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Frank McNamara VC - Martinsyde Elephant - Finished


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One hundred years ago today, on 20 March 1917, Lt McNamara, flying a Martinsyde Elephant, was one of four 1 Sqn AFC (67 Sqn RFC) pilots attacking a Turkish railway junction near Gaza. What followed earned him the only VC won by an Australian airman in WW1. Most would be unaware of this but there are good descriptions here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_McNamara_(VC)
and here
https://www.awm.gov.au/people/P10676512/
The issues and questions raised earlier on AMI have been sorted out and I am going to do the Martinsyde and BE.2c using the Pegasus and Airfix kits.
http://forum.aussiemodeller.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=11533

The Pegasus Martinsyde is quite accurate according to the few plans available but is quite a basic kit. It's far superior to the Tamiya one (:>)
IMG_4910_zpsneb8hjb6.jpg
It looks as though it cleans up okay though.
IMG_4925_zpsf8ghswp6.jpg
The Airfix BE.2c has been well received and should be a lot easier. There are a few nice builds here to give me inspiration.

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By coincidence, a bronze bust of AVM Frank McNamara VC was today unveiled at his birthplace, Rushworth, in Central Victoria, along with one

 of  AM Sir George Jones DFC, also Rushworth-born and decorated for his combat skills during campaigns on the Western Front.

 

AM Jones was appt Chief of Air Staff in 1942 and led the RAAF for 10 years.

 

Full military honours were observed and an overflight by a P-8A Poseidon and a performance by the Roulettes took place.

 

Going to enjoy this w.i.p, Ed !

 

Roger

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This is one that I really have to follow. What an incredibly narrow escape they had :o!

 

INot long to ANZAC day now, I wonder  will these be complete by then ;)?

 

The elephant is an amazing looking aircraft, really looking forward to seeing one made.

 

Best regards

TonyT

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Here's a little bit more progress..... there's a fair bit of work done and to come squaring off the corners where the fuselage sides join. Similarly the various cut-outs for the radiator inlets (abaft the engine), lower vent holes, exhaust locations etc need trueing up by adding plasticard and re-shaping.

IMG_4952_zpsctkzmxpr.jpg

The lower wings have a gap between the inboard end and the inner face. The kit would have you butt join it but that's not going to work. The two holes at the bottom are for spars.

The white metal seat is quite okay and the cockpit detail is largely hidden

IMG_4953_zps9jhglkzz.jpg

Filling that top seam is going to be essential.

 

Some good references on the Elephant are the Profile Publication and the Windsock Datafile on the type, both by JM Bruce.

 

  a bronze bust of AVM Frank McNamara VC was today unveiled at his birthplace, Rushworth, in Central Victoria,

 

I would have gone had i known...........

 

http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/4541760/family-pride-at-airmens-honours/

 

 

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Looking good so far! Pegasus kits seem to be a strange mix of fine engraved detail and melted plastic blobby bits, but that's short run for you I suppose.  Did they give you a whole engine just to hide it all under the cowling?

 

Regards,

Adrian

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23 hours ago, AdrianMF said:

Did they give you a whole engine just to hide it all under the cowling?

Yes indeed - it could be superdetailed into a creditable Beardmore 6 cylinder engine if you wished. However it's not all concealed - the radiator is to the rear of the engine so you can see the front and a bit through the ventral opening.

 

engine_zps0vwy9jiz.jpg

 

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Hmm... seem to have a problem. Where the biro is pointing is, I think, the attachment point for the upper wing centre section. Unfortunately not in the kit. I have contacted Freightdog, from where I bought it, and they have promised a replacement. It hasn't arrived yet.

missing_zps6g3cpfby.jpg

 

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If it doesn't arrive let me know

 I have this one in my stash, I may be able to make a resin copy of the part....or not, but I could at least try if needed!

 

Ian

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The kit includes white metal representations of the plywood endplates of the lower wings

 

IMG_5042_zpsmstt1rjc.jpg

 

IMG_5041_zpsajn2sgsf.jpg

 

These are small spigots which are maybe meant to butt join to the fuselage. I extended them with brass wire to make spars and drilled corresponding holes in the fuselage.

The wings are then firmly fixed.

 

IMG_5029_zps0yktmlfo.jpg

 

IMG_5031_zpsejuzdmoz.jpg

 

Although at first sight the kit doesn't promise much (apart from hard work) it is quite accurate, reasonably well detailed and goes together easily enough.

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Now for the tricky bits - putting the struts in. I have built a reasonable number of biplanes but this one is going to be, for me, in a unique configuration.

 

IMG_5044_zps5fyoaqud.jpg

 

IMG_5043_zpszjdi7llq.jpg

 

IMG_5045_zps2jkck7eh.jpg

 

Where would I be without Lego? Don't worry that they look a little wobbly - they have a little bit of flex in them.

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Only just found this - another of the interesting types. Despite the apparent crudity of the kit you are making a super job of it. Will be following in future to see how this one finishes. Very well indeed by the looks of things.

 

P

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The upper wing part turned up and I have assembled and painted it. It look normal enough here

 

IMG_5068_zpsrrxh0ozu.jpg

 

and here.........

 

IMG_5062_zps3bkfi7ie.jpg

 

but wait for the next pictures.

 

As I said, it's not a bad kit for its age but definitely not recommended for beginners. The 'make-it-yourself' strut lengths on the instructions don't quite correlate with the drawing, which I followed. The bomb racks on the plans number 4 but accounts are quite definite about 6 45 lb bombs being carried. I have added a couple of extemporized racks between the pairs but the artillery shells were not large and maybe 1 or 2 per rack is correct? The linen finish is Humbrol 71 but other colours may suit.  Airfix recommend Humbrol 103 which would be okay, as would the kit recommendation Xtracolour 107. The 'Battleship Grey' is Revell 47 and the struts Humbrol 20. The decals are thin and well printed but have poor adhesion, even over Future. The rudder was painted white then masked for the red and blue paint. The serial is Alps printed to the same style as photos. The few pictures show a very plain, almost 'modern' font.

 

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In the next pictures, you can see that it is a bit bent........

 

IMG_5063_zpsrjxbxyu4.jpg

 

IMG_5066_zpshgpq0keb.jpg

 

This extract from McNamara VC - A Hero's Dilemma tells what happened.........

 

With his passenger thus precariously positioned, McNamara opened up the
engine to full power and turned upwind in preparation for take-off. The Martinsyde
began gathering speed, bumping and bouncing across the uneven ground which was
also sodden from recent rain. The additional weight of Rutherford made the aircraft
lop-sided and his presence in the airstream added extra drag, with the result that as
flying speed of about thirty-five miles an hour was reached McNamara found the
machine veering to the left. Without full feeling in his wounded right leg, he was
unable to counter this swing using the rudder controls to straighten up. Continuing its
sideways lurch, the Martinsyde nosed into a gully, shearing off the undercarriage and
breaking the lower left wing and the airscrew.

 

 

 

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