Eduard 1/48 Sopwith Triplane - WIP
Original box from 1996. arounfd the time I stopped modelling when college duties were more important.
Contents from the kit + photo etch parts
Kit is very simple and basic, just two sprues and photo etch part
Extra photo etch parts I got to improve the wing structs and the aileron windows
This is so tiny, it should be illegal. My eyes hurt for only watch some of those pieces.
Instructions for the extra photo etch parts.
Instructions for the extra photo etch parts.
Opening a gun inspection window in the starboard side
gun inspection window opened, filled with transparent sprue, and a dab of clear coat
Marking places for aileron cable inspection windows
Difference between the 1996 Triplane wheels and 2021 Camel wheels
Difference between the 1996 Triplane engine and 2021 Camel engine
Made a new engine cowl reusing the ones above, making the one below, filling gaps with grue (mix of glue + sprue)
Cowl finished with a dremel, then a round file
Marking the aileron inspection windows using the photo etch as a template
comparing the inspection windows from the Camel 2021 sprue
Adding fabric stitches on the starboard side of the fuselage
Drilling all holes for cables, structs, air intakes, etc
Increased the aileron gap, improved wiring marks
machine gun pieces
using sprue glue to fit the cable horns
Letting sprue glue with cable horns to go solid
making a seat cushion out of other cockpit pieces
doesn't fit, need to trim
Using sprue glue to make the windshield cover
Using sprue glue to make the windshield cover
Landing structs lowered
Aligning the landing gear
Painting wood with a base of wood deck tan and handbrush clear orange, I really like how it turn out
replacing propeller cube with the Camel one, which has 2
Borked the film by gluing it backwards, Camel decals to the rescue
Pic is really bad, but it is actually decent enough
Adding little stubs to hold the elastic / shock absorber.
stretched sprue will do great as the shock absorber elastic rope
Pilot seat got some brown pastel and a silver pencil for weathering. the cushion is now acceptable, with some oil paint.
Shock absorber ready for paint
Adding stretched sprue as cables, using Wingnuts wings instructions as guide
This close, wiring looks bent and ugly, but it will be hidden, so I do not tend to pay too much attention on details that will not be visibl
Pic from above, again there is not much care on pieces that will be hidden
There is no fixed place to added, but positioning is easy by looking at the wood panel on the back
Using sprue glue for seams. The engine front section needs a lot of fix.
Seam fixing is easier with sprue glue
sealing the mid-wing holes for the cables to pass by, using sprue glue. Adding also a piece of sprue to the end of the wings, as the main struct is not visible
Adding double hooks for the double wing cables
Better dig a hole, cram them and seal with sprue glue.
Cutting the tail to make a tailplane adjustment mechanism
Making a belt our of metal
tailplane adjustment
masking for painting
all pieces for painting
Redid the tail adjustment
Redid the tail adjustment
Scratchbuilding a Roterham pump with stretched sprue and not-so-stretched sprue
Clear orange brushed on top of wooden deck. The colors mixed, so all I did was to control the paint salad I made so the naked plastic was not visible, and wait until it looks wood-ish so I can make grains later with oil paint
adding a propeller hub from the Camel kit, plus a steel tube tip
looks much better than the original relief hub
Adding sprue glue to see if I can make a strap on cable holes
Drilled. a hole for the tailskid
Simulating cowl turning with a pen
The hardest part to paint the wing struts is to hold them
The tamiya clear orange has a very peculiar way to be brushed. Combining that with how hard it is to hold the strut, it took a lot of tries to get decent wood grains out of it on both sides
Masking finally done. Only took 5 months.
pre-shading with XF-1 black thinned with X-20A.
Airbrush start splattering in the end, not the greatest pre-shading job, but it should not be that con
masking for the wing tips
removing masks
linen done with a 10:1 mix of XF-2 white and XF-55 deck tan, thinned 1:1 with X-20A.
Several smooth layers until I get a subtle shade.
Several smooth layers until I get a subtle shade.
tried the decals. They don't release from the paper, and are very fragile. I couldn't salvage this one, so this is going to be really a problem
My idea is to try to transfer them into another wet paper, then applied it like a stamp to the kit. I am going to order extra decals in case this turns out a catastrophe.
these are the decals. I am sure Propagteam does great decals, but this batch doesn't hold after 25 years. Use at your own risk.
using the wings for a masking template. I will have a small lip of main coat under the win
Masking done for the PC-12
PC-12 did with XF-10 brown with some XF-1 black, around 5:1. Airbrush was spitting all the time, but I manage to get a subtle rib effect. Brown is a little dark for my taste, but you do you.
let's try new decals, also old, but they hopefully don't desintegrate. these decals come from the Soviet Triplane.
For the unique decals like the Hilda, I am using a wet decal paper to act as a transfer. This was really delicate, and always on the verge of catastrophe.
trying the original decal to practice a transfer. It broke in 3 places while trying the transfer. This is not going to be fun at all.
Transferring the decal, as they are better but not great, still fragile. I cut the roundels for the aileron part with a cut for the horn. I will cut later the main roundel for the aileron cable window.
the white is brittle and looks bad, but can't do much now.
Hilda sticker and the N5454 at least in the right place, after being teared in 3 places
I am truly relieved that I reached this far today
Adding panel liner to weather wheels. Need some cleaning after with a cotton swab in mineral spirits. Contrast between one wheel with panel liner, another one without. It really enhances the amazing mould Eduard did with the Camel.
Making aileron pulleys with tiny sliced sprue rods and bars. will ue sprue glue to join them
Decently created pulleys
Komentarzy
29 27 October 2023, 14:24
bughunterOh, that is a very old kit. I have built a newer edition. Not sure, if the plastic parts was identical tool. The PE sheet was bigger.
27 October 2023, 14:39
Never a ProI know, I have seen your great build. This one will also be a Collinshaw's "black maria" with decals borrowed from a Camel.
I got this one from a guy in Switzerland, with my luck Eduard will retool it after I am done with this and sell it for half the price I paid for this one.
The detail looks acceptable, but I will have to do some improvements (aileron check windows, machine gun, cockpit, etc). The plastic quality is not great, but decals are impeccable.
27 October 2023, 15:07
Michael Kohlme too. I have a scale 1:72 for a bigger project in my stash. I am keen on your experiences.
9 February, 09:38
Never a Pro1:72 Sopwith sounds punishing. I am already on my limits in tolerating tiny PE pieces
9 February, 11:47
TH SCALE MODELS (Thomas Haberl)Awesome progress so far. Would never be patient enough to do these kind of rigging ... never! How often did something fly around your bench? 😁😁
9 February, 12:17
Never a ProI like rigging with EZ line, it is the cherry on top of a beautiful WWI kit
12 February, 14:06
Ben MI've occasionally had luck with painting "microscale liquid decal film" on before using old decals. For the tail you can mask and paint the stripes pretty easily, I'd do the whole tail white and then do the red and blue. In the case where replacement decals cannot be obtained I've had luck scanning them and sending the scan to these folks: stsdecals.com/
I'm also going to try making my own decals for a project soon.
Anyway, as someone who builds old kits, the decal problem is one very familiar to me. Good luck!
16 September, 11:27
Never a Proyeah, I can easily paint the tail stripes, but the problem still persists on the roundels. Anyway, thanks for the great tip, you never know when you need custom decals
16 September, 12:26
