Amen!

I didn't have any references for a damaged engine so I just used my imagination.
It seems to me though, that rather than bending due to stress ,a lot of these parts such as the exhaust stack would probably just shear off due to the brittle natural of the metal.
The damage that I inflicted on the #1 cylinder would be from the nose over more than forward motion.I will probably break the engine off at the motor mounts and roll it slightly on its side to make it a little more interesting.
The next step will be to decide on the skid platform and mounting the engine to it.It will have to be large enough to rest not only the engine but the complete center section too.

The piece of white foam board represents the size of the eventual wood skid.I propped up the the engine onto the foam board using pieces of wood and hot melt glue.The engine is set at an angle while the center section N struts will be level with the skid.Now I will build the airplane fuselage around the engine now that it is in a stable position.

I initially plan to build the fuselage in one piece using the above methodology.
Later I will cut the fuselage in two near station F016.On the finished piece it will remain completely severed except for the control lines.I figure that the weakest point on the fuselage would be just behind the aft landing gear strut.Not only does the pilot cockpit hole significantly weaken the monocoque type construction but this area would be subject to a lot of wear and tear.These trainers would also be under to a lot of stress from handling by their novice pilots ,heavy landings etc...which could weaken the structure over time.
From a viewer interest point of view it also would be the most interesting area to have access to with the controls and instrument panel easily seen.
From an artistic point of view the exposed cockpit and empty pilot seat with the dangling seat belts, fits right in with the storyline of a missing pilot and his faithful dog overlooking the wreckage.

Model Airways kits.
For those who may be interested, Model Airways makes available on their website for download, the complete instruction manual for this build.
The instructions and plans for this model are actually quite good,it is a shame that the casting are so poor.Too bad because a lot of would be builders probably have been turned off these models because of this.It is not that they can't do a good job on these kits, as their Jenny is one of the best kits that I ever built.Sure it sells for a hundred bucks more but it is money well spent as there is no aftermarket left to buy but the glue.Above all the frustration level is really low if you study and follow the plans carefully.This cannot be said for any of their other kits, which require a lot of modification and scratchbuilding to make them right.Sure they are buildable but not very accurate,make a nice show piece but are far from museum quality.Buy the Jenny!

Another pic

The lower longerons have been glued in place and the fuselage freed from its jig.The monocoque type construction is actually quite pleasing to the eye in its design.There were a few minor fitting problems in a couple of areas especially around the tail.In general the wood and the laser cut wood pieces only require some fine sanding and are of good quality.

Another pic

Before and after the big seperation!
I hated to do it but.....the fuselage is now in two pieces.I separated it at bulkhead 6 just behind the aft U/C strut.
From here on it is all new to me.I won't be following the sequence of build as per the instruction booklet.The engine and fuselage will only be joined after all the hardware is in.I haven't yet decided on the plywood panels surrounding the engine compartment.I could show them either on or having been removed for savaging purposes.Either way there will have to be some burn damage to the longerons and engine bearer etc...I want it to look as though the fire was put out pretty quickly after the flash burn of the fabric wings.

Another pic

The engine bearer and ledges are in after some minor fitting problems.The fuel tank casting and its plastic card walls are temporarily installed.The tank casting is poor and requires a lot of filing and filling.
The shape of the casting indicates to me that there must have been a strap or wooden bearer of some kind to better support its weight.Nothing is shown in the plans!

Firewall
There is no firewall shown in the plans but this is a pretty good guess where it would have been installed just behind the engine but in front of the fuel tank.
The placement of the firewall is also important to the storyline .There would of course be more fire damage forward of the firewall.The fire that caused the flashover of the fabric more than likely would have been caused by the close proximity of the upper wing to the area forward of the firewall.Anyway that is my story and I am sticking to it! (I think)

Hold the phone! I can't find mention or plans for a firewall anywhere in my references.When I built my 1st Albatros about 10 years ago I didn't put one in then either.It seems that firewalls were only common on rotary powered aircraft.No parachute,no fire protection ,I guess you just fried on your way down.

I'm enjoying your story and build .... Please keep it going.. I wonder if they mentioned to the pilots in training that the fire wall is missing in some planes.

Dan san Abbott tells s that firewalls did not come into common use with inline motors in single seaters until after May - June 1918. The early Schwerin Fokker D.VII had problems with ammunition cooking off in the aircraft storage bins during the hot summer months of 1918. After that all inlines began installing firewalls. The Alb. D.V & Va types a maunfactured the previous year did not have them.

The above 2 pics...
represent two different cockpit views of 2 different Albatros D III's .It is the only views I have from my reference material that shows something beyond just a tachometer.
There were other instruments on board even during WW1.I suspect that maybe the aircraft in the Smithsonian doesn't have them installed therefore no one shows them being on board.
The first instruments would be just stuck anywhere struts ,tubes etc....During WW1 things became a little more organized and there was some indication of primary and secondary instrument placing :such as airspeed,altimeter,tachometer, VOR,ILS oops... got carried away there. Secondary instruments like pressure gauges,temp ,content etc only became important when the engine was about to quit or run out of fuel(then they became real important)