New build... 1/32 Sopwith F.1

[rvictor]

that is most definately the one i would go with----if she were mine! the effect on the aluminium panels--you will know immediately when you see the superb pic. of B6266 fresh out of the factory doors---is that of a series of machined 'whorls' or circles lightly polished on the surface---full size it was done with a circular wire brush---it's not easey to represent but---like most things---deserves the try. the plywood panels either side of, and behind the cockpit are not the colour in the artwork---being varnished in copal which gave a reddish tint----check out the colour profiles on back page of datafile when it comes. by the way---that small circle shown on the undercart. leg and interplane struts is the sopwith logo pale cream outlined in gold with the name 'sopwith' in centre-----it is applied 'wrap around' on struts as shown in the profile you have---but also the same on all centre section struts. apart from those observations that is the profile to go with---in my humble opinion.

sorry if i seem to be preaching---i don't mean to.

 

best,

dave.

 

Hi Dave,

 

You're not preaching... your're helping. I want to get this as "right" as I can the first time.

 

Thank you for the cowling info. I do understand now. I also appreciate the information on the Sopwith logos and also the plywood color (I had a color in mind for this).

 

In your photos of B6313, do the wheel covers appear to be those depicted in the artwork above? If so, then these kit wheels are wrong, and I will need to come up with a fix for that.

[rotary]

hi---thanks for the comment,

 

the wheel covers are debatable colour wise but nothing else. firstly the wheels, as you will know were simply spoke wheels the covers are fabric 'shields' retained at the hub and hooked---literally--- into moulded 'loops' on the tyre itself this gives a subtle appearance insofar as the wheel geometry has the spokes pressed up against the fabric at the hub and radiating out slightly but then quite smooth up to the rim (as the spokes go at a tighter angle to the actual wheel rim than the fabric takes to the tyre outer. the shields themselves have a reinforced---'hem' actually around the circumference ---into which are stitched the hooks.-----now sometimes this rim(hem) was painted a darker colour---probably black (check photo. on page 1 again to see what i mean) the shield itself---ex-works--was simply--on most sopwiths and many others---clear doped linen ---very off white but not white paint---best painted the same colour as your undersides. some however were painted P.C.10 (uppersurface colour) but not barkers at this time. some were painted flight colours or just the pilots favourite colour. go with photos. i think the wheels in your kit if they are still like the original pantograph down from 28th. scale will be a decent representation of the real thing.

 

cheers,

dave.

[rvictor]

hi---thanks for the comment,

 

the wheel covers are debatable colour wise but nothing else. firstly the wheels, as you will know were simply spoke wheels the covers are fabric 'shields' retained at the hub and hooked---literally--- into moulded 'loops' on the tyre itself this gives a subtle appearance insofar as the wheel geometry has the spokes pressed up against the fabric at the hub and radiating out slightly but then quite smooth up to the rim (as the spokes go at a tighter angle to the actual wheel rim than the fabric takes to the tyre outer. the shields themselves have a reinforced---'hem' actually around the circumference ---into which are stitched the hooks.-----now sometimes this rim(hem) was painted a darker colour---probably black (check photo. on page 1 again to see what i mean) the shield itself---ex-works--was simply--on most sopwiths and many others---clear doped linen ---very off white but not white paint---best painted the same colour as your undersides. some however were painted P.C.10 (uppersurface colour) but not barkers at this time. some were painted flight colours or just the pilots favourite colour. go with photos. i think the wheels in your kit if they are still like the original pantograph down from 28th. scale will be a decent representation of the real thing.

 

cheers,

dave.

 

Hi Dave,

 

Great information, thank you!

 

The wheels in this kit are not like those in the art depiction. They have a round cut out at the bottom for the stem access on the tube. These seem to be very common, and I did not notice at first the different cover, which is depicted in the drawing above (note no hole at the bottom for stem access).

 

I do have a set of spoked wheels I can use, and perhaps I can cover them with wetted tissue paper to replicate the covers?

 

Sorry if I am not clear... my WWI aircraft terminology is certainly lacking.

[rotary]

that's o.k.---the round hole is correct ---- the kit wheels are a 'reasonable' option as are. you could do slightly better out of plasticard scored on the inside. by the way the tyre markings read 'palmer cord aero tyre 700x 75' but to be honest many of these very minor details are a struggle even in the slightly larger 28th. scale the tyre markings were moulded on the revell wheels----don't know if that was carried over in the academy and improved hobbycraft offerings.

 

cheers,

dave.

[rvictor]

that's o.k.---the round hole is correct ---- the kit wheels are a 'reasonable' option as are. you could do slightly better out of plasticard scored on the inside. by the way the tyre markings read 'palmer cord aero tyre 700x 75' but to be honest many of these very minor details are a struggle even in the slightly larger 28th. scale the tyre markings were moulded on the revell wheels----don't know if that was carried over in the academy and improved hobbycraft offerings.

 

cheers,

dave.

 

Hi Dave,

 

Understood... and a little relieved. I would love to use the nice, spoked wheels, but not just to cover them up. If the references indicate that the kit wheels are okay, then I will use them.

 

I had thought of the tire markings, but I think at 1/32, it would be difficult... and I wonder if they would be seen? They are not on this tire set (most recent Hobby Craft "Clerget" release).

[rvictor]

Well...

 

I sat down this weekend to work on this a bit. I have been cleaning engine parts, etc., but wanted to really get started this weekend. I go to work on the seat and instrument panel, and I discover that I am missing fret A from my Part PE detail set! Only frets B and C are in my set. How I missed this at first I do not know... I spent hours going over the instruction sheet and the kit instructions doing a comparison. You would think I would have looked over the PE frets and notice it, but I did not.

 

No problem I think, so I e-mail Jadar Hobby (Part PE has not contact details and sells their stock through Jadar) to ask that fret A be sent.

 

Well, that didn't work. The guy e-mails back that he won't send it, and that the place I purchased if from does not exist and that they don't sell to them. What? Then how did I get it?

 

The other two sets I purchased at the same time are complete (I checked), so someone just forgot to put fret A in my Sopwith set.

 

I guess I'll have to buy another at a later date. :angry:

[rotary]

actually the seat is'nt at all bad--carefully painted it'll look quite acceptable--- but does'nt toms--or cooper details or somebody do one? in 28th. i used to cut away the 'open' area in the wicker seat and add sprue filaments to simulate the cross reeds---looked good but obviously 32nd. is that bit smaller again. might be worth a try though.

 

cheers,

dave.

[rotary]

yep---it's TOMS set 503--british interior----it'll give you a lovely seat ----but beware the rudder bar----nothing like a camels--but, then again this set is 'generic' and makes no claims to be for sopwiths---but the seat (the 'biggest' one) is pure camel.

 

cheers,

dave.

[rvictor]

Hi Dave,

 

Well, the good news is that I do have the Tom's set you refer to (and also the 1/32 guns set), so I will just proceed with that set.

 

I will have to make my own instrument panel. :angry:

[rotary]

and ---if you feel you can't live with the wheels---mastercasters do wheels for the roden s.e.5 which are superb.

 

hey mate, not trying to get you to spend, spend, spend---just letting you know whats out there.

 

get building her,

cheers,

dave.

[rvictor]

and ---if you feel you can't live with the wheels---mastercasters do wheels for the roden s.e.5 which are superb.

 

hey mate, not trying to get you to spend, spend, spend---just letting you know whats out there.

 

get building her,

cheers,

dave.

 

Hi Dave,

 

I see these wheels in the Datafile in several pictures, so I feel better about them now. Besides, my budget for this has been spent.

[rvictor]

Today's progress...

 

I removed all of the inside attachment points, and sink marks, then painted the area white (not shown). Tomorrow I will start the woodgrain effect using artist's oils (I plan to paint almost the entire plane in artist's oils).

 

I removed some of the exterior details, such as stitching and foot step. I will add these all once the fuselage halves are joined.

 

 

Finally, since I have to scratch build an instrument panel, I got to work on that, using the datafile. It looks like there is a woodgrain to the IP, so I added this by scribing with a blade. The photo below is before final cleanup. There is some fuzzy plastic visible (now gone).

 

[rotary]

good start---varnished plywood for the dash. not mahogany as in restorations just a yellowish wood finish.

 

why strip of the lacing though? i'm sure you've got a reason---some variation did exist although it was very minor.

 

just wondering mate.

 

dave.

[rvictor]

good start---varnished plywood for the dash. not mahogany as in restorations just a yellowish wood finish.

 

why strip of the lacing though? i'm sure you've got a reason---some variation did exist although it was very minor.

 

just wondering mate.

 

dave.

 

Hi Dave,

 

One of the two frets I did get, have some nice lacing, which was much more detailed than the kit rendition.

[rotary]

just a quickie------the front decking/coaming on the starboard side at least--and possibly on both sides---had the plywood cut away up to the aluminium side panels----that is just the upper portion in front of the cockpit. this was very often done---loads of pics. and deffo. on barkers--to allow easier access to cocking handles on guns. it is very obvious and needs doing( just in case you'd missed it mate). page 27 (also 11) in the datafile will clarify it for you.

 

dave.