Curtis Loon - Pre War RAN - Finished pictures page 3

[zenrat]

Thanks blokes.
In the words of Dexter Morgan "Done!"

Curtis SOC-2a Loon.  Royal Australian Navy HMAS Australia 1936

When in 1924, under the Washington Naval Treaty the British Empire was required to make a reduction in Capital Ships the Lords of the Admiralty in their wisdom ordered that the flagship of the Royal Australian Navy, the Indefatigable class battlecruiser HMAS Australia be scrapped.
Curtiss SOC-2a Loon 5 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
Understandably not happy with scuttling her the RAN decommissioned the Australia, rechristened her the SS Footscray and took her to Melbournes's Williamstown Dockyards for extensive, and (publicly at least) non-specific, "civilian upgrades and refitting".
In 1931 she was re-commissioned under her original name as the first (and as it turned out only) example of a Continent class Aircraft Carrier and the world's military press expressed surprise - unlike those living in Melbourne's Western Suburbs who had been watching her take shape over the previous seven years not believing for a moment that she was being turned into a floating Test Match venue.
Curtiss SOC-2a Loon 4 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
Upon commissioning, the strike component of the Australia's air wing consisted of Blackburn Ripon torpedo bombers.  By 1935 these were obsolete and following negotiations with various manufacturers and governments the Curtis SOC-2a Loon was selected to replace them.
The Loon was an Australianised Curtis Seagull; the name being changed due to the RAN having already operated the Supermarine Seagull III seaplane.  RAN officials, not being ornithologists asked Curtis for the name of another North American seabird and accepted the second suggestion they were given (Booby being deemed unsuitable).
Curtiss SOC-2a Loon 7 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
Loons were shipped to Melbourne in CKD (Complete Knocked Down) form for assembly in Dandenong at what was later to become the General Motors Holden site.  The SOC-2a differed from the SOC-2 by being fitted with torpedo shackles, strengthened lengthened undercarriage & arrestor hook and a three (metal) bladed variable pitch propeller with spinner.
Curtiss SOC-2a Loon 8 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
As delivered no offensive guns were fitted (in keeping with the Seagull's original purpose as a scout rather than a fighting aircraft) although some aircraft were modified to carry forward firing machine guns synchronised to fire through the propeller.

The Model
1/72 Hasegawa Curtiss SOC-3.
Undercarriage built from scratch, parts box struts and Matchbox Wessex wheels.
Airfix new mould FW 190 A8 tail wheel.
Airfix old mould Beaufighter torpedo.
Academy Ju 87 G propellor & spinner.
Decals a mix of Airfix new mould Swordfish and very old Allmark.
Rigged with Eziline.
Curtiss SOC-2a Loon 1 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
Curtiss SOC-2a Loon 2 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

[Librarian]

That's a lovely little plane...good job on bringing her in on time. Your paintwork, as always, is faultless:thumbsup:.

[Old Wombat]

That is a really good looking little bird!

It looks slightly odd (although nowhere near as odd as some of the real between-the-wars aircraft) but really feasible.

[zenrat]

Thanks guys.
Proportionally it is a bit odd.  Short in the ar5e, long in the nose.  I'm glad I didn't fit the Double Wasp as that would have mwde it even nosier.
My wheels may be a bit further back than the correct ones but Hasegawa didn't see fit to supply both float and wheels so I had to improvise.
I was going to give it whitewall tyres but I didn't have time to mask the wheels.
Hook is off of an Airfix Firefly BtW and the winged seahorse decals are from an ARK Dewoitine.

[Captain Canada]

Love the colours, and the stance ! The rigging looks excellent as well. Any tips on that gladly accepted !

[NARSES2]

That's come out really, really well 

[zenrat]

Thanks folks.

Rigging?  Plan your build around it.  Don't attach the upper wing until right at the end and fix your (elastic) rigging lines to it before you glue it on.
On this one I had the outboard struts glued to the lower wing before I painted it which meant I could rig from the top of them to the inboard part of the lower wing before I put the upper wing on.
Don't forget to drill holes into which to glue the rigging before you paint and if necessary before you glue things together.
And the most important thing - pick a biplane with really simple rigging (like this one) or simplify it yourself.  After all, it's a whiff with unobtanium spars and so needs less wires to hold it together.