sandbagger

Hi all, The last work for the Sopwith Dolhin. ‘Kellerkind Miniaturen’ USAS pilot (54/090). ‘Kellerkind Miniaturen’ RFC Mechanic (54/073). Tools from ‘Aber’ 1/35th scale hand tools (35 A68). Painted with 'Tamiya' acrylics, 'Citadel' and 'Mr. Color enamels. The model is complete, so I'll post up final photographs later today. Once again thanks for your support and comments, Mike

Hi all, The rest of the cockpit pre-rigging is done. Rudder and elevator control cables. Cross bracing wires for the rear seat frame and lower rear of cockpit. Now it's onto cockpit construction, Mike

Hi all, Both cockpit side frames have been cross braced. This was done using 0.08 mm diameter mono-filament with chemically blackened 0.4 mm diameter Brass tubes. The turnbuckles are the 'Gaspatch' 1:48th scale resin Type C. I used resin as opposed to the metal version as the cockpit rigging is not subject to tension. Now onto the other rigging, including the rudder and elevator control cables, Mike

Hi all, All of the internal fuselage parts have been painted. Weather used was 'Flory Models' Dark Dirt fine clay wash, sealed with 'Alclad' Light Sheen (ALC311). Now it's onto rigging the cockpit detail, Mike

Hi all, The wood effect parts have be prepared. I used 'Windsor & Newton’ Griffin (Alkyd) Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna and Van Dyke Brown oil paints to represent the different wood colours. All will have weathering applied later once other details have been painted, Mike

Hi all, The Le Rhone 9J engine is done. The added ignition leads are 0.125 mm diameter copper wire. The replaced valve push rods are 0.4 mm diameter Nickel-Silver tube. Mike

Hi Jbert27, It's the 'Copper State Models' Nieuport XVII (early version) - kit 32002, Mike

Hi all, Just a couple of updates. All of the parts have prepared with mould seams, 'flash' and sprue tags removed. The tailplane/elevator seam was cut through to separate the tailplane from the elevator, leaving just the hinges intact. The upper wing ailerons were drilled and pinned with 0.5 mm diameter Brass rod to enable them to be positioned, Mike

Hi all, As the Sopwith '5F.1 'Dolphin' build is getting close to completion, I've started preparing my next build. This model will represent: Nieuport XVII (17) C.1, Serial No: N1977 of N124 ‘Lafayette’ Escadrille during March 1917 and as flown by Sgt. Robert Soubiran. Background: Robert Soubiran was born in France to Theodore and Clementine (Malapris) Soubiran, but grew up in New York City. As a young man, he had a knack for mechanical things and began maintaining and racing automobiles with Ralph de Palma, the winner of the 1915 Indianapolis 500. World War One: On August 7, 1914, three days after Germany declared war against France, Soubiran enlisted in the French Foreign Legion in Paris and was among the first group of 43 American volunteers. He served in the Chemin des Dames sector with other future Lafayette Escadrille pilots James Bach, Bert Hall, Kiffin Rockwell, Paul Rockwell, and William Thaw. When the French became aware of his mechanical abilities, he was tasked to drive a threshing machine to harvest the wheat within the war zone. Soubiran served with the 2nd Foreign Regiment in the Battle of Champagne and the 170th Line Infantry Regiment. He was injured in October 1915 and spent four months recovering in the hospital. While there, he applied and was accepted into France's Service Aeronautique. He underwent aviation and gunnery training at Pau, Buc, and the G.D.E. earning his brevet flying a Caudron aircraft on the 27th of May1916 and graduated on the 20th of October,1916. He joined the N124 Escadrille Americaine (‘Lafayette’) at Cachy in the Somme sector on the 22nd of October 1916. A year later, on the 9th of November 1917, Soubiran received the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for an action on the 17th of October 1917, when he received his first and only confirmed victory over an enemy aircraft. His award citation read: "An American enlisted since the beginning of the war in the Foreign Legion, where he took part in the combats in the Aisne in 1914 and in the Champagne attacks in 1915. Wounded on the 19th of October 1915. Passed into the Aviation, he showed himself an excellent pilot, fulfilling with remarkable ardour the missions confided to him. On the 17th of October 1917, while protecting an attack on Drachen’s (enemy observation balloons), forced an enemy to land out of control." When the United States entered the war, Soubiran was transferred to the American 103rd Aero Squadron and commissioned as a Captain. He flew combat patrols in the French built SPAD XIII. He was then assigned as the 3rd Pursuit Group's Operations Officer. On the 20th of August 1918, he married Ann-Marie Choudey in Langres, France with many of his Legionnaire and Lafayette Escadrille friends in attendance. On the 18th of October 1918, he was assigned back to the 103rd Aero Squadron as its Commanding Officer and served there until the end of the war. Soubiran accumulated over 400 hours of combat flight time in his 23 months with the French Air Service and in 10 months with the U.S. Air Service. Post World War One: On the 19th of April 1919, France made Captain Soubiran a Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur and he was also awarded a second Palm to his Croix de Guerre. This citation reads: "American citizen enlisted in August 1914 in the Foreign Legion. Was distinguished in the infantry (wounded in September 1915), then as a pilot in the 'Escadrille Lafayette’, where he showed the highest qualities of courage and audacity." Foot note: Robert Soubiran owned a Kodak camera and photographed all aspects of life and death as an aviator during World War I. Fellow squadron pilot James Normal Hall said that the ‘Lafayette Escadrille’ pilots have Soubiran to thank for the squadron's only complete photographic record. Death: Robert Soubiran died on the 4th of February 1949 and was buried next to wife, who died in 1982, in Pinelawn Military, East Farmingdale, Long Island, New York. Mike

Hi all, Just the last few details done: Single Lewis machine gun (as for No.79 Squadron). 20lb 'Cooper' bombs and carrier. Tie down rings. Wheels. Top engine panel with windscreen. Just the propeller, figures and the display case to finish, Mike

Good choice as it only has limited external rigging: Twin aileron control cables from the cockpit up to the underside of the upper wing. Rudder and elevator control cables from the rear of the fuselage. Landing gear cross bracing and wing aileron control cables. Mike

Hi Kevin, Early war aircraft had natural rubber (laytex) tyres, which could be light grey, tan or darker grey coloured. It varied between Nations and time frames, so I guess reference material for the particular time frame would show tyre shade and therefore colour, which could be seen on periods photographs as nearly white to dark grey (looks black). I believe black coloured tyres with impregnated carbon were introduced after the WW1, as the carbon helped to earth static from the aircraft as the tyres touched down on landing. Mike

Hi all, The rigging is finished. Added: Aileron control cable between the upper wing roots (0.12 mm diameter monofilament, 0.5 mm diameter tube and 'Gaspatch' 1:48th Type C turnbuckle). Aileron control cables from wings to ailerons (0.08 mm diameter monofilament and 0.4 mm diameter tube). Aileron streamlined interconnecting wire between ailerons ('RB Productions' 2BA wire). Rudder and elevator control cables (0.12 mm diameter monofilament and 0.5 mm diameter tube). Tailplane and fin bracing streamlined wires ('RB Productions' 2BA wire and 0.4 mm tube). Fuselage to upper wings drag cables (0.08 mm and 0.12 mm diameter monofilament with 0.5 mm diameter tube and 'Gaspatch' 1:48th Type C turnbuckles). Now it's onto the Lewis gun, 'Cooper' bombs and carrier, wheels, windscreen and Aldis gun sight, Mike

Yes - white prime over grey plastic, lightly polish to wear through to the darker grey, then gloss coat and decals. It depends on the effect you're after, so different primer or base coat colours will give different effects through the clear backed 'Aviattic' decals. The heavier coloured decals need a darker polish pre-shade to show through, whereas the lighter decals don't. Mike

Hi all, Moving along now. Upper wing halves and landing gear assembly are fitted. Rigging used is 0.5 mm diameter Nickel-Silver tube and 'RB Productions' 1/4 BSF streamline photo-etch wires. In reality the flying, landing and incidence wires were 5/16 BSF size and the landing gear bracing 9/32 BSF. However, I use the 1/4 BSF wires as that is what I had that was nearest is size. Next up rigging: Fin/tailplane bracing wire, which are 2BA size streamlined wire ('RB Productions') Aileron control wires, which are cable (monofilament) and 2BA size streamlined wire ('RB Productions') Elevator control cables, which are cable (monofilament) Rudder control cables, which are cable (monofilament) Fuselage/upper wing drag wires, which are cable (monofilament) . Mike

Hi all, Wingnut Wings kits are being shipped to distributers from remaining stocks. So far: Modellbau König (Germany) Sprue Brothers (USA) Andy's Hobby Headquarters (USA) Hannants (UK), Mike

Hi all, Weathering added, using 'Flory Models' Dark Dirt and Grime clay washes. Sealed with 'Alclad' Light Sheen (ALC311). Now it's onto pre-rigging before assembly, Mike

Hi all, Weathering added, using 'Flory Models' Dark Dirt and Grime clay washes. Sealed with 'Alclad' Light Sheen (ALC311). Now it's onto pre-rigging before assembly, Mike

Hi all, Apart from a the interplane struts and Lewis machine gun, all of the decals are on. ‘Aviattic’ Sopwith Dolphin set (ATT32155/154) for the Clear Doped Linen and PC12. ‘Pheon’ Dolphin Volume 1 (32077) and kit supplied markings decals. The 'polished' primer pre-shading can be seen showing though the clear backed decals. Now, before pre-rigging and assembly, it's onto parts painting, remaining decals and weathering, Mike

Hi all, Pre-shading is done prior to applying the decals. Instead of masking and airbrushing the pre-shading, I've used the same technique used for other models of mine. A white primer was airbrushed over the parts, which is required for applying the clear 'Aviattic' CDL and PC12 decals. I then lightly polished across the raised detail using 'Flory Models' green sanding sticks. I also pre-shaded areas such as wing, aileron and elevator trailing edges and added the wing underside internal bracing wires with a pencil. The wears away the white primer to expose the light grey colour of the styrene. The only masking needed was for pre-shading the wing front and rear spars and the fuselage formers frames. I polished between the applied masking strips. Finally, I airbrushed several coats of 'Alclad' Aqua Gloss 600 clear coat over the parts as a base for the decals. The polished-out pre-shading detail will show through the 'Aviattic' clear decals, more so for the CDL than the PC12 decals. Mike

Hi all, The lower wing if now fitted and all parts primed white ready for pre-shading. Then it's applying the 'Aviattic' clear Clear Doped Linen and PC12 decals, Mike

Hi all, I've animated the ailerons and elevator. Aileron leading edges rounded and pinned with 0.5 mm diameter Brass rods. The elevator to tailplane joint was scribed through leaving just the pre-molded hinges intact. All were then bent to their required angles, Mike

Hi all, Final details for the cockpit and engine. Trigger cables added to the two Vickers machine guns Trigger cables added to the control column. Coolant temperature gauge pipe from the engine coolant tank. Vent pipe from the cap on the rear of the engine left valve gear cover. Mike

Hi all, The Dolphin's cockpit is finished and ready to be closed up in the fuselage. The cabane strut bracing wires are ‘RB Productions’ British streamline wire 1/4 BSF (RB-P32012) with ‘Albion Alloys’ Nickel-Silver 0.5 mm (NST05) diameter tube. Pilots seat is the ‘BarracudaCast’ British wicker seat (BR32234) with cushion (kit seat mount modified to suit). Now its onto closing it all up inside the fuselage, Mike

Hi all, A few updates. I managed to lose the Lewis gun ammunition drum container from after it pinged out of my tweezers!! Therefore, I created a new one from 0.5 mm thick plastic card and Lewis drums (from my spares box). The kit supplied seat base has had its seat cushion removed as I'm replacing the seat with a 'Gaspatch' 3D printed seat. Cockpit side frames are braced with ‘RB Productions’ British streamline wire 2BA (RB-P32014) with ‘Albion Alloys’ Nickel-Silver 0.4 mm (NST04) diameter tube. Materials for rigging control cables are ‘Albion Alloy’s’ Nickel-Silver tube (NST04) and ‘Steelon’ or ‘Stroft’ 0.08 mm diameter mono-filament. Wood effects painted using 'Windsor & Newton’ Griffin (Alkyd) Burnt Sienna and Raw Sienna oil paints. The details are painted with either 'Tamiya' acrylics or 'Mr.Color' paints. Now it's onto weathering before assembly is started, Mike