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Early Aviation
Discuss World War I and the early years of aviation thru 1934.
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Help with a vacuform model
Rotebaron
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Jalisco, Mexico
Joined: August 10, 2010
KitMaker: 182 posts
AeroScale: 179 posts
Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 01:34 PM UTC
Hello friends, I got this model, the Phonix D.I from Airframe, and I wish to build it just for a friendly contest in mexican forum. This is my first model of this kind, so any advice is welcome.

The directions advice for DVII landing gear and prop, but I have some pieces from an Albatros, I guess it will be fine for the Phonix.

Cheers

Al














JackFlash
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Colorado, United States
Joined: January 25, 2004
KitMaker: 11,669 posts
AeroScale: 11,011 posts
Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 03:29 PM UTC
Now that is a blast from the Past!

The Airframe 1:72 Phönix D.I was one of the first vacuforms I ever did. Use modified Popcicle sticks for wing spars. Measure and drill all strut and rigging holes before you add the top half of the top wing and lower half of the lower wings. Its a fine kit have fun with. I think I did the red & white naval scheme. The plastic is so thin that you have top be careful not to use a normal glue that welds the plastic. Use a cyano - super glue. Tenax will eat the plastic abd you will get deformities. Model On!
Rotebaron
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Jalisco, Mexico
Joined: August 10, 2010
KitMaker: 182 posts
AeroScale: 179 posts
Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 03:57 PM UTC
Jack, thanks for the tip about the glue to use, do you can tell me wath popcicle sticks are?

I noticed in the instructive the fact that the rudder must to be removed...and the elevator must to be cut in two halves?

When did a search several months ago, I found an article, I guess from you about those oldie vacum models.

Cheers.

Al
JackFlash
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Colorado, United States
Joined: January 25, 2004
KitMaker: 11,669 posts
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Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 04:25 PM UTC
Here you go Vacuforms 101

Popcicles are frozen koolaid on a stick. Smaller (narrower) than a Doctor's tongue depressor. Wooden cocktail or coffee stir sticks are good too.
thegirl
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Alberta, Canada
Joined: January 19, 2008
KitMaker: 6,743 posts
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Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 11:31 PM UTC
http://www.wwi-n-plastic.com/Book/harry/contents.htm

This might be able to help you out as well . Stepehn thread on vac is most excellent and will be very helpful with your build .

You can use what every parts you have in the spare box to add the missing parts and details in the kit . For making the struts you can also use wooden chopsticks . They split ever easy and sand really well .

Rotebaron
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Jalisco, Mexico
Joined: August 10, 2010
KitMaker: 182 posts
AeroScale: 179 posts
Posted: Friday, January 28, 2011 - 02:15 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Here you go Vacuforms 101

Popcicles are frozen koolaid on a stick. Smaller (narrower) than a Doctor's tongue depressor. Wooden cocktail or coffee stir sticks are good too.


OK thanks for the tip, I guess that dowel sticks that is usen un airmodels will do the work

Cheers

Al
Rotebaron
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Jalisco, Mexico
Joined: August 10, 2010
KitMaker: 182 posts
AeroScale: 179 posts
Posted: Friday, January 28, 2011 - 02:40 PM UTC

Quoted Text

http://www.wwi-n-plastic.com/Book/harry/contents.htm

This might be able to help you out as well . Stepehn thread on vac is most excellent and will be very helpful with your build .

You can use what every parts you have in the spare box to add the missing parts and details in the kit . For making the struts you can also use wooden chopsticks . They split ever easy and sand really well .



Terry thanks for the link, very helpful as you say, the plastic card planeas chapter is great. Well maybe tomorrow the model going to be in the work table.

Some guys advice the cyanocrilate glue, wath do you think?

Cheers.

Al
thegirl
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Alberta, Canada
Joined: January 19, 2008
KitMaker: 6,743 posts
AeroScale: 6,151 posts
Posted: Friday, January 28, 2011 - 02:58 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

http://www.wwi-n-plastic.com/Book/harry/contents.htm

This might be able to help you out as well . Stepehn thread on vac is most excellent and will be very helpful with your build .

You can use what every parts you have in the spare box to add the missing parts and details in the kit . For making the struts you can also use wooden chopsticks . They split ever easy and sand really well .



Terry thanks for the link, very helpful as you say, the plastic card planeas chapter is great. Well maybe tomorrow the model going to be in the work table.

Some guys advice the cyanocrilate glue, wath do you think?

Cheers.

Al



Hi Al

You can use cyanocrilate glue for assemble if you choose too . But for the main plastic parts such as joinning the fuselage halves and wing halves liqiud plastic glue would be a better option for this application . Even though super glue you will get a good bond the plastic cement will weld the parts to gether better giving you a stronger bond . Use the super glue for the non plastic parts you will be adding .

Looking forward to your build , we don't see main vac kit's getting built so this is a nice treat to have here !
Rotebaron
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Jalisco, Mexico
Joined: August 10, 2010
KitMaker: 182 posts
AeroScale: 179 posts
Posted: Friday, January 28, 2011 - 04:07 PM UTC
Thanks one more time, I have the tamiya liquid glue, so it will work, tomorrow will be a sand day to remove the parts.

Cheers.

Al
Rotebaron
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Jalisco, Mexico
Joined: August 10, 2010
KitMaker: 182 posts
AeroScale: 179 posts
Posted: Saturday, January 29, 2011 - 01:58 PM UTC
Hello, just for the no experience in this vacum models I tried with a low critical part of the model, the elevator, some problems where solved with the help of the links that you shared, and anothers in the Mexican forum.

First, the small piece is hard to take, so I used maskin tape with the adhesive out, and fixed the half elevator to my fingers. It works

The sand is in circles and making pauses to see the sand proces, more push in the areas where the sand is less, at the end some parts needes a line sand, and with a fine grain paper sand to finish the lines and curves of the shape.

Thanks for the help.

Cheers.

Al













Rotebaron
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Jalisco, Mexico
Joined: August 10, 2010
KitMaker: 182 posts
AeroScale: 179 posts
Posted: Saturday, January 29, 2011 - 02:32 PM UTC
I remember an special article about the spiral shape Austro Hungary camo, I do not find it I do not know if it was used in the Phonix, but as a general information is nice to know about.

Cheers

Al
thegirl
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Alberta, Canada
Joined: January 19, 2008
KitMaker: 6,743 posts
AeroScale: 6,151 posts
Posted: Saturday, January 29, 2011 - 03:03 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I remember an special article about the spiral shape Austro Hungary camo, I do not find it I do not know if it was used in the Phonix, but as a general information is nice to know about.

Cheers

Al


Hi AL !

I'm not sure if they were covered in this manner . In the datafile on this aircraft most of the D.1/D.11 where covered in a camouflaged of at least two colours in a cloud like mottle effect . One of the colours used is brown or and light brown .

Another colour which is reported on being used is a green / dark green . This would have been on the top surfaces of the aircraft including the fuselage which was varished wood with the camo applied on top . The under side of the wings are left in clear dope linen . except for naval aircraft which would have had red and white bands painted on the under side of the wings .


I don't have a lot of info on this aircraft so I can't give more of an answer .


Nice job on the sanding so far . Are you using wet and dry sand paper ? If so add a bit of water , it will aid in keeping the dust down and keeping the sand paper form clogging up .
Rotebaron
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Jalisco, Mexico
Joined: August 10, 2010
KitMaker: 182 posts
AeroScale: 179 posts
Posted: Saturday, January 29, 2011 - 03:10 PM UTC
Terry, thanks for the info, I like the scheme of Frank Linke Crawford`s plane, and as you said, it`s motled in brown/light colors.

I used dry sand paper, good tip about wet to mantain the dust down

Do you have the link about that spiral camo?

Cheers.

Al
thegirl
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Alberta, Canada
Joined: January 19, 2008
KitMaker: 6,743 posts
AeroScale: 6,151 posts
Posted: Saturday, January 29, 2011 - 03:31 PM UTC
Sorry Al , I don't have the link for the spiral camo . If I recall right Stephen had a post of this a while back . He would be the person to ask this or some one else might be able to .
JackFlash
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Colorado, United States
Joined: January 25, 2004
KitMaker: 11,669 posts
AeroScale: 11,011 posts
Posted: Saturday, January 29, 2011 - 04:26 PM UTC
I don't have a link to the spiral you mention but maybe your asking about the sworl Camouflage. Not sure if its applicable the Phönix D. but I can check.
Rotebaron
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Jalisco, Mexico
Joined: August 10, 2010
KitMaker: 182 posts
AeroScale: 179 posts
Posted: Saturday, January 29, 2011 - 06:33 PM UTC
Thanks, this is all for today the fuselage halves are ready, I guess it will not to be an easy model, the fuselage parts do not fix exactly, will need some corrections to get a nice shape.

Cheers

Al







JackFlash
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Colorado, United States
Joined: January 25, 2004
KitMaker: 11,669 posts
AeroScale: 11,011 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 - 07:52 PM UTC
Another Aeroscale member has a series of completed vacuforms we should add here.

See here.
thegirl
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Alberta, Canada
Joined: January 19, 2008
KitMaker: 6,743 posts
AeroScale: 6,151 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 - 11:38 PM UTC
Yes , Gergory's build are wonderful examlpes of vac kit's .

Here is one which I'm currently working on . Started off as a vac kit but one thing lead to another but maybe you can get some tips on detailing and how I made the struts out of flatten brass tubing .

here.
Rotebaron
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Jalisco, Mexico
Joined: August 10, 2010
KitMaker: 182 posts
AeroScale: 179 posts
Posted: Thursday, February 03, 2011 - 11:33 AM UTC
Terri, very nice work in your plane, thanks for share it, very useful

Cheers.

Al
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