Balse USA Fokker D.VIII/E.V

Bookmaker · 3 April 2008, 04:01 PM

Thanks Armin,

I have been working on this project for longer than I like to admit, 3 years last month. I have a ton of excuses for such a long time, but at least I work on it now and then.

I have 2 more weeks of heavy office work (US tax return time). I hope to then get after it and finish it.

I agree the pilot is too clean. I will actually be using another pilot in "German" uniform, but he is on order. He will need to get dirty a little

.

Dale

Bookmaker · 23 April 2008, 06:55 AM

Here are some photos of goodies I have been working on for the cockpit.

Seat frame attached:

Control stick with triggers, air control, etc:

Tachometer:

And partially completed mixture control quadrant:

I have also made the initial mounting of the machine guns. No scale mounts due to the way the kit is designed, but will look good when I finish:

Dale

jtisch · 23 April 2008, 08:38 AM

I like your tachometer!Did you make any extras?

Good to see back "on the job".

J

Bookmaker · 23 April 2008, 09:14 AM

No, just one.

I made it from a 35mm plastic film can. The bezel is from the can lid with the center cut out. I cut the can to about 5/8" length then plugged the back with balsa. As is obvious, the needle is too heavy, but I used artistic license since the actual width would be very thin. It is cut from ABS sheet. I wish I had taken photos of the process.

The dial face came from the downloadable cockpit details at Arizona Models. It seems a little large in the photo, but when the floor is slid forward to its "flying" position, it looks about right. At the 1/4 scale size I made it, the full scale tach would be about 5" diameter outer dimension. That seems about right since you are looking at an instrument basically between your feet.

I am also going to build a compass. That and a mag switch will finish off the cockpit details. Oh, and cover the seat with lozenge, and close off the rear of the fuselage with lozenge.

Hopefully I can post completed cockpit photo this weekend.

jtisch · 23 April 2008, 04:19 PM

Thanks for the hints,the tachometer is one of the few things not covered in the GTM kit(s).Look forward to seeing more pics.

J

Bookmaker · 24 April 2008, 05:28 AM

One photo this morning.

Dale

Bookmaker · 24 April 2008, 07:17 AM

I will be adding a partition representing an ammunition box above the rudder pedals that will block off most of the view of the forward section of the forward compartment. The radio wires just don't fit the desired effect

.

Bookmaker · 26 April 2008, 08:18 PM

I made and installed a few more goodies in the cockpit.

Parts for compass;

Parts for mag switch;

Installed compass and mag switch;

And a view of the cockpit;

The final bits for the cockpit are a fake ammunition bin, cover the seat and install it and fuselage curtain behind the seat.

Dale

Bookmaker · 28 April 2008, 04:31 PM

I started coveing the seat. I split some fuel tubing and put it on the edge of the seat, then drilled a bunch of holes to stitch the edges. The balsa in the bottom is temporary to hold the fabric while it was gluing to the bottom area.

I am getting ready to finish the edges of the fabric then dope it.

Bookmaker · 29 April 2008, 03:11 PM

Here's a photo of the seat with the fabric completed. Since the photo I have
added a couple coats of nitrate dope and will cover it with a final coat of butyrate dope tonight.

There is a false seat bottom in the seat still in this photo. This part was made to hold down the fabric to the seat bottom while it was glued down. It is just setting there and will be removed.

The "leather" seat cushion will be added after the dope dries and I have cut holes for seat belts.