Scratchbuilding/kitbashing Gloster Sparrowhawk

[sisko]

Hi guys,

I'm new here and I thought that maybe someone can help me with this. I'd like to build a Gloster Sparrowhawk (a development of the Nieuport Nighthawk) in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy circa 1920. The scale will be 1/72. As far as I know, there is no kit of the subject. Well, maybe there was an old vac, but it's virtually impossible to find.

I have scratchbuilt other subjects (never planes though) or done some pretty complex conversions (including planes) and I'm a fairly skilled modeler (entered and won at several IPMS nationals a while ago, lots of trophies in my man-cave...) But I'm not exactly an expert on biplanes and I certainly would prefer to convert something instead of scratchbuilding everything (I don't want this project to take forever and too much of my limited energy...) I've already bought Windsock Datafile #160, so I have all the reference and drawings I need.

So, my question to you biplane experts is this: is there a kit of a similar subject that I can convert? Or can I kitbash a Sparrowhawk using, for example, the wings from this plane, the fuselage from this other etc.?

I know this is not WWI proper, so forgive me if my post may be a bit off-topic, but I thought this forum is probably my best bet.

[Bluesfan]

Maybe start with a Grebe fuselage? Merlin made one, but it's fairly basic and you might just as well scratch it.
I see the Japanese plane was fitted with a Bentley BR.2, I thought Small Stuff were going to make one in 1/72 but I may be imagining that, I've just looked at their news page and there's no mention of such.

Sorry, this isn't much help, but good luck

Mark

[sisko]

Thanks for the help! I did find a Grebe on EBay, and did an immediate BIN.  Though I definitely overpaid ($35), I checked with all my usual sources before and no one had it in stock (or could even get it some other way), so I guess I'm lucky I got it. I also discovered there's another 1/72 kit for the Grebe by Aeroclub (which I presume is even harder to find...) It might be the same kit under a different label, however. Does anybody know?

Anyhow, I read up on the Grebe and it's basically the Sparrowhawk fuselage plus a set of new wings. Different engine too. The tail fin is also slightly different, but very easy to backdate since it's actually larger. Now I should find out which wings are the closest...  On the Windsock Datafiles, the wings of the Nighthawk/Sparrowhawk appear to be thick and square-ish and with a noticeable dihedral, while the tailplanes have a round leading edge. I would say that the wings are similar to those of the Sopwith Pup, especially in dimensions, although those of the latter have a different side edge and less dihedral.

As it already happened a couple of times, as soon as I finish a complex scratchbuild/conversion/kitbashing, a major model company will inevitably release a fantastic injection kit with oodles of details and exceptional fit... Oh yeah, and it will only cost $15... 

I'm attaching a top drawing showing the Nighthawk wings, which are identical to the Sparrowhawk's. Any suggestion?

P.S. Your mentioning the powerplant gave me another idea and I grabbed a Toko Sopwith Snipe for a mere $6. It will provide engine (the Snipe was designed around the BR.2, right?), cowling and the machine-guns, although in all the pictures I've seen, Japanese Sparrowhawks appear to be unarmed. But then again, they were basically testbeds for ship launches and by the time the carrier Hosho entered service, they had already been replaced by the Mitsubishi 1MF-1 (incidentally, also British-designed.) It's quite possible that they never received any armament.