Cheeky commies...Polikarpov R-1, 'Ilyich' Detachment, summer 1922...

[81-er]

All the little bits are starting to bring it to life nicely. I wonder why the instructions didn't mention the kit part as an alternative to bending impossibly small bits of wire?

 

James

[John Masters]

21 hours ago, 81-er said:

All the little bits are starting to bring it to life nicely. I wonder why the instructions didn't mention the kit part as an alternative to bending impossibly small bits of wire?

Thanks James.  I imagine it was easier to re-mould the part and not reprint the instructions.  I think I will add the undercarriage (sans wheels) today.  Also...the instructions call for a spare tire/wheel to be attached to the underside.  I was wondering why I had three wheels.  

[Paul Thompson]

Careful - the instructions are a one-size-fits-all affair, and I think the spare wheel is probably only for the post war British issue.

 

Paul.

[Marklo]

On 7/25/2023 at 7:38 AM, John Masters said:

the instructions call for a spare tire/wheel to be attached to the underside.  I was wondering why I had three wheels.  

Some how I associate the third wheel with Middle Eastern operations, I think it’s because any photos I have of it are from same, where everything but the kitchen sink was strapped to the aircraft in case of an emergency.

[Paul Thompson]

13 hours ago, Marklo said:

Some how I associate the third wheel with Middle Eastern operations, I think it’s because any photos I have of it are from same, where everything but the kitchen sink was strapped to the aircraft in case of an emergency.

Yes. Same as the extra radiator in the kit - post war Middle East, RAF. Bristol Fighters were much the same in that regard.

 

 

Paul.

[Paul Thompson]

Also worth noting, the kit has the rotating base of the Scarff ring, but nothing else. The hoop shape for the Lewis wasn't anything like the kit part, and the real hoop   moves within two elevating quadrants not supplied in the kit at all. In the original (CMR) kit they were PE, and TBH this is the only way to accurately make them in 1/72nd, but eveyone else, from Airfix to Roden, at least has some plastic shape there. Trying to fit aftermarket Scarff rings is how I realised the rear fuselage was too narrow.

 

Paul.

[John Masters]

23 hours ago, Paul Thompson said:

Careful - the instructions are a one-size-fits-all affair, and I think the spare wheel is probably only for the post war British issue.

Yes...that was my conclusion too.  Thanks.

 

21 hours ago, Marklo said:

Some how I associate the third wheel with Middle Eastern operations, I think it’s because any photos I have of it are from same, where everything but the kitchen sink was strapped to the aircraft in case of an emergency.

My thoughts exactly.

 

7 hours ago, Paul Thompson said:

Yes. Same as the extra radiator in the kit - post war Middle East, RAF. Bristol Fighters were much the same in that regard.

 

Yep.  Got it!

7 hours ago, Paul Thompson said:

Also worth noting, the kit has the rotating base of the Scarff ring, but nothing else. The hoop shape for the Lewis wasn't anything like the kit part, and the real hoop   moves within two elevating quadrants not supplied in the kit at all. In the original (CMR) kit they were PE, and TBH this is the only way to accurately make them in 1/72nd, but eveyone else, from Airfix to Roden, at least has some plastic shape there. Trying to fit aftermarket Scarff rings is how I realised the rear fuselage was too narrow.

Thanks Paul.  I'm not too worried about this.  

 

Meanwhile, back on the bench...time for the fuselage decals.  

 

 

 

Once they are nice and dry I will give them a layer of protective satin varnish.  Then I can make some exhaust staining before working on the struts, upper wing, etc...

 

--John

 

[John Masters]

I added some exhaust to the sides of the aircraft.  In retrospect it seems a bit too brown for my tastes so I'll fix that before I proceed.  It's actually more grey than the image suggests.  I'll cover it up with some aluminum and do it again, darker, and less of it.  

 

 

 

--John

 

 

 

[John Masters]

If I get a move on, I could finish this and still have time for another build in the GB.  I have added the cabane struts and the landing gear.

For those of you who know me, my next step will be attaching the top wing.  Then, after that is set up, I will start adding the interplane struts from the inside out.

 

 

--John

 

 

[John Masters]

Attaching the top wing always feels to be the trickiest part for me.  Lining up the struts and the holes, then adding the CA dots in the holes, then re-aligning everything and not accidentally using the holes I've drilled for the rigging (or accidentally filling them with glue!)...But it's done and I have let it set overnight.  I will begin the interplane struts next.  I anticipate some might be too short.  I hope not.  

 

 

--John

[Brandy]

This is looking really impressive! The details on the nose section looks to be nicely moulded.

 

Ian

[John Masters]

13 hours ago, Brandy said:

This is looking really impressive! The details on the nose section looks to be nicely moulded

Thanks.  It is a decent model, not without its faults of course, but easily overcome.

 

The struts are all in!  This means there is only one way forward now...rigging! 😀

 

 

--John

[81-er]

It's looking really good, John. Good luck with the rigging

 

James

[John Masters]

5 hours ago, 81-er said:

It's looking really good, John. Good luck with the rigging

Thanks James.  It will be a one shot affair with a coffee break in between.  I'll get into it this week, probably Wednesday.

[John Masters]

Let's get rigging.  

 

Although I am still under the weather with Covid, I seem to be able to muster some energy once in a while.  I think it's time I rigged this beast.

I'l seat with the cross-pieces in the struts.  I'll use stretched sprue for this.

 

 

 

There is no way for me to document this process while I am doing it.  It's a snip/measure/snip/CA job.  And this is what it looks like at the end.

 

 

 

The rest will be .00?? monofilament.  

 

--John

[Paul Thompson]

Too late now, but another time perhaps consider using wood glue, which dries clear and if you need to adjust the wire later it can be moistened with a wet paintbrush to make it let go. Sorry if I said that before, I do tend to loop tape things occassioally.

 

 

Paul.

[John Masters]

12 hours ago, Paul Thompson said:

Too late now, but another time perhaps consider using wood glue, which dries clear and if you need to adjust the wire later it can be moistened with a wet paintbrush to make it let go. Sorry if I said that before, I do tend to loop tape things occassioally.

 

No problem.

 Thank you.

[81-er]

Sorry to hear about the Covid, John, I hope you're fully recovered soon

 

James

[John Masters]

17 hours ago, 81-er said:

Sorry to hear about the Covid, John, I hope you're fully recovered soon

Thank you James.  Apparently this is a mild strain.  It certainly kept me on the couch.  I was thinking that with all the time inside I could get some stuff done.  The virus had other ideas.  I'm on the mend.  

 

I did continue the rigging last night.  I'm using .008mm monofilament.

 

 

Hemostats, CA, etc...

 

 

And another POV...

 

 

I finished the rigging last night.  What is left are the four lines that go from the control horns on the stabilizer to the swivel-y things on the sides of the fuselage.  I think I will use stretched sprue for those and only after I attach the remaining pieces of kit parts.  

 

--John

 

 

[Paul Thompson]

    Looking very good John. The last few years I've started to use Uschi stretchy stuff for 1/72nd control lines, especially the long elevator runs like this one. Very fiddly to use and I avoid it if I can but much thinner than EZline, and resilient, being the bit of rigging most likely to be inadvertantly damaged. Recently found that it could be successfully coloured up with a silver permanant marker before installation, which makes it a more realistic option than black. Before that I'd use destranded EZline, until the earliest efforts began to shrivel and perish. The main downside is that aileron and rudder controls should really use the same stuff to match, and whereas rudders are usually easy enough, aileron balance cables are best done by drilling through the ailerons as for fishing line etc, but the Uschi stuff is very reluctant to being poked through holes.

 

 

Paul.

[81-er]

That's looking very nice John

 

James

[John Masters]

1 hour ago, Paul Thompson said:

Looking very good John. The last few years I've started to use Uschi stretchy stuff for 1/72nd control lines, especially the long elevator runs like this one. Very fiddly to use and I avoid it if I can but much thinner than EZline, and resilient, being the bit of rigging most likely to be inadvertantly damaged. Recently found that it could be successfully coloured up with a silver permanant marker before installation, which makes it a more realistic option than black. Before that I'd use destranded EZline, until the earliest efforts began to shrivel and perish. The main downside is that aileron and rudder controls should really use the same stuff to match, and whereas rudders are usually easy enough, aileron balance cables are best done by drilling through the ailerons as for fishing line etc, but the Uschi stuff is very reluctant to being poked through holes.

Thanks Paul.  I don't like either of those and I have tried them.  I've been rigging 1/72nd scale aircraft for over 20 years and I always come back to monofilament and drilling.

 

15 minutes ago, 81-er said:

That's looking very nice John

Thanks James.

 

[Paul Thompson]

1 minute ago, John Masters said:

Thanks Paul.  I don't like either of those and I have tried them.  I've been rigging 1/72nd scale aircraft for over 20 years and I always come back to monofilament and drilling.

 

Thanks James.

 

I've been doing it for over 50 years and can still never make my mind up.................

 

 

Paul.

[Marklo]

5 minutes ago, Paul Thompson said:

I've been doing it for over 50 years and can still never make my mind up.................

 

Well I used to be all stretched sprue but nowadays I favour monofilament and sometimes use EZ line.
 

BTW RAF wires used on some British aircraft were square in section and painted black so for certain types black would be the more accurate option.

[Paul Thompson]

31 minutes ago, Marklo said:

Well I used to be all stretched sprue but nowadays I favour monofilament and sometimes use EZ line.
 

BTW RAF wires used on some British aircraft were square in section and painted black so for certain types black would be the more accurate option.

        There was a discussion on here over the last year about painting of real-life RAF wires, and IIRC no-one conclusively proved that it really happened, if you discount more modern examples like restored Tiger Moths. Very hard to tell from period photos, what with the effects of wetness, weathering, oil, or just lighting. Also, RAFwire isn't square section, but streamlined, so if you could successfully stretch Contrail style extruded strut to a suitable size consistently, and keep it straight once glued on, that would be ideal. Not really possible, sadly, in my experience at least.

 

        OTOH, flat ribbon like EZline or lycra isn't distinguishable from aerofoil RAFwire in any sensible modelling scale, and I used to recommend it as you suggest, but find it really hard not to get the stuff twisted during threading it through holes, which trashes the effect. In addition, EZline is quite inconsistent in width, so getting it to look okay entails a lot of wastage.  And TBH I no longer think that if you could do a 1/72nd RAFwire the right size it would look any different to a round section wire without magnification.

 

        Al that guff should be read bearing in mind that it's based on my eyesight and (un)coordination, which is pretty awful actually, so may be irrelevant to the rest of you.

 

Paul.

Edited August 14, 2023 by Paul Thompson
Clarification of degree of pedantry.