sandbagger

Hi all, It's always interesting to find facts when researching for a model. For instance, the roundels and fuselage stripes on this particular 'Comic'. The photograph of the actual aircraft was presumably used to create the following colour profile. Prior to the introduction of the Type B night roundel in 1918, aircraft used on night operations had the white of the roundels over painted with the prevailing camouflage colour. This was done to reduce the visibility during night flying. The most common film used during the period was Orthochromatic film, which produced a very pale colour for blue and very dark colour for red. It seems during the the 1950s and 1960s, it was thought that the the roundel of home defence aircraft was a white ring roundel with an enlarged red centre disc. The photograph of this particular aircraft appears to show white roundel rings and fuselage stripes, which I assume was the basis for the previous colour profile. However, given the colour variation from the film I think it was more likely that what appears to be white was in fact blue and the dark centre disc was actually painted red. If that is correct, then it would seem sensible to paint the wing roundels similarly, rather than the standard red/white/blue roundels shown in colour profiles. My guess is the following colour profile is more accurate, apart from the wing roundels. Mike

Hi all, I've added the fuselage navigation light and painted the two filler caps and pilots head rest. Also added the padding around the cockpit opening. This was ANYZ 0.5 mm diameter black braided line, secured in position with CA adhesive then painted. Also the engine and cowl have been fitted. So now it's onto applying the 'Aviattic' linen weave effect decals, Mike

Hi Hubert, Another problem is that as far as I'm aware they're are few retailers of flat rigging. 'RB Productions' (if they're still operating) 'AIMS' for 1:32nd scale and 'Steel Works' for 1/72nd scale. So obtaining the stuff could prove problematic, Mike

Hi all, The basic underside CDL has been applied with rib tapes. The primed surfaces were airbrushed with 'Tamiya' Buff (XF57). The rib tapes were then masked and the surfaces then airbrushed with 'Tamiya' Dark Yellow (XF60). The masking strips were then removed and the surfaces given a light dusting coat of Dark Yellow, to blend them slightly. Mike

Hi all, The basic painted and wood finish for the the top surfaces is done. I played around with the 'RB Productions' photo-etch flat streamlined rigging, but I chosen not to use it. Although possibly easier to fit than mono-filament, it does not, as I thought, provide any structural strength to a finished model. As this model is based on the Sopwith 'Camel', it has pretty flimsy and to scale struts and landing gear and so needs the support that rigging can give. Anyway, on to the CDL underside surfaces, Mike

Hi all, A quick update. I've primed the main assembly and other parts ready for painting and decals. I'm now working on all of the pre-rigging before I carry on, Mike

Hi all, Just a few updates. The spent rounds ejector chutes for the 'Camel' Vickers machine guns were removed and covered with blanking plates, as for the 'Comic'. The ring and bead gun sights for the twin Lewis machine guns were made from photo-etch and Brass tube//Nickel-Silver rod. The extra ventilation holes in the lower, left of the engine cowl has been created. The navigation light for the starboard side of the pilots head rest had been made from spru and rod. Finally 'GasPatch' late style resin turnbuckles and 'RB Productions' 2BA and 1/4 BSF aerodynamic (flat) wires have been tested for use on the model. So now it's onto painting, Mike

Hi all, A few updates to the 'Comic'. The front decking panels, made from 0.2 mm thick plastic card are fitted. Added are the two tank filler caps, made from 0.5 mm thick plastic card and 0.4 mm diameter tube. The pilots head rest is made with 'Milliput' with 0.8 mm thick plastic card padding piece. Lastly the standard Rotary engine is complete. Now it's onto fitting the navigation light to the starboard side of the head rest, windscreen, ring and bead gun sights, Mike

Hi all, Just a quick update. The fuselage has been closed with the modifications included. All painted and decals applied. Some pipes (lead wire) and control rods and rudder/elevator wires (blackened micro-tubes) added. Now I need to blend the joints before fitting the scratch made forward decking panels, Mike

Thanks but it's my website in my signature that I'm having problems with. I need it back up for visitors and for them to download my PDF build logs, Mike

Hi all, I've been having issues with the host server I use for my model web site (in my signature link). I'll get it back up and running soon (I hope), Mike

Hi all, Here's the shots of the completed model. Thanks for your comments and support - appreciated. 'Wingnut Wings' Salmson 2-A2 from WW1. This model represents Salmson 2-A2, Serial No:381 of Escadrille SAL 28 during 1918. The fully detailed build log is here: https://forum.largescalemodeller.com/topic/13476-132nd-scale-salmson-2-a2/ As usual a fully detailed build log, in Adobe PDF format, will be available to download from my site (link in signature). Go to gallery 3 and just click on the PDF icon. Mike

Hi all, The shots of the completed model are now up in the WNW Ready for Inspection thread. Thanks for your comments and support - appreciated, Mike

Hi all, The cockpit so far. The details of what was done is a bit lengthy to post here. However, it will all be in my build log once the model is finished. Basically: The cockpit decking panel was cut a the rear used to create the new panel. Instrument panel cut and attached to a plastic card curved former. A box of two forward former's was made and attached to the rear of the engine bulkhead. The fuel tank and rudder bar attached to the lower wing. Foot boards modified with the control column. Seat frame cut and a 'Barracuda' resin seat attached. False firewall added behind the pilots seat. Left cockpit side frame - throttle assembly moved one bay rearwards - vertical and horizontal structure added with plastic rod and strip. Right cockpit side frame - pressure pump moved one bay rearwards - vertical and horizontal structure added with plastic rod and strip. Revised fuselage forward decking panel (x2) cut and shaped from 0.2 mm thick plastic card (will be be fitted over the added fuselage former's after closing the fuselage. There's still other detail to add to the cockpit after painting (wires, cables and pipes etc) Mike Sopwith 'Camel and Comic' overlay (side profiles).

The first attempt at designing a night fighter was the conversion of the Sopwith 1 1/2 'Strutter'. However, the handling and poor characteristics of that design, caused the pilot's of No.78 Squadron to refer to it as comical. Hence it became the nickname for the more successful Sopwith Camel based design, Mike

Hi all, As The Salmson 2-A2 model will be finished in the next week, my mind turns to what model is next on the bench. I have yet to build the many models in my stash, from such as Wingnut Wings, Copper State Models and the new releases from Lukgraph. But I've fancied the idea of building the Sopwith 'Comic' night fighter conversion of the Camel. However, there is no 1:32nd scale model of this aircraft. So I've decided to use one of the Wingnut Wings Camel kits I have and attempt converting it to a 'Comic'. The first attempt at converting an existing aircraft to a night fighter was carried out on the Sopwith 1 1/2 'Strutters.' However when the aircraft were first used by No.78 Squadron, the poor performance and lack of fire power showed. The pilot's referred to the aircraft as a night fighter as being comical. Even though the Camel conversion proved more successful, the nickname stuck. The design of the ‘Comic’ version of the Sopwith Camel involved replacing the standard twin Vickers machine guns on the fuselage to Lewis machine guns, located on the upper wing. This was due to muzzle flash from the fuselage guns temporarily blinding the pilot when night flying. Lewis machine guns mounted over the upper wing negated this. Therefore, the forward fuselage Vickers machine guns and their famous ’hump’ were removed. The forward decking 'hump' was eliminated and a lowered and rounded decking was extended from the cowling to the new cockpit position. The new armament consisted of a pair of Lewis machine guns, which were fitted above the centre section of the upper wing and on ‘Foster’ type mounting. This enabled the machine guns to be lowered for re-loading and removed the chances of muzzle flash affecting the pilot's sight. Some ‘Comics’ had one of the Lewis guns, usually the starboard one, fixed to fire upward at 45 degrees. Due to the location of the Lewis machine guns, the cockpit had to be moved rearwards by one bay, to allow the pilot to reach the weapons. This modification required that the main pressure and gravity fuel tanks, which were behind the original cockpit, being removed and replaced by a smaller capacity fuel tank of 18 gallons. This was the type fitted to the BE2e aircraft was fitted forward from the cockpit. This tank held less fuel than the original standard fuel tank of 37 gallons and was located forward from the re-positioned cockpit. The internal forward area of the fuselage, to the rear of the fuselage firewall, had the engine oil tank, then the main fuel tank and a smaller auxiliary tank, all located behind the instrument panel. The conversion improved the aircraft's performance and the VI Brigade regarded it as the best of its night fighters. No.44 Squadron (HD) was formed on the 24th of July, 1917 at Hainault Farm as Home Defence squadron for the London area. This particular aircraft, Srial No.B2402, was flown by Capt. George Henry Hackwill, a former FE2b pilot with No.22 Sqn with two victories to his credit. After time as a flight instructor he was assigned to No.44 (HD) Squadron as a flight commander. On the night of 28th-29th of January 1918, Capt. Hackwill, flying ‘Comic’ B2402 and with Lt. Charles Chaplin Banks flying B3827, shot down Gotha GV, Serial No.938/16 at Wickford in Essex. Hackwill, who was from Langtree in Devon, later flew more conventional Sopwith Camels in France as a flight leader in No.54 Squadron. There he raised his victory count nine and received the Military Cross. Mike

Hi all, The four figures are now done. These figures are from 'Copper State Models', although two were German ground crew figures. I modified one of those heavily as he will be stood in the observers cockpit. The heads were replaced on both by changing French heads around and using one head from 'Hornet Models'. The figures were painted using a combination of 'Tamiya' and 'AK Interactive' acrylics. The model is complete now, apart from the display case and a replacement propeller front hub (wrong type fitted). Once again, many thanks for your support and encouragement throughout this build. I will post completed photographs in a week or so, Mike

Hi all, The observers twin Lewis machine guns assembly is now done. I replaced the kit supplied weapons with 'GasPatch' weapons. This required modifying the kit supplied gun mounting and adding both the cross bracing between the gun handles and the spreader bar between the breach blocks. The gun mount spindle is 0.4 mm diameter tube located through holes drilled in the gun mounting lugs. The cross bracing is 'EZ' line (heavy) routed through 0.3 mm diameter holes drilled diagonally the the ends of the handles. The twin bungee lift cords around the gun support tube are also 'EZ' line routed through 0.4 mm diameter holes drilled through both sides of the tube pivots at the base ring. Just the two windscreens to go and the model itself is complete. Then it's onto the figures, Mike

Hi all, The aileron control cables have been added. The mono-filament used is 0.08 mm diameter and is left clear. Although the structural rigging was painted blue, the control cables were left unpainted. I assume this was due to the cables being regularly adjusted and maintained. Now onto the observers weapons, Mike

Hi all, I've now added the pilot's Vickers machine gu ('GasPatch replacement), gun sight, ring site, mirror and coolant header tank. Also the wind driven pump/generator, with pipe from 0.4 mm diameter black tube from 'MFH'. Just the ailerons and control cables wind screens and observers weapons to add, then it's onto the figures, Mike

Hi all, I've added the vent pipe from the fuel tank, using 0.4 mm diameter black tube from 'MFH'. Also the four wireless wires, made from annealed and twisted 0.2 mm diameter copper wire. Now onto the front end parts, Mike

Hi all, At last the rigging is complete. I've added the side bracing wires from the fuselage to the underside of the upper wing. Also the upper and lower drag wires from the engine bearer frame to the underside of the upper wing and leading edge of the lower wings. The flying, landing and fin bracing wire infills have also been painted with the same colour as the undersides of the wings and fuselage. I chose CDL as it's difficult to know if these infills were CDL or blue (as for the rigging wires. My assumption is that blue would has stood out too much against the camouflage surfaces, so I opted for CDL. So now it's onto the four wireless wires from the cabane struts to the underside of the upper wing. Also the fuel tank vent pipe, Mike

Hi all, I've fitted the linen wrapped infills between the pairs of flying, landing and fin bracing wires. I tried my previous methods of using baking parchment paper and 0.2 mm thick plastic card strips. However, the length of these pairs of wires are long and they flexed too much. Therefore, I cut strips of 'Aviattic' CDL decal to 1.75 width of each pair of wires. The water I used to release the decals was cold, as this tends to release the decal in a more rigid state than warm water would. That made it easier to position the decal strips onto the wires. The decals were laid centrally onto the top sides of the wires and left to allow the residual decal adhesive to grip to the wires. I then applied 'DACO Products' strong setting solution across the top of the decal strip. As the decal started to soften, I teased the edges under the wires to fully wrap them with the decal. Not easy but I think it should look OK once I've painted the decals. This is necessary as the decal is thin and the blue rigging wires shown through. Then it's onto finishing the rigging (drag and side wires), Mike

Yes there is very little, if any colour change to the base coat as those decals are clear. Your problem could be that the edges of the 'Aviattic' decals are overlapped slightly. If so, the effect is to double the decal thickness and that will cause that area of overlap to darken. Mike

Hi all, The tail unit is done. That includes the rudder and elevator control cables, the twin bracing wires for the fin and the fin and tail plane support struts. These twin wires, like the flying and landing wires, will need infills and wrapping. Mike