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Old 02-17-2019, 03:59 PM
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Kilroy1988 Kilroy1988 is offline
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My first card model - a Kampfflieger Macchi M.5

Hello!

I remember attempting some card models as a kid when I was enthusiastic about WWII aircraft, and never coming up with much in terms of a decent build. A few months ago I got back into making plastic models, and after watching several of Frankie Day's Youtube videos describing how much he enjoys card modelling, I decided to look into it again.

The first model I began assembling was this Macchi M.5 by Der Kampfflieger, purchased and downloaded from Wargame Vault. Not knowing the appropriate procedure I printed it to fit on 8.5x11" paper, using a cut down sheet of sketch pad paper that is approximately 130 grams. This meant that the scale is almost exactly 1/78 rather than 1/72, with a 6" wingspan to represent the 39' span in reality.

I used the one with the captured Austro-Hungarian livery to start with as practice, and will re-print it at the appropriate scale and on 180g card stock for the Italian version sometime down the road...

I cut all of the parts out with some razor-sharp scissors I use for my leather work, and assembled it mostly with Elmer's craft glue, but at the end I used some Aleene's rapid dry adhesive for the strut work. I added about 20 pieces to reinforce the wings, fuselage, and double up all of the wing struts. So ~80 pieces in total.

Far from being perfect, I'm calling this one done and moving onto the next! I really enjoyed the process and look forward to contributing and admiring the work of others on this forum. Cheers!

-Gregory























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Old 02-17-2019, 04:19 PM
Burning Beard Burning Beard is offline
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Very nice job, nice and clean.

Mike
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Old 02-17-2019, 04:41 PM
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Don Boose Don Boose is offline
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This is first rate!

I look forward to seeing many more of your models.

Don
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Old 02-17-2019, 05:11 PM
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MacSongLi MacSongLi is offline
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You did an amazing job. Very nice.


Gary
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Old 02-17-2019, 08:04 PM
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wireandpaper wireandpaper is offline
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This is a very nice first build of a complicated subject, a biplane, with additional complications: a hanging engine, and a hydro hull
I wonder how is going to be your second build!!!
With rigging?
Congratulations
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Old 02-17-2019, 10:27 PM
Thumb Dog Thumb Dog is offline
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Hi All,

And hi, Killroy1988. That's a very nice job on your Macchi M.5, it has long been among my favorite flying boats. And we're all happy to find another plastic modeler coming back into the paper modeling fold.

Yours is a nice, clean build, with no visible glue splotches which are so common on early builds. And the small scale you worked in is something my old hands rarely try anymore. Well done all around.

If I may, a couple of suggestions. For your upcoming build of the Italian version of the M.5, you may want to form an airfoil into the wings. With more complex models, such as larger WW II Warbirds, the airfoil is usually designed into the wing. But with these early aircraft, the model's wings are often quite thin, and any airfoil has to be formed into the wing by the modeler.

I think of these types of wings as solid wings, and my usual approach is to glue up a two-ply part to glue in between the top and bottom wing sections. While the glue is still wet in the freshly glued-up wing, I either form the airfoil with my fingers or form it over something with the appropriate section, like a piece of PVC pipe. I keep an eye on the part as it dries, making sure the airfoil remains true and the ends of the part do not curl up, as they tend to do. This all takes a bit of an effort, but it produces an gentle airfoil and greatly strengthens the wing. On a sesquiplane such as your M.5, the narrow bottom wing is holding up a lot of weight, relatively speaking, and more strength here will make a difference.

I'm attaching a pair of photos of a float plane I built that used the above techniques. Note how the fuselage was altered to accept a single-piece, lower wing with an airfoil shape. The original design was for two flat wing sections to be glued to the sides of the fuselage, but to my eye the extra effort was worth the trouble, as the wing's airfoil is more appealing, even on this simple model from the 1930s.

Also, I see you made a start on coloring the white edges of the paper parts. There are a number of suggestions on this site that describe materials and techniques other modelers use to color edges. Personally, I use watercolors, but others use all manner of materials. It's strange, but I'll notice a missed white edge in a photograph of one of my models before I see it on the model in my hand. Coloring all the exposed white edges goes a long way toward putting a finishing touch on a paper model.

Again, well done on your Macchi M.5, and we look forward to seeing more of your paper model builds.

Score and fold,

Thumb Dog
Attached Thumbnails
My first card model - a Kampfflieger Macchi M.5-img_3623.jpg   My first card model - a Kampfflieger Macchi M.5-img_3628.jpg  
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Old 02-18-2019, 04:27 AM
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Mike1158 Mike1158 is offline
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A very impressive M5, nicely done.
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Old 02-18-2019, 06:34 AM
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Rata Rata is offline
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If this is your standard now Gregory, in a few months you'll be showing some absolute stunners on here.
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Old 02-18-2019, 07:33 AM
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rockpaperscissor rockpaperscissor is offline
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Fantastically fine work, especially considering that this is your first paper model. Everything is nice and straight, no twists, no glue smears, the edges are colored. Thumb dog's airfoil suggestion is spot on and will improve your next model. Well done!
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Old 02-18-2019, 08:00 AM
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Kilroy1988 Kilroy1988 is offline
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Thanks for the compliments and suggestions, folks! I really appreciate it. I love the realism that can be achieved with a plastic model but I felt much, much more accomplished and satisfied finishing this kit than anything comparable I've made in plastic.

Thumb Dog, thanks especially for your detailed instructions on adding an airfoil into the wings! I'm actually already well on my way into a second build (a Fiddler's Green Morane-Saulier Type N which I shrunk down to ~1/72 scale) and added an airfoil by rolling both the top and bottom of the wings then gluing them together in that shape, held with some clothing pins. It worked out well and I am now staring at the wings on the Macchi and wondering why I didn't bother in the first place... As stated, there's room for improvement with the next M.5!

Cheers, and thanks again!

-Gregory

(p.s. After taking the photos I did go back with an exact-o blade, which I just got, and trim some of the excess paper off the edges of the fuselage on this M.5, which helped a bit, especially along the bottom.)
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