Old Airframe vacuformed Supermarine S.4

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

By now most of you may have realized that I have a soft spot for vacuformed kits.

As with any other media, there are very good ones, fair ones, sort of lacking ones, and despicable ones.

This one, a very old mold from Airframe, belongs to yet another category, the "optimistic" once.

The plastic is sort of thin and in some of the backing sheets uneven, with variations in thickness. There is no surface detail, no interior, no decals, no detail parts.

Some of the parts (in this case the float legs) are better left in the "smirking" box.

What these kits do have, is very pleasant and uncommon subjects, and a more than convenient price.

So, let's see what can we do with it.

What you get:

 

 

 

Parts easily separated from backing sheet:

 

Somewhat soft detail on the radiators:

 

Better to use them -if at all- showing the other side:

 

 

Airframe kits are engineered always with this "keel", intended to provide rigidity, and a bridging and aligning surface to easily locate the other fuselage half. On the few I built, I found them imprecise and somewhat annoying.

The idea is sound, but doesn't translate to reality well:

 

All parts sanded flat:

 

Proper styrene sheets can replace those radiators:

 

 

Nose cone given a backing plate:

 

Had to cut a section of the "keel", otherwise, as predicted above, it wouldn't fit:

 

Stab halves glued together. Float legs leave much to be desired:

 

No matter what, and how much you shuffle them around, it is impossible to find real matches. To the "smirking" bin these go too. Sigh...

 

Given the simplistic nature of this kit, an equally simplified interior is provided, barely to be seen due to the very small cockpit opening:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 4, 2018 by Moa
to correct typo

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

A spar is provided for the wing:

 

Strangely enough, if you glue the legs the wrong way, then they more or less coincide. The simplest explanation is that the pattern maker got things scrambled when allotting fairings to struts, reversing them, thus creating a problem down the lane:

 

My ebil plan is to cut off the stems, shape the fairings, and add either plastic airfoiled contrail stock or brass airfoiled Strutz. We'll see.

 

 

[Courageous]

Making my mouth water that S4 .

I like the idea of the internal keel, I didn't know that you can get 'ribbed' plastic sheet and if those struts didn't mate in anyway, at least you have a template.

All-in-all, I like it...a lot. So I'll be taking notes on this one as I know you'll 'pull the rabbit out of the hat' with this one.

 

Stuart

[denisvanb]

I built mine a few years ago... but with my own method :

IMG_6890 by denisvanb, on Flickr

Do not spend time on the interior, only the seat is visible, I made a lot of hidden details (anyway it was pure imagination...)

How I made the radiators, this is not the simplest way ! :

IMG_2923 by denisvanb, on Flickr

DSC05250 by denisvanb, on Flickr

My pictures are not very good I am afraid... I will have to make better ones.

When comparing this build to the photos of the real thing, I think the cross section of the fuselage is wrong, the top should continue the " pointed" section of the top of the engine.... but who knows...

Denis

[Courageous]

That looks very nice Denis, got any details of your build kit wise? Your wire radiator may not be the easiest but it's effective.

 

Stuart

[Col.]

Lovely choice of subject and one I know you'll do justice to

[Martian]

Nice start! I said that recent bundle of kits you picked up wouldn't last you five minutes!

 

Martian 👽

[Brandy]

Always nice to see a vac put together well, especially one that leaves "something to be desired"!

 

Ian

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

8 hours ago, denisvanb said:

I built mine a few years ago... 

Very nice model, Denis.

I use the same bulkhead method in all other vacs I build, even the ones I made the masters for, but since this is a sort of review as well, I thought of following to a certain extent the original.

The radiators are actually Lamblin, and their shape is very particular in reality:

 

Edited July 5, 2018 by Moa
to correct typo

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Floats, wings and horizontal stabilizer halves glued together:

[Andwil]

Great start Moa, there is a Supermarine S4 lurking in there somewhere, but I'm sure you'll find it!

 

Andrew

[stevehnz]

Pleased to see this underway, the S.4 has long been my favourite of the Supermarine S series racers. It may not have been as successful as the others but for sheer elegence & form none could hold a candle to it. IMHO of course.

Steve.

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

13 hours ago, stevehnz said:

It may not have been as successful as the others but for sheer elegence & form none could hold a candle to it.

Steve, I concur!

 

The "corrugated" styrene sheet pieces are bent to follow the proper profile of the original radiators:

 

 

The succinct cockpit is prepared:

 

Fuselage halves are united. Notice the notches on the wing root: the fore ones are to clear the cylinder bank fairings, the aft ones as far as I can tell are a mistake, and will have to be filled-up with scrap styrene:

 

Another good thing this kit provides is a properly scaled plan:

 

So a photocopy is made to be used as pattern for the trailer:

 

Adjusting the shape to the bottom contour of the floats and keeping things aligned, the trailer is made from scrap styrene.

It will hopefully be useful while trying to get the legs aligned and attached to both floats and fuselage, a nightmare in kits -like this one- that are not keyed, neither provide a jig, nor any advise on how to deal with this issue.

Oh, the blood runs fast and hot with adventure while putting together this beasties. Who said modeling is a passive activity?:

 

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Floats on:

 

And now things start to look as if one would have a kit of sorts:

 

On the "to do" list:

Propeller blades and axle.

Locate and drill the 12 exhaust locations and prepare the little gizmos for the fuselage top.

Make and adjust windshield, set aside on safe place. Forget said place and be forced to make another after painting is done.

Locate and drill spar locations for stab and wing halves, completely unmarked on fuselage molds; concoct said spars (tube and wire?).

Start to worry about the decals.

Continue to worry about the decals.

Stop worrying about the decals, they are mere light blue number 4s and a tiny British flag after all.

You really have to pay attention to those darn legs now.

No, really, I mean it.

 

 

 

Edited July 7, 2018 by Moa
to correct typo

[greggles.w]

Hooray!  What a great subject Moa! I was not aware of this kit.  What scale is it? I’m guessing 1/48, scaling parts to your cutting mat..

 

It’s a great machine, so confident (overconfident?) in its vision of the future.

 

I have a 1/48 Noix S.4 in the stash.  I have similar concerns re the float struts. In this case they are white metal parts, but they seem a little irregular & soft .. so I may follow your lead as you replace the struts.  It’s a good idea you have to at least make use of the upper fairings.

 

On 7/6/2018 at 3:16 AM, Moa said:

The radiators are actually Lamblin, and their shape is very particular in reality:

 

There’s some good imagery online of equivalent wing mounted lamblin radiators on the Fiat C.29 which survives in Italy. Like this:

 

 

From here:

http://www.maquetland.com/article-phototheque/6564-fiat-c-29-bracciano

 

And this:

 

 

From here:

https://www.fromtheskies.it/video-del-ritrovamento-del-fiat-c-29-nel-lago-garda/

 

Will check in regularly. If you maintain your form this will be done in a flash!

 

 

 

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

14 hours ago, greggles.w said:

Hooray!  What a great subject Moa! I was not aware of this kit.  What scale is it? I’m guessing 1/48, scaling parts to your cutting mat..

 

It’s a great machine, so confident (overconfident?) in its vision of the future.

 

I have a 1/48 Noix S.4 in the stash.  I have similar concerns re the float struts. In this case they are white metal parts, but they seem a little irregular & soft .. so I may follow your lead as you replace the struts.  It’s a good idea you have to at least make use of the upper fairings.

It's in 1/72, I never model aircraft in any other scale. The image of the kit's header above on the thread has the scale in tiny characters.

I concur that the lines of this design are remarkably appealing. A futuristic concept, but developed by the French before, nonetheless.

Good and useful images, thanks for posting them.

Cheers

 

 

Edited July 7, 2018 by Moa
to correct typo

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

On 7/5/2018 at 2:04 AM, denisvanb said:

How I made the radiators, this is not the simplest way ! :

Hi Denis

I have used the same method (wire wrapped around a core) to make the Lamblin "lobster pot" radiators for my Nieuport Delage NiD-37 (and other models) in 2010:

 

 

 

 

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

An aluminium "Fairey Reed" prop is made:

 

The blades are cut and their position on the spinner slotted:

 

A dry run (the blades will be added once the spinner is painted separately):

[Courageous]

Fantastic work Moa. 

The cradle looks a nice piece of work.

Can I ask, where you got the cockpit colour from?

 

Stuart

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

4 minutes ago, Courageous said:

Fantastic work Moa. 

The cradle looks a nice piece of work.

Can I ask, where you got the cockpit colour from?

 

Stuart

Hi Stuart

In this case, the purpose is actually to obscure as much as possible the spartan cockpit, as noted above, since the opening is really small, and the overall quality of the kit doesn't really merit much effort in this department.

You can see I used flat black inside, but for modelers willing to spend some time there I think it could be safe to follow the interior colors of the S-6, well known and available online.

I did not see in my searches anything regarding the interior of the S-4, but I did not look for comparable shots of the S-5, which could be explored too.

On a different note, I just commissioned the decals set from usual provider, Arctic Decals, so that's one less thing to worry about.

Cheers

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

1 hour ago, Courageous said:

The cradle looks a nice piece of work.

Work continues on it, Stuart:

 

 

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

The wings are not a good fit to the cylinder bank fairings. Slather the area with putty could do, but better add some styrene and carve it to properly meet those areas before the puttying starts.

As said above, those notches on the wing trailing edge roots shouldn't be there, so filling scraps are added, later to be also contoured to shape.

The kit may be little, but the work involved isn't.

 

Edited July 8, 2018 by Moa
to correct typo

[Learstang]

Brilliant work on a beautiful aeroplane (even if the kit is lacking)! Looking at this build, I may have to get started on my Bristol Racer (I have the Arctic Decals for that - very nice!). I love 20's and 30's racers, but I have never seen the NiD 37 before. Was that from a kit, or did you scratchbuild it? That might be one I'd take a chance at scratchbuilding if I had good plans for it.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

Edited July 8, 2018 by Learstang
Slight changes.

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

31 minutes ago, Learstang said:

Brilliant work on a beautiful aeroplane (even if the kit is lacking)! Looking at this build, I may have to get started on my Bristol Racer (I have the Arctic Decals for that - very nice!). I love 20's and 30's racers, but I have never seen the NiD 37 before. Was that from a kit, or did you scratchbuild it? That might be one I'd take a chance at scratchbuilding if I had good plans for it.

 

Best Regards,

 

Hi Jason

Scratch indeed:

 

 

[Learstang]

Wow! Nice work on that NiD 37! I actually tried my hand at scratchbuilding a Dayton-Wright RB-1, but I quit when I realised the plans I was working from were not very accurate. I might get back to it someday. This Bristol Racer I'm talking about will be my second one; the first one now resides who knows where (it was my very first vacuform). I did it before, when I knew nothing about vacuforms, so I know I can do another one, and this time I'll have the decals, instead of having to scrounge for them, and hand-painting 'Bristol' on the fuselage (that was nerve-wracking). Continued good luck with your S.4 build - the best-looking of the Supermarine racers with its cantilever wings, and that big broad-arrow engine.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

Edited July 8, 2018 by Learstang
Slight change. Really just a trifle. Hardly worth mentioning.