Building my S400 Me 262 (designed by M. Rittinger)

[jfrabat]

I have started this thread to show the building process of my twin speed 400 (prop driven) sport scale Me 262 designed by Mark Rittinger.

Right now, I am in the planning process. Basically, deciding how I'll build each part, and what modifications will be made. For starters, I have changed the Stab and elevator design to make it a little more scale like. I am also changing the aileron control system from a single servo and flex cable to twin servos (one in each nacelle) and troque rods.

Regarding the equipment to be used, it will be as follows:
1. One FMA S80 servo for the elevator
2. Twin FMA S60 servos for the ailerons
3. Great Planes Electrify C-30 ESC
4. Twin Graupner S400 6V motors with APC 5X5 Electric props (with FMA Direct prop adapters)
5. Panasonic Hydrimax Ultra 8-cell NiMH 2000 mAh battery pack (4/5A size cells)
6. FMA Direct micro receiver (if I find it!)

As for the color scheme, I plan to use SilkSpan instead of Monokote, and I will airbrush the entire plane with plastic model paint (with the appropiate RLM colors), using an aluminum color base for propper weathering. As for he color scheme, see the attached picture.

I will be posting pictures as I make progress, starting with the "kitted" plane and progressing to the finished product (perhaps some pics of the plane in flight if possible).

Any questions, comments or suggestions, please post them!

[jfrabat]

Here's a picture of the internal components of the plane. I still have not found the receiver, so I don't know which one I will use. I still would like to use the FMA micro... but I have to find it first!

Felipe

[Slope Nut]

Not sure if this is the proper forum (i.e. kinda jetish ;)), but I have built and flown my Rittinger ME-262 quite a bit. Just build it, and it will fly great. I used a single servo in the wing center section, but that left little room for the battery pack. I would take your route and use twin servos mounted in the wings.

I used 2 6v400 motors, 5x5 Graupner CAM props, 8x800 AR, and a 555 rx with the case removed. It goes right up from a hand launch and lands very nicely. Mine was glassed and painted for a nice finish to boot. Your going to have fun with yours....good luck!

Greg

[jfrabat]

Greg,

What glass cloth did you use? And what is the AUW of your 262? Now that you mention it, glassing the plane instead of using SilkSpan could be a better idea...

There's still plenty of time to make up my mind, though.

Felipe

[Slope Nut]

I used Dan Parson's cloth, you cant get it anymore :( since he stopped selling it but I have a stash that should last me for a while. Its the best cloth available for electrics (REALLY light, and no stiff finish on it). I used Envirotex Lite epoxy available from local craft stores and thinned with denatured alcohol ala Jim Ryan's method. Turned out really nice, and is pretty tough too. My AUW is around 25 ounces I think, I never really weighed it :)

[jfrabat]

Greg,

Do you know how many oz. that cloth has?

Felipe

[jfrabat]

As you can see from the attach picture, I have started construction. Given the fact that this weekend was a holiday weekend here in Panama, and all hobbyshops were closed, I could not get all the balsa I needed, so if you see me jumping steps it is because I don't have all the materials at hand.

In the photo you can see one of the nacelles started, as well as the fuse. The ribs are also cut, and so is the fin and stabilizer. Notice the new shape of the stabilizer.

Hopefully, I'll have some better shots next week!

[mrittinger]

Looks very good so far. You'll start to see why I did things the way I did in this thing.No, it is not 100% scale, but it will be a great representation of a 262 and it'll be a fine flyer....

Mark

[JasonJ]

Is that a magazine your building it from or is that the instructions!
Also, where do you guys get those niffty building boards from???
Looking good so far! I will have to do a Swallow one of these days, probably foam and twin speed 300 fans. Are you planning on retracts?

[jfrabat]

Jason,

No, I am not planning on retracts. These planes are really too small, and the weight factor is too critical to put retracts in them. Keep in mind that it only has 38" of wingspan! The plane is hand launched and belly (or nacelle, rather) lands.

This plane does not use fans but propellers. Fans are really ineficient, making the use of a brushless motor a must (from what I hear, anyway!), and the idea of this plane is to keep costs at a minimum while having a good flying and good looking plane.

The building board I got from Tower Hobbies (www.towerhobbies.com) but I am not sure if they still sell it. I guess they do, but you would have to go and check.

The magazine you see is Model Airplane News of October 2001, were the plan was featured. There is a construction article which I am using to guide me. Also, the pictures are nice to make sure you are doing everything corect! The plans for the plane I purchased from Mark Rittinger. As you can see from his posting above, he is monitoring this thread, so you can get in touch with him if you are interested in purchasing a set of plans yourself.

Thanks for the encouragemnent, and I am glad you are liking the plane so far. Hopefully, you will like the end result even more!

Felipe

[jfrabat]

A slight setback has occurred... I screwed up a little, and will have to redo the frame because I broke the bottom sheeting of the fuse while instaling the triangles. I will make a new one and hopefully be back on track tomorow evening.

Felipe

[jfrabat]

I have fixed the problem. I managed to save everything but the bottom sheeting, which I did new. The only problem is that all hobby shops and hardware stores, our ussual suppliers of balsa, ran out of 4" wide 1/16 balsa, so I had to improvise a little with 3" wide sheets. Still, the plane is looking good so far. You can't see the cross section on the picture, but take my word for it... You'll see it in future pictures.

The motors also have now each its capacitors and Shocktty (is that spelled right?) diodes. I was going to use only one shocktty diode, but decided to go the safe way and use one on each motor.

Still no sign of the receiver :confused:

Felipe

[mrittinger]

Looking Good:cool:

[jfrabat]

Got to do some more work tonight. Unfortunatly, I have been in classes this week, so I have not been able to advance as much as I would like. But at least some progress is taking place!

In these 2 pictures you can see the sheeted fuselage. I should be adding the nose soon. The wing saddle has also been cut. The plane is defently starting to take shape!

Felipe

[jfrabat]

Here's a frontal shot. There is still plenty of sanding left to be done, although it seems that the breaks in the sheeting will be apparent in the finished product (the bending of the sheeting will not be completly smooth); but it's not like the real plane was completly smooth anyway, so I guess it's OK! :)

Felipe

[jfrabat]

Here's another picture of today's progress. The Fuselage is almost done, and the tail feathers have been installed. The final sanding session is still pending, as I have a small cough, and I doubt all the sand dust would help me much (in fact, the dust from the nose gave me hell already, so I decided to avoid more dust for now).

Will probably get started on the wing nex week.

Felipe

[jfrabat]

Here's a shot of the hatch I made for access to the rear fuselage, and thus, the receiver abd elevator servo.

[Jim Young]

Looks pretty good so far! Any suggestions on sheeting the fuse? Anything you would do different to get a smoother finish?

-Jim

[mrittinger]

The front and rear sections look good, its the middle that tends to sag a bit.
What I do when fitting that panel is to glue it to the the sides, then push the sheeting outward when gluing it to the centre.It'll end up with a more bulbous shape that way.But, once Philipe gets some paint on it you'll never know the difference.


Mark

[jfrabat]

My advice (which I myself tend to ignore on every new plane I do!) is to be VERY careful with the CA. It is VERY hard to sand if you screw up.

If I did the plane again, I would probably give strip planking a try, if I wanted a smoother finish. But to be honest, the idea of this plane (to me, at least) is to have a plane that looks like the Me 262 in flight. On the ground, the thing that will stand out the most is the 2 props. The bends in the sheeting will not be noticeable once the paint is on. Also, the panel lines help; keep in mind that this plane was build while bombers pounded Germany. It is a ussual misconception that planes were perfect when they left the factory; this is not always the case, and certainly in Germanys case this is more so.

In any case, wait till you see the finished product; I'm sure you will like the finish. Besides, there is still some sanding left to be done.

Felipe

[barry r killick]

Looks good and your making good progress. Been flying mine all year now and it is a neat sight inthe air. Not as fast or responsive as Mark's Sportwin but different. Mine is at 20 oz without pack (8 1300 CP) and I find that hand launching even at that weight is not that easy with that fuse shape -- I think Mark launches using a nacelle as the handhold! Re the fuse shape I divided mine into 10 (instead of 8) sections and added a couple more formers. I then blended in joints with Elmers Carpenters Wood Filler (in a tube) and glassed the fuse with Parsons cloth and Envirotex epoxy. This wood filler is heavier than Model Magic but sands better and is not as brittle. Do use wing mounted servos -- not much room inside fuse because of the cockpit floor. Used soft 1/8 for stab as this can be lighter and stiffer than 3/32. Also went with a front wing plate and single rear mounting bolt as removing/installing three bolts at every pack change seemed daunting. Changed the wing planform to have the sweep back at the center section (where ply sandwhich is) Mark has it straight across but it is not an Me 262 without this shape (!!!)
Mine is painted silver as per used by Czech Air Force after WW 2. Wings/fin/stab covered in silver solarfilm and burnished with steelwool.

Good luck, keep us in the loop

[CraigO]

keep buuilding you will love it.

I built one about 18 months ago and i have had a blast with it.

Mine weighed only 24oz with 8 cp1300 cells so hand launches were pretty easy if somewhat awkward. good luck with yours

here is a pic of mine

[jfrabat]

OK, I have been rather busy this week, but I did manage to cut the lower sheeting. Notice that I am adding some extra sheeting onthe rear center section to make a more scale outline of the original plane's wing (not to mention that I am gaining some wing area!).

Not to toot my own horn, but the plane is looking rahter nice. I cant wait to finish it! BTW, has anyone flown it in high winds? Any advice? It should be the middle of summer here y the time it's ready to fly, and the winds will have picked up by then...

Felipe

[jfrabat]

Here's a shot of the motors. I do have to admit that all those capacitors and Shocktty diodes sort of caught me off guard!

When I built my first electric (this is only my 2nd), the Sportwin, I had no idea I was suppossed to put those in... I now have to retrofit them in before I fly it again!

But, as you can see, that's not the case with this one...

Felipe

[mrittinger]

FUNNY, I HAVE NEVER PUT THE CAPACITORS ON THE MOTORS...THEY SHOULD HAVE INTERNAL ONES.BUT IF YOU FEEL SAFER....

I KNOW THE WING PLANFORM IS WRONG :rolleyes: IT WAS A DRAWING MISTAKE THAT I JUST WENT WITH AND LEFT THAT WAY.IT FLYS GREAT EITHER WAY......

KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK FILIPE,YOUR GONNA LOVE ELECTRICS...

MARK

[jfrabat]

Mark,

I did the set up on the motor as per the guidelines that came on the instruction booklet of the ESC. Also, talking to a friend of mine, he says that the capacitors help lessen the spark that occur where the brush makes contact.

On the Me 262, I decided to go the whole 9 yards and use everything. In the case of the ST, I will only use a single Shocktty Diode for both motors, with no capacitors.

Felipe

[jfrabat]

Here's a shot of the started left wing. Some modifications here:

1. I will use a torque rod for the ailerons, coming out at the nacelles. Inside I will place sub-micro servos, one for each aileron. Because of the torque rod, I had to extend the aioleron facing a little.

2. The sheeting has been altered at the trailing edge to resemble the real aircraft's wing planform.

3. I had to use a slightly larger square for the LE. The reason for this is that (not surprisingly!) I could not find 1/4 balsa square in Panama, so I had to improvise. All this means is that more sanding will be needed!

I tried the torque rods, and they work nicely. I am still considering weather to use a Y extension or if to use flaperons to slow down the landing a bit. Right now I am leaning for the Y extension, but let's hear some comments on this...

Felipe

[Rudi]

Hi Felipe,

thanks for your descr. !!!:) Some time ago Mark also send me a plan and a building instruction for that great little plane but I never started to build it (I ever had the fear that a wooden project needs to much time). Mayby after yours is ready I will start also with it when I finished all my other projects !!!
Please go on and show us more building photos !!;)

greetings from vienna

Rudi

[jfrabat]

Rudi,

My advise to you would be "GET WORKING ON IT!". This plane builds FAST! And if what I hear is true, it flies great (which is no surprise, as I have the Sportwin, also by Mark, and that one flies great).

In fact, look at the dates of my postings. Now take into consideration that I am taking an MBA, and that I am also changing jobs (no days off for me!). Now imagine how fast this plane builds!

In any case, thanks for the encouragement!

Bests of luck!

Felipe

[Rudi]

Thanks Felipe,

I try to start after my Mig 29 foamy project !!! But it makes it a lot easier with your building photos, because I havn't the model airplane magazine for help !

Rudi

[jfrabat]

I apologize for being off line for so long, but between my MBA and the new job (I am now working for Sony Corp.), the time left over for the hobby has been rather scant. I have done some progress, since I have already placed the ribs and spars in place, but not much more than that. If I do make some progress before the end of the year (which I doubt will be much anyway), I will post it here. Expect a picture of the progress done so far by this comming weekend...

Felipe

[Rudi]

HI Felipe ,

go on !!!!:D

Rudi

[jfrabat]

OK, so I have been VERY busy, but at least I have managed to get some progress before the year ended!

Here's a picture of how the plane is coming out. I have cut the lower skins, and placed the ribs and spars in place. I also glued the two wings together and have CA'd a fiberglass strip to the bottom of the wing to hold the two halves together.

I do not have the wire for the torque rods yet, and I have to install these before sheeting the wing, so I can't make all that much progress until I get that. But I guess I will be somewhat entertained by the fact that I still have A LOT of sanding to do on the LE (yeah, I know, I used a larger squared than what was mentioned in the plan, but I had this one available, where as the one I needed I would have to buy, so there you go!).

In any case, this picture should give you a rough idea of how the plane will end up looking.

Felipe

[jfrabat]

Here's a shot of the wing so far... Notice the change in the sheeting of the TE to better match the real plane's outline

Also, notice the small holes for the torque rods for each aileronleading to the nacelle...

Felipe

[Jeff Charlot]

Looking great! I've got the plans, but they haven't rotated to the top of the building que yet. This is a nice incentive to get started!

Jeff

[jfrabat]

In this shot, you can see how I modified the aileron control system by using torque rods on 2 servos instead of the flex cable with 1 servo in the middle of the wing. The servos will be one in each nacelle.

[jfrabat]

Sorry, forgot to attach the photo... here it is!

[jfrabat]

Here's a picture of the sheeted wing with the fiberglass (CA'd on) for reinforcement in the center section. Notice the modification for the aileron control with the torque rods coming out on the nacelles.

[jfrabat]

here's the pic. By the way, notice the change in the sheeting to get a more scale look on the wing and the change on the stabilizer also for improved scale looks.

[jfrabat]

Here's a shot of the fuse and the wing. Keep in mind that the fuse is just sitting on top of the wing (no screws yet), and that only one nacelle is installed!

[U812]

Good job Felipe!
Steve

[jfrabat]

Here's a close up of the modification I made to the aileron control system, in case anyone is interested in duplicating it.

[jfrabat]

Another angle

[Rudi]

HI Felipe ,

go on !:D Please inform us in future too !

Greetings

Rudi

[TGoodwin]

I have built one of these. It flys great but reall like to go fast. At lower speeds it did the strange tale waggle thing in the turns. This plane will fly great even at high wing loads. I glassed mine with 3/4 oz glass and painted it up. I used two cobalt motor for power and 5.5x4 props. It really rips. Bungee launch only though at this weight. Landing are no problem and it slows down nice. Just dont try and bank turn too steep at low speed. Mine is in for repair due to a accident with the bungee.

Good luck.

Ted

[borabora]

Hi Felipe, it is a nice thread to follow and really nice model. :)

Just want to share with you a type of Me-262, which has, real props ;)

I am not sure if you are aware of this model but it was a first for me....

Bora

[jfrabat]

Bora,

Thanks for the heads-up. I had seen that one on a 3-view of the models that were in the drawingboards for possible new versions of the Me 262. That particular version, if I remember correctly, was intended for reccon (it had longer range but somewhat slower speed).

Another prop version that was actually built was one that had a DB601 on the front. It was one of the first prototypes used to test the new wing planform desgn. That one was a tail dragger, by the way...

In any case, if you do come by any more info on the model you posted, please post it, as I do not have much info on it!

BEst regards,

Felipe

[jfrabat]

OK, here are some shots of the first finished nacelle. These are fairly easy to build, but do require a lot of sanding! Kind of reminds me of the old Royal kits.... "glue block A to block B; sand to shape"!!!

In any case, I'm pleased with the results. The are very strong! notice also the filletts where the nacelle meets the wing. That was done with Red Devil. Very light, easy to sand, and it gets very hard when you seal it.

I still have not finished the firewall, which is screwed to the plywood on the front of the nacelle. I will do that as soon as I can, but I will be leaving for a Buz trip, so I do not know ehn that will be...

Felipe

[jfrabat]

Here's a shot of the front...

[jfrabat]

And here's a shot from the rear. Notice the BIG hole on the back... Less wood, less weight!!! Also, you can see the servo in there with the torque rod for controling the ailerons.

I still have not decided if I will use flapperons or not. I can change my mind at any point, though, so that is not important (two servos on two different channels anyway!)

Felipe

[Rudi]

Hi Felipe,

looks nice , go on.

Rudi :)

[jfrabat]

I know I have not posted any progress in a little while, but I am back in class for my MBA. Should have some progress next week though, so stay tuned!

[FOShowNoClass]

Where did you guys get the plans from? Thanks!

Will

[jfrabat]

Talk to Mark.... mrittinger@hotmail.com

He has all kinds of plans, like the B-25, Me 262, Sportwin, Mosquito, Whirwind, Black Widow, and soon, an A-26 Invader (see the thread on the scale forum).

[mrittinger]

Forgot the "70" :)

It's mrittinger70@hotmail.com

Mark

[jfrabat]

Oh, yeah... Thats right... You put your age at the end of the name!!! :D

Just kidding!!!

[jfrabat]

Hopefully, I may have some progress for next week... I got to get this plane done so I can start my next project (Mark's Invader, or the Me 410 if I can convince him to make it!!!)

[jfrabat]

I started cutting out the pieces for the second nacelle. Will post some pics when it starts to take shape!

[jfrabat]

Since I am out of classes (for a couple of weeks, anyway!), I have made some progress. Unfortunatly, I left my Digital Camera at the office, so I cannot show you at this time. But the second nacelle's structure is done, and glued to the wing.

After this, I will instal the servo and aileron mechanism, and sheet the nacelle. From there, the ugly part starts (again!); glueing and shaping the balsa block front and rear of the nacelles.

Hopefully, I will be posting some pictures during the week.

Felipe

[jfrabat]

I got a hold of my wife's camera, so here are some pictures of the progress so far. First, a shot of the new nacelle.

[jfrabat]

Now a shot of the wires (coming out of the wing).

[jfrabat]

And, last, a picture of the plane so far...

[Rudi]

Hi Felipe,

very nice , go on !:)

Rudi

[mrittinger]

RUDI, HAVENT HEARD FROM YOU IN A WHILE! HOW ARE THE LITTLE ONES?

MARK

[Rudi]

Hi Mark,

thanks fine, the are growing and growing and more interested in trains than in planes :( . But it doesn't matter. Mark I plan to build your Me 262 in Depron with two edf50 (parkflyer). what do you think ? I follow this thread from Felipe very interested, because I love your construction methode very much.

Greetings from vienna

Rudi

P.S I had a new video for granny. Flying from Gmunden, cross the
danube valley(Wachau) to Krems and back, interested ?! :)

[mrittinger]

YES!
She loved the other CD......Gmunden, I think I was there in '88...
Are you Certified Pilot yet?

If the EDF has same in flight thrust as 400 on 5/5 prop, go for it.

Mark

[Rudi]

Hi Mark,

yes I have allready my pilot licence. This summer I hope I can make a aerobatics licence:) for gliders ! Here is our HP http://www.sportfliegerclub.at You can use babelfish for translation. http://babelfish.altavista.com/urltrurl?urltext=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hepf.at&lp=de_en&doit=done&y=13&x=32

If you can be so kind and send me in a e-mail again your living address. Sorry I lost it since the last contact :(

About the Me262 it should be possiple to build here with a RTF about 300 up to 350 gramms. This should be enough for 2 Micro EDF's like WemoTec Microfan or EDF 50 from GWS.

Greetings

Rudi

[jfrabat]

Finally got some work done again. Here is the second nacelle so far, with some light filling in place. Of course, it is not sanded yet, but I will get to that as soon as the filling has dried up!

Felipe

[KOMET 44]

Nice job so far Felipe. Good luck with the rest of the build.stefanP

[jfrabat]

Progress has been small, but at least there is SOME!!! In any case, I am slowly but surely getting there! :D Here's a shot of the rear of the second nacelle, which I just finished. After this, I'll get the front done. Then it's covering and painting, and then FLYING TIME!

The first sot shows the mid section of the wing with the progress to date.

[jfrabat]

Here's a detailed picture of the Starboard nacelle (the rear, in any case!)

[jfrabat]

I am happy to report that I did dedicate a couple of hours to my Me 262 project today, and have moved forward quite a bit. Although I still have some building to do, it is now mainly internal components (like the wing hold-down blocks, cooling holes, and such). I also need to do some filling and then the final sanding.

But, hey, enough talking... Here are some pictures!

First, heres a side view of the plane with everything on it (except the elevator, which I have seemed to have lost! :D )

[jfrabat]

Here's a front view, to highlight those BEAUTIFUL lines of the Me 262...

[jfrabat]

In this top view, you can see the nacelles already installed and sanded (not final!). I am thinking about redoing one of the firewalls, as the first one I finished is not up to par (especially compared to the rest of the model, which is nicely crafted).

[jfrabat]

And last, but not least, a close up shot of one wing. Here you can see the modification I made to Mark's plan, so that the wing planform was closer to scale. I figured this mod would not only improve the overall scale look, but also increase wing area! :)

Another modification I made with the same purpose was the horizontal stabilizer, but I already posted pictures of this earlier, so there is no need to do it now.

Felipe

[mrittinger]

Lookin good!
I like the way its coming together,very nice.

Mark

[Rudi]

Wau hhhhh.... Felipe, go on !!

Hi Mark , did you get the CD ?

Rudi

[jfrabat]

After some debate (betqeen me, myself, and I), I have decided to cover the entire plane in silver monokote, light sanded to make it a little more adhesive (and less shiny), and then paint over it using Model Master Acryl paints. I will then scratch the paint a little to weather the look of the plane. As for the colors, I am still doing some research as to which are the proper RLM colors (as of now, it looks like RLM 76 for the bottom, and RLM81 and 81 for the top with the blue, yellow and red band on the fuse).

Then add some panel lines and some some staining (guns and stuff), and it will be ready!

I still have to mould the cockpit, but I will probably start covering this coming week.

Felipe

[jfrabat]

The wing is now covered in chrome Monokote. Fuse is next, but wil probably have to wait until next week (I'm going to a concert tomorow, and to the beach on Wednesday night for Easter). Pictures to come soon!

Felipe

PS: I have not yet glued on the wing hold-down blocks... I keep forgetting to! :D :D :D

[jfrabat]

OK, here's the copmpleted airframe (minus elevators) all covered in chrome Monokote. After redoing the elevators (I lost them a while back) and covering and installing them, I will proceed to painting the plane in camoflage pattern.

Although in some pictures the Monokote seems kind of crumpled (is that the right word??? :p ), it is really actually quite smooth. I think once the paint is applied, the plane will look quite nicely!

In any case, here's the first picture!

Felipe

[jfrabat]

Here's another shot... Notice what I mention of how the monokote looks; it's really not like that; it's just the reflections coupled with the light sanding I did over the monokote for better paint adhesion.

Felipe

[jfrabat]

One last shot! Oh, and by the way, I dont have the cooling holes, exit holes, wing hold-down blocks or the holes for the wing scrwes done yet... I was just in too much of a hurry to see how it looked! I kind of like the way it looks in chrome monokote too! Reminds me of the pictures of the prototypes!

Felipe

[jfrabat]

Oooops! Forgot the picture! Here it is...

Oh, and by the way, I am planning to change the location of the exit air cooling holes. I am thinking of using the flare dispenser of the original plane to keep it looking more scale.

Felipe

[jfrabat]

Here's a shot of the cannons (better known as cooling holes!)

[jfrabat]

Here's the shot of the Flare Dispensers (A.A.A exit holes). I don't know if I'll be able to get away with such small exit holes, but I think I'll give them a shot before cutting any more holes open.

Besides, I can always leave the bottom hatch open! :D :D :D No, just kidding, but I am also considering the elevator pushrod hole, which should make the total area just enough to get by.

If you have any opinions, please post them!

Felipe

[jfrabat]

FINALLY glued in the wing hold-down blocks. I made them out of brasswood. I still need to drill the holes in the wings and the blocks, though, which I will probably do next weekend.

Felipe

[U812]

Very nice Felipe!! Love the covering. That's exactly how I did my 81 inch span B-29. It just gives it such a real look.

Once you paint it you can chip the LE's and other used area's of the plane for aging. The silver shows right through like the full sized birds.

Steve

[jfrabat]

Steve,

That is exactly what I intend to do. This is the first time I will be doing this technique, so we'll see how it comes out. Hopefully, it will look good in the end.

How about the cooling holes? Do you think they will work OK, or do you think I need to make them bigger?

And by the way, exactly how many planes do you have, steve? I have seen plenty of them (the ones I have seen are awesome, by the way), and you always seem to pop up a new one!

Felipe

[jfrabat]

OK, so I am ready for painting. I still need to shape the Canopy mold, so I can vacuum form the canopy, but I have too much of a headache to do it right now! :(

In any case, I will start painting on Thursday. Hopefully, I will be able to post some pictures.

[jfrabat]

Here's another angle

[U812]

Felipe,

About 20 or so planes with more on the way all the time.

I think the cooling holes are great and should work fine. It's great that they double for the canons.

Can't wait to see it painted.

Steve

[jfrabat]

I managed to find some time and start the paint job on this little sucker! I chaged my original intention for a new design, which, although similar, will be a little easier to do (all crosses are single color outlines).

Here's a couple of shots to give you all an idea of how the plane is coming out... Next up, fuselage bands and markings! (I still have to do the canopy as well!!!)

Felipe

[jfrabat]

Here's another angle!

[jfrabat]

Here's the new paint scheme I am going to use. The reason for the switch was only that this one is simpler, with one color crosses.

The new plane to be used as reference was the plane piloted by Letnant Hans Dorn of 3./JG7.

Felipe

[jfrabat]

Here's a little bit of progress for all to see...

Felipe

[jfrabat]

Ooops!

Here's the pic

[jfrabat]

Here's the other side...

Felipe

[jfrabat]

And here's a shot of the rear fuselage hatch showing the receiver and elevator servo arrangement... PLENTY OF ROOM IN THERE!

Felipe

[jfrabat]

Sorry... my fingers seem to work faster than my mind, cause I keep hiting the "Submit Reply" button instead of the Browse botton!!! :D :D :D

Here's the pic

[jfrabat]

And a shot of the bottom