Model Airways Sopwith Camel 1/16 scale [COMPLETED BUILD]

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Dean62 said:
I added the tail skid…it has rigging! :p
They used a bungee cord which acted like a shock absorber.
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Then I decided to try to make something decent out of the provided seat. First I cleaned it up and glued it to the seat bottom and painted the bottom.
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There was a big gap and no supports…sigh! So I added the vertical supports that cross …
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As you can see I also decided to make a seat cushion, which was standard. But I also decided to make a upper cushion that goes on the bulkhead behind the seat. I have seen this added on the real airplane.
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Then I painted the seat and cushions…
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Then they were installed in the fuselage…
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As she sits now with current progress…



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A beautifully crafted seat, that's certain, but whether that seat was comfortable in real life...
 
In action, aircraft like these would have been back on the ground more often than not within 15 to 20 minutes.
I would imagine the pilot would be far too busy to give much thought to what he was sitting on.
 
RDN1954 said:
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A beautifully crafted seat, that's certain, but whether that seat was comfortable in real life...
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Thank you!
They didn’t get many comforts in the old planes! They flew at altitudes where the air was -40 degrees, with nothing but a big coat, gloves and boots! The only wind protection was a tiny screen and googles. And they had that skin cap…lol. ;)
True pioneers of military aviation!
And the wicker seat in addition to the cushion on top, was most likely more comfortable than you think! Kind of like outdoor furniture today! :p
 
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I realized the kit has no provision or thought for a seat belt. So…
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After some research, fabrication began!
Now for installation…there was a rope that went from the belt and was anchored around the seat support and gas tank support…
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And finally I can start thinking about closing this fuselage up with tension wires!
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One side is done, then the other side is next, and finally the bottom!
I may wait on the bottom tension wires, until I install the empannage assembly and run all of the control lines to the flaps, rudder and tail skid. The instructions say to install prior. But I think they will get in the way?
 
pugwash said:
In action, aircraft like these would have been back on the ground more often than not within 15 to 20 minutes.
I would imagine the pilot would be far too busy to give much thought to what he was sitting on.
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Actually they had 2 hrs of fuel and oil, and from what I have read, they sometimes lost track of time and had to try to get back over enemy lines so they could do an emergency landing in a field somewhere safe! How do you lose track of time you say, easy…get in a dog fight!
I think with the cushion and the fact it is a wicker type seat, which is not hard like a piece of wood, that it was plenty comfortable enough for the 2 hour max flight! ;)
 
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Stage 7: Empennage Installation & Cabling

After all that work on the fuselage, the empannage assembly is finally ready to be installed! So that is done!
Now…I have to add the tension wires for the empannage assembly…and then…all of the control cables! Four in total. This will be tedious and time consuming…but that’s model building! ;)

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Stargazer said:
Beautiful Dean! Really like the seat mods - looks so much better than what they give you! Cowl and fairing really show their beauty now too! Just awesome!
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Thank you Lou! I appreciate it! ;)
After test fitting the printed pieces, it looks like I will print them one last time with final adjustments! Then painting one last time…sigh!
 
Today I added the tension wires to the empennage assembly, including turnbuckles and cable crimps. Amazing how much time you can spend on about 8 wires…lol.
Anyway, it is now time to run the control cables to the rudder, elevator and tail skid.
After that I can finally put on the lower wing and landing gear!!! Excited to get to that point! ;)

Pics…
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Dean62 said:
Today I added the tension wires to the empennage assembly, including turnbuckles and cable crimps. Amazing how much time you can spend on about 8 wires…lol.
Anyway, it is now time to run the control cables to the rudder, elevator and tail skid.
After that I can finally put on the lower wing and landing gear!!! Excited to get to that point! ;)

Pics…
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You now get a good idea of how the entire construction gets its strength with all those tension cables. And thanks to your report on how it is built up.
 
Namabiiru said:
Looks like a nice, tidy work area, but with a voracious carpet monster. o_O
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A hungry carpet monster! But I have found a way to beat it! We have a Miele vacuum cleaner, and it has an access door to the bag. So if I lose a part, which happens frequently, then I take the bag out of the vacuum cleaner and vacuum until I hear a part go into the vacuum. Then I shut if off and open the access door and get my part out! ;)
 
Simply stunning work Dean. To me the seatbelt looks slightly on the wide side for the seat, but what do I know? In any case, that does not detract one iota from a marvelous build!

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I do, however, feel sorry for the NL in the corner - you can always send her to Nantong! Just joking - my Haarlem is also stashed away on the floor in the spare room!
 
Heinrich said:
Simply stunning work Dean. To me the seatbelt looks slightly on the wide side for the seat, but what do I know? In any case, that does not detract one iota from a marvelous build!

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I do, however, feel sorry for the NL in the corner - you can always send her to Nantong! Just joking - my Haarlem is also stashed away on the floor in the spare room!
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The seat belt is actually correct. I will see if I can find a few photos...see below....

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