1/72 DFS Kranich - Jet/Recon/Transport GB

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Thanks Wayne and Vic!

Slow progress:

Realised the hoop frame at rear of shelf was 1 mm too far back. Stripped that and the shelf out (to improve harness slots), cut the frame to fit over the shelf and repositioned both.

Details on the kit PE fret:
The frame with the cutout slots is a strengthening frame directly in front of the instrument panel, at the canopy break. Should be the size of the paper cutout - since cut down and modified, to be attached when the dash is finished. (PE dash is scrap, completely wrong!)
The instrument panel 'trough' (section of concaved ply) and rear mounting frame for the IP are attached. In reality this has a square cutout for the IP, but of course you don't see that with IP mounted, so not done.

(Crude wing spar also added, won't be seen in the end)

Thanks for looking in





 
Thanks for the comments guys!

Won't be using much of the PE for this build Vic, mostly inaccurate.

No new (physical) progress, mostly brainwork re the mid decking. Would have to have been cut out in rear cockpit area (IMO) to fit the drum, but no luck finding confirmation so far.
Worst comes to the worst, I can leave the drum out and detail the rear area in gutted condition, ready for loading... what d'yas reckon? (Will post pics later to show what I mean)
 
Leave the drum in, and do a 'best guess' as to any modifications made on the real thing. Obviously, main structural members would be untouched, but trim, shelving, seat brackets, coamings etc would probably be removed - anything not essential to structural integrity, or would get in the way.
 
Cheers Terry, may well do that.

This is the mid wing section I'm talking about: http://klemm-l20.de/uploads/_MG_6487.jpg (forget the Klemm name in the title, it's a Kranich!)

The only way a drum would fit the aircraft with rear canopy closed is horizontally, as I've already mentioned. To load a drum such would require cutting a section out of the (I believe) structural mid wing decking, due to the height of the rear fuselage fairing.

However... the drum fits perfectly in upright position if rear canopy open, and I'm now wondering (in light of a website comment that vision for the instructor was very much improved if this was removed) if they didn't simply gut the rear cockpit, remove the canopy and drop the drum in vertically?

Would value your opinions...

Cheers, Evan
 
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Ah Ha!
Now that I've seen the real thing, yes, that's exactly what would be done. The canopy was superfluous, so would be ditched, which would also allow quicker extraction of the drum. Also, looking at the relatively small space, it's possible that a smaller, 25 gallon (approx 110 L) drum was used, maybe even four or five 25 Litre 'Jerry Cans', and dropped in vertically. This would, I think, be better for weight and balance, being upright and about the weight of a well-built man and, given that it was secured, would probably be more stable than a drum lying on its side - there'd be enough problems flying the thing to a successful landing without adding weight shift to the mix!
It looks like it would be quite difficult, if even possible, to fit in a standard, full size, 50 gallon drum.
 

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