Steve's Models

[Cybermat47]

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

That looks a lot like an Eindecker, other than the tail.

Yeah, I think that the Germans captured one and copied/improved it.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Cybermat47

Yeah, I think that the Germans captured one and copied/improved it.

Pretty much. Pfalz built their own copies, but under license, and at the end of the war paid Morane-Saulnier all the royalties they owed. Fokker puchased a used Morane 'H' early in 1914 and then built his own version without ever paying Morane-Saulnier anything. His improvement was a big one. The Moranes and their Pfalz copies were all made from wood. Fokker built his out of steel tubing, a techique used on all Fokker aircraft thereafter.

[Sailor Steve]

Speaking of Eindeckers...

This is a stock Revell E.III that I had some fun with. One of the wheels had come off, and the propeller was broken. I refitted the wheel, and stole the prop from one of my spares kits.




The model is in Austrian markings.



One of the many things people have produced over the years is a variety of metal props, engines and guns for WW1 and WW2 aircraft. One of the packages I bought was a pair of Austrian Schwarzlose guns. That and a photograph I had in a book prompted me to build it this way. Here is a link to an article on the Schwarzlose http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwarzlose_MG_M.07/12 and here is a close-up of the gun on the model.

[Cybermat47]

^

Nice job on the pilot!

[Sailor Steve]

This was a big job. Many years ago I kitbashed an AEG B.II, a German 2-seater so early that it wasn't even armed. During the couple of years I didn't game at all I left my stuff with Rocky for anyone to use. The whole tail section of this one was broken off and gone. I wasn't looking forward to building a new one from scratch, and as it turned out I didn't have to. When I got my case full of models home and took them all out, I found the tailpiece stuck in the foam rubber under another plane. It was still a big job. I had to mount some brass rod inside the fuselage to make sure it didn't happen again, then glue the whole thing back together. The tail as it was would't fit over the rod, so I had to cut away the bottom and sides and mount the top to the rods, then build new sides and bottom, new tail supports and a new tail skid.

In spite of the repairs the model is still pretty hammered from years of abuse. What can I say? It's a wargaming toy.

Here is a front view, showing the wire wheels and radiators. The wheels were purchased in a store at the time, and the radiators are brass wire wrapped around a piece of plastic and given a black wash.



From the rear quarter you can see the observer standing in the back, holding a carbine. Our game even has rules for shooting rifles.

[Sailor Steve]

I've just had a question from Red October1984 in the 'What Are You Doing Now In Real Life' thread about the airplane game, and rather than go into a lengthy explanation with pictures there I figured I'd do it here.

Mustangs & Messerschmitts was created by my late friend Rocky Russo and current friend Doug Larsen. Rocky had played D&D with Gary Gygax himself, so the name was sort of a tribute. M&M is a World War two game, with WW1, '30s, Korea, Arab-Israeli, Vietnam and modern variants. It's a game system designed for people who like to build models. The models are mostly 1/72 scale, and are fitted with a tube in the bottom which mounts to a steel wire attached to a clothespin. The arrangement allows for the model to roll and pitch. The clothespin clamps to a six-foot dowel that slots into a trolley that rolls around the floor. The whole thing allows full freedom of movement in three dimensions. The control sheet has all the information for the plane the player is "flying", including how many rolls of the rear wheel it can make per turn, how many inches it can climb without losing speed, how many inches it can dive, how tight it can turn. Turning is controlled by a steel pin attached to the wheel castor, and is stopped by pins placed in holes equal to the turn radius for that plane.

Gameplay is slow, but relative performance is highly accurate. I've posted the pictures elsewhere, but I can't find them, so here they are again. Lately we've only been playing the WW1 variant, Triplane, so all the pictures are from that era.

[nikimcbee]

I have that kit! Nice job on it.

[Sailor Steve]

Thanks! I can remember when they were $0.98. These days they are supposedly going for $15-20, but I've seen them on Amazon and eBay for $5-6. I bought a bunch of old Revell kits to use as spares many years ago, and still have several each of the Eindekker, SPAD S.7, Morane-Saulnier 'N', Nieuport N.28 and Fokker Dr.1. Mostly they're pretty bad compared to what you can buy today, but they're great for spare parts and can serve as a basis for other things. I've kitbashed Morane-Saulnier 'G' and 'L' models and Pfalz E.I and E.II kits, as well as a Fokker E.IV, from the E.III kit; and a Morane 'P' parasol 2-seater from two of the 'N' kits. Making stuff nobody else has is always fun.

[Sailor Steve]

I've finally finished repairing all my broken planes. I had promised myself that I would rig each one as I repaired it, but I got sidetracked repairing all of Rocky's broken models, so I ended up only rigging the ones I've already shown. This final one, though, is unusual. The Airco DH.5 was a "staggerwing" configuration, which means that the top wing was behind the bottom wing. I built the model a long time ago, and in a hurry, so the markings are all hand-painted and are sloppy. I keep reminding myself that it's not a display model, but a gaming toy, but I still plan to go back and redo it someday, or maybe build another one. That said, this is one I did take the time to rig, because the rigging itself is cool.








Now I'm finally ready to start something new!

[Red October1984]

I'd like to see them before you repair them...

Before and After Shots would be kinda cool.

[Sailor Steve]

Nothing to see, really, just minor stuff - struts that came unglued or broken off, landing gear needing regluing. The only big one was the AEG, which had the whole tail end broken off. Nothing was smashed. If it had been I would have built a new one rather than attempt a really serious repair.

[Red October1984]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Nothing to see, really, just minor stuff - struts that came unglued or broken off, landing gear needing regluing. The only big one was the AEG, which had the whole tail end broken off. Nothing was smashed. If it had been I would have built a new one rather than attempt a really serious repair.

I see. Does your airplane game use strictly WW1 stuff? Do you build 109's and Spitfires and have a good ole time after the WW1 battle?

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

M&M is a World War two game, with WW1, '30s, Korea, Arab-Israeli, Vietnam and modern variants.

We only play the WWI variant at the moment because one of the players insists on it, and the less players we have the less fun it is. Also, WW2 is best with more players because the Germans and Americans always travelled in groups of 4, whereas the Japanese and early-war British preferred vics of 3. Being able to represent that helps.

I have a very large collection of WW2 planes, including several variants of pretty much everything major. My German collection includes a Bf-109c from 1939 Poland, with sharkmouth, through a Bf-109k-4.

[Sailor Steve]

Well, I've decided on my first project. I have a lot of kits to choose from, but instead I think I'm going to scratchbuild a Bleriot XI Militaire.



This was an advancement of the plane Louis Bleriot flew across the Channel in 1909, updated with two seats for wartime spotting missions. It was quickly outclassed, being slow, unmaneuverable and unable to carry a machine gun, but it remained in service into 1916. It's pretty much useless in the game, and there are better planes available on the same die roll, but it just tickles me enough to make me want to do it.

[Sailor Steve]

All set to start. The first item with any scratchbuilding project is to have accurate plans.




The fuselage was open wood framing. I need it to be strong for gaming, so the frame will be square brass rod, 1/32" thick.