Wingnut Wings 1/32 Bristol F.2b Sunbeam Arab - FINISHED (at last)!!

[pheonix]

Wonderful extra details.

 

P

[Sabrejet]

Oh my word. I was really concerned about rigging the F.2b (when the time comes), and had been avoiding that issue for a while. Some time ago I looked at a detailed build of WNW's RE.8 and noted the author's concern that at 1/32 scale, the rigging would need to replicate the RAFwire (rather than cable) rigging of the original. Now that was something I was REALLY not looking forward to. But I thought I would give it a period of consideration, and having consulted recent photographs of F.2bs, and having seen the Shuttleworth and Duxford examples in the flesh, I am now confident that to my eye, I would not notice the presence - or not - of RAFwires on my model. In fact, it is more my concern that even the best scaled RAFwires would look over-scale and rather defeat the object.

 

So that made life a bit easier, but I was still fretting about the rigging.

 

Well it seems I needn't have worried, thanks to some wonderful products I have just received (I have no business link to either manufacturer by the way). Apologies for those who are familiar with this system, but since I was only vaguely aware of how to do it, I thought I'd just show how it works. The products are Uschi van der Rosten's "Rig That Thing" 0.005 OD elastic rigging material (Item Code 4005); Bob's Buckles 0.5 OD x 2.5mm tube and Bob's Buckles 1/32 eyelets. I have bought LOADS of these because, even though I will need a lot, I will also no doubt need spares since my habit of pinging objects around the room is legendary. Bob's items arrived post-haste by 1st Class Signed-For delivery and he even rather generously put in some spare ones - I think because of the size of my order!

 

So as a tester, I got a piece of thick plastic card and drilled two 0.35mm holes to receive Bob's Buckles eyelets (3) below. When I do the model I will probably use a smaller drill bit, but it's nice to know that 0.35mm will work. 

 

Next, I trimmed the eyelet til it was about 1mm in length (the eyelet is a very fine length of wire, twisted about itself and with a loop in its end; one needs to trim the excess twisted portion to insert it into the drilled hole i.e. the relevant surface on the model). Then I placed a minute blob of superglue in the hole with a thin piece of wire, placed the trimmed eyelet in the hole and let the glue set (which takes seconds).

 

Then, taking the Uschi rigging line (1) in one pair of tweezers, I fed the line through the Bob's Buckles 0.5 OD x 2.5mm tube (2), out the other side and through the eyelet (3). It needs a hold of the breath to do that! My concerns that rough edges to the tube might make it difficult to thread the line were unfounded: it was very easy to push the rigging line right through.

 

Final bit is then to pass the rigging line (1) back through the tube (2) and with tension on the line and the tube firmly against the eyelet (pulling the free end of the rigging at an angle to the tube actually forces the tube towards the eyelet), I placed a dab of superglue on the end of the tube/rigging line assembly and capillary action does the rest, sucking the glue into the tube. Couple of seconds to let the glue dry and it's then just a case of trimming the excess line.

 

I estimate it took maybe 2 minutes to do all that and I can report no lost items too! OK it is going to take a few chilled evenings to rig the Fighter, but that's sort of the point for me: I don't want it to be quick or too easy: but thanks to these products I can report that it will be a straightforward job.

 

 

[Sabrejet]

Small update: camera gun:

 

 

 

 

[pheonix]

Superb piece of scratch building.

 

P

[Nickthebrief]

That rigging idea looks great. Have just been onto Bob's Buckles website and ordered a few for my Albacore build.

Your WIP continues to inspire!

Nick.

[Sabrejet]

It's been a bit of a pivotal day today: while I'm waiting for various things to set/dry/cure etc, I thought I'd start putting some paint on the fuselage.

 

I started by priming the whole thing with Mr Color primer to check for any imperfections...

 

 

 

There are a few, but I don't really want a flawless finish anyway. Next, in order to replicate the 37 TDS white 'zigzag' markings on the fuselage sides, I sprayed just that area with Mr Color Character White -  which in fact doesn't look much different to the primer colour. Then it was a case of trimming down some 10mm Tamiya tape to get 4mm-wide strips (trimmed with a sharp blade to ensure a nice crisp edge to the tape), and applying it using photos for placement...

 

 

 

Then a few thin coats of Mr Color Olive Drab gloss (doesn't seem too glossy here) - and then off with the masking. Luckily it all seems pretty neat, with only a few touch-ups needed.

 

 

 

And just for reference, here is how it should look:

 

 

Next I need to mask off the gray metallic bits on the forward fuselage/cockpit area and that is another big job done.

[Nickthebrief]

I trust that after all your skill and hard work, you won't be displaying your model as crashed in a hedge? That would seem a shame - although I'm sure you'd do it beautifully!

Nick.

[Sabrejet]

3 hours ago, Nickthebrief said:

I trust that after all your skill and hard work, you won't be displaying your model as crashed in a hedge? That would seem a shame - although I'm sure you'd do it beautifully!

Nick.

 

I can make no guarantees! I'm amazed that I haven't snapped any bits off yet - but there is still time.

[Brandy]

I have to say I'm not quite sure about the white lines. From the original pic it looks as though the angles are 90 degrees between each one, but your last one is much tighter. It still looks good, and won't be noticed by anyone not comparing it to a photo, but thought I'd mention it just in case......

 

Ian

[Sabrejet]

3 hours ago, limeypilot said:

I have to say I'm not quite sure about the white lines. From the original pic it looks as though the angles are 90 degrees between each one, but your last one is much tighter. It still looks good, and won't be noticed by anyone not comparing it to a photo, but thought I'd mention it just in case......

 

Ian

 

Ian,

 

It's a fair point, but from the few photos I have, it seems that the application of the lines was not uniform: first a/c below seems to show the first angle 'about' 90 degrees, allowing the aft-most angle to be a bit more. The second image appears to show an angle greater than 90 degrees, with a tighter angle on the aft 'chevron':

 

 

All of which is quite difficult to ascertain from incomplete views taken at different angles. I thought long and hard on the best way to represent the lines and settled on a standardised width for the lines, but with a fairly free application of the lines in relation to each other. Even then, I note from my photos of the model that some lines seem wider than others, which is just an optical illusion since they were all masked with the same piece of tape.

 

I also wonder how they painted those lines back in 1918: I'm guessing that they maybe chalked the outlines on the fuselage and free-hand painted them. I can't imagine masking tape being used back then, but having said that, the lines do appear to be sharp-edged and straight.

[Sabrejet]

Been busy enjoying the weather, but did manage to get the cowlings painted & a bit of preliminary weathering (did this bit a while ago)

 

 

And masked up the fuselage for the gray/metallic areas. Chucked the cowlings on and quite pleased:

 

 

I think I may as well glue them on now and finish up the front end. I do like the ability to do these WW1 types in modular form.

[Max Headroom]

You're 'quite pleased'?! That's got to be the understatement of the week.  

 

I love the careworn look of the cowling and the tantalising glimpse of the cockpit looks excellent as well.

 

Trevor

 

[Sabrejet]

2 hours ago, Max Headroom said:

You're 'quite pleased'?! That's got to be the understatement of the week.  

 

I love the careworn look of the cowling and the tantalising glimpse of the cockpit looks excellent as well.

 

Trevor

 

 

Trevor, you're very kind. In fact you're right, but I'm just a bit concerned how I make the canvas areas look equally 'used'. These aircraft got very rough-looking in a very short space of time; they were delivered from August 1918 onwards and didn't do much flying after January 1919 - thus all photos of these Arab F.2bs come from a 6-month time frame.

[Sabrejet]

The propeller has had me putting things off for some time: the Arab prop turns in the opposite direction to the RR-engined F.2b and sadly it's not just a case of turning the kit propeller round: it's in fact a mirror image of the Falcon propeller.

 

But first off I noticed that the kit part isn't quite correct: this is a pic from a few weeks ago when I was moulding a separate boss for the prop:

 

 

 

Note how the boss on the kit part sits on the face of the propeller front. Well I took this photo last year of the Shuttleworth F.2b and see how it's recessed here:

 

  

Other photos show it that way too, so I have drilled a circa 6mm hole through the propeller centre and this will allow me to recess the new boss I made:

 

 

So that's one job done but not the big one. Reversing the propeller sounds easy - just cut off the kit blades, rotate them 180 degrees and the job's done! Um - no. My first effort (I used the 4-bladed prop in the kit) was not great, with the prop too small in diameter and the blades the wrong shape entirely. That's my effort at top below, compared to the kit 2-blader:

 

 

So I knew it would take some new bits to be inserted plus a lot of filler to get it better and so it was out with the razor saw and off we go again...

 

 

PLENTY of extra plastic this time to allow for sanding it back down!

 

 

And this is just about it finished: most of the filler wasn't needed but again, too much is better than not enough.

 

 

And finally a celebratory paint and off to dry for a few days...

 

 

 

I think this was the last job of the conversion, so the rest should be easy right?

[pheonix]

Excellent propeller conversion. Not easy in that scale where every little mistake shouts out at you.

 

P

[cngaero]

This build is coming along very nicely. Your work on the propeller is amazing.

[Kagemusha]

Outstanding, really enjoyed the ride.

[Sabrejet]

One for Max Headroom:

 

 

And a small update: managed to fix the cowlings and maybe unwisely (because I'm sure to knock them off), put the cowling wingnuts on too... I have also added a few last-minute bits to the cowling area and also mounted to prop reduction gearbox. There is a bit of an annoying gap at the aft edge of the bottom cowling on the LH/starboard side but I'll put that down to my rendition of the real aircraft's ill-fitting items.

 

It REALLY needs a wash now!

 

 

 

[Courageous]

Your attention to detail Ian is amazing... carry on.

[Sabrejet]

Who's Ian?

[Courageous]

Doh...not you! Still good work though SJ.

[pheonix]

I rather like the small gap in the cowling fitting - as you write it could easily have been the case on the real thing. Parts did get worn in service and provided that they did not affect operational efficiency they were frequently tolerated in the field.

 

P

[Sabrejet]

I'l go with that!

[Sabrejet]

Mini update: woodwork round the observer's station done (I will be cleaning the plastic swarf from the seats while I remember it):

 

 

Edited July 8, 2017 by Sabrejet

[Brandy]

Lovely job on the prop, but couldn't you have just turned the kit prop over, since you had already drilled the hub out?

 

Ian