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Playing in the Sandbox Group Build Sept 1, 2024 - Jn 1, 2025

Sopwith 'Swallow 1:32 scale


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Hi all,
I painted wood effect on the fuselage rear panels and rear decking, but that was not correct as they should be grey.
Luckily the oil paint used is water based so I've removed the wood effect and airbrushed with 'Tamiya' ocean grey (XF82). 

Mike

fus2.jpg

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Hi all,
The decal pre-shading has now been applied - 'Tamiya' Smoke X19.
Before the decals are applied I need to finish a few bits around the cockpit - padding, missing front to rear decking panel sections, machine guns and ammunition feeds and windshield.

Mike 

fus3.jpg

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Hi all,
The engine cowl and after market ‘CMK Master Models’ Le Rhöne 9J (110 hp) has been fitted, which is the correct engine for the 'Swallow'.
The next step is to create cowl plates that were fitted to replace the 'Camel' strap type fasteners at the top of the cowl.
The bottom strap fasteners were retained.
Then final fit the two 'Vickers' guns and feed chutes.

Mike 

engandcowl.jpg

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Hi all,
Both 'Vickers' guns are fitted along with their ammunition feed belts.
The 'Swallow' did not have ammunition ejector chutes, as fitted to the 'Camel'.
My assumption is that the ammunition was fed to each weapon from inboard of the breech blocks and spent rounds were ejected outboard over the fuselage sides.

Next is to sort out the wind screen and 'Aldis' gun sight.
None of the available data show an 'Aldis' sight fitted, other than the information supplied with the resin conversion set.
As the 'Swallow' was a 1918-19 design, it's quite possible that this sight was fitted,

Mike 

ammofeed.jpg
  

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Hi all,
The forward fuselage and cockpit area is nearly done.
It included a fair bit of modification, no surprise there.
It includes adding the two machine guns, wind screen and 'Aldis' gun sight with cockpit support frame, adding access holes in the front decking panel and side plates in the decking panel cut-outs.
Also nail lines up the fuselage side panels and changing the retaining straps at the top of the engine cowl to those for the 'Swallow', which were metal retainer strips.

Next is to add the twin pitot-static pipes onto the forward right cabane strut and the cross bracing rigging between the cabane struts and across the forward two struts,

Mike 

forwardfus1.jpg

forwardfus2.jpg

forwardfus3.jpg

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Hi all,
I've spent the last day or so applying the decals to the 'Swallow'.
The PC12 upper surfaces and the CDL undersides were 'Aviattic' linen effect decals. The decals are supplied as A4 sheets and are not 'cookie cut', so each has to be templated and then cut.
The white fin marking (AMA.E) and the name 'SWALLOW' of the fuselage sides were created, letter by letter, from 'Xtradecal' sheets.
The specific serial number of B9276 was also created from number/leterrs and white strip from 'Xtradecal'.
The biggest problem was the wing roundels, as the wing of the 'Swallow' had a wider wing chord than that of the 'Camel, therefore the 'Camel' decals were way too small.
In the end I resorted to Cutting up and re-assembling decals from both the 'Wingnut Wings' Sopwith Pup (RNAS) and the SE5a, both of which I had as spares.
For example the wing upper roundels were created from four separate cut decals.   
The colouring of the blue (lighter shade) on these roundels reflects that used towards the end of the conflict.

Mike

decalsdone1.jpg

decalsdone2.jpg

decalsdone3.jpg

cutroundel.jpg

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Hi all,
A couple more details.
The inspection window in the upper surface of the wing, for the aileron pulley and cable.
Also seen is the wing centre joint and head padding on the trailing edge of the wing centre section. 
Finally the wheels (not weathered yet),

Mike 

inspection5.jpg

wheelsdone.jpg

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Hi all,
Weathering wash ('Flory Models' grime clay wash) applied and once dry, wiped off to leave subtle weathering, which was the sealed with 'Alclad' light sheen (ALC-311) lacquer.
The weathering is subtle as this aircraft was only flown as a prototype and saw very limited operational testing. As such it wouldn't have looked 'war weary'.
Next is pre-rigging followed by assembly then lastly, the final rigging.
After that it's just the display base,

Mike

washon.jpg

weatheringdone1.jpg

weatheringdone2.jpg

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Hi all,
I've been slowly working my way through the pre-riggng stage.
So far the the control lines for the Rudder, Elevator, Tail Skid and the cross bracing at the fuselage under shield panel and the undercarriage.
Next are the control lines for the ailerons and cross bracing between the cabane struts.

Then it'll be wing and tail unit on to complete aileron controls,  flying and landing wires and tail bracing,

Mike


rigaileroncockpit.jpg

 

rigundershield1.jpg

rigundershield2.jpg

rigtailskiddopne.jpg

rigruddone.jpg

rigelevdone.jpg

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Hi all,
The tail unit has been finally rigged.
Included are the elevator, rudder and tail skid control lines.
Also the tail plane bracing lines.
The line end fittings are 0.4 mm Nickel-Silver tube, finished with an enamel wash.
The lines themselves are 0.08 mm diameter mono-filament.

Time to move onto fitting the wing and all of the rigging, 

Mike

rigtail1.jpg

rigtail2.jpg

rigtail3.jpg

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Hi all,
The final rigging is now complete.

This includes:
Aileron control lines from the cockpit to the underside of the wing.
Cabane strut side and front cross bracing.
Over wing landing wires.
Under wing landing and double flying wires.

I'll post the completed model shots once I've finished the figure and display base,

Mike

aileronrigcockpit.jpg

cabanerig.jpg

finalrig1.jpg

finalrig2.jpg

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