I build 1:12 scale dollhouses as a main hobby and belong to a forum that holds a kit build contest every year. We all build the same kit and can do whatever we want with that kit. This year, my idea called for a WWI airplane replica, and I chose the 1:32 scale Academy Sopwith Camel. I can't reveal the whole build just yet since I haven't published it yet, but I will be doing so sometime this weekend.
But, I have published the Sopwith Camel build. I did very few modifications, using the base kit as is but put my painting and aging expertise to work. The shiny red nose turned out so well, I couldn't bring myself to age it or dirty it in any way. I did the same wood grain finish on the interior walls, floor and dash based on the various models I had seen other modelers build. I used black and brown acrylic washes to tone down the shiny new finishes. The instruments were first painted with a toothpick to fill in the black background. I then used a sewing pin to paint the instrument details using Liquitex Iridescent Bronze acrylic paint.
I had read that the guns were molded upside down in this kit, but with my shortened build timeline and the fact that I really didn't want to start deconstructing parts, I used the guns as is. My model wouldn't be the most accurate besides, and it would have been a lot of work for a minor payoff.
For the rigging, I basically used the kit method, though I used black "transparent" thread instead of the kit supplied black fiber thread. I also waited until after the plane was assembled to add the lines. I didn't see how you could add the lines during the body assembly, then keep them out of the way and clean during the painting process. This meant a bit more headache in the end, but it worked out well.
I mostly just used super glue gel to hold the wires in place in the predrilled kit holes. For the ones in the body, I cut small lengths of brass wire and slipped them into the holes with the wires. This plugged the hole and held the wire more securely. I dabbed black paint on them later to remove the obvious brass shine.
I made one substitution during the rigging process. There was supposed to be a straight wire from the bottom of the plane running perpendicular to the wheel assembly. I knew there would be no way to get the tension correct, so I used a cut off head pin. It doesn't look like a substitution at first glance and it added stability to wheels besides.
The decals were not the easiest things to deal with, and I admit to being out of practice using them. But, the end result was pretty good and this was meant to be a weathered replica, so any imperfections actually worked to my advantage. I followed most of the recommended placements and others I made up from the available decals...like the triangle with a logo in it.
The sign verbiage is taken from the Wikipedia article on the Sopwith Camel. I printed it on paper, pasted it onto a primed wood scrap and staked it into the ground with some wire.
I'm not sure if the image attachments will work, but you can see more of my build here:
http://www.otterine.com/blog/blog1.php/1-32-scale-academy-sopwithI am in love with my Sopwith Camel!!!!
Regards,
Brae