Advice for cutaway on Sopwith Pup

[goon]

Hi All,

I'm just getting started on my WNW Pup. This was a gift from someone on another forum, along with the Pfalz I built a few months ago. While I was building the Pfalz he expressed interest in a cutaway to show the interior detail, but I was too far along to to implement. I don't HAVE to do it for the Pup, but I think he has a point in that there is some lovely detail in the cockpit that is lost. Cutaways aren't really my thing but I don't mind trying something new. Has anyone done a cutaway on a WW I aircraft, and how did it go? Any ideas for how to go about showing the cockpit floor details on my Pup (I intend to install the full flying control cables, and have a lovely wicker seat I don't want to paint then lose from sight.

 

Is there any scope for it not being a traditional cutaway, but a 'maintenance' scenario? Maybe linen repair on one side? Any photos or evidence for this?

 

Sorry for so many questions, and thanks for any help,

Gareth 

[Beardie]

Hmm Sorry, can't say that I have any advice about how to go about it except, maybe seeing if you could get a cutaway. I found an image of it online: 

You might find some interesting stuff at thevintageaviator.co.nz Certainly I would imagine that, while not a Pup, their build log of the Sopwith Triplane could be very useful as there are some similarities between the two types.

 

I have to say that I would love to see how you get on with it!

[goon]

Cheers Beardie. I'm thinking of cutting a section out of the fuselage low down by the cockpit to show the seat and controls, but I'm worried it might affect the look of the model from the non-cut side. Hmmm.....

[Beardie]

You certainly haven't set yourself an easy task. I think that, without making the cutaway quite sizeable, it won't really allow much of a view into the cockpit area. Unless you do something like a diorama featuring a pup that has had the fabric cut away in order to help free the wounded pilot (I know this happened on at least a few occasions during WWI but not sure if any of them were Pups) or is in the process of having a damaged area of fabric removed  it will always look like a model that has been designed with showing the innards in mind and a bit odd to the non mechanically interested.