Sopwith Snipe Project

[Taz]

Nick- Awesome work there. Look forward to seeing progress on this beauty. The Snipe was always one of my favorites, probably because of the Barker engagement and because it was rotary powered. Australians obviously have an affinity for them, too, since you had an all-Snipe unit at the end of the war. Whose markings will you use?

Taz
Terry Phillips

[Yeoman]

That's really first rate work Nick!
I enjoy all the projects on here as the skills of people like you never cease to amaze me!

[Nick]

Thanks Taz and Yeoman, much appreciated.

I would like to eventually use the markings of Elwyn Roy "Bo" King of 4 Squadron Australian Flying Corp (E8050)

Elwyn Roy King - The Aerodrome - Aces and Aircraft of World War I

Cheers, Nick

[tengew]

nick . wow just wow very nice work

[Taz]

Nick- The Snipe ace of aces and Australian to boot. Great choice.

Taz
Terry Phillips

[Dogtail2]

Nick,

Great pictures. I'll be following your superb work with interest. Keep the photos coming.

Pete

[brinesharks]

One thing Nick hasn't mentioned is the size of his workshop - it's really quite small! I doubt most people would expect to fit a Snipe fuselage in there. It's helped inspire me to get working and not worry about having a small workshop

Keep up the great work!

[Nick]

Thanks Tengew, Pete & Bryan, much appreciated

One thing Nick hasn't mentioned is the size of his workshop - it's really quite small! I doubt most people would expect to fit a Snipe fuselage in there

Yes Bryan is right I do have a slight problem there but it makes a huge difference if you can just go into your workshop at home and work on stuff when you have a spare moment. If you have to drive down to the airfield every time it makes the whole process a bit harder.
At the moment I can't actually get it out of the garage without removing the wheels and putting it on a trolley as it's higher than the door. Once I start working on the center section later this year it will just fit under the ceiling (hopefully!) but will have to dismantle it again later to get it out.

Cheers, Nick

[Nick]

Have been having a go at making the fairleads which seem quite heavy and possibly abbrasive to the wires compared to modern ones. They're basically a spring mounted for the wires to slide through. Most are 3 inches long but a couple on the main fairlead are 13 inches.

You start by making long springs much the same as for ferrules but a slightly lighter gauge.

You end up with a whole bunch to cut to length

You then make some housings. I used 4130 1/2" rod

[Nick]

Drill them out and thread them

Make sleeves for the housings to slide into. They are just 1/32" longer than the housing so when the bolt is tightened it will clamp the spring in place

And bend up the brackets and drill out some lightening holes


Cheers, Nick