[RolandD6]

Originally Posted by PatrickDemski

Hi Paul, I have your book in my library and have downloaded all of the photos that you've posted at WWI Models -- the ones from Trelour Annex at the AWM are especially useful because you took a number of detail closeups that most people overlook. Everyone takes sideview shots of the whole engine from six feet away; no one bothers to take pictures of the primer petcock from two inches away and a few different angles so that you can understand how it's shaped and assembled. Thanks much! I really needed some of those pictures. I've been unable to find a Mercedes D-series engine in Southern California that I can examine & photograph...

You are welcome. I am glad to hear that my contributions to this particular interest have been useful. Also since you have visited the WWI Models web site you would have noticed my comments about errors in my drawings.

Regarding an engine to look at, where has the Champlin Museum Pfalz D.XII gone to after it was sold? There were various people around your part of the world who were building replica WW1 airplanes in the past. It may be worth your while to look up the civil aviation register. Just be aware that many replica airplanes have an inverted Ranger engine, eg. the Albatros D.Va at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, New York state

I'm actually building three different versions of the engine simultaneously since there are so many similarities between them...

They will keep you occupied for a while.

I need to post some updated renders here; I've been working on detailing the cylinders with all the add-on parts like spark plugs and valve springs, and also doing the UV mapping in UVMapper Pro. I'll post pics of this work as soon as I can put it together in Carrara and do some renders.

Love to see them.

BTW, I really like the 1/5 scale model you've been working on.

Thank you. I made patterns from materials at hand, eg. steel, aluminum, plastic etc.; then silicon rubber molds, then cast in urethane plastic.

My brother is a mechanical engineer..

So am I but most of my working life was involved in writing various types of documentation.

... we've talked about exporting my 3D work as STL files so physical shapes can be produced on a prototyping 3D printer. I may do this after I've got the engines complete for rendering -- by the time I get to this stage, the 3D printing technology will probably be cheap enough to set up in a garage or workshop.

TurboCad will also export to STL but I am uncertain about the issue of 'holes' in the model surface. Apparently this is an issue with the 3D printing process. Often the people who produce the models have to fix a customers STL files beforehand. There was a feature article about this topic in '3D World The magazine for 3D Artists, Issue 97, December 2007'. You may be able to find a copy. It was still on the news stands here last time I looked a few weeks ago. Failing that, back issues are available through the publishers web site http://www.3dworldmag.com/

3d printing is not cheap, around US$250+ per item last time I looked.

Paul