Resto and Paint a Parkzone WWI Albatros DVIIIa

Discuss & share your electric-powered airplane projects here!
Post Reply
User avatar
Neons
Site Admin
Posts: 675
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 10:28 pm
Location: youtube ne0ns1
Contact:

Resto and Paint a Parkzone WWI Albatros DVIIIa

Post by Neons »

This is a plane donated from Carlos. It was well flown to the point where it could not fly another revolution. It may not look totally gone in the photos. Here are the problems. Missing an "N"cabane on the wing. 2 others had tabs broken. The whole wheel assembly was very loose. and bent, You could assemble the plane and the wings and wheels were so loose I could twist it all up to a half inch all directions. I started straightening the wheel wires and fixing broken plastic covers. The sockets needed brass tubes glued in each of the 4 sockets that steady the mount. Each mount had to be removed also as the floated in the foam also. Getting that done I made a new plywood cabane with brass sheet ends, The broken tabs got brass ends also. Now the plane is rock steady once again. The plane was put aside after I Lite spackled everything to smoothen all the dings out.
Attachments
4-27-2020 Albatros at Start (1).jpg
4-27-2020 Albatros at Start (2).jpg
Bob Pacheco
User avatar
Neons
Site Admin
Posts: 675
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 10:28 pm
Location: youtube ne0ns1
Contact:

Re: Resto and Paint a Parkzone WWI Albatros DVIIIa-planning

Post by Neons »

The scheme I want to paint and cover is a flight group Jasta 5 green tails squadron. I found a sketch and a little note of the pilot on the picture. There will no longer be any tan and red other than the nose. The lozenge pattern is going to be a challange as a lot of time will go into a novel way to get the lozenge covering on a foam set of wings. I spent a few days fussing with the patterns and sizes of the lozenges, The Germans refer this as camouflage. Maybe so. It is considered a dazzle pattern of sorts.
Attachments
Albatros - Flasher view.jpg
WWI Albatros-dva Jasta5.jpg
Bob Pacheco
User avatar
Neons
Site Admin
Posts: 675
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 10:28 pm
Location: youtube ne0ns1
Contact:

Re: Resto & Paint a Parkzone WWI Albatros DVIIIa-Printing patterns

Post by Neons »

Next you will see the patterns I came up with to simulate the photos. I also want to say this was very intensive process to get to the final finish. This is to be used as a study and do not attempt this covering if you are short of time and patience. It will surely try your patience. But for me it is easy and I have the temperament to do this. The final will be pretty.
Albatros Lozenge2b.jpg
Albatros Lozenge2e.jpg
The next process is printing the tissue In the photograph. I added text notes. It starts top left and finishes bottom right. Now we have 2 types of printers and each gives a different problem. I use and prefer a color laser as the ink is burned in place. It is semi-waterproof. It can get by without a protective clear enamel spray coat. If you rub the tissue to push the wrinkles out when placing it on the panel the ink will rub off some.

5/30/2020 note
I just read up on a better tissue to use with less stretch problems. I saw a video on application in YouTube. It can be found using the Search tab there. The tissue is Esaki Lite Flite Jap Tissue. It can be purchased here.
https://www.rockytopmodels.com/rtm_supp ... sories.htm

If you use an inkjet it is fine. You have to seal the ink with one or two coats of clear quick dry enamel spray first. I think next time I will spray the laser printout anyways.It is a slow process placing the tissue on the wings. You must match the pattern first to know if it need trim and pre lineup before it is pasted down. This will work on you and it is slow. It took me 3.5 days to do the wings and under the elevator. The bonding I used was waterbase clear flat polyurethane paint. You could use waterbase Elmers glue will work also if thinned with water10-20%, More on this soon.
5-8-2020 Making a print.jpg
The next photo uses a metal straight edge to free the printing covering for the airplane.Use a sharp knife or razor.
5-8-2020 Removing tissue.jpg
Bob Pacheco
User avatar
Neons
Site Admin
Posts: 675
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 10:28 pm
Location: youtube ne0ns1
Contact:

Re: Resto and Paint a Parkzone WWI Albatros DVIIIa- Placing the Lozenges

Post by Neons »

To hold the brightness of the patterns the wings need to all have a base coat of white primer paint. I sprayed on waterbase flat white as the base. The lozenge tissue is transparent and the base helps it quite pop out.The next process is again time consuming. To do all the coverings including the underside of the elevator took me 3 afternoons with printing more sheets in between as needed.I estimate I printed 18 sheets of lozenge cover tissue. After you remove the sheet from the card stock paper you lay it on the wing to adjust the amount needed and trim it.

Using MiniWax waterbase clear polyurethane paint I brush on a liberal coat to setup the paper pattern onto the wing. If the piece is large roll it up part ways. Line up the edge and set it down on the paint. Roll out the balance working from the middle outward to the ends. If there is a wrinkle you may be able to lift it only once to stretch it out. As the pattern paper starts to soak the paint and you pull to late it will tear apart. This is where I think a coat of Krylon clear enamel spray paint would help stiffen up the paper some. I use a heat gun to speed up the drying time and after I give the surface another coat. Trim the excess paper away after drying time. After getting this far I was thinking that maybe the old Silkspan lightest weave would wor pretty well for stretching without a tear, maybe. The final finish will be the reward for all the work.
Attachments
5-09-2020 Lower Wing cover.jpg
5-14-2020 Upper-Lower wings.jpg
5-14-2020 Elevator Bottom.jpg
Bob Pacheco
User avatar
Neons
Site Admin
Posts: 675
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 10:28 pm
Location: youtube ne0ns1
Contact:

Re: Resto and Paint a Parkzone WWI Albatros DVIIIa-Fuselage Painting

Post by Neons »

I am finishing the under coat gray finish on the Albatros. It took a few coats to cover. It is flat but will get an over poly coat when the plane gets all the decals and trim. After drying time the landing gear was installed. I painted the motor, pilot, cockpit, and the the red border on the green tail. It has all been placed aside for a day while I make up all the decals. Those will be decal paper,
Attachments
5-17-2020 Fuse Painted (1).jpg
5-17-2020 Fuse Painted.jpg
Bob Pacheco
User avatar
Neons
Site Admin
Posts: 675
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 10:28 pm
Location: youtube ne0ns1
Contact:

Re: Resto and Paint a Parkzone WWI Albatros DVIIIa - Finished Restore

Post by Neons »

Here is the final finished restoration project after a long run of time. It is a type of special finish that makes a plane stand out from the rest. It was worth all the effort. I have not seen any WWI planes in this area yet with a Lozenge pattern finish on them. If it was a big quarter scale and it used it the cloth material is so expensive to cover the plane. Almost all would run away from the finish. It is a scale finish though. I have the reciever in and all is working fine and ready to fly now.
Attachments
5-22-2020 Albatros finished (0).jpg
5-22-2020 Albatros finished (10).jpg
5-22-2020 Albatros finished (1).jpg
5-22-2020 Albatros finished (2).jpg
5-22-2020 Albatros finished (3).jpg
5-22-2020 Albatros finished (4).jpg
5-22-2020 Albatros finished (5).jpg
5-22-2020 Albatros finished (6).jpg
5-22-2020 Albatros finished (8).jpg
Bob Pacheco
User avatar
Neons
Site Admin
Posts: 675
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 10:28 pm
Location: youtube ne0ns1
Contact:

Re: Resto and Paint a Parkzone WWI Albatros DVIIIa -Decals

Post by Neons »

Maybe someone may like a copy of the Iron Fist. It was used only on this pilots aircraft. But........, I should have posted it long ago. The crosses were made to approx size. I had to measure the white part to get it correct after the printing and trimming.
Attachments
Fuse-Rudder Wing Cross 02.jpg
albatros-dv-oblt-richard-flasher-co-jasta-5-cappy-april-1918 tail.jpg
albatros-dv-oblt-richard-flasher-co-jasta-5-cappy-april-1918.jpg
Gauntlet Fist 01.jpg
Bob Pacheco
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests