Brisfit looks very sweet. Most modelers are a wary of rigging which isn't really that hard. (Ship rigging is harder - or you can make it so.) I think the other challenge with a bipe is weathering. Planes didn't last a long time, but they were pummeled with oil every flight - inline engines as well as rotaries. And fabric wouldn't show stress the way metal does. So I think if you'd seen a WWI squadron there would have been a combination of new planes, badly beat-up veterans and everything in between. Anyway, I think you managed things very well. A good bipe is a very neat display model.

If you want to try one and don't want to handle rigging, get a kit of a Fokker Triplane or a Fokker DVII. Both had very innovative structure and very little rigging - some on the tail and a little on the undercarriage. Eduard makes a 1/48 Triplane "Weekender" for about $20. Think they also do a DVII. (WingNut makes a DVII if you can find one in stock. I know a WingNut fanatic and he claims the fit is so good on their kits that attaching struts is almost simple. Sadly DVIIs all carried a factory applied "lozenge" camo that I think looks hideous. WNW doesn't make a Fokker triplane yet. Of course they push $80 for a fighter - if you can get one. I think their DI Eindecker is cheaper & available - and it only has one wing. BTW: Matt at Doog's Models, one of the best YTube modelers in my view, claims every modeler should do at least one WingNut just to see how plastic kits can be made. Eric

Thanks, everyone!

Greg - try one, you'll like it! It's more procedure than anything else. This one was probably a bad choice given the number of interplane struts and the fiddly lower wing-to-fuselage join, but it was a blast.

jgeratic - I'll definitely be doing more. I love the WWI subjects because they were still trying to figure out so much. From Roland Garros putting angled steel on his prop to the wing warping on the Fokker Eindeckers and all the different engine variants, it's such a fascinating time in aviation.

Eric - thanks for all the info. It's funny that you don't think I don't already have those Eduard Fokkers in the stash ;). Kidding, since how could you know, but I actually have a D.VII "Sieben Schwaben" on my bench at the moment, as well as a Mirage Hobby Halberstadt in Lithuanian service. The Bristol was really just a proving ground for the kits I am more excited about, but now of course it will always hold a special place in my heart as my first bipe. I picked it up on a daily deal for $20 at Sprue Brothers, so it was money well invested.

I do have several Wingnut Wings kits, which is the true motivation for getting a crack at bipes in the minor leagues. My girlfriend is Bavarian, so I had to grab the Albatros D.V with the bavarian flag painted on the fuselage (basically my attempt to get a plane on the mantel she actually likes rather than tolerates). I got one of the Eindeckers for $57, so I couldn't resist, and I'll do Udet's plane in that one, and I got some others like the SE5A and Camel for $67. Still more than I like to spend on a kit, but I agree with Doogs - they are marvels of what can be done in plastic. Now I feel confident enough to tackle one of them.

-BD-

BD,

That is a great finish on a super model, really well done. I too had avoided biplanes and rigged models for a long time. I have done a couple, but not to your standard by any means.

Jack,

Super detailing there as ever, is the green putty that much better at holding the rods in place than glue?

Next photo of the Lightning - more ejector pin issues:

The ejector stubs on the seat are more than 2 millimetres thick - there should be nothing there!

Dry fit is showing up some manageable issues around the nose. Fairly confident it isn't just me as the same thing is shown on other websites too.

Thank you Greg and LA - yup those ejector stubs are huge.

About the green putty I used on the engine, I'd say it's a different strength than super glue.  It's properties are slightly flexible when dry, so if it get's knocked or dropped on the floor for example, it would give a little but still stay true to shape, and I think less chance of letting go?

Also, for the sake of brevity, I did not fully describe what I did when attaching the upper ends of push rods.  The top of each cylinder had two 'prongs' sticking out and it was the undersides of these where the pairs of rods would need to be glued - not much surface for adhesion.  So those prongs were sanded back slightly and rods glued by the longitudinal sides instead of by the top of their tips - hope that makes sense.  So the putty also acted as a reconstruction of the sanded off portion.

Image of the real thing might help:

regards,

Jack

regards,

Jack

BrandonD

Greg - try one, you'll like it! It's more procedure than anything else. This one was probably a bad choice given the number of interplane struts and the fiddly lower wing-to-fuselage join, but it was a blast.

I just might. Thank you for your fine example and guidance, Brandon.

my lastest f1 pics sprayed tamiya gloss clear and started decals.

Now thats better Nick, always like it when the decals are on.

Nick, yep, looks good with the decals.

What are the color call outs on the camo green and grey? I ask because I really like the colors, they are so boring on my Typhoon. Also, what paint did you use? (manufacturer and color)?

Hope these questions aren't too much bother.....

LA: Wow, that's some injection pin marks! I have to remind myself that is a 1/72nd scale kit too!

Nick: Really nice work, the camo is coming along well.

Some more progress on the Walruse. The upper wing and the engine are dry fit for now.

Looks good castel.

Looks good CN, just a matter now of getting those annoying struts lined up! 

Bish yes it dose give personality to the F.1

Greg Thank you its Tamiya xf-81(raf drk green) xf-82(ocean gray) and xf-83(med sea gray).

Gamera thank you for tamiya decals their behaving well with the micro set.

castel looks real good there.

crown r n7

Greg Thank you its Tamiya xf-81(raf drk green) xf-82(ocean gray) and xf-83(med sea gray).

Thank you, Nick. I want to compare those to the color callouts on my Typhoon camo and what I actually used.

Castel, your flying boat looking good. Looks like it might be a challenge to get everything plumb and square.

In theory the Walrus could be a tough build: it's big and very ambitious - folding wings with rigging etc. So we'll see how well Airfix does with a Wingnut type topic: or Tamiya - their Swordfish or Storch are right up in the complexity scale. But if it works, it's going to be a crackerjack display kit - forty years ago I would have said it has "funk appeal." I'm watching this with great interest.

Bish: in theory does this GB go to the beginning or end of April?

Eric

Eric, this GB ends on 1st April, but of course any started builds can carry on being posted. The Commonwealth GB will begin on the 1st May and any RAF builds would be eligible for that, so you could wait out for that if you wished.

Bish

Eric, this GB ends on 1st April, but of course any started builds can carry on being posted. The Commonwealth GB will begin on the 1st May and any RAF builds would be eligible for that, so you could wait out for that if you wished.

 

What is this Commonwealth GB you talk of Bish!

damouav

 

 

Bish

Eric, this GB ends on 1st April, but of course any started builds can carry on being posted. The Commonwealth GB will begin on the 1st May and any RAF builds would be eligible for that, so you could wait out for that if you wished.

 

 

 

 

What is this Commonwealth GB you talk of Bish!

 

It will be for aircraft from the nations of the Commonwealth as well as the 4 former members. And it will be open to all branches of service, so not just the Air Forces. I'll put a build thread up at the start of April and it will run until 28th April next year, the 70th Anniversary of the London Declaration.

Bish

 

 

damouav

 

 

Bish

Eric, this GB ends on 1st April, but of course any started builds can carry on being posted. The Commonwealth GB will begin on the 1st May and any RAF builds would be eligible for that, so you could wait out for that if you wished.

 

 

 

 

What is this Commonwealth GB you talk of Bish!

 

 

 

 

It will be for aircraft from the nations of the Commonwealth as well as the 4 former members. And it will be open to all branches of service, so not just the Air Forces. I'll put a build thread up at the start of April and it will run until 28th April next year, the 70th Anniversary of the London Declaration.

 

Im in.

An Aussie RAAF bird of some type.

Cant wait!

damouav

 

 

Bish

 

 

damouav

 

 

Bish

Eric, this GB ends on 1st April, but of course any started builds can carry on being posted. The Commonwealth GB will begin on the 1st May and any RAF builds would be eligible for that, so you could wait out for that if you wished.

 

 

 

 

What is this Commonwealth GB you talk of Bish!

 

 

 

 

It will be for aircraft from the nations of the Commonwealth as well as the 4 former members. And it will be open to all branches of service, so not just the Air Forces. I'll put a build thread up at the start of April and it will run until 28th April next year, the 70th Anniversary of the London Declaration.

 

 

 

 

Im in.

An Aussie RAAF bird of some type.

Cant wait!

 

I expected nothing less

How about countries useing British equipment ?

Sorry Nick, i am just going to keep it for Commonwealth member or former member states.

ok Im in 

Yeap so I have a month to sort though a pile of Canadian, Australian, and New Zealander subjects and try to settle on just one... 

(Funny, only now I notice I don't have anything South African, guess I need to add at least one...) 

Im doing the same thing Gamera sorting out decals !!! getting ready but dont know yet what to build what a problem!

Decisions decisions. I am doing 3 British ones but also have some decals for a Bangladesh MiG 29.

the pretty blue camo?

Yep, thats the one. Decal sheet also comes with Indian markings, but not nearly as colourful.

all the decals are in place will start weathering soon.