Now that the Encore is done, it's time to tap into the WNW pile in the stash. I'll be doing the Junkers


I've decided to do 138/17 Flieger-Abteilung 17 with the mauve stripes. It will give me a chance to improve my airbrush skills. If I mess up, I'll switch to an all green version.

I've already started cleaning parts and joining wing halves. It's going much faster than I'm used to, as cleaning and filling gaps are practically nonexistent. The detail is stunning. One other item of note: this airplane is much bigger than I expected. If the pictures don't show, the links should work. I'll be back when the interior is coming together.

Nice choice of subject !

Looking forward to your build Dennis

Hi Dennis:

It's been awhile since we have seen one of these here. Good choice, and looking forward to seeing the build.

Best
Mark

True, it has been a while since we have had one of these built here. When the original 4 kits came out, this is the only one I didn't want. I watched a few builds, and fell in love with it. I am glad to see you join us with this one.

Thanks gentlemen (and lady). I will try to do this kit justice.

I forgot the references:
The WNW instructions and WNW website with their abundance of archival photos.
Grosz PM. Windsock Datafile 39: Junkers J.I, 1993
The Junkers build on Des Delatorre's website (www.ww1aircraftmodels.com)

Hi Dennis

A large and good choice of a GB project – I have this one in the stash, looking forward to your build

Best Regards

Mikael

Hi Mikael and thanks

Right now I'm deciding how to fix the gap next to the upper wing ailerons. Although I realize that there have been produced replacement resin parts, I'll probably use some sheet styrene.

Hi Dennis, the Junkers is an excellent kit and it makes a perfect large canvas for practising your airbrushing skills like you mentioned.

I used the method you mentioned for fixing up the aileron gap: i simply used styrene sheet and sanded it down to shape- very easy. However i cheated and took the easy option by glueing the styrene onto the wing to close the gap instead of extending the ailerons- which i read somewhere would be the more dimensionally accurate way, but would need you to replicate the corrugations. So it depends how important it is to you, i'm a slacker so i took the easier way.

Andrew

Hi Andrew

Your plan is exactly what I had in mind. It looks like I'm going to be a slacker also. Looking at the illustration of the top of 138/17, it seemed to me to be acceptable to close it on the wing side, and a lot easier.

Progress note: Fixing the gap in the center wing…

Checking archival photos, many imply that the majority of the gap is made up by the aileron and its cover, while illustrations in the instructions seem to show the gap filled in by the center wing section. The DataFile drawings seem to indicate that it was half and half. Weighing all the evidence, and after considering my limited skills and patience, I opted for the easy way out.




I used sheet styrene to fill in the center wing (two pieces fit exactly). I recreated the corrugations by scribing and using styrene strips. At this point it doesn’t look too bad.

I’m in the process of matching colors, which is a little hard for someone who is red-blue-green colorblind. I use Pollyscale/Testors Acryl paints. It looks like their Warsaw Pact Grey Green is a pretty good match for the Tamyia and Humbrol Cockpit Green.

Be back later.

The interior is finished. I know others have built various WNW kits, but this is my first experience. I continue to marvel at the level of detail and ease of construction. The fit and finish are excellent. I learned quickly not to sand edges too much. My only problem involved the decals for the gauges. They were a bit oversized, and I tried to heed the WNW warnings about using set and sol solutions. Unfortunately, they didn’t adhere well, and I lost two of them. I found one and reapplied it with Future. The other was lost forever, so I had to recreate it using a computer graphics program. At least I could use a set solution on that one.

The instructions do not give diagrams for the control cables, so I used the photos in the Datafile and those provided by WNW to come up with a “best guess.” In any event, they’ll be inconspicuous when the interior is closed up.

Next: the Benz engine.

Very nice up-date Dennis !

Your project is coming along really well so far . Interoir looks super

Looking forward to your next up-date

Thanks Terri

Your support and encouragement is most appreciated.

Yes coming along well there Deniss, I too am looking forwards to the next update.


Keith.

Thanks Keith

I'll try not to stall too long on the motor. I'm dreading that two tone upper paint job.

Hi Dennis:

No worries on the engine, are you talking about the two tone engine with the red stripes? That is a bit fiddly to do, as I did that on the LVG as I thought it looked neat, it was worth it in the end.

Looking good thus far.

Best
Mark

Sadly no, Mark

I was thinking about the upper wings and fuselage, with it's two tone grey-green and mauve pattern with an airbrush.

I had considered just leaving the cylinder heads black, as in the photos I've examined, but I like your idea (as with the LVG), particularly since I was going to leave the Benz exposed.

Thanks for the tip

The Benz is finished. I didn't do much more than wire it and make it look like a dirty motor with some red, brown and grimy black washes. The pushrods are 28 gauge bead wire and the distributor and spark plug wires are some small copper wires I dug out of an old modem cable.



The exterior is also pretty much finished. I had a little trouble with the upper deck, which I blame on not sanding enough paint off the bulkheads. It's now ready for spray painting. I will return with photos after completion (for better or for worse).

I'm liking it. Engine looks great.

realy good looking model . the engine looks like it ready to fire up at anytime

Great Stuff Dennis, this is shaping up very nicely indeed  – looking forward to seeing it with some more paint on.

Mikael

Thanks Marc, Steve and Mikael

I would have to say that just about all of the credit has to go to WingNuts. Their attention to detail makes a basic modeler like myself look like I've been doing this for a long time.

Hi Dennis:

It is really coming along nicely. I like the way the radio turned out, very realistic looking. The engine is nice, like previously mentioned, looks like an in service motor.
Looking forward to more.

Best

Mark

Hi Mark and Thanks

I was wondering what that contraption was in front of the gunner/observer-my guess was that it might be a radio of some type. That would be my only recommendation to WNW for novices like me (state what the parts are that are being assembled).