1:32nd scale Mosca-Bystritsky MB bis fighter

[scvrobeson]

Great fixes and additions Mike!  Always enjoy your problem solving ability with these rudimentary kits.

 

 

 

Matt 

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
The underside of the fuselage had a 'V' strut, on which the wing warp controls were located.
Given the lack of detailed information for this aircraft, it's difficult to figure out exactly how these control were configured.
I believe the controls were configured as follows:
Two control cables from the rear bell cranks of the control column torsion bar, were routed vertically through the underside of the fuselage. 
These cable were attached to a control lever at the bottom, rear of the V strut.
At the front of the V strut was a 'pulley' and control lever.
Wing warp control cables from both the 'pulley' and lever were attached to the rear spar of both wings.
Flying and landing wires were attached to another V strut towards the front of the fuselage underside.
All wires were routed above the wings to an inverted V strut forward from the cockpit.
The wing warp wires were routed over a pulley on the cockpit strut.

As the control column was moved left or right, the lower rear levers rotated the front pulley and lever.
This caused the trailing edge of the wings to twist either up or down, causing the aircraft to roll in the required direction.

 

So, based on this I scratch made the underside V strut assembly.
I used the two control levers from the kit.
The struts were 1.4 mm tube with 0.5 mm rod reinforcing.
Control mounting rod is 0.5 mm rod.
The pulley is a spare photo-etch propeller boss plate, secured onto 0.5 mm thick plastic card. 
The lightening holes were drilled through using a 0.9 mm diameter drill.

 

Now it's onto the underside forward V strut,

 

Mike 

 

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
Also the forward V strut on the underside of the fuselage.
This was used for attaching the fixed flying and landing wires to the front spar of the wings.
The protruding 0.5 mm rods have a collar of 0.7 mm diameter added to retain the wires, when fitted.

 

Now onto the wing supports, the top V strut and machine gun support,

 

Mike 

 

[scvrobeson]

I really need to learn how to solder, seems like a great skill for builds like this.

 

 

 

Matt 

[LSP_Kevin]

Terrific work, Mike!

 

Kev

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
The basic 'V' strut assembly for the top of the fuselage is done.
The strut supported the flying and landing wires at the front and the pulley on the rear for the wing warping wires.
The machine gun mounting was also attached to this assembly, but that will be added later in the build, as will the rigging fittings.
The assembly was made with soft soldered Brass Tube of profiled 1.1 mm and 1.4 mm diameter with internal reinforcing Brass rods of 0.4 mm and 0.8 mm diameter.

 

Now onto the wing supports and landing gear.

 

Mike 

 

 

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
I've added the rear support for the wings, made from 1.5, and 1.1 mm diameter tube with 0.8 mm internal rod.
I've also added 0.5 mm diameter rods to the engine cowl, which helps to support the thinly moulded cowl to the fuselage.
I need to add a wind blat screen below the rear wing support and a filler cap as well as rudder and elevator control line exit ports under the fuselage.

 

Then it's onto the landing gear.

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

[Archimedes]

On 6/26/2021 at 12:36 PM, scvrobeson said:

I really need to learn how to solder, seems like a great skill for builds like this.

 

 

 

Matt 

I can only say to that "What he said" ....

 

Yes soldering - phenomenally useful and something I need to return to.  Really impressive work here Mike.  Tip of the cap to you Sir. 

 

Best regards,

Paul

[sandbagger]

6 hours ago, Archimedes said:

I can only say to that "What he said" ....

 

Yes soldering - phenomenally useful and something I need to return to.  Really impressive work here Mike.  Tip of the cap to you Sir. 

 

Best regards,

Paul

Hi Paul and Matt,

Soldering using traditional solder wire and either flux solution or flux grease is OK, but these days I use low melting point 'Solder Paste'.

Tiny balls of solder mixed in with flux paste - it doesn't run as flux solution will and it's thick enough to stay where you put it.

Apply heat and it's done. Easier to clean up afterwards as well due to no flux runs,

 

Mike 

[dodgem37]

Great show, Mike.

 

Sincerely,

Mark

[Archimedes]

4 hours ago, sandbagger said:

Hi Paul and Matt,

Soldering using traditional solder wire and either flux solution or flux grease is OK, but these days I use low melting point 'Solder Paste'.

Tiny balls of solder mixed in with flux paste - it doesn't run as flux solution will and it's thick enough to stay where you put it.

Apply heat and it's done. Easier to clean up afterwards as well due to no flux runs,

 

Mike 

HI Mike, Thanks for the heads up on that: I shall investigate. 

 

 

Best regards,

Paul

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
A few updates.
I didn't bother using the kit supplied resin landing gear - enough said.
Instead, I made a replacement using profiled Brass tube of 1.2 mm, 1.4 mm and 1.6 mm diameter and 0.5 mm diameter Brass rod.
All of which was soft soldered.
The axle retaining hoops were made from 0.4 mm diameter lead wire.
I've added a scratch made tank filler cap, cockpit rear wing shield (0.5 mm thick plastic card) and engine cowl retaining straps (0.5 mm sanded flat plastic rod).
The cockpit surround padding was added using ANYZ’ silver braided line (AN015).
Lastly I've added the rudder and elevator exit ports in the underside of the fuselage. 

 

Suffice to say I'm not using the kit supplied rudder assembly and tail skid.
So that's the next job,

 

Mike 

 

 

 

 

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
The basic tail unit is done.
I disregard the entire kit supplied parts, apart from the elevator halves.
Basically the resin was badly moulded and with no reinforcing rods.
Also short shots and the rudders were the wrong shape.

The tail skid and its support frame are made of 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.8, 1.2 and 1.4 mm diameter Brass tube or rod.
T two rudder were cut and profiled from 0.8 mm plastic card.
The photo-etch control horns for the lower rudder and elevator are from the ‘Jadar’ WW1 1:48th scale control horns (S48087) set.
Most of the assembly is a loose fit at it all can't be fitted as a complete assembly until later in the build.

 

So, now it's onto some final details on the fuselage before construction starts,

 

Mike

 

 

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
The last strut work is now finished.
This is the mounting frame for the machine gun.
One version of this aircraft carried a Colt machine gun, fixed to the forward fuselage and fired through the propeller arc.
The propeller was protected by Nieuport type deflector plates.
The version for this model had a early Lewis type machine gun that was fixed at an upward firing position of an inverted V frame.
This fired the weapon over the arc of the propeller.
This mounting was made from 0.7 mm diameter tube with 0.3 mm diameter internal and wrap around rod.
The replacement 'GasPatch' machine gun had it shoulder stock removed, as the weapon was most likely fired by operating a cable from inside the cockpit.

Now at last I can think about actually building this model!!

Mike

[LSP_Kevin]

Amazing stuff, Mike! Would love to learn how to solder for scale modelling myself. You certainly seem to have mastered it!

 

Kev