Bristol Scout C 1/32 First scratch build attempt FINISHED!

[lone modeller]

It will be difficult but I have a plan.

Richie

We all have those Richie: the question is: "Will it work?"!

Stephen.

[RichieW]

It will be difficult but I have a plan.

Richie

We all have those Richie: the question is: "Will it work?"!

Stephen.

Haha, part of the plan is to have a good drop of rum after so I won't mind either way.

[RichieW]

Little bit of progress, I did a bit of miniature panel beating to make the side panels behind the engine. This thin aluminium sheet is quite easy to work with once annealed. The front was shaped by simply bending it round the cowling, the rear part was bent round the handle of my Xuron shears. The oil tank cover just behind the engine cover is lead foil, I ran my rivet wheel along it to suggest the less prominent rivets seen here. The oil tank cover is a bit lumpy but it is on the actual aircraft too so I'll settle for it.

20210504_213524 by Richard Williams, on Flickr

The side panels have hatches, it looks as though they are made by cutting a section out of the panel and reinforcing by riveting a lip round the boundaries.

20191116_104554 by Richard Williams, on Flickr

I decided the easiest way to do this was to use my cutter and make them out of masking film. Sadly it means I will have to paint over the aluminium panels but my attempts to make the hatches out of aluminium tape failed miserably.

20210508_164949 by Richard Williams, on Flickr

Lots of little rivets later;

20210508_193001 by Richard Williams, on Flickr

I'm pretty pleased with the results, I have to add the hinges and catches but that can wait for another day.

I added the cockpit coaming and cowling fasteners after making a fresh batch but need to do a bit of refining before they are fit for consumption.

Many thanks for reading
Richie

[Bughunter]

Richie, you infected me somehow!
I just browsed through your wonderful documentation gallery of the Bristol Scout, and a decided to follow you and build this bird this year.
But sorry, not from scratch, I have the Scout C kit of the not more existing company Gavia in my stash, of course in my 1/48 scale.

Cheers,
Frank

[RichieW]

Richie, you infected me somehow!
I just browsed through your wonderful documentation gallery of the Bristol Scout, and a decided to follow you and build this bird this year.
But sorry, not from scratch, I have the Scout C kit of the not more existing company Gavia in my stash, of course in my 1/48 scale.

Cheers,
Frank

Excellent news Frank!!!! I'm very excited to see a Bughunter special on this beautiful little aircraft. The museum will reopen next week, if there any things you would like a better view of just ask.
Exciting news!

Richie

[Bughunter]

There is a company doing wooden props, wonderful art: https://www.hercprops.com/

They made alse one for a Bristol Scout:


More pictures of that prop here: https://www.hercprops.com/reproduction-propellers

Cheers,
Frank

[RichieW]

Perfect, thanks Frank. Been hunting for a good profile of it.

[Alexis]

Really nice job on building up the side panels so far Richie , will look super once the other bits are added .

Frank , The Gavia kit is a nice kit , started it and ended up being a shelf queen do to a sharpie mishap 

Looking forward on the next up date , how are the wings coming ?


Alexis

[RichieW]

Thanks Alexis, the wings aren't in great shape still. I'm fighting against the idea of starting them again. I've got a lot better at making things since I made them last year but I think I should press on and treat this as a learning project. I have exciting plans for my next build and can't start until this is over the finish line.

[RAGIII]

Your skills are becoming Top Notch! The side panels look Outstanding!
RAGIII

[Bughunter]

Richie, after digging into the Bristol Scout topic I'm more lost then before ...
With many different engine types and cowlings used that is not easy.

Which marking you want to build? Exactly that museums aircraft?
According to WD44 a Scout D was build by Leo Opdycke from 1977-83 in the USA, flown 1983. Later acquired by the Royal Air Force Museum. 1994 it was then in the hands of the Bristol Aero Collection. Is this that machine?

And one remark for the markings:
The museums Scout has a Union Jack on the side, but cockade on the wings.
All the pictures I checked (but often the wings cannot be seen) with Union Jack on the fuselage then only a big red ring, not blue middle dot.
And with the introduction of the middle dot on the wing cockades then the Scouts has also cockades on the fuselage sides.
That is also reflected by the markings of the Gavia kits.
So either that's artistic licence on the plane in the museum or I don't know the references.

Just some thoughts ...

Cheers,
Frank

[RichieW]

Your skills are becoming Top Notch! The side panels look Outstanding!
RAGIII

Thanks Rick, that means a lot to me. Do you remember trying to guide me through the WNW Camel? Mine still sits on the shelf half built but yours was beautifully finished many builds ago.

Richie

[RLWP]

I agree completely about those side panels, they're great

Have a go at carving a prop before you buy one, I use files and sandpaper. You'll be surprised how satisfying it is to do

Richard

[RichieW]

Hi Frank, yes it's a confusing subject! I'm pretty much just going to build the aircraft from the museum. Even that has changed a lot in its short life. The cowling was originally much simpler (that's what I'm copying) but they enlarged the cut out underneath to help with an overheating problem. It also just had cockades on the fuselage at first. I'm still not sure what to do there. The museum aircraft looks great with the Union Jacks but they look like vinyl decals. I have a datafile with plenty of colour schemes and information. I think it is sold out now though.

Richie

[RichieW]

I agree completely about those side panels, they're great

Have a go at carving a prop before you buy one, I use files and sandpaper. You'll be surprised how satisfying it is to do

Richard

Thanks Richard, I had a lot of fun doing the microscopic modelling.Today I added the little brass hinges from photoetch fret and 0.2mm nickel rod. The latches were made from tiny slivers of brass from Albion Alloys connecto bits. I tried to replicate the different tones on the cowling by mottling it with black and white before spraying lightly with very dilute flat aluminium but that didn't work out at all. I shall try later with washes and oils. It seems a life time ago that I started this build with just a hot pepper sauce bottle top that would become the cowling!

Latches and hinges added to hatches. Cowling finished. by Richard Williams, on Flickr



No worries about prop carving. The prop Frank linked is a full size one that now sits on the actual aircraft I am making. I made loads of props last Summer during the first lockdown when the weather was so nice so that step doesn't scare me. The wings however continue to be a real nightmare! I shall make a concerted effort this week to get them presentable.

Richie