Fokker F.32, the Mighty Behemoth - Modified Execuform 1/72nd vacuform

[bigbadbadge]

That's a shame however, easily overcome by you modelling powers, what I am really intrigued by is how the model is standing up, what sort of saucery is this??? Is it some mysterious power that you have picked up at the modelling monk monastery???  

Chris

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

8 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

Oooo which one will tempt you ? All those seats or the posh plane ??? How would you go about the clear sections would it be a case of the whole side and perhaps draw or paint the window edges perhaps?

That certainly would be unusual and could look really nice if tackled right.

 

Just a thought you could still add the decals too and you still get the sense of a complete airframe if that makes sense.

What ever you choose I am sure it will look great.

All the best

Chris

For some reason my reply seems not to have showed.

 

Those are very smart and creative suggestions, and I will be considering them no doubt.

Thanks for your input!

[bigbadbadge]

Thanks Moa, I appreciate that very much.  

Chris

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

12 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

That's a shame however, easily overcome by you modelling powers, what I am really intrigued by is how the model is standing up, what sort of saucery is this??? Is it some mysterious power that you have picked up at the modelling monk monastery???  

Chris

Oh, I am re-reading Ursula LeGuin's "A Wizard from Earthsea", and seem to have picked up a trick or two 🧙‍♂️

I must confess that although I can read LeGuin as entertainment, I like Gandalf/Tolkien better, though, as her work is clearly too derivative, cashing on Tolkien's success.

 

[bigbadbadge]

I have to admit that I am not a reader, I can read and write obviously, but have never liked reading fiction, also there are never enough hours in a day as it is and I would never get anything done modelling wise!!!

Besides we have to read so much stuff at work anyway, I just want to do something practical or creative after that, although I have not done any modelling for two whole days now, what is happening to me??? Now I have the mancave set up and running, I am thinking what's the rush now, and now that I am not going to do anymore WIPs I feel kind of liberated!!!

Chris

[Admiral Puff]

Another Moa Miracle in progress! I'll be following because (i) it's fascinating, (ii) I'll learn heaps, and (iii) at some stage I want to have a go at either a Fokker F.XXII or a Fokker F.XXXVI - probably one of the Scottish Airlines ones.

 

You may know of it, but since you haven't mentioned it - Rob Mulder's book The Fokker Fours (European Airlines Rob Mulder, Spikkestad, 2019, ISBN 978-82-93450-0-4) has heaps of useful information about the F.32, including LOTS of detailed pictures.

 

And I think the word for "Uncle Tony" was "spiv"...

[Marklo]

9 hours ago, Moa said:

I am re-reading Ursula LeGuin's "A Wizard from Earthsea", and seem to have picked up a trick or two 🧙‍♂️

A classic. But I really struggled with the last two books.

 

I’m currently back on Terry Goodkind and enjoying it again (sword of truth #9)

Edited August 7, 2020 by Marklo

[Brandy]

I've just caught up with this monster of a project, and have to say it's well up to your usual standard!

Don't forget to change the pitch of the rear props to pushers though, the ones you have there are still tractor props and will pull backwards! (Assuming the rear engines rotate the same way as the front ones, which you state is the case - anti-clockwise when standing it front of the engine looking at it).

 

Ian

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

9 hours ago, Marklo said:

A classic. But I really struggled with the last two books.

 

Agreed!

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

5 hours ago, Brandy said:

I've just caught up with this monster of a project, and have to say it's well up to your usual standard!

Don't forget to change the pitch of the rear props to pushers though, the ones you have there are still tractor props and will pull backwards! (Assuming the rear engines rotate the same way as the front ones, which you state is the case - anti-clockwise when standing it front of the engine looking at it).

 

Ian

Hi Ian

the props are ok, see photos below.

I think I have involuntarily created the confusion, as both props rotate the same way (anticlockwise if you are in front of the gondola, and aligned with it, and clockwise if you are in the back.

Rather than me clumsily explaining it, look at the photos.

Cheers

(I think the photo is from the NASM):

 

 

Since we are here looking at the prop blades, the article I was talking about (AAHS Summer 1966) states that the back blades were entirely brownish on both sides (besides the colored tips), which is not the case in this photo and many others.

They seem to have the regular anti glare black and regular three colored tips, but the anti glare paint is on the front of the blade, which makes more sense than the front prop, which has the anti glare paint in the back, thus potentially reflecting from the front on the pilots looking back to them (although not reflecting on the passengers behind it).

Yeah, I need an aspirin too.

 

 

 

[Brandy]

I beg to differ. The rear prop definitely appears to be rotating clockwise as viewed from in front and looking back towards it. The engines appear to be the same and rotate the same direction.

Look at the upper blade on the rear prop. You are looking at the forward face, and the leading edge is on the far side, away from the camera.

 

Ian

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

18 minutes ago, Brandy said:

I beg to differ. The rear prop definitely appears to be rotating clockwise as viewed from in front and looking back towards it. The engines appear to be the same and rotate the same direction.

Look at the upper blade on the rear prop. You are looking at the forward face, and the leading edge is on the far side, away from the camera.

 

Ian

You are absolutely right, I stand corrected.

Thanks for this very important input, Ian. I got the wrong impression looking at that image.

As I look at more photos I am also seeing that the props varied in paint too, some have logos, some not, some have the anti glare and some don't, etc.

Again, appreciate the heads up!

This other image from the SDASM stream shows it better:

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

12 hours ago, Admiral Puff said:

Another Moa Miracle in progress! I'll be following because (i) it's fascinating, (ii) I'll learn heaps, and (iii) at some stage I want to have a go at either a Fokker F.XXII or a Fokker F.XXXVI - probably one of the Scottish Airlines ones.

 

You may know of it, but since you haven't mentioned it - Rob Mulder's book The Fokker Fours (European Airlines Rob Mulder, Spikkestad, 2019, ISBN 978-82-93450-0-4) has heaps of useful information about the F.32, including LOTS of detailed pictures.

 

And I think the word for "Uncle Tony" was "spiv"...

Dear Admiral

I know Rob and have his Junkers book, I do not have the one you mention, though.

At this point, after years of gathering material on the subject, I have so much that I had to divide it in many sub-folders, so I don't think I will go for the book, I will probably be finished with the model by the time it may arrive, but no doubt it will be a wonderful reference for anyone interested in this extraordinary plane, ahead of its time.

Thanks anyway for the heads up, appreciated.

Cheers

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Instead of painfully and not very efficiently applying surface details to the otherwise very bare parts, I decided to go the route of new fuselage sides glued on. This will allow me to pressure-engrave the very visible stringers and to square those corners in cross-section. I may be using the metal corrugated sheet you see (had it for years, no memory of how I got it) for the corrugated sections, or just use "corrugated" styrene sheets as I have done in the past:

[TheyJammedKenny!]

24 minutes ago, Moa said:

no memory of how I got it

Usually the "it just crawled into my hand, honest!" defense works in cases like these.  Enjoying the thread, Moa!  LOL.

[Brandy]

Glad to be of help! I'm looking forward to seeing this progress.

 

Ian

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

 

Work on the cockpit area slowly begins (dry run). It had corrugated metal floor and a particular double control yoke:

 

And meanwhile, some reflections on the material product of the research:
 

Seating:

While drawings and some photos show the passenger version as coach or limo configuration -pairs of chairs facing each other- other photos seem to show the normal configuration of all seats facing forward, and many seem to show a combination of both.

They may have been rearranged, or different planes had different arrangements.

The passenger seats vary in shape in photos, some with slightly pointy backs, some more oblong.

After much looking, I found and era ad by the fabrics/upholstery provider -F. Schumacher & Co.- that described the colors for Fokker's Air Yacht!
 

Office compartment:

Gray damask walls, red silk borders, silver ceiling.

 

Sleeping compartment:

Grey and Copenhagen blue panels. Blue silk velvet borders the panels and curtains the berth. Couch covers in blue and grey striped freeze. Ceiling blue shot with gold. Portieres (curtains hanging over the doors) tan satin.

 

Smoking room:

Two armchairs in red and tan, two in tan.

 

It seems we have something to work on.

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

 

That ladder communicated the cockpit with the cabin floor. It's just a reminder as I ordered another from a model train store with the right number of steps, lest I be chastised, ridiculed, stigmatized and excommunicated by the Modeling Inquisition, or the Modeling Brown Shirts, for defiling the Sacred Purity of the Hobby and promoting Degenerate Modeling:

 

[bigbadbadge]

I wonder if anyone ever twisted their ankle walking on the corrugated floor???

Great to see a start on the internals and a good idea to add the extra skins to the fuselage, that certainly does sound a simpler solution.

The advertisement sounds like a great find now you can start all those seats !!! Did it say what colour the toilets were???

Keep up the good work

Chris

[TheyJammedKenny!]

This is coming together surprisingly well, considering what you started with.  If this will be Anthony Fokker's air yacht, I'll be most interested to see the results!

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

29 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

I wonder if anyone ever twisted their ankle walking on the corrugated floor???

Great to see a start on the internals and a good idea to add the extra skins to the fuselage, that certainly does sound a simpler solution.

The advertisement sounds like a great find now you can start all those seats !!! Did it say what colour the toilets were???

Keep up the good work

Chris

The photos I have show metal toilets with wood seats and lids, and metal basins; very dark paneling on the wall bottom, and light plain paneling on top. No frills.

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

27 minutes ago, TheyJammedKenny! said:

This is coming together surprisingly well, considering what you started with.  If this will be Anthony Fokker's air yacht, I'll be most interested to see the results!

Thanks.

I am inclining more and more for Tony The Smiling Scoundrel plane. I am in the process of sorting out the four compartments and their details, trying to conciliate different sources.

If I can have it even moderately accurate, then it will be a go, as it's less boring than all those seats. The exterior will be a masking nightmare, though. So I have to think of that too before committing to that specific plane.

Cheers

[bigbadbadge]

12 minutes ago, Moa said:

The photos I have show metal toilets with wood seats and lids, and metal basins; very dark paneling on the wall bottom, and light plain paneling on top. No frills.

Phew, could have been worse, it could have been Avacado!!!

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

A bit of work on the inst. pan., adding the engine levers console:

 

And before I forget, and again thanks to @Brandy, correction of the aft prop blades pitch. Blades separated from the hub:

 

Locations drilled and metal-pinned:

 

Prop on the right already corrected:

 

Both props corrected. Have to work once set on refining the blades a bit, as of course the variation of pitch throughout the blade has to be re-contoured too.

So I am understood: the blade should have wash-out, i.e. less pitch towards to tip, but due to the reposition now it has wash-in, i.e. more pitch on the tip than the section closer to the hub, thus some sanding is due.

It won't truly correct the shape, but it will help, thanks to the thickness of the actual part, to make the reposition virtually imperceptible:

[busnproplinerfan]

You’re using train parts? Sacrilegious! Train foamers everywhere will pull the plane’s airworthiness certificate. Ever see any Boeing 80s around? Thought of one for a future build.