Camel Documentation

[molague2]

I am wondering about starting a 1/4 sacle Sopwith Camel from Mick Reeves plans. The finishing I like more is the aluminium cowl with greenish brown fus+wing upper surfaces and cream wings under surface. In particular I like very much the one of Hendon RAF Museum. Can anybody help me about how to get a photo package and three views from that one (or any other Camel finished the same way?). I would like to present the model in F4C competition and I need that.

Miguel

[mgtaylor]

Dear Miguel

If yo wouldn't mind posting and or personly sharing your experiences with me on your build with this kit ?

I happened to have this kit on My "If I were Rich" Wish List and almost seriously order one. I gave the link to my love ones as a potential future present butthey all graoned and siad "what another Kit?!" Didnt you have any play days when you were a kid ?

Iam Particualrly interested how it goes. As a award wining plane I do however understand the Cockpit details are all scratch built ? Ie not included for instance like a Glenn Torrence Kit.

Also I am intrested in the Aluminum cowls and how they accomplish the construction of the front end ?

Mike

[gipsymoth236k]

Miguel and Mike,

This 1/3 scale (flying!) Sopwith Camel was built by the very talented Alan Yendle, of Atlanta, GA. This is what CAN be done using the Mick Reeves plans and building by SCRATCH, so use it for inspiration to build your 1/4 Mick Reeves plans/kits! It's hard to tell the model here from the full-size Camel!!! (can you tell?)

Here is a link for full-size Sopwith Camel photos:

http://www.airliners.net/search/ Just put "Sopwith Camel" in the 'Keywords' box.

Also, look here:

http://www.wwi-models.org/Photos/Bri...mel/index.html

Let me know if you would like to see more close-up photos of construction, etc.

I was lucky enough to acquire this fine 1/3 Sopwith Camel from Alan a couple of years ago.

Regards, Gary Sewall

garysewal@aol.com

[Lyle]

Gery,
I remember seeing Alan's Camel at Dayton a few years back--it was phenomenal. You're lucky to have such a model in your collection! Are you flying it?
This is also on my "to-buy" list. There's a good thread on Camels, both 1/4 and 1/3 scale over at RCSCALEBUILDER.com in the Mick Reeves section. Best of luck with your project Miguel!
Lyle

[molague2]

Hi guys,

Thank you all for your interest.

Mike,

I have not ordered the kit yet, as Lyle mentioned in the rcscalebuilder forum you can see very good models built from Mick´s Camel kits. I also know a guy here in Spain (Victor), who has built several and he told me that although their built process is not as easy as Proctor or Glenn Torrance´s ones you can built extremely good models from it. He also told me that the hardware provided by Mick is first quality. I intend to start a thread as soon as I start up building it. That will happen around February or March I guess! (first I have to finish the Piper Cub 1/3 I am building, you can see at www.rcscalebuilder.com, thread "Piper J3 underway" by molague2) . I will let you when I start the thread.

Gary,

Thank you for those lovely pictures, they are really inspiring!, I already had the ones from the real thing in Hendon (airliners) but I will check the other link. The actual problem is to get a good three views plan plus a photopackage of the same Camel, I have written to RAF Hendon museum but I did not get any reply yet, I will keep trying. Do you think it is possible to contact Alan to check if he knows where to get that?. Any way if you can post more pictures I will be very pleased.

Regards, Miguel

[gipsymoth236k]

Miguel,

Here you go! Contact with Alan Yendle should be easy at: http://www.rcscalebuilder.com/

I also have his 1/3 S.E.5a to go along with his 1/3 Sopwith Camel. Both are fantastic to behold!

Enjoy!

Regards, Gary Sewall

PS - That's Alan in the first photo. No, I DON'T fly these two models (yet!).

[gipsymoth236k]

Here is Alan's 1/3 S.E.5a:

Regards, Gary Sewall

[MikeW]

Do the F4C regulations accept documentation of a "Museum" Camel - as opposed to a proper period Camel?

The RAF Museum Camel is painted up in the "correct" scheme for a 65 Squadron Camel of 1918 and given the serial number F6314. The trouble is, it isn't F6314 and even worse, F6314 didn't serve with 65 Squadron. Also the colour (groan, sorry) has far too much green in it (in my opinion for what that's worth ). Typical museum cock-up really.

I built one from the Mick Reeves plans many years ago and can confirm it's very well designed. His hardware is superb!

How many photographic views are required by the regs? I can think of several very colourful Camels that were quite well documented in 1918.

[MikeW]

Oh yes, forgot, don't email or write, they'll never answer. Phone the buggers up, even if you are in Spain, it's the only way you'll get a quick reply.

[molague2]

Mike,

F4C rules (http://www.fai.org/aeromodelling/documents/sc4) only states that the model must be a "reproduction of a heavier than air, fixed-wing, man-carrying aircraft". As far as I know you can present models finished like an existant museum aircraft, even if as you states the museum aircraft is finished differently to the way it was at the time it was operational. In fact usually people prefers to choose museum examples because it is easier to get good documentation. Anyway your comment about Hendon´s Camel being too "greenish" has made me wonder, since I thought it was regular PC10 finish (or should it be PC12?).
Regarding the number of pictures, the requirement is three views of the subject and at least one picture of the actual aircraft being modeled. The reason why is a good idea to have more pictures is in order to facilitate accurate building and to complement the information of the three views plans you have (normally static judges appreciate you comment any deviation from the plans you are presenting with actual photos of the aircraft as evidences).

I will follow your advice and I will place a phone call to Hendon next Monday.

PD: I would appreciate if you could tell me about any other Camel I could use
as subject

Regards,

Miguel