rob Lyttle Posted February 14, 2020 Share Posted February 14, 2020 Well, my commitment to concentrate on Civil Aviation this year (and after....) has got off to a hesitant start, as I waste my time fooling around with an old Polish bomber. It's a PZL 37B by a Polish kit maker - ZTS. 😯😄😂🙄 My only excuse, and I really need one, is that it's a twin tailed, twin engined 1930s plane and I've been working through a bunch of Lockheed's Twins!! Anyway it's time to MOVE ON 😎 And I'm making a start on this.... This is more like it! One of the decal options is for the 1990s Lufthansa historic plane decorated as D-AQUI but that seems to throw up a few issues. Like wrong engines, as it's been fitted with Pratt & Whitney radials. Doors and windows layout on these are a bit of a minefield really, and a load of exmilitary airframes going on to civil work straight after the WW2. Straight engines or turned out, doors behind the cockpit.... It's all just as mixed up as the Lockheed Twins situation. I'm going to have a go at a 1930s plane. Back then Lufthansa named their airliners after famously heroic German pilots and aces of WW1. Boelke was one, and the example supplied on the decal sheet is Manfred himself! On D-ABIK. At the moment I'm bogged down with building several tiny seats and an interior. That's right.... I'm doing a fully appointed seating area!! 😊 Windows are quite big and I can get some of the doors open, so I hope this is not a waste of time. Like a PZL 37B by ZTS....... 😬⚠️ 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Callahan Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Ohhh myyy. Manfred von Ricthofen??? It must call Richthofen 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted February 15, 2020 Author Share Posted February 15, 2020 There's a choice to be made on the fuselage side regarding the cargo door. The 2 window option is to delete the doors and make good the fuselage side but the corrugations are not a good match. So I removed them before fitting. Stretched sprue applied line by line to continue the pattern. I've also made a front access door, just one on the starboard side, by cutting down from the front window. And a section of the 3-window cargo door supplies the smaller window size and the finer corrugations required. So I can pose that open when the time comes. Not sure if it's correct for this airframe, but it's done! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 A lot of work, Rob. Faced the same challenges with my Argentinian Ju52. A good thing to do is to a have a very good look at all the photos you can find of your intended registration. Many things changed from plane to plane. Several tricks have been applied here by several modelers to deal with replacement doors/hatches and corrugations, from taking sections from donor kits, to re-do corrugations copying with and then applying thick alu foil, making resin copies and molds, etc. None are easy tasks, but correctly used they provide fair solutions. Good luck with this project, I am glad you chose a civil livery. If you want, you could let me know the intended registration and I can see if have anything on it (since I gathered some material for my own build). Cheers 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted February 16, 2020 Author Share Posted February 16, 2020 I was going to do D-ABIK "Richthofen "as it's on the kit sheet. But there's a lot of choice if I venture into the AM shopping scene. All I found on this plane is profiles and FlightSim creations. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 32 minutes ago, rob Lyttle said: All I found on this plane is profiles and FlightSim creations. Same here. Nothing to add there. When I was gathering material for a my build I discarded all planes that had the despicable blemish. Many Lufthansa planes had that three color bands on one side of the vertical tail and the despicable blemish on the other. Fortunately the Ju52 saw service with a lot of countries, so there is much to chose from. I still have two other kits, and when (and if) I recover from that build, there are nice Uruguayan ones and even an Italian machine, and of course there is the British Ju52 too. Good luck with the marvelous project. Cheers 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre B Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 Revell and not Italeri 1/72? Cheers / André 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted February 16, 2020 Author Share Posted February 16, 2020 Thanks, correction made! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orso Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 I was reading the Ju52 book from EAM trying to find anything about the D-ABIK but couldn't find it in the Lufthansa section. In the chapter about the government planes is where i found it. The government planes had the Lufthansa titles on them even though the planes didn't belong to Lufthansa. D-ABIK was for a while one of the red planes used by Göring. Then named Manfred von Richthofen I. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted February 17, 2020 Author Share Posted February 17, 2020 Yes, I saw the red version, dated 1935. Italieri give the Silver +black decor as 1936. Politics and civil aviation were thoroughly mixed with each other at the time in Germany.! I was flicking through a great history of Lufthansa on an on-line publication via "Issuu ". But the variety of Ju52 civil options is the very thing that is doing me in, right now. I'm in the mood for building, not prevarication. So I'm going to crack on with this 'un and see what I have at the end. Arcane details can be saved for the next one! So, as some of you may be expecting, I'm covering this in foil. 😎 Not for the shiny finish as such, but I want to try to develop that metal sheet /riveted together kind of look. I got foil on the fuselage sides first. I haven't done a lot of corrugated foil but I was reasonably sure it would do the job. OK! Then cut the window apertures, This is the other side, with the scarfed in panel and sprue corrugated section, The windows can now go in from behind, but I found this in the transparencies... A grommet hole for a gun...?? So I removed the window panels in question and substituted 2 panes that were marked as "do not use". I've got another surprise to show... ‼️😎⚠️ 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted February 17, 2020 Author Share Posted February 17, 2020 My aim with the interior is that if I'm going through all that palaver, then I'm taking my best shot at making it visible. Hence the red and black upholstery. And the rear bulkhead is the "do not use" option, but it has an open doorway..... So I'm having that! A bit of an effort with the cockpit area, I did get the cockpit door fitted ajar eventually. I painted curtains on the inside of the windows with a little mix of something like yellow ochre. Even painted the darn ceiling with a row of lights..... ⚠️💡⚠️😎 After that ordeal, there's only one thing left......... The last one there shows a cargo door that is marked for cutting out and filling with the door supplied. My best bet is that it applies to the planes that haven't got the big cargo doors.... ie this one, for example. It can be seen in several pictures that show the starboard side. Such pictures are infuriatingly few!! There seems to be an unwritten rule that photos, profiles, illustrations or any representation of an aircraft MUST FEATURE THE PORT SIDE. ‼️ Almost like - - every walkaround MUST FEATURE THE PLUMBING IN THE WHEEL WELLS!! Anyway, the fuselage is buttoned up, and the whole furniture thing is but a memory.... And I've almost got an aeroplane on my hands 😊 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 You are going fast! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted February 17, 2020 Author Share Posted February 17, 2020 Well, there's a little bit of catch up going on there, Moa, but I'm up to the current situation now. Foiling process coming on... Visible on the last picture is the "ghost" of the turret emplacement on top. Bosses have been moulded on the interior of the fuselage roof, and I'm afraid it's had an impact on the outer surfaces. The flaw is embedded right in amongst the corrugations and I can't see a way to sort it without making the situation worse. It's slight and just about invisible on the plastic, but the metal foil really picks it out. 😕 Other than that, it's going OK ⚠️ 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted February 18, 2020 Author Share Posted February 18, 2020 Quick update on some small progress. I thought I'd better tackle the gloss black with curved edges around the nose with clear access. I used a matt grey enamel as undercoat, once I had plotted and drawn the curves. Masking used on the underneath surface but the sides, where the paint goes on the corrugations, I thought my simplest option was hand painting! Nothing that can't be tidied later. There's quite a bit more of this to be done around the wing nacelles etc. I also have the Tailplane foiled, and on, complete with struts. The elevators are quite separated in the same way as the ailerons /flaps arrangements. It kinda looks like there is an operating mechanism for the elevators through the fuselage tail.... .... And the rudder should have a right old gap too ‼️ 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted February 22, 2020 Author Share Posted February 22, 2020 Just starting the foil process on the wings. Wing halves glued together, and working on each wing in hand. This is the underside of the port wing. Not sure if I need to do the nacelle, but it would have to be done separately with the foil anyway. It will ultimately be painted black. It's a matter of tracing each corrugated dip with a cocktail stick or a pencil. Can be a little tedious to be honest, but there's a rhythm that you hit and you whizz through them. I also tackled hanging the main door while there was plenty of access. That can be tidied and painted in place. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James G Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 Nice work with the foil! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted February 22, 2020 Author Share Posted February 22, 2020 One wing is foiled. In the end, I left the nacelle bare as it's quite a bunch of complex curves and ultimately there's no point asking for trouble! I masked the area for gloss black and undercoat done in matt grey. I realised that the undercarriage had no location holes. There's one at the top top edge of of the wing ⬆️ and the instructions show that it needs to be opened. But each u/c assembly has 3 attachment points......!! One each side can JUST be accessed here.... And I plotted the 3rd position with the aid of the leg parts. Talk about keeping you on your toes 😯 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted February 22, 2020 Author Share Posted February 22, 2020 Hi @Eve! You just joined the britmodeller madness?? 😎 Welcome along! By all means join in. Even if you’re not doing a build thread or whatever, you're welcome to chip in here. Let us know what you're up to and making. I've just paid for a little birthday treat for myself. It's coming from the Ukraine so it'll take a few days. AMP have brought out a 1.48 scale kit of the prettiest plane EVER MADE. i don't often shop worldwide online, but THIS I got to have 😍😇 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted February 23, 2020 Author Share Posted February 23, 2020 I have the port wing done and here it is placed against the fuselage.... I'm intrigued by the pattern of the wing, top and bottom - there's marks recesses and hinge bumps just where a full moving flap would be. But apparently it's the add-on aerofoil strip along the trailing edge that does the work of aileron and flap on these planes. It's one of Junker's big ideas. So, is there a normal flap fitted on the wing as well as the detached flap?? I haven't seen a single picture of this area deflected or lowered in any way. I'm pretty sure it is a fixed part of the wing, and yet look at the pattern on the wing. How flappish is that?! 🤔 Second wing is coming along, and this machine is going to be as big as a DC3 when they are attached. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted February 24, 2020 Author Share Posted February 24, 2020 We have assemblage..... The joints are looking good. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janneman36 Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 The foil looks great on this Ju Rob carry on !! 😎😎👌 cheers, Jan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted February 24, 2020 Author Share Posted February 24, 2020 Assembly looked okay this morning. Underside joints too, so that's alright 👍 Wings and Tailplanes are looking aligned too and that's always a good thing! I've been anticipating a hassle with the decals, and trying to get them to conform to the corrugations. So I decided to have a go at the underside lettering...... That's always a good place to make your mistakes. I was right to be worried..... 😕 I'm sloshing on the decalsoft and dabbing away, and they're starting to yield a bit, but they would far rather come off than stick on, and BEND A BIT! All excess carrier trimmed off especially around the hyphen, and the BIK separated and spaced out appropriately 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 23 minutes ago, rob Lyttle said: All excess carrier trimmed off especially around the hyphen, and the BIK separated and spaced out appropriately Hi Rob Did you cut all the carrier from outside and inside each letter? That helped me with my Ju52, but I was also using the commissioned Arctic Decals set, which is printed on a thinner carrier (and thus requires careful handling). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted February 24, 2020 Author Share Posted February 24, 2020 Err..... No, just the outside. That might be worth a go on the top side I guess. Although I'm staying on their case here and they are starting to settle down a bit. I tried these too.... Picture just for you @Harry Callahan! 😇‼️ 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted February 24, 2020 Author Share Posted February 24, 2020 A hollow D is applied to the top of the wing, so thanks Moa and let's see what we get.... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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 accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now