1/8 Sopwith Camel

[mouppe]

Thanks for the kind remarks, folks. I really appreciate them.

Mouppe.

[Firecaptain]

Beautiful Richard!

Any chance for a case......that thing will be a dust magnet, and far to precious to keep out in the open like that!

[mouppe]

Thanks Joe.

I am not going to put it in a case at the present time. It would be a gigantic display case, even bigger than my tall ship case. The corner of my office should be safe, and certainly safer than at home. Plus I get to see it all day. I am going to build some chocks to stop the plane sliding across the table!

I use an airbrush every now and then to blow away the dust on all my models. It should not be a problem.

When are you going to make a start on yours?

Mouppe.

P.S. I started getting paranoid that I had put the prop on the wrong way round, but having looked at some contemporary photos, it is correct. It just looks odd because our brain is conditioned to think clockwise.

[sydeem]

The more I examine the detail in your model the more I admire your work. The difference in price between Hasegawa and Model Airways is also readily apparent. While waiting for my kit to arrive I am trying to figure out if it makes sense to try to reproduce some of the detail in a 1/16 size model. For instance in the image shown are the photo etched parts just glued on for looks are are they functional? It looks like eyebolts are used to attach the various rigging threads and the brass parts are just glued to the frame for looks.

Might be interesting to hear some about the actual construction step technique to help compare the models.

[mouppe]

Thanks Sy.

The photo-etched parts in the model are mostly for show, but occasionally functional. For example in the photo you posted, the squares at the top of the spars are for show (unlike Ken Foran's in this link http://www.wwi-models.org/app/album/...l+F1&picInx=42

The bigger photo-etched parts often have eyelets through which rigging is attached, for example the one at the bottom front of the frame, and the ones attached to the struts.

Mouppe.

[hot ford coupe]

That link is the Camel jackpot, mouppe. Thanks for posting that.

[mouppe]

As a complement to the model, I bought a blueprint of the Camel.

http://www.aviationshoppe.com/catalo...mel-p-114.html

It just arrived, and is of excellent quality- far above expectations considering it was less than 20 bucks. Now I going to build a frame for it as the dimensions are non-standard. It should look very nice framed on the wall.

Mouppe.

[hot ford coupe]

That would look great on the wall behind a display of the model. I don't know if you have room for that kind of thing but it would look cool. I did that with a Buick display once where I had a die cast Buick sitting in front of an old ad.

[mouppe]

Since we all spend so much time and effort building models, perhaps it would be worthwhile considering how to care for them once they are built.

For the Sopwith Camel which is on display in my office, I use an air compressor with an airbrush to blow away any dust. I also make sure that the aeroplane is kept out of the sun. From time to time, I check to see if the flaps are working, and that the rigging is still taut. So far, no parts have needed re-gluing.

The big concern for wooden models is drying out of the wood- on a wooden ship one can apply coats of tung oil to the hull, but on a skeletal model of a biplane this is well-nigh impossible. It is best to use a sealing varnish and reapply a coat if necessary every few months.

Mouppe.

[Lancair IV]

Since we all spend so much time and effort building models, perhaps it would be worthwhile considering how to care for them once they are built.

For the Sopwith Camel which is on display in my office, I use an air compressor with an airbrush to blow away any dust. I also make sure that the aeroplane is kept out of the sun. From time to time, I check to see if the flaps are working, and that the rigging is still taut. So far, no parts have needed re-gluing.

The big concern for wooden models is drying out of the wood- on a wooden ship one can apply coats of tung oil to the hull, but on a skeletal model of a biplane this is well-nigh impossible. It is best to use a sealing varnish and reapply a coat if necessary every few months.

Mouppe.

Thanks Mouppe.

Great advise. I put mine in a polycarbonate case and it sits away from the sun light. So far, everything continues to work. (Knock on wood). I do need to get the Wright Flyer in some sort of case.

Cheers

[hot ford coupe]

I like the case Rob. That's the way I wanted to display some of the 1/8 scale cars (when I finish one). There may be a way of humidifying the aircraft in the case without much expense. The same consideration comes up with expensive guitars and violins especially in winter when the inside humidity drops. It's called a Dampit. Its basically nothing more than a rubber tube with an absorbent material inside that is placed in one of the instrument holes. It's damp but not wet dripping with water. If you had a little false compartment undet the base, you could rig up something where you can get the thing damp daily or or less if need be and it would keep the humidity somewhat constant in the case. For a really well built model like that one, it would be worth the inconvenience to keep it in good shape. I could show you how to make one if need be.