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

[Alexis]

Beautiful job on the panels Richie and the cowl fasteners .

I'm sure your wings will turn out just fine , take your time and you will find what works for you !


Alexis 

[lone modeller]

Richie you are adding some simply superb and very tiny detail to this model. I am not sure what you mean by this being a learning model - you are in the process of making a real winner here.

I am looking forward to your next project too - if this one is anything to go by the next one will be a real show stopper.

Stephen.

[Bughunter]

Hi Richie,

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.

The actual big cut out looks like a Scout D, but the cowling of that one was bigger, had a bigger opening on the front and a "bubble" on right side.
Just to confuse the model builders

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.

On the blog the builder commented/answered questions on this:
Quotation form https://bristolscout.wordpress.com/
"The French cockade was used as a stopgap measure after they discovered that the Union Flag was easily confused with the German cross at a distance. officially the colours were reversed in October 1915 to become the British roundel, but the RNAS generally, and aircraft remote from the Western Front took longer to switch over. Sometimes the RNAS didn’t have the blue spot in the middle, and of the 5 or so Bristol scouts in No. 2 Wing at the time, each one had a different marking."

Cheers,
Frank

[RichieW]

Beautiful job on the panels Richie and the cowl fasteners .

I'm sure your wings will turn out just fine , take your time and you will find what works for you !


Alexis

Thanks Alexis, I'll get there in the end with the wings. I actually took the skins off this evening, there was no saving the situation! I'm going to have a rethink and try another method. I actually feel much happier about it now.

Richie you are adding some simply superb and very tiny detail to this model. I am not sure what you mean by this being a learning model - you are in the process of making a real winner here.

I am looking forward to your next project too - if this one is anything to go by the next one will be a real show stopper.

Stephen.

Thanks so much Stephen, you have been a great source of inspiration and encouragement in my scratch building endeavours. Your kind words mean a lot to me. I'm excited about the next project but can't decide if it will have 2 or 3 wings. It will be from the Sopwith Aviation Aviation Company and possibly uncovered.

Frank you gem! That's really great information, you bring the same thoroughness to your research that you do to your building. Can't wait to see your Scout!

No real progress to report today, other than ripping the wing skins I spent a lot of time on the little rounded brass hatch on the cowling. There have been many different attempts, a few curses muttered but nothing to show for my efforts yet. It's been a frustrating day but one I will learn from!

Richie

[RAGIII]

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

The Student becomes the Master 
RAGIII

[RichieW]

No master here Rick, I'm still very much the student, as you would know if you saw the state of my wings today! 😉

[DaveB]

Hello, Richie

I cannot believe ths is your first scratch build - your work so far is impressive.

Great work on the panels

Regards

Dave

[RichieW]

Hi Dave, thanks so much. In some ways I'm a bit of a veteran because it takes me so many attempts to make anything! I don't mind ruined attempts though, the raw materials are cheap or often just bit scavenged from the left overs box. Ruining a Wingnut Wings kit, which I've done twice, is another matter altogether!

Richie

[Alexis]

What method are you using for constructing the wings ?


Alexis

[RichieW]

What method are you using for constructing the wings ?


Alexis

Hi Alexis, I was having a go at Harry Woodman's balsa core and embossed skin method. I ran into trouble with the compound curves of the wing tips. I think I've found a way round it now. I'm going to start again, my brother is going to lend me some Japanese carving files ( not sure quite what they are) to shape the cores. He says this will make it much easier. Won't get to see him for a week or so though so will start on the undercarriage legs or turtle deck over the weekend.

Richie

[kensar]

Hi Ritchie
I'm glad to see you are progressing through this project very well, with apparently minimal collateral damage.

The wing tips using Woodman's technique can be a tricky task, as Richard can attest.  I, however, avoid the whole debacle and make the tips from layers of styrene and/or putty, and attach the tip to the wing.  Maybe this can be plan 'B' for you. 

[RichieW]

Hi Ritchie
I'm glad to see you are progressing through this project very well, with apparently minimal collateral damage.

The wing tips using Woodman's technique can be a tricky task, as Richard can attest.  I, however, avoid the whole debacle and make the tips from layers of styrene and/or putty, and attach the tip to the wing.  Maybe this can be plan 'B' for you. 

Ken, THANK YOU!!!! That is an excellent suggestion. I was toying with the idea of using separate top and bottom skins, cutting the tip section off and applying them separately. If this goes pear shaped I will go to your suggested plan B. Plan C is to completely smooth out the surface with talc and dope and just apply stretched sprue and tape strips directly onto the surface with a bit of Mr Surfacer primer to hide my tracks. Plan B sounds so utterly sensible it may become Plan A.

[Alexis]

Hey Richie ,

 The Harry Woodmans is a excellent way on making the wings and I agree with Ken . Wing tips can be very tricky and frustrating on getting the right . Ken's suggestions on building up the tips out off sheet stock is a quick and easy way and if one tip gets messed up , it's easy to fix , cut tip and replace .

Another way of doing the wings is a hot water method . Two half sections of a pipe that has the right camber for the wings . PVC pipe can also be used . Boil some water in a large enough pot which will submerge the whole wing . Hold the wing in the boiling water for a minute . Remove and place the part over the top of pipe . Take the second pipe and put that over top of the other pipe and press down and hold until the part has cooled and set the memory to the plastic . Now you have the camber set and sand the rest of the wing to shape , add ripping and you are on your way ... Have a look at some of Des's builds . He made his wings in this manner .

Making the wings is the biggest learning curve , but once you find a method which works for you ...it will be like a forehead slap ....I still have bruising form 20 years ago !


Alexis

[RichieW]

Haha, thanks Alexis, I hope I don't give myself a head injury. It will be a big moment when I finally get the hang of it!

I may have come up with a cunning plan to scratch wheels using my cutting machine. If it doesn't work I'm just going to salvage the ones from my Eindekker that got shot down by Mrs W with a dusting cloth.

[RLWP]

I've taken to just telling the wingtips to get on with it and stick. I'm considering trying double sided tape instead of solvent

In theory, the styrene won't bend into a double curvature, by using small wooden clothes pegs it usually gives up

Another solution would be to cut wedges out of the styrene - I haven't tried that yet

Richard