Help with 1/72 Sopwith Woodcock with missing fuselage half

[phat trev]

I have a Pegasus Hawker Woodcock kit but it has a major issue...  Only one fuselage side is in the box 😢   Looking at ways around this issue,  my first thought was to get a replica (in reverse) of the only side available. Hmm,  can anyone relate and how easy is it to get a single part made? 

[europapete]

hhmmm......wasn't there a build log here not so long since with a very similar issue?? They scratch built a new half, and it didn't look like it was that difficult an operation. AdrianMF maybe?? 

[stevehnz]

No maybes about it. @AdrianMFit certainly was.

Steve.

[phat trev]

Thanks will search around for it

[Troy Smith]

14 hours ago, phat trev said:

Hmm,  can anyone relate and how easy is it to get a single part made? 

thread referred to

 

but I also recommend this

 

https://rclibrary.co.uk/title_details.asp?ID=1216

 

download here

https://rclibrary.co.uk/download_title.asp?ID=1216

 

Old but still fascinating,  lots of different techniques explained.    Given Pegasus reputation, it maybe easier   to just build a new fuselage, see the section on various methods in the above.

[phat trev]

It is a shame actually the moulding of all the remaining parts is very good-compared to what I have seen or have built from Pegasus short run kits in the past, the detail is pretty good too. 

[Al Gunthwaite]

Hi Trev

I scratch built a 1/72 scale Woodcock many moons ago (before Pegasus produced their kit), using the Alfred Granger Data Plan Woodcock booklet drawings. They're especially useful because of the fuselage cross sections. I used an Airfix Bulldog engine and mount and wheels. My model didn't survive house moves, but I retained all of the parts and started a rebuild/renovation a year or so ago.

I'll try and post some pics (not mastered a different method since Photobucket changed)

Cheers

Al 

[Al Gunthwaite]

Just attempted to post images from Dropbox...unsuccessfully.

 

Cheers

Al

[europapete]

I feel it Al, I am totally hopeless at posting pictures. Takes me hours just to do one. 

[Troy Smith]

2 hours ago, Al Gunthwaite said:

Just attempted to post images from Dropbox...unsuccessfully.

 

Cheers

Al

I don't think you can. Images must be somewhere publically accessible online, ideally a photo hosting site.  I use Flickr, find it works well.   

lets see

 

OK, I just checked, 

Dropbox, goto  image, right click image, select copy image address, paste that into post, get a load of text, and then the image shows.  Do NOT use the insert image box.

Proof.  

[phat trev]

I am attempting Pinterest to hold images, let's see. 

[Troy Smith]

1 hour ago, phat trev said:

I am attempting Pinterest to hold images, let's see. 

you can cut and paste them in, I occasionally find something relevant there and do that.   But, I find Flickr works well. 

[stevehnz]

2 hours ago, Troy Smith said:

But, I find Flickr works well. 

What Troy says, it works very well, I use it & can drop images from my camera to the computer, edit/resize them, upload to Flickr & post them here in just a few minutes. It is pretty much instinctive. 

Steve.

[Black Knight]

On 15/08/2022 at 22:17, phat trev said:

I have a Pegasus Hawker Woodcock kit but it has a major issue...  Only one fuselage side is in the box 😢   Looking at ways around this issue,  my first thought was to get a replica (in reverse) of the only side available. Hmm,  can anyone relate and how easy is it to get a single part made? 

Try contacting someone with a 3D printer. Some who own these printers can be helpful whilst others are not

Basically and generally the two sides of the fuselage are the same.

 They could scan the side you have, flip it and print out that mirrored part

[Al Gunthwaite]

A bit late, but photos of my 1/72 scale scratchbuilt Woodcock (from the Alfred Grainger Plans)...

 

smashed in a tin after various house moves..

 

Main components...

 

Removing the plastic card skin from the fuselage

 

Start of the rebuild: a transfer for the instrument panel 

 

Sizing the instrument panel:

 

The rebuild is current a project on hiatus, but it will get sorted one day!

 

Cheers

Al

 

 

[europapete]

Love the box Al, very appropiate! 

[europapete]

Looks like there is a Gauntlet in there and also a Gamecock.

[Al Gunthwaite]

There certainly is: The Gamecock was scratch built from the Grainger plans and the Gauntlet converted from a Heller Gladiator. The Gamecock will be rebuilt one day.

Al  

[TeeELL]

Whilst I have a 3D resin printer and would love to help, the ‘scan and mirror’ option suggested by Black Knight isn’t really a ‘home set-up’ option as yet.  If you watched the first Hornby series on TV recently you would have seen the work required to correct the the 3D scan LIDAR anomalies - and they used very expensive, professional equipment.

[AdrianMF]

Hi there,

 

My Albacore thread does drone on, so this is the post that explains what I did. You can also add to step 3 "Add card shelves to stick your wings and tailplanes to". Fill up as much space as you can between the bulkheads with balsa or even foam packing to minimise the amount of filler you need. Auto body filler or milliput is what you need, it's too thick for solvent-based fillers.

 

I won't drone on again so I will leave it there, although I'm happy to help if you want to go that route.

 

And if you aren't comfortable with it, we have just the right GB for you to do it in

 

Regards,

Adrian

[davidl]

Trev

What Adrian says is spot on

Troy's reference to Harry Woodman's book is also really good value

This isn't like signing up to be the next professor of the Dark Arts at Hogwarts !

You don't have to be afraid of not getting a perfect result with your first attempt - You are just trying to create a shape over which to mold a new part.

This won't require any expensive or fancy equipment either

You already have one half of the shape you need to recreate - all you need now is a base in plastic card the same shape as the side on profile of the fuselage

If ind it helpful to stroke a straight line from the centre of the propeller to a fixed point on the tail end of the fuselage This can be your Datum against which you mark the mid point of your profile shape 

Next grab some light cardboard a bit of manila folder (ordinary office file) will do

Find a bit of thick solder wire bout 2 inches long (copper wire is sometimes OK - you just want something that will hold a shape ) A profile gauge is handy if you have one 

Identify a point on the side profile and lay the solder wire down inside your existing fuselage half at the same point and press it down to get the shape of the interior.

When you're done lift this out carefully and transfer the outside shape to the cardboard

When you have lifted (made) the required number of profiles you can use these cardboard profiles to make plastic card half sections which you glue to your side profile you can then build your mold from there

It really isn't hard !

 

It is critical to remember that your mold must be slightly smaller all round when compared to the shape you are duplication to allow for the thickness new material

David

[AdrianMF]

On 07/05/2023 at 00:52, davidl said:

lay the solder wire down inside your existing fuselage half

I would tend to go round the outside of the fuselage because the plastic can be quite thick and uneven in a short run kit. When tracing the shape, keep just inside the line to allow for the thickness of the moulded material - the taper on a pencil point will probably be enough, and when you cut out the former don't forget to allow for the width of the profile card that you will be sticking the former to.

 

Regards,

Adrian

[TeeELL]

This is a late addition.  Further to my earlier comment … I am considering attempting to design a 3D printed Hawker Woodcock (fuselage).  I’ve produced parts for the Aeroclub model but think that I might be able to create an improved fuselage.  No promises but I’ve the Granger data book on order and am beginning to master the concept of using the cross sections in Fusion 360.

  The idea is gathering momentum so the idea may turn into reality I shall use the same concept as @Al Gunthwaite but in Fusion 360.  If it works, it means the fuselage (and other parts) will be readily repeatable.

[europapete]

That's awesome! Keep a 1/32 scale version in the back of your mind when doing this, you have a customer waiting 

[TeeELL]

On 4/20/2025 at 5:08 PM, europapete said:

That's awesome! Keep a 1/32 scale version in the back of your mind when doing this, you have a customer waiting 

I sure will, but the details might be a bit basic for 1:32 as the design will be 1:72 in concept.