Author Topic: WNW Sopwith Tripe - N5376 Black Sheep  (Read 25506 times)

Offline Ian from Doncaster

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Re: WNW Sopwith Tripe - N5376 Black Sheep
« Reply #60 on: January 26, 2014, 05:35:25 AM »
It is indeed future/klear.  I end up using a combination of both products depending on what finish I want to achieve and how much decalling and weathering needs sealing in.

Today I prepared and painted the undercarriage components, which will now be set aside for a while.  Even more finished components to add to the pile!

Offline Ernie

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Re: WNW Sopwith Tripe - N5376 Black Sheep
« Reply #61 on: January 26, 2014, 08:05:01 AM »
Very good work on the top deck Ian, and also thank you for the information
on the Satincote.

Cheers,
Ernie :)
The new old guy, take two...

Offline Des

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Re: WNW Sopwith Tripe - N5376 Black Sheep
« Reply #62 on: January 26, 2014, 09:37:44 AM »
You are achieving great results Ian, everything you have done so far is looking very impressive. The clear I use is Humbrol GlossCote, SatinCote or MattCote, these come in the glass bottle and spray well over decals.

Des.
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Offline Dal Gavan

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Re: WNW Sopwith Tripe - N5376 Black Sheep
« Reply #63 on: January 26, 2014, 10:23:59 AM »
It's looking good, Ian.  I also think I'll start painting more parts while they're on the sprue- it will make them easier to find when I drop them, as well.

Cheers.

Dal.

Offline Ian from Doncaster

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Re: WNW Sopwith Tripe - N5376 Black Sheep
« Reply #64 on: January 26, 2014, 06:48:22 PM »
Thanks all.. :)

Humbrol supply a variety of varnishes, seen here http://www.humbrol.com/shop/coatings-and-thinners/varnishes

The "Clear" products in bottles are relatively new - I tried the gloss one (AC7431) but prefer Klear/Future.  The products I use are the varnishes in spray tins - mostly acrylic (AD6135) but I have enamel (AD6999) one too.  I also have the matt "cote" product (AC5601), which is for brushing/airbrushing but definitely needs thinners.  Sometimes I use the "cote" name in reference to all the Humbrol varnishes, which isn't quite correct so I apologise if I mislead anyone.

Please note I have no commercial affinity with Humbrol, I am just more familiar with their products than others...

Offline Ian from Doncaster

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Re: WNW Sopwith Tripe - N5376 Black Sheep
« Reply #65 on: January 27, 2014, 04:05:21 AM »
No more components built today, but I decided to do a dry fit to see how everything goes together in case I need to do some fettling and also to see where I need to be careful as the build progresses.  For example, the bare plastic strip that remains on the cockpit floor, where I masked to avoid getting paint on the join between the floor and side frames, is slightly too wide.  I resolved that by shading carefully with a brown pencil up to the floor paint, so that the thin line of bare plastic will be hidden.  I'll try and get a pic to show this later.

One of the known problems with WNW Sopwith models, is the lower wing fit once the cockpit is assembled.  Here you can see the lower wing fit - the joins circled are as close as they can be, and the tiny gaps close up even more when I push the parts together.  The join between the wing component and the fuselage underside may need filling to hide the seam, but the way the wings themselves sit looks ok.



The other photo shows the top cover sitting a little high (blue arrow).  I think there may be two ways of resolving this: sand a little off the cowling edges (yellow highlight) to give a little freedom of movement, or sand the top edges of the ammo box and instrument panel - as they could be pushing up the panel - alternatively I could adjust the fitting of that assembly a bit lower, say 0.3 mm to give the same result.



In handling the components the control column has been dislodged, but I should be able to re-fit that carefully. 

The difficulty is each time I fettle with something the re-assembly for another dry fit check takes time.

Offline IFF1418

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Re: WNW Sopwith Tripe - N5376 Black Sheep
« Reply #66 on: January 27, 2014, 04:55:53 AM »
Hi Ian,

I think that the fitting is nearly perfect. I'm still admiring the painting of the cover/cowling. Really wonderful. Keep up the great work!

Kind regards
Patrick

Offline RAGIII

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Re: WNW Sopwith Tripe - N5376 Black Sheep
« Reply #67 on: January 27, 2014, 05:36:01 AM »
Ian, Absolutely Stunning work so far on the coaming and all! As for the fit, You are already ahead of me. I had to CUT the coaming to get it to fit between the struts once the fuselage assembly was glued together. On the plus side for my build cutting the coaming eliminated the slight miss alignment your picture shows.  :-\
RAGIII
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Offline Ian from Doncaster

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Re: WNW Sopwith Tripe - N5376 Black Sheep
« Reply #68 on: January 27, 2014, 05:45:04 AM »
Thanks Patrick, Rick...

Thankfully I have read comments on how the cowling will not fit easily if the cockpit is wholly assembled first.  This is why I will put the top cowling in position between the cabane struts whilst assembling the cockpit frame.

edit - I have done a further dry fit with the fuselage halves, bottom wing, side frames with struts and the top cowling and it slots together very well.  The deflection seen before must be from the internal cockpit components - thankfully these parts are not yet glued to the sides and should be tweakable.

I will now need to take care with the frame rigging!
« Last Edit: January 27, 2014, 06:16:57 AM by Ian from Doncaster »

Offline PrzemoL

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Re: WNW Sopwith Tripe - N5376 Black Sheep
« Reply #69 on: January 27, 2014, 10:07:11 PM »
Fine progress, Ian.
Well, the fit of WNW kits is very good but not perfect (I wonder if perfect fit is possible at all!). I remember filling the gaps you marked with blue ellipses in the top photo. As for the top fuselage part with the cockpit opening - I felt satisfied with what came out from the WNW parts.
« Last Edit: January 28, 2014, 07:57:50 AM by PrzemoL »
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Offline Ian from Doncaster

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Re: WNW Sopwith Tripe - N5376 Black Sheep
« Reply #70 on: January 27, 2014, 10:55:47 PM »
Hi prez, you are correct about the WNW kits - our experiences tell us what we need to look out for with fit issues, and this forum is the ideal way to share hints.

Yesterday I did nothing but dry fitting.  The top panel should fit perfectly, and does, without the ammo box/instrument panel assembly in place.  At least I have identified where I need to do a bit of extra work here. 

Offline Ernie

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Re: WNW Sopwith Tripe - N5376 Black Sheep
« Reply #71 on: January 28, 2014, 02:06:27 AM »
Good steady progress Ian. This has been a very good update.  It's really helpful
to see potential troublesome areas for those of us who still have to build the
Triplane.

Cheers,
Ernie :)
The new old guy, take two...

Offline Ian from Doncaster

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Re: WNW Sopwith Tripe - N5376 Black Sheep
« Reply #72 on: February 01, 2014, 04:19:35 AM »
Thanks Ernie, I think I have discovered the issue with the raised top panel.

If you look carefully at the instructions, page 4, or bottom of page 6 the ammo box part A27 has a ridge along the top surface.  If you zoom in this image, you can see that this ridge is stepped.  Circled in yellow:



Now, look at the top cover panels at the top of page 8. 



The panel for the twin-gun option has a wider opening where the ammo box ridge goes (yellow highlight), wider than the single gun panel opening (red highlight).  This wide opening matches nicely with the stepped ridge on the ammo box, but the narrower opening doesn't.  This means for the single gun options then the ammo box ridge does not sit smoothly under the top panel due to the stepped ridges, therefore perhaps pushing the panel up slightly as seen on my previous pic. 

The simple solution is to sand out the stepped ridge until the ammo box sits properly under the single gun panel.

Hopefully this description makes sense.  I'll do another dry fit soon - I am just putting the tail trim wheels on the side frame, and painting the attachments etc.  I'll do the next dry fit before the cockpit is rigged.

http://www.wingnutwings.com/ww/productdetail?productid=3039&cat=4
« Last Edit: February 01, 2014, 04:52:37 AM by Ian from Doncaster »

Offline Ian from Doncaster

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Re: WNW Sopwith Tripe - N5376 Black Sheep
« Reply #73 on: February 03, 2014, 01:06:44 AM »
Well I think the fettling has been a success.  I sanded the ammo box as described, and have done another dry fit with all the interior components fitted.  Apart from the black cowlings sitting ever so slightly proud due to the tape underneath, the fit is spot on.  The under cockpit panel is flush and level with the rear portion of the fuselage, so no issue with lower wing fit.  The top panel, as you can see, now also sits flush - it will be even tighter when glued later.  The MG is the second one in the kit, sat here just for the pic.  The MG I will use is painted but still on the sprue.


Offline Ian from Doncaster

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Re: WNW Sopwith Tripe - N5376 Black Sheep
« Reply #74 on: February 04, 2014, 07:39:17 PM »
Managed to get the cockpit frames rigged last night, and the whole thing assembled.  It still fits in the fuselage halves etc, just. 

Another lesson learned here - using CA to fix these components is perhaps a mistake.  I find that the CA itself forms a slight thickness between the bonded components, thereby adding a risk of the whole assembly not fitting correctly.  Whereas the regular plastic adhesive, especially the water thin variety, doesn't do that as it melts into the plastic and "welds" the components together.
It is tricky to see if everything sits right, as the top cover is sitting in place loosely between the cabane struts.  The control cables need re-tightening, carefully.

Pic to follow.