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Bristol Scout Airfix Avro 504 1/72 conv


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Have cracked on and got the main parts modified.This involves reducing the wingspan and shaping the tips. A new cockpit has to be cut out behind the Avro rear pit. Using the panel line behind the rear cockpit as a guide the forward section is removed. The engine compartment is next and is cut off immediately in front of the front cockpit coaming. The rudder is large enough to allow the Bristol version to be shaped by filing.

414033653.jpgRegards, Steve 

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Excellent, some real modelling as an alternative to buying the necessary resin bits.

I love going back to the old magazines where such articles were common. Looking forward to seeing you work on this. 

Colin 

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12 hours ago, Colin W said:

Excellent, some real modelling as an alternative to buying the necessary resin bits.

I love going back to the old magazines where such articles were common. Looking forward to seeing you work on this. 

Colin 

Exactly what he said.

 

Regards:

Shaun

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414036000.jpg

 

Technical bits slowing things down for the moment. The cowling needed to be enclosed and that entailed building up with plastic strip and filing to shape. The wing ailerons were scored on  after filling the remnants of the Avro with superglue. The main fault with using the 504 as the donor is the fuselage upper decking which is too shallow.  I added two strips of .020 strip along the back which were then filed flatter and tapered to the rear. Plastic card, 5 thou thick, had the four ribs impressed into the underside, and was glued over the strips and then the excess was removed. I also noticed that the Ellis/Airfix conversion has the tail planes butt joined to the upper longeron. Photos show that the tail plane should sit on top of the fuselage in front of the rudder. To this end I have filed a small slot between the rudder and the new decking to accommodate the tail plane. I have modified the parts as shown in the Airfix article even though they are a tiny bit short in the elevators and have made a centresection from 20 thou card which will allow the joined planes to sit on top of the fuselage and still touch the upper longeron to make a secure fit. With support struts too it should be ok. The only other task I've had to do was rebuild the rotary engine. This is a later moulding and the engine is the only part that seems to have suffered. I've had to cement several cylinders back on and then dosed the bases of the rest with CA. As it will be largely under cover it will do but it's a bit flimsy compared to earlier issues.

Regards, Steve

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Thanks Shaun and Colin. Got to agree about the old magazine articles. Even though HR brought out a new Bristol Scout a few years ago I still fancied giving this one a go. It's been on the to do list for decades so had to be tried. The article is dated December 1980 so it has to be regarded as the traditional route. There is another build on ATF which is using the Airfix Sopwith Pup as the donor and is looking good. Back to this one and the article misses out reminding the builder that a new cut out has to be made to accept the lower wing. I started filing a slot before the parts were joined. The engine was added before cementing the parts and the cut out was finished when all was dry. Filler was required at the wing roots and I added the cowling to protect the rotary engine. Painting and some transfers make me feel I'm progressing. More paint and a few rigging holes before the top wing.

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Regards, Steve

 

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You are cracking on beautifully Steve at the rate you are going your project will be finished well before mine. 

 

Your work is very tidy. Wish I had the same ability. Liking it a LOT. 

 

Regards:

Shaun. 

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Thanks Shaun. I think the camera helps to hide my sins. Project now resembles an aeroplane. Top wing and tail planes are now on. I joined the two separate elevators together with card to make one unit as in the original. As in the article I've used the kit struts with all needing to be shortened to give a wing gap of 0.7ins. The tail unit struts fit without modification and some basic rigging has been added. Not far to go now.

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Regards, Steve

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I soooooo wish that I could work as fast as you guys!The work on this project of yours is coming along way faster and much neater than I could ever pull something even remotely similar together.

 

The long and short I think that your camera has very little to do with hiding flaws!Smashing job Steve.

 

Regards:

Shaun

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Got her finished now as a generic aircraft that could have operated from mid to late 1916 on the Western Front and during most of 1917 in the Middle East or the Balkans. The rigging is invisible thread and the undercarriage was made from the other interplane struts and a length of rod for the axle. Wheels are OOB, the prop was trimmed slightly shorter and the tail skid is scrap sprue. The Foster mounted Lewis is a spare from the Revell SE5a. The rudder was painted and the roundels are from the kit. I coated them with decal film to be on the safe side but they were no problem. As RFC roundels didn't acquire the thin white outer ring until 1917 I used the 504 lower wing roundels as Airfix had kindly supplied four of them.

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Regards, Steve

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