KLM DC-4/C-54 (Papertrade 1:50) - Page 13

**smithdr** · #**121** 12-06-2021, 09:22 AM

Looks sweet, Erik! Really nice nacelles I must say...Dan

**scon10** · #**122** 12-17-2021, 05:12 AM

I just started the build of the DC 4 and cutting out the bulkheads for fuselage segment #1, I noticed, that there was no arrow pointing to the closing seam of the segment. This is no matter for a circular or symmetric bulkhead, but the DC 4 has an egg shaped cross section. Therefore, it is necessary to assemble them in the correct position. See the picture, where I indicated the correct seam position on the righthand bulkhead, and on the left is the same bukkhead upside down, so you can see the difference between two positions. The bulkheads have two markings, one of which is the correct one.
Jusy wanted to let you know.

**Erik Zwaan** · #**123** 12-17-2021, 06:36 AM

Correct positioning of all formers is a bit tricky and ensure that you adhere to the position of the formers as oriented in the model sheets.

Unfortunately, my building progress has been virtually zero in the past few weeks as my mother passed away on December 6th.... not unexpectedly but still a great loss.... no more parents...

Hope to continue soon,
Erik

**yukonjohn** · #**124** 12-17-2021, 10:25 AM

Condolences to your family, Erik. Memory eternal.

John

**Mike1158** · #**125** 12-17-2021, 10:31 AM

I'm sorry to hear of your mother passing, I hope you and your family can soon reach the stage of remembering only the good times.

**scon10** · #**126** 12-17-2021, 02:39 PM

I am sorry for your loss, I know the feeling. Strength in these days.

**scon10** · #**127** 12-30-2021, 03:40 AM

Just a quick question, in post #7 the wing is constructed as a whole. It is then mounted in the fuselage mid section, see the second picture, but how? The opening in the fuselage has the shape of the central box CSB, and does not allow the slideing of the wing through that narrow opening. Was the bottom of the fuselage mid section taken out?
Further, in the picture 1, the box CSB is not used, only the connecting spars CS1 and 2. Is that how it should be?

**dutchbuilt** · #**128** 12-30-2021, 12:27 PM

Dear Scon
Throughout the development of the model there have been changes. Both Erik and Paul (Paymans) committed themselves to explore eventual improvement of the building order and the parts. What you are referring to is the build without the box. The box was later added after a proposal of Paul. Erik went on building the original version without the box and his methods and his order of building was also different. Maybe Erik can explain. The Instructions should supply every builder with enough guidelines to complete a build. And every one may take a different road to the finishing line.

**Erik Zwaan** · #**129** 12-30-2021, 01:59 PM

Thanks everyone for your condolences, that's really kind and well appreciated

. Now that life has returned to almost normal (except for the current lockdown in NL we enjoy so much, again), it's time to resume the build and report some progress. Happy to announce that the four engines are ready now. The only things still missing are the props and spinners and exhaust pipes. They will come once the wings have been attached to the fuselage and the engines placed at the wings.

Not much to mention regarding the assembly of the engines, only a few remarks:

I have nothing against petals but the rounded front edge of each cowling consists of 32 petals (so 128 in total....) and it takes perseverance to get the job done. I glued about four petals together and then used part 37d (38d, 39d and 40d for the other cowlings), printed on thin paper, to connect them from the rear side to ease the process. Pictures of this are shown earlier in the thread.
Installing the "crooked" aft bulkheads in the inner engines is somewhat tricky. They each consist of 3 parts. Up so far only the largest (part 60 resp. 80) at the upper side has been glued, 60a/80a will be glued to the skin once the engines are in place at the wings.
The other thing is that I used a spare disc (parts 59/79, glued on 1mm thick cardboard) in the outer engine nacelles for easier installation of the cylinder blocks. Shown in one of the pictures here. Basically this is the same as the front bulkhead in each of the inner engine nacelles.
I glued small scraps of paper (two layers in fact) at the reverse side of the cowling flaps, so that when you slide the cowling over the cylinders the flaps will point slightly upward, rather then being fully flat against the skin. Looks more realistic.

Dry-fitting the nacelles on the left wing show that the entire assembly comes together nicely.

Now it's time to return to the wings. These have been a continuous struggle up so far. The left one is ok but I glued the internal structure of the right one wrongly, resulting in a twisted outer wing. So the wing needs to be redone entirely and in fact, I'm thinking to rebuild both wing structures.

Well, that's it for now.

Have a great new year's eve and a good start of 2022!

Erik

**Erik Zwaan** · #**130** 12-30-2021, 02:26 PM

Scon10, Cor (dutchbuilt) has already more or less answered your question. The original version of the model was without the central wingbox. Paul has engineered this part and it's in the final model. I started building earlier than Paul and used the original design although I altered it eventually during the build.

If you look at the attached picture you see how the original design was. The picture shows the right wing internal structure. At the right side you see CS1 (rear central spar section) and CS2 (front). The most inner rib of the left wing is still loose and can be removed. Both CS1 and CS2 could be slid though slotted holes in the central fuselage section (part 1), see the other picture. The slotted holes are reinforced at the inside.
In hindsight, I should have glued CS1 and CS2 to the fuselage before gluing one of the wing structures already to them but I was sort of afraid that both parts wouldn't align/level properly, eventually resulting in twisted spars/wings.
I chose a different order of construction as Cor explains, simply because I wanted to finalize the fuselage first. You can argue if that's a smart thing to do, given the fact that the model is big. To prepare the build in sections (cockpit/front fuselage, central fuselage and aft fuselage/empennage) as the instructions indicate is certainly recommendable and I wouldn't advise you to deviate from it.

Erik