Brandy Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 (edited) This will be my next project, once I have finished the Heinkel 111 and Fairey Battle. Here is a quick look at what it might involve...... This is the kit... It's very basic and there will be a lot of corrections and alterations required, not the least of which will be the replacement of the tail surfaces and possibly the trailing edges of the wings as well. The plastic is VERY soft and not good to work with so replacement may be the better option over correction. The gates are huge and will need very careful removal, and the wings are too thick, so as stated above, I may need to remove the rear edges at the minimum, maybe even scratch the entire wings. The white metal parts are very good so that will be a big help. Thanks for looking in! Ian Edited October 18, 2019 by limeypilot 30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob C. Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 Bought one of these when they first came out -- mostly against my better judgement, but I imagined what it would look like if done right. So wishing you best of luck. Not sure it would be a useful application here, but I recently bought some of these https://www.albionhobbies.com/connecto/ in different sizes, intending them for boom/strut structures on aircraft like F. E. 8, etc. Might be easier than using plastic rod, for instance, on that underwing assembly, or even the landing gear? Going to be very much looking forward to seeing your work on this. Bob C 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 Looking forward to this Ian, its one of my favourite early types. Following. You may proceed. Martian 👽 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted October 17, 2019 Share Posted October 17, 2019 Nasty molding - I'm in 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted October 17, 2019 Share Posted October 17, 2019 Oooohh! More plastic flagellation to look forward to Steve. 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 17, 2019 Share Posted October 17, 2019 Yes Ian! Nice choice. Drop the other projects, get at it. I have a vac kit of this plane, but will have to extricate it from the dungeons. Will follow with attention! Good luck! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted October 17, 2019 Share Posted October 17, 2019 Wonderful subject, not so wonderful kit, Personally I’d scratch new wings. Taube wings are reasonably easily made from ruled layers or 20 thou card with possibly some brass rod spars for structure. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBaron Posted October 17, 2019 Share Posted October 17, 2019 You had me at: 13 hours ago, limeypilot said: there will be a lot of corrections 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HP42 Posted October 17, 2019 Share Posted October 17, 2019 Looking forward to seeing this one built, but my goodness, it's a dreadful looking moulding. I've had a few Pegasus kits and they leave everything to be desired. Good luck! 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonners Posted October 17, 2019 Share Posted October 17, 2019 So, did Pegasus injection-mould those wings, or just melt some plastic on a hotplate? Like it - watching. Jon 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_t Posted October 19, 2019 Share Posted October 19, 2019 This is a fascinating subject, and knowing the quality of your work Ian this will be well worth a watch! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritag Posted October 19, 2019 Share Posted October 19, 2019 Ahh, perfect limeypilot territory...... On 10/16/2019 at 8:23 PM, limeypilot said: The white metal parts are very good so that will be a big help You’re a better man than me. I haven’t come across a white metal bit yet that I’ve coped with - some sort of missing skill set in my armoury. My usual solution now is to clean up the white metal bit as best I can, and use it to cast a resin replacement; which I then feel more confident of fettling and using. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted October 19, 2019 Share Posted October 19, 2019 should be worth watching. Count me in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 I found the kit I have, it is an Airframe 1/72 vac. If you think you have a hard path to success, have a look at this one: It belongs to the "Great Optimism" category of kits: My goal is to make a spectacular cabin civil version.... of 1912!!!! How's that for the time? Monoplane, cabined transport! There was yet another 1912 Taube version for four people that had large window areas below the wing, but that one can't be made from the available kits. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phat trev Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 Loads of engine options for the Taube too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted April 10, 2020 Author Share Posted April 10, 2020 Evening all! Since today I put paint on the other 2 kits I'm working on, I decided to do a little more on this one. I had already done some work on the tail and wings, which for some reason I didn't post so I'll update that too. For the tail, the kit parts are very thick. The vertical parts were thinned easily enough by sanding and I'm happy with those. But the horizontal stabilizer is beyond saving. Even if it wasn't, the way the kit is designed gives a very awkward joint towards the front, with the foremost part being cast as part of the fuselage. I decided to make another part from plastic sheet stock. The fuselage moulding was removed and a new part (ok, 4, but only the last one was any good) was made. There's also a kink towards the front of the kit part, but I don't see that on pics or plans of the Etrich version, so I won't include it. The wing trailing edges have been drastically thinned and sanded to shape. I'll add the scallops once I've marked out the ribs. Today I looked again at the wings and realised that the kit parts are designed to butt against the fuselage, with a nice curve at the joining edge. Very nicely done, but incorrect, as shown in photos in the Datafile which clearly show a lack of shadows where the gap between wing and fuselage exists. So the ends were sanded flat, which then showed that one was shorter than the other! It also revealed that the rib extension on the front to support the landing gear is too far outboard so that will have to be removed and replaced too. Here's the extension fitted to the root end, it will be sanded to shape and correct length once dry. There are also, unfortunately, some adjustments needed on the fuselage. Most noticeably between the cockpits. The panel there, over the fuel tank, is not flat on top but slopes downwards from both cockpits to give a shallow V in the middle. The kit also has the front of the rear cockpit too low, and the back lower corner as a sharp angle, which it isn't on the aircraft I'm modelling. Cutting the front off the rear cockpit, bending it, (the plastic is very soft on this kit), and regluing it has resolved most of the forward issues, it will be tidied up finally once it's all together. The rear edge will be looked at later. [ [ Finally for today, I found a white metal prop in the spares box and cleaned that up. For some reason this kit doesn't have one, although it has a lot of other white metal parts! A big improvement! One last question. Does anyone have a photo of the induction (right) side of a Benz BzII 6 cylinder engine? There is a good cutaway of the left (exhaust) side on the web but I haven't found any detail of the other side, or any details of how it was mounted with the cooling tank etc fitted. Thanks for looking in, and stay safe! Ian 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 This proving wrong the old maxim 'You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear.' Love the Taube, in 1/72 from a pretty agricultural kit is proper modelling! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 Excellent work there! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Massimo Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 Nice to see you back on anoher interesting project Ian!!! Very good choice! I don't know why, but I was sure @Moawould have approved!!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 1 hour ago, limeypilot said: Does anyone have a photo of the induction (right) side of a Benz BzII 6 cylinder engine? Was there any commonality with the III? http://www.muzeumlotnictwa.pl/digitalizacja_archiwaliow/katalog.php?cz=849 Engine Ignoramus 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 14 minutes ago, Massimo said: I don't know why, but I was sure @Moawould have approved!!! Well... it is a civil variant... isn't it? Hopeful of California 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombat Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 Beautiful plane. This kit goes for relatively silly money on eBay. Sure if Airfix did one they’d clean up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted April 11, 2020 Author Share Posted April 11, 2020 12 hours ago, Moa said: Was there any commonality with the III? http://www.muzeumlotnictwa.pl/digitalizacja_archiwaliow/katalog.php?cz=849 Engine Ignoramus Close enough I think. The pictures there plus the cut-away seem to match as far as inlet and exhaust details. I'll go with that, and built it with exhaust and inlet both on the left side, pushrods on the right. Many thanks! Oh, and technically, yes, it's a civilian version, that was impressed into service at the outbreak of hostilities. There are 3 pics of it in the Datafile taken on the Schulzendorf airfield in 1914-15 but no details on unit or home base. They are the only 3 photos of an Etrich Taube in the entire Datafile (Taube at war), and no drawings for it either (they are all either Jeannin or Rumpler versions), so all that has had to be sourced online. Hopefully the drawings I've found are accurate. They seem to match the kit so at least we are both wrong if that is the case! Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombat Posted May 17, 2020 Share Posted May 17, 2020 Both the Airframe and Pegasus kits are on eBay currently....I wonder which will go for more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted April 22, 2021 Author Share Posted April 22, 2021 I hadn't realised it had been nearly a year since I looked at this! Having said that, I am not getting back into it properly just yet, but since I have no work at the moment and I'm waiting for supplies to continue with the Mercedes SSKL build, I decided to look again at the engine. There were a number of options open to me, including modifying the kit supplied part, but none were really up to it. I even started to scratchbuild one using 2mm plastic rod. That at least gave me an accurate piece to use for measurements. Since in the past year I have acquired a 3d printer, and I have more vac kits in the stash which will need a Benz Bz.II, I decided to use the opportunity to learn a little more about 3d design. Progress has been slow! I spent almost the entire day yesterday trying to figure out how to cut a 45 degree angle on half the cylinder for the inlet and exhaust! Finally this morning I found a way to do it and then progress was made! I now have the cylinder done. I'll either print that 6 times, or copy it and print the engine in one piece. Not sure yet on how I'll do that. Anyway, here is the result of the last 2 days banging my head on the desk..... I'm not sure if the springs will print or not - the entire thing excluding the springs is only 5.5mm tall However, if they do, I have some spare rockers from a Small Stuff engine that should work!! Thanks for looking in! Ian 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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