1/28 SPAD XIII (Back from the shelf of Doom)

[ScanmanDan]

Many years ago, maybe ten, I started three Revell 1/28th scale kits the Triplane, SPAD and the Camel.  They all got quite far into being built and then stalled hard.  I finished up the Triplane last year but the SPAD and Camel have sat there mocking me since.  I decided to clean off The SPAD and see if I could get her across the line as well.  The Camel will need to wait for another day.  

 

First thing was to clean a decade of dust and muck off the SPAD and then get to grips with what I could really do with her.  I quickly remembered exactly why I stopped work on the SPAD.  Rigging.  I had been using invisible thread and stretched QTips for crude turnbuckles.  Much of the original rigging of the struts survived and with a little applied heat returned to an acceptable tightness.  I have since used elastic thread and brass micro tube but even so it has taken about five hours to get to this stage and I still have the back wing rigging to do.  

 

I have started on trying to get the paint to look okay, I like a weathered look of an in service machine, so I can hide a little bit.  But I am limited by what I did ten years ago. This will never look as good as I thought it could when I started all those years ago but at least I will have finished it.

 

Here are some pics of where I'm at now.

 

 

 

 

I wonder have many folks brought back kits that have spent years on the shelf of Doom?  Any success stories?

 

Thanks for looking in.

 

Dan

[Azgaron]

Looking good! Love to see it finished!

 

Rigging is one the reasons why I hardly ever build planes older than ww2, even though I love watching other peoples builds, as they look beautiful!

 

Håkan

 

[Pauls9cb]

Looks pretty good at your current stage of completion. Do you recall whether the pilot came with the kit or was it some sort of aftermarket? I know some of the Revell offerings in this unusual scale came with some figures, eg the Camel had a ground mechanic and standing pilots and various of the triplane re-issues offered MvR. Not sure on the Spad.

Paul

[ScanmanDan]

Thanks Haken,  I too love the colour and variation of WWI aircraft.  Though I'd forgotten how much my hands shake and what an adventure the rigging would be.  Guess that's why she sat for almost ten years.

 

Paul, thank you for your encouragement.  The pilot is a old Revell 1/32 scale pilot from the Beaufighter I think.  He 'fit the bill' and was on the bench so he was pressed into service. I should have modified his straps and shaved off the earphone cups on his helmet but if you don't look too hard he kinda looks okay.  Certainly the size isn't an issue.  I like to think this is an aircraft post war being used in a Hollywood movie al a 'Wings'  That way I can have a touch more 'artistic licence' than deserve.

 

Spent some time today 'futzing' and adding some weathering.  I noted that I left off the windscreen and who knows where that is now, sigh.  a little more and then it will be at least 'finished' if you know what I mean.

 

Thanks for looking in.

 

Dan