Bridlington & Wolds Scale Model Club Forum
Models => Modelling Projects => Topic started by: zak on February 28, 2023, 10:44:06 AM
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Building and researching the Sopwith Bat Boat led my to read about the founder of Sopwith Aviation and his career in flying and aircraft maunfacture.
Sopwith Aviation Company Limited
Formed on 15th December 1913
Became defunct 17 September 1920, taken over by H.G. Hawker Engineering.
Originally base at Brooklands and founded by Thomas Octave Murdock Sopwith in June 1912. Moved to a factory in SW London on Canbury Park Rd in Kingston Upon Thames, a recently closed roller-skating rink.
The company built over 16,000 aircraft during WW1, many more built by sub-contractors.
So I thought I would attempt some of his other aircraft,
He first flew in loaned/ hired aircraft, His first purchase was a Howard Wright Monoplane that he crashed.
He ran a flying school at Brooklands and eventually started making his own aircraft.
He did apparently crash into the sewage farm at Brooklands.
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So my next venture would be his modified Howard Wright Biplane, I have been unable to find a kit and so scratch building will be the order of the day.
I have decided on a scale of 1:72 - why? space really.
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I have always told you that research gets you into trouble/work - hohohhohoho - looking forward to seeing this progress
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Well, I have been building this over the past week while feeling under the weather.
Results so far.
Parts under construction.
Main frame being undercoated.
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Well that's amazing!
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Progress with the Howard Wright.
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Looking good.
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Flying soon :o :o :o
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My but you do love rigging. Have you got a soft spot for lycra thread? Your scratchbuilding skills are tempting me to try something bigger than bukheads etc.
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My but you do love rigging. Have you got a soft spot for lycra thread? Your scratchbuilding skills are tempting me to try something bigger than bukheads etc.
Give it a go.
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Rigging in progress.
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Finished!
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Looks GREAT
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Looks GREAT
Thanks Martin, not so good in real life though!
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While I await the delivery of some Evergreen styrene rod and strip, I started a Pegasus 1:72 Sopwith Salamander.
There is not much in the kit.
All the struts have to be cut from plastic card.
I am not sure if another kit exists, I did contemplate a scratch build, but bought this.
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Finished!
Looks excellent Dave.
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Thanks Chris.
Here is the Salamander.
T.F.1
Armoured Trench fighter, originally fitted with downward firing guns.
Closely followed by a Snipe.
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Looking good and information as well - what more could we want 8) 8) 8) 8)
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Looking good and information as well - what more could we want 8) 8) 8) 8)
The Sopwith Company produced around 18,000 aircraft, most made by sub-contractors, the Sopwith factories made just over 3,000. The largest numbers being Camels of various types and 11/2 Strutters.
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Looking good Dave. I shall have to up my rate.
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Don't bother Chris - he can out work 5 normal club members at a time if he puts his mind to it >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
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The Wright looks fantastic, well done.
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Thanks Chris.
Here is the Salamander partially rigged, still got the rear to do!
Home made struts, and landing gear from plastic card.
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Looks excellent.
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Sopwith Camel, two seat trainer.
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The rigging is amazing.
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Tricky stuff, but nicely done.
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Just started to scratch build a Sopwith Hybrid Biplane, essentially Howard Wright wings and a Sopwith fuselage.
A very early build that existed in several variants, sometimes called The Three Seater.
A few were owned by the military/navy.
It did have ailerons in place of wing warping
One version was referred to as Spinning Jenny as it had a nasty tendency to go into a spin without much provocation!
This is the early version, probably the first aircraft produced by Sopwith.
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I suspect you lot will tell me that I am doing things incorrectly.
I try to use only superglue when I have to and prefer a solvent bonded plastic join, plastic essentially welded to plastic.
So here are the struts being glued into position.
Thanks go to Kevin for supplying the aerofoil section that I have used for the struts.
It seems a little flimsy, but time will tell.
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Any method that works is OK with me - remember its a hobby for FUN.
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I admire your scratchbuilding skills Dave.
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Unfortunately the aerofoil section is a bit too flimsy, so will revert to plan B.
Well, when I come up with it.
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After some adjustments and messing about I am going to live with these struts, now onto the tail, undercarriage and so on.
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Another labour of love then?
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Yes, and getting more so.
On the Howard Biplane I made the wheels by scribing clear styrene. See P1.
I decided I could do better, the ring is cut from a tube,
This is then marked up on a jig.
The Easy line (1/32 thick type was then applied)
The tyre was made by wrapping styrene rod around a former and then immersed in boiling water for half a minute and then cooled.
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More progress, sticking bits together.
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Hi Zak,
some masterful scratch building there. It certainly looks the part.
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The scratchbuilding is amazing.
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Wheels.
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Hi Zak,
They look 'Wheely' good.
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Yep. Amazing.
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You're really putting us kit builders/converters to shame here :(
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Wheels attached and someweathering.
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Beardmore WB.III.
Sopwith Pups were built under contract by the Beardmore company,
They converted some so they had folding wings for use at sea, lengthened fuselage and other changed details.
This is a Vacuum formed kit by Joystick.
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Nice, and from a vacform too. Impressive.
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Here is a conversion from an Airfix 1/72 Pup into a Beardmore with folded wings.
Still lots to do.
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looks like a squatting Fly.
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Superglue problems yesterday and today, for some reason it is not sticking, maybe its the atmosphere or the surfaces?
Who knows.
Off out for lunch shortly, so who cares!
Try again later I guess.
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Looking good Dave.
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Superglue working again, must be me.
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That's what we always say ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Lots of problems here, so I am calling this converted Pup to Beardmore finished.
Too much weathering and so on, not my best effort, I suppose I should bite the bullet and rig it really.
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Go on, get it rigged.
Haddock.
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Go on, get it rigged.
Haddock.
Ok, just for you!
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Do as Haddock says OR you will be on the list - again - hohohhoho
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Here it is warts included!
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Next it is an old Toko 1:72 11/2 Strutter.
As this is just another biplane will post when built, no issues so far!
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Excellent Dave.
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Sopwith Strutter in the midst of rigging.
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Another great model - how many have you done now ::) ::) ::) ::)
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Another great model - how many have you done now ::) ::) ::) ::)
Too many!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Still a fair few to go at though!!
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Still a fair few to go at though!!
Again too many.
Just on with a Baby.
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Meanwhile, Tom Sopwith owned and flew various aircraft before setting up his own company.
Here is my attempt to build one, this is a Howard-Wright Monoplane.
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Another great model - how many have you done now ::) ::) ::) ::)
Too many!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A heck of a lot of rigging though. You must have used miles.
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Well 45m + I guess!
Sopwith owned Howard-Wright Monoplane with 40 HP E.N.V Engine. Scratch build, a bit rough and ready.
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Your rough and ready looks good to me
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Your rough and ready looks good to me
Some of the straight bits are not as straight or square as they should be!
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Your scratchbuilding is amazing Dave.
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I'll echo Chris' comment, fantastic scratchbuilding.
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Thanks chaps, more progress on the Howard-Wright.
Painting.
Sorry "Sloshing on some paint with gay abandon".
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I have been unhappy with the wheels that I have produced so far, this is an attempt to produce a better wheel.
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Rigging.
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Well rigged, bet the air was a little blue ::) ::) ::) ::)
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It was more BLACK!
Actually, it went fairly well and the superglue behaved for a change.
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You must have used just the correct words - hohhoho
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Fantastic rigging, well done.
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Fantastic Dave.
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Just the odd bit of touching up to do and a coat of varnish.
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Meanwhile, Sopwith did buy a Bleriot XI.
Here is my scratch build so far.
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Looks great but also looks like it should have a snow plough blade on the front ::) ::) ::) :o :o :o
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No, just wheels and a propeller.
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I bet the pilot will not be a zombie either - hohhohohoh
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Don't you stop to eat and sleep Dave?
Amazing modelling.
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Don't you stop to eat and sleep Dave?
Amazing modelling.
Very rarely!
That is why I have such a slim figure!!!!!
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Progress on the Bleriot and the Baby, mainly painting and assembly.
Struts on the Baby courtesy of Kevin, thanks.
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Looking great Dave.
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Both coming alomg nicely.
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Both coming alomg nicely.
Alomg?
Chill Spucker switched off or in neutral mode?
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Excellent work as usual.
Bob c
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Great work as usual, and at a pace.
Kevin
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Bleriot finished.
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Now onto the Gordon Bennet Racer and the Sopwith Three Seat Biplane.
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Gordon Bennett Racer.
Two aircraft were produced by Sopwith for the Race, the race did not take place due to the First World War.
One of the wo was very slim and had a very slight rudder, the other resembled a Tabloid.
My model is the former.
Scratch built on a modified Pup fuselage.
This was at Hendon and in RNAS use, no.1215, it did not see any operational use.
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Here is the Three seat Biplane under construction, balsa core fuselage, filler and plastic card covering.
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Two different models there. Nice scratch building.
Watching with interest.
Kevin
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Progress on the two.
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Coat of varnish ans then its finished.
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Another magnificent build. Well done.
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looks good Zak.
Did you print the Union Flag decals yourself?
Kevin
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looks good Zak.
Did you print the Union Flag decals yourself?
Kevin
No they were some I had on a really old decal sheet.
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Very nice models Dave.
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Eventually finished the Eduard Sopwith Baby.
Lots of etched brass, pity about the plastic!
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What a lovely Baby you have!!
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What a lovely Baby you have!!
Why thank you kind sir!
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Looking very nice Dave.
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That looks very cute!
Delicately done Sir.
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Continued progress with the Three Seat Biplane.
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My attempts to built a Sopwith Tabloid and a Schneider.
Both started life as Airfix Pups.
The fuselages were reshaped using plastic sheet and Green Stuff two part filler for the noses.
The wings were filled, the shape altered, the ailerons filled and the re-scribed.
The tails were remodelled from plastic card and the spares box.
The floats were scratch built from plastic sheet. The supports are a little think, but I was going for strength.
Structs are from aerofoil section plastic.
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Good scratch building.
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Three seat tractor biplane completed.
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Another nice unusual aircraft from the Bempton Aerodrome.
Kevin
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Excellent.
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Nor much progress really, life has been intruding on my modelling.
Here are the Schneider and Tabloid.
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Yes life has that habit does it not - but they still look great. Now going out to see friends for afternoon tea - so no modelling today I expect :-X :-X :-X
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Both planes looking good though.
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Looking good.
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Impressive string work Mista.