sandbagger

Hi all, A few more updates for the carburettors and induction manifolds. Hollowed out the air intakes at the bottom of the carburettors. The induction manifolds cut/joins have been filled. Added the carburettor float chambers (made from a tooth pick). Added 0.6 mm diameter tubes into the induction manifolds and carburettor float chambers (for connecting the interconnecting fuel supply pipe and auxiliary pipe - to be added later). Finally added control lever for the throttle butterfly valves in the induction manifolds (control rods to added later). Obviously it all needs cleaning up and priming, but for now I'll move onto creating the 12 spark plugs, Mike

Hi all, I thought I'd explain why I'm attempting to detail the engine as much as I am. Normally if the engine is partly or totally covered by airframe or engine panels, there would be less reason to detail the engine as much. However the Macchi M.5, even with the engine under tray and side panels fitted, was mostly visible. The particular aircraft I'm attempting to model is 'FRANGAR NON FLECTAR’, Serial No.7288 as flown by Tenente DV Alberto Bartolozzo, Officer Commanding No.260a Squadriglla, operating from Venice during 1918. That particular aircraft did not have the engine side panels fitted and so the entire engine was fully exposed. The engine is a primary focal point for anyone looking at the model. Therefore I felt that it was important to rectify the apparent omissions and errors with the kit supplied engine. Mike

Hi all, The kit supplied engine carburettors and their intake manifolds are not correct for this engine and need to be drastically modified to make them represent the actual engine. The photographs below is one of several that show what the fuel supply components on the engine actually looked like, which is not how the kit engine parts are made. Basically: The two carburettors need to be separated. The two carburettors need air intake openings. The two inlet manifold pipes need to be modified. The vertical drop pipes were cut away from the three ported header pipes. The three ported header pipes were cut and extended using a 0.5 mm diameter pin, so that the three ports aligned correctly with the cylinder heads. The vertical drop pipes were shortened and had a 0.5 mm diameter pin inserted in the tops, which were inserted into a hole drilled in the underside of the extended three ported header pipes. This was done to correctly align the drop pipes to between the cylinder banks. The joined kit carburettors were separated and each attached to the bottom of the drop pipes with 0.5 mm pin. Finally the 90 degree bend that was cut away from the drop pipes were used to create the air intakes under the carburettors. There's a way to go on each of the two assemblies, such as filling and sanding and the addition of the interconnected fuel supply pipes and throttle controls etc. Those components will have to be scratched, Mike

Hi all, I believe the cooling system operates as follows: A coolant pipe is attached to one side of the engine. The pipe connects each of the three cylinder banks. Coolant is drawn through a pipe from the bottom of the radiator by the pump. The pump then supplies coolant through the engine pipe into the cylinder cooling jackets. The coolant passes up inside the cooling jackets and out through cylinder connectors to a return pipe on the opposite, top side of the engine. From there the coolant flows back to the radiator to be cooled. I created the pump to cylinder feed pipe using 0.9 mm tube with 1.1 mm diameter collars. The flexible pipe to the pump is 0.8 mm diameter lead wire. The larger return pipe is 1.4 mm diameter tube with six 0.8 mm holes drilled into one side to align with the six 90 degree pipe connectors, made from annealed and bent 0.8 mm tube. Holes of 0.8 mm diameter were drilled vertically down into the engine lugs at one side of the valves on that side of the engine. The connectors were then located into the engine and return pipe, Mike

Hi all, On each side of the engine are flat section tubes that are attached at the bottom of the cylinder heads. These tubes retain and support the six ignition leads on each side of the engine. The kit supplies photo-etch parts which need to be bent to represent the two support tubes. However, when created, these photo-etch tubes are much larger than shown in the photographs. Also, once bent over, they create a flat, double thick 'plate' rather than a flat section tube. Therefore I decided to create the two support tubes using micro-tube. Two brass tubes of 1.6 mm diameter, annealed to soften them then semi-flattened in smooth jaw vice. The ends were filed to a 60 degree angle then two holes of 0.5 mm diameter drilled into the inboard sides. Brass pins of 0.5 mm diameter were secured in these holes and corresponding location holes drilled into the base of the cylinder banks. Mike

Hi all, The engine was fitted with a water pump for the cooling system. On the actual engine the pump was located forward (radiator end) of the engine, below the magnetos and engine sump/crank case joint. I wanted to represent the water pump and its pipe work, but due to space restrictions, I had to locate it higher on the engine than was actually the case. The kit engine has a pronounced 'step' in the engine sump at the end facing the radiator (forward end). This 'step' is intended to fit under the installed radiator. I've cut away this 'step' and fitted two propeller shaft housings from my spares box to recreate the previously rounded end of the sump. To one side I've added a modified water pump, again from my spares box. Still more to do - plugs and wiring, ignition lead support tubes, oil filler pipes and what pipe work and controls I can fit. The whole assembly still needs cleaning up and painting of course. Mike

Hi all, Work continues on modifying the kit engine to represent what the engine actually looked like. I've now added a 'camshaft' below the 3 vale lever shafts from 1.8 mm diameter tube. Also added a pair of 'Taurus' magnetos and a drive shaft (from the spares box). Finally the drive at the rear end of the engine (1.0 mm tube and drive head modified from spares). It's all a bit rough at the moment and I still need to add water pump and if possible and oil pump, plus their associated pipes (where possible). Also the ignition lead support tube etc. Mike

Hi all, The radiator assembly done. This needs to be done now and added into the radiator housing and engine bottom fairing. Then I can start to work on the missing components at the forward end of the engine, such as magnetos, pipes etc, Mike

Hi all, The valve operation on the 'Isotta Fraschini' V4B engine is strange by comparison to other in-line engines of the period. Normally the inlet and exhaust valves on each cylinder would be operated from a single overhead 'camshaft'. However photographs and drawing for this engine show three separate shafts, each operating the valves for its cylinder bank. I can only assume the drive for the three shafts is located below them in the lower half of the overall housing, which is not represented on the kit part. The kit part, including the inlet manifolds seems to have been modelled more on that fitted, for example, on the Daimler-Mercedes in-line engines. I've modified the overhead operating shaft by cutting it into the three sections, removing the kit shaft and replacing it with 1.8 mm diameter tubing. This required some re-profiling of the operating shaft mountings at each end of the engine (radiator and propeller shaft ends), including 2 mm extension to fit to the end vertical drives. The tubes still need to be blocked at each end as the shafts were solid, not tubular. This has also shown up several other areas of the engine that require attention (so far): Both inlet manifolds and the two carburettors are incorrectly moulded - the manifolds too long and wrong shape - the carburettors are joined, but in fact were separately located. No spark plugs location. No water pump supplied in the kit. Mike

Hi all, Many thanks for your kind comments, Mike

Hi all, The rear edge of the cockpit rim was fitted with shoulder padding which is not in the kit. I represented this padding using 'Milliput' putty. Once it has fully cured I'll clean it up. The photo-etch supplied with the kit has part 19, which is intended to represent a curved support for the top of the pilot’s seat, although I could not find any references to this type of seat support. However photographs do show a fixture connecting the top, rear edge of the seat to the rear bulkhead of the cockpit. I represented this fixing using 0.5 plastic rod. The inlet and exhaust valves on the 'Isotta Fraschini' V4B engine are operated by an overhead shaft. The kit shaft is moulded as one shaft. The actual engine had three separate shafts. Also the shaft mounting to the engine do not align. I'll correct by cutting away the mountings from the shaft then drill out the three segments and insert brass tubes. Mike

Hi all, Here are the final reveal shots of the WW1 Austro-Hungarian Aviatik 'Berg' D.I fighter, operating with Flik 63J during 1918. 1:32 scale resin model from the Czech company 'HPH Models. Gaspatch turnbuckles, micro-tube and mono-filament used for the rigging. Laminated wood propeller from 'ProperPlane'. Figure from Grass mat for display base from 'Polak'. Paint used were 'Tamiya' acryics. Figure - ‘Copper State Models’ Austro-Hungarian flying ace (F32-032). My usual full and detailed PDF build log is available to download from gallery 2 on my site (link below). Mike

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Hi all, Pilot's seat modified: Thickness of seat back reduced. Seat belt slots added. Seat back rolled edge added (0.4 mm lead wire. Mike

Hi all, There's still a lot of detail to do for the cockpit area, including thinning and roll edging the seat as well as adding the bulk head seat fixing at the top of the seat. Also the seat needs to have the access for the seat belts to pass through, as the kit instructions show them positioned over the sides of the seat, not through it, Mike