This will take a bit longer to finish.
Wings are from Basswood and have been soaked in hot water and put on a former ( Scotch Bottle tube) to get the undercamber.
Tail plane from 3 ply. Simulated ribs using stretched/doped cotton thread with a few coats of THIN surface primer.
Fuselage is two halves of 19mm balsa held together at the ends by a couple of wood screws.Inside surfaces done using RED acrylic paint to provide a centre line.
Cheers
Gordon
I am looking forward to your progress. I have not seen this aircraft before now.
Lou
A bit more work done on fuselage. I'm not going to split it till I've worked out all the struttery attachment points and also the lower wing attachment.
Cheers
Gordon
Looking good .
Lou
I've split the fuselage and started to add a cockpit.
Have made the seat out of 1/64 ply. The instrument panel is also from 1/64 ply.
Wings have been done using the stretched doped cotton thread method.
Next come the engine.
Cheers
Gordon
Great to date. What size thread are you using?
Lou
I appropriated it from the Imperial sewing basket.
It is polyester ( didn't realise that till I looked at it just now.)
Has Coates Drima Y161 on reel. Search on net doesn't yield much .
It's about 1/2 mm or slightly smaller in diameter.
Gordon
In Canada thread is rated by wt and size numbers. A common 50wt thread is about the size I have used on smaller models and the greater the weight the larger the thread while when using size the larger the number the finer the thread. I just get mine from the misses sewing basket.
Lou
That's the Imperial Sewing Basket . The current spool should last a while.
Cheers
Gordon
Some progress.
Cockpit is complete.
The first picture shows fuselage held together with tape. Still have to add port hole glass and make up a head rest and windshield.
The next one shows top wing with paint applied. The bottom wing is an experiment with shading for the rib tapes etc..,
The curly bits of wire are the MG cables.
Cheers
Gordon
Looking good.
Lou
Some progress.
Fuselage has been joined. Fin/ rudder are notched into tailplane .
Wheels are for the beaching dolly.
Gordon
Looking great Gordon, what glue do you use for joining balsa?, when I was a lad many moons ago we used balsa cement in small tubes similar to the Airfix poly cement. Regards Paul J.
Very nicely done.
Lou
Thank you Paul.
I used a wood glue called tight bond over here. I still have a few unopened tubes of balsa cement.
Cheers
Gordon
Thanks Gordon, we have the Titebond over here as well, I have used it for general woodworking purposes. Regards Paul J.
Started work on the lower wing attachment.
Progressing slowly.
Gordon
Slowly progressing
Have worked out lower wing attachment. Made up main struts.
Completed beaching trolley. Just have to make up some trestles.
Picture shows clipped together with blue tack. Pretty square so far.
Have to work out how to do the engine and engine mount.
Nice to get to this stage.
Cheers
Gordon
Looks great. Looking forward to the finished product.
Lou
Have done some "quality control" work on rear fuselage.
Thinking about how to do engine and strut attachments.
Cheers
Gordon
Nice, photo please.
Lou
I've decided to push on with the Macchi.
Fuselage has been cleaned up a bit. Overspray in cockpit overcome.
Windscreen has been done with some recycled packaging . Molded slightly using the room heater. Left over glued paper used for frame.
Head rest from wet tissue molded and left to dry insitu . Coated with PVA . Thin layer of fine polyfilla used to fill blemishes the a coat of Burnt Sienna.
Gun ports done. Surround will be either paper or thin plastic. Mounts for engine struts have been done using paper.
Outer struts out of brass.
Roundels applied to upper wing . Have yet to get rid of white outline.
Need to make up front and rear trestles.
Engine started. Struts for it a "squashed" brass tube.
That will be about it for a week or so.
Cheers
Gordon
The ribs are excellent Gordon. I look forward to the finished project.
Lou
Very nice Gordon, rib work and detailing are excellent. Regards Paul.
Thank you Paul and Lou.
Managed to get the engine and wing struts soldered. Should work. Needs a bit of cleaning up yet.
Have made two trestles one for the tail and one for the bow.
Pictures to follow when I get home.
Gordon
Macchi to date.
Engine mounting and centre wing struts soldered.
Front and rear trestle made.
Had to extend forward wing struts by about a 1/4 of an inch. ( didn't check properly to start with)..
Quick jig with cardboard and bluetack and it all looks like it will fit together reasonably square.
Having done the upper wing surfaces in green I will probably go for the M5 that was painted up as a fish.
Unless I find something simpler.
That's about it for the next few weeks . I'm off 4WD with a mate to Far North Queensland.
Cheers
Gordon
I look forward to your return.
Lou
Engine has been built.
Still some work to do on it.
All held together with blue tac at the moment. Windscreen , head rest tacked in place.
looking pretty square at the moment.
Cheers
Gordon
Fantastic modeling skills Gorden. It is a pleasure to see your progress.
Lou
Thank you Lou.
I should have it finished by November.
I'll need to bite the bullet and decide on how to finish it.
Cheers
Gordon
Decided how I'm going to finish it.
Have made some decals.
Started painting the fuselage. White primer , White on lower hull. Upper hull is one coat Raw Sienna followed by 5 light coats of Burnt Sienna.
Silver top for deck.
Cheers
Gordon
That finish would look good on the 1920/40s pleasure boat seen in movies. A used burnt sienna over dark green on my Mark V threads
Lou
I like those old style pleasure and speed boats. Might try one later on.
Progress on Macchi.
Decals applied. Still need to do the red and green stripes around rear fuselage.
Motor has been attached to struts. Everything still seems to be in alignment.
Sorting out some more DIY turnbuckles.
Tailplane is is held on with blue tac at the moment.
Cheers
Gordon
Looking good Gordon, nice decals. Regards Paul J.
Beautifully done.
Lou
Thank you Paul and Lou.
Pushing on a little bit. Have made the wing tip floats. Picture shows another use for blue tac. Got it all in position and then hit with the super glue.
Like another pair of hands.
http://fandavions.free.fr/grandes_photos/Macchi-M5-2.jpg
The link should take you to one I'm doing. Note It does show as "Not secure"
Wing tip floats. The bits of wire are for inserting into the wing.
Cheers
Gordon
Looks like a major alignment job but seem to have it well in hand.
Lou
Your link comes up as a blank page for me.
Slowly getting there
Looks amazing Gordon, very high standard of workmanship. Regards Paul J.
I must echo Paul's words. Excellent workmanship.
Lou
Thank You.
Started on the rigging
Gordon
Picture of Macchi referred to in the link above.
We were left hanging, Is it finished?
Lou
Must have slipped my mind .
Definitely finished.
There is a picture in the gallery dated Oct 29 2018.
Cheers
Gordon
Thank you Gordon, I found it and it is marvelous.
Lou
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10144/normal_IMG_1378.JPG)
Thank you Lou.
looking back on it it it took a while.
Cheers
Gordon