1/48th AMP Bristol Sycamore,..... hopefully I`ll get this done? ***FINISHED****

[Jonners]

Another thing to consider, albeit a rather trivial consideration: if you choose to build your bulged-windows model as a HR14 I'm pretty sure I remember reading that that variant had a single central collective lever in the cockpit. That obviously meant that, when flown by a second pilot in the left seat, eg for training, that pilot would have to fly 'wrong-handed'. Speaking as a 20-odd-year helicopter pilot, I'm pretty certain that Bristol didn't take pilots' opinions into account when making that decision!

Jon

[tonyot]

On 6/22/2021 at 9:04 AM, Jonners said:

Another thing to consider, albeit a rather trivial consideration: if you choose to build your bulged-windows model as a HR14 I'm pretty sure I remember reading that that variant had a single central collective lever in the cockpit. That obviously meant that, when flown by a second pilot in the left seat, eg for training, that pilot would have to fly 'wrong-handed'. Speaking as a 20-odd-year helicopter pilot, I'm pretty certain that Bristol didn't take pilots' opinions into account when making that decision!

Jon

I`ve just been reading about that mate,......and you can see it here,.....

 

 

but a photo directly below this text in the book I was reading shows a Sycamore with its doors removed and the pilot in the left seat holding a collective in his left hand and the stick in his right,..... so maybe they retrofitted more standard controls? The Sycamore at the Helicopter Museum has a collective on the left side;

 

Who knows eh mate? Cheers for the heads up bud.

                                                                                 Tony

[Jonners]

9 hours ago, tonyot said:

Who knows eh mate?

From what I remember reading, the bonkers central collective was only fitted to the Mk14 and added an extra 10 hours to the Central Flying School course to enable instructors to fly 'cack-handed'! My reference was an old Air Historical Branch publication on the history of the British helicopter, written by Basil Embry, who was the mustachioed Belvedere pilot who put the Coventry cathedral spire in place (as seen on the recent TV documentary).

[tonyot]

Having just finished the cockpit Jon, the kit only includes the one central collective too. I suppose they were pioneer days and they learned by their mistake?

 

Right,.... a bit more done;

Seats painted, rear troop seats fitted and seat belts fixed,..... as you can see I`ve adopted the RAF style bulded clear rear doors from my second kit, I have alo painted the rear boom silver too;

 

 

Next the side doors were fitted, some filler will be needed along the lower edges;

 

Cheers for now,

                       Tony

[heloman1]

Looking good Tony and a great choice for the GB. As you say, not a Shake and Bake kit but with some dedication/patients it goes together well.

It was the first helo I got to ride in back in the late '50's or maybe early 1960's. I was in 318 Sale, ATC Squadron an we were on summer camp at RAF Aldergrove NI.

I originally tried to build the old Lincoln kit but lost the min rotors on our move from the UK!

As far as I can remember, it's a looong time ago, the finish was dayglo 3M vinyl sheet applied around the rivets as per your pic of XJ365 above. I don't remember the cab I flew in but that image , serial and code will be good enough.

Looking forward to the progress on this build.

 

Colin

 

Maybe not too late for me to jump in with something!!!

[tonyot]

4 hours ago, heloman1 said:

Looking good Tony and a great choice for the GB. As you say, not a Shake and Bake kit but with some dedication/patients it goes together well.

It was the first helo I got to ride in back in the late '50's or maybe early 1960's. I was in 318 Sale, ATC Squadron an we were on summer camp at RAF Aldergrove NI.

I originally tried to build the old Lincoln kit but lost the min rotors on our move from the UK!

As far as I can remember, it's a looong time ago, the finish was dayglo 3M vinyl sheet applied around the rivets as per your pic of XJ365 above. I don't remember the cab I flew in but that image , serial and code will be good enough.

Looking forward to the progress on this build.

 

Colin

 

Maybe not too late for me to jump in with something!!!

 

Thanks Colin,..... lucky lad,.... and thanks for the comments re the finish. I bet they were loud?? 

Yeah jump in with something mate,.... be glad to have in a GB. 

[tonyot]

Right then,... got a bit more done on the model today;

 

I finished off a adding the cockpit panels, masked with windows and added the etched brass pats to the air intake above the fuselage before adding the panel;

 

Then after adding the undercarriage the silver rear fuselage was masked off and Tamiya white primer applied to the forward fuselage ready for some dayglow orange. The top of the rotor blades were also painted light grey ;

 

Cheers

          Tony

[tonyot]

Hiya Folks,.... got the Dayglow Orange on today;

 

The Orange does actually look lighter in real life,.... but changes a great del under different light conditions. Here it is with the silver rear fuselage exposed, sat in front of a photo of the real thing,...... I have also applied some gloss varnish eady for the ex Hunter decals!

 

Again,... it looks a lot more orange than it really is!

 

Cheers

          Tony

[Tomjw]

The dayglo paint has laid down beautifully. Not an easy colour to get right.

 

Cheers,

 

Tom.

[tonyot]

6 hours ago, Tomjw said:

The dayglo paint has laid down beautifully. Not an easy colour to get right.

 

Cheers,

 

Tom.

Thanks Tom,..... this is the first time I`ve done dayglow,...... it really is quite vivid!!

[tonyot]

Hiya Folks,..... well I got the decals together tonight from various spares boxes and generic sheets and put them on the model. XG502 had a unique DANGER warning marking on the rail which appears to have been yellow writing on a white background,..... well I could not find anything remotely similar,... so I added the standard one from the kit decals,...... hopefully it had this style added at some point! I also added white backgrounds cut from the chequers o the new Airfix Tiger Moth sheet,.... and added the stencils over these;

 

Cheers

          Tony

  

[rob85]

That orange pops brilliantly. Really nice work on this Tony, and great seeing something different in the group build.

 

Rob

[tonyot]

1 hour ago, rob85 said:

That orange pops brilliantly. Really nice work on this Tony, and great seeing something different in the group build.

 

Rob

Thanks Rob,.... every time I look at the orange it looks different depending on the light!  

[tonyot]

Got a coat of satin varnish on today,...... ready for some light weathering;

 

I might have a go at converting the danger warning by painting the letters yellow, the backround white and the outline red,..... we`ll see?

 

Another project on the go at the moment,.... 1/32nd ICM Sea Gladiator with AIMS decals!

 

 

Cheers

          Tony

[AdrianMF]

Nice work on the fluorescent orange! It does take over a photograph…

 

I like the look of your Sea Gladiator too. The decal sheet in the photo shows a three blade prop for the silver and yellow scheme but you seem to be heading for a two blader. Is that an earlier fit? 
 

Regards,

Adrian

 

 

[abat]

Brilliant work Tony, I'm late to your build but really enjoying your work.

Andrew

[Tomjw]

Great job with the orange. Such a difficult colour to get right and you've nailed it.

 

Cheers,

 

Tom

[rob85]

21 hours ago, tonyot said:

Thanks Rob,.... every time I look at the orange it looks different depending on the light!  

Fluorescent paint is hard to capture in a pic and in a model, you weathering will tone it a bit, but you needn’t worry it looks ace.

[tonyot]

20 hours ago, AdrianMF said:

Nice work on the fluorescent orange! It does take over a photograph…

 

I like the look of your Sea Gladiator too. The decal sheet in the photo shows a three blade prop for the silver and yellow scheme but you seem to be heading for a two blader. Is that an earlier fit? 
 

Regards,

Adrian

 

 

Thanks Adrian,..... yeah two blader for the Sea Gladiator,..... I have a photo of the aircraft and it has a two blader fitted,...... the props were interchangeable and the navy appear to have preferred the wooden prop for a better take off performance from the deck. Whe it flew with the RAF from Malta it wore a three bladed Fairey Reed,.... fitted after it was uncrated. 

 

13 hours ago, abat said:

Brilliant work Tony, I'm late to your build but really enjoying your work.

Andrew

Thanks Andrew,... very kind mate. 

10 hours ago, Tomjw said:

Great job with the orange. Such a difficult colour to get right and you've nailed it.

 

Cheers,

 

Tom

Thanks Tom,.... glad you like it mate.

4 hours ago, rob85 said:

Fluorescent paint is hard to capture in a pic and in a model, you weathering will tone it a bit, but you needn’t worry it looks ace.

Cheers Rob,.... I got a bit more done tonight. 

[tonyot]

Thanks for the encouragement fella`s,..... I got a bit more done tonight;

 

Got the panel lines weathered today and started on the rotors; 

 

I then took off the window masks,..... added the undecarriage wheels (which still need to be painted) and I`ve done a bit more on the rotor hub,..... the small parts are so brittle and they shatter when you try to remove them from the sprue!;

 

Cheers

          Tony

[heloman1]

Wow Tony, the dayglo has laid down very well, as has been mentioned above, not that easy to get right! It's offset against the silver. You can't beat rattle cans!

You reminded me I still have one half started, as I've found the instrument panel, I really have no excuse to finish it!

 

Colin

[stevehnz]

On 9/2/2021 at 8:56 AM, tonyot said:

every time I look at the orange it looks different depending on the light!  

Every time I look at the orange, it makes my eyes go funny.

Super job Tony, a treat to see one of these.

Steve.

[tonyot]

On 9/5/2021 at 9:53 AM, heloman1 said:

Wow Tony, the dayglo has laid down very well, as has been mentioned above, not that easy to get right! It's offset against the silver. You can't beat rattle cans!

You reminded me I still have one half started, as I've found the instrument panel, I really have no excuse to finish it!

 

Colin

Thanks Colin,.... I look forward to seeing yours done mate,..... we are spoiled for choice for schemes! 

9 hours ago, stevehnz said:

Every time I look at the orange, it makes my eyes go funny.

Super job Tony, a treat to see one of these.

Steve.

Thanks Steve,.... jut need that final push to get it over the line now,....... I`ve painted the tail rotors,..... just need to fit them now. The pilots entrance steps were destroyed on the sprues even before I opened the kit,.... so they will have to be left off,.... unless I get an urge to make them from wire if I can find any? 

[CliffB]

Great work Tony.  It's really come alive now you've removed the masking from the windows 

[tonyot]

14 hours ago, CliffB said:

Great work Tony.  It's really come alive now you've removed the masking from the windows 

Thanks Cliff,..... hopefully I`ll have it finished soon!