1/48 Mistercraft Sopwith Camel.

[Whofan]

 

The latest finished build, and what an absolute sod of a build. Apolologies mods for the intemperate language but truly, I could have filled a line or two with letters and asterisks.

 

I'd bought - impulse buys, really - two mistercraft 1/48 kits, the Camel and an albatross D.III, and though I was trying to keep to a schedule and should have started the Smer Su-25 Frogfoot, I found myself picking the Camel out of the stash and starting it.

 

These mistercraft  kits are pretty basic - around 25 - 30 parts, several colour schemes, some of them quite attractive with interesting decals, but nothing much by way of detail in cockpit or engine.

 

 

As is often the case with - I dunno, if I call them 2nd or 3rd division manufacturers am I being insulting? Let's say these are not mainstream kits. And they have many, many reasons why not.

 

Fit is one - though this time, apart from two crucial areas, the fit wasn't too bad. The lower wing wasn't fitting too well, nor in fact did the undercarriage struts, but I managed to get those in with just one break of a strut, repaired.

 

The worst area of fit was the cabane ( ? ) struts, the four holding the upper wing from the fuselage. These were abysmal to fit - and I had to end up leaving them in the positions they were and hope that they would look reasonable.

 

Shockingly poor decals was another problem. Not just the fact that the decals are so fragile and brittle that you had to work like greased lightning to get them on in the right place, but simply that some of the decals as provided look to be 1/72 scale.

 

Yes, too small. The scheme I wanted to do, a Belgian scheme, suffered from some too small decals, and, bizarrely, some of the decals shown in the instructions didn't exist on the decal sheet.

 

I then chose a Polish scheme, where the decals were the right size, but some of which broke up almost on contact with the kit. You'll see examples of this in the photos.

 

Some of which were taken by my new cameraman - my 4 year old grandson!

 

 

Oh, and we all have a carpet monster - I've discovered I have a decal carpet monster, too. One decal went on the fuselage side, and then disappeared. I think I must have put my finger on it while putting other decals on, and it stuck to that finger instead of the kit - and disappeared.

 

I then decided to try rigging it. With Uschi van den Rosten line. I have not done all the rigging even the simplified diagram in the instructions because I lost the will to live quite a few times.

 

What I've ended up with is a kit that looks a bit like a Sopwith Camel, with most of some decals on the kit, rigging that frankly is too minimal, and a propeller that I spent seemingly hours masking up and painting to look something like a laminated wooden propeller. Actually, I am quite pleased with the propeller, it looks more like the real thing than the rest of the kit.

 

So here it is, every wart and all.

 

 

 

EDIT 11.08.23

 

By some miracle of chance, I found the decal that had gone walkabout last night. How I spotted it I don't knowm, but I did, and with the assistance of Microset, fixed it to the starboard side which had been missing its squadron insignia for a good week or more.

 

Ain't life amazing, sometimes?

Edited August 10, 2023 by Whofan

[Vince1159]

That's a nice job the last photo shows the rigging well....

[keefr22]

Wish i could give that two likes - one for perservering and making such a good job of what sounds a pretty awful kit. And one for the cameraman's great toothy grin....!!

 

Keith

 

[BillF67]

I think you’ve done as well as cloud be expected. Kudos!

[Whofan]

41 minutes ago, keefr22 said:

Wish i could give that two likes - one for perservering and making such a good job of what sounds a pretty awful kit. And one for the cameraman's great toothy grin....!!

 

Keith

 

Thanks Keith, 

 

It wasn't a great kit but you can learn such a lot from them.

 

This was the first biplane I've made since the Airfix  triplane, Bristol fighter and stringbagback in the early '60's. Those are the ones I remember.

 

I think the other mistercraft kit, the albatross, will be easier now I've done this one.

 

He does have a great toothy grin! He was so pleased to be involved in taking the photos - he'll be getting the chance to make his own kit soon, Grandad doing the cutting from the sprue.

[Whofan]

1 hour ago, Vince1159 said:

That's a nice job the last photo shows the rigging well....

 

Thanks for that. It's one of the ones that my grandson took,  the camera is a cheap digital job but it is very good in auto mode, which meant he only had to point and click!

 

@BillF67,

 

Thanks for the kind words. 

[Lord Riot]

Turned out nice despite the travails!
 

I built a Mistercraft kit once. I’ve never bought another.

[keefr22]

34 minutes ago, Whofan said:

he'll be getting the chance to make his own kit soon, Grandad doing the cutting from the sprue.

 

Excellent! My grandson has just turnrd 2 so it'll be a couple of years yet for him, but one of my grand-daughters made her first kit last year and I have to say she made a far better job than I did on my first one back in the dark ages!

 

Keith 

[Whofan]

37 minutes ago, keefr22 said:

Excellent! My grandson has just turnrd 2 so it'll be a couple of years yet for him, but one of my grand-daughters made her first kit last year and I have to say she made a far better job than I did on my first one back in the dark ages!

 

Keith,

 

I hope you and your grand daughter had fun! I suspect though your grand daughter didn't send the kit to a flaming end by setting fire to the tail planes and chucking it out of the bedroom window, as I often did back in the dark ages ......😎

 

I''ve got a very simple kit in hand for him to have a go at, I'm hoping he will have the patience to sit down and do it.

 

And of course I have to let go of some of the more anal attributes of model making, eg minimal sanding of seams, not worry too much about filling the gaps, but just let him get on and put one together so he can see that he's made something.

47 minutes ago, Lord Riot said:

Turned out nice despite the travails!
 

I built a Mistercraft kit once. I’ve never bought another.

 

I think I can see why  ...... 

 

thanks for the encouragement.

[Vince1159]

12 hours ago, Whofan said:

These mistercraft  kits are pretty basic - around 25 - 30 parts,

I'm a huge fan of the WWI especially the RFC aircraft and these sound perfect for my modelling skills so i'll have to see about getting a couple.....

[Epeeman]

Don't knock yourself, mate - you've done a very good job on a very poor quality kit.

 

Regards

 

Dave

[cmatthewbacon]

Pretty good job! You should be pleased with how nicely you’ve managed to resurrect a 1957 Merit kit… (cf Smer Walrus and Bulldog…)

best,

M.

[Carlo1963]

Looks pretty good to me!  I used to love making WW1 kits in my youth but have re-started my hobby forty-five years later on airliners, couldn't be bothered with the rigging!

 

One thing I've quickly learnt is that you can spend ages carefully going through all the modelling stages and then quite suddenly mess the whole thing up with some paint/decal issue.

[Whofan]

3 hours ago, Vince1159 said:

I'm a huge fan of the WWI especially the RFC aircraft and these sound perfect for my modelling skills so i'll have to see about getting a couple.....

 

Vince,

 

for a more skilled modeller like yourself they should work out well. 

[Whofan]

1 hour ago, cmatthewbacon said:

Pretty good job! You should be pleased with how nicely you’ve managed to resurrect a 1957 Merit kit… (cf Smer Walrus and Bulldog…)

best,

M.

Wow !

 

That's very encouraging, thanks!  A 1957 kit you say; well, I had anticipated it being quite old, but that's almost as old as I am!

[Vince1159]

3 minutes ago, Whofan said:

 

Vince,

 

for a more skilled modeller like yourself they should work out well. 

The way i look at it is if  i can count the total parts without losing count i'm fine,your Camel's perfect....

[Whofan]

3 hours ago, Epeeman said:

Don't knock yourself, mate - you've done a very good job on a very poor quality kit.

 

Regards

 

Dave

Thanks Dave.

 

I'm always thinking that it's easy to blame or criticise a kit when there are problems that develop, but often it's the builder, not the materials, as in "a bad workman always blames his tools"

 

I don't have any problem in criticism, after all, it's a good way to pick up ideas or ways to better your skills, but now I know the kit is based on 1957 moulds, its simplicity is easy to understand.

 

 

[Paul Thompson]

9 minutes ago, Whofan said:

Wow !

 

That's very encouraging, thanks!  A 1957 kit you say; well, I had anticipated it being quite old, but that's almost as old as I am!

Yup, it once was a mainstream kit, but that stream has flowed on quite a way since then. Same applies to the Albatros BTW.

 

Paul.

[cmatthewbacon]

50 minutes ago, Whofan said:

A 1957 kit you say; well, I had anticipated it being quite old, but that's almost as old as I am!

If you’ve got the bug, get the Revell blue box 2004 1/48 2F1 Camel — that’s got the 1956 Aurora kit inside! (More recent Revell 1/48 Camels are the Eduard tools instead, and even their first generation kits are light years ahead of the 50s ones)

best,

M.

[Whofan]

1 hour ago, Paul Thompson said:

Yup, it once was a mainstream kit, but that stream has flowed on quite a way since then. Same applies to the Albatros BTW.

 

Paul.

 

Paul,

 

In some ways these very old kits - or even the re boxings - have a charm about them, and given as you say how the stream has flowed on quite a way since, I ought to have been able to do a better job on the Camel than I did. But every kit has its challenges, I now know what might occur with the Albatros, 

[Whofan]

1 hour ago, cmatthewbacon said:

If you’ve got the bug, get the Revell blue box 2004 1/48 2F1 Camel — that’s got the 1956 Aurora kit inside! (More recent Revell 1/48 Camels are the Eduard tools instead, and even their first generation kits are light years ahead of the 50s ones)

best,

M.

A 1956 Aurora kit, eh?  Sounds very .... awkward !!

 

After trying to rig the Camel, any kind of enthusiasm for WW1 is slipping slowly out of the window ! 

 

I have the mistercraft Albatros, two wingnut wings kits  - the Goering Fokker D.VII and the Rumpler C.IV, but I'd be happy to trade away the Fokker D.VII for something else.

 

I also have the Revell 1/48 Roland C.II and the Eduard Viribus Unitis Albatros D.III dual boxing, (an impulse buy at £20 from a show) which in all honesty might well see me out with WW1.

 

I do like the somewhat ungainly look of the the Sopwith Dolphin, so that (Copper State 1/48th) might end up in the stash, but I really don't know now.

 

 

 

[Paul Thompson]

13 minutes ago, Whofan said:

A 1956 Aurora kit, eh?  Sounds very .... awkward !!

 

After trying to rig the Camel, any kind of enthusiasm for WW1 is slipping slowly out of the window ! 

 

I have the mistercraft Albatros, two wingnut wings kits  - the Goering Fokker D.VII and the Rumpler C.IV, but I'd be happy to trade away the Fokker D.VII for something else.

 

I also have the Revell 1/48 Roland C.II and the Eduard Viribus Unitis Albatros D.III dual boxing, (an impulse buy at £20 from a show) which in all honesty might well see me out with WW1.

 

I do like the somewhat ungainly look of the the Sopwith Dolphin, so that (Copper State 1/48th) might end up in the stash, but I really don't know now.

 

 

 

The Roland is a much easier kit than the Camel, even with the infinitely higher level of detail, if nothing else because it mostly fits well and both wings fit directly to the fuselage. Also, simpler rigging.

 

Paul.

[keefr22]

5 hours ago, Whofan said:

I hope you and your grand daughter had fun!

 

We did!

 

5 hours ago, Whofan said:

I suspect though your grand daughter didn't send the kit to a flaming end by setting fire to the tail planes and chucking it out of the bedroom window, as I often did back in the dark ages ......😎

 

She didn't - but I also did similar to mine, but utilising a friend's upstair's window as we lived in a bungalow! Use of a catapult helped extend their final flights too!! 🤣

 

Hope your grandson (and you!  ) enjoy the model - we built a Hobbyboss Grumman Panther, and it was a great kit for a beginner - built, painted and decalled in an afternoon - just like the good old days!

 

Keith

 

 

[Whofan]

40 minutes ago, Paul Thompson said:

The Roland is a much easier kit than the Camel, even with the infinitely higher level of detail, if nothing else because it mostly fits well and both wings fit directly to the fuselage. Also, simpler rigging.

 

Paul.

Paul,

 

Thanks for this. I took the revell  box out of the stash when I read your comment and it 

 

a) certainly has a lot more detail than the mistercraft Camel (or Albatros)

 

b) does have simpler rigging!

 

[Whofan]

49 minutes ago, keefr22 said:

 

Hope your grandson (and you!  ) enjoy the model - we built a Hobbyboss Grumman Panther, and it was a great kit for a beginner - built, painted and decalled in an afternoon - just like the good old days!

 

Keith

 

 

 

I'm looking forward to it. I have a AZ models Kawasaki Ki-78 which is a bit of a what if, it's two kits in the box, so if something happens to one of the parts I'll have a spare there already.

 

I'm absolutely sure he won't care if it is Japanese, or a model of a prototype rather than a service machine, but just sticking it together and painting it (we have protective clothing) should be fun.