Pfalz D.IIIa 1/12 scale project

Rackhir · 14 January 2009, 10:03 AM

Hi to all! This will be the building thread for my Pfalz D.III scratchbuilded model. I know it's huge, but this will be my last model in a couple of years because I'm starting university next year

(mechanical engineering ouh yeah!), so I'll buils this model big and large.
The fuse will be made from a plan downloaded from Small Flying Arts with several modifications to rach afine scale look. The wings, on the other hand, will be made from the well know 1918 Flying magazine drawings.
I still haven't made up my mind about if I should do a D.III or a D.IIIa. As far as I know, the III wasn,t very popular within the pilots, so I guess that the IIIa will be my choice.
Here is a shot of my currenr work, planifiyng the construction of the upper wing.
Regards,
Santiago
PD:Yes, I know that my worksop is a mess, but I'm used to that, actually, I can't even find my scarpel if i have my things in order...

Rackhir · 14 January 2009, 02:43 PM

I've just started cutting the ribs. I made two hard balsa 2 mm templates (it should be ply or something harder but that was what i had on hand at that moment). Then I cut 1 mm balsa pieces for each rib (12 for this stage, then i do the rest on several steps, to avoid having something too difficult to sand), and finally i put it in a sandwich. Here are some pics:

Dan_San_Abbott · 14 January 2009, 06:34 PM

Rackhir:
I shall watch your progress on the 1/12 scale Pfalz D.IIIa project. If I ever find the time I have planed to build the Pfalz D.IIIa also. I have .002" veneer that I intend to use for the fuselage half-shells. please post photos as the work progresses.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

Rackhir · 15 January 2009, 09:26 AM

.002" veneer? that's niiiiiiice

, I can't even find 1/16 ply over here... Well, I'll have to improvise when the building time for the fuse come. Still working in the first set of ribs (a chinese imitation of a dremel and a Vitorinox are very useful things)
ouh, BTW, I've found a site where i can download all the Flight magazines from 1909 to 2004, then I'll pass the link.
Regards,
Santiago

Rackhir · 15 January 2009, 01:35 PM

More work on the ribs. I finished the long and tedious sanding process and I glued the cap strips to one of them, just too see how it looks (i glued it with CA and without using a jig, so is more like a test, the rest will be better). And I also reach a conclusion: not cutting the ribs' holes, what's the point on doing it if nobody will see them once the wing is covered?

Regards,
Santiago

Albatros_Ace · 15 January 2009, 08:05 PM

Great project one good thing about 1/12 (scale even if it is large) is that you can add lots of detail

I hope you can post that link soon

Albatros_Ace · 15 January 2009, 08:13 PM

actually I think this is the link

Aviation History - Browse the History of Flight from 1909

Rackhir · 16 January 2009, 03:42 PM

I've just finished the first set of ribs. The next ones, hopefully, won't take so much time. Do you remember I said I wasn't going to cut the holes one ribs? Well, I couldn't resist the beatiful scale sensation of the holes so I cut them. Very roughly and in an ugly way, whithout sanding or nothing. Fast and ugly.
Hey Albatros Ace, that's he link.
Regards,
Santiago

Rackhir · 16 January 2009, 09:23 PM

Two questions over here.
1)I have notice that the "half ribs" (don´t know the real english name for this) can't be seen from the button of the wings (see photo), does that means that the half ribs are only the top cap strips? I'm quite sure of that, just wanna to be sure.

2)in the figure below yo can see the "tapes" used for (i presume) keeping the ribs straight, what were they made from?

Any other information about the Pfalz wings construction methods will be greatly apreciated.
Regards,
Santiago

Rackhir · 17 January 2009, 06:06 PM

More progress on the wing, I've already made the lamination for the trailing edge of the centre section of the wing, and now I'm waiting to the glue to dry in the wing tip lamination.
Regards,
Santiago