Baslee Production Camel #1

ssnydes1 · 20 June 2011, 04:06 PM

After much urging from Russ, I am starting a thread covering some of the trials and trebulations of the first production (although I would call it the second prototype) Camel out of the Baslee kit farm in Missouri.

This version has the benefit of being mostly computer modeled after Russ's effort with Robert did most of the heavy lifting, the hard way.

This kit has a fuselage of 4130 tube and the standard Baslee aluminum wing, the same profile as Russ's. A few details will be different, but it will remain as true as possible to the appearance and performance of the original aircraft.

As with the prototype, this one will be powered by a Rotec 3600, with who knows what prop? Maybe I won't even use one...

The build kicked off at "the house of pain" with a three day build, when the dust settled, the fuselage structure had been welded, the wing trusses completed, wheels assembled and trued. The next step will be to transport it to Seattle to Boeing Field and the King County aviation vocational school, where a K12 staff will assist with the build during my rotations home from the project in Canada.

I have been very impressed and humbled with the help I have received from the home built WW1 replica community to this point. It has been a great process so far as I have gotten into the spirit of the past and found a few of the momentos that will dress up my Sopwith impression as I go forward.

Best regards and thanks,
SS

Dart · 20 June 2011, 05:14 PM

Looks great!

Please keep us informed with loads of pictures and tales of the build adventure!

ssnydes1 · 20 June 2011, 07:46 PM

Will do, probably this weekend.
Thanks for commenting!

Steve

snj5 · 20 June 2011, 10:52 PM

Didn't you say you were doing this as A.R. Brown's plane?

ssnydes1 · 21 June 2011, 05:37 AM

Correct.
I have reserved a tail number of 72700, which isn't the exact number, but close.
It will kill me to paint red over the beautiful aluminum cowling and I sure wish I could paint roundels on the side of the fuselage, but that's the way the cookie crumbles.

SS

jonathan apfelbaum · 22 June 2011, 12:34 PM

Hi:

I've been "lurking" on this site for a while. I'm doing production #2 of the Baslee Camels. While not nearly as far along, I wanted to at least say "Hi" and introduce myself.

Right now: fusilage welded (4130), and tail feathers done. Now if that darn "day job" would get out of the way, I could work more on it.

I'm looking forward to meeting more folks in this forum, not to mention picking brains (BTW - Thanks to Russ for sharing so much of your experiences and hard earned knowledge).

Cheers
Jonathan

tigermtn · 22 June 2011, 07:04 PM

I am hoping to begin Baslee Camel #3 in August. Just sent him an email reference this. Is the kit like the other kits where you can order in sections? (Not on his order form yet) If not I may just go with building a Pup though I would prefer the Camel.

I am in Afghanistan right now and would like to start the tail section in August while home on R&R. Then I'll dedicate a month or two when I return for good to building as much as I can on the rest of the aircraft.

ssnydes1 · 23 June 2011, 05:47 AM

The Camel should be no different than Robert's other kits, you should give him a call. He's easy to talk to and very flexible with details such as that. Last fall after Russ's prototype Camel was flown and made its appearance, Robert made it known (as in standard Baslee Aerodrome Aeroplane (AA) fashion) that he was looking for four customers to launch a production kit. I had been in touch struggling with the decision between a full size DR1 and a Neiuport 28 when the Camel entered the picture. I offered to be one of the launch customers and help with some of the CAD work for the production aircraft. In a few weeks, in conjunction with the appearance at Oskosh, there were three other customers signed up and with deposits. A departure from the AA standard was the use of steel tubing for the fuslage in lieu of the standard aluminum tube and gusset as a result of Russ's prototype. According to Robert, three of the first four kits were steel, which surprised him. Several went out of country to England and Canada. So that's kind of the history of this one. I would ebncourage you to join the Aerodrome chat group, which like this forum have bunches of very knowlegable and helpful members that will save you a lot of trials and trebulations. I have almost completed a builder's guide for the Camel that will be made available to purchasers of a Camel that answers a lot of the little questions building the Camel. I was also hoping to get a contact list or registry of AA Camel builders together for support, but haven't gotten any response in that regard. So give Robert a call, I am sure you will be happy. Good luck and welcome!
Steve

ssnydes1 · 24 June 2011, 08:05 AM

Several days ago I posted the history of the Baslee Camel and I guess it got lost, so I am resubmitting and will keep a copy this time, just in case...

There are five kits out there as of a couple days ago.
So, the project was first started by Russ with Robert. I was struggling with the decision between the ful size Dr1 and a Nieuport 28 when I saw the Camel and immediately wanted one.

Robert was going to launch a production kit if he could get four orders and this was just prior to Oshkosh. I sent him an order and he got three more from Oshkosh and later, so the kit was a go. Three of the kits were 4130 steel fuselage, which was a surprise to Robert, especially since the prototype was also and a first to AA. One kit went to England and one or two to Canada, I believe.

I was able to help with some of the production details and am working on a builders guide, which I hope to be done soon, but will continue to be a work in progress.

I was hoping of getting a listing of the new builders to help each other, but haven't had any responses.

There is a lot of information in the Aerodrome Aeroplane chat group that will hep.

So that was the way it happened...

snj5 · 24 June 2011, 08:20 AM

The board had a database crash the other day and many posts were lost.

I think many of the new builders are on the Yahoo Airdrome group, but are not here. I hope they will at least be members here as there is an immense wealth of knowledge and support. I think he has sold one or two more since the original group.

While it is great to have #1, you get to watch everyone improve on the original and think, "Dang, I wish I had done that"