The line drawing bandwagon

[Otterkins2]

See? See what I mean? Only you would notice something as obscure as fabric orientation. What's next....the flem on the fuselage from the pilot who sneezed during a bad bout of flu in August of 1917? Your attention to detail is madening, but it's people like you that recreate history in the minutest detail and we need such people with passion badly. Just an observation though....don't the ribs on the rudder look a bit pasted on? This coming from a guy who couldn't draw to save his life because he doesn't understand the programs. I'll shut up now.

[GiantFlyingRobots]

I have watched this amazing profile evolve from the start, and I'm curious about one thing. Is the fabric covering the tail planes ribs separate from the actual tail planes fabric? Is this why the lozenge shapes don't match up as they would if they where painted as one piece? Or was the lozenge pattern a printed fabric? Does any of this make sense?

It really is shaping as a THE superlative profile around here.

[BLOWHARD]

ribs on the rudder look a bit pasted on?

As a matter of fact, they are They are separate rib tapes, I think they are actually doped on. They cover the stitching that holds the fabric to the ribs and cap strips.

Is the fabric covering the tail planes ribs separate from the actual tail planes fabric?

You win the GRAND prize



But I think you might have a point Otter. I think I'm pushing the detail there a little too much. I'll play with toning it down some.
[IMG]THE superlative profile[/IMG]
oh, don't say that, there are already SO many superlative profiles and artists here!!! Just trying to measure up

[BLOWHARD]

Oh, wait, a better image maybe-

[BLOWHARD]

I'm still at it

If you guys want to try a real difficult project, try a string bag

[Otterkins2]

It will be quite a shame to cover up all this beautiful detail with cam. Look at how much of it has been lost in the above photo. I think BH's illo is a clear demonstration of how crude these kites really were....canvass, stitching, wood, nails (Nails on an aircraft??? Unthinkable by today's standards) and screws....no rivets. It also speaks volumes about the artisans who created these machines with what was then state of the art technology and how they overcame obstacles in a concept they barely understood with little more than spit, chewing gum, wood, a bit of fabric and some bailing wire. I have no doubt that there are very few such artisans left now....and most of those are hobbyists and don't use such skills for a living. It also says more about the men who flew such fragile pieces into combat.....unreliable weapons and crude motors with little more between them and enemy bullets than paper. They didn't even have parachutes to carry them to safety and often sat on cast iron stove lids as armour protection.

Do the cam versions BH, but for god's sake save the underlying work for posterity!!!!

(PS. Remember, they couldn't go down to Home Depot and get the latest power tools. Every screw was turned by hand as was every last nail hammered in. No power sanders, planers or anything. Everything was done by manual labour.)

[ratfugel]

Otterkins makes an excellent point about the primitive nature of the tooling and general handwork involved in every sort of manufacture at this point in time, including aircraft. I am a bit surprised to see what appears to be evidence of pipe welding. I suppose it must have been simple gas welds that I see on BH?s tubework. The other thing that sticks out to me, having followed this saga with more than average interest, is the totally unsullied and pristine nature of the finished object. I know the workmen were good, but not THAT good. I feel that some distressing is called for, all over this beautifully crafted profile. When one looks at a photograph of even a brand new WW1 German aircraft, by today?s standards it looks worn out before it even goes into action. That is because, as Otterkins pointed out, everything was probably individually made, so nothing could be quite perfect. BH?s draughtsmanship is superb and his handling of the graphics is quite brilliant. Makes a learning wannabee like me wonder if I?ll ever achieve that sort of level. I probably have a slight advantage in having taught Photoshop for some years, so I might just have a reasonable chance of producing some sort of result with my feeble efforts. However, there is an extra component which I observe to be missing in many profile artists and it?s called ?talent?. One cannot learn it, you?ve either got it or you ain?t. BH?s got it in spades.

[BLOWHARD]

I got spades? Do I win?
Thanks for the compliment Ratfugel, I might be blushing now
But...it's not nearly finished, I've got a LONG way to go I don't do weathering, dents, scuffs, oil, dirt, soot until I've got the details laid out and finalized. There will be PLENTY of that stuff, plus even some mud splatter
One interesting thing about the plywood fuselage planes; they warped A LOT! The always show warps and wrinkles throughout the skin. I'm not 100% sure just how I'll do it but it will have to be done
Pipe welding is right, but I'm not sure what sort of welding. Those airfoil tubes were MUCH stronger and I think lighter than the wooden sort of struts, you betcha

Dig the plywood-

I couldn't find any better pictures on line but I've got pictures in books that look like wind on the water

[ratfugel]

Now I know where the Mosquito builders got the idea!

[BLOWHARD]

Time off and I've got all the details filled in I still need adjustments to a lot of things, especially to the top wing shadow and strut shading.
I really need a good detail photo of the tail skid too, my details and shapes aren't right.
Anyway, here tis-





But that won't finish it, OH NO! There's a cowling variation with the forward gun on the left side, all the weathering and good stuff and anything else I've forgotten. Then I can add different markings