Sandbagger Posted April 22, 2019 Author Share Posted April 22, 2019 Hi all, 'Spark Advance' control (Ignition Timing) fitted from cockpit lever to engine magnetos linkage rod. Made from 0.3 mm brass tube, 0.1 mm Nickel-Silver rod and scratch link. Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandbagger Posted April 23, 2019 Author Share Posted April 23, 2019 Hi all, Throttle control run added from pilot's throttle lever to the linkage on the dual carburettors. Scratch made from 0.1 mm Nickel-Silver rod and 0.3 mm brass tube with the pivot lever created from 'spare' photo-etch, Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandbagger Posted April 23, 2019 Author Share Posted April 23, 2019 Hi all, Control cable for the hand operated throttle added. Lead wire 0.2 mm diameter, from hand throttle on the control column, down and under the floor, up side frames and across the throttle quadrant. Then down the other side, under the floor and back up to the hand throttle. Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandbagger Posted April 24, 2019 Author Share Posted April 24, 2019 Hi all, Generator lead and seat connector fitted. Generators were not standard fit, but were installed to some aircraft to power heated flying suits later in WW1 and if carried, wireless transmitters. Made from 0.4 mm diameter Nickel-Silver micro-tube and 0.148 mm diameter match line. Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandbagger Posted April 26, 2019 Author Share Posted April 26, 2019 Hi all, Radiator with photo-etch front and rear cooling core and scratch made pilot operated flap (to control engine cooling), Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandbagger Posted April 27, 2019 Author Share Posted April 27, 2019 Hi all, Radiator flap control now fitted. Made from micro-tube (0.4 mm and 0.1 mm diameter), photo-etch pulley and 0.125 mm copper wire for the loop handle, Mike 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandbagger Posted April 27, 2019 Author Share Posted April 27, 2019 Hi all, Radiator side stays fitted, Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandbagger Posted April 29, 2019 Author Share Posted April 29, 2019 Hi all, The front end gas been weathered up a bit to keep it aligned with the associated Fokker D.VII model. It's ready now for cross brace rigging and the fitting of the twp machine guns with their synchronization drive cables, Mike 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandbagger Posted May 1, 2019 Author Share Posted May 1, 2019 Hi all, Rigging has started now. Difficult to make out some of the rigging as I had to tie back the flight control lines as they were getting in the way. So far: Double bracing across the top of the fuel tank. Double bracing across the underside of the cockpit floor (2 sets). Double bracing across the frame bays adjacent to the pilot's seat. Double bracing across the rear of the pilot's seat support frame. Double bracing across each vertical fuselage frame. Done with 0.08 mm Mono-filament, 0.4 mm Nickel-Silver tube and 1:48th scale turnbuckles ('Gaspatch'). The same needs to done on each of the frame bays on each side of the fuselage as well as those under and on top of the fuselage. Mike 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 Superb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 So thorough, this is amazing to follow.  I'm just starting the Battle Axe Fokker Dvii. Very different levels of detail. 🙊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_t Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 Incredible - you know, each of these progress posts could be an RFI in its own right! It would make following the progress a bit of a challenge, though! The build and the picture quality are just brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandbagger Posted May 2, 2019 Author Share Posted May 2, 2019 Ted, I have the old 'Battle Axe' and the 'Falcon' vac-form kit, but then 'MicroMir' released their Fokker D.VIII, so I built that one instead. Not a bad kit but I chose to scratch build the cockpit frames, seat frame, undercarriage and wing struts from brass micro-tube. Also made the cockpit plywood panels from plastic card. My PDF build log is available for download if you want it:  http://igavh2.xara.hosting/#xl_xr_page_gallery1  Mike  1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandbagger Posted May 2, 2019 Author Share Posted May 2, 2019 Hi all, The top fuselage frames are cross braced. Onto the sides now, then the make and fit the top decking panel and finally cross brace the bottom fuselage frames, Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandbagger Posted May 3, 2019 Author Share Posted May 3, 2019 Hi all, The fuselage side frame bays are now cross braced. Now to make and fit the top decking panel and finally cross brace the bottom fuselage frames, Mike 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandbagger Posted May 4, 2019 Author Share Posted May 4, 2019 Hi all, The fuselage rear decking panel fitted. Now to cross brace the bottom fuselage frames, then it's onto the tail skid assembly, Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny_Sokko Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 Beautiful work. After seeing this I'm almost ashamed to call myself a modeler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandbagger Posted May 7, 2019 Author Share Posted May 7, 2019 Hi all, The fuselage bottom cross bracing is done, which completes the fuselage bracing. Also the tail skis has been fitted, with 0.125 mm copper wire suspension springs and 0.2 mm lead wire retention cable. Now it's onto making the cockpit surround padding and fit the two modified 'Gaspatch' machine guns with their synchronization cables, Mike 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandbagger Posted May 8, 2019 Author Share Posted May 8, 2019 Hi all, I realized that the fuselage rear decking panel was incorrect. I made it such that the front edge butted up against the rear of the pilot's seat support frame. In fact the decking seems to have passed over the seat frame, forming the rear cockpit surround, then onto the top of the cockpit side frames. After several tries and five broken bracing wires, I think it's just about there now. Now onto making the padded rim to fit around the cockpit rear decking and after that, the machine guns, Mike 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandbagger Posted May 10, 2019 Author Share Posted May 10, 2019 Hi all, Both machine guns are now fitted along with their synchronization flexible drives. These drives are connected between the bottom of the gun breech blocks and the gun synchronization mechanism, fitted to the rear of the engine cam shaft, Mike 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandbagger Posted May 13, 2019 Author Share Posted May 13, 2019 Hi all, I've added the padding rim around the fuselage decking panel and onto the top of the cockpit side frames. This was done using 2.0 mm diameter plastic tube which was sanded to form a grip for painting. Then it was slit along one side and located over the decking and secured in position with thin CA adhesive. Finally it was primed, painted 'Humbrol' leather (62) and 'Tamiya' Hull Red (XF9), sealed then given a clay wash and finally sealed with 'Alclad' Light Sheen (ALC-311). Mike 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billn53 Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 I just found this build, and amazing work it is! I visited your website and took a look at one of your build logs. There is great info there that will be valuable to anyone doing modeling, no matter what their preferred subject might be. Thanks so much taking the effort to document your work in such detail, I now have some reading to do...  -Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandbagger Posted May 13, 2019 Author Share Posted May 13, 2019 (edited) Hi Bill, My pleasure.  Hi all, Tail unit assembled from the 3D printed parts. Very fragile once separated from the support frame, so should prove interesting. The elevator was missing the inboard trailing edge profile, presumably missed during printing process. Therefore I had to make the profiles using 0.8 mm brass tube. Mike  Edited May 14, 2019 by Sandbagger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandbagger Posted May 16, 2019 Author Share Posted May 16, 2019 (edited) Hi all, Well the fuselage is completed, apart from fitting the engine exhaust and the propeller. The Rudder and Elevator control runs have been connected with the turnbuckles under the pilot's seat. Also the tail plane to fin bracing cable. The entire fuselage has been weathered and sealed. So now it's on to the lower wing, followed by scratch building the skeletal undercarriage assembly, which unfortunately is not available as a 3D printed part. Mike Edited May 16, 2019 by Sandbagger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandbagger Posted May 17, 2019 Author Share Posted May 17, 2019 Hi all, The 3D printed lower wing is detailed enough, but as normal there are details that can be added to make it more authentic. Early production Fokker D.VII aircraft were fitted with bracing tapes that were routed across the wings between the front and rear wing spars and between the rear wing spar and the wing trailing edge. These tapes were routed in a diagonal ‘zig-zag’ form, up and over each wing rib. However later production aircraft were fitted with 10 mm square strip wood as replacements for the earlier tapes. The 3D printed wings represent the later, strip wood version. Although these strip wood struts can be left to make the model build easier, I've chosen to remove the wings strip wood struts and represent the earlier bracing tapes. In addition, the two wing halves, when test joined at the centre section spars, showed a higher than expected dihedral angle. Therefore I had to shave away material from the spars to achieve the correct angle. Finally the leading edges of both wings were fitted with 'saw tooth' plywood fairings, which will need to be scratch made, as will the trailing edge support wire for attaching the linen covering. So far: Spars adjusted. Strip wood bracing removed. Diagonal bracing struts added to inner and outer trailing edges. Holes drilled at the wing strut attachment points for attaching the wings internal cross bracing cables. Wings scrapped clean of wax support material, assembled and primed. The upper wing, which is in three sections, will require similar treatment. Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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