1:32nd scale SE5a (Viper)

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
The next model will be the Wingnut Wings 1:32nd scale SE5a but with a 'Viper' engine.

Duncan William Grinnell-Milne flew three SE5a aircraft and all three were named ‘Schweinhund’.
So called in reference to 2 years in captivity as a German POW.
The most famous of the three was his red painted SE5a thought to be serial number C.1194.
He last flew this particular aircraft on the 23rd of January 1919.
This aircraft was built by the Royal Aircraft Factory as one of a batch of 100 aircraft (C1051—C1150) and was powered by the 200hp Wolseley ‘Viper’ engine.
The aircraft was taken to No.2 Air Issues (Issues Section) from the Reception Park in France on the 17th of October 1918.
From there onto No.56 Squadron (RAF).
After the end of hostilities, the aircraft was transferred to No.1 Squadron (RAF) on the 23rd of January 1919.
Eventually it was sent through the Reception Park back to England on the 5th of February 1919 and then struck off charge.

I have already built the Wingnut Wings SE5a 'Hisso', which is on my web site.
However, at that time I wasn't writing build logs, which I will for this model.
This will be one of a two model build hopefully.
The other model is not WW1 obviously and will not have a build log.

Mike

[Martinnfb]

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[Count0]

Someone snuck a Spitfire picture in here...

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
I'm being sent a 3D printed conversion set to convert the Wingnut Wings SE5a (Hisso) kit to a Wolseley 'Viper' engined SE5a.
This set has been in development for two years.
I'll be testing it on a Wingnut Wings kit and report back to the creator.
If it goes well we could see a conversion set release in the future.
If not, I'll report any findings in the hope they can be tweaked and I can re-test if necessary.
I can always revert to the Roden kit build if I need to,

Mike

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
I've posted recently as I had a problem with my PC.
Fortunately any data and build photographs were saved as they were on my external hard drive.

I've pushed on with the SE5a buils and in particular test fitting the 3D printed 'Viper' engine coversion set, intended for the Wingnut Wings kit.
The set addresses the external changes with regard to the radiator, underside louvred panel and the engine top access panel.
Roden do have a Viper engined SE5a model kit and also the Viper engine as a separate kit.
However, that engine is larger in scale than the Hispano-Suiza engine supplied from Wingnut Wings.
That meant a Roden Viper engine would require heavy modification to fit with the Wingnut Wings model and the conversion set.
Therefore, I found it easier to modify the Wingnut Wing Hisso engine to that of a Viper engine.
That primarily involved lowering the propeller shaft to that for a Viper engine.

So far the fuselage internals and control cables have been completed and the fuselage closed up.
The 3D printed conversion set was test fitted and only required minor changes to the top access panel.
The underside louvred panel and radiator (without the shutters fitted) have been fitted and the modified engine test fitted.

Mike

 

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
I've carried out more research on the colour scheme for this aircraft.

 

Many resources and models have the whole fuselage of C1149 painted red and the assumption generally is that this was during 1918 when he flew this aircraft with No.56 Squadron (RAF).
However, Grinnell-Milne, in his book ‘Wind in the Wires’ stated that the ‘nose’ of his aircraft was painted red, so presumably not the whole fuselage.
Also, in much later interview, he stated that he was not allowed to have the whole fuselage painted red until after the cessation of hostilities.
So according to Grinnell-Milne, the fuselage of C1149 was not painted completely red until it returned to England with No.1 Squadron (RAF) during 1919.
The best photograph from the Imperial War Museum archives show the aircraft with the usual aircraft serial number on the fin painted over, as well as the ground handling ‘Lift Here’ stencils at the lower, rear of the fuselage.
This suggests this was taken when C1149 was in its post war colour scheme.
I’ve chosen not to model this aircraft following the all red fuselage trend for its wartime colour scheme and instead paint the model with just the ‘red nose’, as stated by Grinnell-Milne.
Having decided on the colour scheme, I had to decide how the nose of the aircraft was to be painted.
The famed ace Albert Ball flew his SE5a Serial No:A.4850 with No.56 Squadron (RFC).
His aircraft had its nose only painted red. Ball was killed flying this aircraft in 1917.
Possibly Grinnell-Milne chose to use the same colour scheme for C1149 during 1918.
Given there is no definitive answer to the actual colour scheme, I decided, correctly or not, to replicate the red nose of Albert Ball’s aircraft but with Grinnell-Milne’s markings.

 

Mike

 

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
A bit of progress on the SE5a.
Undersides CDL (with PC wrap over edges added later).
Top surfaces in PC.
Propeller with painted boss and metal spinner.

All need to be weathered of course, but after I've applied the markings.
Until then a few kit parts need to be modified,

Mike

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
The painting of the SE5a is more or less complete.
I'll be using masks to do the roundels and markings.
I have a few small modifications to do before construction:

Tachometer drive
Air pump pipe
Pitot static pipes
Fuse tank filler cap
Engine panel retaining strap
Auxiliary fuel tank pipes

Here's shots of a few completed parts,

Mike

[BlrwestSiR]

Wow, amazing work. 

 

Carl

[sandbagger]

Hi all,
A few update shots on the dual build.
Weathering still to do.
Getting close now to the pre-rigging stage before assembly starts,

Mike