The Focke Wulf Alternativer Antriebsflügel

[PR19_Kit]

I said I might build one of my OOB Bad Idea kits for this GB, and after I checked on the Seamew the Triebflugel got the nod!

But I'm going to Whiff the Triebflugel, after all they're as common as muck on the show circuit, so mine's going to be 'different'. The German speakers among us will know what the title means, but in English it's 'Alternate Drive Wing'. Make of that what you will. 

The kit is obviously the Huma Triebflugel, and as it doesn't have a box, it comes in a plastic bag, the sprues look like this.



There are only two sprues, plus the canopy and the decals, so it's not all that large. It seems pretty well engineered, but the plastic doesn't really want to stick with Revell Contacta glue, and the parts take some holding in place before they 'grab'. So far I've built the cockpit, but don't know why as the opening is is SO small you can't see in, and I've built the rear fuselage and one 'wing'/rotor blade thing. I've checked out the rotating hub for the 'wings' and those parts needed a bit of filing to ensure they do rotate properly.



It doesn't say so in the instructions, there aren't any, just diagrams, but I think it's designed so the nose/cockpit section just plugs in to the rest of the aircraft without a need to glue it in place. That's very clever as you can take the rotor off to take it to shows. 

[Wardukw]

Three propellers ??
Either if ya do or don't Kit this is going to be great ..wiffing and wiff 

[frank2056]

I remember building this kit and it was very enjoyable. I miss Huma!

The tiny clam shell doors for the outrigger gear were mildly annoying to attach, but everything else went well. The old Huma plastic was white and responded beautifully to Testors liquid cement. If this is a later production, it may be in ABS - Tamiya Extra thin should work. You may also try some plain Acetone.

[PR19_Kit]

Three propellers ??
Either if ya do or don't Kit this is going to be great ..wiffing and wiff 

You read my mind Phil. 

Finding ones small enough is the problem, but I used to build a LOT of airliners.....

I remember building this kit and it was very enjoyable. I miss Huma!

The tiny clam shell doors for the outrigger gear were mildly annoying to attach, but everything else went well. The old Huma plastic was white and responded beautifully to Testors liquid cement. If this is a later production, it may be in ABS - Tamiya Extra thin should work. You may also try some plain Acetone.

Yes, Huma did some very interesting, and well engineered stuff. I may superglue thise tiny doors on, thanks for the warning.

Contacta works OK eventually, I just had to tape everything in place till it 'grabbed'.

[Wardukw]

Knew this was gonna get better and better 😆
Nine or twelve little blades spinning three big blades...no issues I can see 

[zenrat]

Longer wings blades?

[PR19_Kit]

Longer wings blades?

Might be a bit much Fred. Huma mould them with a wonderful twist already built in and I doubt I can reproduce similar twist with a longer blade.

[PR19_Kit]

Three propellers ??
Either if ya do or don't Kit this is going to be great ..wiffing and wiff 

How's this for the first one?



It took some styrene engineering, like drilling 1.5 mm hole down the middle of a bit of sprue, but it works.

And you'll NEVER guess which kit the props came from. And looking at that kit, sans props, gives me another idea for this GB too. 

[Old Wombat]

Three propellers ??
Either if ya do or don't Kit this is going to be great ..wiffing and wiff 

How's this for the first one?



It took some styrene engineering, like drilling 1.5 mm hole down the middle of a bit of sprue, but it works.

And you'll NEVER guess which kit the props came from. And looking at that kit, sans props, gives me another idea for this GB too. 

Roden 1/144 DC-7 or Mikromir 1/144 Handley Page Hastings?

[PR19_Kit]

Roden 1/144 DC-7 or Mikromir 1/144 Handley Page Hastings?

Nope, the DC-7 has square tipped blades, and they're too small for a Hastings.

I didn't know anyone who did a Hastings in 1/144 until I looked just now. Looks like Mikro Mir do it, and there's the  Welsh Models vacform too.

[frank2056]

Wow. One spinning and three really spinning!

[PR19_Kit]

Got all three blades/wings fitted with their traction proplets now, and I've installed the V12 engine in the fuselage to drive them.

Don't ask me how the power gets to the proplets from the fuselage, this is WhiffWorld, OK?



The cockpit bit is just plugged into the fuselage, prior to building the rotor/wing. The V12 exhausts come from an M'box Spitfire IX/XVI. Yes, you can build both types from the same kit, I'd forgotten all about that.

Any other guesses where the proplets come from? 

[PR19_Kit]

And here's the complete rotor/wing, with its proplets in place.



With my history with breaking prop blades    I've arranged the proplets so they just plug-in to the tip gearbox fairings, seems a bit safer that way.

Yeah, yeah, I KNOW the write up says those blobby things on the rotor/wing tips are ramjets, but everyone knows that's a load of cobblers, they're gearbox fairings, OK?

[Captain Canada]

Cool. Great start !

[Old Wombat]

Any other guesses where the proplets come from? 

P-61 Black Widow?

Don't ask me how the power gets to the proplets from the fuselage, this is WhiffWorld, OK?

It may scare you but, it took me 10 minutes to come up with a mental picture of a fairly logical & (probably) functional, but extremely complex, drive system, including the clutch for the proplets.  

Yeah, yeah, I KNOW the write up says those blobby things on the rotor/wing tips are ramjets, but everyone knows that's a load of cobblers, they're gearbox fairings, OK?

And, yes, they are gearbox fairings.