1-72nd conversions

[oldgit]

Chaps,

Thanks to all of you who responded to my recent Avro 504K to Avro 504A topic.

That got me thinking.

At this link : www.aeroflight.co.uk/mags/uk

there is a near complete contents listing of Airfix magazine from the 1960s onwards.

In there, I found the following listed:

Vol.9 No.6 : February 1968

DH9 from a DH4 conversion

Vol.9No.7 : March 1968

Building the 'Nine-Ack' DH9A conversion from DH4

Vol.13 No.11 July 1972

Fokker D.VI conversion

Vol.22 No.4 December 1980

Modelling The Bristol Scout

Vol.22 No.9 May 1981

From EIII to EIV - a simple Fokker conversions

Vol.22 No.11 July 1981

Modelling the DH2

Vol.23 No.1 September 1981

Modelling the Bristol Monoplane

Vol.24 No.8 April 1983

Modelling the BE 2 in 1:72 scale

There may be others, but these I what I managed to pick out of the list.

We have also seen the excellent work done by forum members here at Britmodeller to produce the DH1, FB19, Fokker D.VIII, Bristol M1C, DH9, DH9A, Pfalz E.V and others. Wonderful work and very much evocative of when I was last into WW1 aircraft some 30 odd years ago when many of the types produced by kit manufacturers since, just didn't exist.

So... I was wondering what else might be converted from existing models.

In the most general terms these possibilities came to mind:

Fokker D.VI from a D.VII & Dr1

Fokker D.II or D.III from a Fokker E.III and the wings off an Avro 504K

Hanroit HD1 from a Sopwith Pup

Bleriot parasol from a Bleriot XI

Morane BB from 2 Morane Ns.

SPAD XI from 2 SPAD XIIIs

Fokker V.29 from a Fokker D.VII

FE 8 from 2 DH2s.

Nieuport 10 and 12 from 2 Nieupport 11s.

If any other forum members have those early articles above, would you please consider sharing them with us?

And... here's the fun bit - what are your thoughts on what might be created, using any available 1-72nd scale type, to produce another?

If nothing else, given the prices of the more obscure types in resin or vacform, this may be a more economical form of model making?

Switches on... Contact !

Tim

[stevehed]

Tim,

Here's some more. Some have been built but most are just future plans.

Hannover CLV One Airfix Hannover CL111a, DV11 radiator and plastic card.

Hansa Brandenburg KDW Starstrutter One Eastern Express D1 and modified floats from Junkers F13

HB W12 One EE W29 and plastic card for wings

Anatra Anade One Emhar Anasal, spare rotary engine, plastic card

Anatra Anakler One Anasal, cowling and rotary engine, card

Lebed X1bis One Formaplane Albatros B plus 7 cylinder radial from Anasal, card

Lebed X11 One Albatros B as above

BE 12a One Airfix RE8, build thread on Airfix Tribute Forum

DH 10A One Frog/Novo Vickers Vimy, aftermarket Liberty engines, card

HP 0/100 One Airfix 0/400 plus resin engine nacelles or scratch build

DH 5 Two Camels

Fokker B11 One Fokker E111 and scratch the upper wing

Oeffag C11 One RE8 and one Hannover, scratch wings

Albatros CX11 Two Albatros fighters

Nieuport 20 Two Nieuport 17

RE7 One Airfix DH4 and RE8, plastic card

Anatra Khioni bomber Two Anasals

That's it for the moment. I'm sure there are others, for example I scratched a DFW CV by making the fuselage from three different kits. This was only feasible because they had lain dormant for years in the spares box. To buy new, plus the aftermarket engines etc would have put in the resin price range.

Regards, Steve

[CarLos]

I may have some of the articles. I'll let you know later this week about availability.

There are some interesting conversions also in Scale Models - in fact, more attractive than the Airfix ones because always have better looking plans.

Carlos

[stevef]

Chaps,

Thanks to all of you who responded to my recent Avro 504K to Avro 504A topic.

That got me thinking.

At this link : www.aeroflight.co.uk/mags/uk

there is a near complete contents listing of Airfix magazine from the 1960s onwards.

In there, I found the following listed:

Vol.9 No.6 : February 1968

DH9 from a DH4 conversion

Vol.9No.7 : March 1968

Building the 'Nine-Ack' DH9A conversion from DH4

Vol.13 No.11 July 1972

Fokker D.VI conversion

Vol.22 No.4 December 1980

Modelling The Bristol Scout

Vol.22 No.9 May 1981

From EIII to EIV - a simple Fokker conversions

Vol.22 No.11 July 1981

Modelling the DH2

Vol.23 No.1 September 1981

Modelling the Bristol Monoplane

Vol.24 No.8 April 1983

Modelling the BE 2 in 1:72 scale

There may be others, but these I what I managed to pick out of the list.

We have also seen the excellent work done by forum members here at Britmodeller to produce the DH1, FB19, Fokker D.VIII, Bristol M1C, DH9, DH9A, Pfalz E.V and others. Wonderful work and very much evocative of when I was last into WW1 aircraft some 30 odd years ago when many of the types produced by kit manufacturers since, just didn't exist.

So... I was wondering what else might be converted from existing models.

In the most general terms these possibilities came to mind:

Fokker D.VI from a D.VII & Dr1

Fokker D.II or D.III from a Fokker E.III and the wings off an Avro 504K

Hanroit HD1 from a Sopwith Pup

Bleriot parasol from a Bleriot XI

Morane BB from 2 Morane Ns.

SPAD XI from 2 SPAD XIIIs

Fokker V.29 from a Fokker D.VII

FE 8 from 2 DH2s.

Nieuport 10 and 12 from 2 Nieupport 11s.

If any other forum members have those early articles above, would you please consider sharing them with us?

And... here's the fun bit - what are your thoughts on what might be created, using any available 1-72nd scale type, to produce another?

If nothing else, given the prices of the more obscure types in resin or vacform, this may be a more economical form of model making?

Switches on... Contact !

Tim

Dear Tim and all

Please see my note attached to the original request on the Avro 504 bomber for other details.

Stevef

[stevehed]

Hi Stevef,

Thanks for the additional info. I'd like a look at the FE8 article, if possible. Could you PM your details ? The Vimy article was in PAM News, January 1980, and I can scan if necessary.

Regards, Steve

[stevef]

Hi Stevef,

Thanks for the additional info. I'd like a look at the FE8 article, if possible. Could you PM your details ? The Vimy article was in PAM News, January 1980, and I can scan if necessary.

Regards, Steve

Dear Stevehed,

I can certainly let you have a copy of the FE8 article - see my latest comments re-lists on a new thread - it is in part 1. I think that you can contact me there - that is if I have understood how this blog works! I am new to this sort of thing so have patience and let me know if you cannot get through. Thanks for the offer of the Vimy article - I was the author!

Stevef.

[Dave Fleming]

Morane BB from 2 Morane Ns.

I'm sure that one appeared in Airfix Magazine (Either that or Aircraft Modelworld)

[oldgit]

I'm sure that one appeared in Airfix Magazine (Either that or Aircraft Modelworld)

Has anyone tried to find the old Revell Morane N recently?

I missed a couple on Ebay & haven't seen any anywhere else for a while.

Tim

[oldgit]

If anyone has the following articles:

Vol.22 No.9 May 1981

From EIII to EIV - a simple Fokker conversions

Vol.24 No.8 April 1983

Modelling the BE 2 in 1:72 scale

Please could I have a copy?

Electronic or hard copy would be fine.

A big thankyou.

Tim

[CarLos]

I have these, and will scan as soon as possible. Please Tim and any one interested send an e-mail to cacarr1960 (at) gmail.com

Regards,

Carlos

[stevef]

Hi Stevef,

Thanks for the additional info. I'd like a look at the FE8 article, if possible. Could you PM your details ? The Vimy article was in PAM News, January 1980, and I can scan if necessary.

Regards, Steve

Dear Stevehed

I have now got an electronic copy of the FE8 article. I now need an address to send it to: do you know how I can do this without you or I having to put our e-mail addresses in full public view? Please let me know and I will forward the article asap.

Stevef

[stevehed]

Dear Stevehed

I have now got an electronic copy of the FE8 article. I now need an address to send it to: do you know how I can do this without you or I having to put our e-mail addresses in full public view? Please let me know and I will forward the article asap.

Stevef

Thanks Stevef,

I'll send you a Personal Message. Bit of an oops with the PAM Vimy.

Regards, Steve

[sussexmike]

If anyone has the following articles:

Vol.22 No.9 May 1981

From EIII to EIV - a simple Fokker conversions

Vol.24 No.8 April 1983

Modelling the BE 2 in 1:72 scale

Please could I have a copy?

Electronic or hard copy would be fine.

A big thankyou.

Tim

The EIII to EIV is very suspect. The author, IIRC, was the young nephew of the editor. There was no effort to model the EIV cowl and engine and the photo of the finished model has the comma rudder's kingpost fixed horizontally to the top of the fuselage!

[stevehed]

Got to agree with sussexmike on the EIV conversion. It is very simplistic and it would be better the find an Eduard EIV. If you want it I can send it with the rest which I should be able to do this weekend.

Regards, Steve

[oldgit]

Got to agree with sussexmike on the EIV conversion. It is very simplistic and it would be better the find an Eduard EIV. If you want it I can send it with the rest which I should be able to do this weekend.

Regards, Steve

Thanks for the advice chaps. I do remember doing this conversion at the time, but doing my own cowling & engine mods. I'll look out for a kitted E.IV.

Tim

[stevehed]

I'm sure that one appeared in Airfix Magazine (Either that or Aircraft Modelworld)

Have tried to follow up on Dave's thoughts and came up with this quote.

http://www.wwi-models.org/pipermail/wwi/20...ber/059816.html

Appears the article was printed in the Airfix Mag in the early/mid eighties. Now has anyone a copy and can they scan it?

Regards, Steve

[stevehed]

Just curious but has anyone tackled any of the conversions mentioned in the thread? Fancy a crack at a two seat Spad myself.

Steve

[Herb]

Here's some shots of my Airfix R.E.8 to B.E.12a conversion. I also used a vac fuselage from a Formaplane B.E.2 kit. Hardest part was thinning the wings down...

Cheers,

Herb

 

 

Edited June 21, 2020 by Herb

[Admiral Puff]

Never looked at it in 1:72, but a while back I did consider a Sopwith Dolphin by combining bits from the 1:28 Revell Camel and Spad kits - not easy, but do-able with some (= a lot of) scratchbuilding. I haven't gone further than getting the two kits, though! Something similar should be possible in 1:72 ...

[vildebeest]

I remember the 1980's ones from when they originally appeared - I've got most of those articles somewhere and I also have the DH4 articles from a book of Airfix conversions.

I did the Bristol Scout one at the time, no idea where it went, probably binned later when I got the Aeroclub Scout. It was I think a conversion from the Airfix 504K. In these days of worrying exactly where panels lines are, they were rather crude, but there weren't any resin models then and few limited run kits so there was little alternative. The fuselage didn't look too bad, though a bit wide and the cockpit didn't quite work. The real problem was the wings. Although the chord was near enough and the span could be cut and sanded, the wing ribs looked badly wrong. The ribs on the Airfix 504 are fairly chunky to start with, but the main problem was that the spacing was far too narrow and it looked just wrong. It would have looked a lot better to have completely sanded down the wing and put on new ribs.

The Bristol monoplane conversion was I remember a conversion from the old Airfix Gladiator fuselage used upside-down.

There were various other 504 conversions around the same time. Also I think various conversions from the Bristol Fighter. There was also, back in the 1960's I think - in the early 1980's I picked up a bunch of 1960's Airfix magazines at a jumble sale - a conversion from the Pup to I think a Sopwith Baby, which I started but never finished.

Paul

[AWFK10]

The Baby conversion was published in 1969 or 1970. I can't for the life of me remember what the base kit was (a mix of 504 and DH4, maybe?) but it can't have been the Pup, as that wasn't released until the mid '70s. Other conversion articles included the Airfix Camel into a Hanriot HD1 (in the first half of 1971), DH9 from a DH4 (around 1969/70) and the One and a Half Strutter, twice. The first one (1972) used an Avro 504 and RE8, I think. Oh, and there's a Sopwith Gunbus article by Gerald Scarborough in one of the annuals.

[stevehed]

The Baby conversion used the Avro 504 and there is a build thread on the ATF. I used a Sopwith Triplane fuselage and Camel wings, although Pup wings would be better, and posted here. There is less cutting and joining with this method.

Herb's BE12a is excellent and the vac form fuselage will be a lot less hassle than modifying the Harry Tate fuselage. The BE12b, the one with the Hispano Suiza engine and looks a bit like a stretched SE5a, can be built using, in my case, a Revell SE5a, Airfix RE8 wings and plastic card to stretch the fuselage and make the tail and rudder.

I'm intrigued by the Dolphin from a Spad and Camel. Never thought of that one.

Regards, Steve

[Paul Thompson]

There's a conversion in an old Windsock using a Revell Albatros D.III to make a D.IV. The wings come, as ever, from cutting up Airfix DH4 wings (the rib spacing is similar). I've just moved house so can't find the article right now, but I did do one recently and it worked out quite well. You also need to make a new tailplane and struts, although some other details I managed to find leftover Roden bits for in the spares box. The D.IV is the one with a completely buried engine. No armament (it was a prototype and shook too much to be useful, due to the geared engine). If you're interested I can dig out more details. I didn't want to steal the wings from a DH4 so made the wings from Roseplane vacform blanks, a very useful product that isn't available any more.

This is my effort, anyway:

Paul.