WW1 plane models

[ericw43 2]

I am new here and having a great time with this simulation (even though I only own it for two days ha).

 

My father and I have built two wooden ships/models when I was younger. One was the USS Constellation and the other a Norwegian ship named "Wasa". My father was a machinist and he always appreciated sailing ships and history. We started building plastic ship models when I was a child. One the USS Constitution and the other the HMS Victory. Then one day my dad saw wooden ships and said "wow" and my mom said "oh no" hahahaha. We went three times to Baltimore Harbor to see the USS Constellation and spoke to historians in hopes of gaining more accurate data when building the ship. My dad machined each dead eye individually, I found rigging interesting and studied knot tying used by the US Navy and other navies throughout the eras. We learned how to use spoilers and straking for planking and other techniques. We purchased a kit from Corel of the USS Constellation. We used the instructions and what we learned from researching and made many alterations to attain a more historically accurate representation. It took my dad and I almost five years but we completed this endeavor. I still have some photos of the finished project and it was a hobby that he and I had way too much fun doing. Eventually we sold the model to a lawyer and I am extremely unhappy that we did so many years later. The amount of time, countless hours and work make it one of the most regrettable decisions I have made. I learned how to use a lathe to turn fittings, how to use a file and other tools and it is an incredible hobby.

 

 

 

So now I purchased OFF phase 3. Today I opened a manual located in the OFF installation directory named "FS'. This is I believe a .pdf file. While reading this file I went "oh man!" Once I began reading past the keyboard commands and the science of flight charactersitics contained in this file I found data speaking of rigging, compression, bending, torsion, shear stress, the nature of wood, etc etc. Oh my god! INCREDIBLE documentation and thank you. The individual that researched this data is amazing and I appreicate it. Then I thought....these are dedicated and well researched developers that are including information that is worth more than the price of just the software. I would have paid $19.99 for just this file sir:) I am very grateful. The amount of knowledge in this file is astounding. It even speaks of wood quality, spars, struts etc.

 

 

Being that I enjoy modeling I wanted to ask if any of you have experience with the following:

 

 

 

http://www.modelexpo-online.com/page.asp?lp=7008

 

 

These are wooden model kits of WW1 aircraft such as the Nieport 28 and Albatross D. Va

 

It has been a while since I have had the time to sit down and work on a project such as this due to my job (which I need ot leave). If you have the time to respond and give me any input, I would appreciate it.

 

Since I have purchased OFF, I find myself not playing this damn simulation and instead getting more involved in research. I thank you for this. The research and documentation that has gone into this program amazes me and I cannot wait for OFF phase 4.

 

We should have a OFF club meeting:)!

Thank you so much and keep in touch with me please,

 

Eric

[Dej 17]

A warm welcome Eric,

 

I'm very glad you've found that OFF has re-inspired you in your research. It has had the same effect on me. I had studied WW1 aviation avidly as a 9 - 14 year old (prompted by the Biggles books) but then it lay dormant for decades until I came across OFF P2. Since then I have re-entered the amateur historian worl with a passion. I too fly less than I read but I'm eternally grateful for the attention that has gone into this great sim and for what it has brought me back to.

[jwrich 0]

Eric, I have been building and flying RC airplanes for years, about 6 years ago I started building large scale WW I airplanes. During the research on the airplane, I learned not only about the planes but the men who flew them and the war itself. The more I learn the more interesting the subject has become. I built a 1/4 scale German Fokker D V II and choose to model the airplane flown by Oberlt. Erich Lowenhardt, he was the third highest scoring ace with 54 kills. There are several good books out there for the war and thee aircraft. Many of them have been listed on this forum. I have built a 1/3 scale Fokker Eindecker, a 1/4 scale Sopwith Pup and now building a French SPAD XIII, with each of these plane I the color scheme based on the pilot who flew the airplane. Plane in my WW I war bird fleet has won 7 awards in Oklahoma (2 years in row), Texas ( 1st & 2nd place) and Kansas (3 awards).

 

 

 

 

If you are interested in building model airplane, especialy scale models this is the place to go to see how they are built, http://www.rcscalebuilder.com/, go to the form section. In the kit section, Balsa USA has many WW I aircraft kits, Glenn Torrance Models another WW I kit maker, the true scale models are from Proctor Enterprises. What you will find when you click on one of these, open to construction threads with ideas, photos of work in progress and the finished Warbird. I have a construction thread in the Balsa USA section " Building the BUSA Fokker D-VII" by jwrich, on page 6, I have others as well but this is the most detailed. As you will see this site ids like the OFF site, it is international, modelers from all over the world used and add to the forum.

 

Other sites that may be of interest, http://www.theaerodrome.com/index.php, http://thevintageaviator.co.nz/, http://www.richthofe...m/rickenbacker/, http://memorial.flig...e.fr/index.html, http://books.google....ndecker&f=false, http://books.google....ker%20e&f=false, http://www.youtube.c...Air&search=Sear, http://www.overthefront.com/, http://www.wwiaviation.com/toc.html, http://www.greatwar....ault-color.html, http://en.wikipedia...._in_World_War_I,

, http://storage.mfa.f...SpadXIIIuk.html, http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/, http://www.greatwara...orum/index.php. These are some RC model sites ;http://www.airfieldmodels.com/gallery_of_models/rc/sr_batteries_eindecker_e1/, http://www.balsausa.com/, http://www.flygtm.com/, http://arizonamodels.com/, http://www.proctor-enterprises.com/ and last My Club Web Site; http://okbarnstormers.com/

 

 

I hope I have provided some information, you can use. Because of my interest in WW I aircraft has lead me to OFF. OFF is the best flight sim out there, I love it. Since I have retired, I am in the shop working on an airplane, at the flying field or flying combat skies of OFF. I retired from the USAF with 26 years of service and 15 years working at Northrup aircraft services at Vance AFB. Aviation has always been a part of my life, from flying combat missions in Viet-Nam to flying World War 1 model airplanes. Looking back, I enjoy all of it.

 

 

Here are some pictures of my WW I aircraft:

 

 

 

Rich

[ericw43 2]

RIch,

 

I appreciate the links sir and information. Those are huge replicas in scale that you have created!! When I was younger I competed in ROAR (Radio Operated Auto Racing). I still have a Futaba pistol grip radio and the suspension class car I used. It used an HP engine from Germany with a single Glo Plug and two servos; one for the steering column and the other for the throttle/brake. But I digrees sir we are speaking of aviation, my apology.

 

If you lived closer to me I would bug you to see your aircraft:) I know nothing of RC aircraft except from a friend of mine that I speak with that is a retired LT. Commander from the Navy. Modeling has always been a hobby of mine and my father and I concentrated more on ship modelling (wooden ships) as opposed to aircraft. The reason being that my father liked boats. Three years ago I purchased a Badger 150 airbrush and a real nice compressor. Then I purchased two aviation kits. One was the visible B-17 and the other from Tamiya was the 1/32 scale Mitsubishi A6M5 Zeke/Zero. Unfortunately neither of these kits have ever been opened because I moved to South Florida and due to working 50 plus hours a week, I did not have the time. I moved back to Pennsylvania last year due to my dads failing health and to help mom. I sitll have two lathes in our basement, a machinists lathe and a hobby lathe from Shearline, a bench grinder, a sander, a drill press and many other tools and accessories that my father and I used in the past.

 

Due to getting back into flight simulation software a few months ago, I am also getting the desire to also get back into modelling. I purchased some items from Model Shipways in the past and when I went to their website a few days ago, I saw the pictures of the Model Airways WW1 planes. I have learned so much from modelling and my favorite aspect of it was ....research. I was lucky to have a father that taught me techniques and procedures of the use of lathes and other tools. Especially filing:) Every kit we built was historically researched and I learned so much about history from reading/research. We did alot of modifying/scratch building to ship kits to make them more authentic.

 

I am 44 years old sir, still working and in the process of hopefully finding a new employer. I thank you for sharing the pictures with me of the aircradt you have built. They look incredible. If you lived closer to me, I would be a pest sir:)

 

Please keep in touch with me and thank you for your time. I appreciate it and the information you have shared with me.

 

Eric

[ericw43 2]

Oh and I will be sharing the photos you posted here with my firend Charlie! Thank you again. I know he is more into WW2 aircraft but he does have a Spad that he built.