Lebed VII (Sopwith Tabloid), Special Hobby 1/48, Upd 23.1.18 100% scratch floats

[KrzysiekK]

Top build!
Amazing wood detail set!
Being close that thread
regards
K

[Des]

This is coming together beautifully Frank, I love the fact that you are using real wood.

Des.

[Gisbod]

Can't beat real wood Frank..

Beautiful

Guy

[Borsos]

Detailing a cockpit with real wood... hmmmm... really amazing idea, especially the seat looks great. I must try this out some day.
Andreas

[lone modeller]

I too appreciate the use of wood on a model - greta idea. The rest of you detailing is simply superb - and what a difference it makes to what is otherwise a good model but not special. Yours will be VERY special!

Stephen.

[Bughunter]

Oh, you are all so much surprised, at least by the seat - I should register a patent and sell licenses. So I can stop working and have more time for modeling and can come around with more of such crazy ideas

Just joking   Thank you all


Cockpit mounting


It is really hard to gather information about that biplane, at least for the inside. There exists a replica in Hendon, but I guess they had the same problem - the instrument board is empty!

Quelle: https://hiveminer.com/Tags/factory,warbird


Now some brass parts, the rudder bar scratched and soldered.



Also a control wheel holder. According to that picture I decided also against seat belts for such early time. No weapon, no fights, no acrobatics. They were lucky to be able to go from A to B and see something. And to avoid a headstand, a special landing gear is mounted. So I found no reason for a belt and no picture shows one.



All parts mounted and put on a light washing. In real the colors are not so bright.







It was a lot of effort, but it is still visible from outside.



Hard to show with photos, but with real eye you can see some details inside.



Really pity, that I have to glue the fuselage parts together ....

Cheers,
Frank

[Iancshippee]

Truly beautiful work, frank! Next thing you'll be making your own Stripped Down versions out of wood!

[Des]

Superb workmanship on the cockpit, control column and rudder bar, well done so far.

Des.

[Manni]

Great work, Frank. Superb details. I hope I can see the originals on an exhibition maybe in Mol or in Lingen.
Bye,
Manni

[xmald]

Top notch mate! That's what you take pictures for - to still be able to see all your effort.
Keep up the good work!

[RAGIII]

Frank,
Your woodworking and details are incredible! Lovely results!!
RAGIII

[Bughunter]

Thank you all!

Next thing you'll be making your own Stripped Down versions out of wood!

That would be a lot of effort, and I have some question regarding stability! If I sand the wood down to such thin parts it gets really flexible.

control column

Ah, thank you! Sometimes I don't find the correct translation.

I hope I can see the originals on an exhibition maybe in Mol or in Lingen.

Manni, from the south of Germany this is a bit to far. My models (and me) can be met in Fürstenfeldbruck on 17./18. March 2018 and, may be this is more a option for you, in Wilnsdorf on 29. April 2018. Have to drive 500km for that event, but it's nice. Would be nice to meet you there.

That's what you take pictures for - to still be able to see all your effort.

So it is good to have such build report

The next thing will be the engine.

Cheers,
Frank

[gbrivio]

Nothing can stand the magic of real wood and looks perfect here. I'm looking forward to see the completed lebed.
Ciao
Giuseppe

[lone modeller]

Your work never ceases to amaze me, and this latest is no exception.

With reference to seat belts it would seem that most early aircraft did not carry them for the reasons that you have given: that pilots did not perform aerobatics so that they were unlikely to fall out of the cockpit. It would also seem that they were not fitted to many aircraft until quite late into WW1: there are accounts of pilots who did not want them for various reasons. There are also accounts of observers falling out of the front cockpit of the FE 2b in dogfights and at least one of an observer Lt F. S. Rankin's coat being grabbed by by the pilot to prevent him from falling out of the aircraft. Another account is of a pilot flying another aircraft (not an FE 2b), who was attempting to change the drum of the Lewis gun which was mounted on the top wing: the drum jammed and in wrestling to get it off the aircraft turned on its back and the pilot fell out of the cockpit and found himself hanging on to the Lewis drum. With difficulty he managed to get his legs back into the cockpit and kick the control column so that the aeroplane turned back to normal level flight and the pilot could sit back in his seat: if he had had a seat belt he would not have fallen out. I apologise for not giving the name of the pilot or his aircraft - perhaps another can provide those details - memory suggests that it may have been Capt L. Strange of the RNAS.

Stephen.

[RLWP]

I would be very surprised to find that the Tabloid had no belt

Observers fell out because they were standing to use guns

Richard