Sopwith Baby Project

[snj5]

Originally Posted by Brad

Hmmmm... put me on the list please, if it will trundle my fat 230# backside into the air.

why yes - and in comfort

[RobW]

To be honest... Starting with Butch's D.VII, then expanding to the Tabloid/Baby... I think there might be a market for some of Robert's single seaters to be expanded to side by side two seaters... without overly screwing up the lines of the aircraft. Obviously, there is more to it than simply widening the fuselage, but I still think there is potential there.

Heck, you could even have two different cockpit fairing/coamings... a single and a two seat version.

Just a thought.

rob

[snj5]

Have decided to keep it simple and stick with all CDL + roundels. Will have a wood section around the cockpit like a Pup, but this scheme follows the original KISS philosophy. And a secondary interest that it look the least like the Camel as possible, even though they have different missions.

I do think I will have a set of large wheels made, though same as the Camel.

Expecting Dolly switches next week to finish out the panel. Have throttle quadrant and pitot.

My plane's Tabloid sibling of Shelley and Rob is also nearing no kidding final assembly, so will be great to see them together.

Note poor-boy photo edit.

[BWitlock]

Rob:

Ahem... are you suggesting my cockpit is wide enough for two? Is that a fat joke?


Hals und Beinbruch
Butch (the Fokker behind you) Witlock

[RobW]

Originally Posted by BWitlock

Rob:

Ahem... are you suggesting my cockpit is wide enough for two? Is that a fat joke?


Hals und Beinbruch
Butch (the Fokker behind you) Witlock

Butch,
Not wide enough by any means... but you are a trend setter! Showing us how something slightly wider could still acheive the same look...

rob

[Bookmaker]

Russ, in looking at your Baby, I have a question. With the single stick in the middle, have you actually tried sitting 2 in the plane and working the aileron stick movement? It looks to me that the pilot and passenger legs would interfere with sufficient movement.

By the way, if you find some skin on the tip of the starboard side nose over skid, it belongs to me I found it with my knee.

Dale

[snj5]

Dale

It is actually quite a conundrum as to how to do the controls. As you know Rob & Shelly went with dual sticks. We are going to test fit again and try it. The advantage of a center stick is that it can be flown in the center single pilot with the feet on the outside pedals. This is a good option for bigger guys as it becomes an incredibly roomy and comfortable single seat plane even for guys like me. For two, the cockpit is near identically sized to a Luscombe 8A. I am still tempted to go dual stick, or single side stick, but the single center stick has most options. Also may put a steering wheel atop the stick for display effect.

And we are still developing a way to do brakes actuation.

I have several pints of blood spread throughout the Camel, so I know what you mean.

The Stewart Systems paint color I'm trying is Behr 320A-3 "Cornsilk" for the CDL, with the usual for roundels. Will also try to wood tone the interior tubes to match the Rick Bennet spruce cabane and interplane struts. Have to ensure with Robert that we are doing dual flying wires (a pet peeve of mine).

The prop is done, an 80 x 47, but I am thinking about trading with Chip for his Pup's 80 x 45 -- he wants more speed and I want more climb. The Baby is not about speed at all, but rather a two person fun way to experience WW1 open cockpit aviation, if just a little bit. Hoping for a Champ/Cub cruise speed around 65 - 70 but with a strong climb, even with two guys on board. I also want this to be a VERY easy to fly and land plane with beginner level handling safety and robust reliability.

From an Airdrome Tabloid/Baby/Schneider perspective, the "competition" is the Circa 7/8 Nieuport 12 -- but this is a full size replica and hopefully a bit more big guy friendly. It will make LSA criteria, but it is a bit of a big plane, a bit bigger from my impression than the Camel but quite lighter allowing for more payload.

Hoping to roll out the prototype at Gardner.

[Bookmaker]

Russ, I am sure you will work out the optimum layout.

By the way, the wooden struts look fabulous. Rick really does a nice job with them. Maybe when I get to that part, I can talk him into a set of N 17 interplane struts.

Yes, I hope to see you and your plane(s) in Gardner.

Dale

[snj5]

Originally Posted by Bookmaker

Russ, I am sure you will work out the optimum layout.

By the way, the wooden struts look fabulous. Rick really does a nice job with them. Maybe when I get to that part, I can talk him into a set of N 17 interplane struts.

Yes, I hope to see you and your plane(s) in Gardner.

Dale

They really do look terrific, as they do on the Camel. Rick does such great work and they look so much better than the smaller oval aluminum tubes we used initially. I would really recommend the spruce struts if you can.

[Brad]

Just an FYI, I found a NEAT technique for woodgraining panels on a model airplane build thread. The guy was building a 1/6 (I think) scale Albatros (so it isn't completely off-topic! lol) This would work to make a curved metal panel look like a curved wooden (plywood) panel.

Painting woodgrain on a curved surface really had me scratching my head. (Or more like yanking my hair out trying to figure out how it could be done.)

His solution is simple and elegant. Paint the panel the "base color." Use the glaze (paint stuff from the local Home Depot) to "woodgrain" (they make tools for that!) an artist's palatte. (Ummm... maybe a piece of glass?) Then use wax paper to pick up the woodgrain pattern and transfer it to the curved surface. Presto! Woodgrain on a curved panel! If you make a mistake, wipe it off with a damp cloth and do it again. Once you have the pattern transferred, "dry brush" it to give a more realistic effect.

So... if you have curved metal panels that need to look like wood, there is a way to do it with very little effort. (I'm thinking that picking the colors to use would be the hardest part.)