Biplane!

[John Howling Mouse]

My first ever.
Doesn't the converted (lower) wing look like dog doo-doo at this point?

[John Howling Mouse]

Underside.  I scribed lines and curved the cardstock to fit the concave lower wing.

[John Howling Mouse]

I'm taking pics along the way to show how I go from cardboard cut-outs as test-shots, to templates, to plastic sheet and will show how I shape those thick, flat pieces into proper wingfoil shapes.

Here are the rough cuts drawn directly onto the 20thou plastic card.

Notice how I've left ample "handle" in place for the tiny vertical tail so manipulating the little piece will be easier once I get to the shaping phase.

[John Howling Mouse]

Rough bandsaw cut-outs.  If you have no bandsaw or rotary tool, you can still reduce a piece of card to this state in mere minutes using various snippers.  

From these rough cuts, I will first fine-tune the edges of each piece with my Dremel rotary tool and 280-grit sandpaper to more closely match the outlines drawn onto the plastic.  I did kinda screw up one edge a bit, too.  A true perfectionist would recut that whole piece because of the flaw.  

Thankfully, I'm not burdened by such high standards...  

Next, the wetsanding to covert the pieces into airfoil shapes will begin...almost as much fun as puttying, sanding, and repeat... :zzz:  :zzz:  :zzz:  

[Ollie]

Whoa, awesome!

What will it be, what will it be?!?!?

 

[nev]

Nice pictures of plastic Barry, but what the hell is it??

:dum:  :dum:  :dum:  

[The Rat]

Ooh, ooh, lemme guess! A Fairey Swordfish, with a PT-6?!  

And of course, a T-tail.  ^_^  

[John Howling Mouse]

Ooh, ooh, lemme guess! A Fairey Swordfish, with a PT-6?!  

And of course, a T-tail.  ^_^

Heh, heh, good one.
It's a, just a second, gotta go get the box from downstairs...

...

Oh boy, I really did it this time.  I have the kit's parts but looks like I've already thrown away the box and instructions (since I very quickly veer off the kit mfg's intentions).  It was one of those very simple little 1:48 Testors/Italeri jobs.  May be a Spad?  I know nothing about biplanes except that they have two wings.  I yoinked the tailfin right away, and the tailplanes/stabilizers, and, as you can see, I modified the lower wing.  I've built a little curved windscreen out of vacformed packaging material to sort of modernize it a bit.

I'll take a pic of the basic fuselage and bet somebody here can I.D. it.

[John Howling Mouse]

Ahhh!   My biplane is actually being converted from a 1:48 "Nieuport Type 17C.1" aka a "Vee Strutter" which, as you can see from the wings and tail features so far, looks nothing like that, anymore.

Hey, wouldn't the real plane have wire rigging b/w the wings, too?

[The Rat]

Ahhh!   My biplane is actually being converted from a 1:48 "Nieuport Type 17C.1" aka a "Vee Strutter" which, as you can see from the wings and tail features so far, looks nothing like that, anymore.

Hey, wouldn't the real plane have wire rigging b/w the wings, too?

I believe some biplanes managed to get away without wires, but not many.

And fess up, after hearing you swearing about misplacing the box Mrs. Hitler came to your aid, right?    

[John Howling Mouse]

And fess up, after hearing you swearing about misplacing the box Mrs. Hitler came to your aid, right? 

No help from Ms. Hitler, who is very P****D at me today.  While I've spent time on some models (for once), I'm getting an earful about not spending enough time with the family even though SHE gets to sew, go for an hour's walk alone, go shopping for fabric, spend time with her cats, yadda-ad infinitum.

She's at her folks right now and I'm putting on coats of putty on three models while seeking an elusive Monogram P-47 in the crawlspace somewhere (for a conversion to an observer floatplane!).

[NARSES2]

Ahhh!   My biplane is actually being converted from a 1:48 "Nieuport Type 17C.1" aka a "Vee Strutter" which, as you can see from the wings and tail features so far, looks nothing like that, anymore.

Hey, wouldn't the real plane have wire rigging b/w the wings, too?

I believe some biplanes managed to get away without wires, but not many.

And fess up, after hearing you swearing about misplacing the box Mrs. Hitler came to your aid, right?  

You can avoid bracing wires by using cantilever wings like the Fokker Dr1 and DVII, you'd still need control wires though. Not sure with the Nieuports small sesquiplane layout you'd get away with it though, but Evan would know.

Chris

Oh and by the way I think you should take your dog to the Vet  ^_^  

[John Howling Mouse]

Pilots for current projects on the go.

In no way "authentic" to any era or service.  Just What If.

[NARSES2]

Good figure painting skills John - shading looks just right

Chris

[nev]

What Chris said  B)