Wingnuts first-timer Camel

[malpaso]

Fellow members of my local IPMS have built many, many Wingnut kits and if you can't beat 'em, join 'em as they say.  Having procrastinated too long I was fortunate to pick up one of the sell-off boxes from MBK in Germany.  I chose the boxart version as the instructions suggested it had the bombs for ground attack, however I've also shown the cable pulleys the instructions show as painted over for this aircraft.  Hey, it's my model.  Paint is Tamiya, mostly as directed by WNW though I didn't like the various PC10 options they give so I modified proportions from one of their Olive Drab and Desert Yellow mixes to taste.  I can't swear what it was now as I foolishly didn't write it down so my beautifully subtle variations at the ribs as been lost somewhat under the touch up coats after rigging.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The kit was generally very easy to build, though not quite the perfection the WNW hagiography would lead one to believe.  The decals were very, very thick; the cockpit coamings had duplicated part numbers in the instructions (guess how I discovered that!) and the worst problem was that the lower wings which should have a straight dihedral have a slight curve were their sprue was packed too tightly in the box - maybe that was a QC problem as the wheels came off at WNW?  Other problems were mostly of my own making, either not thinking ahead sufficiently or finding that the greater length of 1/32 struts make the model much less robust than a 1/72 biplane.

Rigging was put off for a good while, but in the end it was reasonably straight forward if time consuming.  I just followed through logically from the fuselage outwards, and not doing too many lines in one session.  Materials used were elastic "Prym" knitting-in thread from the local haberdashery shop fixed in place with Poundland superglue.  There is probably enough elastic left for another 100 aircraft, and the reel was only £2 or so!  I tried using a Sharpie, both black and silver on some line as an experiment but gave it up as too much of a palaver.  In real life the "Prym" gives a certain shiny air sufficient to look like metal lines, and is more subtle appearing than in these photos.

I hope you like these pictures and would encourage all of you with Wingnuts in your stashes waiting until your skills improve to just have a go.  There was nothing difficult or impossible about the build if you just take it steadily.  Despite the slight error noted above, the instructions are excellent and clear as to how to proceed.  It has been a fun route to building detailed biplanes, I have several in the stash but at smaller scales.  Would I build another large WW1?  Well, not a WNW unless supplies resume or prices moderate, but there are other 1/32 makers back in the picture now so maybe one day...

Cheers

Will

 

[RMCS]

Very nice 

[bigbadbadge]

I like it, you have done a great job there. I have the same machine being modelled (although stalled at the moment), in 1/48 scale. 

I like the scheme .  Great work .

Chris

[SAT69]

You've done an excellent job on that one. Congratulations!

[Mmarchal]

Good job, nice looking Camel

[theskits62]

Looks good to me. Well done.

[Epeeman]

Wonderful work on your Camel, Will - lovely and neat finish.

 

I've built many WNW kits and will state they rarely fall together and are very tight fitting kits anyway.   Regarding their Camel range, this was one I was eagerly awaiting for release.   When it arrived, I was a bit disappointed as I don't think this was one of there better (although I built three in the range including this one) kit in the range and yes, the decals were not up to their usual standard.

 

You should therefore be very pleased with what you have acheived here.

 

Regards

 

Dave

[dov]

Hallo

Now, I will give you a reply to your build. You are on the right way.

To improve your WW1 models in future a little: Since it is also today my field, and doing so a long time and many types and versions.

The first look at your model shows me a painting error: The wing edges, leading and trailing. They are unpainted or not in the PC-10 color at all.

 

For instance:

 

https://thevintageaviator.co.nz/projects/aircraft/sopwith-snipe/sopwith-snipe-walkaround

 

The rigging you may improve, if you have the desire to do so. I can recommend

 

https://www.ww1aircraftmodels.com/page6.html

 

or:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well.

Maybe it helps a little bit.

Happy modelling

[malpaso]

Thanks to all for their comments and praise.

 

Thanks for your "improvement" notes @dov , I’ve seen the extensive PC10 overlap on SE5a aircraft, but the photo and colour 3-view for this airframe in the instructions show no PC10 on the undersurface I can see, or for some other planes I have in books; I expect this may have varied through the different factories building the Camels.

 

I’m afraid I don’t really like the eyelet / tube rigging method as it looks far too clunky to me, although I am in a minority of one thinking this in our IPMS club.  Even if my dexterity and eyesight allowed me to wrap a 0.1mm wire around a 0.3mm drill, that equates at scale to an M8 eyebolt used for engineering, and 0.5mm length of tube becomes a 16mm plumbing pipe!  I suspect the WNW method of white glue dabs might be effective but I couldn’t be consistent enough for a whole aeroplane.

 

Anyway the charm of this hobby is that we take a kit and even if each of us follows the instructions to the letter, we end up with subtly different results, and hopefully have fun.

 

Cheers

Will

[dov]

Hallo

Of course, dexterity and eyesight are important for this special niche of our hobby.

Still, I think that many modellers are just shy of it. I hated building biplanes myself.

My first results were just shocking. About 30 years ago that was a 1/32 Tigermoth from Revell.

In the end, the top surface was twisted to the right.

My wife, she's also such an obsessed modeller, with her the upper surface was twisted to the left.

No rigging at this time at all.

After that it was a Bücker Jungmann in 1/48. The threads were fed into the pierced wing.

Not a good solution either. I used steel wire on the He-51. Also not good.

The Gloster Gladiator in 1/48 was a bit better. That's when I made my first eyelets.

But the wire was too thick. My wife was working on an Otsu for an exhibition in Japan.

It was then that she made a great leap forward. She worked everything out, what you read!

This is her experience, not mine. I improoved it afterwards.

For the WNW models, I worked with eyelets (still too big at the time) and knots. It wasn't that nice.

With the expert Des from Australia, who is unfortunately already dead, I got the most important information.

Working with sleeves simplifies the work immensely. The most important thing, however, is having a good hand for drilling with 0.3mm.

That's the most important. You don't even have to be afraid of making eyelets.

If you want, I'll send you wire for it and a ready-made hook.

Then you can try. It doesn't cost anything, just me a postage stamp.

Just dare, it doesn't bite. Mail to my adress via forum please!

 

Happy modelling

[Vinnie]

Very nice work, Will. You are a braver man than me taking on a WNW. 👍

[malpaso]

1 hour ago, Vinnie said:

Very nice work, Will. You are a braver man than me taking on a WNW. 👍

Thanks Vinnie.  There's nothing hard in building one.  You just need to take it slowly, I started this in September, and just worked on it when I was in the right mood.  Apart from the rigging, which you can make as hard or as easy as you want, it's just a very well conceived and made state-of-the-art kit, like a Tamiya or Eduard.

Have a go,

Cheers

Will

[djos]

Very nice model, well done

regards Djordje

[Duncan B]

Very nicely done and I agree with your call for us to get on and build those WnW kits hiding in the stash.

 

Duncan B

[RichieW]

Really good job, well done for not snapping off the cabane struts like many (well me at least) have done on this kit. I think it looks great!

[malpaso]

4 hours ago, RichieW said:

Really good job, well done for not snapping off the cabane struts like many (well me at least) have done on this kit. I think it looks great!

I was warned and I managed to keep the cabane struts attached for the first couple of months, then the rear two managed get broken off multiple times before completion!  One of the interplane struts snapped during rigging and I swiped off the undercarriage rigging that!  From the stories I’ve read removing the undercarriage was quite frequent on the real thing too!

[RichieW]

7 minutes ago, malpaso said:

I was warned and I managed to keep the cabane struts attached for the first couple of months, then the rear two managed get broken off multiple times before completion!  One of the interplane struts snapped during rigging and I swiped off the undercarriage rigging that!  From the stories I’ve read removing the undercarriage was quite frequent on the real thing too!

Top marks for persistence! I got all the way to the point where I was ready to attach the top wing before snapping 2 of mine off. It remains gathering dust on my table. I should follow your example and get it finished, it's a wonderful kit.