Mostly done - the Shapeways Fokker D.VI

I've finished another 1/144 model to add to the collection of World War I fighter planes for use with Wings of Glory - the Fokker D. VI. It's an interesting model. It's parentage is clear - the body of a Fokker Dr. I triplane married to the wing form of the Fokker D.VII biplane.

Production was authorized in 1918, but it was a case of too little too late. The shortage of appropriate rotary engines, the shortage of castor oil and the poor quality of the synthetic replacement "Voltol" hampered engine performance and durability.

56 aircraft were delivered, seven of which were sent to the Austro-Hungarian Air Service.

The model was from the shapeways shop of Kampflieger. The model was printed using Black, Strong and Flexible as it's an improvement is surface quality over the standard White Strong and Flexible. After you've smoothed the surface of a bunch of 1/144 WSF models, the upgrade to BSF is worth it!

The model is depicted as one of the seven aircraft delivered to the Austro-Hungarian Air Service. The summer lozenge camouflage is from the shop of 1/144 Direct. These decals are superb and the shop is a superb retailer. I've placed multiple orders without a problem.

This overhead image was taken after topcoating with the gloss and matte finishes. The gloss was a little sticky and when the plane was inadvertently flipped, some of the decals got scraped off. 

A front on view.

Those chips and scrapes in the decals really bothered me.

...so I fixed them with a little painting touch up! 

Almost good as new.

Ready for the tabletop! 

The ACW Naval building project 2015 - 2016. The final posting.

It's done.

I've completed the assembly and painting of all the ACW naval models in my collection. If took more than half a year, but it's done.  The last two models - USS Kearsarge and USS Minnesota were stubborn. The standing rigging on Minnesota took the better part of a month. I don't want to think about how many feet of wire are on the model.

Port beam of the Minnesota from Bay Area Yards. Stripped down for combat with her boats lowered away. 

 Bow quarter view of the model. The steel wire really helps stiffen and support the masts - just like the real standing rigging! 

USS Kearsarge from Thoroughbred Models. Ready for action! 

Now I can do two things - reorganize the painting table for the next project and start playing some games using these models!

ACW Naval update - week 23

I know, you're asking yourself, "what happened to week 22?" Well, it sorta got swallowed up with a bunch of activities around Memorial Day weekend.  I spent a weekend in Houston doing assorted things.

This young man build a set of Brotherhood of Steel power armor out of cardboard and duck tape. The helmet started life as a Clone Trooper. Nice representation of a laser rifle too!

And the Fallout references continue with this absolutely sick 1:1 model of Mr. Handy.

What's this? The entrance to a Vault-TecVault? Nope! It's a armored door onboard USS Texas, a battleship commissioned in 1914.

Are you sure it's not a Vault? Yes! This is a connecting passagway on the second deck (under the main deck).

Casemate battery on the main deck. These 5" mounts represent gunnery 55 years after the Civil War. While the optics and recoil mechanisms have improved and the gunports are huge, it's still gives you the feel of what the gun deck on a casemate ironclad must have been like.

Work continues - rigging on the Minnesota is almost done. While I missed the end of May deadline, Minnesota shall be complete before mid-June.

Work is focused on the mizzen mast standing rigging. That and a few load bearing lines for the mizen boom and spar and it'll be completed!

The addition of the standing rigging really transforms the size of the model.

While I've been procrastinating with the Minnesota's rigging, I've made progress with prepping and decaling a Shapeways 1/144 model - a little seen Fokker D VI. It's a composite of the engine and fuselage of the Dr. I and the wing design from the D. VII. It was a produced in small numbers serving in both the German and Austro-Hungarian air services. 

 Slow progress here. Need to repaint the engine cowling.

Still need to decal the stabilzers and control surfaces.

It's very glossy right now as it's still under construction. Once decaled, the last thing it gets is a matte finish to dull down the shine.