1:32nd scale Phonix C.1

Started by Mike Norris · 31 · 11 hours ago
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    Spiros Pendedekas said 1 week, 4 days ago:

    Excellent fabrication of the coolant pipes and I really loved your approach of overcoming the mismatch you encountered with the engine and side panels, my friend @sandbsgger!

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    John vd Biggelaar said 1 week, 4 days ago:

    Great work on creating those pipes, Mike @sandbagger
    Correction worked really well.

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    Mike Norris said 1 week, 1 day ago:

    Hi all,
    I had hoped that the kit 3D printed interplane struts would be OK after I'd re-profiled their flat cross section.
    However, I had my doubts and sure enough one broke just by a gentle knock with my finger.
    So all of the kit struts have been discard and I'll need to make replacements from Brass rod and tube.
    I had to make the fuselage cabane struts anyway as the kit struts were frankly pathetic.
    So, we'll see how that goes ?

    Mike

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 1 week, 1 day ago:

    Quite a job ahead, which you will carry out in your usual excellent manner, my friend @sandbagger!

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    John vd Biggelaar said 1 week, 1 day ago:

    Lots of extra work ahead, usually executed perfectly by you, Mike @sandbagger

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    Paul Barber said 1 week, 1 day ago:

    Use of oils is just exemplary! Looking fantastic, Mike @sandbagger. Exert stuff as ever!

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    Mike Norris said 5 days, 20 hours ago:

    Hi all,
    Well that was fun!
    Fuselage cabane struts made from 'Albion Alloy's' 1.1 mm diameter Brass tube with 0.5 mm diameter internal support Brass rod.
    Interplane struts made from 'Albion Alloy's' 1.4 mm diameter Brass tube with 0.5 mm diameter internal support Brass rod.
    All strut tubes were compressed into an aerofoils shape using my 'Albion Alloy's' 'Strutter' vice jaws (no longer available).
    Wings and fuselage were drilled to accept the strut support rods.
    I used masking tape strips to hold the wings together as I made and fitted each strut, as the solid resin wings are not rigid and do flex.
    Also, this enabled me to achieve the slight dihedral for the lower wings whilst keeping the upper wing horizontal.

    Now it's onto:
    Re-profiling the shape of the upper wing opening above the pilot.
    Creating the cut outs in the trailing edge of the lower wing roots.
    Creating the clear window ports in the decking panel each side of the pilots windscreen.

    Mike

    3 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Mike Norris said 5 days, 15 hours ago:

    Hi all,
    The kit supplied wings have a cut out in the upper wing above the pilot and no cut outs at the lower wing roots.
    These seem to be for earlier production aircraft.
    Later production aircraft had the upper wing cut out enlarged and cut outs at the lower wing roots, both for better visibility for the pilot.
    Also, clear window ports were located in the cockpit decking panel, each side of the pilots windscreen.
    My assumption is that these were to allow daylight into the cockpit to better illuminate the pilots instrument panel, which was set forward under the decking panel.
    Finally, earlier production aircraft had rear fuselage cabane struts fitted, but it seems later aircraft did not and the strut openings in the decking panel were blanked off.
    Later in this build the clear wind recesses added will be filled with clear resin.

    Mike

    6 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    John vd Biggelaar said 5 days, 13 hours ago:

    It can be clearly seen that you enjoyed building those struts, they look great, Mike @sandbagger
    Great observation on the wings and panel.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 5 days, 1 hour ago:

    Excellent job so far, my friend @sandbagger!

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    Mike Norris said 4 days, 14 hours ago:

    Hi all,
    The three coolant pipes (not supplied in the kit) have now been formed in shape.
    They were made from annealed 0.8 mm diameter Brass rod and 1.0 mm diameter Brass tube.
    The finished pipes were immersed in 'Black-It' solution then lightly buffed with a cloth.
    They fit between the engine and the underside of the radiator on the upper wing.
    Also the supply pipes from the auxiliary fuel tank in the upper wing to fuselage (not supplied in the kit) were made from 0.5 mm diameter Brass rod.

    Now I could be wrong, but I think I'm ready to actually start building this model!

    Mike

    4 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 4 days, 13 hours ago:

    Those pipes look excellent, my friend @sandbagger!

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    John vd Biggelaar said 4 days, 13 hours ago:

    Great work on those fuel pipes, Mike @sandbagger

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    Mike Norris said 17 hours, 33 minutes ago:

    Hi all,
    This particular aircraft (121.57) had the Austro-Hungarian ‘wolkenartige Schattierung (’Cloud’) scheme of light and dark grey.
    Although originally it was thought to be green and tan coloured.
    The undersides of the wings and fuselage are painted white as those surfaces will have 'Aviattic' Clear Doped Linen (CDL) and 'Lukgraph' plywood decals applied.
    These decals are transparent so require a light coloured base coat to show the linen and wood effect.
    The two grey used for the upper surfaces were:
    Light Grey - ‘Tamiya’ Medium Sea Grey 2 (RAF) (XF83)
    Dark Grey - 'Tamiya’ Ocean Grey 2 (RAF) (XF82).

    The painted surfaces have to be smoothed and have a gloss clear coat applied before I apply the decals.
    The interplane and fuselage cabane struts needed to be fitted to the upper wing so they could be aligned correctly to the lower wings.
    Therefore, cutting and applying the CDL decals on that wing will present a challenge,

    Mike

    3 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 12 hours, 2 minutes ago:

    Looks fantastic, my friend @sandbagger!