Sopwith Camel is Complete!
 

My first scale project and first scratch-build is FINALLY complete and awaiting maiden flight.

1/6 scale, 56 inch span. Weight 9 lbs 2 oz. Powered by Saito 56 turning a 12x6 APC prop.

This is of course William George Barker's B6313 in the colour scheme she had in November 1917 when he joined 28 Squadron.

RE: Sopwith Camel is Complete!
 

looks great, good luck on the maiden!
whos kit?

RE: Sopwith Camel is Complete!
 

Really nice looking plane! Hope she flies as well as it looks....Gene

RE: Sopwith Camel is Complete!
 

Looks great good luck on maiden flight

RE: Sopwith Camel is Complete!
 

No kit, scratch built from plans. Got the plans from Aviation Modeler International in the UK. I have construction photos on my website at [link=http://www.mts.net/~mhultin/]Phil's Airplane Pages[/link].

Thanks all for the kind words. I am nervous about the maiden but it's gotta happen soon - whenever we get a dry day that isn't windy.

RE: Sopwith Camel is Complete!
 

I enjoyed the build photos! Best of luck on the maiden. My guess would be that it'll be a fine flier in the air but a bit of a handful on the ground. Like most short-nosed models. Good luck!

RE: Sopwith Camel is Complete!
 

Excellent first scratch build! Good luck on the maiden voyage, I'm sure she'll fly just fine.

RE: Sopwith Camel is Complete!
 

Short-nosed indeed! I had to put 38 oz of lead in the inside front of the cowling to get her to balance! After trying to build light, it was a bummer to put all that deadweight up there but what can you do?

RE: Sopwith Camel is Complete!
 

Hi,that's a excellent job you have done there !good luck with the maiden,must find the time to finish my one ( 5 years and counting ! ) and from the same plansas you.

RE: Sopwith Camel is Complete!
 

Noyce! Good luck with the maiden!

RE: Sopwith Camel is Complete!
 

Jeffski:

I see you used metal for the nose and cowling, and it looks really nice. I am not experienced in working aluminum, so I did my cowling as a fibreglass layup, and the rest of the metal work is actually 1/64 plywood.

Now that I know I needed so much nose weight, I would go with real metal in the future.

Also, I see you put in a more scale number and spacing of wing ribs. I would do the same if I built from these plans again.

RE: Sopwith Camel is Complete!
 

The "metal" panels are so light that they are probably even lighter than the 1/64 ply that you ends up using, particularly once you add in the weight of all the paint and other finishing needed to make the ply look like metal. And really for the most part, making aluminum panels out of 0.3mm sheet is dead easy.

And there's just no avoiding the added lead up front with models of these sorts of short-nosed aircraft. I have 800g of lead just behind the dummy on my 1/6 scale Snipe! All you can really do is build the entire model as light as possible KNOWING that you'd going to have to add a lot of lead as part of the normal flying weight of the model.

RE: Sopwith Camel is Complete!
 

Nice plane! I saw another post from you dated 2005. I guess you never followed through on building Bud Roanes Sopwith Scout? I'm in the process of building that plane...i started it in 2005 actually as well but havent had any time in the last 4 years to work on it. I'm going to find some time to continue on this winter though...I freed up some space in the basement to do it...which was anotherproblem.

Paul

RE: Sopwith Camel is Complete!
 

WOW! What a work of art. I'd be afraid to even fly it.


Pete

I am not sure If anyone one still monitoring this thread but where can I get a copy of these plans?

cheers

Craig

Great job! I enjoyed the photos and descriptions on your website too, and especially the paint section...Behr Volcanic Island. Duly noted and filed for future use!

I love the Ottawa museum, by the way. I visited it years ago when there was a special fun fly event for small models, .26 cu in or less. A guy there used to organize one every year for awhile.

Jim