Marklo Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 (edited) What with theSpadgent's impressive O/400 and Moa's equally impressive O/700 WIP, I've gone and started on my own Airfix Handley Page, having been in denial for over a week I reckoned I'd start a WIP. If you're looking for the definitive, expert, mastercrafstman approach, this isn't the thread for you, go look at the other two., I will be representing the average modeler (I hope) and bodging my way through to something I'm pleased with and which hopefully won't be entirely unlike a HP O/400 (or 700) I still haven't entirely decided on the colour scheme, but I'm edging towards a nice red and silver civil scheme, rather than PC10 ( I have a lot of Sopwiths in the queue (a Snark, a Dolphin, a Snipe, a Camel and two camels that may end up as a Swallow and a Salamander respectively, all will be PC10 except possibly the Snipe, which could be silver) so I reckon I'm going to get very bored with it as a colour scheme) So first off the wings. Moa sanded them action man smooth, TheSpadgent sanded them a bit. I've tried some milliput, and sanding as well as just sanding, but with a jig made from a soft drinks tin to keep me on the straight and narrow. Lower tailplane with milliput, may sand the rib gaps down a little more. Lower wings before and after, although I've since sanded and resprayed both, not a million miles away from where I want them. Edited March 8, 2022 by Marklo 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Lyttle Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 2 hours ago, Marklo said: the colour scheme, but I'm edging towards a nice red and silver civil scheme, rather than PC10 Go for it!! You may never do a camo scheme again! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted October 2, 2019 Author Share Posted October 2, 2019 Hmm maybe not pc10 but otherwise I like camo. It’s only since I adopted the rattle can that I’m starting to like silver 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 11 hours ago, Marklo said: I still haven't entirely decided on the colour scheme, but I'm edging towards a nice red and silver civil scheme, rather than PC10 Hi Marklo, glad you started it. A word of caution: the red and silver model you may have seen on the Net is a flying scale model. I have found no mention, and much less corroboration of that scheme anywhere so far in my references (but I still have much to read). It may be that the modeler took some poetic license. If you find something supporting that scheme, would you please post it? Cheers 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted October 2, 2019 Author Share Posted October 2, 2019 (edited) Darn, lots more research needed, time to hit my favourite second hand book site I think. While I'm no rivet counter I always like to think I'm modelling a real subject... Edited October 2, 2019 by Marklo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SafetyDad Posted October 3, 2019 Share Posted October 3, 2019 Marklo, you, Moa and the Spadgent all have my greatest admiration. The O/400 became my nemesis as a 14 year old in the early 1970s. Having worked my way through most of the WW2 Airfix Series 5 and 6 'big' aircraft, I settled on the Handley Page for a Christmas present. Oh the unhappiness of attempting to build it! Way beyond my skills at the time (and quite possibly now too ). The rigging still makes me shudder, and all of those struts... . So I tip my hat to all of you chaps for your skills and perseverance. And no Marklo, I don't believe you are 'bodging your way'. I'm certain this will turn out well. Good luck! SD 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted October 3, 2019 Author Share Posted October 3, 2019 (edited) This was part of my childhood too. I remember both my Dad and elder brother building the kit. I don’t think I ever attempted one because it was just way too complicated for my then modelling skills. oh and by bodging I’m referring to my methods, not necessarily the end result actually my biggest issue will be where to put it. I have a nice new ikea bookcase ready to go but am forbidden from assembling it until I paint my study, which may be a long way off ..... Edited October 3, 2019 by Marklo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted October 3, 2019 Author Share Posted October 3, 2019 (edited) Hmm bought some books. It is starting to look like most O/700 s were PC10 with additions, although I’ve come across some silver ones and a pink one with blue engine nacelles. Now my other option might be to convert it to a W8, these were built as an airliner so might have some nicer civilian schemes, going to see if I can find some plans for comparison.... Edited October 3, 2019 by Marklo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMC Posted October 3, 2019 Share Posted October 3, 2019 Hi Marklo Tried to PM you re the HP 0/400 article but got a “ @Marklo cannot receive messages” PM me and I’ll reply. Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted October 4, 2019 Author Share Posted October 4, 2019 (edited) Not so much modelling progress as research. I hadn’t realised that there were just over 600 O series planes built, at a cost per airframe of £6000 sans engines and guns, a Rolls Royce eagle was about £1600 at the time. Around 40 were O/100s and the remainder 400s of which HP built ~ 280 and the remainder were contracted out. Had the war lasted into 1919 the Americans were to supply 1000 more, of which some 21 were actually built, but never left the us, they were to be powered by the Liberty engine, not sure if that was the parts or the airframes. So on that basis you’d think we’d be awash with interesting colour schemes for the thing..... that said I’m leaning towards the pink thing and the incongruity of a decommissioned bomber in that colour. Edited October 4, 2019 by Marklo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted October 4, 2019 Author Share Posted October 4, 2019 (edited) More random musings, in the interest of saving shelf space I have decided to model this with the wings folded. Which effectively means I am making three models then sticking them together need to figure out the hinge as it isn’t straightforward. I also now see what Moa meant about the rigging, the wires that run from the lower onboard position to the upper outboard in each bay are doubled. Not unusual in British biplane fighters. Edited October 4, 2019 by Marklo 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted October 4, 2019 Share Posted October 4, 2019 Ooh goody, a guinea pig! I'll be building mine wings folded too so I'll definitely be following this to see how you go about it. Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted October 7, 2019 Author Share Posted October 7, 2019 (edited) You can probably see where this is going, it's going to be the pink thing. Hopefully Moa has chosen another scheme, so I'm not stealing his thunder. Minor disaster. My pink rattle can did not like the silver one and I ended up with something resembling a strawberry crumble..... Managed to figure it out and after much scraping, filling and sanding, back on track. I'm also pretty pleased with the rib detail at this point btw. Now my main issue with the build will be not making it look like Barbies heavy bomber play-set (although if the good people at Mattell would like to buy the idea I'm all ears. Plan is to use the rattle can (without the silver) as the base coat then weather/modulate it with Tamiya pink in various mixes. Edited October 7, 2019 by Marklo 2 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted October 8, 2019 Author Share Posted October 8, 2019 Much closer to what I was looking for. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted October 9, 2019 Author Share Posted October 9, 2019 Lower wing centre section. brass strip across the middle to give it a bit of structure, two pieces of brass strip inset to attach the wings to and the bomb bay holes faired over with 10 thou pla paper and the rib troughs scraped down. Upper centre section next. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted October 10, 2019 Author Share Posted October 10, 2019 Finally some semi decent reference material, arrived in the post yesterday. I also bought a copy of Handley Page aircraft from 1907. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted October 11, 2019 Author Share Posted October 11, 2019 Pink frenzey, all the wings sprayed with the rattle can and started with the Tamiya pink on the right upper. Much more the effect I'm looking for. Fuselage and nacelle remodelling next. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted October 16, 2019 Author Share Posted October 16, 2019 Came in the post yesterday, some good photos of the O/7/8/9. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
110samec Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 What's the story with the pink one? Was it civillian? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted October 17, 2019 Author Share Posted October 17, 2019 (edited) Yes it was owned by Sir Aghi Ravagi the Thakur Sehab of Morvi an Indian Gentleman who used it to transport his harem apparently. Theres a thread in the forum 0/400 civil conversion which has lots more detail. Edited October 17, 2019 by Marklo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted October 29, 2019 Author Share Posted October 29, 2019 Window cutouts in progress. Other than that sprayed lots of bits pink and mulled over what the interior should look also established that it G-IAAC and found the crash records, but no images on the interweb. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 The pink think gets pinker. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted November 6, 2019 Author Share Posted November 6, 2019 (edited) One wing section assembled and rigged but not tensioned, now if I can only get the other one like this I'll be happy. I think I've been a bit overambitious here, the rigging is one continuous line, making the tensioning a little tricky, still worst case scenario I`ll just have to redo it in sections. Edited November 6, 2019 by Marklo 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted November 9, 2019 Author Share Posted November 9, 2019 (edited) Getting somewhere with the wings Fuselage under construction. Edited November 9, 2019 by Marklo 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted November 16, 2019 Author Share Posted November 16, 2019 (edited) An odd evening today, we`re definitely in three steps forward two steps backwards territory. So I'm about to close up one of the wings when I realise I've left off the upper wing pylons and rigging,. So a little drilling and threading and I have the above times two, so far so good (three steps) then I manage to drop and crush a wing section, it's ok the riggings held it together I can re (times ? already) attach the struts and glue the broken one, ok l leave it to set, then I have an rtfm moment ( and do read the instructions) and realize that I was not missing two struts from the kit, but had erroneously added a sixth strut to each wing assy because I had misinterpreted the photos of folded winged O/400s and hadn't read the f@#&ing instructions. So to cut a long and rambling story short, I've deleted the offending extra struts and redistributed the kit struts so each wing section has the correct number pointing in the correct direction and secured the upper wing upper section to the wing assy I didn't crush (that's two steps right ), ho hum.... Edited November 16, 2019 by Marklo 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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