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D.H. 83 Fox Moth, half scratch


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Different approaches are tried for the upper wing center section/tank, one way or another they all work. Here some tests and methods:

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The cockpit deck is being prepared (note to myself: do not glue the cover on until you have painted the cockpit interior and cockpit parts, and have installed them, with the instrument panel and cabin window glass.  And yes, in case you were wondering, I have done it before)

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Nose floor on, using the -not glued- lower wing center section as a guide.

You can see here the kit's aileron linkages. They are not a bad solution, but I may remove them and go for a horn and rod instead:

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Surprised you didn't vacform the upper fuselage (maybe in several sections) using your Mattel machine. Rolling plastic (unless done in hot water), always gives a rather 'lumpy' look, rather than smooth curves.

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The most likely candidate for the wings as they come in the Airfix kit, as said above, is G-ACDD in its many lives (and registrations).

For those interested, here is a newsreel of the prince of Wales with his then new toy, wrongly described in the reel as a Puss Moth.

Keen eyes may notice the special features of this plane, two wind-driven generators -one under the nose and the other on the lower left wing-, an airscoop fairing running the length of the nose, what seems to be a beacon or light on the top center section LE, etc.

The reel is the same in both these sites:

https://www.britishpathe.com/video/the-princes-new-plane

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS8Rc2m2S1A

Since I am not, in the very least, particularly fond of above-mentioned prince, I will not build the plane as owned by him, but maybe in some of it's other incarnations, so I can avoid if possible deleting those slats.

 

 

 

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15 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

If I might suggest this for inspiration, only slightly biased. :)

Steve.

Hi Steve

your link goes to a Google page with Foxes of many registrations of different countries, but I take it that you meant Kiwi ZK-AEK.

We'll see, it has its merits, some alternate liveries thorough time and the removal of the top fuselage airscoop and wind-driven generators, plus normal prop instead of the pressed-metal one on the links, which makes it less complicated.

But the Belgian OO-ENC is a runner too (just because of Poirot ;-)

 

 

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The search term I used was "air travel nz ltd fox moth" a lot of links in there to that specifically but of course these aircraft seem to have had many identities so a lot of cross over. The Belgian one would be a good option too, not as good as a Kiwi one mind. ;):D

Steve.

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31 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

The search term I used was "air travel nz ltd fox moth" a lot of links in there to that specifically but of course these aircraft seem to have had many identities so a lot of cross over. The Belgian one would be a good option too, not as good as a Kiwi one mind. ;):D

Steve.

Before contemplating any build, I do a very extensive search for references, so I had a very large number of images of candidates beforehand.

I try to keep it fluid, though, during the build, and generally postpone the decision until it is clear to me what the advantages may be, or how much work I am willing to do in order to get the version I want.

I do appreciate though the help I receive and any useful comments or suggestions, like yours.

Cheers

 

And it slowly continues:

Here removal of kit's tail feature and two of the tanks made.

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As explained somewhere above, doors with the strange curvature are carved from styrene, then mounted on a piece of wood, and used to vacuu-form parts.

It is better to do it with clear plastic, so you just have to mask the window inside and out and airbrush, but I also made opaque parts top check the curvature, and use as spares if something happens (for which I will have to cut out the window and install clear plastic or use window-maker liquid):

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1 hour ago, Col. said:

Somehow tapping the 'Like' button feels insufficient for this quality of work :wub:

My thoughts exactly!

 

Martian

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A sort of long interruption is on the horizon, but before the pause, I am trying to solve a few little things:

 

Oh, those pesky darn little pants. Wood masters and vacuformed ones>

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State of things.

The turtledeck head fairing is in place, plus one partial former above the cabin (some things are not yet glued, though):

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Very elegent scratch work. I did once DH 83 as a scratch conversion of AZ Tiger Moth but mine was not that tide as yours. Congrats! I am really impressed :)

Regards

J-W

 

 

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More nose parts need fabrication:

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And I decided to re-do the oil reservoir in a more detailed way:

Plastic scraps are shaped and sanded:

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Mounted on very thin sheet:

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Cut from it:

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The flange seen in photos of the plane shaped:

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Intake and drainage added:

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Needles to say, you could also cut the one present in the Airfix kit as part of the fuselage, but this is more fun ;)

Besides, there was a shallow space between the reservoir and the plane's cheek, most like for passing air to refrigerate the engine oil.

 

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53 minutes ago, k5054nz said:

Beautiful work, Moa!

 

My paint scheme vote is for ZK-ADI in the orange and silver.

Cheers, Zac.

Problem is, ZK-ADI has no slats, but ZK-AEK, a re-incarnation of G-ACDD, did.

So my Kiwi choice here is ZK-AEK, which is looking more and more like it (but no promises here, still keeping an eye of OO-ENC, other G-ACDD iteration)

Nevertheless, have to figure out colors of these schemes, so Kiwis, squeeze your brains if you want to outsmart the Belgian little grey cells :P

https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/13389

 

https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/22014

 

https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/16674

 

https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/20198

 

https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/10146

 

 

Edited by Moa
to correct typo
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Hum, this slat issue became puzzling. No slats on ZK-AEK. The photos I have of OO-ENC are not good or do not show that section of the wing, and can't really tell one way or the other.

Unfortunately I have no photos (nor can I see any on the Net) of G-ACAJ, the first reg of the machine with slats.

Any G-ACAJ or OO-ENC photos out there?

I have already all images of OO-NEC that are on the Net, btw.

Perhaps I should post this question at the Civil Aircraft Modelling Discussion by Era

 

Edited by Moa
to correct typo
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