1/72 Bristol Sycamore

[Spookytooth]

Sorry, late for parade on this one Nigel.

I will just draw up a seat quietly and watch from a distance.

 

Simon

[Nigel Heath]

I have got a bit more done on this over the weekend. The instructions offer no guidance on the interior colours so I marked up the instructions using the excellent RAN walkaround, in the main the cockpit is black. I think I will be replacing the rear seats with brass tube and lead foil for a more accurate look:

 

 

 

Here are some photos of what they should look like.

 

The squabs of the pilot seats have some bad sink marks which will be best dealt with using some white Milliput (which I don't have at the moment):

 

 

Those proved to be a nice snug fit onto the floor which bodes well for the fit of the rest of the kit. One feature of this kit is that the gates often extend onto the parts and need to be cut and filed away:

 

 

I started to cut out all the transparencies, I used my JLC razor saw as tin snips are not the best tool for releasing parts:

 

 

The fit of the IP to the coaming was not that great:

 

 

After much fettling of mainly the coaming I got a much better fit:

 

 

I also added a curve to the front edge of the coaming to better match with reality:

 

 

Here is a good picture of what it should look like.

 

This is how I have reprofiled the underside of the coaming:

 

 

There should be a second window above the pair of steps on the side glazing but the kit gives no clue as to its shape:

 

 

That will have to be arrived at using reference material.

 

Here are all the glazing parts after removal and cleanup:

 

 

The two parts remaining on the sprue are not for this version.

 

One of the pilot steps arrived pre broken:

 

 

No bother as I will be replacing them with brass versions later.

 

Continuing with cleaning up parts I got to the main wheels and added a flat spot at an angle as they have a distinct inward slant:

 

 

 

I have now removed and cleaned up all these parts:

 

 

These are the only parts remaining on one sprue which will in the main be replaced with scratchbuilt metal items:

 

 

Now I need to book a flight to Aberdeen to pick up much needed tools and materials. I will be away for the next two weekends so next update in three weeks time.

 

Bye for now,

 

Nigel

[wyverns4]

What! No! Three weeks No! No! No! No!

 

Safe travel and hurry back, please...!

 

Christian, exiled to africa

[perdu]

It's a dashing Nigey super build, we can/WILL wait

 

See you soon Nigel, this has all the hallmarks...

 

b

[CedB]

Great work Nigel. Have a good trip and see you back soon!

[TheBaron]

A Sycamore on the Heath - this should be worth watching. Safe trip Nigel. 

[hendie]

Great Sycamores from small plastic parts grow... or something like that

[NAVY870]

XD.653 at Nowra has a lot of non standard parts and has various repaints over the years using modern paint.

CMA's XR.592 is still in her original paint and is only missing one small radio panel in the office.

Thus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Working there yesterday I found a box of switches that this thing was missing, glued them back in and then remembered this build.

 

Edited April 3, 2017 by NAVY870

[Nigel Heath]

Cool, thanks for those new photos. I like the green grips on the cyclic controls, skylight blinds and roof ribbing details which I will try to reproduce. 

[hovis]

Another masterclass.  *pulls up seat and opens bag of crisps...

[Martian]

Great pictures Steve!

 

Martian

[NAVY870]

Just a thought Nigel, you noted the panel doesnt fit real well to the coaming but if you look at 592's

panel theres supposed to be a gap. Its the way they mounted the panel to a separate structure.

[perdu]

Did Bristles get that impressive Mr Heath Robinson to design the interior?

That collective, it IS the collective isn't it, looks very amazing

I'm spending a couple of photographic hours at Hendon next Tuesday looking at the Sycamore's big brother, it's to be one of the first builds next, RAF year

The noses look very alike after all

 

Heath-Robinson

 

Sounds like an omen, this will be a good un

Edited April 3, 2017 by perdu

[corsaircorp]

On ‎30‎/‎03‎/‎2017 at 14:45, heloman1 said:

Nice choice Nigel, pity it's never been kitted in 48th scale...

 

Colin

Hello Dears,

The day this helo is being produced in 1/48...

I'll make one that has never officially existed...

Ex (not really ex) Belgian air force used by the rebel's mercenaries in Katanga.

Overpainting of the belgian roundels replaced by the would be emblem of Katanga that never make it to freedom

I've one photo of a part of the sycamore.

yark yark yark !

Corsaircorp

[71chally]

Nice start there Nigel, and cracking interior shots above!

 

I too wish that this will become a 1:48th reality!

 

Talking of noses, the production Sycamore had two nose designs, the 'standard' bulbous one that we see here, and a far shallower variation which improved visibility from within.

According to Wiki this was a Mark variant feature, but I'm not so sure as I've seen shots of different Mks with differing noses.

Does anyone know if there was a logic to it, or could they have been retro fitted across different Mks?

[heloman1]

4 hours ago, perdu said:

Did Bristles get that impressive Mr Heath Robinson to design the interior?

That collective, it IS the collective isn't it, looks very amazing

I'm spending a couple of photographic hours at Hendon next Tuesday looking at the Sycamore's big brother, it's to be one of the first builds next, RAF year

The noses look very alike after all

 

Heath-Robinson

 

Sounds like an omen, this will be a good un

Hi Bill. Not Heath-Robinson just he very early days of the British rotocraft industry everything just built to function no niceities anywhere. I had a three and a half hour flip in one out of RAF Aldergrove mid/late fifties, fantastic ride if just a tad noisy, no ear defenders in those days.

 

Colin

[Aeronut]

The Sycamore is representative of the early days of British rotorcraft, being the first British designed (as opposed to copy of an American design) helicopter to enter service. It was also up with the best helicopters of the day and a fact I only found out whilst carrying out the research for a new exhibit caption for the Sycamore on display at Middle Wallop was that when first built the Sycamore was the World's fastest Helicopter - or at least not as slow as all the others.

[NAVY870]

The CO of 816 Squadron (and Boss of the RAN Historic Flight) once told me of a flight he had taking an Admiral from NAS Nowra

to Sydney in a Wessex 31B.

Aforementioned Admiral was an ex helo driver and had finished his flying days on 723 Squadron driving Bristol's finest. Our CO asked his Lordship

if he wished to have a go at the great blue & white lump of a Westland to which Sir answered in the affirmative.

After a while CO realizes somethings not right and looks down to see his Lordship is flying with his own cyclic but has reached across to grasp the 

pilots collective, twigging that Admiral has reverted to his single collective Sycamore days. CO points out there is another collective on his left. Admiral takes said

collective, flies on for a few minutes then goes "Nope dont like that"

Cant beat old school!

One more war story that I wont tell all the words because I'll get my butt banned. We had two Sycamores at Nowra, a HR.51 XD.653 (Featured on the decal sheet for the Glencoe kit) and

a HR.50 XA.220 also known as "The ruptured duck" when in service and  "Sycamore YFI" by us (also featured on a Glencoe kit)

Now why "Sycamore YFI" you ask?

We dragged XA.220 home from Sydney TAFE where it had suffered years of abuse and road tripped it back to Nowra. When we parked in D hanger it got a lot of attention from

816 Squadron next door and with its round engine and wooden rotor blades caused quite a few questions.

One visitor foolishly asked what sort of helicopter it was to which one resident wag (not me for a change) quipped "Its a Sycamore ya ************* idiot"

And thus the name stuck.

Edited April 4, 2017 by NAVY870

[Ed Russell]

On 03/04/2017 at 10:52 PM, 71chally said:

I too wish that this will become a 1:48th reality!

 

I think that S+M will do a 1/48 once they have sold all the 1/72 ones. Commercial reality is that tooling costs a lot of money.

 

Steve........ I'll see your Admiral and raise you an Admiral of the Fleet.

 

We are working on some more markings and variant options for the S+M kit and this will be one!

 

 

 

[Vlamgat9]

I'd happily buty two in 1/48! Plus a Provost if Mel was minded to upscale that too!

[Pete in Lincs]

On ‎4‎/‎3‎/‎2017 at 10:09 AM, perdu said:

That collective, it IS the collective isn't it, looks very amazing

And I imagine that the ribbed portion

in the middle is the throttle?

Like the Fordson tractor rudder pedals too.

(Note, no toe brakes. I wonder how they stopped it!)

[Ed Russell]

There's a handbrake for deceleration and then you can steer by differential rudder pedals.

[AdrianMF]

I like the preparations for the build. The suspense is mounting!

 

Regards,

Adrian

[StephenCJ]

I have gotten that exited about this build I bought one from Hannats.  

 

Stephen

[Nigel Heath]

l am currently at Aberdeen airport waiting for my flight back to Luton. In my hold luggage I have packed most of the tools and materials to progress this build. I might get a bit more done tonight.

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel