While waiting for paint to dry, I thought I would build a Mercedes engine rather than use the WB Gnome cylinders. The build time is probably less than the amount of time I'd spend explaining the Gnome at the field!! The last mercedes I built for my Pfalz DIII/a was from a Proctor kit. I decided to scratch build this using by resin casting the cylinders, manifold flanges, and rocker parts. (The dowl sticking out of the mold in the second picture is wrapped in plastic wrap so it can be pulled out of the cylinder casting, producing a hollow cylinder to center to save weight.) The bevel gear housing and other bits are balsa, plastic tubing, dowls and wire. Muffler is made using a 1/16 plywood pattern/core, with foam cheeks top and bottom, whittled to shape, glassed and painted. I use textured rustoleum to give it a cast-look. The short dowls are hardpoints to drill and pin the muffer to the cylinder.