Supermarine S-4 Schneider Cup 1925

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

This little kit from the late Canadian John Tarvin -progenitor of a number of interesting subjects some years ago- was a well-deserved incarnation of one of the most pleasant Schneider Cup designs.

If you feel curious about the building process, you may go to the WIP post:

Airframe kits are simple and lack accessories, but many can be built into fair replicas with some patience and skill. In general their plastic is molded rather thin and there is almost no detail, but again, they issued types shunned by the giants. Since all kits are the work of love by someone, it's hard to criticize them, but some have limitations, and needless to say time doesn't help most. Given the configuration of the plane and the limitations of this kit, you are set for a bumpy ride, as with the original plane.

I have seen several of these S-4 completed with skill, so it is not an impossible model, but surely requires some modeling steam.

The marks are from Arctic Decals.

And since we are talking about kits, there is a lesser known kit of the S-4, but its mere name and sight produces kit-building nightmares and conjures visions of modeling horror: the Merlin Models release in 1/72.

Now, I have seen my fair share of Frankenkits, and built many of them, but this Merlin one is absolutely beyond redemption, and the dust bin is too high a fate for it.

I think it is high time that some manufacturer releases a modern kit of this beauty, as it has been done with other racers.

So lets hope that in the future we can build an S-4 kit without having to recruit the help of Fëanor or some other highly skilled elf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2018 by Moa
to add information

[stevehnz]

Quite beautiful. Your build captures everything I've long thought of the original, the best looking Supermarine Schneider racer by far. IMHO.

Steve.

[greggles.w]

Stunning! Congratulations Moa.  And how great to see those pictures of it in the air! Well done. Inspiring - I must move my S4 kit up the queue..

[Azgaron]

Excellent build Moa! Looks beautiful! Nice pics with the sky!

 

Håkan

 

[invidia]

Another stunner from Mao,  fantastic model, love the action shots.

[Andwil]

Wow that is gorgeous Moa!  and the photos are beautiful too.

 

AW

[DMC]

Perfect!  Great photos to boot.

 

Dennis

[Thom216]

Great looking model and nice camera work! Sweet!

[Mr T]

Beautiful photos of an impressively built model. Top marks

[Courageous]

What they all said.

Absolutely beautiful. The first photo is the best IMO, that glint off the blade, very arty, 

 Inspiration to all. 

 

Stuart

[Jasper dog]

Tremendous,  absolutely tremendous!

[Meatbox8]

Wow!  Breathtaking.  A beautiful aircraft, obviously, but even more so a superb build, especially when considering the nature of the kit.   How anyone can get results like this from a vacform is beyond me.  Ditto about time some manufacturer producing a modern kit if the type (in injection moulded 1/72 please, thank you very much).  The lineage of the type demands it, in my opinion.  Ditto also regarding Merlin kits.  Only built one (Fulmar), but wasn't happy with it at all and scrapped it as soon as the Vista kit came along.  Having said that I suppose they were at the very forefront of the 'cottage industry' and made kits of types none of the majors seemed to want to make. 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

You are all very kind.

Thanks very much!