeed. As for ingenuity, well that seems to know no bounds!! I do like the idea that you move crabwise towards solving problems, and wait for it all to fall apart when you do take take the plunge with an idea. Surely that is what super-detailing and scratch building is all about? Just sticking bits of plastic/wood/brass/rubber/string (add or delete as appropriate) in an order written by someone else is not nearly so much fun as trying to work out a sequence for oneself. Judging by your results you are a bit odf a past master at this sort of thing.

 

Truly inspiring build.

 

P

[TheBaron]

1 hour ago, pheonix said:

I do like the idea that you move crabwise towards solving problems, and wait for it all to fall apart when you do take take the plunge with an idea.

Thanks Phoenix, that's a very kind sentiment.

My instinct is that conventional wisdom has been developed for very valid and necessary reasons, but that makes it all the more important to challenge it from time-to-time, just to make sure that it hasn't become a false god.

1 hour ago, pheonix said:

Just sticking bits of plastic/wood/brass/rubber/string (add or delete as appropriate) in an order written by someone else is not nearly so much fun as trying to work out a sequence for oneself. 

I could not have put that better myself and wish to associate myself with the Rt. Hon. Gentleman's comments in this matter.

 

I say you chaps.

The Wagner worked:

Good Lord no! 

Not him. 

The surgical scissors!

Sorry for the cruddy smartphone pics this evening but the laptop's at work so I can't upload any DSLR shots. Anyway, hopefully there's enough for you to see that the trimming procedure I outlined earlier was a success:

In the end it was simpler to strip off the hinges and just concentrate on getting the actuators directly mounted first, by trimming to them length and then CA'ing them into slots in the aileron as you see above.

 

Once that was all levelled and angled correctly I then added all the trimmed hinges back in, also using CA.

One aileron down, two flaps and an aileron to go. I'm going to take this stage slow and steady completing those assemblies over the next couple of evenings; for now though I'm going to go and stick my head back into Neville Duke's Test Pilot memoir. He and my grandad were sailing neighbours down in Littlehampton Harbour during the whole Sound Barrier and High Speed Flight period: he always spoke of him with affection as an unassuming  and modest companion, though of course as a gauche kid I never fully appreciated such a family connection...now you realise that it was history in your midst, of a kind that James Hamilton Patterson wrote so elegaically about in:

Tony