Sopwith F.1 Camel Build Log

[Mike Dowling]

Thanks again, I thought you might have done that !

[Mike Dowling]

John,

Could you be a real pal and send me some pics of your propeller from the front and both sides ? I glued mine together wrong first time and had to soak it for ages before I could get it apart to do again !!

[jablackwell]

Hi Mike,

Sure. I'll do that later in the afternoon when I get home.  There are some (not many) images of the prop being made in my build log here, I think on the first page of the log.  More to come later today.

 

~john

 

[JohnReid]

I actually built two Camels, both 1/16th scale as a commissioned diorama piece for the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.One was inside the hangar and painted in German markings to represent a captured aircraft that was forced down.This often happened in WW1 when the opposition was looking for possible new technology.The other Camel I turned into an old airshow airplane being towed to the railway station for delivery to Hollywood to be used in the movies.Cheers! John.

 

[Mike Dowling]

Well I will be content to build just the one !

 

Progress so far : Both wings complete to the varnishing stage. I am awaiting the spray varnish I have ordered. So whilst waiting I drilled all the tiny holes in the compression bars and have wired in the turnbuckles prior to gluing. I have only shown a few so you get the idea. I reckoned it would be easier to put them on off the wings.

 

I have also started on the empennage although why it can't just be called tailplane and elevator is beyond me. The brittania metal castings were way off, far too small so serious adjustments were needed to all the wing ribs, nose caps etc to get them to fit in.

 

 

[GameEngineer]

Great work! I was looking for a decent kit to start from to build a scale version of the plane and this kit seemed to be the only one of its caliber.  I received it recently and am eager to start working on it.  Now to start the research on the airplane. 

 

The only thing that brings pause to me is that propeller. I have not carved one before and it looks like you get one shot at it or it will be ruined.  Hopefully my dremel will do the job.

 

-Steve

[Mike Dowling]

Steve, it is a great kit and good fun to build except as you say for the propeller ! I hadn't carved one before and made a bit of a mess of it. What I suggest you do is get hold of a cheap plastic one and use it as a visual guide. The sopwith has a peculiar shape to it anyway but a visual guide will help you.

[GameEngineer]

Thanks Mike! I have a couple of RC airplane wooden props laying around so I will use one of those.

I haven't started yet but I do have the kit now.  Actually my wife insisted she wrap it up for Christmas so I won't be starting it until after then! Puh! 

Anyway I am one of those planners where I like to think ahead when building a scale model. I typically build scale WWII tank plastic models 1:35 scale size.   How do you typically weather the wood so that it looks aged?  The wood in the kit looks too new and clean!

[Mike Dowling]

Good thing to think ahead  - especially with one of these kits and you will find you need to use the instruction book and plans together all the time. The Sopwith to my mind had the best instructions of all the model airways planes. I am building their version of the Cutiss Jenny at the moment and it is proving to be a real brain teaser !!

As for weathering the wood, I didn't bother. By the time it has been handled, cut, glued etc etc it kind of ages itself !! I also gave a couple of coats of varnish in the end and now my Sopwith has been finished for a while the wood has 'calmed down' quite a lot.

I'll bet you can't wait for Christmas !!

[GameEngineer]

6 hours ago, Mike Dowling said:

Good thing to think ahead  - especially with one of these kits and you will find you need to use the instruction book and plans together all the time. The Sopwith to my mind had the best instructions of all the model airways planes. I am building their version of the Cutiss Jenny at the moment and it is proving to be a real brain teaser !!

That's good to know about that kit.  I am looking at that one as maybe my next build if I don't start my German StuG IV first.  Either that kit or the Nieuport 28.  Maybe if I hang around here long enough I"ll do a ship! (never done one yet)  I like the detail of the Model Airways kits. The Guillows kits are cheaper but also less detailed. One would have to use a lot of aftermarket parts to get it to scale.  Fortunately or unfortunately I'm a "rivot counter" as they say in the scale modeling arena so extreme detail is important to me. I will most likely try to add more detail in this build as I can find during research.

 

Quote

As for weathering the wood, I didn't bother. By the time it has been handled, cut, glued etc etc it kind of ages itself !! I also gave a couple of coats of varnish in the end and now my Sopwith has been finished for a while the wood has 'calmed down' quite a lot.

Ok I'll watch for that. I was definitely planning on airbrushing varnish over the model. 
 

Quote

I'll bet you can't wait for Christmas !! 

Exactly! Its killing me. 

 

Sorry, jablackwell, I feel like I hijacked your thread.

Edited December 11, 2018 by GameEngineer

[Mike Dowling]

I am at a bit of a loss with this log. It definitely is mine but not coming up complete here. I checked this morning and found the whole log right up to finishing the plane so I don't think you are pinching John B's.

 

I am still trying to find a model airways Nieuport at a decent price, I want to make the whole set !

[Mike Dowling]

Oops, sorry John, it is yours not mine.

[Spiff]

This looks great. I have just ordered this same model. Will be a while before I start working on it because I want to finish my current build which has taken me years and years to finish.

[CrazyAboutPlanes]

Hey John, did u finish it?

It is a great build so far, personally I love building model planes. But when I do it has to be a WW1 fighter aircraft. Ilove WW1 aviation planes especially the Sopwith Camel. Please send me a pic when finished. THX

Blake 

[rayschilke]

On 10/8/2017 at 1:43 PM, jablackwell said:

All,

 

Here is the completed build, sans diorama for now. I'm now in the middle of cleaning out the workspace, ordering new drill bits (and other tools) and getting ready to sink my teeth into building the Syren. I think I am ready for a ship, haven gotten the plane out of my system.  

 

~john

Thank you sir for having this build log on here. I just got my kit and I will be referring to your pics and words throughout the build. Nice to know that 3 years later you are still helping a fellow modeler. Wonderful job and beautiful work. Thank you for taking the time to record and document your build.

Thanks very much,

Ray

[Mike Dowling]

Lovely build, you made a much better job of the propeller than I did! Well done indeed.

[jablackwell]

Ray - happy tp help out. Enjoy the build! It's a good one, and the results are great to look at. Be sure to see Mike Dowling's build here, too. He also did the Fokker Dr1

~john

[Mike Dowling]

Oops, sorry John I have done it again!! It was my propeller that was rubbish, not yours.

[rayschilke]

55 minutes ago, Mike Dowling said:

Oops, sorry John I have done it again!! It was my propeller that was rubbish, not yours.

I am using your build log too to help me along. To be clear both props look great. Which do you recommend I model after Mike?

Than ks,
Ray

[Mike Dowling]

Do you mean which propeller in which case definitely John's. Or do you mean which plane to do next?

[rayschilke]

19 minutes ago, Mike Dowling said:

Do you mean which propeller in which case definitely John's. Or do you mean which plane to do next?

I did mean the prop BUT I am thinking of the hasagawa sopwith next. I have already built the MODEL AIRWAYS ALBATROS D. VA and it was a great build. I did that one about 15 years ago after going to get it in Fort Lauderdale at the Model Expo shop. I do have a 1/8 scale Rolls Royce Pocher Sedanca I got from them in the 1990s that I could start next but they are getting to be very scarce and collectable so I may go to another plane. I am not picky with what I model   

[Mike Dowling]

I didn't do the hasegawa sopwith because I am not keen on all the plastic parts. If money is no object try the Curtiss Jenny. Not cheap but if you like rigging it is definitely for you!

[rayschilke]

On 10/17/2017 at 7:29 AM, jablackwell said:

Hi Mike,

 

I started by gluing the layers altogether being careful to get glue on every square millimeter of the surface before bonding. A couple of days later, I unclamped the layers and then shaped the side view first, tapering evenly to the tips.  I started that using a sharp pocket knife, then ended up with rough sand paper. I then worked on the front/back views of the prop. It might help to take a pencil and sketch in the shape near the central hub. Go slowly with this part. I used an XActo blade (11) and then medium sand paper until I was close.  The whole thing was then finely sanded and stained/varnished. 

 

If you've not made one before I suggest getting a block of balsa or other carve-able wood and giving it a whirl.... mistakes are easy with the prop. Look at lots of pics online for the Sopwith prop.

 

~john 

John between you and Mike Dowling I have gotten to this point thus far. I ended up using gap filling CA on the motor parts and it has seemed to work nicely. I did do a black wash on the engine to take away some of the "brightness" of the metal. 

 

Best regards,

Ray

[recain]

John:

I enjoyed following your construction of the Sopwith Camel.  I also built one and it was a challenge for my 84 year-old fingers and eyes.  But I got through it pretty well.  160 hours of work.  I just wasn't able to hook up the control cables to the stick and rudder pedals  but it doesn't show.

I grew up in Salem (NH) and got a Civil Engineering degree at UNH and moved west.  Worked for the City of San Diego for 40 years and retired in 1999.  Never missed the New Hampshire winters!  Over the years I have returned in Octobers to enjoy the beautiful foliage.

Regards,

Bob Cain

[Mike Dowling]

A very nice piece of work, well done.