1:32nd scale Halberstadt D.II

Hi all
As my build of the Macchi M.5 is drawing to a close I'll be starting the next model.
This will be the resin 'Lukgraph' model of the Halberstadt D.II, Serial No:810/16 Vzfw. Erich Schutlz of the Royal Jagdstaffel 25, operating from Kanatrlarci, Macedonia in early 1917

Mike

Hi all
The wings supplied in the kit are cast in resin and have internal metal reinforcing rods to prevent warping of the wings
Comparing the wing shapes and detail to reference material shows that some aspects of the wings require changing to make them closer to that of the actual wings:
The wing ribs tapes are too heavily cast
The wing trailing edges do not reflect enough the ’washout’ droop at the inboard sections of the wings
The leading edges of the upper wing halves are of different thickness
The top surface of the wings appear to be too ’bulged’ around the central area
The upper wings have a degree of warp

So to correct these will require some work

Mike

Examples of wing 'washout' and lack of visibility of the wing tapes







Kit supplied wings

Oup's, they are job!!!

Impressive (in the bad way) the kit wings are .... how to say. I guess, in case of one day i'll open a box and find this, the box will be closed and back to the garage ...

Wish you a lot of courage !

Hi all
Another problem found
The kit supplied 3D printed propeller has the blade twist in the wrong direction
This can't be corrected, so will need to be replaced with a correct propeller

Mike

As tu parlé de ces problèmes à Lukgraf ? Ces maquettes sont assez chères pour faire connaître ces imperfections...

Mince, c'est quand même assez inadmissible ce genre de problème !
Olivier

Xan a écrit:As tu parlé de ces problèmes à Lukygraf ? Ces maquettes sont assez chères pour faire connaître ces imperfections...

Hi Xan
Another modeler told me he reported this but has had no reply
I agree that better research before release is necessary
To correct errors in CAD designed, 3D printed and resin cast kits should be easier than correcting traditional injection tooling
Especially give the cost of the kits
For me it's not so much of a problem as I usually replace kit propellers with wood laminate versions from Alexey Belov of 'Proper Plane

Mike

Hi all
Some progress for the Halberstadt
Plastic card tabs were added to the fuselage halves to help align the fuselage halves
Machine gun cutouts made
Holes made for the lower wing support rods, control column, elevator and rudder control cables
Test fitting the basic cockpit structure
Upper wing radiator cutout
Rudder and elevator rods added
Upper and lower wing warp removed using immersion in hot water
Wing trailing edge 'washout' (droop) added
Rib tapes sanded off (will be replaced)
Aileron support rods added

Mike

Faut reconnaître que c'est du rustique cette maquette !
Courage Mike.
Olivier

Hi all
Response from 'Lukgraph' about the propeller

Mike



"We found this issue, mirroring was accidentally turned on while printing.

We replaced all propellers in sets. Of course we will send the correct one.

Please contact us.

Best regards

Lukas"

Curieux de voir comment tu va représenter les nervures...
Et bravo a Lukgraf !

Xan a écrit:Curieux de voir comment tu va représenter les nervures...
Et bravo a Lukgraf !

Hi Xan,
I'm cutting strips of 0.2mm thick plastic card and securing them to the wings using thin CA adhesive.
Then sanding the strips to blend them to the wing surfaces,

Mike

Good job!!!

Hi all
To reinstate the sanded off wing rib tapes
Strips of 1.0mm wide plastic card of 0.2mm thickness were cut
These were secured onto the wings using thin CA adhesive
They were then sanded to reduce their thickness and to blend them more to the wing surfaces
The wings were grey primed, as this shows any high spots or ridges
Where necessary I sanded again and re-primed until the desired effect was achieved

The wings will be painted later in this build

Mike

Sounds pretty much like the kind of acrobatics that I am used to perform... I can therefore apreciate your own performance. Very well executed!

I am curious about your remolding of the wings. How does resin stand heating (e.g. how hot can the water be)? Is it easy? Does it weaken the parts?

Great job so far, anyway.

Jess a écrit:Sounds pretty much like the kind of acrobatics that I am used to perform... I can therefore apreciate your own performance. Very well executed!

I am curious about your remolding of the wings. How does resin stand heating (e.g. how hot can the water be)? Is it easy? Does it weaken the parts?

Great job so far, anyway.

Hi Jess
The resin used to cast the the wings, is softer than some resins
Also they have metal reinforcing rods inside to help prevent warp
Immersing the wings into hot water for a few minutes makes the resin pliable, so easily reformed by hand
Once your happy, hold in position until the resin cools

Mike

Hi all,
More preparation before assembly.
The fuselage cabane struts and interplane struts were all drilled and pinned for locating.
The forward 'feet' of the rudder support frame and the tail skid assembly were also drilled and pinned for locating.
The opening in the upper wing was chain drilled and shaped to accept the 3D printed radiator.
The four 'feet' of the landing gear struts were drilled and pinned for location.
The kit supplied Steel rod was cut to length for the axle.
The kit supplied photo-etch cooling cover and front cover for the 3D printed machine gun were added,

Mike

It's so good!!!

Whaou c'est super fin ton travail, splendide Mike ! 🧐
Olivier

Oui bravo, tout en finesse! Le pliage du manchon de la mitrailleuse est parfait!

Je ne peux pas dire (ni faire) mieux. C'est absolument impeccable!

Hi all
The fuselage halves have been painted with Raw Sienna oil paint for wood effect
The basic cockpit assembly is complete with added pipe to the hand pump and throttle and spark advance control rods
The engine is complete, including added:
Ignition leads
Carburettor fuel supply pipe
Cam shaft oil pipe
Throttle control rod

Now it all needs to be weathered before rigging the rudder, elevator and aileron control line and fitting the control column and rudder bar

Mike

Cool! travail propre et efficace.