forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com
WW1 Aircraft Modeling => Under Construction => Topic started by: Tim Mixon on January 01, 2026, 10:37:02 AM
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Hello all! Happy early New Year!
My current project is this excellent vac and resin kit from the OOP Rosemont Resin.
This aircraft was a very late war development. It entered service in only one escadrille before the war ended. By all accounts it was an excellent fighter and support aircraft.
Small little package with the huge Salmson 9z radial engine.
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202512/2970975_4ede19827872efa64e4c7ad4547e73e1.jpeg)
The vac details are very crisp. The resin engine cowl is a work of art!
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202512/2970975_44e877d7430079c539831d4cd239c1fc.jpeg)
I started with the fuselage interior. Painting all the appropriate parts metal, wood, and silver doped fabric. I added the wooden stringers from Evergreen strip. Next I cut out sheet plastic discs and made fuselage bracing forms. I punched discs to represent the spare Lewis gun drums and scratch built a storage rack.
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202512/2970975_145fc3eb757feb52c3508ebff4e6f57d.jpeg)
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202512/2970975_2c692cda6dbc2bbc490a6ef44b41ce52.jpeg)
I added both seats but realize the observer probably only had some fold out bench seat. It would be pretty hard to maneuver around a seat in combat!
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202512/2970975_e72e3d938485ee12e8e6cbcdae645b15.jpeg)
Seatbelts are painted Eduard French WWI PE. I scratch built the controls from plastic rod and wire.
(http:// https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202512/2970975_f6b5d77f976761d2b8ca5ddc309785cd.jpeg)
I scratched up an instrument panel and various other cockpit details. I have no interior reference photos so all is just conjecture.
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202512/2970975_eac515524b564111b22c49aae4402843.jpeg)
Ready to close it up now.
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Part 2.
Fuselage is closed and sealed with CA glue. The poor fit is entirely due to my added scratchwork
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202512/2970975_86cf7c040ccbac240a400f47db5ddd47.jpeg[/The bottom seam was filled with plastic rod and sanded to shape[img] https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202512/2970975_2b44bf3e6beb00355bfc9467a3b8da35.jpeg)
The top seam was filled with plastic strip and rod sanded to shape Perfect Plastic Putty was added to the seams and sanded when dry.
(http:// https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202512/2970975_261f0f8e10a1c791974a6ca04cd67088.jpeg)
The engine access panel should not protrude out so much. I sanded it off and added a scratch one from thin plastic sheet.
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202512/2970975_de9a26b0d5819b1dc42161a2f0389007.jpeg)
I filled the gap between the crew and then added cockpit combing by gluing elastic thread around the pilots opening.
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202512/2970975_b04ab6344b5756fc2779d7553b89909c.jpeg)
The shell ejection chutes were cut out and Evergreen channel inserted on both sides.
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202601/2970975_58f2f9c2c12ffd6e70244bd0748a698a.jpeg)
I added the resin engine cowl and Vickers guns.
After sanding off the fuselage louvres, I penciled in the locations and began adding Archer louvre decals.
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202601/2970975_3ca5552ad7e345cc6dc51304a9609729.jpeg)
This will be a slow, tedious process.
Thanks for following along!
Tim
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202601/2970975_8243073690dd9227393b01ac03d73b91.jpeg)
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A great kit of an interesting aircraft, I will definitely follow your build.
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Awesome Start on an unusual Kit!
RAGIII
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Well someone's been busy ;)
Great start on an unusual prototype Tim with some lovely scratch work as well; what's not to like?
I've noted the channel for spent cartridges from evergreen channel and the Archer louvre decals (which it'd be handy to get hold of, but I presume they are no longer available) :'(
Paul
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All those louvres! My eyes! Seriously, this is a great start on what looks like basically a very nice vac for its time. A very interesting project and wonderful modelling skills on display.
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Part 3.
Thank you Enathan, Paul, Rag, and Nigel. This is a kit I have wanted to make for years after seeing the masterful work by Matt Bittner. Finally I have the opportunity.
Finally, after several hours I have completed application of all the louvres. These were a pain to get on. Because they are printed so closely together, I had to cut them out individually and apply. They do not adhere well to any surface. I tried Tamiya extra thin but it didn?t work well. Next I applied super thin CA glue but it often lifted the louvre off the model and instantly adhered to the head of the pin I was using 🤬. If I did get it to work, often the louvre would move slightly and be glued on crooked. Anyway, here is the final version:
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202601/2970975_0715bddaedde1b48e77eda95995c8140.jpeg)
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(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202601/2970975_25ffa676cf01392e4612cfd9f08e76d4.jpeg)
Next I took a good look at the Vickers machine guns. They looked as if they were pointing outward at an angle
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202601/2970975_273221482c4b67e059cbe691853697f3.jpeg)
I decided to cut them off, drill out the channels to mount Aeroclub Vickers guns. These seem to have anemic water jackets so I added PE ones from a PART PE set.
(http://[https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202601/2970975_e6fe0e0d27883efbc5a4bc8efe39cf16.jpeg/img]Here they are just set in place so not perfectly aligned. I also added the muzzle blast protection plates cut from thin styrene.[img] https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202601/2970975_60d8cd6de49ca5c32b0e81118f9e14fb.jpeg)
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(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202601/2970975_0f445fdd90c15005de69f59c042db661.jpeg)
The next thing was to remove part of the rear fuselage and construct the exposed frame and tail skid.
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202601/2970975_61dc3f29d8f6fc21d0bce022ca317d51.jpeg)
We?ll have to see how it all looks under a coat of primer.
Thanks for looking in!
Tim
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Well done getting those louvres on. I have a Salmson vac in the stash and haven't started it because of the thought of doing what you somehow managed to do.
Alan.
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Wow, lovely work! I was glad you upgraded the MGs, because when I saw the photo of the resin ones in situ I was a bit underwhelmed. The scratchbuilding around the tail skid is masterful, bravo!
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Wonderful work Tim, what a great subject!
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Great stuff as usual. I use a coat of Future to stick things like louvers in place.
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Looks great! I built one eons ago but unfortunately it was destroyed when the display case holding it crashed to the ground. Sigh...
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Thanks Alan, the louvres were a bit of a challenge. I built the Wings 72 vac Salmson many years ago. It built up fairly well, but I would suggest getting the AZ kit. It?s not crazy expensive and the parts are much more detailed.
Nigel, I think the PE adds a lot to the metal guns. I?m still working out how to scratch build the cocking levers though. I?ve used up all the ones included in the PE fret!
Thanks Brad and Allan. Using Future is a great idea!
Matt, welcome to the forum! I?m honored to be included in your first post here. Awful news about your model and all the others I?m sure were involved. I?m referencing heavily your build article on Internet Modeler. Definitely my inspiration for this project.
Part 4.
Here you?ll find I have attached the lower wings, tail fins, and made the wing supports from brass strip.
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202601/2970975_c9dba56c12e49333ebaf1efa20ead9b8.jpeg)
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202601/2970975_f1892b27179a0bec7d048116b0e70867.jpeg)
I used the template on the vac sheet to scratch up the landing struts.
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202601/2970975_d93add5c4010bc35da96edc4eecce87a.jpeg)
I applied them and scratched the spreader bar and axle. I also added elastic bungee cords.
Primed with Tamiya flat primer. I need to make a lot of refinements to the seams and between the louvres.
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202601/2970975_2cde5ca496ad649e23b6732036ad1a07.jpeg)
After a lot of filling and sanding, I painted the bottom color Tamiya flat aluminum. Then I added some pre shadow between the louvres in preparation for the French five color cammo.
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202601/2970975_1235e2ee682d88cbc974e7fec541c2fd.jpeg)
Thanks for looking in!
Tim
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Looking great Tim!
One thing I have always wondered is how do vac form builders go about the strut attachment points on the wings? I am guessing the wings are a single sheet of thin plastic, so drilling into them to create 'seats' for the strut ends is unlikely to be successful... how do you go about this part?
One day I must get around to trying my hand at a vac form kit...
Cheers!
BC
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Brad,
My technique for upper wing attachment is to mark strut location with a pencil, then drill a small divot with a Dremmel tool. A lot of vac kits already have location points established but not this one. The plastic is probably thicker than you imagine. It certainly isn?t the strongest join but works fine if you?re careful. Most of the weight bearing and rigidity comes from the cabane struts.
I hope you do decide to build a vac kit someday. So many cool subjects that will never be produced by main stream injection molding companies.
Thanks,
Tim
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That is indeed looking fantastic Tim, great work on getting this all together.
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Wow, that is a serious project. I will be watching with great interest.
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Part 5.
Ok. Here she is with the wartime French five color camouflage. The colors are:
1. Beige- Tamiya Dark Yellow acrylic
2. Brown- Vallejo Model Color Marron Chocolate acrylic
3. Dark Green- Poly Scale FR. Fok.Dark Green acrylic
4. Light Green- Model Master Flague Green acrylic
5. Black- Tamiya Flat Black acrylic
I attempted freehand airbrushing the pattern but ended up having to brush paint the edges a little.
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202601/2970975_4de2cdc58223b7e22b5267e0c080e0b8.jpeg)
After the paint dried for a day I started masking all the rib tapes. These are cut from low tac painters tape.
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202601/2970975_47406b522aec84e408c35822899ff055.jpeg)
Next I sprayed a light coat of Tamiya Clear Smoke over the masked areas.
I may have overdone it a bit in some areas.
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202601/2970975_7a196c50708c4c41745ca0d61cdd8edf.jpeg)
I?ll start prepping the seriously old decals with Microscale liquid decal film.
Thanks for your kind comments and interest in my build.
Tim.
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Part 6
Making great headway with this project. I added some more details to the armaments.
I found another Part PE set for Vickers guns and used some of the cocking levers. Also added gun sights. The Lewis guns I added ammo drums from punched discs. I?ll add gunsights later.
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202601/2970975_f7ec798022bf6996780a5e2a8e0753c7.jpeg)
Here is the main construction with undercarriage added, Vickers guns, and cabane struts in place. I?ve also applied a pin wash with Flory model Dark grime wash.
Decals were applied. The kit ones behaved okay after a long soak in tepid water. The roundels are from Americal Gryphon.
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202601/2970975_fd31a8d4a50e5adfb5837ac0e8ade081.jpeg)
Well?. After handing the model a little while rigging, it seems the HD 174 unit insignia has rubbed off some! Good thing there are two sets of markings included.
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202601/2970975_eb00e9e768e4aadb025dc28b35390df6.jpeg)
I also managed to knock off one of the gunsights but found it on the table. I?ll reapply them at the end of the build.
Thanks for looking in again!
Tim
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Looking great Tim
(I'm always knocking those tiny bits off at this stage as well. Good to hear I'm not alone) The Brass bits on the Vickers look really good; I'm pretty sure I've got some squirrelled away which I'll dig out for the next time I need them
Paul
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Cool build Tim , different but has a cuteness to it creating a soft spot .
Alexis
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Nice paint job Tim, she's looking really good. Those tiny guns look great!
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The painting is terrific as is assembly of this Vac Kit!
RAGIII
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Nice. A coat of Future will help keep markings in place...
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The first iteration of the kit didn't come with decals. I had to have them printed for me (back when ALPS was a thing) but then I think Barry added them to the kit later.
It's looking really sharp! Makes me sad mine was destroyed.
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>The first iteration of the kit didn't come with decals. I had to have them printed for me (back when ALPS was a thing) but then I think Barry added them to the kit later.
It's looking really sharp! Makes me sad mine was destroyed.<
Matt,
Same with the Caudron G.3 - I built the one with added resin but no decals, later came across one with decals and no resin.
Tim, this is looking excellent.
Paul. (Able to post again after another month being locked out by Cloudflare, bless their little cotton socks).
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I've never made a vacform model because I'm afraid that with the first cut in the plastic, I'll slip and ruin everything.
You are doing a great job Tim!
Willem
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What a fantastic project. I really like those top details of the fuselage, looks very impressive and scalelike. Moreover, a rare subject too. I also have built a few vac models in my time, DH5 for example. A good vacform kit is an very good basis for a great model? way better than a mediocre injection kit.
Cheers, Skyhook
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What a wonderful project, looking really great.
Warren D
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Finally Finished!
I finally finished this one. It was a lot of fun to build as I really enjoy good quality Vac kits. Lucky the spare decals worked out well for me. Thank you all for your kind comments.
(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202602/2970975_4881b03a0b078feec3ba4cd04960695a.jpeg)
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(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202602/2970975_a5ff76816e3005e0700e030228124b2c.jpeg)
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(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202602/2970975_1b1bb01edc1f38c0863937347f470aa2.jpeg)
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(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202602/2970975_2fbb84556a2401ca9002c505ecb9884f.jpeg)
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(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202602/2970975_fda182b911adfbf20530142a6a85d2cc.jpeg)
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(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202602/2970975_9857fe6cc4623128f672115fb0f752e5.jpeg)
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(https://attachment.tapatalk-cdn.com/45241/202602/2970975_564f4e4531c2d0a122a621d05d1f5514.jpeg)
Thanks again for all your kind words and encouragement during this project.
All the best,
Tim
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Another interesting subject from you. This build has been a pleasure to watch and it's lovely to see these classic kits built to a high standard. You did a really good job on this one, I really like the way you handled the rib tapes and weathering.
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Well that turned out nicely 8)
Quite a squat little aircraft, but really like the overall look of this one and great to see a model in gentlemans scale, let alone a vacform, built so nicely.
Paul
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That's really well done, Tim! I'm jealous it's better than mine. :D
I do have another in the stash. Maybe someday...
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What a beautiful build of such an interesting and unusual aircraft. Really well done sir.
Warren D
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This came out very nicely Tim, you have made the most of this excellent vac!
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Wow, Tim. That's a real beauty and so unusual. Great mastery of vac as usual...Dan ;)
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Great job Tim and on a lesser known subject.
Alan.