Hello everybody, I have been so utterly inspired by the scratch builds on this forum and have been wanting to try something for a while.
Before lockdown started here in the UK I met this rather beautiful aircraft at Old Warden aerodrome, Bedfordshire, and wanted to make a model of it.
20191116_105458 by
Richard Williams, on Flickr
Isn't she a little beauty? The story of how she came to be is very interesting and can be read about in the book Rebuilding Grandad's Aircraft. In a nutshell the build used the original control stick, magneto and rudder bar from the aircraft flown by the author's Grandfather during WW!. These were found in his workshop after he passed away. There is a great DVD available too which some might like to look out for.
Nothing is available in 1/32 so in some ways it makes an ideal subject for a first attempt. Of course I have absolutely no idea of what I am doing so along the way I will undoubtedly make a horrible mess of many styrene sheets and rods but hopefully I will end up with something resembling Bristol Scout 1264. I have the Windsock data file as well as plans from a RC model website and have a trip planned to take a lot of detail photographs next week now that museums are reopening here.
I had a little play with 1mm square styrene strips, part of the framework confused me a little but I will these once I have a better understanding of the structure. Now that WNW have gone there is no 1/32 Le Rhone 9c engine available so I will have to try to make that too. The Special Hobby Nieuport Bebe in my stash does have a resin one I can take measurements from.
I am going to have a go at Vac forming the cowling, I was worrying about how to make a plug untilI found that the lid of an Encona Hot Sauce bottle is the perfectly matches the internal diameter of the Nieuport cowling. It even has an indentation in the centre to line up the cut out. The ridges on the sides have been caked in milliput.
Bristol Scout C by
Richard Williams, on Flickr
It's not a lot I know but I have dipped my toe in the water at last. So the plan is to skin the framework, for the wings I may go down the balsa core route or I might laminate styrene sheet. Quite how to attach the to the fuselage is another story.
Thanks for reading, please feel free to offer advice or tell me I have got something very wrong. It's the only way for me to learn.
Back soon hopefully with something more interesting to show!
Richie