1/32 Gotha G.I Scratch Build

[Trak-Tor 1,767]

Really nice and clean!

Keep it up!

 

Juraj

[Fvdm 665]

Great progress!

[spacewolf 3,257]

Oh this is sweet ! A joy to watch this coming together !!

 

[Azgaron 1,357]

Nice with a full scratch build! Very nice work so far!

 

Håkan

 

[guitarlute101 314]

Thanks for the input guys! I appreciate it.

 

  I've been working on how to finish off the fuselage top and there are some issues I will have to deal with.

 

Here is the drawing that I am working from. The problem is that large center gun ring.

 

 

None of the pictures of the real aircraft show this arrangement. The drawing seems to be fictional (or based on a factory drawing that was modified at a later time?). All of the pictures I've seen have an offset to port center gun ring/station. Not sure, but again, I'll be going with the pictures as best as I can. 

 

I've decided to do G.I 42/15 "Feodora". Here is its gun ring arrangement.

 

 

It looks to be offset with a modified section that hangs a little over the fuselage side to accommodate the gun ring like this picture.

 

 

And a side view, maybe not the same aircraft..

 

 

A little more thinking and experimenting and I'll be back with an update.

 

Thanks,

Mark

Edited January 23, 2019 by guitarlute101

[Alain Gadbois 1,804]

Hi Mark,

In my opinion, the gun ring was added at some point to improve defensive fire. Note the small opening in your first photo is still present in the last one, just ahead of the ring. The ring, as you mentioned does seem to overhang a bit on the left side. I think you have pretty good photo evidence for your model.

Looking forward for more progress!

 

Alain

[guitarlute101 314]

Thank you for the extra set of eyes on this one Alain!

 

Mark

[guitarlute101 314]

Well, you know, somedays it's just one step forward and two steps back. While working out the arrangement of the center section I noticed that it was too far forward and the cockpit was too far back on the drawings when compared to the pictures of the real thing. So I had to do some internal rearranging of the supports.

 

 

I feel confident that everything is in it's correct spot now (although I should have caught that much sooner).

 

BTW, the sectioned off area on the starboard side of the center section was where the fuel tank was located.

 

So if anything else, today was just a side step instead of a step ahead with my project although I did have time to make the top area for the front gun ring.

 

Little by little,

 

Mark

[guitarlute101 314]

I adjusted the scale drawing to the best of my ability to reflect the upper top fuselage more accurately in regards to period photographs.

 

 

Mark

[spacewolf 3,257]

Good catch... I'm amazed that you have found this much photo ref.  As for the plans, quite often they were just drawings someone did.. very few can be seen as anything more than a general arrangement drawing... which is why us scratchbuilders of obscure aircraft are always looking for more ref !!

 

[guitarlute101 314]

Thanks spacewolf! The excellent Windsock Datafile #83 by Ray Rimell is absolutely required for this build.

 

Mark

Edited January 22, 2019 by guitarlute101

[guitarlute101 314]

A little update, not much time to work on it this week and I still need to order some .02 and .03 styrene sheet.

 

The rectangle and triangle shapes to the rear are the bases for the balsa wood to vacu-form over and the half circle near the front will be built up with a small piece of balsa and vacu-formed too.

 

 

 

You can see the areas near the back of the cockpit that I need to fill back in because I opened up the entire cockpit area but this is not a problem..

 

Mark

 

 

[guitarlute101 314]

Some progress on the cockpit covered area. Still a little shaping to do around the cockpit opening.

 

 

It was definitely some work for me but I'm very happy with the result so far.

 

Thanks for looking in, I appreciate it,

 

Mark

[Azgaron 1,357]

Looking good!

 

Håkan

 

[Ryan 1,094]

Quite amazing Mark.

 

Ryan