1:32 Roden SSW D.III

[NigelR]

Wow, this has come together really well (and quickly!!). She is looking really good so far.

Those Aviattic decals are fantastic. I have been putting off using the GasPatch turnbuckles as I haven't found a way to make (IMO) them look convincing. But I have been experimenting and am going to give them a go on my Pfalz DIIIa build....

[petrov27]

The most annoying pair were for the lines extending from the cowling. I couldn't see how to insert the turnbuckles on the wings at a low enough angle. I think I'd have done better to stick them in at the base of the struts.

This is all coming together very nice indeed! Regarding the turnbuckles and getting a good/correct angle, my method is to make the attachment point "eyelet" right on the buckle itself - insert a straight section of fine soft wire, bend it around the buckle then twist the wire ends (using clamp tweezers/hemostats) - gluing just the twisted end of the wire eyelet into the model the buckle then is "free" to move and when you attach the other end of the wire it will assume the correct angle.

[lcarroll]

    I use Patrick's method as well and GasPatch turn buckles . ( I prefer the 1;48 Scale versions as I find the 1:32 ones a bit over scaled for my "Geriatric Scale" 1:32 subjects) Works very nicely!
Cheers,
Lance

[Bluesfan]

Ah... Thanks Petrov and Lance... Not the first time I realise something I might have figured out. I was using the wrong type of turnbuckles, the ones Gaspatch offer which root directly (if that makes sense). Type A rather than the Type C which I see in your picture. 'Obvious' now!

Weirdly, despite this being such a visible mistake, I may well just leave it. (You appreciate I already have the top wing on, pics to follow later) It just seems to matter less than the overall prettiness of the decals and everything. But thanks, the lesson will be applied in future.

Mark

[Bluesfan]

One of the rules of successful modelling: Never do things in a rush.
I'm sure many of you follow this essential rule as much as I do; which is to say, sometimes not.

So, there was my local model club meeting last Wednesday, holding a competition this month in fact. The club has just moved to holding competitions half yearly rather than annually. This caught out many people, including myself. I'd started a Sopwith Camel. The theme this time was "As Colourful as Possible", awkward because the Camel I want to build is one of the 2F Camels flown on the Tondern Raid. With all the markings etc painted out, ie a plane which was very much not 'as colourful as possible'.

Hence an intense week-ish leading up to last Wednesday. It's not quite finished, but as near as makes no difference, and I am going to set it in a vignette. This was the state in which I took it along to the club meet.

On that last day, I found myself threading the last 8 strands of rigging, between the wings. Actually it wasn't so bad, especially as the wing structure on this type is sound. However, doing the final loops naturally left ends to be snipped off, and I managed nearly all of them, until I cut through the wire instead on the last one. The rear flying wire on the port side. That's why there's a bodged repair job there.

[Bluesfan]

A couple more pics.
To my surprise it came 3rd (out of 20 entries, with ~40 voting). My prize was a coffee mug, and believe it or not, I'm really chuffed about that! 

Overall I'm happy so far, I mainly wanted to capture the basic prettiness (I know, I know, 'in the eye of the beholder') of one of my favourite types. If only Wingnuts could have held off another half year or so, Roden might have taken more time on the finish of the fuselage; and maybe also committed to producing a companion model of the D.IV.

But I like this kit very much. For what it's worth, the prop came from LF Models. A bit of hacking about was required to fit it into the spinner, but I think it does the business. And as already mentioned, Gaspatch and Aviattic have enhanced other aspects of the kit.

Cheers
Mark

[Bluesfan]

Before I forget, let me thank the gents previously who pointed out the potential cabane strut problem. Which is that with the parts fitted as they are, one's liable to end up with a bow on the top wing.

Forewarned really was forearmed: after looking at photos of the actual planes, I figured it could look right if I cut wider openings for the bases of the struts, so as to let them 'sink in' as required.

it worked okay and I seem to have a properly straight top wing.

Mark

[Dirigible-Al]

Hello Mark
THE PLANE LOOKS BEAUTIFUL!. Regarding the repair after cutting the wire the chances are they wouldn't be noticed by someone looking at it using their eyes rather than an image from a several megapixel camera.
Alan

[lcarroll]

    Nicely done Mark, a beautiful model for your collection and from a challenging Kit!
Cheers,
Lance

[Brad Cancian]

Beautifully done Mark, a very striking scheme. An excellent tribute, well done, sir!

Cheers

BC

[RAGIII]

That is remarkable work on a challenging kit! Terrific Tribute and thanks for the suggestion/solution to those cabanes!! I may need to do another someday!
RAGIII

[AngryJazz]

Beautiful build ! Well done 

[PrzemoL]

Nice and colourful.

[NigelR]

I think that's turned out really well and it certainly looks very colourful. Nice job!!

[Bluesfan]

Many thanks again for the comments. I think I'm done now! Though I thought that once or twice already, and there were another few twists in the tale 

Since the previous roughly finished stage, I've touched up some minor paint waywardness, and I did manage to redo the rear landing wire which I'd cut.
More importantly, I finally installed the 'intra-cabane' rigging which was very finicky though not very visible. My impression is that it wasn't always arranged the same way in different aircraft, but I was drawn to pictures in the Datafile which show the use of a squarish metal piece centering the rigging from the four points of attachment. Sort of equivalent to the Camel's use of an acorn, the point being to keep the rigging clear of the guns. I tried to emulate it with some tiny pieces of spare PE and wire. Imperfect, but at least it's there.

Having done that, I sprayed on a coat of satin varnish, which gave a more pleasing finish.

Then I prepared a base and figures, pictures to follow.

Mark