miduppergunner Posted December 2, 2007 Author Share Posted December 2, 2007 Am now fashioning new struts and fixing them on both wings - the idea being that I can then mate them (full close ups will be posted Bob) but it is abit slow. You may just be able to make out such rigging (control wires) that I have installed - and prior to that applied the decals to the sides of the Fus. The decals suffered from The same defects bottom the struts and disintegrated. As a consequence will argue that the luckless German who applied them to the original had partaken of quite a large dose of schnapps. Think I will wait a little while and see if the Aeroclub wing jig is available - John - as I fel that rigging may be virtually impossible otherwise!. All hand painted - masking would be a huge joke! David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Oooh, that looks like a whole lot of fun waiting to happen David! Nice paint finish though, certainly captures how I think one of these machines would look. Not that I have the first clue about it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miduppergunner Posted December 3, 2007 Author Share Posted December 3, 2007 Thank you Col. - the underside of the upperwing is not quite that dark - and I am not sure really what the "colours' were - just going on the Windsock publication. I am sure that the "finish" must have been subject to a lot of changes when in service - after all linen cannot be the most stable of surfaces on which to apply paint - and the paint itself must have been vulnerable to the weathers - oils and greases - passing ducks etc. Have also looked at the U/C legs - more fragile than The wings struts - thoughts now turning to a "diorama" of one crashed - sans U/C!!!!! David. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Have also looked at the U/C legs - more fragile than The wings struts - thoughts now turning to a "diorama" of one crashed - sans U/C!!!!! Stick at it David, you're making light work of what seems a difficult kit and I'm enjoying your continued progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dylan the rabbit Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 My God.. He's going for it! I'd better pull my finger out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miduppergunner Posted December 29, 2007 Author Share Posted December 29, 2007 MEIN KAMPF!!!!!!!!! Here is another picture of the Gotha - with the wings mated! However the plastic is not only brittle but also very "dense" and thus heavy. The upper wing will wobble alarmingly at present - particularly when you pick the thing up!! Of course this should largely disappear when it is rigged - but how to handle it in the process??? The wings are also on the skew - again can be righted when rigging but so fragile is the whole thing that any tension most liklely will cause it to disintegrate! I fear that my skills are declining with the advancing years. I am afraid Nick that should the rigging cause a failure that will be the end of my entry. I must admit that I should have made more progress earlier so that Plan B (?) could have been implemented. Sorry old boy! The blemishes are where I had drilled the holes for the rigging and tidied tham up so there wil be some cosmetic activity here of course. The U/C by the way seems as fragile as the wing structure. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dylan the rabbit Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 David, Never surrender! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiSteve Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Nice looking Gotha David looks like its a rather large kit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miduppergunner Posted January 1, 2008 Author Share Posted January 1, 2008 Nice looking Gotha David looks like its a rather large kit Thank you - but in fact it is quite small - the span is about 30cms but all of the compnents are very "dainty". By the way, all, it has just disintegrated again in the attempt to rig it. The problem is that the original struts - which kept breaking - being very brittle - had tiny "pins" top and bottom to locate in equally tiny holes in The wings. - as per original. I have had to make new struts and in order to keep the appearance cut the ends at an angle 40?approx. which leaves a very small area to "glue" onto the wing! The only solutiuon is to run a length of fine wire along the leading edge of the strut, fairing it in and having the "pins" projecting at each end. That will be time consuming!! I think in fact my entry will be one unfinihsed Gotha as per post above!! Areal pain - certainly had no problem of this magnitude witht the Vimy- and it seesm the 0/400 (which I was going to enter) is more "robust" as well. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Keep going David... what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger! * * except for polio and other nasty things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miduppergunner Posted January 1, 2008 Author Share Posted January 1, 2008 Keep going David... what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger! ** except for polio and other nasty things Thanks Mike - in fact I was just about to return it to the loft for another time - but as you ask so nicely, Boss..........and you are right ...... nil desperandum etc. How are you feeling?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Thanks Mike - in fact I was just about to return it to the loft for another time - but as you ask so nicely, Boss..........and you are right ...... nil desperandum etc. How are you feeling?? Goody! I'm ok thanks David... suffering from a bit of over-exertion from these last few days, but I'm in decent spirits, which is always good Happy New Year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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