R-34 scale model project... Installing the gondola and lower fin mount filler "plates"/prepping for covering.

After the basic framework was completed, I cut out and fitted these 1/16" sheet stock balsa filler "plates" in where the control car, engine gondolas, and the lower vertical fin mounts on the hull so I would have a more sturdy mount surface for these items. The other three fins mount right to longitudinal stringers so I did not have to install filler plates for them. In the picture where I'm holding the hull framework, the control car mounts on the piece closest to the nose. The two pieces in the middle are for the two midships "wing" cars, and the one in the middle behind them is for the aft engine car. The narrow triangular section behind that is the mount area for the lower vertical fin.

After that was done, the framework was gently sanded smooth, getting it ready to apply the two sealer coats of model aircraft dope, so that the tissue paper that I use to cover the frame will grip it better when I apply the third coat as an adhesive to apply the paper, one "gore" at a time. A "gore" is the space in between two immediate neighboring longitudinal stringers.

The image above shows the framework sealed with the two coats of clear coat dope, ready to cover with tissue paper, after it thoroughly dries for 24 hours. Model had "glasshead" pins placed in the nose and tail of it, so it could be placed in my custom made model airship "rotisserie" jig which allows the hull to be rotated at any angle so I can work on it more comfortably as I cover it, and what not.

This bottom image shows the hull, ready to begin covering. It also shows the water transfer decals that I made using. Testors "Print Your Own Decal System", and my computer's printer. All decals made this way, because computer inkjet printer inks will desolve in water, must be sealed with a decal "binder" which seals the print with a waterproof coating, so the decal can be dipped in water to apply to the model.

Jim.

R-34 scale model project... Running the longitudinal stringers.

Running the 1/16" x 1/16" longitudinal stringers was the last major step in forming the final shape of the hull, so I absolutely had to make sure that they were laid on the disc rings right.

I had to follow a distinct pattern around the hull as the ship in cross-section of the middle part  is a 25 sided polygon, hence the reason why I had to mark the rings every so often along the length of the hull, showing the proper placement of the strips.  From the front of where the fins start to where they end, it drops down to 14 sides, and from that point to the tip of the stern, it drops down to 7 sides. The first strips that I ran were the 7 that run from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail. Then I ran the other ones that ended at the back ends of the fin mount point at that disc next, then after that, the ones that ended at the front of the fin mount point, at that disc. You can see the different length longitudinals clearly in the last images  of the completed frame work. The first two strips ran were the two that flanked the bottom of the keel, on the bottom of the ship, as shown in the top picture, as the hull is rolled on it's side in that image.

Before I could install any of the stringers, I had to "pre-curve" them to fit the contours of the discs, as if I tried to make them bend without doing this, they would  just snap. So taking my wife's rolling pin, I would roll each stringer. This would have the effect of curving the stringer to the shape of the hull, so it would be easier to glue and pin it in place on the subframe assembly without putting any sharp kinks or cracks in the strip. I would roll the front end of the strip with more pressure for the nose, putting a sharper curve, there. As I got to the middle of the strip, I would ease up on the pressure greatly, but as I got toward the tail, I would increase the pressure again, but not as much like I did for the sharper curve of the nose.

 I would then glue and pin the strip in place, one at a time, overlength at the tail, then after they were in place, I would cut them to their proper length, as to where they were supposed to end at.

Follow along as the final shape of the hull emerges, as I glue and pin on the longitudinal stringers, one at a time.

 Basic hull framework completed!

 Looking more like the R-34!

 After all the longitudinals were in place, all the rough spots were sanded smooth.

Jim.

R-34 scale model project... Building the other side of the hull.

After building the first side of the hull, the second side was built in the same fashion. It went alot faster, though. The pieces were already fabricated, so other than on some of the disc quarters that needed trimmed or added to, to fit, it was just glued it together by matching up the numbers.

On about every fourth disc, I would first align them up on my ring marking template on the left, below the airship plan, to mark where the 1/16"x 1/16" longitudinal stringers were to run down the discs of the hull that give the ship it's final shape. You can see those marks on the chosen half discs laying in the ready on my reference board, to the right.

Follow along as I assemble the starboard side of the hull sub-frame in this chronological sequence of images from January of 2012.

  Remaining  half-discs ready, stacked up in order to cut in half again, to install on the hull sub-frame.

  Nose shot of the assembly.

  Completed!

 Dead-on shot of the stern.

  Last three images show the completed hull sub-frame.

Laying on the reference plan to make sure everything is within visual tolerances, and the corresponding discs line up, and proportions look correct.

After I completed the hull sub-frame assembly, I very lightly sanded the edges of the structure to even out all the high and low spots, but being very careful not to distort the overall shape of the thing, leaving it ready to run the longitudinal stringers, (laying on the table in the upper left of this image).

Jim.

R-34 scale model project... Measuring and cutting out the ring disc formers

The next step was to pin the vertical keel blank directly over the work plan board so I could start assembly of the model. Then I took one of the half horizontal keel blanks and glued it on the axial line of the vertical keel at a 90 degree angle. After that I started to make the former discs. I  did this by measuring the radius of each ring number on my reference drawing with a good metal compass with a ball point pen mounted in it, instead of a pencil. Pens draw easier on balsa wood than a pencil does, with alot less point pressure. I transferred the setting on the compass and drew the circles onto the balsa, cut them out using an X-acto knife with a # 11 blade in the handle, and labeled each disc with its corresponding number on each quarter of the disc. This is because each complete disc must be cut into quarters for fitting in between the horizontal and vertical keels. The mid ship ring discs were pretty much all the same size. As you got towards the nose and the stern of the model, they got progressively smaller.

 Building it on the plan board like this, you can only start out building the right side of the hull, at first.

Above picture shows me putting a disc quarter in place. Sometimes, even after precisely measuring the rings on the plan, the discs still would not fit right. They would sometimes be too big or too small. I would have to either remove material from one of the flat edges, if it was too big, or add a straight shim to one of the flat edges of the quarter disc if it was too small. All the edges of the discs must be even with the edges of the keels for the shape of the overall hull to not be "lumpy".

The rest of these images show the progression of the making and installation of the quarter ring discs to the keels of the half-hull.

This bottom picture shows the completed port side keel and former assembly, with the starboard horzontal keel, and remaining quarter ring discs laying on the table in the ziplock bag, waiting to be assembled on the other side of the hull once it is unpinned and removed from the work plan board.

Jim.

R-34 scale model project...Cutting out the keel blanks.

I started construction of this model on January 12, 2012, by mounting two full size copies of the hull plans on 1/16" sheet stock balsa wood using double stick tape, and proceeded to cut out the two keel blanks. One horizontal keel piece and one vertical keel piece. After the balsa pieces were cut out, using the ring grid lines that were marked on the pattern papers, I marked all the ring line places on the edges of the keel blanks using a Sharpie pen.

 Removing the paper patterns from the blanks, the first lines I drew on both sides of the blanks was the central axis line of the ship, dividing each blank into halves. Then I marked the "ring" lines, and marked each ring line with it's corresponding number where I would install each ring former, later.

Then I picked which keel blank would be the vertical keel "assembly", and left this intact. The remaining keel assembly became the horizontal keel , and as such, I cut this one right down the middle, so I can install one on one side of the vertical keel, and the other half on the other side of the vertical keel. What you see in the bottom picture is the ending results for that first day of construction for the model. The above picture shows me dry fitting the one horizontal keel half to the model to check that the alignment of the ring marker lines are correct, and they were.

Stay tuned.

Jim.

R-34 scale model project...continued from Airship Modeler

In the hopes that some of the people that used to be members of what I must declare a dead forum, "Airship Modeler", and they still have this blog address, I am going to continue my "HMA R-34" project right here on my blog, once I start to work on the model again.

And now a brief synopsis of this dirigible, for people who never saw my posts about it on Airship Modeler.

HMA R-34 was a British rigid airship built in the style of a captured World War I Zeppelin type airship, built originally to bomb Germany, but it was built too late, as the war ended before the 640 foot airship could enter service. It was  completed in 1918, after the war ended. In 1919, after the airship had been fully flight tested, it was decided to attempt to make the first non stop trans oceanic flight by any aircraft across the Atlantic, by first flying to North America, then back again, after a layover in I believe New York. It was able to accomplish this by July of that year, to the jubilation of most of the free world. One of the observers on that flight was the future  commander of the airship "U.S.S. Shenandoah",  Zachary Lansdowne.

In honor of this ship's accomplishment, I decided in 2009, after I completed my Shenandoah model, to build the R-34 in this same scale, to hopefully have it completed in time for this ship's 100th anniversary of its historic flight in 2019.

The model is still not complete, but I will post earlier progress pictures of the framing out of the hull, and the covering of it, thereof. The top image shows the plan that I am working from to build the thing. The image below, here, is a photo of the ship after it landed in New York after the East to West crossing, before the layover, and refueling, and restocking to fly back.

Click on the "Jim's Junk!" title at the top of this post to see the newest and subsequent installments of this model's construction progress. Or you can also click on the "Home" button on the bottom of this post to take you there.

Jim.