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Dornier Wal flying boat


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I started a paper to plastic conversion back in July, here are a couple of photos of the work so far.

Mockup1.jpg

mockup5.jpg

The original kit was a 1:50 scale paper kit from Wilhelmshaven models, which I scaled up to 1/32. I wanted to see how difficult the conversion process was after watching a couple of others give it a whirl and started simple with a simple aircraft with very few complex curves. Its pretty big, span is about 700mm, and its all plastic except for the wing leading edge.

The build thread is at Large Scale Planes: http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=24792

Sabre

Edited by Sabre F-86
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Sorry, nothing happening with this one at the moment. Its time to get the boat mast down and hauled out so I'll be a tad busy til end of October. I did remove the foredeck again so I could work up some sort of cockpit, and I got the wing tips done. Engine pod is being refined as well with some more curves n angles to get rid of the boxy look. The problem here is that the original paper model was a combination of features from a large variety of Wals, therefore it resembles a Wal only generally. From my research I've determined that its too short, too skinny and the wing chord is way off. The closest one that was built was Japanese, and its bow looks different.

At the moment I'm of a mind to not bother with it as it was an experiment in converting paper models to plastic, and I've pretty much learned all I can from that. I probably will finish it, but not til november.

Sabre

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Yeh the boat is hauled out and covered. Have a few things still to do but I should be back at my desk in a week or so. Was down looking at the Wal last night thinking about how to proceed. I moved all the photos around in my Photobucket account, I'm going to try to redo the first posts.

Heres the picture of the Kawasake built Wal that comes closest to what I have built from the paper plans.

Wal-A.jpg

I've already removed the foredeck so I can shift the cockpit forward and build up some sort of interior. The rudder needs to be changed, (not a big deal) and the bow should be changed but I don't think I want to get into that. The engine pod is too wide, and needs to be thinned down before I put on the bulges for the top of the cylindar heads and exhaust. As for the wing chord, I think Im stuck with that. I don't have any real dimensions to work with but it appears that I need to add about an inch to the chord.

Oh yeh, the wingtips suck. What I did works but doesn't match any of the photos. That will need some changing too. But those are the worst of it. It'll never be a show winner but it should look impressive anyway. I only wish I had some decent drawings to go by.

Sabre

Edited by Sabre F-86
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Hey Sabre,

I just read that link you posted of your build...

;) you sre a genius at scratcbuild and this is EXCEPTIONALLY STUNNING..

I loved the way you worked the wings and well it is just AWESOME....

Keep it coming...

HOLMES :worship::worship:

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thanks, I'm slowly bumbling along now. The cockpit is now boxed in and the removable section is out and on the bench. I'll be using this to make up a drop in cockpit with all the detail built in. Then it will just drop in place, get glued and the forward deck reattached. This afternoon my rebuilt rudder broke and I'm making up a new one from scratch. Still agonizing over rebuilding the wing, the aspect ratio is way wrong and its buggin me something fierce. More to come later on the LSP thread.

Sabre

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Have you any phtoos for us tolook at for the cockpit...would love to see your maginificent work Sabre..

Sorry that you had a glitch with the rudder...what happened to the rudder to make it break...

hope this has not set you back too much..

HOLMES :coolio:

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I tried to rebuild the original rudder by adding material at the top to give it the squared off balanced rudder. When I started fairing the pieces with filler the whole thing just warped something awful. I figured it was simpler to just build a new one.

In the mean time, I've made some seat cushions from milliput, started work on two instrument panels and the control wheels. Very fiddly stuff, taking my time to do it right. I still have to figure out the rudder pedals. There are very few photos, and one of them is of what I think is a replica. So I don't trust the way the cockpit is laid out in that one. Anyway, I'll put something together that looks period and it will do.

I've more or less decided that the wing is going to stay the way it is. Too much work to rebuild it as it would also affect the engine pod and the support truss. I'm reworking the wing tips now. The end caps are on, and the formers are next, then skinning. Ailerons will be done after the tips are done so I can match their tip profile and have a smooth transition.

In addition to the above, I've started working on the beaching gear which were large wooden wheels that fitted to an axle on either sponson. They have to be just the right size so the keel comes off the ground and the top of the wheel ARC doesn't interfere with the wing struts. I think I've go them the right size and am building a pair now. Once they are done I need to make up a wheeled dolly that fits under the aft end of the hull with a handle for steering.

Sabre

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Sabre,

Looks like you have things i hand now..

Glad that you have managed to get the rudder problem of sorts in some sort of order..

I see that you have been busy and I can only imgaine that it is beginning to take shape.

Good luck with the breaching gear...Just take it steady and you will get there...

I will be back for more....

SEE ya..

HOLMES :coolio:

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Wow, That looks Really Nice, Good job, I was looking at the rudder, from what I could see of it, it looks like it might need to be bigger, to give you better water handling, and flight handling, it looks like you might have to move the step on the fuselage up to 25% of the leading edge of the Main wing, is at the step of the Floats.

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I just posted an update with photos at the main build thread on LSP.

http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=24792

The update includes photos of the rough beachign wheels, in their final position. A photo of the new rudder atop the fin, and the much gooped up stabilizers. A couple of photos of the cockpit module both in the hull and on the desk. A photo of the new slimmer engine pod.

Eric, I'm curious as to what you based your comments on. Do you have some drawings I can't find?? This whole deal is based on a generic Wal as made in a paper model. The new rudder is taller, so thats good but as far as I can tell the step is where it should be. Its not a conventional V bottom like a Catalina, its actually flat bottomed, with a sled stuck to the flat area, and then a second step or wasserkupfe just at the break in the hull from horizontal to rising. There is one set of drawings out there which this model pretty much resembles.

Since the update was posted, I've gotten both ailerons roughed out. The Wing support truss is off again, while the Radiator is mounted underneath and the engineers access panel is created in the hull turtle deck and the underside of the support truss. Once those are in place I can put the ribbing along the turtle deck and start putting it on the sponsons. The engine pod is undergoing more sanding, and I'm about to start working on the cheek bulges for the engine headers and exhaust systems.

The cockpit is still being worked on, currently fabricating the control columns and wheels, and the engine levers. More as I get better weather for photography.

Sabre

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Hello,Thank you for the link again..

read your comments on there and it looks like you are not doing so bad..The cockpit module looks pretty nifty and neat.

The engine pods looking quite nice now and the whole Beast is taking shape slowly but steadily.

You are doing one heck of a job on this one and look forward to your wheel hub shafting..what is that By the way..?

HOLMES :deadhorse1::deadhorse1:

Edited by HOLMES
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The wheels have 1/16 brass tubing as axles. Right now they just go in thru a hole in the sponson and wobble about. I need to take a long drill and drill a larger hole from the sponson face into the hull side so the larger axle tube will be supported at both ends. Then the 1/16 dia. axle can be cut down to a 1/4 inch long and still not wobble about. When thats done, all you will see with the wheels off is a small hole with a flange around it The wheels themselves will be faced on both sides with plastic and the rims will be done with thin wood slats.

He he, I just found another photo of one of the Japanes aircraft, taken from a different angle and the rudder is indeed too small I need to add about 3/8 of an inch to the trailing edge. It was a huge barn door looking thing. :monkeydance: It also shows that these Wals had a water rudder. The wasserkupfe and the sled appear correct as I've built them so I'm only going to clean them up and add the strakes that are all over every surface. Maybe this weekend. I'm starting to run out of time again, boat season is almost upon us.

Sabre

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Ah Finally I managed to get thru..{ it was MY Trend Micronet Internet security that was refusing to let ME see the site....!!}

The rudder and the wings are looking great and I see that you have come a long way since I went and had a look...

Sorry you have had one or two glicthes along the way..But you have overcome this I see.

WILL BE back for More...WOO hooo

:thumbsup:

HOLMES

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