forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com
WW1 Aircraft Modeling => Under Construction => Topic started by: macsporran on July 07, 2023, 09:13:53 PM
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Well I got started on this one as soon as it arrived in April, but as always, life got in the way and she's still in mid construction some months later!
The intention of this was to be a quick (!) OOB build since I'd previously built the same subject (Collishaw's 1916 Oberndorf machine) from a 1/48 Tom's Modelworks vacform. However things took a setback when I constructed an internal structure, painted and rigged it and then.... Simon very kindly supplied his pictures of the Hendon Strutter's internals, showing fuselage roundels clearly visible from the inside, which I had not provided for.
Anyway, here's where we'd got to by then.
Sandy
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I'm glad to see your April Strutter here, Sandy.
Looking forward to seeing some progress shots.
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After a long delay I decided not to tear it all apart again but proceed - but maybe look at alternative RFC schemes without fuselage roundels if possible. At this stage I had a birthday and my son kindly gave me Ronny Bar's marvellous RFC 2-seaters profiles book - much food for thought.
So, onwards and upwards - an overall coat of primer white was applied to highlight then fix some imperfections in fit, then all underwing ribs were pencilled in and sprayed with MRP bleached linen.
Following which all linen areas were masked prior to MRP PC10 application. Principally of course allowing for wrap-around under wing and tail edges.
Sandy
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Thanks Ken. This won't be anything like as detailed as yours, but maybe worth posting to give an RFC alternative
Cheers
Sandy
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Onwards to the present:
PC10 has been applied and masked and Revell Aqua Beige 314 applied to fuselage decking. Then Winton Burnt Sienna oils mixed with Fast drying medium and layered on to represent the woodworking of the decking. I quite like the effect so far and may or may not spray clear orange.
There is much panel detail to be picked out with washes, rigging holes to be drilled before next stage, engine prep work etc, so it may be a while before next posts as life is getting in the way again.....
Sandy
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Beautiful, Sandy. That mahogany effect on the decking is perfect.
I may have to get one of these beasts too...
Dave V.
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Lovely work so far Sandy, the kit looks more than decent.
Richie
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Your Strutter is looking great Sandy! I Love the tone of the wood and see no need for clear orange 8) It is Nice to have another Almost OOB build going on. I can now refer to Kens Detailed build and your build which is closer to My plans!
RAGIII
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That looks really very nice! I am not sure how many will realize the missing seeing-through roundel on the inside of the rear cockpit :)
Andreas
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What a great start :D
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As a future builder of this kit I'm excited to follow along Sandy, and I really like the work you've done so far. She's looking terrific.
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Nice work -nice to see these kits getting build, too! (along with the other 2 on the go here).
Somehow the SPADs don't seem to be getting build a lot, so I hope the Sopwith does well for Roden :)
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Looking good!
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I'm glad to see your wooden decking around the cockpit. I also opted for this effect. I pictures I have seen, it's hard to tell if this is woodgrain or something else, like fabric covered wood.
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Thanks guys.
Time is a little constrained just now but I managed to get most of the basic colours on. Unfortunately the masking for the cowling has lifted some of the oils around front of cockpit so we'll need a little repair work there, then onto fading, washing and weathering! Starting to look like an LCT now.
Sandy
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Thanks guys.
Time is a little constrained just now but I managed to get most of the basic colours on. Unfortunately the masking for the cowling has lifted some of the oils around front of cockpit so we'll need a little repair work there, then onto fading, washing and weathering! Starting to look like an LCT now.
Sandy
Your Strutter looks great with the colors applied! I look forward to the next stage!
RAGIII
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Looking really nice!
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She gallops on apace, Sandy! Beautiful... and I love the way you represented that Politically Correct 10 dope.
Dave V.
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Thanks again Dave, Tim, Rick.
I wasn't too happy with the wood graining, so I've put a bit more work into the decking with oils and now I have a result I'm OK with. Also popped the engine in there (somewhere) must show that later. Started on the washing/weathering.
Sandy
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Yep, even better than before! I am liking where this is going.
RAGIII
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Cheers Rick
With the metallic paint on the cowling, it showed up some slight imperfections I hadn't noticed at primer stage, so I got to work with the abrasive to sort out. At the same time I did something I'd skipped previously but had become increasingly obviously necessary. I re-scored the frontal reinforcement ring. Again nothing fancy (I'm determined to keep this pretty well OOB!) just anchoring the piece and scoring within a template outline.
Sandy
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Impressive tweaks to this kit, Sandy. It's shaping up nicely.
Cheers,
Gary
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The wood effect looks lovely Sandy. It's good to see this long awaited kit being built so well and largely OOB. It really does look impressive!
Richie
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Thanks Gary and Richie
How often do you start a new approach to something, then think 'Oh no, why didn't I just go the old way?'
Such a stage reached in my protracted LCT build!
I'm never happy with my method of attaching clear celluloid panels. I used to make a lot of car models, so a fair bit of experience, but back then I'd used specialized Bob Smith anti-fogging glues. I'd forgotten the tip about dipping in Future - thanks for reminder guys - but I thought I'd try a 'better' way for filling in the clear wing inspection panels.
I used to use Humbrol Clearfix to stretch across window panels in Aeroclub vacforms and I thought this a great way to fill in the indentations without damaging the paintwork/washes on the pulleys.
First application and the Clearfix gratifyingly filled the hollow shape and flowed to a flat cover. Lovely, now for the other three. Job done, put aside to dry.
Half an hour later, let's have a look. Doh, it's dried onto the pulley shapes but no way fills the whole aperture! It's just a thin coating in the bed of the panel. Application two. Have a look. A little more cover. Application three, etc, etc , etc.
I'm now on about application 15 and we're slowly getting there, but probably at least the same again still to be done. Oh well. there's no fool like an old fool! New tricks etc.
We'll get there eventually, but I'll be using the cello sheet for the centre-section panels!!!
Sandy
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Although it is taking a lot of effort, I am sure it will look good in the end!
RAGIII
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Thanks Rick.
BTW I'm intrigued by your 'Aeroskin' approach - looking really good.
S
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Looks good to me, Sandy, in fact, the whole thing is shaping up to be a stunner. Looking forward to seeing that center (-re) section!
Dave V.
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Beautiful work Sandy. I’m very much liking the PC-10 coloring and your wood textures. Really impressive.
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Very nice looking OOB approach to this kit, Sandy. Do share more pictures as you make progress.
Looks like the fit of the fuselage and cowling is good. I had to do some tweaking in this area on mine.
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Following with interest as this is on the to do list. It's looking very good so far.
I am going to try .005 clear plasticard for the pulley covers and centre section. It seems quite flexible so I'm hoping it will work without too much trouble. The clearfix approach seems to be a bit challenging..... ;)
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Thanks everybody.
Several more applications of Clearfix and we're just about there. Lower wings fine, upper need another couple of drops, but it's going in the right direction.
Thanks guys
Sandy
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Aaargh. This one is just taking forever and I am making really stupid mistakes!
Probably because I'm only getting 10 minutes work in here and there - anyway I decided to get the cross-bracing in the open centre section of upper wing done and just ploughed ahead without checking refs.
What was I thinking? I've been model-making for sixty years but I can still commit crass schoolboy errors.
So, I drilled the awkward holes in the frame corners and got to work with some stiff material (from an Airfix galleon rigging skein). Took a while due to angles, but I got it done and touched up damage to the wood effect. Then when I looked next day I thought it didn't look right. Back to refs - stupid me, the cross-bracing runs across two or three bays, not each bay. Doh! Oh well, here's a picture of the wasted work, before it gets chopped out and we start again.
Meanwhile, on the positive side, the padded gun butt looks good!
Onwards and upwards
Sandy
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It's going to be worth the effort.......
What was I thinking? I've been model-making for sixty years but I can still commit crass schoolboy errors.
Glad to see it's not just me! (also been model making for close to 60 years.....)
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I think you did it the easy way the first time.
Believe me, you're not the only one that rushes into something only to find it's not right.
Still, detail shots look good.
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Here's what the cross bracing should look like.
(Maybe helpful for others building this kit.)
S
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Makes Me glad mine has the solid upper wing 8)
RAGIII
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Here's what the cross bracing should look like.
Thanks. They clearly weren't thinking of the model makers of the future when they designed this...... :D
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Heehee - spot on Nigel!
Anyway I wanted to cover up my mistake quickly, so out with the scalpel, off with the silly rigging and to work with a micro saw to cut slots into the kit's spacer ribs, ready for the necessary wooden bracing posts.
These fashioned from 0.020 x .030 plastruct and attached into the slots.
S
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With plastruct in place I filled the attaching corners with thick glue and then some Clearfix for the finer finishing. (Hving used so much of this in the inspection panels I felt I knew exactly how it would flow and dry in these tiny spaces and indeed I think it was very successful as a (micro) filler!
Then, yet again, out with the acryic beige followed by oils to touch up the work and tone-in the new wooden bracing spars.
Then a little cleaning up with enamel thinner.
I have another thought in mind for the four internal bracing wires - but enough of that later.
So far, I'm happy with the restorative work.
Sandy
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Your restoration looks great!!
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Looks great so far. Nice correction work.
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excellent fix Sandy! Looks very convincing!
RAGIII
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That fix has worked out really well Sandy. On a side note I love your CDL colour for the lower surfaces and the way you have picked out the structure.
Richie
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Looks very good, Sandy.
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Nice save & generally looking great, Sandy... and I agree with Richie, love that lower CDL!
Dutch
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Thank you everybody, for the encouragement.
Must admit I'd kinda lost momentum on this one because of the cellon panels, but as always, if you just bite the bullet and get on with it, a solution usually presents itself.
I started this as a quick (!!) OOB build, so I'm going back to that remit and rather than fiddling with inner bracing wires within the cellon panel area, I'm happy to compromise and draw the wires on inside of lower panel with a fine paint marker pen. Under the centre section will be virtually unreachable once completed and wires will be seen from above through the upper panel.
So, lower panels duly marked and attached using Future as an adhesive. Once dried in place a tiny drop of CA was applied to the corners just to ensure nothing comes adrift as I mount the top wing.
Intention at the moment is to use the cellophane wrapping from a CD case for the upper contoured panels and I haven't decided to attach now or wait until after assembly so a semi-matt varnish can be sprayed without having to mask the delicate cellon.
Anyway, I'm happy with lower panels.
Sandy
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That really looks great! I thought it was "Normal" rigging until I read your description of your technique!
RAGIII
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Excellent solution and it looks great. Life's too short to faff about too much with every tiny detail....... (at least mine is!)
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That looks great Dutch. Really busy wingwork.
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Really amazing work on this Strutter, Sandy! It's progressing well and looking good! That internal detail on the top wing just works! Regards, Marc.
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Superb, Sandy. This is magic to watch.
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Great modelling!
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That really looks great! I thought it was "Normal" rigging until I read your description of your technique!
RAGIII
Me too ;)
Great work Sandy!
Cheers,
Willem
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Missed this update. That's a very effective result!
Steve
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Thanks for all the encouragement guys.
Don't know quite why this one has decided to stagnate so much, but a quick kick up the bahookie and we'll get things going again!
First off, finishing all the component struts, u/c, wheels, rudder etc, then let's get some colour on. I was going to branch out with a different scheme, but to save any more prevarication, I've settled on Collishaw's famous 9407 and use of the Roden kit decals, which apart from the rudder stripes are solidly coloured and prove to be quite amenable to application (for once!).
So, rudder sprayed and attached, rigging holes all pre-drilled, some brass tubing for the elevator control cables to run through and here we are so far. I'll try to keep up the impetus.
Sandy
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Love it, Sandy, she's looking good... that ply has a particularly nice in-scale effect. I have one of these kits coming from UA-Hobby in Kiev and am going to have to go back and read this thread from the get-go when it arrives.
Dutch
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That's looking very nice. Looking forward to seeing it all completed, hopefully the final assembly will be straightforward.....
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Like Dutch and Nigel said - good looking work there. I hope this one doesn't find the shelf of doom.
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Beautifully done Sandy. It’s really coming along nicely.
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Very nice and significant update. You do fine work.
Steve
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Thank you everyone. I'll try to keep the momentum going!
Started strutting the Strutter and have to note a huge improvement in Roden's strut attachment points. The undercarriage plugged together very satisfyingly and allowed me to true it all up balanced on the upside down fuselage without recourse to any jigs or supports. I'm not a great fan of jigs as I tend to damage the model while removing!
Likewise the 'W' 'half-struts' plugged nicely into the inverted top wing with good solid square locating lugs. When half set, I then positioned on top of the model, adjusted the angle of incidence and left to cure.
I couldn't resist popping on the half-painted wheels just to see what the finished beast will look like - see below!
(You may notice I sprayed white circles on top wing in case the decal roundels came out grey over the PC10, but this was probably unnecessary as the fuselage markings white colour proved perfectly dense enough.)
Sandy
PS Just got a shipping note from Jadlam that my 1/32 Roden Comic Strutter is on the way to me, so I'll need to get a move on!
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Looking great, Sandy! These photos really bring out the design of the Strutter... it's interesting how solidly the top wing sits on that big "W". I'm sure it wasn't the case, but it makes it look as though the outboard sets of struts were just there for bracing (like on that scary-looking Dr.I prototype).
All ahead full!
Dutch
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She's looking great from here Sandy!
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Looking good! It's good news that it goes together well, Roden deserve credit for this. And of course the modeller doing it does as well!
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Again thanks for all encouragement - been a bit busy recently but managed to get a little progress.
It's going to be much easier to run the control wires to the elevators before mounting the top wing, but they will really get in the way while rigging the wing cellule, so I've decided to attach from cockpit to the brass tubes I've mounted on fuselage sides but only tack in place on tailplane until a later stage.
I use chameleon fishing line of 2,3 or 4lbs as appropriate. I apply a splodge of aluminium paint (Revell Aqua in this case) to a coffee filter, then draw a metre or so of the wire through the folded filter several times to replicate a suitable RAF wire colour. (I don't try to achieve the aerofoil section, as all previous experiments have twisted after construction and looked worse than a round section!) The Aqua dries very quickly and doesn't react with the CA glue I will use to anchor the line in pre-drilled holes.
I rigged the undercarriage at the same time.
Sandy
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Now to make it look like a Strutter.
Top wing cemented in place on cabane struts and once set, outer struts popped into place and fixed with a little Tamiya thin.
I've also place the Scarff ring in temp situ.
Yes, definitely starting to look like an LCT.
Sandy
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Looking good Sandy. I like your approach to the rigging, also colouring it is an excellent idea. I prefer a metal colour to black myself.
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She's looking great Sandy, I love it!
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Brilliant, Sandy, she's really coming together quickly now. I've been coloring my rigging wires as well, with good old Testor's "Steel", thinned down a bit... I'll have to try the coffee filter idea, though.
Dutch
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Awesome results!! Would you consider this Roden's best?
Steve
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Thanks Nigel, Zac, Dutch, Steve - I certainly think it's a good kit but there is still a fair bit to do - but that's what modelling is all about! (eg: I'll never use a Proper Plane propellor (huge respect to them though and those that use them) coz part of the fun for me is trying to make it for yourself. YMMV.)
(To me, the Albatros kits are the best Rodens I've made.)
Sandy
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What a lovely build! It looks like you’re close to the finishing line!
Andreas
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Thanks Andreas
On then with the rigging. I'll do the wing cellule first, then tidy up surfaces and apply roundels, then I'll add aileron control horns and add control cables. Finally I'll rig fin and tailplane and end by attaching elevator control cables. That's the plan anyway.
My coffee filter method is less successful this time: must be a new brand of papers. Instead I add a pool of the Alu paint on a crease in the paper and fill a soft size 5 paintbrush with paint and use it to hold the fishing line down in the paint pool while I draw it through. Two or three passes and I have a supply of pre-coloured metallic rigging material.
Vesti la giubba
Sandy
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Before finishing last night I couldn't resist getting the roundels on the top wing.
Oh yes, I love the big colourful RFC cocardes set against the PC10 backcloth. A little Microset and sol, and the Roden decals appear to be behaving as well as any other brand. Thin, good conformance and colour density - and they do make the wings pop!
Another pic in daylight.
Sandy
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A wee bit of surgery to expose the wing inspection panels and here we are up to date.
I've tidied up the rigging holes but will thicken the turnbuckles once I've got the underwing roundels on.
I think this Roden kit, really captures the looks of the Strutter:
Sandy
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This is looking really good, great progress all round. This looks like a nice kit and your build has got me excited about getting the Aviattic bits and bobs so I can start my Strutter.
My coffee filter method is less successful this time: must be a new brand of papers. Instead I add a pool of the Alu paint on a crease in the paper and fill a soft size 5 paintbrush with paint and use it to hold the fishing line down in the paint pool while I draw it through. Two or three passes and I have a supply of pre-coloured metallic rigging material.
This makes sense. I used to do this to colour stretched sprue when I used it to rig 1/72 aircraft.
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Really shaping up into a nice model. Great work!
Steve
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I think this Roden kit, really captures the looks of the Strutter
I wholeheartedly agree, and your work is making this a wonderful replica of the type. Bravo Sandy, she's looking terrific!
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Beautiful work, Sandy... I recently got my copy of this kit from UA-Hobby in Kyiv, and it's near the top of my Potential Upcoming Builds List. I'll be referring to this thread frequently when I finally get around to starting it (assuming one of the Roden Albatri don't elbow it out of the way, that is).
Dutch
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Thank you Nigel, Steve, Zac, Dutch
Got the underwing roundels on now.
Not a very clear shot, but I think a silhouette shows the wing cellule off to best advantage.
Control horns next.
Sandy
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I'm waiting for my Aviattic bundle and I hope I can make mine end up looking half as good as yours.
Steve
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So I'm quietly plugging away at the Strutter and getting near the end of the rigging with just the aileron cables to attach before cleaning up and adding turnbuckles etc. I pop into the man cave this morning and look at the attractive lines of this very enjoyable model as it sits in front of the window and something stirs in my memory from my Tom's Vacform build of this same LCT from several years ago: wait a minute , the wing roundels didn't have an outer white ring, did they?
Quick check of sources and, god-dammit, 9407 at time of photographing had blue outers on the wing roundels! I realise that I had dithered about which subject, from Ronny Bar's superb RFC Two seaters book, to build - I'd fancied one with the plain CDL rudder but was having trouble setting up my new Cricut cutter to make masks, so opted to just stick with the kit markings. I probably had this other machine in mind when I decalled the wings.
Aaach, I've already weathered the wings and outlined the ribs over the markings, as well as all the rigging. Doh!
But actually, when I look at it, it is much more attractive with the white outlines - and, now I come to think about it, I'm sure I remember my grandfather (who was in the 11th Hussars on the Western Front from 1914-1919) telling me of an overheard conversation in a shady estaminet in 1916, when some fitters were complaining about having to replace the upper wings on Collishaw's machine after the Oberndorf raid. Yes, that's right, I'm sure I remember that now. Honest!
Well, as always, nobody can disprove it, so on we go!
Sandy
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It looks bloody marvelous to me, Sandy! And Prince Albert's Own? Good show granddad! :)
Dutch
PS - I understand that sneaking into Bessonneau tents and painting white outer rings on the roundels of other mechanic's machines at night was a popular prank among RFC maintenance crews at one point in the war, obviously this machine suffered that very fate!
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Looking forward to seeing this one done as a Strutter will be next in my build list......
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Thanks Dutch and Nigel
Oh well, this one has taken much longer than anticipated - not the kit's fault, it's a delight in general, no more due to pressures from the outside world. Anyway I'm going to call it a day here apart from a couple of figures to be added soon.
Nice kit, not expensive (pre-order price from MJR in UK was 40GBP incl postage although it's dearer now.) As mentioned, I used the standard kit transfers (decals) and am quite happy with the results for density, flex and register. No AM was used although that Aviattic cowling with the annular ring would be a nice addition if I do it again.
I took the pics (rubbish phone, I'm afraid) on a very sunny autumn afternoon with bright low light and this has added a slight lightish bloom to the PC10, which is not visible to the eye. (I'd actually resprayed with a glossier varnish as I felt the first pass was too matt.) I'm afraid the strong light has flared out some details and really picked up on the Aluminium tinting of the rigging, but I intend getting some better (an better lit) SLR pics for the completed section, once I've painted the two Hi-Tech crew member figures to place with it.
Anyway, here it is for now.
Sandy
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Sandy, I'd hoist a glass of Islay in a trans-Atlantic toast and give you a Slàinte mhath! but its ten in the AM over here... good things are worth waiting for :)
Beautiful job, and your stick-to-it-ivness is inspiring... I've been taking notes for my own future build of this kit, and your experiences will be invaluable when I tackle it.
Dutch
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Beautiful work Sandy!
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That's a very nice build Sandy, she's come together really well and t rhe end result looks every inch a Strutter. Nice job.
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Lovely. That’s really a great model!
Andreas
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Impeccable and inspiring. Excellent work!
Steve
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Aw, compliments - lovely to see, and well done
Handsome machines, weren't they?
I hope more schemes will become available some time from the after market
Cheers
Mark
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I'm finally able to see the pictures in this thread.
Very nice work on this. Nice to see another Strutter completed. I like the clear sections in the top wing.
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Thank you all.
I wasn't happy with the overly-matt final finish (I don't know why it looks so dusty in the pics!) so I've given it a slightly more glossy-satin finish now. Once the figures are done I'll post the final version in the completed models section.
Thanks again
Sandy
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What a beautiful model Sandy, it really is.
Congrats with this!
Willem
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Much appreciated Willem, thank you.
S
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Beautiful's a great word for it. Bravo Sandy, she's come up a real treat!
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Great work on the Strutter! Looks excellent :)
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Outstanding results Sandy! Just another reason I am embarrassed about the outcome of mine. You have really done a beautiful job on yours!
RAGIII