Will post pics when some progress has been made.
Cheers
Gordon
Have saved the wings from previous effort. New fuselage has been carved . New tail group has been cut out. Propeller laminated
Pictures to follow.
Cheers
Gordon
A good companion to your DR.1.
Lou
Picture of where we are at.
Lots more to do .
Cheers
Gordon
A good start.
Lou
looking good. I'm glad the Banshee did not have three wings ;) ;)
Fraser
Fraser,
3 wings do add some complexity. Still I'm not rushing it.
Cheers
Gordon
Nice start Gordon, I might try a 3 wing toon sometime. Regards Paul J.
Paul,
That would definitely be different. Why stop at 3 . An Armstrong Whitworth FK 10 springs to mind.
Cheers
Gordon
Temporarily stalled. Few other things occupying time.
Cheers
Gordon
Happens to all of us.
Lou
Cleaned up the wings yesterday.
Marked out the top decking stringers.
Plodding on.
Cheers
Gordon
I know the feeling of having stalled projects. Carry on my friend.
Lou
Thanks Lou.
Had to trim the chord of the wings . Marked out the rib tapes on tail plane .
Relating drawings to photos there are some subtle differences.
Intend to finish her off as one of the Australian aces on Triplanes . Little, Dundas or Minifrie.
Bit of primer applied .
Plodding on.
Cheers
Gordon
Rib tapes on wings done with thin tape. Riblets have been done with thinner tape .Tailplane and fin rudder done.
Fuselage top rear decking done with thin doped cotton. Transverse done first then long stringers.
Looking at lots of photos of original aircraft and models the fabric is "indented" over the fuselage frame work near the cockpit .
Simulated this the same way as the top decking. More work needed with poly filler "slurry" and a lighter hand on both sides.
That's where I'll leave the Triplane . Next week will be either Wirraway or Vampire week whichever gets picked up first.
Stay Safe.
Cheers
Gordon
A better picture. Still learning alternate technology.
Cheers
Gordon
Better
Excellent ribbing on both the fuselage and the wings.
Lou
Have put dihedral into lower and top wings. Struts cut out. Just have to be a bit careful with the middle wing.
Gordon
Some progress.
Wheels done. Propeller done . I have cut it down from a previous effort. The wood laminations will disappear as most of the photos show a solid
colour. Struts are 1mm ply . Coat of white primer then base of Raw sienna and Burnt Sienna brushed on.
Decal added to fin. Necessary holes drilled for control runs and horns. Just have to check the rigging positions through the centre wing.
Just clipped together. A short circuit taken around the room.
The sweep back on middle wings is not scale. Need some strut adjustment. Might need to knock up a jig. Run out of hands and fingers holding things.
Cheers
Gordon
Propeller looks good to me Gordon.
Lou
Nice to see the progress on the Triplane, Gordon. Looking forward to more pictures.
Fraser
Thank you Fraser and Lou.
Spent yesterday opening up the cockpit and and experimenting with making a jacket for the Vickers guns.
N534 was one of the ones ( N533-538) built with twin Vickers Mg's.
Seems to have worked. It's a bit easier than perforated jacket on Spandau's .
Pictures to follow.
Cheers
Gordon
A couple of productive days done.
Undercarriage legs done using bent then flattened brass tube. Still have to work out the (travel stops ?) and the articulated spreader bar.
2 Vickers guns nearly done. Still have to make up the belt and case chutes.
Started on cowling . Getting the profile right before strengthening and then cleaning out with rotary tool.
Couple of cylinders to go using bamboo skewer with thin wire wrap.
Have put a coat of Clear doped linen on lower surfaces and Vallejo Flat Brown on top. Not going to fret over PC10 or 12 and what shade it should
Be.
Picture to follow.
Cheers
Gordon
Undercarriage and cowl done.
Undercarriage articulated spreaders done using brass tube . Travel stops from copper wire.
Looks the part.
Next the engine.
Cheers
Gordon
Very nice Gordon. Keep those progress shots coming.
Lou
Thank you Lou.
I have started on engine crankcase .
Progressing slowly.
Gordon
Round engines are fun to make😀
They are. Just taking my time. Not happy with the cylinders so will attempt to improve them.
Cheers
Gordon
I think I have improved the cylinders.
Thought I would attempt the firewall engine mount with paint. Should provide a sense of depth when cowling goes on.
Cheers
Gordon
A great beginning for your engine Gordon.
Lou
Thank you Lou.
Few more wobbly bits to put on.
Cheers
Gordon
Couple of hours spent on engine. That's done . Only going to put exhausts ( made from trimmed down bamboo skewer ) on cylinders that are exposed on the bottom. It will be a non rotary rotary . Need to pare down the cowling carefully to greet it to fit.
Cheers
Gordon
I like to look and detail on the rotary engine. The pushrods are well done and they add a lot to the look. It always astounded me that some rotary engines were 9 cylinders and 110+ hp.
Fraser
Excellent engine detail Gordon. Don't for get to post a copy to http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/SMF/index.php?topic=365.0
Lou
Starting to put this all together.
Cockpit installed. Stabiliser and lower wing attached. Ran out of fingers lining up the wings . Spinning up the brain to come up with a jig.
Picture to follow. Need to make a seat.
Cheers
Gordon
Wirraway and Vampire are occupying the time available so the Triplane will progress in the New Year.
Gordon
Looking to finish this early in the New Year.
Most of the bits have been done. Rigging holes drilled. Just have to make up a jig to increase the number of fingers to align the wings.
Cheers
Gordon
Gordon, the sub-assemblies look great! It looks like one of those kit built aircraft advertisements that would have all the parts laid out to show how easy and fast it can be built. Then again, some of use put as many hours into building our models as homebuilders do with a kit plane.....
Looking forward to the completion.
raser
Fantastic model Gordon. I like the ribbing effect on your wings.
Lou
Thank you Lou and Fraser.
Now comes the interesting bit. Putting it together . Making sure it is relatively square.
Have sourced a black plastic takeaway coffee cup lid for the control horns.
Tossing up whether to use EZY line or small gauge craft wire for the rigging. Also I will try making the turnbuckles from a stretched tube of a
Cotton bud.
Cheers
Gordon
Starting to finish the Triplane off.
BUT...... I've had a bit of an OMG event.
Port Middle wing was a wee bit long. So had to do some surgery.
That has been over come.
Managed to get centre struts aligned and glued. Everything thing seemed OK
So jigged it all up and the top wing didn't look right . It sat a bit high.
More surgery in progress.
While pondering the above I have made up the cockpit coating with a bit of garden tie wire wrapped with tissue soaked in a weak mix of PVA
And water. Seems to have worked.
Pictures to follow.
Gordon
Looking forward to the pictures of the cockpit.
Fraser
Wings attached. Contemplating the rigging. Cockpit foaming, undercarriage and tailplane not attached yet.
Gordon
Propeller not attached. Pencil marks are rigging location.
Quality control guy will be busy.
Cheers
Gordon
Excellent model Gordon.
Lou
Wings are attached and a reasonably square. Seat made and painted. seatbelt from PVA impregnated tissue and acrylic paint.
Need to make up a "buckle" arrangement from thin wire.
Thinking of using Nylon thread for rigging instead of thin wire.
Pictures to follow.
Cheers
Gordon
Cockpit done. Leather padding on cockpit rim from coated garden wire with tissue and PVA wrapping.
Bit wide but it does the trick. Gun butt pads done the same way.
Control horns for elevators have been done from black take away coffee cup top.
Found some elastic nylon thread that I had secreted away . Did a test run and I think I will go with that for the rigging.
Onwards and Upwards.
Cheers
Gordon
Excellent detailing Gordon.
Lou
Thank you Lou.
Pushing on slowly.
Cheers
Gordon
The model is looking really nice. I enjoy how you use various materials like the tissue and glue plus the coffee cup lids. Great stuff.
Fraser
Thank you Fraser. Nearly there.
Cheers
Gordon
Started to apply some decals. Next the rigging.
Slowly pushing on.
Gordon
I am sure it will be a fantastic project.
Lou
Decals applied. More work on fin/rudder which is not attached yet.
Aileron horns and exhausts yet to be done. Then it's the rigging.
Cheers
Gordon
Nice work. I'm waiting for the rigging!
Fraser
Excellent rendition Gordon.
Lou
Thank you Fraser and Lou.
Some little things to do first and then a deep breath and on with the rigging.
Gordon
Rigging of wings started. Need to redo one of the upper aileron horns . Damaged during fumbling.
Cheers
Gordon
Rigging has progressed. Upper horn still to be replaced. Will have to redo one of the flying wires on the Portside.
Undercarriage, fin and propeller not attached at this stage.
Working from the front to the back.
Cheers
Gordon
Rigging is realistic. What are you using?
Lou
Some elastic thread that I had on hand. It is clear/white so lightly brush some silver on.
Gordon
I need some off that for my Finch. The monofilament use is too stiff. I have used it on my other biplanes but want something else.
Lou
Can be a bit fiddle. Got around that with lots of pre drilled holes. Loose end attached with superglue and then pulled through the appropriate hole.
Have finished the rigging. Attached the fuel pump. All that's left is undercarriage and propeller . A bit of final quality control then its done.
Pictures to follow.
Cheers
Gordon
That extra wing looks to make the rigging at bit more challenging. Looks great.
Fraser
Nearly done . But not quite.
Knocked back the elastic thread with a wash of silver/black.
Fuel pump added.
Rigging for undercarriage and attachment of propeller to be done.
Cheers
Gordon
May I assume you use superglue for attaching the rigging thread?
Lou
Yes superglue.
A steady hand and a pair of tweezers.
Cheers
Gordon
I looked at several place without any luck, so monofilament will have to do again.
Lou
Took awhile but I deem it finished. Some small bits have been left off.
Cheers
Gordon
Flown by FHM Maynard, RP Minifie and RS Dallas of 1(N) Sqn 1917.
All ended up as aces. Roderick Dallas was shot down and killed in June 1918.
Cheers
Gordon
A couple more.
That is one terrific Sopwith Triplane. I love the details you lavished on it and that rigging thread is very realistic. I look forward to more WWI aircraft from your bench.
Lou
Thank you Lou. Did take a while but enjoyed it and learnt a bit along the way.
Cheers
Gordon
.
Thank you Gordon. May I repost your Sopwith photos to this FB group? https://www.facebook.com/groups/107296546366501
Lou
No worries Lou. Feel free. There are some interesting models on that site.
Cheers
Gordon
I post your Sopwith Triplane to the FB group https://www.facebook.com/groups/107296546366501
Lou
Your triplane has gotten 26 likes on FB which is very good.
Lou
Gordon, I applaude your efforts on the triplane! It looks great from all angles. BTW what are the dimensions of the model? Looking forward to future creations of yours.
Fraser
Your Sopwith attained 35 likes on FB. Nice going.
Lou
Fraser ,
Thank you. The model spans 10 inches and stands 3 1/2 inches high (in the old money).
Lou,
Thanks for the update. Hopefully it and the Finch will bring some more modellers over to the site.
Cheers
Gordon