WW-I Aircraft for Whiffery.

NARSES2 · July 15, 2006, 02:04:36 AM

Just a heads up, but if any of you have acces to "Cross & Cockade International" then check out the latest issue Vol 37 No 2.

Amazing photo's and colour plate for a US Nieuport 27 which is covered in reptile scales with a dragon's mouth, another in an abstract geometric scheme.

Colourful Brit Camels - one with a dragon and a bird killing a snake on the fusalage, one with a snake, sand dunes and palm tress covering the fusalage and another with a fusalage covered in what looks like nursery wallpaper. Stars, moons with faces, suns as well as the sunbirsts etc

Why unless you only have access to speacilist mags do we only ever see German WWI "Heraldry" ?

Finaly a real scheme which involved taking a Martinside to the Dead Sea in 1918 and converting it into a torpedo carrying hydro-plane to attack Turkish shipping.! They took the wings off and used it like that

Lovely photo of one of the floats being used as a canoe latter on

Rad if you havn't access to it I'll bring it along to Coventry

Chris

Radish · July 15, 2006, 04:55:42 AM

Not seen it Chris. Sounds good.
There were some terrific Allied schemes....especially training units...checked aircraft, etc..
But some pilots had glorious designs too for combat, and they're just not widely documented.
Snakes would look good on a Camel.
Have you seen the Bristol Fighter released by Eduard in Brisfish markings? Expensive but popular and very attractive.
Dragons are GOOD

The Rat · July 15, 2006, 07:27:11 AM

QuoteAmazing photo's and colour plate for a US Nieuport 27 which is covered in reptile scales with a dragon's mouth, another in an abstract geometric scheme.

Colourful Brit Camels - one with a dragon and a bird killing a snake on the fusalage, one with a snake, sand dunes and palm tress covering the fusalage and another with a fusalage covered in what looks like nursery wallpaper. Stars, moons with faces, suns as well as the sunbirsts etc

Lovely stuff I'm sure, I'll check their web site later and see if any are on there.

There were certainly some great schemes on WWI aircraft, and I think there are two major reasons why people don't model them more. First is the speed and sleekness factor, many aren't interested in an aircraft unless it travelled at least 300mph, preferably Mach 2, and looked like it could do it too.

The second is Advanced Modeling Syndrome, they won't tackle something that requires rigging because they are worried about it. Okay, then either learn or leave the rigging off! I have promised myself that I will one day do more biplanes, and if the thought of rigging daunts me then I'll go ahead anyway, and maybe add some later.

Pass the glue bottle, will ya? ^_^

P1127 · July 15, 2006, 04:29:29 PM

Classic example is th Alcock Mouse - Alcock (later of transatlantic Vimy fame) took the wings from a Pup and the fuselage from a Sopwith Triplane, added some extra bits and createsd a one off fighter

The Rat · July 15, 2006, 05:00:10 PM

QuoteClassic example is th Alcock Mouse - Alcock (later of transatlantic Vimy fame) took the wings from a Pup and the fuselage from a Sopwith Triplane, added some extra bits and createsd a one off fighter

Crikey! Any pics? That's do-able.

NARSES2 · July 16, 2006, 12:52:38 AM

QuoteClassic example is th Alcock Mouse - Alcock (later of transatlantic Vimy fame) took the wings from a Pup and the fuselage from a Sopwith Triplane, added some extra bits and createsd a one off fighter

There's an example of that in the Middle East as well - I think the starting point was a Bristol Mononplane Scout ? Don't think they allow that type of thing in the "modern" RAF

Chris

The Rat · July 16, 2006, 05:21:53 AM

I've located some folks on the net who have info on the Alcock Mouse, if my e-mail to them is successful it might garner some pics. They mention that there is a 3-view in a book called "Warplanes of the 1st World War" volume 1, by J. M. Bruce. Anybody got a copy?

Does anyone kit a Tripe these days?

P1127 · July 16, 2006, 07:33:29 AM

Gimme two minutes - I have every pic of the Mouse in existence, along with two sets of plans - both of which are wrong!!

PS - lower wing was from a Triplane but mounted beneath the fuselage

The Rat · July 16, 2006, 07:58:05 AM

QuoteI have every pic of the Mouse in existence,...

What? All 3 of 'em?!

P1127 · July 16, 2006, 08:03:02 AM

Them's the ones!

Click the thumbnails

BTW, you emailed me!

NARSES2 · July 17, 2006, 04:16:46 AM

QuoteI've located some folks on the net who have info on the Alcock Mouse, if my e-mail to them is successful it might garner some pics. They mention that there is a 3-view in a book called "Warplanes of the 1st World War" volume 1, by J. M. Bruce. Anybody got a copy?

Does anyone kit a Tripe these days?

There's this one in 1/48 and 2 in 1/144 resin

. Otherwise track down the old Revell kit or wait for Roden ?

Chris

Triplane

Daryl J. · June 14, 2008, 10:12:05 PM

Using the Eduard 1/48 Pfalz D.III kit, the following impossiblity should be cogent enough to work well and perhaps even cause an observer at an IPMS meet to get on a soapbox and pontificate the impossibilities of and idiocy thereof.

Sand down the fabric detail on the wings. Feather in a layered look with sheet styrene of 3-4 layers in the aft half of the wings to replicate aluminum sheet cobbled together, the same for the ailerons. Scab on some cockpit armor. Take some Tamiya masking tape and run an even whorl down the aft half of the fuselage and spray heavily with Mr. Surfacer 500 to create a spiral pattern over which a finish can be applied. The same 'shingle over shingle' laminated look to the vertical tail as well. Hang some brass carriage lanterns (electric of course) under the wings outside the metal prop's arc. Carbon fiber interplane struts of course along with an MFD in the cockpit, but the seat is wicker. Due to the metal structure of the wing, most rigging is eliminated yet some remains. Radiator on wing is double thickness and the pipes leading to it have several pressure couplings along the tubing. Engine gets ram air and a tuned exhaust.

The finish is matte aluminum wherever metal surfaces are and light maple for the woodwork and is woodgrained to match the spiraling of the rear fuselage.

Tail skid carbon fibre, wheel struts aluminum.

No markings.

The pilot figure standing next to it is in uniform of the era but is distracted by talking on his cell phone. Steam powered fuel bowser supports the aircraft but the fuel is some of Kentucky's best Triple Distilled.

Eduard's Albatros W.4 and D.V could match and be a set of triplets.

,
Daryl J.

[EDIT] The metal work on the wings would be like a toned down version of the laminated bare metal on the motorcycle named ThorTueuse as seen in Barnett's, March 2008.

GTX · June 14, 2008, 10:28:00 PM

I like it!

Regards,

Greg

Radish · June 15, 2008, 11:46:24 AM

Fantastic.

Great using "Brass" as a metal too

Daryl J. · June 15, 2008, 06:36:14 PM

Eduard's 1/48 Sopwith Camel in any variant:

All cloth replaced with an ultrathin metal skin. Landing gear struts metal and spread wider but with skiis rather than wheels/tires ---or should that be tyres for the British machine. Some kind of cockpit heat for the Nordic pilot. Perhaps a triple blade metal prop would be substituted. Overall near-white and Norwegian markings.

With the blocky shape, the wider stance should augment the already aggressive profile of the machine, the off white a refreshing change from the seemingly always-green Camel.

Perhaps the support machinery should be ski equipped too.

Overall, it seems this is a tough machine to whiff.

Daryl J.