Hansa Brandenburg W.12 Build

Peter Jenssen
Next!
Big box this one.
Lots of pieces.
Dry fit of cockpit interior reveals perfect fit! 🙂

Igor Zdorovyak
A very interesting model. Good luck in the building.

MICHAEL WOODHOUSE
Hi Peter - I am also constructing this little gem at the moment - have painted most of the internal features and also completed floats + trestles and trolleys.
This is my first go at a WNW kit although I also have a FE2b Late in stash but when I saw all the rigging I have 'parked' that for a while.
Kit is a pleasure to work with and its nice for a change not having to fight every fit. Be interesting to hear of any problems or mods so far.

Peter Jenssen
Sorry, no mods or problems, rather I put it on hold for a while.
(i'm currently re-rigging a ship model that I originally built as a teenager)
I have not gone past dry fitting the interior yet.
From experience with my Roland kit wnw is exceptionally good in quality with no real issues during build. That said, they are not infallible, even if it's tempting to think so after getting a taste of the quality.
It's always good to have a critical eye.. 🙂

MICHAEL WOODHOUSE
Thanks for that - I am also currently 'distracted' by other things so no further progress - I have completed the internal woodgraining usings oils over a lighter base coat and although quite good there is a random amount of fluff/dust particles included!

Peter Jenssen
Yes, I had similar problems when I built my Roland.
Not sure if it's the longer drying time needed for the oils giving the surface more time to collect dust.
I'm sure it's part of the answer. I had the whole fuselage for the Roland to worry about, and no previous woodgrain painting experience.
For the future, i'll make sure the base paint is smooth and gloss (matt airbrushed might give off particles), use a brand new brush and a brand new bottle of linseed oil. And also mix the oils on a clean plastic surface (I used a piece of paper! -Probably not the best idea), and put the parts in a dust free cabinet to dry.
If I still get dust in it, I don't know what to do... 😉

Peter Jenssen
Done the wood finish on the cockpit framing.

MICHAEL WOODHOUSE
Hi Peter - your build progressing nicely. I have now posted latest state of my construction and most interior work done - just got to zip her up!
I have recently been working on an old Heller kit of a Potez 540 and will probably finish that first to practice my rigging.

Peter Jenssen
Just painting the inside of the fuselage now..

Peter Jenssen
Had a bit of a break, but nearly done with the cockpit interior now.

Peter Jenssen
Just got the new Wingnut Wings release Albatros B.II
Excellent kit by the look of it!

Stefan Schacht
nice start, i am in. Cheers Stefan

MICHAEL WOODHOUSE
All looking good! I have now applied the large lozenge decals to mine with very mixed results. Some are perfect, others with loads of small bubbles. I think the best appraoch is to lay decal on, smooth out carefully and heat shrink as recommended. I thought I had done this everytime but you need to concentrate and expel evey air pocket. Microsol has only a limited effect because decals are so thick.

Peter Jenssen
When I did the lozenge decals for my WNW Roland, I used lots of water which I carefully pressed out by wiping towards the edges. I'm not sure if these decals are thicker than the Roland. Thanks for the heads up, I'll take extra care with mine..

Peter Jenssen
Got the Hansa out and am continuing on the engine.

Peter Jenssen
Engine done

Holger Kranich
Oh cool, I´m in here!!

Peter Jenssen
Thanks,
Hopfully there will be time to do a couple of my WnW kits, as I seem to have caught the WnW collecting bug and counted 10 unbuilt Wingnut kits on the shelf.
They sure look good there, and looking through the boxes is quite enjoying in itself, but really, they should be built!
Now, just installed the engine on the Hansa.
Getting to closing the fuselage time, which seems a pity. Starting on floats, trestles and other bits so I can sit and look at the interior for a bit longer.. 🙂

Moritz Fentzahn
Looks good so far. I am building this kit too,and it is mostly a pleasure. Good Luck with the Lozenge Decals on the floats, I had some problems with them

Peter Jenssen
Thanks for the heads-up Moritz.
I noticed suggestions on the decal sheet to cut these up into three pices, so they seem to anticipate some difficulties.
I thought I'd ignore those and just put them on as single pieces, but I think I just changed my mind.. 🙂
These surfaces are not very flat at all..
What problems did you have?

Moritz Fentzahn
The same ones that you described. I would suggest to cut them in pieces and even make little cuts round the elevations. I used a lot of setting fluid and a hair dryer to get the decals in shape. The spare lozenge decals may help either. Maybe you can find some help here: WnW Hansa Brandenburg W.12 WIP | Album by Fetzi85 (1:32)
Cheers

Peter Jenssen
I know what you mean now!
2/3 of one float, one hour..
And it's lucky there's spare lozenge pattern on the decal sheet. Some touchup will be needed. 🙂

Peter Jenssen
Looks like I'll get the hang of how to do these by the time it's all done.. Last night went not bad at all.. One last segment to put on.
Ironically, the best result was when I put the piece on, with a bit of softener brushed on the part before, and then went out to a restaurant.
The less I do, the better the result.. 😉

Peter Jenssen
A bit of dryfit.
As usual, all fits perfectly.
A bit of an odd event though; While I was sanding the fuselage seam, I came across a grain of metal. Embedded in the plastic!
Wear and tear on the mould?

Peter Jenssen
Top wing assembled, various details in the works. dryfit upper and lower wings.
With this many struts I suspect glueing all at once will be essential, and no quick set glue here. Any tiny misalignment could be an unneccessary problem if allowed to set in place.
Putting the struts on the floats and then attaching to the plane as instructed is also a bit harder than first attaching the struts to the plane, and then adding the floats..
Suspect this is done to ease access for rigging, but makes fitting more sensitive..?

Rui S
Now, Now, I've been watching this build for a while.
Being an armour mate, now that I've already started comment my favourite scale for Aircraft, I've to follow your Great Project and Work with interest.
Well done Peter 👍

Peter Jenssen
Thanks Rui

MICHAEL WOODHOUSE
You are on the home straight! I decided not to go for decals on the float option as it looked problematic. Its progressing nicely. I seem to remember, because its been a while since I finished mine, that rear machine gun was quite tricky but certainly makes the model if all done correctly.

Peter Jenssen
Thanks Michael,
Yours turned out great!
Seems like there's still a lot to go.
Not quite there yet.
Many neat little details, a wooden propeller to paint and loads of decals. Not much rigging (thankfully. -although I really do like the LOOK of rigging.. 🙂 )
and, as you mentioned, the rear gunner's machine gun.
I noticed you added the support between the muzzle and the magazine? What did you use? Wire? Rigging line?

Peter Jenssen
Working on various details, here's the ammunition for the rear gunner. Difficult to see here, but even the firing pin hole is visible..

MICHAEL WOODHOUSE
I think I used wire which I always straighten/stretch between two pliers for such applications. One thing I noticed on your model was the ignition leads for engine and very well done too. I did have several goes at replicating this but couidn't get it quite right and also should have done it at an earlier stage of that build so went for Engiine Covers on! These 1/32 Birds are big so hope you can display it properly. I am mid way through a 1/32 Hawker Hunter at mo and its huge but no rigging or struts-ha.

Peter Jenssen
Thanks,
I think I still waited too long to put in the ignition leads. Next time they go in before any pipes.. 🙂
Now, time for decals.
There are a lot of decals. Really. Huge ones, tiny ones, but above all - many!

Peter Jenssen
Wings coming along nicely. Decals topside, painting underside.

Peter Jenssen
..And yet another dryfit.. 🙂

Holger Kranich
Its taking shape, looks lovely!

Peter Jenssen
Thanks Holger,
Suddenly, for some strange reason, I find myself thinking "pyjamas".. :-D

Mike Kryza
I'm in Peter. This will surely become an eyecatcher. 👍

Peter Jenssen
A bit more decalling. A bit more weathering, when I realised I forgot these two decals on the fueltank! A bit tricky to get to but done now..

Peter Jenssen
Keep dryfitting.. Still fits.
Glued the lower wings on.
Managed to snap the bottom of the hull open when attaching the struts.
(A move that didn't cause any problems in any dryfit, but once the wings are actually glued in, they are more of a lever..)
Starting to look like the real think.

Peter Jenssen
.. thing..

Peter Jenssen
Floats starting to look ok with a bit of weathering to cover some imperfections.
Probably a good time to rig the float wires..

Holger Kranich
Hang in there Peter!

Mike Daniels
Hi Peter. Looking good. Have always wanted to build a WW model. Just lack the cash. Following.

Peter Jenssen
Thanks guus,
Fixed the fuselage I managed to split while fiddling with the wings.
Started on the observer MG.

Peter Jenssen
Observer MG tryout

Holger Kranich
Looks great

Peter Jenssen
Thanks! Now time for the propeller.
Wood and brass colour done. Now needs to dry before decal and varnish.

Spanjaard
simply amazing job... those decals must be a nightmare to apply. but they look fantastic.

Oleg Smilyk
Awesome job! It looks great!

Peter Jenssen
Thanks!
I haven't actually put the decals on the propeller yet. That's just paint so far.

Peter Jenssen
I attached a few step by step pics.
The colours are; Tamiya XF-57, XF-57 with a bit of XF68 (not sure how much, maybe a quarter), Alclad polished brass, and then oil colour, - Raw umber and burnt sienna.

Spanjaard
excellent job in that propeller. it really looks like wood.

MICHAEL WOODHOUSE
Top Notch Propeller - brill. From memory the decals on this need to be placed the right way up - I didn't!

Peter Jenssen
Thanks Michael.
It's not very clear from the instructions which way the propeller decals go..
Which way is up on a propeller anyway? 🙂

Peter Jenssen
Ah, I see. The triangle in the instruction is the decal! For some reason I was set on using the round 'Axial' decals..

Peter Jenssen
Pretty much done with the propeller. Maybe a finishing coat of varnish, a bit of brass touchup..

Alexander Grivonev
Prop looks truly great 👍

Mike Daniels
That prop looks great. Is that the prop that comes with the kit or did you make/cast it yourself ? In Pic.47 it looks covered in resin ? I just wondered what the thinking was there.

Alexander Grivonev
Mike, i was wondering about the same picture but it looks like he just masked off the lighter colored wood sections and sprayed darker wood colour over it. Initially it looked to me like the propeller was covered in some kind of reddish brown paste and i wondered what the heck Peter was doing there 😄 but it's just the wrinkled masking tape that created that look.

Peter Jenssen
It's the kit prop. Unusually the moulding was not that good for the propeller and needed putty for some sinkholes on the back, but it's the kit prop. I first painted the light colour, then masked with tape and Maskol. Picture 47 shows the dark paint on the propeller with tape and Maskol.

Alec K
The prop looks amazing 👍

Redcat
a very good job.

Mike Daniels
Thanks Peter. I thought for a minute you were casting your own parts!! Fab model. Love to get my hands on one. That FE.2b is mighty tempting!! Pleaaaaaase Santa!!

wingnutwings.com/ww/product?productid=3044

Peter Jenssen
Thanks guys!
Hi Mike. The FE.2b is tempting indeed. I'm not quite there with my rigging skills though. I have a WNW AMC DH.2 that I think I'll give a go first. If that turns out ok, maybe an FE.2b. Though realistically, with the kits currently ahead in the pipeline, I suspect the FE.2b will be well and truly sold out by then! (-or I'll be too old to see, or do precision work with my hands.. :-/ )

Mike Daniels
Yes I must agree about the rigging on the FE.2B. Probably one of the hardest of WW1kits in that respect. But it looks so fab!! No, i think I will try the WW water with something a lot simpler to start with. I am working my way up to a 1/32 model slowly but surely - its a whole new world. Mind you, so is 1/144.
[img1]

Peter Jenssen
I thought the Roland D.VIa was just right in the amount of rigging. The Hansa has very little. From what I can see, the Fokker has hardly any. I am tempted to do the Jeannin Stahltaube or Sopwith Camel next( but might break off with a tank first)

Wim van der Luijt
What a great project....just looked at your progress so far and I will be back for the rest of the build....

Mike Daniels
Look forward to seeing that Peter. Yes, the Camels are very nice. I might have a go at the 'Le Rhone'.
wingnutwings.com/ww/product?productid=3155
[img1]

Peter Jenssen
I have the Clerget 'Wonga Bonga', which I thought a suitable complement to my 'Wonga'. (Wonga Bonga = Gotha buster). The Gotha is a bit of a beast requiring a lot of display space though, and since it's sold out, I'm a bit hesitant to build it at this stage. The price is going up. The highest completed sale I saw for the Gotha on eBay was for $500! That's 100% increase in one year.
The Camel is excellent with great detail as usual. No ejector pin marks, except for the strange exception of the internal framing. I have not seen this on any of the other WnW kits, but the inside, -visible-, part of the internal cockpit framing is covered in ejector pin marks.
No problem really as they should be easy to fill with putty, but I am surprised:
photos.google.com/ph..SexC-yCAUTAH02L-x_2I
Very unusual. I have not seen anything like it on any of their other kits.

Peter Jenssen
A brand new exhaust system!
(-is not really what I want..) 🙂

Peter Jenssen
Now at least looks like it got quite hot once...

Peter Jenssen
That's all assembled anyway! Fun build.
Fit is amazing, just like the Roland.
The top wing ended up a bit wobbly. Maybe monofilament rigging wire instead of stretchy would have firmed it up. Not too bad, just doesn't feel very sturdy if you pick it up by the upper wing. The Roland ended up much stiffer, but probably due to more rigging. Rigging really easy on this one. Reminds me I still have to paint the wires. While contemplating further weathering, I pulled out some figures to see if I have anything that would suit with this model...

Mike Daniels
Looks fab. I am definitely getting one of these. First class job Peter.

hannants.co.uk/product/WNW32036

Peter Jenssen
Hi Mike,
Gods! That's expensive! :-o
Try this one: wetanz.com/shop/mode..early?ref=collection
Or do you have high customs/TAX fees in the UK?

Sure, the Weta price is the Black Friday special (ending Monday), but still, by my calculation Hannants - 225 AUD, Weta - 134 AUD.
Also shipping would be different, but wow. That was about what Wingnut Wings charged for their (not really noticably)water damaged AEG G.IV..

It really is a very nice kit, but if you go with it, beware of the floats decals!
I recommend going for a version with painted tops of the floats, as these decals are _really_ tricky to get to snug in properly.
If you do try to give them a go, I'd suggest starting with the floats and see how the decals go.
Should it go all pear shaped, strip the decals off and go with another version with painted floats.
At least then you wouldn't have committed to this version in earlier steps..

(Actually, on checking, the sale AEG was 170 AUD)

Mike Daniels
Thanks for that advice Peter. Wow, what a difference in price as you say. I think Hannants are the only UK supplier for WW models but having seen that price differential I will see if I can get one from the Weta EU. Might get hammered for taxes/import duties but double the price seems pretty excessive.

Having had a good look at the cover art of the Hansa - what about that Felixstowe in the background - mega!!

Peter Jenssen
I know. I have been glancing at the Felixstiwe for a while.
In fact, I like the Hansa Brandenburg W29 better than the W.12 anyway, so getting the combo would have been the sensible thing to do to be honest.. 🙂

Peter Jenssen
I have heard some anecdotal evidence that UK import fees and taxes are a bit of a lottery, so best of luck!
Though I don't know what the fees might be, I would think that even with the fees taken into account, Hannants is a bit on the expensive side?
Surely the import fees aren't a hundred dollars?

Tim Heimer
Looking good!!

Peter Jenssen
Thanks Timothy,
Now trying some figure painting.
Tried acrylics on the faces, but it dries too fast, so it's acrylics for the clothes and oil for the faces.

Mike Daniels
I am frantically putting pennies in the money box!!

Clifford Keesler
Looking good.