Africa - 1923 WIP w/Pics

[JoeRugby]

Winter Camp
Okavango Delta
Bechuanaland
Union of South Africa

Robert Crary- formerly Sgt. Robert Crary of the 16th (Irish) Division- took another long pull on the whiskey his last client had left as a thank you for taking down the lion before it took him down...some days are better than others.

When the war finally ended in Europe there was no way Crary could go home to Lienster again.  From the Somme to that day in November of '18 had been too much to go back to the rain and coal fire smoke of home.  Africa, that is where you can make some money, he was told.  But money was not it, it was something else.

He had tried the sea, on the steamer run to the US, bad weather, bad food and the confines of the ship were worse than the trenches in many ways!  In Natal he tried his hand at ranching.  It was here that he realized he was good at one thing...pulling a trigger.  That with what seemed a divinely ordained knack for getting out of tough spots.

One can not live in the bush of Southern Africa for long without realizing that Mother Nature doesn't give a tinker's dam if man has circled the globe or learned to fly, you are still an entree for one of her many minions.

So hunting would be the ticket.  And it was.  Starting slowly at first with Mr. Van Den Bosch, the old Afrikanner guide who gave him the start.  Crary learned fast and grew exponentially in his ability.  When the Boss met a disagreeable Cape Buffalo in '21 he took over his book of clients. 

Some good, others not so good. Happily, all of them went home with all of thier important bits still attached if not something to hang on the wall that would give the kiddies nightmares, or at least should if they knew how close Father or Uncle came to being a greasy smear on the African landscape!

It was one hunt that gave him headaches or at least a fleeting idea of stringing up a red buck carcas over thier tent in hopes that Laughing Boy (hyena) would end this hunt sooner than later.  They were a rather glamourous pair from Kennsington...pompus English public school, Oxford wankers {Crary often wondered at how his business would do if his clients knew thier guide was Irish and heavily armed, most if not all of his clients were English Tory types.}...complaining about not seeing any game one moment then complaining about not seeing enough trophy game.

Then he remembered the trenches (those memories never left, they just lurked around the corner) and the spotter airplanes!

On his next trip into Ghanzi he ran into Jack Matfield.  Another vet, big strapping Afrikanner...hard as nails.  Jack was a the man to get you anything you wanted.  Crary wanted an airplane.  Jack got it to him...an old Sopwith Strutter.  After a few near misses with some half crazed pilot he was a flier.

Working on the Okavango Delta necessitated floats.  After scrounging the necessary bits and some of Jack's help (case of Scotch here some ivory there) Crary was an engineer!  Early morning spotting trips or even taking up the wife of the hunter or the hunter himself, gave Crary that extra edge. A quick splash of some paint and the Okavango Safari Company, Ltd. was headed to new heights! Literally.

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Greetings gents!

I am embarking on my second WIF and have always been amazed at the back ground stories you blokes put together!  The above is my first go at it.  Suggestions would be appreciated.

Now for the build...

1/72 Toko Sopwith Strutter with floats scavenged from "I can't remember".  It is the Comic one seat version which I plan to open back up into a two-seater.  The paint job should be sufficiently guady and weatherd to look like something living in the bush.

Pics up soon...

Any suggestions would be sincerely appreciated.

PS  My apologies to Mr. Howling Mouse.  I do not mean to swoop your chopper build or undeservedly ride on your coat tails with the Game Preserve idea.

[pyro-manic]

Sounds cool to me! Lets see some pictures!

For an interseting twist, how about mounting a gun on a ring mount in the back seat. But instead of a machine gun, put an elephant gun or similar high-powered hunting rifle on there instead, for airborne sniping.

[PR19_Kit]

For an interseting twist, how about mounting a gun on a ring mount in the back seat. But instead of a machine gun, put an elephant gun or similar high-powered hunting rifle on there instead, for airborne sniping.

Something terribly British old boy, like a Rigby 0.404 perhaps? Just the job for pot-shotting the odd bit of game, what? The only problem may be the recoil might rip the tail off that Sopwith when you fired it! 

[JayBee]

Zebra stripes deffinately.
Possibly with a Sharkmouth, OOPS! LION mouth.

JayBee

[JoeRugby]

For an interseting twist, how about mounting a gun on a ring mount in the back seat. But instead of a machine gun, put an elephant gun or similar high-powered hunting rifle on there instead, for airborne sniping.

Something terribly British old boy, like a Rigby 0.404 perhaps? Just the job for pot-shotting the odd bit of game, what? The only problem may be the recoil might rip the tail off that Sopwith when you fired it! 

Hmmmmm...I was thinking along the lines of .416 Rigby actually...or even the chambered .577...KABOOOOM!!!!!

[lancer]

For an interseting twist, how about mounting a gun on a ring mount in the back seat. But instead of a machine gun, put an elephant gun or similar high-powered hunting rifle on there instead, for airborne sniping.

Something terribly British old boy, like a Rigby 0.404 perhaps? Just the job for pot-shotting the odd bit of game, what? The only problem may be the recoil might rip the tail off that Sopwith when you fired it! 

Hmmmmm...I was thinking along the lines of .416 Rigby actually...or even the chambered .577...KABOOOOM!!!!!

Wouldn't a Rigby .577 stop the sopwith in it's tracks???

[JoeRugby]

I have done my share of shooting, the heaviest shoulder weapon being the .458 Win. Mag...ouch.  The .577 would not stop the Sopwith, just probably cause the ribbing and spars to crack or the ring mount to look like a pretzel.

[PR19_Kit]

I once fired a 5 round mag from a Rigby 0.404 on the Century Range at Bisley. The owner of the rifle was an ex-Major in the East African Rifles, or similar, and had seen me oggling this monster weapon in the Club display case.

Only having fired a Lee-Emfield No. 4 0.303 up to then, the Rigby physically moved me back on the mat every time I fired! My shoulder showed the bruises for well over a month but I did hit the target 4 times out of 5, the fifth round is probably still in orbit........ 

[sotoolslinger]

Well ,coolness factor aside many early African game hunters were happy with lighter calibers like the .275 Rigby (7mm Mauser ) and 6.5 x 54 MS which have considerably better ranging capabilities than the big heavies. Of course the sporterized SMLE was also a big player and that 10 round mag would make a lot of sense as an aircraft mounted game sniper.

[sotoolslinger]

Also keep in mind that the Mausers were the first rifles to have really nice scopes and mounts

[JoeRugby]

Thanks gents!

Enough of the literature now on to the building...

Here is the upper wing, blue tack mask still being taken off in spots.  LOTS of touch up to do!  First go at a Zebra stripe.



And the floats, one complete and the other in process...

[pyro-manic]

Oooooooohhh....

This is going to be good.

[JoeRugby]

Thanks...I am not at all satisfied with the stripes so they are going to be stripped and redone.  The floats are all finished and now the work on the framework supports begins...ugh.

[JoeRugby]

I kinda liked the rough look, it has a native kind of feel to it.  Kinda helps draw in the tourists

Rough is one thing, ugh! is another...

Here is the upper wing redone.



lower wing and fuse are joined.  The new pit has been added.



Here is the inspiration for the stripes

[Brian da Basher]

Your paintwork on that upper wing is outstanding, Joe! I'm really looking forward to seeing more!

Brian da Basher