p51f4f

My Feedback: (81)

ars

A friend and I are working on a D XII from AZ Models, Its looking good

Gene

Sethhunter

Gene, Any pictures you'd care to post? Love to see them.

Erich_Prinz

That's a beaut!

Some people build airplanes around the engine. This looks to be one of those engines.

Sethhunter

Good day in the shop. Bad day for paying bills, painting the kitchen or doing my taxes!

Started rigging the wings. Built a jig that mounts to the lower wing and has a plywood datum edge so I can sight the rigging-line painted on the fuselage. The jig's plywood datum attaches to the base in two positions (pressed onto dowls); at 2 degrees for sighting the fuselage for the lower wing incidence, and 0 degrees for checking incidence of upper wing relative to lower wing. The aileron cable outlets aren't done yet - I need to finish rigging top wing so I can glue the outlets at the right angle and paint them. Picture of the underside shows the aileron cable attachment hatches open. I use the same hatches to tighten a nylon bolt into the center section. There's also a set of hatches on the top side of the lower wing panels.

The seat is coming along. I would have liked to weave a wicker seat, but Pfalz pilots had a cushy cushion to sit on!

arspievack

Seth,
I love your precision, artistry, and imagination. But you still need to know the way I did it. (hee, hee)
I used the inclinometer that Robart used to make. I just wanted to be sure right and left sides were the same.
I could shim the top wing if necessary, but I had already set the bottom wing root incidence when I made the filet.
So if that was wrong I was f-----! Some how I think it was +2 degrees but I'd have to look that up to be sure.

Once it was rigged and I thought it was right, I was ready. By shear luck it didn't need even a click of adjustment on the transmitter. I never de-rigged it after that because I was afraid I'd never get it right a second time. Fortunately the plane fit in my wagon fully rigged. It's better to be lucky than smart.

Finally I want to remind you to "weather" the pilot's harness with some sweat stains, blood stains, and you know what kind of stains on the seat. We want full realism.

I can't wait.. what a piece of work!
alan

Sethhunter

Thanks Alan - right on all counts! I really appreciate your tips. I set the incidence at the root too - I just find the undercambered wings hard to "sight" without an aid, so when setting the landing wires, I wanted to make sure there was no twist. The big question in my mind was whether or not my interplane struts would rig right. Big relief to find it all went together straight. Kind of makes all the attention to precision along the way pay off. Weathering the harness is in the works, but I'm an amateur compared to your work. Ever post those pics of yours??

Here's another item - recreated a Wilhelm Morrell Phylax tachometer I found on the web (maybe one of you guys pointed me to the site - I'm not sure!)

arspievack

Seth,
I've really been bad about that but will. Sorry
I had some health problems and had to spend some time in the hospital which took me out of the slot for awhile.
But I'm back now and will get to work. I really like your compulsive work habits because it so opposite of mine.
Your's is better
Thanks
ars

Erich_Prinz

Any day is a bad day for doing taxes!

The detail continues to be fantastic == the oil drips left me thinking "why didn't the mechanic wipe up the spills?!" Then I came to and remembered this is a scale project. It doesn't get any better than that.

Curious question(s)...

How do the shoulder harnesses connect - is there a button arrangement on the lap belt?

The detailed photos are great and much appreciated Seth. I think it is safe to say we're all in amazement at your abilities AND very thankful you're so willing to share.

Erich

ArdChoile

Seth,

Thats looks great!!! Your attention to detail is mindboggling. You really should consider doing a magazine article.

Keep up the great work and keep those photos coming. Can't wait to see her in the air.

Ard - Ian

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

I would guess that the shoulder straps go through the metal look on the lap belt and then that loop goes through the other lap belt. Every thing is secured via that loop.

Erich_Prinz

I see now. That makes sense.

Sethhunter

Bob, kudo's for figuring that out how the belt works since the arrangement is just my interpretation. The only thing I could confirm from the photos is the shape of the shoulder belt, which often hangs out of the cockpit. There are also pictures on the web of different triangular plate and wire hooking arrangements for lap belts, so I just put the too together. Not sure I'm right, just my guess.

Good question about the mechanic's cleanliness - they probably wold have kept the ship cleaner. My wife wonders why I ruined a perfectly clean model but my kids enjoyed poking at the step cover with a little model boot with black polish on it! I hope I didn't go overboard. It's my first try at weathering.

Mode One

I just took my Dynaflite SE5a to a Mall Show. I had weathered the sun exposed surfaces by rubbing and daubing thined white paint all over it. My metal skinned surfaces had bare metal exposed in high use areas by using the dry brushing method, using aluminum paint. The undersides had darker stained areas by using pastel chalks. I attempted not to over do this treatment as weathering can easily overwelm the subject.

I have a couple opinions on this, that and the other: 1). To the general public and most R/Cers, weathing effectivly makes the airplane disappear. 2). World War One airplanes hold less interest for the public then World War Two airplanes. 3). A highly detailed (in compairison) painted and weathered WW 1 airplane will be beaten by a shinny Monokoted WW2 airplane every time.

Is the above whinning? Absolutly! However it doesn't make my points less true, as they have been proven to me over many years of dragging airplanes to Mall Shows. So, why do I do it? For the DOOR PRIZES! I won a new Sullivan Starter and a Sig Something Extra ARF. I may sell the ARF on Ebay, so I will add some money to the R/C kitty!

ArdChoile

Mode One,

Are you going to post some pics of your SE5a? You described the weathering detail nicely but lets have a few photos to go with it please. To me a well weathered aircraft is so much more appealing and the credit to the builder for taking the time to add details as this.

ArdChoile - Ian

arspievack

No question weathering is an option of prefernce and judging risk. I was always pro weathering and never felt I had a judge down grade me for it. Conversely many commented how "real" it made the plane look. Pristene models always looked to me like models, not real working aircraft;
I won best inshow at the Wrams in '75 with a weathered Westland Whirlwind ( which Seth has promised to make me post).
The best scale plane I ever saw was a Jap zero, heavily weathered. As it sat that it looked as real as any plane model could look.
Seth remember the mud on the wheels and the mud spray on the bottom of the wings and over the leading edge of the horizontal stab. Also mess up the skid. You don't have to over board, WW I planes didn't last that long so a couple weeks of weather is all you need. A little exhaust streaking, a little oil, some mud, a few bullet holes and you're ready to go.
ars

PS: My experience was that what got the judges attention was something different, and something well done.
I was never sorry I did WW I stuff. I never got beat by a Mustang! I campaigned the first Mig-3 in RC scale and no one ever went to see the Mustangs before they came to see the Mig. Seth will prove my theory.

p51f4f

My Feedback: (81)

The wing span on the 1/4 scale D XII pfalz is 83 inches and is a Arziona Models kit. weight is looking to be around 18 lbs dry.

Gene

Bud Faulkner

My Feedback: (1)

Did it take you long to get the kit? My first order from ASM on the 10th of march for a 1/4 spandeau gun and still don't have it.

Bud

p51f4f

My Feedback: (81)

Bud

I have had to wait a few times but nothing bad, remember besides scales models they also build full scale replicas and most items are cut south of the border and have to pass customs and so forth. I think Jamie takes delivery once a month on items and if the order falls just after a shipment was received it may be a little longer

Gene

Mode One

I need to clairify. Judging at a Mall Show is nothing like judging at a contest. It is not technical. It is: Oh, this one is pretty and shinny!

Yes, I am going to post some photos. I don't have a digital camara (yet). When I do post, they will be in the Dynaflite SE5a thread on "Kit Building". It may be a week or two. This is the Pfalz thread and if it ain't about Pfalz aircraft, it don't belong here. My leading comments were on weathering and that's how I ended up talking SE5as here.

Sethhunter

NICE LOOKING DXII!!! What engine is in it? This may be a dumb question but what is the hole thru the fuselage for? Do you know what the wing area is? Keep the pics coming. That should be a great airplane!

p51f4f

My Feedback: (81)

Seth

The Engine is the Evolution 35 gas, and the hole in the side was the idea to postion the servo tray. We had problems with twisting and waited till it was sheeted.
We might move the servos in front of the cockpit area if we have enough room. This is going to be a nice looking plane. Have not figured out the wing area yet. But will
get to that later.

Gene

Bud Faulkner

My Feedback: (1)

That makes sense Gene,thank you.

Bud

Sethhunter

Help! I tightened up the aileron control cables and my fears came true - too much friction pulling fine braided steel cable around the small diameter of the proctor pulleys. Does anyone have experience with a different material pulling around a pulley? Anyone think Kevlar is an option here?

I'd also welcome opinions on the practicality of rear-carb inverted engines (since I've never run gas). How often do you really need to access the carb on the flight line? (for tweaking, observing fuel lines, manually choking, etc.)? I was trying to avoid the appearance of a side-mount carb, but since I've put myself in a size range (50cc+) where most of the iron's hanging out the bottom anyway, I'm thinking a rear exhaust (at best reachable through a cover on the bottom of the fuse) will be just too big a pain.

Ideas? Thanks!

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

Seth how about changing the braided cable to braied cable that is plastic covered? Proctor sells some of this I believe. OR change the pully so the diameter is larger relieving some of the friction. Yes Kevlar is an option.

On Gas engines, once the carb is adjusted properly you seldom need to mess with it. Gas engines are pretty tolerant to weather changes etc with out having to make Carb adjustments unless you're racing etc where you want the optimal performance of the engine.

arspievack

Seth,
different size pullies may work as well as different wire ( be sure to oil the slots in the pulley since plastic covered wire can be sticky. I used nylon and that worked well. I used clear and painted it with silver paint.
Didn't have Kevlar in my day but it sound worth a try. Stainles steell wire is also a choice.
Another solution is a t-shaped bell crank. You'd need two in series each perpendicular to the other.
It sounds like your stuck with an inverted engine. That's okay . I used that a lot and agree that once set up they usually hold the setting.
Youll need a cowl or trap door for access, but there are plenty break lines on the Pflaz that you can fit to.
But this is the fun part of scratch building... solving problems. You've painted yourself into a couple of corners., That's par for the course. I used t do it all the time.
You have such good imagination and building skills that I can't wait to see the solutions.
They'll be great
alan