TeeELLs kitchen crafting kit creations

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TeeELL
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Re: TeeELLs kitchen crafting kit creations

Post by TeeELL »

Whilst the masking could be better, my efforts with the Revell DH2 are now 'proof of concept' rather than producing the final model for my 29 Sqn collection. Nevertheless the progress is quite pleasing and I am thinking of ways to improve the masking as I go along.

Here is the upper surface of the lower wing, the masking has allowed the darker base coat to show, it actually still needs a final coat to blend things together. It is very subtle in the photo, less so in reality.

Image

The slight areas of 'glossiness' will disappear when the final blending coat is applied and the whole wing micro-meshed. The sharp eyed amongst you will see that the spar is not aligned with the fixing points for the wing struts ! Tut, tut, tut - note to self .....


The lower surface is much clearer and demonstrates why there is a need for the final 'blending' coat, the delineation between colours is too harsh.

Image

I've seen a lot of models produced where the wing ribs are 'light' and the skin dark - whilst it looks good I am not sanguine that it is necessarily accurate. Photosgraphs of DH2's, taken such that the underside of the wing can be seen, all show the ribs as dark shadows - not surprising since the lacquer applied to the upper surface of the wings was somewhat translucent - I even wonder if it might have given the appearance of the bottom surface fabric a slight green/brown hue rather than simply 'linen' colour?
I have even seen 'shadows' of the roundels represented on the lower surface of the upper wing in subdued red/off white/blue, again looks good, but I suspect that the roundels were applied over the PC10 lacquer and would not have affected the 'colour' appearance of the lower surface fabric. Just my opinion .......
Tony

The older I get the better I was!
Current build:
Airfix 1:72 Javelin FAW9
Particular modelling interests:
Cuban Airforce aircraft, 29(F) Sqn aircraft, Aircraft I’ve flown
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iggie
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Re: TeeELLs kitchen crafting kit creations

Post by iggie »

Very patient work with all the rib masking; that should look the mutt's whatsits once blended
Best wishes

Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
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jssel
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Re: TeeELLs kitchen crafting kit creations

Post by jssel »

Impressive.
Besting 60 years of mediocre building of average kits in the stand off scale
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TeeELL
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Re: TeeELLs kitchen crafting kit creations

Post by TeeELL »

Last night I had a go at blending the various shades of the wing lower surfaces, I am quite happy with the end result, the difficulty being - when to stop, too much and the blending ceases so to be.

Image

Now, I could tell you that the slight variation between the blending of the upper and lower wing under surfaces is supposed to reflect the fact that the lower wing sit in the shadow of the upper wing - Hmmmm, perhaps I SHOULD stick with that it sounds plausible enough! Truth is, under artificial light it was very difficult to tell when I had matched them and, clearly, I hadn't quite got it right. Nevertheless, it proves the painting concept. I hope to achieve something similar on the top surface, but less distinct.
Tony

The older I get the better I was!
Current build:
Airfix 1:72 Javelin FAW9
Particular modelling interests:
Cuban Airforce aircraft, 29(F) Sqn aircraft, Aircraft I’ve flown
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TeeELL
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Re: TeeELLs kitchen crafting kit creations

Post by TeeELL »

I have compared various drawings of the fin/rudder of the DH2, by overlaying the transparent print on each. Whilst they are not exactly the same, they are all pretty close but I have elected to go for the drawing in the Windsock reference and that of a downloaded Blueprint, they are virtually identical.

Here, then, is the overlay on top of the Revell part, you can see that the amount of plastic that needs to be removed is not great and the only addition required is the small aerodynamic balance on the forward side of the rudder ahead of the hinge line. I have to confess that, having seen other builds of this kit, I expected to be fabricating a new fin/rudder from scratch.

Image


The 0.8mm carbon fibre rods for the tail booms have not yet arrived.
Tony

The older I get the better I was!
Current build:
Airfix 1:72 Javelin FAW9
Particular modelling interests:
Cuban Airforce aircraft, 29(F) Sqn aircraft, Aircraft I’ve flown
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TeeELL
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Re: TeeELLs kitchen crafting kit creations

Post by TeeELL »

If anyone is building or planning to build the Revell DH2 then, like most things, you need to try and find reference photos for the aircraft you want to build. My build will be of a 'relatively' late model variant. So the gravity fuel tank will be centrally placed on the upper surface of the top wing on my model (later version). Note the shape of mine vs that provided in the kit (that, in my freebie, was missing). The tank could be mounted off-set to port (similar to the kit) or mounted under the wing in the same, off-set, position (earliest versions). Oh, don't kid yourselves that DH2s didn't last very long, 5925 served with 24 Sqn from 2 Feb 1916 until 10 May 1917 before being retired to a training unit! I have a photo of the aircraft and the shadow of the upper wing roundels can be made out on the undersurface fabric - so bang goes my theory :-(

I mention this because that also affects the type of aileron controls found on the upper wing. In all variants the pilot lateral flying control inputs were fed to the bottom ailerons with the top ailerons being connected by a control wire. To ensure the top ailerons responded correctly to 'up aileron' inputs a method of 'pulling them up' was required. In the earliest versions a spring was used from an aileron control horn, just behind the hinge line, to a securing point immediately above the forward, outboard wing strut. Due to spring failures an number of aircraft were lost and so the spring was replaced with 'rubber bungees'. Later, a balance control wire was fitted that ran, via pulleys and a fairlead, from one upper aileron to the other. The pulleys, as far as I can establish, were affixed above the same strut as previously and the control cable ran horizontally from one side to the other through a fairlead positioned near the front, top of the gravity fuel tank. So, the only variants with the balance control cable would have had a centrally mounted fuel tank - set in stone!! Well, right up to the point where you, or I, discover a photo proving otherwise!! Lol (But remember, having a centrally positioned fuel tank, doesn't guarantee an aileron balance cable).

By now, I can see Revell DH2 kits being consigned to that well-known auction site or the circular filing cabinet!!!
Tony

The older I get the better I was!
Current build:
Airfix 1:72 Javelin FAW9
Particular modelling interests:
Cuban Airforce aircraft, 29(F) Sqn aircraft, Aircraft I’ve flown
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Clashcityrocker
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Re: TeeELLs kitchen crafting kit creations

Post by Clashcityrocker »

Coming along nicely. A tip for cutting strips of tape the same width, fix two knife blades together at the desired width and use them in the knife handle. Not an original idea of mine, I read it somewhere. Just paying it forward :)

Nigel
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TeeELL
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Re: TeeELLs kitchen crafting kit creations

Post by TeeELL »

Nigel, yes of course!! I, too, now remember that but thank you for the reminder, funny how easy it can be to forget tips like that.

Tony
Tony

The older I get the better I was!
Current build:
Airfix 1:72 Javelin FAW9
Particular modelling interests:
Cuban Airforce aircraft, 29(F) Sqn aircraft, Aircraft I’ve flown
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TeeELL
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Re: TeeELLs kitchen crafting kit creations

Post by TeeELL »

Yesterday I tried to create a way of representing the 'projected image' of the top wing cockade as seen on the lower surface. This is my first effort:

Image

I think the colours are slightly too saturated and perhaps 2 passes with the airbrush would give a better result. That said, I am quite happy that it is 'do-able' and I do have the other wing tip to experiment on. I think the edges are also, perhaps, a little too crisp - but it is 1/72, I'll live with it.

I used Humbrol blue (25) cut with some duck egg blue (23) with about 95% thinners, for the white (34) with 95% thinners and the red scarlet (60) again very highly thinned. Applied through the Iwata neo on the finest setting possible and no more than 15 PSI on the compressor. So, on Monday, I will try the same mix but only 2 passes to give 'just a hint', although I think I will cut the scarlet with some flesh (61). On my recent airbrush course I was told not to use white to lighten or black to darken, but to use a similar, lighter colour. Being a real smart arse I ignored the recommendation and first cut the blue with white - that gave me an opportunity to clean out my mixing pot and do it properly - lesson reinforced!

I also learned that it is a good idea to cut the circles in the masking tape laid over another piece of masking tape and not directly onto the cutting surface - 'cos it is soooo much easier to peel the circles without distorting them. Had to learn that the hard way - what a surprise!!
Tony

The older I get the better I was!
Current build:
Airfix 1:72 Javelin FAW9
Particular modelling interests:
Cuban Airforce aircraft, 29(F) Sqn aircraft, Aircraft I’ve flown
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TeeELL
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Re: TeeELLs kitchen crafting kit creations

Post by TeeELL »

I wonder if adding a little of the linen colour (not Humbrol Linen though) to the blue and red might give a better caste?
Tony

The older I get the better I was!
Current build:
Airfix 1:72 Javelin FAW9
Particular modelling interests:
Cuban Airforce aircraft, 29(F) Sqn aircraft, Aircraft I’ve flown
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TeeELL
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Re: TeeELLs kitchen crafting kit creations

Post by TeeELL »

I gave my painting plan a go today. Mixing Humbrol blue, white and scarlet with 'radome tan', which I use as part of the linen dope colour. Each colour was airbrushed as a very thin mix with just 2 passes. One advantage of very thin coats applied at low pressure is that they dry amazingly quickly and I was able to complete the exercise in a matter of a couple of hours.
Here then, is the end result. It is certainly less colour saturated than the previous (right hand side) but I think I shall try applying this finish before the 'blending' stage in the hope that that will make the 'cockade projection' appear to be on the inside of the fabric? Who knows - it all seems a lot of fuss!!

Image


I was doing some work on the port inner, forward wing strut, it has the pitot tube. My plan was to drill a small hole in the leading edge of the strut and fix the pitot. To that end, I measured the width of the strut (1mm), cut some 1mm tube and fixed up a drilling guide:

Image

To be honest, the plastic was not very 'drillable' and after some time I had achieved next to nothing. I filed into the side of the strut and stuck the pitot in place. For those of you looking for more detail, the feed from the pitot tube runs down the front of the strut in a shallow channel. I am not going to bother! Sorry.
Tony

The older I get the better I was!
Current build:
Airfix 1:72 Javelin FAW9
Particular modelling interests:
Cuban Airforce aircraft, 29(F) Sqn aircraft, Aircraft I’ve flown
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jssel
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Re: TeeELLs kitchen crafting kit creations

Post by jssel »

Lovely work.
Besting 60 years of mediocre building of average kits in the stand off scale
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TeeELL
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Re: TeeELLs kitchen crafting kit creations

Post by TeeELL »

Today has seen the holes for rigging wires drilled into the upper and lower main-planes and the rear, port and starboard inner struts fitted with the control line pulleys. I decided to use a thicker plasticard to create the pulleys and there are 2 types, the simplest it wire passed through and twisted, with a hole in the twists adjacent to the pulley, the other has the wire passed through twice so that a tiny loop can be created outside the pulley, the loop through which the control cable will pass.

Image

All this is to set the aircraft up that I might measure and craft the new tail booms!

Oh, here is a wicker seat for the DH2 and YES it is 1/72nd scale. I will fit it temporarily in the Revell DH2 and remove it when the Eduard DH2 reached an appropriate point in its construction.

Image
Tony

The older I get the better I was!
Current build:
Airfix 1:72 Javelin FAW9
Particular modelling interests:
Cuban Airforce aircraft, 29(F) Sqn aircraft, Aircraft I’ve flown
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skypirate
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Re: TeeELLs kitchen crafting kit creations

Post by skypirate »

Speechless!

So keep up the grand work!

David
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TeeELL
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Re: TeeELLs kitchen crafting kit creations

Post by TeeELL »

A bit more work undertaken on the DH2, as I've mentioned before, this model is now being built to show how to correct the kit shortfalls and identify ways of completing the rigging etc, but I am not planning to complete everything. It is my intention to give you the knowledge to tackle the model and produce something closer to the correct size and stance of the real thing.

I have done a little work on the starboard inner side of the cockpit, using a pencil, I have drawn the rigging lines and carefully highlighted the elevator trim lines.

Image

The brush painted finish doesn't lend itself well to the pencil line, but in reality, the effect is quite satisfactory.


The engine mount is vaguely 'lemon shaped'! The lower half being somewhat more curved than the upper. Difficult to tell in this photo, but you might be able to make it out.

Image

I would very strongly suggest that, if you are building this, you scratch build the mount and then add the 'stub' on which to position the engine.

The biggest issue I discovered occurred when I put the cockpit tub together and attached it to the lower wing. The 'positions' all seemed wrong and, when compared with the drawings the cockpit was sitting 3 or 4mms too far forward. I found it necessary to cut across the floor just behind my 'compass' then file the fuselage to fit the wings. For reference, the 'floor' extension on the lower wing should be cut 15mm ahead of the leading edge. With that done things start to line-up better.

It is possible that I might get the upper wing attached this evening, which will allow me to take the measurements necessary to construct the corrected tail booms.
Tony

The older I get the better I was!
Current build:
Airfix 1:72 Javelin FAW9
Particular modelling interests:
Cuban Airforce aircraft, 29(F) Sqn aircraft, Aircraft I’ve flown
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