ProfLooney

Yea I try to do it same way on 3rd scale. But in all reality on these WWI planes you can build them at any scale as the original and not have a problem. These planes were built to hold together with sticks whereas a WWII or covialian of later model requires a lot of important inner structure to hold them up to abuse.

Joe

ProfLooney

Yes its abt the best way to do it. Proctor used his drawings for the basis of their plans so should work out good.

A coffin be way to much for my scale so I will be adding feet of a sort to the bottom of mine and have a core crutch to hold them. the feet will all be the same width so I can use my standard book shelf bracket as a straight edge and butt all the feet up to that to make sure it is all straight.

I should have screenshots of my fuse former and crutch setup sometime this weekend

Joe

Zipperneck

My Feedback: (1)

You must be kidding me! This thing is gorgeous!

ProfLooney

yea it is framed all as the original. larry took all the measurements from stropp at the smithsonian for the restoration along with bob waugh who worked with the aussie alby and between them they produced some very nice drawings so they could restore the smithsonian plane. it is from these drawings he built the plane above and what I will be using with his permission for my 3rd scale albatros DI- DVa planset

Zipperneck

My Feedback: (1)

I am always amazed by the talent of some people. It's simply magical. Makes my efforts look like drivel....

Then there's the question of time, space and high-level negotiations with wife and family, which is a whole other story.

ProfLooney

well the wife is easy to get out of your hair. just tell her you dont need much cash just enough to have the ribs and formers laser cut hundred bucks or so and rest you can use stuff round house lol  so she gives you hundred bucks for the parts then you sneak to local hardware store for odd and end square and round stock occasionally here square stock averages abt 40 cents each so wife never notices that little bit here and there. and you just take your time and build it over a couple yrs hides the cash even more that way hehe all abt being sneaky

abufletcher

The original's framework was build on an external jig, which is worth the effort to construct if you're going to have a whole production line. But for one model, it doesn't make sense. So we have these modeling solutions. At your scale the "feet" approach with the crutch is probably best.

As far as "fooling the wife," well eventually I think she's going to notice that huge thing in the basement (or barn) and start putting two and two together!

ProfLooney

well she would know I was talking abt hiding the cost from her. most wives will keep ya happy letting ya have a hundred bucks ish for the hobby. but then with ya spending 10 dollars here and 10 there on stick wood you can get from local hardware store she wont notice the cost as much especially if ya spread it out over a couple yrs lol. but then ya have to contend with the " YOU Ever Gonna Finish That Thing" from her

abufletcher

Just answer, "Sure, just as soon as you hand over $10,000!" But, yes, I'm well acquainted with the "tricks of the hobby."

alangranvue

My Feedback: (11)

Looking very nice!!! I can't wait to see this one finished!

ProfLooney

I just got back from the scanning company and will be spending all weekend buried behind my computer screen tracing his drawings so I can go over them and modify my planset. Because he drew on grid paper and was his original pencil drawings have to cad them up for him and me and replace lines that may not be showing on the scans.

lol gonna be really fun on my eyes with all the grid there but i will be starting with the fuse  only at this time so I can get the formers cut and start building the fuse and once its built and detailed then will work on building the wings

skubacb

Amazing work. Just a quick question. What was the wing incidence on the D.III. Concerns a much smaller electric where I am being told a very positive incidence is scale.
Thanks.

ProfLooney

I am still trying to verify the incidence on the DIII but so far I have been told 5 degree positive incidence but I haven't been able to cross verify it. you might check with Kolor Mayorhofen (sp) on theaerodrome.com forums he is building Full scale DII and DIII's

the DIII was a DI-DII Fuse with DVa Wings and the DVa doesnt have as drastic incidence the full wing only on the wing tip. But the DI and DII have 5 degree incidence and was told the DIII had the same.

Another to ask would be Dave on his DVa thread on this forum he had a beautiful DIII he flew for a long time and competed with he could give you a good answer his nick here is cocobear or something like that.

Joe

skubacb

Thanks for the help!

PROVOSTGUARD

As ther are virtually no compound curves on the Dva fuselage except at the fin/fuselage area is it possible to conside cladding the A/C IN 1/32" ply, as per full size. It actually works out both lighter and indeed stronger than balsa (even after glassing) and lets be honest its what they did with considerable success.Just imagine also all those lovely acres of ply grain brought to life with varnish.A lovely project Joe and with hundreds of colour schemes to play with you will have a ball. My regards to you, Ken Hart DP UK Co ordinator

abufletcher

I've forgotten. Were the Albatros fuselages also built from molded half shells as on the Pfalz? If so, this might be one problem with trying to apply ply panels directly to a delicate scale frame. But, yeah, in principle, I believe that on large models the "best way" is probably "the way they done it back then."

ProfLooney

No Abu they werent monocoaque fuses for the alby they were panelled right onto the framework. the joints were in between the formers though and not on the formers like you would think. also the joints were scarfed. Hopefully I will have some pics to show of the new design today or tomorrow.

I been making a few adjustments to what I had and hope to send off for my fuse parts sometime in next couple days. I been busy round here hanging out with my daughter in law who is due any day now with my first grandbaby. Its going to be a boy and they named him Austin. My boy is off doing National Guard 2 week summer camp. then end of next month he goes to Egypt for a 1 yr deployment to play MP on the base we have over there. so I been really busy babysitting mom in case she needs to goto hosp. We thought he was coming yest but when got her to hospital was false alarm but they said shes really close to opening the oven door. ))))

Joe

PS Ken I am still waiting to hear on what the customers paint scheme will be. Hopefully soon so I can see if the plane had any mods before I really get started building

ProfLooney

Ok heres another Scale FYI. in some of the rear fuse formers there is an "X" a lot of times you will see the X there and some radii. That is fine it is how SOME were done. After talking with Larry I found out some were done another way and thought would show you and explain it.

ProfLooney

Now I havent decided how I want to do mine yet, but in the above pic you can see there is an X in the center. at 1/4 scale this is 3/8" wide. One side of the X is cut to match the angle of the other side so you have a flat section.


Next a ply board is placed on the front and back of the center section as reinforcement. PLUS to fill the gaps there are 4 triangular wedges placed around that center joint and in between the boards.

the whole thing is then glued and screwed to the back of the former.

Now I prob wont do mine that way as it seems like a big bunch of extra work when I can just have it laser cut and still be correct.  But I just thought would pass on some reference material for you guys in case you want to make it appear that way. I may do it like that though on the 1/8 scale I have to do for the guy that will be half uncovered.

Joe

ProfLooney

Well Guys Larry just sent me a bunch of photos of his plane. I will have to resize them and will then get them posted. he took a lot of detail pics of various places. I will try to get them up as quickly as possible but I have to take daughter in law in to doc today to see if they going to induce labor or what. seems like my grandson doesnt want to come out of the oven yet and I hope he doesnt get overdone )))))

like fat Batsard said on Austin Power we Opposited it " Get Out My Belly"

ProfLooney

ProfLooney

ProfLooney

ProfLooney

ProfLooney