1/72 Eastern Express Sopwith 1 1/1 Stutter

[Red Ruffensore]

It's done, fini, throw away the box! I'm done too. Anyone really want some karma, rig a DeHavilland or Sopwith!

There are 30 pieces of invisible thread here, inserted or attached to 60 holes or posts. Some have ask why I say building a biplane is a physical exercise, try it. Your body will ache in more places than you ever dreamed from the Japanese body arrangement one has to do to get to certain places for the thread and small parts.

Today, out of the 30 threads attached, I bet I lost 12 to 15. Three broke (one twice) after I had them attached and cut. I had to build two new rigging eyelets. But I persevered, I hung in there, I fought the bear and I clawed the bear more than the bear clawed me. I cussed (loudly), sure the neighbors heard me once.

This Sopwith Strutter represents a Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter of No. 3 Wing, RNAS It was delivered to No. 3 Wing in May 1916 and assigned to FSL Raymond Collishaw. On November 10, 1916 Collishaw received his first of 70 victories in this Strutter, downing a Fokker E.III during a raid on Oberndorf.

Caz









For those of interest in comparisons, here are two shots of the beginning and the end, the first Sopwith fighter of WW I and the last Sopwith fighter of WW I. It is not only a nice comparison in the development of the fighter from early to mid 1916 to the end of the war, but it shows the different in the brown PC 10 Drab and the darker green PC12 Drab. It also shows the difference in the blue of the roundels used by the RFC in 1926 and that of the RAF of 1918.

[Lufbery]

Very nice! Your rigging looks fantastic.

I appreciate the comparison shot with the other Sopwith too. I love seeing different planes of the same scale posed together. I especially like seeing different planes of the same scale from the same family together.

What paints did you use? Did you use a dull coat of some sort?

Regards,

[Red Ruffensore]

Mostly Polly Scale paint Drew, PC10 and Dirty White. Alclad over glossed Polly scale Steam Power Black was used on the cowling. All clear coats are Polly Scale, the final being Polly Scale Clear Flat. Snipe is Polly Scale British Dark Green, a direct match for PC12. Polly Scale model RR GTW Blue was a perfect match for the roundel blue, Polly Scale RLM03 Red being ideal for the red in touch ups.

HTH,
Caz

[Kaiser Bill]

Red (Caz) excellent work. Great looking models. I also appreciate the fact that the two models are a slightly different color. Mr. Rosemont (Barry) always said "They wern't all painted from the same vat". Looks like you did your homework. Outstanding!!!


Kaiser Bill

[Martin_S]

Excellent work Red. Great looking models.