Adrian's MPM Junkers W34

[Adrian Hills]

Amazing pictures Chris, thanks. My first wife moved to Fort McMoney (as the Ontarians call it). 

I must get back to Canada soon as haven't been there in quite a few years and many friends to visit 😊

[Adrian Hills]

Perhaps more importantly how is the city doing ?I saw a couple of years ago it had significant damage as a result of forest fires

[dogsbody]

It's doing good! Damage from the 2016 fire has been repaired/replaced. 

 

 

Chris

[Adrian Hills]

Good to hear Fort McMurray has recovered.

Have now fitted wings and under panel to fuselage 

 

 

[Adrian Hills]

Have now done a bit more work. Noticed cabin windows needed to be squared off. Added a few hand-holds from parts box, previously from 1/87 Roskopf Junkers F13. Noticed on photos a large intake under nose which was constructed from an old bomb. Then assembled tail and got ready for painting

 

 

 

 

[Adrian Hills]

Now for a slight change in direction. I have found a photo of CF-ATF on skis and also have a photo of another aircraft fitted with skis but also with two canoes attached - sitting on snow. It just so happens I have a pair of canoes about the right size so I cannot possibly resist. Skis fit to standard landing gear and will be easy to make. I even have some snow !

 

 

 

 

[AdrianMF]

Looks like an interesting configuration. Your snow on a circular base looks like icing sugar dusted over a cake! 
 

I must be hungry...

 

Regards,

Adrian

[marvinneko]

Nice. G-CADP is on my build list  

[Mjwomack]

On 05/10/2025 at 10:06, Adrian Hills said:

I have a pair of canoes about the right size so I cannot possibly resist

I've scoured the GB proposals, but can't find your one for a canoe GB!!! Love the little details like this though.

[Adrian Hills]

12 hours ago, marvinneko said:

Nice. G-CADP is on my build list  

The one I did used the 1/87 Roskopf kit

[Adrian Hills]

Whilst I was away from my model table at home I was at another table and completed my Roy Cross Memorial Lysander. Roy Cross was one of the artists that did box art for Airfix and I have done five Airfix kits to look like his box art.

I mention this build because it was a combination of the gold and also the lacquer that I used for the Airfix Lizzie that clogged my airbrush so badly (and obviously me not cleaning it properly in the first place!). After a disaster with Humbrol 24 yellow on the underside of an Airspeed Oxford I am also currently making I walked away ! Visiting my local model shop, Modelworx in Newhaven I bought some lovely fresh Gunze 113 'RLM yellow' which looked about right. I cleaned up the Oxford and the hosed it down with the Gunze - all good. A similar positive result was achieved with the W34. Will leave it overnight and put a second coat on if it needs it

 

 

 

 

 

[Adrian Hills]

I couldn't resist so went to workshop to look. Brought model in house and had a better look. The finish is good but not absolutely uniform and perfect - which I prefer. Will paint nose tomorrow. This aircraft needs a nice cosy blanket over the engine, just like the photo - so does anyone have a suggestion of what I should use for the 'blanket ?

 

 

[Mjwomack]

7 minutes ago, Adrian Hills said:

This aircraft needs a nice cosy blanket over the engine, just like the photo - so does anyone have a suggestion of what I should use for the 'blanket ?

I nominate @RC Boater Bill for advice on how to replicate heavy canvas from a sail which is what it looks like to me. I would say tissue paper drenched in dope, but that might not work at this scale as opposed to 1/72

[AdrianMF]

That Lysander is a brave and interesting experiment! I reckon that it will look superb with the right lighting.

 

I think fine cloth would be your best option, painted incrementally with diluted PVA. I can't see tissue working (too fragile), or foil (tin or wine bottle) (can't fold with precision) or milliput (too thick and fiddly/fragile). Do you have a hanky in a drawer somewhere?

 

Regards,

Adrian

[RC Boater Bill]

3 hours ago, AdrianMF said:

That Lysander is a brave and interesting experiment! I reckon that it will look superb with the right lighting.

 

I think fine cloth would be your best option, painted incrementally with diluted PVA. I can't see tissue working (too fragile), or foil (tin or wine bottle) (can't fold with precision) or milliput (too thick and fiddly/fragile). Do you have a hanky in a drawer somewhere?

 

Regards,

Adrian

I agree-   tissue will be too fragile- it will become translucent and “fall-apart-fragile” if it gets too wet.   I think a small scrap of fine linen would be the best option.

 

Another approach would be to make a molding form from wood or epoxy putty that mimics the nose/cowling, and then use heat to soften the thinnest piece of sheet plastic you can find, and pull it down over the mold— sorta like making a vac-form part.  Then  you can trim it as needed.    (The old flying model mags called this technique “heat-smashing”.)

[Troy Smith]

6 hours ago, AdrianMF said:

I can't see tissue working (too fragile)

 

2 hours ago, RC Boater Bill said:

I agree-   tissue will be too fragile

 

6 hours ago, Adrian Hills said:

so does anyone have a suggestion of what I should use for the 'blanket ?

There is dressmakers pattern tissue, it's smoother and stronger version of standard tissue.  I think I read about in an old Military Modelling Stan Catchpol tip article.

Google has on a search for  dressmakers tissue paper vs tissue paper 

"Dressmaker's tissue paper is a durable, semi-transparent paper for tracing sewing patterns and making toiles, while regular tissue paper is thin and easily torn, used for wrapping gifts or general craft purposes. Dressmaker's tissue paper is often more robust, won't easily tear when pinned or manipulated, and can be sewn into a test garment, notes The Sewing Directory."

 

There is a video of Roy Dilley from 1975 using standard paper to make uniform parts, but he scrunches up the paper to destroy the grain by crumbling, to make it malleable , and then seals it with liquid plastic aka thin sprue-goo

https://youtu.be/R88w6S_IOK4?t=315

 

I also like the liquid plastic anti spill weight  

 

I've got some (somewhere) if you want to try it out.  I've also got a well worn (as worn through in the middle) 100% cotton sheet in the scrap pile but the good bits are very soft,  but I'd try the dressmakers tissue suitably scrunched option first.

 

Before I forget, the Luftfahrt book article I mentioned is about the Junkers J13, not sure if of interest.

 

HTH

 

 

 

 

[ColonelKrypton]

9 hours ago, Troy Smith said:

There is dressmakers pattern tissue

 

I have no experience with dressmakers pattern tissue but years ago a commonly available product for covering flying model airplanes was a product referred to as silkspan. It was not silk nor was it a lightweight tissue paper but rather somewhere in between, was available in typically three weights - light, medium and heavy, and had very good wet strength.

 

Fast forward to today and I cannot find a ready source for silkspan but I do find a product being sold as Artist Teabag Paper for Mixed Media Art which to my eye looks a lot like that old silkspan product and it's product description includes reference to strong wet strength. 

 

I have read in more than a couple of places of silkspan being recommended and used for making sails on model ships of sail.  Perhaps this Artist Teabag Paper for Mixed Media Art may be the new modern equivalent and be relatively easy to find.  I think I will have to give a try.

 

cheers, Graham

 

[paul-muc]

I have once made sails for a small sailing ship (1/125) out of paper tissue and I got a good result.

Sails

 

 

[Adrian Hills]

Hi all folks. I am listening keenly to all of your wonderful suggestions. I think it is time to start experimenting 😊

[Adrian Hills]

Have now got a good supply of material for the nose covering - thanks Troy and others. The Mr Color chrome silver looks splendid on nose !!

 

 

[marvinneko]

Nice!

 

Hm... yellow planes with a shiny cowl.... join the club!

 

 

 

[Adrian Hills]

Decided to use Signiagraph (Canadian) rub down decals. Couldn't get waterslide to act reliably. Have dealt with these 'you only get one chance' decals for 35 years. As a result when I realised I put the lettering on the underside of the WRONG WING, decided 'Oh well, too late now :-)'. The photo I have of the port side has a silvery patch, possibly where a Canadian Airways emblem was on a plate such as seen on this aircraft now on display in Ottawa. A circular stensil and a silver sharpie helped me out there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And for the pedants out there, yes I'm aware the strip should be dark green and the band on the tail should be split with the aircraft codes, but it is what it is 🙂

[marvinneko]

per our discussion in your dragon rapide build, in Google images you can see how CF-ATF had the code split over the wings during the forties' paint scheme, but smaller and just on the starboard wing in the fifties. My postwar converted warbirds for air surveying have the starboard wing registrations, too.