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Furious Camel


Torbjorn

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With two other running GB builds I shouldn’t be doing this, but those two are in the painting stage and since that’s boring, here goes. 

 

The kit, Roden’s fabulous little ship’s Camel:

 

9h1mouT.jpg

 

As the title suggests, I’ll be building the N6602 of HMS Furious (though the plane seems to also have served on half of the navy’s plane carrying ships) which is on the bottom here with the strange diamond pattern:

 

Some cockades seem out of register :( 

1824P0J.jpg

Roden says PC10 and linen, but WnW says that maybe, just maybe it instead was PC12 with light blue undersides, and that is quite tempting since all my other British Great war planes are painted PC10. 

 

The fuselage has some fine detail, both inside and outside. A bit of flash but I have never seen the big deal with that since it is so easily removeable:

NMp5XCJ.jpg

 

You get no less than 3 engines, one Bentley, one Clerget and one le Rhone - N6602 had a Bentley. I wanted to build Joseph Jacob’s Fokker with a captured Camel engine so some spares will come to good use. The engines are provably the nicest and most detailed injection moulded rotary engines I’ve come across:

 

bb5BKJn.jpg

 

 

And I bought some goodies.

Wicker seats:

7nrR7Kr.jpg

 

Plus seat belts from uncle Eduard.

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Hi,

Windsock Datafiles do suggest some RNAS machines may have used the redder PC 12 in their book on the 2F1 Camel and the Sopwith Triplane, although it was primarily used for planes in the Middle East. They also say that some had blue undersurfaces and there are apparently traces of blue on the preserved machine flown by Stuart Culley which is in the Imperial War Museum. However they show N6602 from Furious in PC10 and unbleached linen with the white "Diamonds". Many years ago (1970's perhaps) I bought a few tins of "Precision Paints" from the original manufacturer, including 2 versions of PC10 and also PC12. I have used the PC10 on several WWI machines but have yet to use the PC12 so I will be interested to see how yours comes out. They list several variations on both strut colour and the wood panel underneath the cockpit - if you would like a bit more info PM me your email address.

 

Good luck with the build.

 

Pete

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Thanks guys, I shall try not to disappoint :)

18 hours ago, PeterB said:

Hi,

Windsock Datafiles do suggest some RNAS machines may have used the redder PC 12 in their book on the 2F1 Camel and the Sopwith Triplane, although it was primarily used for planes in the Middle East. They also say that some had blue undersurfaces and there are apparently traces of blue on the preserved machine flown by Stuart Culley which is in the Imperial War Museum. However they show N6602 from Furious in PC10 and unbleached linen with the white "Diamonds". Many years ago (1970's perhaps) I bought a few tins of "Precision Paints" from the original manufacturer, including 2 versions of PC10 and also PC12. I have used the PC10 on several WWI machines but have yet to use the PC12 so I will be interested to see how yours comes out. They list several variations on both strut colour and the wood panel underneath the cockpit - if you would like a bit more info PM me your email address.

 

Good luck with the build.

 

Pete

Much obliged, PM is coming.

 
PC10 is maybe more likely, and so is linen, but I’ll choose to trust the Wingnut crew that there is at least is a possibility of alternatives. Will decide later. N6602 went around, serving of the rear turret of Glorious, still in its battlecruiser shape, as well as on the cruisers Caledone and Caroline. At some point she must have had repaints, especially if ditching was the  common form of landing when flying off the gun ships.

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Finished the cockpit. The barracuda chair is, pardon me, wicked. Puts the rest to shame. 

 

I added some floor oards and air intake ducting. The latter is not seen, it is a pipe that goes across right in front of and right below the instrument panel - thr intake scoops are moulded as part of the fuselage so it is easy to locate it. I actually located the correct location of the IP after this (neither instructions nor plastic is very helpful).

 

Yes, the back half of the seat belt went wrong unnoticed, but there is no way that will be seen anyway:

Q8iUpjZ.jpg

 

The IP itself is easiest to glue to the top decking. No PE or decals, so I just painted the plastic. It has a cutout for a second Vickers gun the 2F1 did not have - this   I filled, though in hindsight it was wasted effort, that part can barely be seen:

 

IR8UzmC.jpg

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Brilliant work on the cockpit and I agree with you on the seat, vast improvement on the kit offering.  Wish I’d got one for my Camel now.

 

AW

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Yes, I certainly recommend the chairs :)

 

 

 

Unfortunately I have been following the instructions. Top front decking has been added, and acetate windscreen CA-glued to it:

 

sBdGDAx.jpg

 

Trouble is, that decking goes with the Clerget engine  - the instructions tells you to use the Clerget instead of a Bentley but it doesn’t write the name of the engine. While painting the engine I realised the manifold was in the wrong place and thus discovered this boo-boo. 

Two options as I see it, find a Clerget 2F1 and build that or modify the top decking in-situ to the proper shape. I do not feel like removing and replacing the decking since that will damage the IP and whatnot.

 

 

Here’s another issue, the Bentley and its cowling. Those cooling openings shouldn’t be there on N6602. I have cut out plastic bananas to fill them, now putty will follow. The prop shaft was already broken off when I opened the box, but barely worth mentioning as it is easily fixed.

 

J2HezFQ.jpg

 

 

Edited by Torbjorn
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Decided the easiest way to fix the decking error was to cut off the front along an already existing panel line (a step rather, as if the front panel is resting on top of the panel behind it) which fortunately is just in front of the IP:

 

wGUeQHl.jpg

 

VEia4Tp.jpg

 

The front from the Bentley top decking was cut and glued in place:

VQa2TiT.jpg

 

Some filling is needed only where the top front plate has a litte curve backwards.

 

I have drilled all holes for the wires (half way on the upper wings and all the way on the lower) and assembled the tailplane and lower wings.

 

I have to say, the surface detail on this kit is beautiful.

Edited by Torbjorn
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  • 3 weeks later...

 

Decided to follow WnW painting instructions for this. The overpainted roundel is darker than what shows in this overexposed image of mine. A glosscoat will follow this, then decals before the fiddling with the wing starts.

 

Bfsj2Xw.jpg

 

 

Made two replacements of oversized parts. First the admiralty gun mount holding the Lewis gun on the upper wing, made a thinner version with brass.

The curved part I will keep, sanded down.

KgFwWFI.jpg

 

Secondly, pitot tubes replaced with wire. Painting to be done

CaB66ci.jpg

 

On 4/12/2020 at 3:25 PM, Alan P said:

That's very clever! Good fix. Also, lovely cockpit, really well done. 

Thanks - it did work out well, no unwanted seam can be seen :)

Edited by Torbjorn
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Decals on. In a fashion. They are unfortunately the worst I’ve tried, out of register, brittle, do not stuck. I did manage to get the lattice and code in place. For anyone doing the same: note that the instructions have swapped the port and starboard decal numbers and that although the top lattice (comes in 3 - port starboard and decking, no lattice on the underside) has one X too much, it fits good after the front X is cut away. Don’t  even try the rudder tricolour - paint it!

 

f8Egmyf.jpg

 

Still some cleaning and infills to do.

 

The cockades can’t be used, so I’m now searching for aftermarket decals. :(

I have two more Roden Camels which also will need decals. :( A shame for otherwise wonderful kits.

Edited by Torbjorn
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Yep, Roden decals can be rubbish and are best replaced with after market where possible.

 

Very nice Camel though.

 

AW

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13 hours ago, Andwil said:

Yep, Roden decals can be rubbish and are best replaced with after market where possible.

 

Very nice Camel though.

 

AW

 I just had a look at the other Roden kits I purchased along with this. Two more Camels, an SE5 and a Brisfit - all have decals widely out of register and badly printed too :( It’s really a shame, their selections of different markings are great, I wish they could send it to a good printer firm rather than printing themselves. I’d gladly pay a bit extra, like this it gets quite expensive to replace them all. 

 

2P5STb6.jpg

Edited by Torbjorn
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Nice going. I built one of WnW Camels and have their 'Ships Camel', don't know if I could cope with such a tiny biplane in this scale although I do have a Tutor and Gauntlet to do 🤔 

Regarding colours, I'm firmly in the camp of 'who knows and who cares' 🙂

 

:goodjob:

 

Davey.

 

 

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Your cockpit look great, looks like a 1/32 kit.  And your combing surgery looks seamless. I also like the variety of greenish brown paint colours you used.

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Yes, one reason I choose this paint-job was that I liked the brown-green combinations shown by WnW. I too treated myself to a WnW Camel recently, I’m sure it will feel huge compared to this thing - it’s indeed tiny. Due to corona they couldn’t deliver to Norway though, so it’s not here yet. Still, I can’t get myself into beginning to build the WnW kits I do have home - so far I’ve only been using their instructions to build 1/72 models. :)

 

Ted, though I appreciate the scale-flattery, it should better be directed to Barracuda with their chairs :D

 

Edit: I forgot why I came here to post! I have hopefully solved the decal problem by ordering the Balloon-busting sheet of printscale, containing cockades for not only a camel but also an SE5, in addition to decals for USAS Spads, which I have wanted to build for a while. Of course, I have no SPADs so I had to add one of those too. It has its bright sides, getting into decal issues.

Edited by Torbjorn
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Building a Roden WW1 1/72nd scale kit is similar to cooking a saltwater duck.  I speak from years of experience, both as a chef de cuisine and a modeller.

 

1) Season duck with salt and pepper and insert a medium sized brick inside the cavity.

2) Roast at the highest temperature for 6 hours.

3) Remove the duck from the oven, remove the brick from the duck.  Discard the duck and eat the brick.

 

You are doing well with your Camel, though.  Seriously.  I'm looking forward to seeing it.😄

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20 hours ago, Ted said:

I love that aspect of modelbuilding, you have to buy a kit so you can use your decals. 

I have one several occasions browsed and bought decals first only to find suitable kits afterwards. And apologies for mispelling your name in the other post, my fingers cover three keys on the phone keyboard!

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2 hours ago, John Masters said:

Building a Roden WW1 1/72nd scale kit is similar to cooking a saltwater duck.  I speak from years of experience, both as a chef de cuisine and a modeller.

 

1) Season duck with salt and pepper and insert a medium sized brick inside the cavity.

2) Roast at the highest temperature for 6 hours.

3) Remove the duck from the oven, remove the brick from the duck.  Discard the duck and eat the brick.

 

You are doing well with your Camel, though.  Seriously.  I'm looking forward to seeing it.😄

I find ducks too likeable to eat, so that recipe suits me fine - I’ll let the duck run and go straight for the brick though! Not sure how that metaphor translates to the Camel, but I have at least replaced the cabanes. I managed to loose half of them during painting, including the one with the little propellerdriven pump. I made a new, but I think thr propeller should sit further down, that will be fixed, and then painted in place. Unusually for Roden the cabane struts were way too thick anyhow - about double diameter than my replacement.

 

9w1ANMm.jpg

 

That’s the current status. Wings on, guns on, wires attached. The landing gear *was* attached but we had a crash landing that tore it clean off.

The list of necessary touch-ups is getting longer, but constant fiddling only creates more so all that will have to wait until everything is assembled.

 

Those control horns on the wings will be cut off and replaced with beer can scrap after decals are on - I’ll never get them to conform around the horns. 

Not much else to do until the roundel decals arrive.

Edited by Torbjorn
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6 hours ago, Torbjorn said:

Not sure how that metaphor translates to the Camel,

Not necessarily the Camel, but most Roden kits in general.  The level of moulded detail is very fine (usually) yet, in the end, I have always needed to scratch build a great deal of the kit, as you are doing--augmentations, adjustments, etc...I am sure your Camel will look great. 

 

Sea ducks, on the other hand, while pleasant to look at, are greasy, tough and taste like old tinned sardines.  Hence the brick.  It's just an old joke from when I lived in Cape Cod.  

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