Bavarian Pfalz E.I

1
August 9, 2020
First step to make a cushion.
2
August 9, 2020
This was my very first attempt to solder PE.
3
August 9, 2020
As you can see, it's NOT straight forward, but even if the seam isn't perfect and there's a bit of solder t be removed, I'm (kinda) happy with the result.
4
August 9, 2020
But the proof is in the pudding, the second solder got quite wrong...
5
August 9, 2020
I was sooooo nervous concerning the soldering itself that I didn't think to align the seam with the sight! Plus, the rear PE part got so full of solder that it's totally ruined...
6
August 16, 2020
Cushion done.
7
August 16, 2020
Cockpit painting.
8
August 16, 2020
Painting the cockpit.
9
October 16, 2020
I'm still looking for "my way" of doing wood...
10
October 16, 2020
Some assembled stuff.
11
October 16, 2020
This WILL become the new MG 08! At the moment I take this picture, I'm just trembling from the thought, but I'll get there... or will I?
12
October 16, 2020
Don't get my wires crossed. 😉
The wires on the bottom plate are simply blackened with a graphite pencil.
13
October 16, 2020
Final versions of the sub-assemblies of the cockpit.
14
October 16, 2020
Some very fiddly bits to be placed here. This takes time.
15
October 16, 2020
I told you, I'd get it done!
(The thing is, the "sleeve" is quite delicate and I managed to squish it while handling it... It is far from perfectly cylindrical now...) Who's all thumbs? 👍 ME 👍
16
October 16, 2020
Finished cockpit 1.
Do I detect some warping on the left hand side? Botheration!
17
October 16, 2020
Finished cockpit 2.
For a first time doing it like that, I'm reasonably happy.
18
October 16, 2020
The pieces for the next steps are prepared and painted.
This should have been and OOB build, but I already used an aftermarket MG and the wooden propeller is ordered. Should I get a better engine? Choices, so many choices. 😉
19
October 23, 2020
20
November 13, 2020
This is the state of the project right now.
21
November 15, 2020
Meet the pilot.
22
November 15, 2020
To carve a 0.3 mm large slot 8 mm deep into a forked plastic piece. Then to place PE and 0.5mm tubing. Delicate is the word.
23
November 15, 2020
Added flanges.
24
February 25, 2021
This really is a kit in a kit. I'm in love!
25
February 25, 2021
The whole thing has been engineered in a very nice way. Small Stuff rules!
26
February 25, 2021
First steps.
27
February 25, 2021
All 7 in place.
28
February 25, 2021
Quite a lot to paint right now.
29
April 18, 2021
After month of waiting: Honey, I'm home!
Engine prepped for base coat.
30
April 18, 2021
And base coat applied.
31
April 19, 2021
Here we go! Step 5. This is a real pleasure. Small Stuff makes perfect engines!
32
April 19, 2021
Preparing step 6
33
April 19, 2021
Step 6 done.
34
April 19, 2021
Preparing step 7
35
April 19, 2021
That was the hardest part of the build, especially if, like me, you have sausage fingers and a slight tremor...
NOT perfect, but I really couldn't do much better.
36
April 19, 2021
It still looks quite good, I think.
37
April 19, 2021
Finished build OOB. I still need to cut at least one rod a bit shorter and put the leads to the plugs...
38
June 17, 2021
So, there was quite a bit of trepidation on my part: The engine is larger in diameter than the kit's one, so I needed to let the mighty Dremel play. I was really nervous about ruining the whole piece! Got it on the first try. Happy!
39
June 17, 2021
40
June 22, 2021
When I tried to put the cockpit into the two fuselage halves, it whent boom! Most of the cockpit assembly desintegrated...
41
June 22, 2021
So, I'm rebuilding the cockpit inside the fuselage.
42
June 22, 2021
43
June 26, 2021
Rebuilding the cockpit inside the fuselage bring other problems: the cockpit baseplate is too large, parts or the wooden frame sticks out of the front, whatever I do, some piece is going to come off and fall prey to the carpet monster...
This build is a big challenge for a relative newbie like me. And I actually wanted to start with a monoplane, thinking that the rigging would be simpler...
I starting to hate this one. 👎
44
June 26, 2021
State of the project except cockpit in other half of the fuselage.

Comments

22 9 August 2020, 09:42

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
Any hints on how to solder PE?
I kinda need some newbie pointers...😉

16 August 2020, 21:34

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
Nice! Thanks a lot! 👍

16 August 2020, 21:41

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
See, that's one of the things I like the most here on Scalemates: there's always a mate with a helping hand...

16 August 2020, 21:45

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
@Roland Gunslinger: And the "best" thing is that I'm quite certain that I've seen this video some time ago... and forgot all about it! So thanks again!

17 August 2020, 07:03

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
I decided not to learn on an actual build, CA glue it is right now!
But I'll try my luck with discarded PE bits and pieces first.
In the mean time, I'm continuing to build my Pfalz E.I.

16 October 2020, 13:17

JW
I'm following along. Hopefully I can start the same project in a month or so. I'll trust you to point out all the danger areas and keep me out of trouble later.

24 October 2020, 17:21

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
Yes, I saw your project...
I managed to thoroughly frag up the cowling (the paint pooled at the two corners, although I sprayed at very low pressure) and the engine (the pushrods you are meant to make from stretched sprue, don't even ask!) and I'm waiting for a (better) engine from Small Stuff.

Right now, I'm trying to strip the paint from the cowling in a sodium hydroxide solution, but the newish Vallejo Model Air paints are more resistant than earlier ones.

In the mean time, I managed to advance on another project:
But, where are you going? The Krauts are over there! (WIP) | Album by petitbilbo (1:35)

24 October 2020, 21:17

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
Why do I have the biggest problems while painting the cowling? Whatever I do, the paint will pool at the bottom tips... It's quite disconcerting...

1 November 2020, 13:31

JW
Primer then multiple VERY light coats of paint with time to dry between each coat? Good luck.

7 November 2020, 13:23

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
Will try again! Thanks!

7 November 2020, 15:21

Daniel Klink
Unluckily in 1/72 nearly not practicable the soldering method with Pe Parts.
Most of them are simply too small

7 November 2020, 15:26

Robert
very nice... but I guess most of the details will be lost, a bummer

13 November 2020, 09:07

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
Isn't it always like that? Painting a car engine and closing the hood... 😉

13 November 2020, 10:56

David Taylor
looking good Bilbo.

13 November 2020, 18:38

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
Thanks!

13 November 2020, 20:03

JW
Glad to see you working on the Pfalz again and look forward to seeing your Oberursel U.0 completed. You'll have to do some thinning on the cowling to get the motor in.

26 February 2021, 15:49

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
Yeah, I know... How did you manage that?

26 February 2021, 21:59

JW
A Dremel tool and a light. When the parts are thin the light will shine through more. I almost cut through in a spot or two so be careful!!!

27 February 2021, 02:16

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
That's what I'm afraid of... 🙂

27 February 2021, 08:14

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
Whow! I was able to work a bit on the engine today, managing to place the plugs into the cylinders. The more I work with Small Stuff engines, the more I like them.

20 March 2021, 18:08

JW
Looking forward to seeing the motor completed.

21 March 2021, 03:05

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
Looks like my workbench will be freed in the next few days. Eager beaver here...

21 March 2021, 11:56

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
Workbench and tools are back for me to use. Resuming work on the the Pfalz.
About time! 😉
This is (a small part of) what my wife has been using my bench for What I do when I'm not building kits... | Album by petitbilbo
Her new hobby: restoring old furniture
(I'm responsible for the leather work.)

18 April 2021, 16:46

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
Engine is (almost) finished. I really like the engines from Small Stuff!

19 April 2021, 18:25

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
I started working on this kit again. The engine cowling was a bit tricky, but I got it in the end.

17 June 2021, 17:06

JW
The engine is looking great. Which set of markings are you going to use?

18 June 2021, 15:49

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
The Bavarian one.

18 June 2021, 19:50

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
I'm having some rather big trouble with the cockpit... It almost completely disintegrated when I tried to put it into the two fuselage halves and the fuselage itself seems to be a bit on the narrow side.
I'm rebuilding the cockpit while it's base is already in the first fuselage halve.
Hope it helps.

20 June 2021, 19:58

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
This is getting a bit frustrating. I feel like every step I take to remedy one problem is creating two more.
Learning curve?!

27 June 2021, 08:50

JW
On that kit I had to sand down the bottom and sides of the wood framework and thin the sides and bottom of the fuselage halves a bit but I don't remember it being too extreme. I'll have to thin the fuselage out when I start the Special Hobby 2-seater Nieuport.

27 June 2021, 19:47

Antonio De Girolamo
Beautiful work so far on this E1, I have the same kit... Yours is a source of inspiration!

7 July 2021, 11:05

René "Lord Bilbo" Bartholemy
I have to admit that I'm a bit frustrated with this kit so far.
Ever getting the feeling that you got stuck at a certain point?
Well, this is where I am right now: the cockpit seems too big for the fuselage (or the fuselage is too small to host the cockpit), the base-plate of the cockpit doesn't conform to either the cockpit walls or to the fuselage halves, whenever I try to get a step forward, the thing (almost literally) explodes in my sausage fingers... And the worst part is: the fuselage's turtle deck is larger than the fuselage itself.
As if the two fuselage halves have been "cut" too narrowly. It could need a shim...
Oh, the joys of scale modeling! 😉

7 July 2021, 12:24

Project info

Pfalz E.I

44 images

1:48

In progress

1:48 German WW I machine gun Spandau LMG 08/15 (Master AM-48-035)

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