Pegasus Big Ack

[DaddyO]

With the Pfalz nearing completion it's time to make a start on the next one (or two) 😁
Although I think the German aircraft are generally more 'interesting' and colourful I obviously want to keep my collection balanced so time for a couple of Allied aircraft. One will be a late war British single seater scout described by some pilots as 'an 8 ton lorry', but although a start has been made I haven't taken any pictures yet so here's the second one on the bench instead -

Ladies and gentlemen I present 'The Armstrong Whitworth FK8' also known as 'The Big Ack' (Cos the FK3 was called 'Little Ack') 😉

Not as well known as the Bristol Fighter it was well loved by its crews being a bit of a 'Ronseal' aircraft (You know. . . from the TV advert  . . .'does what it says on the tin')

Personally I think it has a certain brutal charm all of its own and rather like it. Although getting on in years the pieces in the Pegasus kit compare well with the Datafile drawings, but a couple of moulding flaws on the wing leading edge means a bit of sanding was needed. I'll re-scribe the ribs on later and this also gives an opportunity to thin the trailing edges (and we do like a sharp trailing edge don't we boys and girls)

Rather than make the variant in the kit I've decided to go for the later 'Bistol Fighter' style undercarriage to make it a bit different. . . .

[IanB]

I'll grab a seat at the bar for this! I built it a few years back and  commissioned some PE to bring it up to standard. That included name plates, control actuators, and the bracket for the Rotherham pump. If you bought this from Colin at Freightdog Models after that date, you should have that set included. Unfortunately I didn't keep any more.

Ian

[DaddyO]

I'll grab a seat at the bar for this! I built it a few years back and  commissioned some PE to bring it up to standard. That included name plates, control actuators, and the bracket for the Rotherham pump. If you bought this from Colin at Freightdog Models after that date, you should have that set included. Unfortunately I didn't keep any more.

Ian

Hi Ian
Great to have you on board - what you see is what I got 
(Picked this one up on Fleabay along with a Halberstadt CLII and a Be2e which were ones I'd been after for a while)

I've got a generic etch set, some sprue and a bunch of enthusiasm which hopefully will get me through

Paul

[macsporran]

Great choice of a dreadfully under-rated aeroplane Paul.

The combat where McLeod and Hammond in their FK8 won VC against 8 Fokker Triplanes should have immortalised this splendid machine for all time. But today nobody has heard of it.

Following with great interest.
Sandy

[DaddyO]

Great choice of a dreadfully under-rated aeroplane Paul.

The combat where McLeod and Hammond in their FK8 won VC against 8 Fokker Triplanes should have immortalised this splendid machine for all time. But today nobody has heard of it.

Following with great interest.
Sandy

Cheers Sandy
I hadn't even realised about their combat until I started doing a bit of research for this build.

For those who weren't aware of the engagement. Here's a copy of the London Gazette's announcement of their award -

1st May, 1918

     His Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased to award the Victoria Cross to the undermentioned Officers of the Royal Air Force, for services displaying outstanding bravery:—                                                                         

___________

     2nd Lt Alan Arnett McLeod, Royal Air Force

Whilst flying with his observer (Lt. A. W. Hammond, M.C.), attacking hostile formations by bombs and machine-gun fire, he was assailed at a height of 5,000 feet by eight enemy triplanes, which dived at him from all directions, firing from the r front guns. By skilful [sic] maneuvering he enabled his observer to fire bursts at each machine in turn, shooting three of them down out of control. By this time Lt McLeod had received five wounds, and whilst continuing the engagement a bullet penetrated his petrol tank and set the machine on fire.

He then climbed out on to the left bottom plane, controlling his machine from the side of the fuselage, and by side-slipping steeply kept the flames to one side, thus enabling the observer to continue firing until the ground was reached.

The observer had been wounded six times when the machine crashed in “No Man’s Land,” and 2nd Lt McLeod, notwithstanding his own wounds, dragged him away from the burning wreckage at great personal risk from heavy machine-gun fire from the enemy’s lines. This very gallant pilot was again wounded by a bomb whilst engaged in this act of rescue, but he persevered until he had placed Lt. Hammond in comparative safety, before falling himself from exhaustion and loss of blood.

—The London Gazette, Number 30663, Wednesday, 1 May 1918, at Pages 5287 and 5288

Admitted to Winnipeg hospital in October 1918 after returning home to Canada 2nd Lieutenant Alan Arnett McCleod, V.C., Royal Air Force, died 6 November 1918. He was just 18 years old.

After recovering from his wounds his observer Arther William Hammond MC & VC emigrated to Canada post-war and became a Canadian citizen. He later served with the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII eventually dying in 1959

[NigelR]

Nice choice Paul. Looking forward to seeing what you do with this one....

[DaddyO]

Nice choice Paul. Looking forward to seeing what you do with this one....

Cheers Matey 
(I know Dave has built a nice one, but the wheel fell off so that doesn't count)   

[WD]

Looking forward to tracking on this one. I had heard that story, but had forgotten about it. As you said, one would think this fight would have cemented the aircraft's fame, but like so much, it has been laid to the side in the intervening years.

Warren

[PJ Fisher]

looking forward to this build!

[DaddyO]

Looking forward to tracking on this one. I had heard that story, but had forgotten about it. As you said, one would think this fight would have cemented the aircraft's fame, but like so much, it has been laid to the side in the intervening years.

Warren

Thanks Warren. Start made around work and other stuff this week 

looking forward to this build!

Cheers PJ 



First and messiest job was sanding down flying surfaces and cutting off all the moving parts adding pins ready for new rib tapes to be scribed on

[DaddyO]

Next was to add some love to the fuselage. by sanding down the inside thin enough to get a suitable cockpit into, tidying up edges, filling in 'stitching' and adding a few wrinkles and foot steps. Happy with how that's shaped up so far most of the external details will be added when the two halves are safely together

[DaddyO]

Since I was a bit bored with sanding I decided to have a look at a couple of details that won't be needed till later - The header tank and wheels; neither of these inspired me much in their original form so I made a new tank from sanded sprue and added a few details (sounds easy, but took me most of an evening to sort that out satisfactorily) The wheels looked a bit 'meh' and a tad too big to my eye so I had a rummage and sorted out a pair that were nearly right and with a bit of work proved to be just the ticket 

That's all for the moment, hopefully a bit more progress tomorrow
Paul

[FAf]

Great choice of aircraft! I took to this aircraft after building the Copper State version of it. But that is a different scale and, I suspect, a much simpler route than your build. It's going to be fun to follow along!
/Fredrik

[NigelR]

Lovely start Paul. I really like the wrinkles on the fabric, a simple addition but very effective. The header tank looks nice as well.

[Flamingo]

Good progress!

That rear part of the tank looks strange....and difficult to shape.

Joachim