Aces Mounts 2025 GB-SPAD VII, 1/48....FINI....

[Allan31]

I had a '56 Mercedes 300SL out to do as a LeMans contender but I've wanted to do this aircraft for a while so here we go.

I have two SPAD VIIs, the Blue Max version and the Special Hobby.



The plan all along was to use the SH version with the decals from the BM. The SH has the red much too dark for me and I wanted to do Georges Guynemer's SPAD VII as I remembered it with the two "2"s on the upper wing.



I've been fondling plastic all morning. The SH is a little crisper with thinner trailing edges and a resin cockpit.



The BM version is a little rougher and would require more clean up. The destructions are missing but has the correct decals.



I found in the BM box I have the 34th pop of this kit.



As I've lamented before, I'm disappointed that the Blue Max line is no more. Chris Gannon put a lot of effort into his kits and I think it's a shame there aren't more of them out there built.
So after hours of fondling I'm leaning towards the Blue Max version. I can thin down trailing edges and use the Special Hobby pages to help figure out where things go.
I will use photos of Guynemer's aircraft housed at the Musee de l'Air et de l'Espace, Le Bourget, Paris. I'm hoping the colors they are using for the metal areas are correct.



The color changes with the lighting.



So, I'm in with this. The Blue Max version will be more difficult to build but much more unique sitting on the shelf.

[DaddyO]

Good man Allan
Never built one of the BM kits, but I really like the idea of going for the less obvious choice. The red looks much better on the decal sheet too. Possibly build an RFC version from the more modern kit?

Following with interest
Paul

[Brad Cancian]

Great project for the Group Build Allan! Looking forward to this one! 

BM kits aren't too bad; are you going to kit bash or just swap the decals? I seem to remember in the deep dark recesses of my brain that the SH kit needs a panel on the port side of the fuselage removed as the reference aircraft for the mould was a photo recon bird, but that may be an old memory...?

Cheers!

Brad C

[NigelR]

Good choice Allan. I remember the days when BM kits were the best we could get, and Chris Gannon used to man his stand at Telford looking a picture of elegance. Nice to see you doing this justice.

[Allan31]

So, nip parts off the sprue gates and start shaping and thinning.



Looking at the real SPAD got me a long way to figuring out were things go. This is an early kit from Blue Max and as yet does not have the photo instructions.



I'll paint the cockpit and add belts later. So much hacking and carving to get things to fit it would be ruind if I had done it before. Also indicative of the early kits, this is very brittle, hard plastic. Not the buttery stuff that came later. The brittleness contributed to several breaks. The fuselage needed to be much wider so a dip in boiling water helped.



A little putty will make up for the rough fit.



Some 10thou plastic will make up the gap in the tail. The fuselage is together, on to the wings.



The trailing edges are thick so I tried to thin them down.



I also tried to recreate the scalloped edge...



I absolutely have a very, very bad feeling about this. I strongly suspect I'll be filling the edge and just leaving it straight....

More later.

[Alexis]

Blue Max kits are very changeling at times , a bit of putty here and there and no one will ever know . The wings ...looking forward on their progress .


Alexis

[NigelR]

Wow, that one definitely looks like a challenge..... I am sure you will be successful though.

[DaddyO]

Great to see some love and care being added Allan (Looks like we'll both be buying the filler in bulk though)

Paul

[Allan31]

Problems....

Around Christmas time I found a bunch of thin wire for modeling for cheap.



Not being comfortable with but joints, I proceeded to drill holes to attach re-enforcement pins for the wings, both for the upper and where the bottoms join the fuselage.



I spent an hour or so marking out straight lines and measurements for the three piece wing to be joined as one straight piece and then carefully superglueing the three together. All worked great until I was gently sanding a seam and everything came apart. I was thinking my glue was old and was going to open some fresh stuff. While disassembling the wing I pulled out one of the pins with my fingers. I discovered that superglue does not stick to whatever coating is on the Christmas wire. Humph.....

All the pins removed and plastic re-drilled. New pins made from new clean wire. I tested a new pin while yanking on it with pliers and could not pull it out. Phew...
A coat of primer to see where we stand. As you can see, I have abandoned trying to re-create some kind of scalloped edge as every mistake I make has to be sanded away and I'm risking the chord on the lower wings looking more like a Nieuport 17.



I added some missing detail. Added those nifty 3D printed rivets and recreated those straps with furnace tape.



I added back a panel Blue Max had on that I sanded away, THEN did my research to discover it should not be there.



I am priming the struts and landing gear and ready to start the CDL colors.

More soon.

[DaddyO]

This one is really rattling along Allan

Good call about the scalloping methinks. Not sure what 'furnace tape' is. I've got some aluminium heat tape which is self adhesive; I'm assuming it's similar stuff?

Paul

[NigelR]

Wow, that's fast progress Allan. Looking good....

[Allan31]

I needed to get here so I knew the decals would work. I can't find any aftermarket so If they were shot, project is over for now.
I made my own mixture for the CDL. 20 parts Beige, 5 parts wood.



I then tried to find a color called out for the front put just matched photos.



With some photos it's a perfect match, others totally wrong.

Decals !!!!



I started with the black behind the headrest. If it cracked I would treat the rest of the sheet but everything went fine.



Thick film but Future should help out there. All the markings are about 8-10% too large compared to photos but they look good.



I was so tempted to swap the numerals on the top wing and see who noticed.

More soon.

[KiwiZac]

This is looking great. Well done, Allan!

[NigelR]

Wow, you are a fast mover! The colours look great and you've already got the decals on. Glad they worked ok.

[DaddyO]

Looking mighty fine Allan
(and I'm deeply envious of your building speed) 

Paul