Sopwith Camel

[djuggie]

November 2, 2023

I know I am late to the party for WNW kits so I will not go into a detailed explanation of the build.  It is for a customer who is having me build larger and larger scales as his eyesight is not good.  I will build it as a quick-build and hope to have it built by mid-November.  The kit will be 100% out of the box.

His model of choice is Raymond Collishaw's Black Maria.  There are two others on the shelf and I not sure how many he has to follow those.

As the three photos show, I build in somewhat of shotgun approach.  It keeps me interested and it makes it look like I've made more progress than I have.  1/32nd is not my scale of choice although the completed kits look great.  My main thing is a lack of shelf space.

Thank you for looking.









November 8, 2023

The interior is now completed.  I will not be adding any internal rigging or control wires as my customer is mainly interested in the completed model.  Just enough detail to make the model look good.  This section is falling together and is typical of WNW models quality.

The warning of being careful with the cabanes has been taken but I do love the one piece construction that makes the future wing alignment very easy.  I will close it up tomorrow at my modelling workshop and I hope to have the fuselage closed up and painted by the weekend.




November 11, 2023

The model is now closed up and painting is underway.  A little persuasion was necessary with the cockpit opening but it went well.  It stopped resisting my charms when it realized I was not going to let it thwart my evil plan of finishing by the middle of the month.  I may be a few days off but it will be close.  I do have to say this one of the easiest of the WNW kits I have built.  Please note that the cabanes have stayed in their designated location.  We will see what awaits me when the top wing goes on.







November 15, 2023

This next series of photo show the masking for painting, undercarriage attachment and tail surfaces.  I like to get my models on their wheels as soon as possible.  The rigging is Heavy E Z thread.  When everything has dried, I will attach the top wing.

[Tim Mixon]

Nice start on the Camel. I like the scheme you are doing. 

[DaddyO]

Looking good so far and I'm impressed by the mid November deadline to finish (It can take me a week to add decals )

Paul

[NigelR]

I have one on the shelf to do, so interested to see how you get on with this. Some builders have had issues with the top wing (cabane struts too high forcing a bit of a bow in the wing), so you may want to watch out for that.

[djuggie]

Thanks for the heads up on the cabanes.  I will be on the look out for it. 

The seatbelts are in and I do not like them.  The metal etch just does not look good.  I may make my own from here on out.  Suggestions?

Dennis

[Dutch522]

I consider myself lucky to have recently picked up the Le Rhône Camel for only about 20% over original price at an IPMS show, so I'll be following this with a great deal of interest. And good to know about the potential cabane issue, thanks from me as well, Nigel!

Dutch

[NigelR]

Thanks for the heads up on the cabanes.  I will be on the look out for it. 

The seatbelts are in and I do not like them.  The metal etch just does not look good.  I may make my own from here on out.  Suggestions?

I'm not certain exactly what the cabane issue is as I haven't built mine yet, but several people I know had trouble and ended up with the top wing slightly bowed down on the outer struts. But others have had no problems, so definitely do some testing before you commit to gluing the top wing in place.

It's probably too late regarding the seatbelts but annealing them and them folding them to shape before painting works well. Personally I am not a fan of the paper ones that seem popular these days. Lead foil works best for me, you can use a photoetch buckle set and get very realistic results.

[djuggie]

Nigel,

Thank you for the suggestions.  My skills in working with metal seat beats are lacking.  They just don't look right.  I finally went to my old standby for many things, masking tape.  Duplicated it, painted it, and stuck it in.  I will have the results up in a day or two.

Dennis

[Mike Norris (UK)]

Thanks for the heads up on the cabanes.  I will be on the look out for it. 

The seatbelts are in and I do not like them.  The metal etch just does not look good.  I may make my own from here on out.  Suggestions?

Dennis

Also watch out you don't break any of the cabane struts. Others, including me, have.
As they are molded as part of the fuselage halves and a quite long, they are easily broken off when handling the model prior to the upper wing being fitted,

Mike

[djuggie]

A new photo has been added

[NigelR]

Careful of those cabane struts.......

[djuggie]

Three more photos of the Camel are now up.

[Dutch522]

Coming along great, Dennis, although she does look a mite odd at the moment with those cabanes sticking up like antennas. It reminds me of an old 1960s-vintage kit I built as a kid... a Monogram 1/72 Curtiss Hawk, maybe? that was engineered the same way.

And if you say you're going to hit your mid-month deadline, I'll believe you. If anyone can do it you can

Dutch

[djuggie]

i loved those Monogram kits because of the attached cabanes.  No alignment problems.  I am hoping the Camel will be the same.  I hope to finish the painting, undercarriage and decals today.  Then,  the cabanes.  Beware the Ides of Cabanes!  Oh, that was bad.

Dennis

[KiwiZac]

Beware the Ides of Cabanes!  Oh, that was bad.