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  #191  
Old 10-12-2018, 06:09 PM
elliott elliott is offline
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Agree. Tried all sorts of things for edge coloring and always came back to 3 gray pencils - light, medium & dark. Regular pencils will do in a pinch, just vary the pressure you apply. Always go with lighter shade than the part color.
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  #192  
Old 10-13-2018, 12:56 PM
Leif Ohlsson's Avatar
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The Orlik gets its wings

Thank you both for the good tip about using pencils for edge-coloring! I will be sure to try that out

Now for the winging of the Orlik:

The gull-shaped wings I greatly feared. It was only Ostoja’s good experience of them, that made me slightly less anxious. (See this post in Ostoja’s build thread, and a few following.)



The first step was adding a kind of support for the covering parts. This seems like a very good method to me; the inner paper sheets help form and support the outer skins. In front, the pre-shaped wing parts, which have a slit in the bottom section going all the way from the leading edge, open at the trailing edge. (Stupid of me, not to have made a photo of that critical part of the design.)

The first dryfitting of the wing parts was trying to bend them into shape over the spars. As they seemed to fit very well, I ended up closing each wing section, applying glue only on the trailing edges and tips.

Dryfitting again, it seemed entirely possible to just shove the closed wing parts over the spars, applying glue only to the fuselage end, and the slit in the bottom part.



After a bit of nervous juggling while the glue dried up, the wing sections really went on quite well, as for Ostoja. The slit at the bottom closed up very well. Surpsrisingly enough, shoving the closed sections on was possible, in spite of the gull-shaped structure.

As you may be able to see, I did add all small parts such as elevator and rudder horns. No rudder wires, though! I will have to think further how to add such wires at this scale, without making them too clumsy.

On the fuselage bottom, the landing skid, tail skid, and tow hook as been added as well. And from a more decent distance, the Orlik doesn’t look too bad. I’m in a better mood today. Only the canopy missing now! As you can see, the parts already lie awaiting below the Orlik - in several copies...

Leif
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Sailplanes available?-4-wing-spars-top-bottom-.jpg   Sailplanes available?-5-wing-skins-.jpg  
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  #193  
Old 10-14-2018, 01:18 PM
Leif Ohlsson's Avatar
Leif Ohlsson Leif Ohlsson is offline
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Orlik canopy - an exercise in transparency

For the very first time I had decided to try printing on transparent overhead film for inkjet printers. The film is similar to overhead films for copying machines, but slightly matt due to a layer of material on the printing side to absorb the ink.

I still believe this to be a very good method for larger scale models, since you effectively print the inner frame parts on the transparency itself. Also, you can print details such as ventilation hatches, etc, directly on the transparency. So I had great hopes for it - but, alas, this kind of film, like the ordinary overhead films, turned out to be just to stiff to enable me to bend the very small sections required in this scale into shape, and keep them there while the glue was drying.

So I had to revert to Plan B:



Above you can see the result of making a canopy of two layers of crystal-clear tape stuck to each other, with the cut-out canopy frame between the layers.

The method goes like this (and I will try to make an illustrated description of it next time I use the method):

• Cut out the inner, empty sections of the canopy pattern provided in the kit, and edge-color the frame parts along the cut-out inner rim, as well as the back side.

• Stick one layer of transparent tape over the frame and cut-outs. Take some care to do this over a thoroughly cleaned glass plate or similar, to avoid dust becoming a part of your canopy.

You may have to use two or more sections of tape, although at this scale the tape I had laying around for the purpose was wide enough to cover the enire canopy pattern.

• Turn the canopy section, taped on one side, over, and stick the second layer of tape over it. Now use some kind of soft-nosed, but small, tool to gently rub the tape sections against each other, all the way into the corners of the canopy frame.

• Cut out the canopy parts, now glazed and protected by a layer of tape on each side.



The advantages of this method are:

• The thin canopy frame sections no longer are flimsy, and prone to getting torn apart in assembly.

• The glazed canopy parts are quite soft, and easy to bend and glue to the model, even at this scale.

• At the final assemply stage, you only have single canopy parts to glue, not glazing plus flimsy frames.



No master piece, for sure, neither the canopy, nor the build as such. But for me it brings some hope of being able to do a better job of it in the future.

And I do wish to return to the Orlik in the future. Perhaps I’ll try it in 1/32, or even 1/16. I still have the part files for that large size lying around, from a previous attempt that got discarded at a certain point. Now I can see that it would be well worth returning to.

Not in the near future, though. Right now, I’d like to continue learning how to build in smaller scales.

Leif
Attached Thumbnails
Sailplanes available?-6-some-kind-canopy.jpg   Sailplanes available?-7-finished-grey-day.jpg   Sailplanes available?-8-finished-sunshine.jpg  
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  #194  
Old 10-17-2018, 10:53 AM
Leif Ohlsson's Avatar
Leif Ohlsson Leif Ohlsson is offline
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SZD-16 Gil (”Bullfinch”)



So far, I have just built two of Antoni Kocjan’s classic designs. They are both pre-war, and therefore of classic wood, plywood, and fabric construction. I do intend to build a couple more of that vintage, but for some reason I couldn’t resist a type of somewhat later kind, namely the SZD-16 Gil (”Bullfinch”) from 1955-58.



The main difference from the two types built so far is that the Gil/Bullfinch has a framework of steel tubes, covered with fabric (instead of wood frames & stringers covered with plywood). In addition, the tailboom is made of duraluminium. The cantilever wings, however, as well as the tailplanes, are all of classic wood and fabric construction.

Thus the Gil/Bullfinch has a lot of points of likeness with the Swedish Fi-1 sailplane, which is a favourite of mine. (Read all about it in this thread: The Fi-1 vintage Swedish sailplane; from there you will also get directions on how to download the free 1/16 scale model from this site).

What bears mentioning is that the Fi-1 was conceived and built in 1942, while the Gil/Bullfinch design is one and a half decade more recent. Still, the older Fi-1 (in the rare color photo below) has better prestanda than the Gil/Bullfinch (b&w photo below), plus the manner of construction seems superior, what with a steel-tube structure, and a molded plywood hull, instead of just fabric cover.



(Incidentally, note the colorful livery of the Fi-1. I was not aware of that one until now.)



The slightly disappointing prestanda of the Gil/Bullfinch is probably the reason why never more than one prototype of it was made. Over the next few years that prototype was used for experimenting with a wing from the Mucha Standard. Other improvements finally led to a completely new type, SZD-25 Lis. Much similar in looks to the Gil/Bullfinch, the Lis became a good club glider, several of which were exported to other European countries, Sweden among them:



The Lis above was flown over southern Sweden by Malmoe Flying Club. It was restored to the handsome livery shown at the beginning of the 80s, and flew until just a few years ago. (However pretty that glider is, and despite the fact that there is a good kit from GPM, I don’t think I will attempt it, since the canopy would require vacuforming, which I’ve never attempted.)

Researching the Gil/Bullfinch model I came upon a very lively discussion about its colors and liveries. Apparently no color photos of that single aircraft have been preserved. Here are a few of the options modelers discuss:

Sailplanes available?-gil-yellow-red-stripes-gil.jpg Sailplanes available?-gil-model-red-white.jpg Sailplanes available?-szd-16-grey-red.jpg Sailplanes available?-szd-16-yellow-black.jpg Sailplanes available?-szd-16-grey.jpg

Personally, I’m tempted by the first yellow livery with red trim, and would much like to build a model like that. But, alas, it turns out that authoritative sources say that the one and only prototype Gil/Bullfinch was more like the last example above, grey, possibly with dark blue trim, and with a yellow fin stripe.

Sources for the SZD-16 Gil:
Wikipedia (both SZD-16 Gil and SZD-25A Lis)
Piotrp.de (Polish site, German version - photos & three-view; authoritative comments)
Attached Thumbnails
Sailplanes available?-gil-sideview.jpg   Sailplanes available?-gil-framework.jpg   Sailplanes available?-fi-1-1959.jpg   Sailplanes available?-szd-24a-liz-soevdesjoen-1982.jpg   Sailplanes available?-gil-air.jpg  

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  #195  
Old 10-18-2018, 06:11 AM
Leif Ohlsson's Avatar
Leif Ohlsson Leif Ohlsson is offline
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A one-minute segment about the SZD-16 Gil in a 1959 newsreel movie

It is amazing how much of information and atmosphere of the period that one can glean from just a minute of propaganda or newsreel photography. Here’s a Youtube video in Polish that I hope will keep you glued to the screen for that minute:



The segment from the Polish news reel PKF 1959 02b starts 187 sec into the movie, 3 min 7 sec, and lasts for exactly 1 minute, to 4 min 7 sec. (Click on this link, rather than the image above, to get directly to the correct place of the journal film, at Youtube.)

Here’s what I retrieved from it:

Sailplanes available?-gil-video-1.jpg Sailplanes available?-gil-video-2.jpg

In the first two screenshots we see what I believe must be the chief designer Zbigniew Badura demonstrating the Gil/Bullfinch glider. In addition, we get an excellent view of the canopy. (Though what purpose the taped ”X” serves is beyond me. Some kind of help to get the attitude right when landing, by keeping the horizon on the crossmark?)

Sailplanes available?-gil-video-3.jpg Sailplanes available?-gil-video-4.jpg

In the next two screenshots, the prototyp Gil/Bullfinch i rolled out for its first test-flight. In addition we get a good opportunity to study the livery. Is that a beautiful red on the fuselage, or is it ”just” grey? Experts say the latter, unfortunately.

Sailplanes available?-gil-video-5.jpg Sailplanes available?-gil-video-6.jpg Sailplanes available?-gil-video-7.jpg

In the last three screenshots, we see chief test pilot Adam Zientek getting into the Gil/Bullfinch SP-1880 for its first flight on 20 October 1958. The film ends with the take-off, and some nice shots of the Gil/Bullfinch flying above scattered clouds on a day that otherwise doesn't seem too good for glider flying. The tow-plane must have taken the Gil to an altitude of at least a thousand meters.

Leif
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  #196  
Old 10-19-2018, 06:50 AM
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Leif Ohlsson Leif Ohlsson is offline
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Building the SZD-16 Gil rescaled to 1/48

So I am building the GPM kit of the SZD-16 Gil. Ostoja of this site has shown how to do it properly, in his build report of the original 1/33 scale Gil. I will attempt a 1/48 rescaled version. Here’s the little kit I prepared for my build, from a scan of the original:

Sailplanes available?-1-48-kit-cover.jpg Sailplanes available?-1-48-kit-3-view.jpg Sailplanes available?-1-48-kit-instructions.jpg Sailplanes available?-1-48-kit-parts.jpg Sailplanes available?-1-48-kit-txt.jpg

The initial cockpit build was better this time (below). In the background the new pilot I engaged, of a somewhat sturdier build than last time.



The cockpit doesn’t look too spacious, though, when you view them side by side. Nevertheless, I did try them out together, and there really is room for a full-sized 1-48 scale pilot:



Alas, the pilot recruited for the job just wouldn’t straight his knees enough to get him into the little cockpit in the right position (despite me immersing him in boiling water). So without further ado, I amputated him just below the knees:



As it turned out, I might have saved a bit more of his legs. But no matter, there will be no signs of this cruel deed once the fuselage skins go on.

Leif
Attached Thumbnails
Sailplanes available?-01-cockpit.jpg   Sailplanes available?-02-pilot-cockpit.jpg   Sailplanes available?-03-pilot-amputated.jpg  
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  #197  
Old 10-20-2018, 11:51 AM
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Leif Ohlsson Leif Ohlsson is offline
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Skinning the 1-48 scale Gil

I pondered a lot on how to get the main fuselage skin on in the right position to accept the double wing spars (incidentally, that is a nice design, much like the original aircraft). The solution was to stick two false spars (without glueing them in place) through the cut-outs in the skin, and then just spot-glue this main skin part at the top, false spars loosely inserted.



As long as these false spars are kept aligned, and placed within their proper place in the framework, everything will be alright.

According to the instructions, the tail section should be glued on to the main cockpit part before completing the rest of the fuselage skinning:



Next step was to glue the rest of the main skin section in place on to the formers (done on the photo above). Then only a few more parts to add to the fuselage:



Here the nose section, and the fairing below the tail has been added, as well as the stabilizers. Time for a protective and stabilizing layer of varnish.

The skinning took two work days, and then some. I spent a lot of time thinking about in which order things were supposed to be done. In waiting now, the wings.

Leif
Attached Thumbnails
Sailplanes available?-04-first-skin-spotglued.jpg   Sailplanes available?-05-tail-.jpg   Sailplanes available?-06-fuse-skins-.jpg  
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  #198  
Old 10-21-2018, 12:09 PM
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Leif Ohlsson Leif Ohlsson is offline
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On a wing and a prayer

Tlme now to say goodbye to the false spars, and let the real ones take their place. I kind of like the design here, with a root rib, and a stabilizing section. Without them, the spar section would be very flimsy indeed:



The longer box-section spars are built hollow, kind of like boxes open at both ends, and shoved onto the underlying stiff section. The boxes are built tapered to help shape the wing thickness a good bit out towards the tip.



Above, the wings have already gone on. This is a type of work that I’ve got to become better at. Closing the wings, and creating a smooth, unwrinkled leading edge, plus a non-twisted wing, is something I’ve not yet mastered.

Just a few details left now, like the landing gear, tail skid, and main skid.

And of course, the all-important canopy. No idea how that shall turn out. I will try out a printed version first, and keep the crystal-clear tape method as plan B, like last time.

Leif
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Sailplanes available?-07-wingspars-.jpg   Sailplanes available?-08-wings-.jpg  
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  #199  
Old 10-22-2018, 09:01 AM
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Leif Ohlsson Leif Ohlsson is offline
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Canopy on and all is reasonably well

Here’s a dramatic moment - the printed canopy has been glued in place over night, and the two strips of sticky medical tape is about to come off. Will it hold… :



And yes, it did hold (after second attempt, I hasten to add, in all honesty). I believe that I should leave well enough alone at this point:



There are some canopy framework parts included in the kit, and you can see how well Ostoja made use of them in his build. However, at my 1/48 scale I believe any attempt to glue some thin frame members on to the canopy will look too clumsy, however much effort I put into it. Also, from the old newsreel film discussed earlier, it was pretty clear that there weren’t any real canopy frame on the original.

in the photo above you can see the roll of sticky medical tape I use for keeping small parts in place while the glue dries. It is very good also for joining parts with, instead of paper joining strips, which often turn out to be too clumsy, especially in small models like this. This tape doesn’t make any tears in the printed pattern on parts. I can thoroughly recommend it; available at all convenience stores.

I will let this conclude the build of the SZD-16 Gil/Bullfinch. All’s well that ends reasonably well.

Leif
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Sailplanes available?-09-sticky-tape-coming-off.jpg   Sailplanes available?-10-alls-well-ends-well.jpg  
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  #200  
Old 10-22-2018, 09:08 AM
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Hi Leif, looks very nice, but your scale is confusing me, building small now???
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