Scratch Built Hannibal

This afternoon I thought I'd better get something done to the fuselage. The covering film I'm using came from HobbyKing, it handles like Oracover, but has a semi matt transparent film backing.Peeling the backing sheet away from the covering film was fairly easy, but not until I started to use the masking tape method. I've included a picture for those modellers unfamiliar with the trick. I'm covering the fuselage in two parts, it makes it easier to pull the control wires back out with half the fuselage uncovered. The control wire guides are modified SLEC items, the small brass pulleys came from Cornwall Model Boats

The wing servo hatches are made from 1/16" ply. The hole in the rib is not a clearance hole for the screwdriver used to adjust the position of the aileron wire on the servo horn.
The sole purpose of the hole is to allow the screwdriver to be inadvertently dropped inside the wing, thereby causing considerable lateral imbalance, and a loud thrumming noise while the model is in the air.

Today I covered one wing of the Hannibal. The lower surface is fairly flat, covering the main part of the wing and the tip with one piece of film went better than expected. When it came to the upper surface, I covered the tip first. The only problem I encountered was that the covering stuck to the main spar in one place, it left a row of small ripples in the finish. One other problem was the access hatch for the aileron servo. Heavy handed with the ironing of the edges of the aperture. On assembly, the hatch looked a bit "gappy". Good job they're on the underside. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the covering film from HobbyKing is easy to use. It goes round compound curves too, and just like Solarfilm, all you have to do is pull hard while ironing the film down.

The covering on the Hannibal is finished at last. Bit of a drama last week when the covering iron's thermostat threw a wobbly. I've still got to repair the damaged area. The fuselage went together for the first time as a "finished" item. The templates are for the assorted crosses seen on WW1 German aircraft. I've opted for white square with black cross on wing undersides and sides of fin. Black cross with white outline on upper surface of wing and fuselage sides. The templates are cutting guides for the frisket film spray masks. The build is slowing due to the weather, from around ten in the morning, my outdoor "workshop" is too hot for comfort. Evening work is dodgy as we have squadrons of midges and mosquitoes.

Nice work Brian, but I should keep going if I were you, as soon as it cools down that will probably be because it's raining.

DavidTappin wrote: Nice work Brian, but I should keep going if I were you, as soon as it cools down that will probably be because it's raining.

:lol: Realist David!

Let's hope it flies as well as the build Brian.

Good work Brian - look forward to seeing the model at Cashmoor, have you finalised which motor will
be used ?
My workshop has an ex- conservatory roof, great in the winter, warms up nicely with a little sun.
Killer at the moment 50 degrees when we got back home today.
Colin.

Thanks Colin, I'm going to use the Saito 1.25 as it is already converted to run on petrol.

I made several attempts to spray the Hannibal's markings, but the covering doesn't seem to be paint friendly. Finally, the Blue Peter training cut in, and I completed the job using sticky backed plastic. Fortunately no egg cartons or toilet roll middles were involved. The vinyl shapes were no trouble to apply, I used the "dry hinge" method suggested by Mike, much easier than I thought and the results are quite satisfying. The model is unrealistically shiny at the moment, I intend to coat it with satin finish fuel proofer.(If I can get it to stick)
I've two cowls for the model, the original was badly dented on the old Hannibal's first flight, I got a spare cowl from Inwood Models, but by the time it arrived, I'd beaten out the worst of the dents. Now I have to make a decision, use the old cowl and have the model look like an Eindecker, or use the new one and have the model look vaguely like a Fokker DR 1.
Any comments on which would be the most suitable should be written in pencil on a new £10 note and addressed to me

That's looking really nice now Brian. Now for scale looks it needs the dented cowl to show it has done some glorious combat and flying. Are you going to slope soar it as a PSS?