Building a Sesquiplane....

[Radish]

OK, chaps, I've always loved the thought and look of all those biplanes, from WW1 up to WW2, but rigging can be a bind, especially when it becomes unstuck.
The solution......build them as sesquiplanes by cutting off at least half of the lower wing. That way, it just becomes a parasol-type wing (upper) with just a stubby short lower wing, and the best bit....just interplane stuts connecting the top wing to the fuselage. Easy, especially if it's an older kit and the struts are thick, ie strong.
The upperwing can be rigged too, with easy to fit wires from the wingroot of the stubby bit to somewhere in the lowersurfaces of the upperwing.
Otherwise, just build as per kit, uprate the engine and bingo, add anything you want. It'll look cool!

So far, I've done this chopping on sopwith Camels and SE5As (Revell 1/48th) but further examples in my stash are:

Gloster Gladiator (Lindberg) 1/48th
Hawker Fury (Airfix)1/48th

I shall keep my Hawks I & II and Fiat CR32s and CR42s as biplanes. Same for my Hs123s. These are all 1/48th too, but I shall be on the look out for inexpensive biplane kits in 1/48th to convert.

So far, all my sesquiplanes have been for the Crusader thread, but expect more from the '30s thread, etc..

Imagine a Finnish Gladiator sesquiplane, but with a big radial engine, say from a Tigercat or A-20? Yes, I've both in the spares box, with cowlings.
Could....nay, should be fun!!    

[Brian da Basher]

Wow that's a great idea Radish! Another tip is to use V struts bonded to the wings with CA a`la the W.W. I Nieuport. This will cut the necessary wing rigging needed from 8 wires (4 to a side) down to 6 (3 to a side).

Brian da Basher

[John Howling Mouse]

Nice idea but trust me: anything with more than one wing is inherently EVIL.
I know: I'm working on such an atrocity right now!    

[Radish]

And your vacform thingy looks great.....if only I had half the patience that others have......

but it pays to be different, babies, so lots of sesquiplanes are ROCKING

Bright colours too.....

How about Tigers, Pink Tigers, fractacl SesquE5A , pink/yellow, red/white/black, Blood Red  

More to follow....not done blue variations yet!

And then there's the RAF in the '30s  

[Brian da Basher]

Radish I swear you're psychic. You start a thread about sesquiplanes and I just finished doing something horrible to a Fiat CR-42 Falco. At least I didn't mess with the sesquiplane layout nor the Warren interplane struts.

Brian da Basher

[Radish]

Wait till you see my Pink Tigers Sesqui-Camel....awesome! Pink/Black fuselage, white wings.

And my Tigers (just ordinary yellow and black) SesquE5A

The "fractal camo" SesquE5A has an aft fuselage in Scorpion Green (a sort of bright lime green!!) and Magenta with bright yellow and pink spots. The camo overlaps onto the forward fuselage which is white with a magenta engine front.

Go bright.....give viewers a migraine!!  

[John Howling Mouse]

Radish, any chance that one of your charming daughters can take some pics of Daddy's models anytime soon...?

C'mon, man, you're KEELLING me!!  I want to see the preetty parasols and the preetty peectures!!

[Radish]

Should be able to arrange photographs soon....youngest is on holiday for a week before uni, so fingers crossed.

Just imagine...pretty, bright colours, rigging......  

[Aircav]

Could always add bigger struts as on the Henchel Hs123    

[Radish]

True, true, but butchery is easier.  

[Radish]

Current Sesquis= 3 x Teutonic Knights, each having a different Order Insignia variation...(ie, why standardise decals? Go for variety, and Black Crosses look good on anything)

2 x Templars...Blue outline, white circle with solid red cross.

One Inquisition.....probably Gold or Silver insignia....needs finishing tomorrow at Avon Show.

All have "heraldic" insignia too except the Pink tigers from the Teutonic Knights.