AdrianMF Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 I’m coming to the end of my long multi-SPAD build and have sworn never to touch a biplane again. So I ordered these two off EBay 🙄 the other day: The top one is a Hannants repop of the Rareplane D.III kit and looks very nice, and the bottom one is a German kit of the D.XII that I’ve never heard of before, which looks considerably less nice. Yes, There are perfectly good injection kits of both of them… Last night I thought I’d clean up the D.XII to see if it was salvageable. Turns out it was, and is a really good match to the plans in my 1960 Harleyford book: And a question for the BM Massif, or at least those with relevant experience like Ian @Brandy or @stevehed: should I fill the undersides of the wings or just blend in the sanded edges into the undersurface? 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billn53 Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 “I’m coming to the end of my long multi-SPAD build and have sworn never to touch a biplane again. So I ordered these two off EBay the other day…” That’s the spirit! 🤣 1 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 I would just sand the undersides. That should give a good scale thickness but you will need to drill the edges and add brass rod for mounting - if it's not thick enough for that, add some milliput, but keep it to a minimum and add it nice and wet to help with keeping it thin and smooth. The only time I have had to use it was on the FE8. Classic Planes are basic but pretty accurate, just make sure you remove all the little pips on the upper surfaces! I'd also be very careful with using 1960's plans - remember that those are what Airfix used for their early biplanes, and they are horribly wrong! Ian 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 (edited) I built a vac form DIII a very long time ago and just added rib detail to the undersides of the wings. If you think about it the vac form wing is probably about 1mm which would be a scale 72mm or ~3inches in old money so that would be pretty close to scale thickness. Edited January 15, 2022 by Marklo 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatthewbacon Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 I'm glad to see those kit photos. I saw the title, and for a minute I thought it might be a Pfalz alarm... I'll get my best, M. 1 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted January 15, 2022 Author Share Posted January 15, 2022 21 minutes ago, Brandy said: I'd also be very careful with using 1960's plans - remember that those are what Airfix used for their early biplanes, and they are horribly wrong! The book is a year younger than me, and I haven't reached retirement! I've been using my Harleyford book to correct my WWI Airfix and Revell builds, and it was actually published after the first run of Airfix mouldings (although some of the plans had probably been kicking around in the Aeromodeller/Harborough vaults for a while before that) . If there was a similar modern volume with a bunch of plans in it then maybe I'd consider modernising my library, but I can't justify buying expensive single-type monographs for WWI subjects. Thanks gents for the advice about the wings. The plastic does seem to be 40thou, despite looking thinner to my worried eyes. I will do a bit more sanding and see what it looks like under a layer of paint. Regards, Adrian 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 (edited) Any pfalz excuse to post some photos, this is the only one I n my collection atm a 1/48DR1 but I do have a DIII and. DXII in the stash to eventually join it. Edited January 25, 2022 by Marklo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehed Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 Probably a bit late but I would probably do the same as Ian with the wings. I have one of these in the stash but it went back in the box when I built the Eastern Express kit instead. However, as an alternative I have cut the parts from the card and installed 10 thou card over the lower surfaces before filing the edges. In my case I then scored the ribs with a sharp craft knife. As Ian says sometimes you need a little thickness at the butt ends for guides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted January 24, 2022 Author Share Posted January 24, 2022 3 hours ago, stevehed said: do the same as Ian with the wings Thanks Steve. I was a bit worried about sanding it all away to nothing at first, but once I bit the bullet it came out better than I feared: After years in someone else's storage, the plastic surface has turned yellow, making it easy to see what's sanded and what's not. I get very nervous about over-sanding vac-form bits, except when I forget and end up having to glue bits of plastic back on! Regards, Adrian 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted January 29, 2022 Author Share Posted January 29, 2022 Bulkhead day: I’m going to put some bulkheads in first and use them to line up the floor instead of my usual trial and error methods. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC Boater Bill Posted January 29, 2022 Share Posted January 29, 2022 On 1/15/2022 at 2:53 PM, Marklo said: Any pfalz excuse to post some photos, this is the only one in my collection… Here is my pfalz excuse to post a photo in Adrian’s thread, too: A Roden 1/72 D-IIIa, in the markings of Hans-Georg von der Marwitz, Jasta 30. His planes were described as being painted a “burgundy” color. I offer it up as an easy-to-do scheme that is quite striking. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted January 29, 2022 Author Share Posted January 29, 2022 20 minutes ago, RC Boater Bill said: I offer it up as an easy-to-do scheme Don’t worry Bill, I’m going for a very-hard-to-do scheme on both of these. Interior is now done, although I need to some work on the engine vents before I can close it up: 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted January 29, 2022 Author Share Posted January 29, 2022 3 hours ago, RC Boater Bill said: Roden 1/72 D-IIIa Good to know that this isn’t the most difficult kit of the type available… Regards, Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spadgent Posted January 29, 2022 Share Posted January 29, 2022 Oh my word! Actually lolled at your first post . 🤣 I’m tagging along for sure. More bi plane carnage. 🙌👏😇 Johnny 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted January 29, 2022 Author Share Posted January 29, 2022 7 minutes ago, The Spadgent said: I’m tagging along for sure. Glad to have you along Johnny. As you can tell from the picture of the kit/card, I won’t be using the struts. Regards, Adrian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spadgent Posted January 29, 2022 Share Posted January 29, 2022 1 minute ago, AdrianMF said: Glad to have you along Johnny. As you can tell from the picture of the kit/card, I won’t be using the struts. Regards, Adrian Oh go on! Just to give us all a bit of a giggle. I can’t even see how they might even work. 🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 Hi Adrian, interesting to see these models progress due to them being vacforms, can I ask what you used as the profile for the bulkheads, is that a larger gauge lead wire? Whatever it is it's a good idea. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted January 30, 2022 Author Share Posted January 30, 2022 47 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said: is that a larger gauge lead wire Thanks Chris, it’s some old solder. I have to confess this fuselage is a bit small for the technique, so a certain amount of “trim until it fits” was deployed… 1 hour ago, The Spadgent said: Oh go on! Just to give us all a bit of a giggle Well, just to make a point, after some cutting and scraping… I won’t be doing that! It’s possible but very painful to cut them out and scrape it down to a uniform round section. The real thing was steel tube, so I will use one of the other materials in the picture. Regards, Adrian 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted January 30, 2022 Author Share Posted January 30, 2022 Probably the wrong stage of the build to do it, but I built a basic jig to align everything and stick the wings on: The lower wing has just under 1mm of dihedral at each tip. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spadgent Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 I can’t believe you cut those struts out. 😮 To be fair they don’t look bad but I think your choice to re make them out of rod will be the better option. Forgot to mention before how much I liked the painted interior. 🙌 she’s looking the part now she’s all lined up. 👏👏👏 Johnny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 Looking good. I really do like the DXII it was overshadowed by the Fokker DVII primarily because it was a double bay design and ground crews preferred the simpler arrangement in the Fokker. If it weren’t for my GB commits and overly large wip I’d be whipping out my two Pfalzes right now. Ah well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted January 30, 2022 Author Share Posted January 30, 2022 Tailplanes on, engine started from 1mm slices of 2.25mm sprue: Sandwiching the slices between two sanding sticks and rubbing down evens them up pretty well. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted January 30, 2022 Author Share Posted January 30, 2022 Engine valve gear and intake manifolds done: I’m hoping the weird piece of stretched sprue will turn into an exhaust… 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted January 30, 2022 Author Share Posted January 30, 2022 Well it was a different piece of stretched sprue in the end: 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 Interesting engine build, but looking the part. Another good reason for Roden kits in the stash is spare engines! Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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