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Fokker EIII - Scratch - 1:72


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Marcos, I will wait for results of your experiments - and, more, for completed Fokker. And I hope it takes not a waste amount of time if you put one another method of ribbing to test :)

This is hand-made tool for scribing:

01.jpg

Made of steel, 100 mm in lenght, 7 mm wide. Blade radius on tips is different. By this tool those ribs were made:

I165.jpg

This is 1/48, but tool (may be in slightly scaled down form) should be useful in 72. I just make such tool from saw blade (5 mm wide) and test it. It really works and works quickly, but scalpel is still needed for fine tuning, removing small longitudinal scratches between ribs. I estimate that the entire wing set of an airplane like Fokker may be ribbed using this tool in one day.

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Hi Snorry.

I hope complete this model. I have a huge attraction for incomplete models in my shelves ;)

I figured out now an way to simulate the ribs looking to your picture. I don´t know if it is exactly what you think. The idea (obviously an old one) is to scribe the ribs from the inside of two thin wing panels in a way that the line appears like raised from the outside. I will try this this weekend and post here.

Cheers,

Marcos.

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For details on creating the wing rib effect using the embossing technique, see this online version of Harry Woodman's classic scratch building book:

http://web.archive.org/web/20080122044909/...ry/woodman.html

The book is a true classic, a treasure trove of information, invaluable for anyone wanting to give a try at scratch building airplane models.

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Many Thanks BOC262!

It is really a interesting book. I`m reading it now and learning some fine tips.

The page about creating wing ribs gave me very good information.

Cheers,

Marcos.

I'm glad you are finding the book helpful.

Good luck with your project! You have made a great start.

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  • 3 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...

If you made a board with some raised (low relief, something like thin strips of thin card) "ribs" could you not vac form a sheet of styrene down onto it, and then cut the wing from the "pre-ribbed" sheet? If you set the vaccum really low, so that the plastic just sags between the high points rather than being sucked down hard over them?

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If you made a board with some raised (low relief, something like thin strips of thin card) "ribs" could you not vac form a sheet of styrene down onto it, and then cut the wing from the "pre-ribbed" sheet? If you set the vaccum really low, so that the plastic just sags between the high points rather than being sucked down hard over them?

I think that a low vacuum would just give what I call a 'jelly mould'.

Neil

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I think that a low vacuum would just give what I call a 'jelly mould'.

I don't know, possibly, I'm just throwing ideas around with little in the way of expertise to back them up! :thumbsup:

Thinking about scale sizes, ribs made from 1/64" balsa sheet would scale up just under an inch, leading edge potentially from 1mm carbon tube, trailing edge from styrene strip. Cover with thin mylar or acetate and paint. The transparent covering would allow light to show through and reveal the structure.

Fiddly though.

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I don't know, possibly, I'm just throwing ideas around with little in the way of expertise to back them up! :thumbsup:

Thinking about scale sizes, ribs made from 1/64" balsa sheet would scale up just under an inch, leading edge potentially from 1mm carbon tube, trailing edge from styrene strip. Cover with thin mylar or acetate and paint. The transparent covering would allow light to show through and reveal the structure.

Fiddly though.

That is why we use etched brass for the airframes in most of our Historic Wings kits. We were aiming for that see-though and thus fragile look. We supply Litespan film, which is a heat-shrink film and thus goes nice and taught to show the ribs.

I have been playing around with this idea for years, then when the centenary of flight yeatr came round (2003) we did the Wright Flier - everything else just followed, although seing the replica Santos Dumont aircraft in Rio de Janeiro was another nudge!

Neil

Edited by tnuag
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Etched brass certainly makes a lot of sense and I am impressed with the results you have shown I have to say, but its just beyond what I could do myself I think.

Litespan is lovely stuff, use it a lot on smaller RC stuff, its a little prone to slackening IMHO, but thats probably due to big temperature variations from going outside and inside fairly frequently.

Some of the indoor free flight coverings might also be quite nice, Condenser paper is available down to about 8 gsm.

But your models look awesome, so I won't teach you to suck eggs :jaw-dropping:

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Etched brass certainly makes a lot of sense and I am impressed with the results you have shown I have to say, but its just beyond what I could do myself I think.

Litespan is lovely stuff, use it a lot on smaller RC stuff, its a little prone to slackening IMHO, but thats probably due to big temperature variations from going outside and inside fairly frequently.

Some of the indoor free flight coverings might also be quite nice, Condenser paper is available down to about 8 gsm.

But your models look awesome, so I won't teach you to suck eggs :jaw-dropping:

While I am obvipusly biased, I have been pleasantly suprised at how easily they build - for example one of those complicated wings only has four parts, the left wing ribs, right wing ribs and two spars. Also if you can use a soldering iron it helps because you get instant joints! We have done 7 pioneer aircraft now (Spin, Demoiselle and Cayley glider were delivered to Hannnants last Saturday). Of them all, the Cayley Glider has to be the simplest.

Anyway to each his own, but if we hadn't tried the method we would have missed a golden oportunity to model some early aircraft convincingly.

It is very satisfying when the first test etch arrives and assembles easily.

Sufficient I think!

Neil

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If you made a board with some raised (low relief, something like thin strips of thin card) "ribs" could you not vac form a sheet of styrene down onto it, and then cut the wing from the "pre-ribbed" sheet? If you set the vaccum really low, so that the plastic just sags between the high points rather than being sucked down hard over them?

Thanks for your ideas sirs.

MattC, I would have to make a vacuform machine, which is an old project and now may

be the time to do it.

Besides it I have some pictures sent by a friend that did a good job with thread.

f3b_6_956.jpg

f3b_5_230.jpg

I also won some dentist tools from my wife that I think will help ;)

I hope make some experiments soon and go forward with this model.

Cheers,

Marcos.

Edited by Marcos Borges
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