GrahamB Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 Well, I finally started to cut and fill plastic on the the Valom 1/72 D.H. 91 Albatros kit yesterday. My intention is to build it as one of the two mailplanes used by the RAF, in this case B-JW (earlier as one of the prototypes, E.3). At first, I thought this airframe would still have the split flaps of the two mailplanes (E.3 and G-AEVV) even after its partial reconstruction following a broken back accident that involved reconfiguration of the rear wing fillets to the airliner form. Now, I'm not so sure after peering at the various in-flight photos of B-JW. There is a hint of a change in tone of the upper surface colours where there could be a slotted flap, and the underside view shows the flap with five hinge points. Does anyone know, or have an opinion about whether these are the original split form or the later slotted version? I'll get some photos posted up at some point soon. Cheers, GrahamB 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamB Posted April 16, 2020 Author Share Posted April 16, 2020 (edited) Edited April 16, 2020 by GrahamB 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted April 16, 2020 Share Posted April 16, 2020 (edited) Very interesting to follow! When model appeared there were comments on too stepy end of nacelles on top of wing. It is a bit difficult to correct, but I am interesting do you find them of wrong shape? Regards J-W P.S. Some photos show flaps down airliners.net/photo/Untitled-De-Havilland-Aircraft/De-Havilland-DH-91-Albatross/1927378 https://www.agefotostock.com/age/en/Stock-Images/Rights-Managed/MEV-10992252 https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-de-havilland-dh91-albatross-pucklechurch do they have differnt construction (prototype and series)? Edited April 16, 2020 by JWM added PS 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted April 16, 2020 Share Posted April 16, 2020 @GrahamB, I would think that those are single slotted flaps on your Albatross; I don't recall seeing hinge cutouts on any aircraft that had split flaps, like a Blenheim, Spitfire, Hurricane. Most split flaps have either a long rod or a simple piano hinge to operate them. Just an uneducated guess, but the linked photos seem to support your theory. Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamB Posted April 16, 2020 Author Share Posted April 16, 2020 Thank you JWM for the great photo links 👍. I had not seen these before on searches for DH91 images. Also, I had not considered the nacelle shapes, not having seen the particular reviews. At first glance the upper nacelles do seem too high and blunt-ended, but probably OK for length. I'll follow this up and decide if it is worth the effort to change them. Thanks also, Mike - useful info for me. It does look as if slotted flaps replaced the original split versions now on BJ-W, especially with some good images of these on the Fortuna and others for reference. I'll have to dig out the Gunze filler (nail varnish remover works) from the upper wing halves now and show the aircraft with the flaps slightly drooped. Onwards! GrahamB 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamB Posted April 29, 2020 Author Share Posted April 29, 2020 (edited) Kia ora Britmodelers. Starting to make some real progress with the lovely Valom Albatros but I've tended to be rather haphazard with with project, having originally intended to be slow and methodical and not start things before finishing others. Never mind. The wings have been a major focus and I decided to cut out and make the slotted flaps, using the kit parts as a basis. Also, an attempt has been made to reduce the bulbous upper wing engine nacelles by thinning the top surface down and narrowing/tapering the sides. A bit hit and miss accuracy wise I suppose but to me it looks better. The leading edge is pain around the air-intakes (not really the kit, not having benefit of Tamiya/Wingnuts engineering). Some adjustments need to fit the engine cowlings neatly. Fit, trim, fit etc etc. I also decided to tweek the engine cowlings and show the aircraft with the lower panels drooped as in some photos. While this was going on, I diverted off to the fuselage and tail assembly. The main meat of the conversion is the reconfiguration of the doors and windows and this starts by filling the port-side doors and all the cabin windows. There may be a better way but I went down this route. After filling the window apertures with plastic card (and backed with molten kit plastic - sprue plus liquid glue mix) I noticed that the kits appears to supply window inserts as well. Doh! Since then I've made good progress with marking out the new windows for cutting. Not as simple as it seems. Next post. Cheers, GrahamB NZ doing well with Covid-19. Came out of restrictive Level 4 to somewhat less arduous Level 3. About 1450 cases and 19 deaths. Only 2 new cases reported today. Stay safe UK folks. Edited April 29, 2020 by GrahamB spelling 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamB Posted April 30, 2020 Author Share Posted April 30, 2020 Hello again. Well, the next daunting phase begins - the alteration of the cabin window configuration for the mail-plane version. A few happy hours pouring over photos (print-outs that coincidentally almost matched the kit in scale) with a measuring stick and trying to deconstruct perspective (?). I'll probably score in lightly the window edges before removing most of the plastic - then remove the masking for final clean-up of the edges. When this is done the basic conversion work is about done. Cheers, GrahamB 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheyJammedKenny! Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 This is an excellent learning opportunity for me. Watching this closely, particularly the adjustments you're making to the window line, which is pretty hard core. Valom kits look like a chore, albeit a worthwhile one. What are your impressions? Alex T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamB Posted April 30, 2020 Author Share Posted April 30, 2020 Hi Alex, very nice of you to respond to this post. The kit is actually very nice and could have been built out of the box with very little trouble for a relatively short-run product. The moldings are very decent overall (the fuselage is lovely), with hardly any injection overshots or blemishes. The trailing edges are commendably fine too (albeit they could be refined more if you want to). The fit is OK based on what I have done so far and with dry fitting of the wings and under-surface fuselage/wing panel. Some panel lines are not necessary (e.g. on the wings) apart from those on the engine cowlings and nacelles. Wing-halves fit is OK too but the clean up around the air intakes is fiddly and I've not yet completed this. The trickiest bit are parts 30 31 (vertical leading edge supports) and the small inboard fillet/panel ahead of the u/c. This is is because the small part needs a proper cut-in/seat on the inner curved surface of the wing leading edge (plastic too thick) - otherwise is doesn't really settle properly. The plastic is also very thick on the fuselage which is OK for strength but difficult to cut out. I haven't tried dry-fitting the cockpit canopy yet. I will be adding brass rods to support the horizontal tail-plane and fins. All in all, not too shabby a kit. Cheers, GrahamB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheyJammedKenny! Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 Thanks, GrahamB. I'm eager to see more when you're ready with happy snaps. This is such a beautiful subject, but I've shied away from it because so many folks seem to be having trouble with it--which is why I ask. It has to rate as one of the most lovely looking planes ever made; what a pity it wasn't manufactured from aluminum and built in larger numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 Tidy work there Graham. Great to see such a beautiful aircraft getting the attention it deserves by way of a well researched and executed model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamB Posted May 14, 2020 Author Share Posted May 14, 2020 Hi All, more progress has been made with this conversion, coming at it from all angles. The fuselage halves are almost done (next post) and the cutting out of the windows and refitting the clear parts was a chore. Not happy with my clear parts (cut-down kit pieces) - must learn how to restore blemishes and scratches. I've still to move the starboard rear door to over the wing root fairing. Made some ridiculous fuel tanks based on the Aeroplane drawings, and photos for size and placement. Work on the cowlings has involved cutting the "steps" off these and the wing nacelles as I could see that the kit's cowlings/nacelles are too long in front of the wing leading edge - it looks right now. It does mean that the fairings over the cylinder heads need a small extension adding at the rear, and I've actually shimmed the whole thing. The least you could do if not bothering with this excessive work is to flatten the lower edge of the fairings - they are not curved underneath. A complication for any other conversions of the Albatros is that there are at least three different fairing types - I think it is Frobisher that had two - early large close-fitting fairings replaced with narrower versions (as on Faraday), probably because of cooling problems. The cowlings are now on and I have since been cleaning up the joins and re-scribing the few obvious panel lines. The fuselage halves are soon to be joined and I'm almost ready for overall polish, prime and painting. As for that damned under-surface colour.............................????? Cheers, GrahamB 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheyJammedKenny! Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 Nicely done so far. I especially value the little pointy-talkees. Helps us follow along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew.S Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 Watching with interest. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hole in the ground Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 Excellent, I do like the aesthetic of the Albatross. I didn’t realise there were any kits in 1/72. Will be following with interest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Massimo Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 Very nice subject and good progress!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamB Posted May 31, 2020 Author Share Posted May 31, 2020 Hi there, it's been a bit quiet on this thread but I have been busy. The fuselage and wing modifications had gone along without major problems - only myself creating unnecessary work - but most of the time since has been dealing with the wing-fuselage attachment. One side seemed fine but the other (starboard) revealed a big gap between the wing and the fuselage panel. Also there was a big gap on the forward transverse join. I think this has to do with the spars and u/c partitioning pieces interfering with the fuselage floor, and the main spar being slightly adrift on one side (very slight mismatch in dihedral). It took a bit of fiddling, re-skinning and filling to get this right. I should have spent more time dry-fitting beforehand. The other part of the kit I didn't like was the landing light transparencies - a poor fit, and I'm sure this hasn't been properly corrected here - life is too short. Another "issue"" that comes along is the cockpit canopy going AWOL (ugh!)- I'll have to build one up from acetate. Anyway, it's down to the last bit of careful sanding and patching before final prime coat. Now the BIG QUESTION IS: what is that undersurface colour? Aluminium, yellow, Sky (regulation - but which of its various iterations/formulae - early with blue pigment?) or Sky substitute (duck-egg green/blue??) Any votes? Cheers, GrahamB 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenCJ Posted May 31, 2020 Share Posted May 31, 2020 You are putting some good work into this kit. Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheyJammedKenny! Posted May 31, 2020 Share Posted May 31, 2020 Nicely done so far. Question: how do you propose to remove the Chrystal Clear from the navigator's astrodome opening without having some of it drop inside the fuselage and adhere to you cockpit and pax windows? I have a selfish interest in your answer and am following closely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamB Posted May 31, 2020 Author Share Posted May 31, 2020 The Krystal Kleer was an experiment as I've never liked the purple coloured maskol stuff. I might use it as an alternative to the kit windows (already fitted) if they look bad. The cockpit canopy (to be masked) will be added after painting, ideally with acetate, and strip failing that with Krystal Kleer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 Been having a catch up with this, some really nice work on it Graham. I've toyed with getting one of these, even more tempted than ever now but little chance of getting anything from anywhere just now it seems. I'll look forward to more progress & the final reveal. Fwiw, I like the sound of silver undersides. I think they were all over silver before the war, would they not have simply camo'd the topsides after war broke out? Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamB Posted June 1, 2020 Author Share Posted June 1, 2020 Kia ora Steve, yes, I'm going with Aluminium dope for the undersides now. Someone suggested a mix of Tamiya Flat Aluminium and Royal Pale Grey (I could use also Sky Grey or similar) to dull and reduce the "sparkle" in the metallic paint. Just had to order some paint from Hobby City up in Auckland. It is a lovely aircraft and the kit is OK too - just the usual care and dry-fitting needed for its short-run nature. I've made things hugely complicated by doing perhaps too much. Cheers, Graham 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 Sounds like a plan Graham. In my experience go light on the grey, it doesn't take much to loose pretty much any hint of silver in the final finish. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.T.Dolby Posted October 6, 2023 Share Posted October 6, 2023 Did you ever managed to finish this Graham? Hope you did, it was a fantastic project to watch coming along! Matt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted October 6, 2023 Share Posted October 6, 2023 7 hours ago, M.T.Dolby said: Did you ever managed to finish this Graham? Hope you did, it was a fantastic project to watch coming along! Matt I missed this first time round, but hope to see more progress, great work so far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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