How I build dioramas Part 2

[JohnReid]

The lower longerons have been glued in place and the fuselage freed from its jig.The monocoque type construction is actually quite pleasing to the eye in its design.There were a few minor fitting problems in a couple of areas especially around the tail.In general the wood and the laser cut wood pieces only require some fine sanding and are of good quality.

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

Before and after the big seperation!
I hated to do it but.....the fuselage is now in two pieces.I separated it at bulkhead 6 just behind the aft U/C strut.
From here on it is all new to me.I won't be following the sequence of build as per the instruction booklet.The engine and fuselage will only be joined after all the hardware is in.I haven't yet decided on the plywood panels surrounding the engine compartment.I could show them either on or having been removed for savaging purposes.Either way there will have to be some burn damage to the longerons and engine bearer etc...I want it to look as though the fire was put out pretty quickly after the flash burn of the fabric wings.

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

The engine bearer and ledges are in after some minor fitting problems.The fuel tank casting and its plastic card walls are temporarily installed.The tank casting is poor and requires a lot of filing and filling.
The shape of the casting indicates to me that there must have been a strap or wooden bearer of some kind to better support its weight.Nothing is shown in the plans!

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

Firewall
There is no firewall shown in the plans but this is a pretty good guess where it would have been installed just behind the engine but in front of the fuel tank.
The placement of the firewall is also important to the storyline .There would of course be more fire damage forward of the firewall.The fire that caused the flashover of the fabric more than likely would have been caused by the close proximity of the upper wing to the area forward of the firewall.Anyway that is my story and I am sticking to it! (I think)

 

[JohnReid]

Hold the phone! I can't find mention or plans for a firewall anywhere in my references.When I built my 1st Albatros about 10 years ago I didn't put one in then either.It seems that firewalls were only common on rotary powered aircraft.No parachute,no fire protection ,I guess you just fried on your way down.

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

The above 2 pics...
represent two different cockpit views of 2 different Albatros D III's .It is the only views I have from my reference material that shows something beyond just a tachometer.
There were other instruments on board even during WW1.I suspect that maybe the aircraft in the Smithsonian doesn't have them installed therefore no one shows them being on board.
The first instruments would be just stuck anywhere struts ,tubes etc....During WW1 things became a little more organized and there was some indication of primary and secondary instrument placing :such as airspeed,altimeter,tachometer, VOR,ILS oops... got carried away there. Secondary instruments like pressure gauges,temp ,content etc only became important when the engine was about to quit or run out of fuel(then they became real important)

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

I grabbed a figure and put it near the model to better give you an idea of the the size relationship between aircraft and human,dogs of course come in all sizes.Fritz would be about the size of a bull mastiff.The wrecked Albatros will fit this space very nicely and will not be in direct competition with the other aircraft for the viewers attention.

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

This is the only pic that I have of the instrument panel on the original Albatros that now sits inside the hangar of the diorama.It was taken through one of the rear windows.Unfortunately I never took any pics of the build as it was underway.
There are many things that I would do differently today but this was my first 1/16th aircraft and I didn't have the same skills or reference library in those days.

 

[JohnReid]