Sopwith Camel - Donald MacLaren

[Andwil]

Here is my Roden Camel finished in the markings of Captain D R MacLaren, the most successful Camel pilot with 54 confirmed victories all achieved on Camels.  Kit went together fairly easily for a Roden kit.  Brush painted with AK Interactive's WWI colours which brushed on well but required several coats for good colour coverage.  I have attempted to replicate the worn and battered appearance of MacLaren's Camel F2137 photographed in October 1918, with mixed results.  I am pleased with the battleship grey worn off the wooden cockpit side but less so with the worn PC10.  Decals were very fragile and needed to be applied very carefully to avoid them breaking up.  This is the first biplane model I have rigged, using fine smoke coloured invisible mending thread and fishing line.  It proved to be much easier than I feared.  The photos do show that I need to improve on the attachment points next time.

 

 

 

AW

[Hairtrigger]

Looks magnificent.  

[Andwil]

1 hour ago, Hairtrigger said:

Looks magnificent.  

Thanks, you’re too kind!

 

AW

[Dazey]

Looks great. The colours look good too –I'll have to look out for the AK WWI paint range.

 

Regarding the rigging, there are plenty of how-to posts online where you CA one end of the line, drill holes through wings etc. where you thread and weight the other end so it's taught when the glue dries. Requires a bit of sanding too clean up.

David

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Very nice Camel 👍 is that a little spinner on the prop ? Ive never seen a camel with a spinner before ? 

[cybershed]

Looks good. Any more pics or are you rationing us?

[Kev The Modeller]

Lovely build mate. the rigging looks great, not easy to do in this scale  

[RMCS]

Niiiice 

[Andwil]

Thank you all for your kind comments.

 

9 hours ago, Dazey said:

Regarding the rigging, there are plenty of how-to posts online where you CA one end of the line, drill holes through wings etc. where you thread and weight the other end so it's taught when the glue dries. Requires a bit of sanding too clean up.

That’s more or less what I did David although I drilled through both wings which was probably a mistake.  It’s the sanding afterwards that I need to improve, I was too wary of applying too much pressure and snapping off the top wing or knocking off the rigging.  As it was one or two came adrift and had to be replied.  Still that’s one of the joys of modelling, always things to learn and skills to improve.

 

4 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Very nice Camel 👍 is that a little spinner on the prop ? Ive never seen a camel with a spinner before ? 

Yes it is Dennis, must have been a mod of MacLarens or of 46 Sgdn.

 

AW

[Uncle Pete]

Very nice indeed... Biggles wold have been proud to sit in it (and so would Snoopy).  My Camel (Airfix, if I remember correctly) refused all efforts to align properly so I've sworn off WW1 till I can get my hands on a decent jig after which I'm hoping to whack together a pair of Fokkers one red, one yellow for the Richtofen Bros.  And a big round of applause for your rigging... in 1:72 it must be a real bear.