1/48 Blue Max Sopwith 7.F-1 "Snipe"

[Brad Cancian]

Thanks for the encouragement so far guys

In terms of the materials I have used to this point, the main structure is built from 0.022" square plastic stock from evergreen, and plastic sheet of various thicknesses. The stringers are good old heat stretched sprue. I use a combination of superglue and tamiya superthin model glue to secure everything in place.

Some more minor progress tonight - I have scratch built the basic instument panel (no dials yet) and ammo boxes, now I need to scratch build the fuel and oil tanks and a seat (including the hole in the seat for the fuel filler cap - nearly missed that detail ), then I will begin basic painting. Other details will come later...

BC

[trackpad]

Excellent work, Brad. I always learn much from your builds. Please be so kind as to continue teaching!

[Rowan Broadbent]

Just a quick thought, Brad, don't forget the open area at the tail of the fuselage - some detail of tailskid, tailplane incidence adjuster, structure etc

[Brad Cancian]

Thaks Rowan - already got a plan for that area - motorised grinding tool on standby

BC

[Brad Cancian]

A very minor update - fuel tank, oil tank and ammo cans are basically scratchbuilt now - not sure if I will use this seat (from the Eduard F.2b).

[Brad Cancian]

Instrument panel shape has also been cut out and will be painted in a simulated wood grain before addition of gauges and switches. It will be glued into the upper decking to ensure alignment with the guns. Other details will be scratch built and added after painting of the interior frame.

[Brad Cancian]

Very minor update (progress has been slow in the last couple of weeks due to other things getting in the way) - I have cut the end off the fuselage halves, hollowed them out and added some details to represent the open end of the aft fuselage. I used plastic strip, sheet metal, wire and elastic to detail this small opening. The kingpost will attach to the top of the tail skid. I will probably add a small piece of styrene rod for the horizontal stabilister to sit on to represent the adjustable incidence tailplane.



BC

[MerlinV]

Looking nice Brad.

I reckon the seat looks good for this purpose (unless you actually want to keep it for the Fb2).
The tanks and cans look great!

Cheers,

Hugh

[Brad Cancian]

Not much of an update, more of a little bit of a modelling milestone for me

I have started a little painting on the interior using my usual oil paint technique for replicating wood... Whilst waiting for the oil paints to dry, I have been playing with a few other details.

Firstly, I really didn't like the wheels Blue Max supply with the kit - they look too fat and the detail is soft. Looking in the datafile, the wheels fitted to the Snipe were similar to that of the Camel. Remembering the Eduard Camel had very nice wheels, I dug out the Camel kit from the stash and they matched up very well. The only problem was, I didn't really want to steal the wheels and leave the unbuilt Camel without feet. Similarly, the Blue Max Vickers guns are soft in detail - remembering the very nice resin vickers guns in the twin-vickers boxing of the Sopwith triplane, I also dug the kit out and glanced longingly - again I didn't really want to steal bits from the unbuilt kit.

So, I decided to have my first crack at resin casting! A few weeks ago I picked up a starter kt for making your own resin castings. After spending a day or so making the silicon moulds (the stuff takes a while to dry and I needed double sided mould), I had my first resin pour this morning. All in all, other than a short-moulded vickers muzzle (easily fixed), the casting went rather well. Here are pics of the wheels and guns straight out of the moulds:




Overall I am quite pleased with how they turned out - the detail is crisp and the mouldings clean.

Ok, so it's nothing really major or ground breaking, but it's a first for me I am rather chuffed now that I can cast details and not have to steal from other kits!

Now, what to cast next.....?

BC

[Doug Baumann]

what is the cost of the starter kit?? they look good , Nice Work !