Mircro-Mir 1/48 Supermarine Napier S5 N220 float plane

[Quiet Mike]

Right, time to tackle this little beasty! I have been waiting for someone else to post up a build thread, so I could learn from them, as I'm sure there are gremlins hiding in this limited run kit.

This one started well, but has stalled -

 

 

So picking up the batton. First step, lets open the box and see what's inside -

 

Supermarine S5 1/48 from MikroMir by Mike, on Flickr

 

Four sprues of quite detailed plastic.

Supermarine S5 by Mike, on Flickr

 

Supermarine S5 by Mike, on Flickr

 

Supermarine S5 by Mike, on Flickr

 

Supermarine S5 by Mike, on Flickr

 

PE and decals

Supermarine S5 by Mike, on Flickr

 

Supermarine S5 by Mike, on Flickr

 

Supermarine S5 by Mike, on Flickr

 

These are not the smallest bits of plastic in the kit either!

Supermarine S5 by Mike, on Flickr

 

Instructions -

Supermarine S5 by Mike, on Flickr

 

What do Micro-Mir think the pilot sits on? I struggled to find reference for the S5 cockpit, although there is stuff out there on the S6 and varients. There is room for improvement here, although I'll make my mind up how far to go after I've dry fitted the fuselage halves together. It's a pretty small opening to get into so not sure how much will be seen.

Supermarine S5 by Mike, on Flickr

 

Other issues I need to address are that they supply a lovely little Napier Lion power plant, but I am fairly certain this can only be built into the kit with the cowlings off. I think in real life the cowling may even have been part of the rocker cover on the cylinder heads..

 

And beaching dollies would be amazing, but we'll see how confident I am in my scratch building abilities on that front.

N220, S.5, Hanger F, RAF Calshot, 1927 by Mike, on Flickr

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Quiet Mike]

After some detective work at Calshot, some photoshop fun. (A lot of the Calshot photos get mistakenly shared reversed, worth keeping an eye out for)

 

S.5 at Hanger F, RAF Calshot by Mike, on Flickr

 

(My son raced on the velodrome in the activity centre at Calshot, housed in the 1917 flying boat hanger you can see in the background. Next year he is racing for a team in France!)

 

[Vesa Jussila]

I will follow this.  I am always interested in about these race planes.

 

[Planebuilder62]

Great choice of model, I have AMP’s 1/72 version of this plane.

 

I take a seat

 

regards Toby

[Quiet Mike]

I'm hoping my Local Model Shop is open tomorrow, as I want to see what metallic paints they have. After using Tamiya XF16 on the Gladiator and being disappointed with the grainy finish, I want to see what other options are out there. Vallejo metallics have already been recommended on here (thanks Spadgent!), so this is flagged up on my ebay watchlist as an option. (I am a recent convert to airbrushing)

Any other recommendations available to me here in the UK?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VAL71176-Model-Air-Set-Metallic-Colors-VALLEJO/201253988394?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D768b04869e6942fc808f102bcce6d170%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D6%26rkt%3D15%26mehot%3Dnone%26sd%3D233709278548%26itm%3D201253988394%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057%26brand%3DAcrylicos+Vallejo&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3Ae7004216-3641-11eb-84ed-1eaf638814d9|parentrq%3A2e47c4b81760ac3defb3cccbfffeb3ea|iid%3A1

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

A racer?

Yes!

[dnl42]

Nice!

 

I have this in my stash too, so quite interested in seeing your progress. 

 

While you mentioned acrylics above, my goto paint is Mr Color. Their metallic paints are quite nice. Mr Color reward good airbrushing practice with an amazingly smooth and thin finish.

[Bengalensis]

Lovely, will follow with interest!

[cmatthewbacon]

Without going to dig out my Ralf Pegram book... did the pilot sit on anything? If relatively short flights at max speed were the order of the day, perhaps any kind of comfy seat was just extra weight... a cushion and tight straps?

best,

M.

[Courageous]

A floatplane, a racer, what a combo.

 

Stuart

[Planebuilder62]

Hi there

For a natural metal finish I prefer Alclad 2. I am trying out AK Extreme metal colours but found that masking tape removes the paint.

 

regards Toby

[bigbadbadge]

Very nice choice Mike.

 

Chris

[Scimitar F1]

16 hours ago, Quiet Mike said:

I'm hoping my Local Model Shop is open tomorrow, as I want to see what metallic paints they have. After using Tamiya XF16 on the Gladiator and being disappointed with the grainy finish, I want to see what other options are out there. Vallejo metallics have already been recommended on here (thanks Spadgent!), so this is flagged up on my ebay watchlist as an option. (I am a recent convert to airbrushing)

Any other recommendations available to me here in the UK?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VAL71176-Model-Air-Set-Metallic-Colors-VALLEJO/201253988394?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D768b04869e6942fc808f102bcce6d170%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D6%26rkt%3D15%26mehot%3Dnone%26sd%3D233709278548%26itm%3D201253988394%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057%26brand%3DAcrylicos+Vallejo&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3Ae7004216-3641-11eb-84ed-1eaf638814d9|parentrq%3A2e47c4b81760ac3defb3cccbfffeb3ea|iid%3A1

Alclad 2 all the way. Used it for 20 years with no problem ever. 

[Quiet Mike]

Thanks for the recommendations everyone, Alclad II is definitely on my radar now. Am I right in thinking this is a UK made product too?

 

Well, it was good to see AC Models so busy this morning. I had to queue outside! I came back with this little haul. So far I've only used the extra thin cement, which is a revelation! This is the choice I made from what was on offer, which hopefully will be an improvement on the Tamiya aluminium. I read that the chrome really isn't very chrome like, I'm hoping I can use it as a more polished aluminium substitute. Also some black gloss to use as a base.

 

Supporting my local model shop by Mike, on Flickr

 

Also, while I cycled through a couple of hail showers, I was reminded that this time ten years ago we had snow in Southampton.

 

gnarly by Mike, on Flickr

[Quiet Mike]

On 12/4/2020 at 4:32 PM, Planebuilder62 said:

Great choice of model, I have AMP’s 1/72 version of this plane.

 

I take a seat

 

regards Toby

I was surprised how small the 1:48 offering was, it must be tiny in 1:72!

[Quiet Mike]

This kit needs a LOT of fettling to get everything to line up. (And that's after cleaning the flash off every single part first.)

I've built the Napier engine up, but I won't put it into the airframe. As mentioned already the rocker covers in real life are part of the cowling, and I want to display the kit with the cowling on so the engine will get put in the spares box.

 

The headache of getting these parts to fit together by Mike, on Flickr

 

For the cockpit area you can see in a little through the opening. I've assembled the bottom of it, and I will add a simple pad for the seat I think. I have one cross section of the S5 in the Haynes workshop manual, that hints at this. The S5 has the smallest cross section of the S4/5/6 racers, as the fuselage size was determined by the engine, as they strove to reduce the drag to a minimum. It's hard to believe a pilot fitted in there.

 

The headache of getting these parts to fit together by Mike, on Flickr

 

The headache of getting these parts to fit together by Mike, on Flickr

 

And this is going to be fun and games! Six sections in all to try and align on the cowling. I've made a start by gluing the bottoms of the engine cowlings into the fuselage, but where the fuselage joins in front of the cockpit needs some thought. It might need to be shimmed slightly. I need to remember to check it against the canopy, as well as the cowling in front.

 

The headache of getting these parts to fit together by Mike, on Flickr

 

The headache of getting these parts to fit together by Mike, on Flickr

 

Wings are glued together. They don't fit the fuselage, the gap between the tops of the wings needs widening about a millimeter on each side.

 

The headache of getting these parts to fit together by Mike, on Flickr

 

Well, I wasn't expecting this to fall together like a new mould Tamiya kit, so none of this is a surprise and all part of the game!

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

5 minutes ago, Quiet Mike said:

This kit needs a LOT of fettling

 

Great job there on a challenging kit.

Welcome to the Micro-World of Mikro-Mir!

I have built  their 1/72 kits of the NIAI-1 Fanera, the Miles Aerovan, started their KhAI-3, and have the Tupolev G-1. It can, of course, be done, but only with very enthusiastic participation.

Flash and fit ARE notable issues.

I am sure you will achieve a great model from these not so encouraging parts.

 

 

[bigbadbadge]

The engine looks lovely, shame it won't  be part of the finished model, you could do a model being worked on at the factory  which would help alleviate the need to fettle all of the cowling!

Chris

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

29 minutes ago, Quiet Mike said:

so the engine will get put in the spares box.

Or presented with the model as a spare engine on a trestle?

You know how it is with modeling...

Warum einfach, wenn's auch kompliziert geht

(Why easy when it can be complicated?)

 

P/S: I've found that telling other modelers what to do is far easier than do stuff myself! Brilliant!)

[bigbadbadge]

Oh crikey, I hope you don't think that I am telling anyone what to do, it was just an idea.  Please disregard my suggestion in that case.

 

[Vesa Jussila]

I believe you can make nice model of this. I have understood that fit in these kits is a issue.

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

2 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

Oh crikey, I hope you don't think that I am telling anyone what to do, it was just an idea.  Please disregard my suggestion in that case.

 

Your idea is a very good one, I am sure Mike may consider it. My post was in jokingly tone.

[Quiet Mike]

24 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

The engine looks lovely, shame it won't  be part of the finished model, you could do a model being worked on at the factory  which would help alleviate the need to fettle all of the cowling!

Chris

 

I was thinking of this Chris, but that may not be making my life any easier ...
 

Supermarines in Woolston, Southampton, en-route to the 1929 Olympia Exhibition by Mike, on Flickr

[Quiet Mike]

2 hours ago, Moa said:

 

Great job there on a challenging kit.

Welcome to the Micro-World of Mikro-Mir!

I have built  their 1/72 kits of the NIAI-1 Fanera, the Miles Aerovan, started their KhAI-3, and have the Tupolev G-1. It can, of course, be done, but only with very enthusiastic participation.

Flash and fit ARE notable issues.

I am sure you will achieve a great model from these not so encouraging parts.

 

 

 

Time to put my Big Boy Pants on and crack on with it! Especially as my interests tend to fall outside the more mainstream mass produced kits. This is a good test for me 👍 

I'll try not to whinge too much ...

 

[Quiet Mike]

Sorry for the rather sluggish updates. As well as being very busy at work, which tends to wipe out my productivity in the evening, I have also been working on a photobook present for my wife, a little record of our lovely little Staffie we lost back in January. I find going through old photos rather melancholy, when you recall incidents you thought were a couple of years ago were actually over ten!

I have got a few hours in on the bench though. I managed to get some paint on the cockpit parts.

 

Working on the cockpit of the S5 by Mike, on Flickr

 

I added some carved ribs to the back rest cushion just to give it some form. I also made a pad for the seat as well.

 

Working on the cockpit of the S5 by Mike, on Flickr

 

I then had a stoke of good luck and found this build, which has a mine of information in it -

 

https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?/topic/71491-aerotech-supermarine-s5/page/14/

 

It also became immediately apparent from this that I had assembled the Micro-Mir components all topsy turvy ...

 

 

I double checked, and I had followed the instructions? They are waaaaaaaay out 😳

 

Supermarine S5 by Mike, on Flickr

 

There are also four rods on the tree that are blanked out in the instructions and not shown. Seeing Torbens build these rods are part of the structure under the dashboard.

 

So, after some careful unpicking of parts, I have managed to reassemble everything in the right order now. The cockpit rails have been turned 180 degrees, The rudder assembly has been removed and refitted correctly. (90 degrees out?) And the four rods have been put in. So nothing like the first attempt! Is this some sort of modelling test I am being put through??

 

Working on the cockpit of the S5 by Mike, on Flickr

 

Working on the cockpit of the S5 by Mike, on Flickr

 

And here is the dashboard prior to fitting -

 

Working on the cockpit of the S5 by Mike, on Flickr