Fitting a Vector Clerget into an Academy Camel....

[FokkerFodder]

Hi all

I'm currently battling an Academy Camel and trying to fit a Vector Resin Clerget into the beast without luck - has anyone had any success doing this? I've thinned the cowling to egg shell consistency but the engine is still a little oversized. The only options I can think of are mutilating the engine (a shame),  somehow trying to add a mm or so to the edge of the cowling (I'm not sure how) to give enough room....  or using a large hammer or otherwise driving over it in the family car....


..... I think I'm going to build a nice WNM Snipe after this ordeal.

cheers

FF

[ondra]

Hi,

is the engine too large in diameter?

Ondra

[uncletony]

Leave the cowling off?

[FokkerFodder]

mmm, I've thought about it... I think it loses its 'Camel' nature a bit... if you know what I mean. Its so compacted towards the front it looks a bit odd without the cowling...but its a thought that I'll keep in mind and diorama possibilities do come to mind. I remember another forum member having this problem in 1/48 and leaving the cowling off ....

cheers

FF

[Kai]

Maybe heat up the cowling in hot water then try and expand it using some sort of jig?

[FokkerFodder]

Thanks all

As I'm building 2 of these (yes, I know) -one for a friend and one for me - I might try Bo's suggestion and leave the cowling off (does anyone know whether it came off all the way? It looks like it might have been hinged on one side but I'm not sure) for mine and do a little diorama - and for the other perhaps try the WNM version or use the one provided in the kit...

The spare Clerget I've built I can use for the Jacobs Dr 1 I'm think about 

Thanks for the suggestions.

cheers

FF

[uncletony]

I'm sure it came off all the way. I think the fastening method was two short metal straps on each side, top and bottom...

Not the greatest picture but you can make them out here:

[Kai]

Here is one actually flying without a cowling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ApowyEXSXM

Actually, it took off with a cowling, but landed without one...

[Pgtaylorart]

Cool video, Kai. A piece of the cowl was actually stuck to the wing and rigging wire!

George

[guitarlute101]

You could vacuform a new cowling over the kit cowling.

Mark

[ALBATROS1234]

i was going to suggest basically what mark did except if you dont have a vacuform machine you can push mold it ala harry woodman. you basically stick th kit cowl on a wood dowel ,broom handle or whatever then yoou drill a slightly bigger hole im some plywood.cut a square of sheet styrene and screw it down over the hole. heat up in a toaster oven or some other heat source even a kitchen burner until the plastic is soft. then push the kit cowl on the dowel downthru the soft plastic and then you have a slightly larger copy of the shape and quite thin too.

[ondra]

If you just need to enlarge the diameter of the cowl, maybe it would be enough to cut it through with a razor saw and glue in a stripe of plastic using an extra thin glue and sand it afterwards. Hopefully I described it in an understandable way.

Cheers.

Ondra

[Tony Haycock]

Here is one actually flying without a cowling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ApowyEXSXM

Actually, it took off with a cowling, but landed without one...

I was there that day. Somewhere I have photos of the Camel taxiing in with bits of cowl caught in the rigging

[Doug Mace]

Hi all

I'm currently battling an Academy Camel and trying to fit a Vector Resin Clerget into the beast without luck - has anyone had any success doing this? I've thinned the cowling to egg shell consistency but the engine is still a little oversized. The only options I can think of are mutilating the engine (a shame),  somehow trying to add a mm or so to the edge of the cowling (I'm not sure how) to give enough room....  or using a large hammer or otherwise driving over it in the family car....


..... I think I'm going to build a nice WNM Snipe after this ordeal.

cheers

FF

FF -....if by chance you check back in here after these 5-6 weeks, could I ask what you ended up doing with your Clerget issue? Quite curious.    -M

[Doug Mace]

Actually, speaking of the Vector Resins...anybody tried their Le Rhone 110 in the Hobbycraft/Academy Camel? If so, any of the same fitting problems?           -M