30100~Le Rhone Rotary Radial Aircraft Engine
9 cylinders completed - that's Step 1!
Close up shows 2 securing rubber bands, after which I used capillary action to glue stuff together, from the inside.
I then used the same approach on the points on top of each cylinder, before clamping them with those mini-clothes-pegs!!
NOTE: there are NO locating pins of any kind on these parts, so it's vital that they are "sight-aligned" before being glued.
I think they're OK......
I then used the same approach on the points on top of each cylinder, before clamping them with those mini-clothes-pegs!!
NOTE: there are NO locating pins of any kind on these parts, so it's vital that they are "sight-aligned" before being glued.
I think they're OK......
Now painted all the spark plugs - SMS Off-White
Might need to go over them to scrape off some excess......Chose SMS "Advance" paint as I want to see how these work as a brush paint.
Impressed with the coverage.
Might need to go over them to scrape off some excess......Chose SMS "Advance" paint as I want to see how these work as a brush paint.
Impressed with the coverage.
Now to work on the Crankcase Front where you have to drill out No. 38 holes???? WTF - translated that to 2.58mm.
So as not to damage anything, I started with 0.5mm. I think I've centred them pretty well inside the "circle" on the casing.
So as not to damage anything, I started with 0.5mm. I think I've centred them pretty well inside the "circle" on the casing.
Then stepped up to 1.0mm
Then up to 1.5mm
Then the big jump to 2.5mm, but very carefully.....
Turned out that 2.6mm was the best size, so I started working on the Push-Rods.
BloodyHell - Lotsa flash where you would expect seamlines, so I think I've just spent 2 hours cleaning the 9 push-rods up, with a combination of scalpel, ceramic scraper, and "Infini Models" Medium clear sanding stick. Impressively the sticks return a near gloss finish when working on black plastic. Inserted each one into the crankcase to ensure fit.....and keep track of them.
BloodyHell - Lotsa flash where you would expect seamlines, so I think I've just spent 2 hours cleaning the 9 push-rods up, with a combination of scalpel, ceramic scraper, and "Infini Models" Medium clear sanding stick. Impressively the sticks return a near gloss finish when working on black plastic. Inserted each one into the crankcase to ensure fit.....and keep track of them.
The instructions state that the placement of the cylinders on the Crankcase Front must be precise - In the absence of any "keys" in the parts I had to measure 90 degrees from the cylinder seam - ribbed superglue cap to the rescue - blackmark is the seam - red mark is 90 degrees, on each side.
Here you can see the resultant 'nick' in the cylinder base, at 90 degrees from the seam, making for accurate alignment.
I used the capillary action gluing method again, with 3 finger vices.......
I used the capillary action gluing method again, with 3 finger vices.......
as it would appear from the front - also proving that all is square & level - sits FLAT!!!
No locating pins so I've zip-tied them together in prep for gluing - of course, after removing injector pin stubs & de-flashing them.
The intake manifold are supposed to be "Copper" - Trialing a "Bronze" Sharpie, and will check with some reference photos
Used a Silver Sharpie pen on the Push-rods - now to do the other ends of the Intakes
Parts getting ready - Rocker arm & springs, Pushrods
3 main parts for each cylinder- all painted with Sharpie "Bronze" or "Silver"
6 nuts for every cylinder, but they're all very heavily "flashed" and bloody small - here laid out on the sticky side of masking tape, till I decide how to achieve that cleanup - Any tips would be gratefully considered
Thats 2 hours down the gurgler......DONE!!
Test Fit time - some fine tuning, but getting there
Some more work on the "Copper" effect required, before I go mad with putting the nuts on!
Sorry about the long delay here - My PC died & it took me a good 2 weeks to get everything back as it should!!
Here is the repainted (yes I stripped off all the 'sharpie" silver & bronze as it wasn't working as hoped) most parts with Tamiya colours - much better!
Here is the repainted (yes I stripped off all the 'sharpie" silver & bronze as it wasn't working as hoped) most parts with Tamiya colours - much better!
After a 2nd coat of Tamiya - Hand brushed.
Then to put on the rear crakcase cover - I had to use a clamp on each cylinder, so I did that 3 at a time. This allowed the cylinder face to be pulled back to the crankcase fully. Very fiddly.
Only just enough of the cylinder top to get a grip on, but you can see the difference between the clamped & unclamped cylinder bases.
Then moved on to the build of the "intake" tube - a very robust tube too, as it also proovides the engine mount to the aircraft. This picture shows the throttle slide assembly (very crude, but it was 1910!) just beside the intakes.....
This is the Air/fuel inlet, with air intake pipes coming from each side to the exterior of the aircraft. Looking through the inlet you can see the throttle "slide" about 1/2 open. The fuel intake is at the bottom of the throttle slide casing.
The rear of the assembled firewall, showing the (unpainted) magneto supply pin, and the 2 accessory drive gears (magneto & oil pump) The way in which each of these originally appeared through the firewall was messy & unsatisfactory, so I decided to file them flush & drill holes & use small screws instead, to hold these gears in place. Much better
Side view showing the gears in place & meshing well - I had to grind down the heads of the screws so they cleared the spark distributor ring.
The Engine Bearing Shaft (here still protuding from the crankcase cover) also had to be extensively files & adjusted to fit properley.
The Engine Bearing Shaft (here still protuding from the crankcase cover) also had to be extensively files & adjusted to fit properley.
The complete fuel/air/spark assembly
Ready for mating with the previously built crankcase assembly
Onto the spark distributor ring. There are areas to be painted copper on the top side of the ring, which will contact the magneto spark supply pin when assembled (not painted yet)
Some days later, almost completed
Side view showing the spark supply wires in place, and on the painted display stand
Close up of the spark supply system - spark is fed from the magneto to the spark supply pin, which contacts with the brass panels on the spark distributor ring, direct wire connection to the sparkplugs.
The back of the engine
close up of the spark distributor ring. Tricky wire installation, as the engine has to be assembled before you can do this. I started with a knot in the brass wire fed through the ring then to the spark plug, trying to straighten the wire & get some tension on prior to securing it with a bend at the spark plug.
with the bend in place, I superglued the wire in the spark plug cap hole. After that had set, I carefully superglued wire in the engine-side of the spark distributor ring. With that secure, I cut off the knot in the wire on the opposite side, and superglued there too!! Happy with that methodology!
Sorry for the long gap......Life!!!
Heer is the completed model, on a flash timber base
Heer is the completed model, on a flash timber base
Rear view, showing Magneto
Close up of Oil pump
RHS
Above
Full Frontal
LHS
Rear Overview
Comments
16 20 July 2022, 09:02
bughunterI'm in!
Normally my rotaries are six times smaller, but I have the Hasegawa 1:8 Le Rhone in stash, and build also the rotary included in my Hasegawa Fokker Dr.I.
Suggest a piece of real wood airscrew, may be only the middle part (like in this kit Wright Cyclone Engine (Revell 8881, 1:12))
See New Airscrew for the 1:8 Fokker Dr.I | Album by bughunter (1:8)
20 July 2022, 09:35
Roger TrewenackOoohh!! - That's a long way away!!!
but I do like the idea of the chopped airscrew!!
That's more research to do - thank you Bughunter!!
20 July 2022, 12:28
bughunterI'm glad you like the idea!
A lot of work needed on this kit. Luckily on my Hasegawa kit the seam is on the side and the push rods are brass. You can replace them too with wire.
21 July 2022, 10:49
Roger TrewenackHoping someone can offer some ideas as to how I can trim/shape the hex nuts that I have to place on various parts - 6 nuts to each cylinder - 9 cylinders = 54.
see picture 17!
24 July 2022, 08:15
bughunterI would not clean the hex nuts!
What is the real size? There are miniature brass nuts available, M1, M1.6 ... One example:
https://ebay.de/itm/272820055151
If you need them a bit longer I would by a brass hex profile and cut pieces.
Here only a example shop, available 1, 1.5, 2, 3 mm .....
conrad.com/o/profile..V_MATERIAL_any=Brass
See also minischrauben.com/?refID=minischrauben-2
24 July 2022, 11:28
Roger TrewenackThanks Bughunter - I thought of using a punch - didn't think of a brass hex profile - spent a couple of hours with 3.5X lenses, sharp scalpel & chisel & they came up OK - That included dropping 4..........and finding them again, defeating the carpet monster!!!
24 July 2022, 11:56
Roger TrewenackSorry about the delay in updates - PC dies on 13th August - took 3 weeks to recover fully!
5 September 2022, 13:09
bughunterIs the paint on the main engine parts black?
I will go with dark and other aluminium tones on mine.
5 September 2022, 13:15
Roger TrewenackI'm lazy, so its the natural plastic Black!! LOL
I've sort of decided not to pain the cylinder heads on account of the joins being at the front of the model. Would have been better if the joins were across the model. Not sure if painting woud hide or accentuate the joins.
5 September 2022, 22:31
Album info
I feel the need for ....................................GLUE!!!!
9 cylinders glued together, using the capillary action method with Tamiya Ultra thin glue.
Crankcase Front drilled out 9 holes
9 push-rods de-flashed................I get the feeling I'll be doing things in NINES for a while!!! LOL
Lots of sanding of base of cylinders & removal of flash on Crankcase front.....x 9!!
Happy with the test fit so far.
Tutorial delayed by total computer death....
Now up to date again (5th Sept)
Missing updates due to.......other stuff!!
Now completed!!
