Another Short 184 from Aeroclub

[jamo]

Greetings fellow Forumites

I enjoyed making Aeroclub’s Short 184 kit so much that I have decided to do another one, a later version with bomb rack and Scarf MG mounting, finished in PC12. Here are some progress pics. I decided to open up the engine compartment and scratch build a Sunbeam Maori engine. Reference pics for the engine a hard to find but after doing a Google ‘image’ search I found this great website:

http://www.enginehistory.org/hendon_&_duxford.htm

The engine called the Sunbeam Coatalen Mk2 looks a lot like a Sunbeam Maori (could it be just a different name for the same engine?). There are also some pics there of other WWI engines – check out the Isotta Frascini, Rolls-Royce Eagle IX and Hispano-Suiza V8. Another useful reference is in Jane’s Fighting Aircraft of World War I which has a picture of a Maori 4 airship engine – not quite the same but very similar configuration.

I decided to detail the observers compartment with three Lewis magazines from the Roden Bristol F2B and I scratch built a folding plywood observers seat which is just visible in the Datafile in picture #89. Also visible in that picture is a plywood reinforcing panel on the right-hand side of the observers compartment where the generator was fitted on a swing-arm. So I had a go at making that panel as well, with lots of holes cut out in a regular pattern which was surprisingly difficult to do.

The cockpit was detailed with instrument gauge decals from Mike Grant Decals and instrument bezels from Fotocut. I fitted a fuel tank which is slightly visible behind the instrument panel and also a rudder bar. Seat belts are from Eduard’s PE set.

There is a range of white metal figures by Monty’s Model Railways in the UK which are really great for Navy officers. These figures are OO gauge which is about 20mm so works OK for 1/72 scale. Have a look here:

http://www.dartcastings.co.uk/

Railway uniforms could be painted up to look like navy uniforms, and I suspect they would look OK for other nationalities as well. Imagine a diorama with a Lohner/Albatros W4/Macchi etc. Monty’s Model railways do civilian figures that would also be good. The manufacturer does take credit cards but I found another UK supplier that sells the figures:

http://www.mainlytrains.co.uk/acatalog/index.html

Since I built my first Short 184 Neil Pinchbeck has written an interesting build article for the Nov 2005 issue of Scale Aviation Modeller International, which includes some excellent interior photos of the last surviving 184 at the Fleet Air Arm Museum. Worth getting hold of.

I will post some more pics when I make more progress.

[jamo]

Scratch built with brass rod, copper wire for the 24 spark plug wires, plastic scrap etc.

[jamo]

Great for naval officers!

[Ross_Moorhouse]

Up to your surperb standards mate. The figures look very intresting too.

[NeilE]

Nice work James. Keep us posted on your progress.

Cheers

Neil

[Old Man]

That is excellent work! I look forward to seeing your progress.

[John Masters]

Lovely engine and cockpit work. I also think that you're spot on with those figures. That company is a great resource for diorama stuff!

From the Factory on the hill,
John

[jamo]

Progress is slow, the temptation to keep reworking bits until they are ‘perfect’ is a constant battle. Here are some update pics showing the engine installed, the bombs and the seat.

As far as I know the only 100 lb bombs available in 1/72 are the four included in the Airfix DH4 kit. They only bear a passing resemblance to the real bombs but I thought it would be easier to modify them rather than scratchbuild. The photo shows my four new bombs with one of the originals from the kit. The changes I made include:

• Round off the front of bombs as the originals are too pointed. I fitted a new tip when this was done.
• Sand off the bomb mounting as it is completely incorrect. The bombs should be mounted with the fins in an X shape not a + shape.
• Remove the circular bomb struts. I replaced these with narrow strips of brass strip on three sides only. The fourth side has no struts so as not to get in the way of the bomb rack (it faces upwards).
• Shortened the bomb fins.

As far as bomb colours go I found some pictures over at the WWI Modellers site which showed a creamy desert sand colour, with a green stripe around the middle and a red ring around the nose. I used some green decal from the spares box but I though the red circle would be easier to do by hand painting (still some touching up to go). I think my bombs look like a cross between 100 lb and 112 lb bombs but I am happy with them.

http://www.wwi-models.org/Photos/Var...rit/index.html

The seat is the white metal item from the kit with holes drilled through it. On the original I presume this was to save weight. After looking through the excellent photos of the Short 184 in the fleet air museum (Scale Aviation Modeller International in Nov 05), I decided to make a couple more minor changes – filing down the seat back and adding a leather backrest. The seatbelts are from the Eduard RFC seatbelt set.

The wood framing in the nose is the plastic left over after cutting away the rest of the nose. Note that the longerons slope downwards from just in front of the centre section struts down to about level with the prop. I painted the longerons a pale sand colour (Humbrol), then when this was completely dry I painted over with artists oils ‘burnt umber’ and then wiped most of it off with a clean paint brush. It is still a little bright for my taste so I will probably give it a grey wash. I have painted the floats using the same technique (my first time!) and will post some more pics of these shortly.

If anyone has any constructive criticisms I am happy to take these on board!
Cheers
James

[jamo]

Seeing as I have already built a Short 184 I wanted this one to be as different as possible. I am using the alternative wingtip floats fitted to some later 184s. It isn’t clear what they were constructed from but the smooth rounded shape compared to the more common cylindrical hooped balloon floats suggests to me they made of metal. I haven’t seen any colour profiles of this type but I figure Battleship Grey is logical. The alternative kit floats are not the right shape – still too cylindrical. I glued a strip of styrene around the float then sanded it into the new shape you can see in the pic below.

As my earlier 184 was modelled in the water, this one will be on a beaching trolley. Although the kit doesn’t include a beaching trolley it does have two white metal wheels for one. I don’t think they look much like the wheels you can see in photographs so I thought I would have a go at making a new pair using some wide brass tube and some 1/48 photoetched spoked wheels from Fotocut. I cut away every second spoke and then removed the rim. Next step is to fold the last couple of mm at right angles to glue to the brass ring. Careful measurement is important here – anything cut too short and you’re stuffed.

Now painting the undersurfaces and decalling the wing ribs (these stand out clearly in photos as dark lines). I recommend finishing the undersides completely before attaching the floats - I did this the wrong way round last time and it is much harder when the floats are on.

Happy Modelling!

[Rowan Broadbent]

I did'nt know that John Adams had gone into 1/32!

Great work, indeed!