Sopwith 5F.1 Dolphin, CSM 1:48, Upd 15.5.2020 Finished, done, over!

[Bughunter]

Oops, the 120 days warning No, I don't want to open a new thread, but should continue on this one!
Haven't touch this parts fro sooo long?

Originally I wanted to use the markings of C4131 with the checkerboard on the deck as provided in the Premium Edition.
But last year I was awarded with two Pheon sets in our great Des Memorial Group Build. I selected a set of the Dolphin/Snipe, mainly because I have the Snipe kit from Hi-Tech in my stash where the decals are broken due the age. This offers now also the option to build the blue Dolphin C3799 as flown by Capt Irving.

Rick, you have build that bird too - do you have a picture, which shows the "B" marking of Capt Irving? After a bit of research I'm more confused.
The Osprey book "Dolphin and Snipe Aces of World War 1" shows the B, but only on sides and not below and on top of the wings. Both Pheon sets (1/48 & 1/32) shows uses also the "B", but also on the wings.

My Dolphin "bible" contain a b/w photo of Irving beside his C3799, and there is clearly a "K" on the right side and that is the only picture I know of C3799. The blue Dolphin with white "K" is also shown as color drawing in the section "Color and markings" and in a  different layout on the front page of the book (the right one):

Source: web.ipmsusa3.org

I found no white "K" decals, so I have now the option to use the "B"s as provided by Pheon, or cut masks to spray the "K"s.
So if there is somewhere a confirmation of the big "B"s please tell me about it!

Cheers,
Frank 

[RAGIII]

I will have to check but honestly I think I went with Rowans interpretation because he usually , if not always, does his homework well. If you have photo reference of the Ks and blue nose I would be tempted to mask and paint, or in My case pay to have the masks made  As for the letters on the wings it was pretty standard practice but then again who knows. Perhaps there were several repaints and a letter change?
RAGIII

PS: I have to wonder if there are photos somewhere that neither of us have access to. It seems that every Major profile artist has done this one with the "B" markings vs the "K". Very interesting find!
RAGIII

[Bughunter]

Thank you for looking Rick!

I think many/all "B"s are based on the Osprey Aces book, this is from 2002. But if I haven't overlooked it, there is no photo in the book showing the C3799 with the B.

The new RAF Museum book is from 2012 and has may be newer info (180 pages in A4 format).
There is a chapter with operational details, victories and even flight hours of every built Dolphin based on serials. If available, also photos.

For copyright reasons I will not scan the mentioned photo, but the text beside it says: "... 2Lt G.B. Irving of 19 Squadron standing beside C3799 'K'. The pilot mentioned in a letter home that this machine had a engine cowling, the area behind the cockpit, the fin and the upper tailplane surface painted blue."
But the serial is not visible, and the Dolphin is very dark, so I cannot confirm if this is really the blue 3799. The K is a normal one, not this arty K as on B7927.
On pro side: the "connected balls" are between the K and the cockade, and only one Lewis is mounted on right side.

Perhaps there were several repaints and a letter change?

May be, or the picture shows another Dolphin of that Squadron?

That's why I asked, on which information/photo the B of the Aces book is based on. May be also mentioned in his letter home?

It seems that every Major profile artist has done this one with the "B" markings vs the "K". Very interesting find!

Once such a graphic is released in a book, even based on assumptions, everyone takes it over in his docs, so it gets "real" soon

Cheers,
Frank

[Bughunter]

Brass and copper


Due to final work on my Bristol Fighter and the Memorial Group Build this project was going in hold.
But now I decided to continue a bit on it. Not sure about able to finish it in one go, let's see.

Another build report made me aware of some small things to correct. I'm not a "rivet counter", but once I'm aware of some issues, I should fix them.
So I started with moving the lacing line up a bit, according to the Datafile and RAF Museum book drawings. I used Eduard PEs, but the 1/72 set to get a small line.



As next step I closed the preformed hole fro the struts with stretched sprue, because the struts needs to go one more rib out in wingtip direction.



The kit contains PE parts for the small wing windows to allow control of the pulleys, but only in "closed" form.



I showed this detail also on other models, so I need to open the wings here too.



The next thing was some scratch work with brass, copper and nickel silver. The thickest part in pic is 0.8mm.



On right side I added vertically the pump and some tap.



The left side shows now a fuel selector between upper and lower tank.



All those details was added with help of pictures in the RAF Museum book. Okay, in the original aircraft are more pipes and details, but this is 1/48 ... The WNW model seems to show this things in full beauty.
Some things should be still visible after closing the fuselage.

Cheers,
Frank

[RichieW]

Wow!!! Love the scratch built metal components, really beautiful work. Going to follow this one.

[smperry]

Frank
Just how did you make the little brass valve handles? Flatten the end of a piece of rod and then bend the still round portion at an angle? Those things give the plumbing a scale look another order of magnitude more detailed. Great work!
sp

[kensar]

Your metal work always amazes me, Frank.  It has to be soooo small!

[Bughunter]

Thank you very much!

Just how did you make the little brass valve handles? Flatten the end of a piece of rod and then bend the still round portion at an angle?

The handles are squezzed with a plier from 0.2mm brass. That is so thin, you can bend it in any form. The round part is glued into 0.4mm micro tube.

Cheers,
Frank

[Borsos]

Is this that huge 1 Cent coin you showed me in Fürstenfeld that you put next to your 1/24 scale Dolphin cockpit? It works, people start to think it’s 1/48.... 
Andreas

[PrzemoL]

Gorgeous work on the interior, Frank. Especially the metal bits are drawing my attention.

[RAGIII]

Stunning work as always Frank! Like the others your piping and other additions/corrections really catch My eye!
RAGIII

[Bughunter]

Thank you very much my friends!
I like to create this metal parts, because I don't have to paint the details then and it looks more real.


At first a picture for Andreas: yes, I'm doing a second build in parallel in 1/144, as you already assumed:



Aileron pulleys


Now some very small parts, not shown in the Datafile drawings but the RAF Museum book - the aileron pulleys. I scratched them on my Pup and on the SE.5a all was provided by Eduard. So I have to do it here too.

Last time I showed the wing openings, I painted them linen. The spar was painted in wood color and the sides with a dark grey.



The pulleys are 1.4mm diameter created with punch&die tool and painted aluminium.



I glued the pulleys into the openings, but was not able to create holders in metal. But due to the latest discussion there come the idea to bend black streched (on the Cent) sprue into a "V" and squezze it lightly. That seems to work.



With windows and frames from a Parts PE set it will look like this:



It seems to be reasonably true to the original, in comparison to the drawing.



May be you know this detail from a WNW kit, but in this scale this was damn fiddly!
Still some careful glueing required, but not today ...

Cheers,
Frank

[lone modeller]

Frank your English improves with every post: "....in this scale this was dam fiddly"!

The pipework and taps and now the pulleys for the aileron cables, your work never ceases to amaze me. I might just try to add some similar detail to my current 1/32 scale build - and that will be fiddly enough for me if I succeed, (which I am still not sure about).

Stephen.

[RichieW]

That looks proper fiddly but brilliantly done Frank.

[RAGIII]

Fidddly Indeed but brilliant Modeling! Stunning work as always!
RAGIII