Sopwith 'Swallow' 1:32 scale

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Hi all,
A few more changes required in the cockpit area.

1. Photographs show that the front decking panel had a cut-out on each side alongside the breech blocks of the Vicker's guns. These were filed out.
Also the decking panel was filed for clearance around the base of the four cabane struts.
2. The 'Camel' had the main fuel tank behind the pilot's seat and an auxiliary fuel tank above it, which also acted as a wind break, preventing too much airflow entering the rear fuselage as causing pressurisation damage. The 'Swallow' has only one fuel filler cap access aperture in the rear decking panel, indicating there was no auxiliary fuel tank fitted there. As such there would have been a large opening for airflow to enter. As with Fokker aircraft, I assume there may have been a linen wind break fitted above and behind the pilot's head, so that's been added to the inside of the rear decking panel.
3. The pilot's foot boards in the 'Swallow' extended farther forward than those fitted in the 'Camels' and ended just to the rear and below the rudder bar. These were added using 0.5 mm thick plastic card.
4. The 'Camel' aileron control cables were attached to a control lever on the forward end of the control column torque tube. These cables were routed outboard into the lower wing. However the 'Swallow' control cables appear to have been attached to the control column then routed outboard and into box section covers on the pilot's foot boards. From there the cables were routed around pulleys then vertically up and out of the cockpit into the underside of the wing centre section. These box sections were made from scrape photo-etch sheet.

Hopefully I be able to actually start painting soon,

Mike

[kensar]

Nice detail work, Mike.  Looking forward to seeing some color soon.
And good work on the cabane and pylon support.

[RAGIII]

Continuing to be an awesome build log. I have an old Hobbycraft kit and a Part PE set. Could be tempted to find the conversion set by your build!
RAGIII

[lone modeller]

The quality of your additions/modifications is truly stunning. The pictures make the model look very much larger than it really is - which makes this all the more impressive workmanship.

Stephen.

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Hi all,
And so it goes on!!
I found that at the rear lower sides of the decking panel are cut-outs through the panel. Inside these cut-outs are what appear to be curved plates. They seem too low to be deflector plates for expended ammunition from the gun breech blocks, given how high the guns are above the decking panel and the fact there is no obvious 'chute' attached to the guns. I can't find any information on how ammunition was fed to both guns on the 'Swallow'.
I'm guessing the ammunition belts were fed from inboard of the guns and expended ammunition ejected straight out of the breech blocks and over the sides of the fuselage.
Whatever the purpose is for these openings and plates, I'll need to add the plates after the fuselage is closed up.

Mike

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Hi all,
The engine supplied with the ‘Wingnut Wings’ kit is for the ‘Clerget’ 9B or 9Bf engines.
However the last engine type to be fitted to the Sopwith ’Swallow’ was the ‘Le Rhöne’ 9J (110 hp), which is of a different design and copied by Germany as the ‘Oberursel’ Ur.II.
Therefore I chose to use as a replacement engine the ‘CMK Master Models’ Le Rhöne 9J (110 hp) - (kit No.129-5105).

The most obvious difference in external appearance between the ‘Le Rhöne’ and ‘Clerget’ rotary engines is that the valve push rods were fitted to the rear of the ‘Le Rhöne’ engine cylinders, whereas the ‘Clerget’ engine had these fitted at the front of the cylinders.
Also the fuel/air induction pipes on both engine types were located at the rear of the cylinders, but whereas the ‘Clerget’ engine had these pipes connected to the rear of each cylinder head, those on the ‘Le Rhöne’ engine were connected at the side of each cylinder head.
The push rods were replaced by 0.4 mm diameter Nickel-Silver tube and the ignition leads were twisted 0.125 mm diameter copper wire.
The spark plugs were replaced using 0.5 mm and 0.3 mm diameter brass tube.
The propeller boss and back plate were discarded as the I'll be using a wood 'Lang' propeller from 'Proper Plane'.

Mike

[RAGIII]

Absolutely beautiful engine Mike!
RAGIII

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Hi all,
I'm currently working on the internal rigging.
Here's the flight controls consisting 'Gaspatch' 1:48th scale turnbuckles (Type A and C), 0.4 mm diameter Nickel-Silver tube and 'Stroft' 0.08 mm diameter mono-filament.
The rudder bar was drill with 0.2 mm diameter holes to secure the four rudder lines using 0.125 mm diameter copper wire.
The elevator pulleys were also drilled through to accept the elevator line.
A short piece of tube was secured to the control column to act as the attachment for the elevator forward cables.
The floor under the pilots foot boards has cross-bracing added.
Only the ailerons control run is still to fit, but can't be until the fuselage is closed up, due to the way the cable is routed.

Next up is the cross-bracing to the cockpit side frames.

Mike

[RAGIII]

Continuing to be a Fantastic build. The rigging is looking terrific!
RAGIII

[lone modeller]

The engine and rigging of those control lines is super indeed.

Stephen.

[kensar]

Nice looking fiddly bits.

[Alexis]

Really like how this conversion is turning out ...wonderful work so far Mike 




Terri

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Hi all,
I've been working away at the cockpit area, which is just about ready for closing up the fuselage.
All of the flight controls, except ailerons, have been added along with the visible cross bracing on the cockpit side frames.
I still have to seal the area and gloss the instruments.
Also fit the pilot's seat straps, gun trigger cables and fuel tank pressurisation pipe, but they will be done after the fuselage has been closed up, 

Mike

[RAGIII]

Outstanding work on the Pit! One would never guess how much you modified the innards!
RAGIII

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Hi all,
The fuselage is closed up now.
I've added twin trigger cables and the 'blip' switch cable to the control column.
Also the seat belts, cockpit cross beam and the fuel pressure pipe from the pilot's hand pump to the fuel tank..
As usual not much can be seen, although the cockpit on the 'Swallow' is more open than most, but the low wing cover a lot.

Now it's onto filling and profiling the external fuselage.

Mike