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WNW Sopwith Camel F.1 USAS
- Thread starter SdAufKla
- Start date
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
Turned out quite well!
SdAufKla
Active member
Working on a display base. Actually more progress than in these photos, but for now...
The tail skid dolly is scratch built using a combination of reference photos from several different designs. There didn't seem to be any sort of "standard," so I imagine these were just fabricated by each squadron's maintenance section using available materials. I sort of did the same by using the extra landing gear wheels from the WNW kit. Reference photos of the 148th Aero Squadron suggest that the dollies were also color painted to match the different flights (A flight = red; B flight = white; C flight = blue).
The wheel chocks will get lanyard ropes once painted. I also paint the tie down pins, probably red for visibility, and once the plane has been added, I'll tie it down to the pins.
I have a pilot figure from Aviatic that I'll also add.
The tail skid dolly is scratch built using a combination of reference photos from several different designs. There didn't seem to be any sort of "standard," so I imagine these were just fabricated by each squadron's maintenance section using available materials. I sort of did the same by using the extra landing gear wheels from the WNW kit. Reference photos of the 148th Aero Squadron suggest that the dollies were also color painted to match the different flights (A flight = red; B flight = white; C flight = blue).
The wheel chocks will get lanyard ropes once painted. I also paint the tie down pins, probably red for visibility, and once the plane has been added, I'll tie it down to the pins.
I have a pilot figure from Aviatic that I'll also add.
What a great idea. I"m still smoking over my base for the Baron's ride, mind if I borrow some of these ideas?
SdAufKla
Active member
No claim to ownership here! Details for the ground support side of WWI aviation are pretty thin. (Probably because they were also pretty basic and simple!)
The tailskid dollies are particularly interesting. I was actually tempted to display the Camel with the tail on the dolly, but in the end I decided to position the dolly to one side diagonally from the standing pilot figure to help balance the display composition. The tie-down rings (or pins, as they're called in some references) were another detail that I wanted to add. The Camel has a pair of tie down rings under the bottom wing, so I plan to show them in use with the plane tied down for maintenance or preparation for another mission.
Here're some of the reference photos for the dollies.
These first few images are actually of E.W. Springs' Camel being recovered after he landed and tipped it over on its nose. They're taken from screen grabs of some film shot by Signal Corps photographers who visited the 148th Aero Squadron to film the planes and pilots.
A little difficult to see in these blurry screen grabs, but between these last two pictures, the ground crewmen have rotated the bucket for the tailskid to line it up with the aircraft.
These next photos are random stills of various period aircraft. Note how every dolly seems to be of a slightly different design and materials. Most seem to have used spare landing gear wheels, though. Most (but not all) also seem to feature a bucket for the tailskid that could pivot independently from the dolly, itself. Since most tailskids couldn't swing very much side to side, this makes sense for maneuverability.
These last pics are of the only tailskid that I could find sold as a standalone accessory. (Actually comes with the figure, both pre-painted 54mm). There are a couple of dollies that come as kit accessories, but none in 1/32 scale (that I could find).
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Interesting that they used covered wheels. Indicates they pulled them off wrecked aircraft and didn't bother to remove the covers. Nice! I have a plan... 
SdAufKla
Active member
LOL! Yea, there was some real "Little Rascals" go-cart action going on with the ground mechanics.Interesting that they used covered wheels. Indicates they pulled them off wrecked aircraft and didn't bother to remove the covers. Nice! I have a plan...
SdAufKla
Active member
I'm glad you asked that. Gives me a chance to explain, LOL!
Aircraft tie down anchors for bare earth applications that are either hammered into the ground or screwed in - both leaving their eyelets standing just proud of the surface - are still commonly used today.
In fact, most civil aviation authorities, like the FAA and EAA, recommend that light aircraft pilots carry tie down anchors and supplies in the planes. A quick Google search of "aircraft tie down anchors" will return many images of both types (along with other more "proprietary" designs) as well as diagrams of their recommended placement and arrangement. (BTW, tailskid / tailwheel dollies are also still in common use today, and Mr. Google can also offer up a zillion photos of dollies for sale.)
It would seem that WWI aircraft were seldom taxied over any appreciable distances. Engine throttle controls were finicky, and airfield surfaces were rough. Very few (none that I know) of the planes had landing gear brakes, and "steerable" tailskids were only marginally effective. Rudder steer on the ground required a lot of pilot skill with the throttle, and tight turns risked damage to the tailskid if it dug into the ground (not to mention things like digging the wings into the ground or getting a wheel stuck and putting the plane on its nose).
Bottom line, it would seem, is that most ground movement was done by manpower to and from the maintenance areas and the landing areas, so there was very little risk of the pilot actually taxiing over the tie down anchors. The ground crews would certainly know where they had put the anchors to avoid them.
Photos of WWI aircraft actually tied down are pretty hard to find, but there are a few. The main clue that this was regularly done is (in the case of the Camel, here) the tie down loops permanently installed on the bottoms of the lower wings. As for the design of the actual tie down anchors (pins, stakes, etc.), I couldn't find any specific references. However, I tried to imagine what the ground support personnel of a traveling, temporary airfield might use in the situation. Logic seemed to offer two viable suggestions:
First would be some sort of "tent peg" like tie down anchors. The large tent hangers suggest that tent pegs (the large wooden types used by the military) would be common. The ground personnel would certainly be very familiar with erecting and tearing down huge, circus tents. Pounding in more stakes to use as tie down anchors would be an easy job. However, that idea seemed somewhat visually boring and dull.
Another idea was some sort of metal screw-in anchors, perhaps a cut off version of the same screw-in barbed wire posts used at the front line to install barbed and concertina wire barriers. These would also be available in large numbers and offer firm anchor points that could simply be abandoned anytime the airfield was relocated. Screw-in anchors also seem to be the simplest, most secure type in use today. The concept of "screw-in" anchors would not have been unfamiliar to the ground personnel even in WWI.
Finally, I'd note that once one end of the tie-down rope has been fixed to the anchor, it never needs to be untied. It can simply be left tied to the eyelet while the aircraft end would be tied and untied from the plane. When not used, it'd just be laying on ground just like the lanyard ropes for the wheel chocks. This means that the ground crewman doesn't need to constantly fish around in the grass looking for the anchor eyelet. He'd simply pick up the running end of the rope and tie it to the parked aircraft.
So, in my "Bob Ross" little world I decided to model the tie down anchors as if they were made from cut down, screw-in barbed wire posts. I also imagined that after I stumbled over one or two in the grass, as the squadron 1SG, I'd order my troops to paint the "damned things" in some bright color for "safety."
Et voila!
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. I've used the screw in type myself.
SdAufKla
Active member
Ok, so it's time to wrap this one up for good. The Camel model has been totally finished and permanently attached to the base. I'll still add a brass title plate to it later, and I'm painting a figure to go on the base. (I'll post up the figure project as a new thread somewhere here on MA.) For all intents and purposes, though, my foray into the world of WNW Camel kits is completed.
There's also not much left to say, so I think most of these final "glamor shots" speak for themselves.
I will note that these first two... Well, I just wanted to see the plane up on the tailskid dolly before I permanently glued both down to the base. Sorry for the cluttered background, but I suppose it's better than no photo at all! LOL!
The rest of these are in a somewhat random order. I was just taking the photos as I looked a the final results.
A question that comes up when I talk about the build with other modelers is how much of the cockpit detail is still visible. Here are a couple of shots that you can look at to judge that answer for yourself. I didn't take any looking straight down into the cockpit since there are already some of those earlier in the thread.
And one last classic pose....
So, my final thoughts on the project? What else is there to say about the WNW Sopwith F.1 Camel that hasn't already been said by dozens of builders and reviewers? Not much, I think. It really does deserve its reputation for fidelity of detail, fit and design. Those are no exaggerations. However, I would also say that those comments and observations also provide a bit of caution. This kit not only deserves your respect as a builder, but it also demands that you give it your best efforts in regard to care and skill. It is not a kit that will forgive sloppy work or inattention.
One thing that I really appreciated was the attention that WNW paid to helping the modeler get the most from the kit. Things like molding little divots in surfaces to locate the rigging wires are absolutely more than extraneous little details. Those are the kinds of things that elevate a kit into modeling stardom.
I certainly don't have the depth of experience with model aircraft to have any sort of valid opinions comparing the WNW Camel kit to other 1/32 scale Camel kits out there. I'll have to leave that to others. I would say, though, that if my modeling muse ever motivates me to tackle the subject again, I wouldn't hesitate for one second to build another of these.
There's also not much left to say, so I think most of these final "glamor shots" speak for themselves.
I will note that these first two... Well, I just wanted to see the plane up on the tailskid dolly before I permanently glued both down to the base. Sorry for the cluttered background, but I suppose it's better than no photo at all! LOL!
The rest of these are in a somewhat random order. I was just taking the photos as I looked a the final results.
A question that comes up when I talk about the build with other modelers is how much of the cockpit detail is still visible. Here are a couple of shots that you can look at to judge that answer for yourself. I didn't take any looking straight down into the cockpit since there are already some of those earlier in the thread.
And one last classic pose....
So, my final thoughts on the project? What else is there to say about the WNW Sopwith F.1 Camel that hasn't already been said by dozens of builders and reviewers? Not much, I think. It really does deserve its reputation for fidelity of detail, fit and design. Those are no exaggerations. However, I would also say that those comments and observations also provide a bit of caution. This kit not only deserves your respect as a builder, but it also demands that you give it your best efforts in regard to care and skill. It is not a kit that will forgive sloppy work or inattention.
One thing that I really appreciated was the attention that WNW paid to helping the modeler get the most from the kit. Things like molding little divots in surfaces to locate the rigging wires are absolutely more than extraneous little details. Those are the kinds of things that elevate a kit into modeling stardom.
I certainly don't have the depth of experience with model aircraft to have any sort of valid opinions comparing the WNW Camel kit to other 1/32 scale Camel kits out there. I'll have to leave that to others. I would say, though, that if my modeling muse ever motivates me to tackle the subject again, I wouldn't hesitate for one second to build another of these.
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
Exquisite build Mike!
notworthy
Duke Maddog
Well-known member
Wow, stunning work! Way to go!
