Empanada Especial (San Torta's experimental WW1 fighter)

[puddingwrestler]

As you may have gathered from my post about Fokker D.VII seaplane conversions I've decided to kitbash a spare D.VII (Revell's reissue of Monogram's reissue of the Aurora kit) into a San Tortan fighter float plane of WW1 vintage - The Empanada Especial!

Designed by Rodrigo Empanada and his mechanic Juan Mollete as the ultimate in high speed fighters, the E.E was inspired by captured German airframes - particularly the Fokker D.VII. Although Empanada admired the D.VII, he thought it needed more power - which resulted in the Mollete Relámpago engine (a sort of bizzare lash-up of an eight cylinder inline engine made from anything Mollete could get his hands on). This meant a longer nose. Empanada also insisted on a monoplane wing for increased speed, so the end result looked something like a stretched monoplane D.VII on floats.

The E.E entered service in late 1918 as Rodrigo Empanada's personal plane, and there were plans to produce further copies at the Trabajos del carro del Mollete - a carriage factory owned by Mollete's brother Roberto. These plans were shelved after the armistace when caputred Hansap-Brandenburg w.29 float plane fighters entered service. There was also the small matter of the Mollete Relámpago exploding in flight forcing Empanada to make his now famous flaming forced landing in the San Torta Presidential Palace duckpond.

Construction started this morning, although nothing much has happened as yet - i've basically sliced things up in preperation for stretching the fuselage and engine.

[puddingwrestler]

Here are some pics showing where I am up to (ie: I have chopped things up!)

[puddingwrestler]

More update pics on the Empanada Especial. The engine block is basically finished now. I'm adding some sort of rocker coverish looking thing from a '57 ford kit (It's not a rocker, but not sure what it really is) on top, cause it fits... I have to fabricate new exhausts from tube, but that should be not porblem.
Also got a pic of the general layout. Nothing really stuck together yet, just a general idea of the size and shape.
Yesterday I had this crazy idea about fitting a Grumman Duck-esque central float, but I decided not to do it this time. Maybe next time - to a Fokker Triplane!

The extra length is laminated plasticard, the cylinders are Academy spure (exactly the right size!), and there is plastic strip around the tops. I removed the spout-y thingee from the back since it'd break during building anyway, must replace it. (Dunno what it was exactly, it stuck out above the distributors).

And here is the layout. The fuselage is glued together, the nose is just blutacked for this pic. As mentioned before, it will have an underslung tail, the horizontal tail surfaces will be mounted near the bottom also, not on top as they are on the D.VII.

[Rafael]

It's not by pure chance that I had Empanadas de Cazón for breakfast a little while ago.

While very rich, my breakfast wasn't as creative as yours, Puddingwrestler. I really like the way you modified that engine block and stretched the fuse.

Here, an inspiring bit from my already digesting breakfast. (more appropriate to eat at the beachfront, but, WTH)

Empanaditas:


Cazón (Galeorhinus Galeus) a small shark variety


Enjoy!!

Rafa

[puddingwrestler]

I suppose that with your ability to speak spanish you've realized that the San Tortan army of WW2 was lead by General Custard, and everyone else is named after some sort of dessert or sweetmeat...

The engine is now completed - I've stretched the fuel rail, added a new exhaust header, replaced the stikey-uppy-thingee at the back, added a new rocker cover... I'm not going to wire it cause I don't think you can see that - plus I don't think I can wire it!

I started building the floats this morning before work. Three layers of laminated balsa (about 9mm total thickness) with plasticard outer sheathing. They are flat bottomed like most early floats... partially cause I don't think I'm up to boat hull shaped bottoms yet!

[Rafael]

I suppose that with your ability to speak spanish you've realized that the San Tortan army of WW2 was lead by General Custard, and everyone else is named after some sort of dessert or sweetmeat...
Believe me, I discovered this new build this morning, and started enjoying it immediately.....with a taste of haute cuisine

The engine is now completed - I've stretched the fuel rail, added a new exhaust header, replaced the stikey-uppy-thingee at the back, added a new rocker cover... I'm not going to wire it cause I don't think you can see that - plus I don't think I can wire it! Yea, too much work in such a small space, and only the modeler knows what superdetailed bit is hidden into that little vehicle

I started building the floats this morning before work. Three layers of laminated balsa (about 9mm total thickness) with plasticard outer sheathing. They are flat bottomed like most early floats... partially cause I don't think I'm up to boat hull shaped bottoms yet! Been there, or more precisely am there!. My procastinated project has a planing bottom hull and I haven't even started to plank it. I'm sofrightened of it!

All in all, a great little jewel.

Rafa

[puddingwrestler]

Believe me, I discovered this new build this morning, and started enjoying it immediately.....with a taste of haute cuisine

In that case I suggest you go and read the History of the Republica San Torta thread over in alternate history. It should amuse you. And you may even be able to point out spanish errors (I just run translations through the translater widget on my Mac...)

[puddingwrestler]

Behold the photographic updates!
The engine is finished and installed in the nose. The nose needs to be installed on the fuselage...
And the basic shapes of the floats are done, just need to be sanded and repeated (the putty I have done!)

[Brian da Basher]

Those are some really sweet mods to the engine, PW! Nice work on the floats, too. I'm really enjoying the alt. history of tiny San Torta and its aircraft!

Brian da Basher

[puddingwrestler]

More updates!

The fuselage has been assembled - the gap in the nose being covered with plasticard and side mounted radiators (theMollete Relámpago being a rather hot engine...). I've also sanded back the floats and built the main mounting struts. There will be secondary struts as well, but not until I have mounted the floats to the body.




As we speak, one of the wings in being attached, and I have cut up the tail ready for installation when the wings are on.

[puddingwrestler]

I thought I'd just tease you all by mentioning that the Empanada Especial is finished, but that I won't be able to post pics until sunday (driving down to Melbourne this arvo, won't be back until Sunday arvo.)

Paint scheme is similar to the Thundercat MK. II - green and red. Being a fabric covered plane, there is no paint chipping, but I have hit it with pastels to dirty it down.

[sotoolslinger]

Danged Aussie plastic wizard. You tease. Your students must be very amused

[BlackOps]

Well that was quick! Look forward to seeing the finished pics.

[puddingwrestler]

i don't think my students know about it...
Since I teach in the art department, they probably just assume the paint on my fingers is part of the job... I doubt any of them has realized I build models, and in this town, I doubt any of them would care.

[puddingwrestler]

Pickletures! Get you steaming hot fresh pickletures here!