Group Build: Biplane - barnstormer to fighter

[Pantherman]

Hmm. Kinda came out 3-d ish?

Looks good to me. Pantherman

 

[Pantherman]

So I have the fuselage silver done and masked up ready for some gloss black as a base for the chrome finish.

Done some decals and got to say these are by far way above any decal I have ever fitted. No sol or set, they just slide beautifully into place, move about as much as you want, wait 5 mins for the glue to grip, then a gentle wipe over. An hour later they have just stuck to the mouldings like they were vacuum packed. Great job from Airfix. Pantherman

 

[Ron2]

I'm changing my build to this. Not exciting or cool. I'm looking at my Wingnut kit and want to take my time with it. Plus now I have it in my head about turnbuckles- thanks for that post! I'm pressed for time right now, need to clear my bench so I can kiss the carpet monster goodbye! I'm also morning forward with a business venture and time is going to be something I just won't have for quite awhile. It's a Roden Beechcraft UC-43 staggerwing- kind of a stretch for this build but it's the best I can do right now.

 

[Bob T]

I'm changing my build to this. Not exciting or cool. I'm looking at my Wingnut kit and want to take my time with it. Plus now I have it in my head about turnbuckles- thanks for that post! I'm pressed for time right now, need to clear my bench so I can kiss the carpet monster goodbye! I'm also morning forward with a business venture and time is going to be something I just won't have for quite awhile. It's a Roden Beechcraft UC-43 staggerwing- kind of a stretch for this build but it's the best I can do right now.

Same Roden plane I'm building, only it's the D17S version...For the record, I think it's a very cool plane...

 

[wjbrandel]

Cockpit and some other assemblies are done. Cockpit needs to be painted, but it is together.

 

[Edbert]

I'm looking at my Wingnut kit and want to take my time with it.

Definitely not something you want to rush! I've been test fitting some parts and they hold together without glue (some of them) the engineering and production quality is so high it is ridiculous. Makes it fun, but also removes any excuses.

 

[Edbert]

Sheesh... and here I was yesterday saying to myself. Okay I know you started building and you took a bunch of pictures already but let's not get these guys upset cuz you started early so we'll just wait till tomorrow or the next day. Yeah right

There's no rules other than it has to have at least 1.5 wings, be started in 2026, and finished before you die.

 

[Edbert]

I did it, I broke open the box to sniff plastic and start prepping. Nothing is glued together yet...I promise.

I really wanted to get a Spad, because of Eddie, but it looks like WnW never made one which seems odd.

I know very little about WWI aircraft in detail, although I can recognize several. But looking at your instructions, step 5-6-7, the Spad uses the same engine as my "Scout Experimental #5", pretty cool to see that.

 

[Tommergun]

Got a bit more done, hee-hee. Detail and fit is extremely poor, but kinda what I like about the old KP kits.

 

[Ron2]

Same Roden plane I'm building, only it's the D17S version...For the record, I think it's a very cool plane...

What is the d17 version?

 

[kevin]

It's time to glue the fuselage halfs together, so a couple of pics.

I'm liking this Eduard kit, but I wish I got a 1/32 scale.
You guys have got me eyeballing one of those Wingnut kits.

 

[Bob T]

What is the d17 version?

The D17S was the last Staggerwing, built in 1946.

 

[Bob T]

Started the Beechcraft D17S tonight. Just got the motor cowl together, step one in the instructions. Zero locating pins. This should be fun.

 

[BarleyBop]

fuselage halfs together

...and hide those beautiful innards?!

 

[BarleyBop]

Glad to see y'all a-building and a-painting!
I'll be a few more days before I get in there...
Time to make some room on the bench after completing the Vickers' interior.

 

[Rockin' Rob]

Getting to the fun part! Putting down some color. I have to figure out what color to paint the interior of the fuselage. You know how normally on World War II you would paint it I don't know Green where the cockpit is going to go? But these planes or at least this one could have been a cloth body? So what color like whitish? That's what I have to explore on my phone tonight.

 

[BarleyBop]

Opened the box.

Carefully slipped the sprues from their diaphanous vestments.
The parts lay still, a sweet scent of styrene betraying their anticipation of being released from their gated prison.​

Not so fast, everyone in the tub!

Looking forward to the Quinta.
Curious about the hatches and latches.

A good (bad) amount of flash. Not too many parts though.

Let's hope fit is decent as I have very limited aircraft experience (as in one)!

 

[Rockin' Rob]

Okay this is for guys that just like knowing stuff. The fairy swordfish MK2. The body was constructed out of tubular Steel with Irish linen wrapped around it. The top of the wing was Irish linen and the bottom was sheet metal which gave it an awesome ability to handle various weapons. So to paint the interior the tubular steel framework is gray green and the linen will be a creamy color and then the dope they used on the linen was red. So I'm going to paint the interior of the cockpit cloth deck tan and then dry brush red to simulate the red dope bleeding through a little bit

 

[Bear43]

My Gloster Gladiator kit arrived today. I will probably start on it this weekend.

 

[Edbert]

 

[BarleyBop]

Luv the woodgrain!

 

[Pantherman]

View attachment 194918

Nice. Pantherman

 

[Rockin' Rob]

That looks pretty cool. The wood grain, nice. Want to hear something stupid? You know the control stick has the round part on Top or should I say oval? And then it has a wire running up through the middle of it to the button up on top for the machine gun I guess? On my plane I thought it was Flash so I cut it off.

 

[Edbert]

I could choose from the round one or the more conventional "stick", I chose what I thought looked cooler.

Interesting details in that picture...
A3 is a pistol, probably a flare gun, but maybe a pilot aid if the plane caught on fire while airborne.
A5 is a drum magazine for the Vickers MG, image reaching down for that and attaching it to the overhead MG while flying! There's a second (or 1st) spare drum mag attached to the instrument panel shown previously too.

 

[BarleyBop]

drum magazine for the Vickers MG,

... Looking at that drum, wouldn't that be for the Lewis gun above the pilot?
Building WW2 LRDG an SAS vehicles, I've seen a lot of these!

 

[Ron2]

That looks pretty cool. The wood grain, nice. Want to hear something stupid? You know the control stick has the round part on Top or should I say oval? And then it has a wire running up through the middle of it to the button up on top for the machine gun I guess? On my plane I thought it was Flash so I cut it off.

Yeah I've cut off "flash" on a couple of builds only to find out…

 

[Ron2]

It's time to glue the fuselage halfs together, so a couple of pics.
View attachment 194791
View attachment 194792View attachment 194792
View attachment 194795
I'm liking this Eduard kit, but I wish I got a 1/32 scale.
You guys have got me eyeballing one of those Wingnut kits.

Looking good.

 

[Edbert]

Yes, I was con

Looking at that drum, wouldn't that be for the Lewis gun above the pilot?

I think you're right, I was confusing my British MGs.

Used to Brownings I guess LOL.

 

[BarleyBop]

British MGs.

I get them confused all the time... The Vickers K (developed later in the 30s), air cooled, that the LRDG and SAS boys loved, looks a lot like the Lewis with a drum on top... And by coincidence, the rear gunner in my early Skua may also have used a Lewis (with spare drums in the cockpit) ... which may or may not have been upgraded with a K.

 

[Ron2]

I get them confused all the time... The Vickers K (developed later in the 30s), air cooled, that the LRDG and SAS boys loved, looks a lot like the Lewis with a drum on top... And by coincidence, the rear gunner in my early Skua may also have used a Lewis (with spare drums in the cockpit) ... which may or may not have been upgraded with a K.

Reminds me of the story of the pilot who ran out of ammo and chucked various items at the enemy.