SE5a CONSTRUCTION BEGINNING TO . . .

[Greyhead]

Barry

As my old mother used to say “you learn something new every day!”

The SE5a that I have detailed photos of the instrument panel for is a French restoration of C1096 “Maybe?”. This aircraft, at least the restoration, doesn’t have the headrest fairing, which I think really spoils it’s appearance. I’m certainly going to incorporate the headrest in the model so I will finish it as a different aircraft, unless I can find evidence that it did originally have the headrest. That means that I might well have at least a 5 in 6 chance of having the wrong instrument panel.

But I won’t tell anybody if you don’t!!!

Grahame

[Guest]

Grahame,

I am sure you will find the evidence you are looking for and if not it will only take a real enthusiast to spot a minor difference with your aircraft.

I am sure all these machines varied in fitments to the aircraft just as the Tanks,Ships, Vehicles and other Aircraft did between the various units operating the same types. I am sure that will give you scope for a little poetic licence without spoiling what is undoubtedly becoming a very fine looking model. From What I have seen so far who am I to argue...I am drooling over this one !!

I have always had a soft spot for the SE5-A ever since getting free scale plans for one years ago...meant for .10 - .15 Engines......I might just get around to doing one yet...but fitted with a PAW .19 as I have 2 of them sitting idle....Ok power to spare but I won't need full throttle on this one and the PAW exhaust will hide nicely inside that cowl plumbed up to the proper pipe too...!!

Regards......Mark

[Greyhead]

I’ve just spent 3 “modelling” days making the compass and I think it says a lot about scale modellers. Whilst many “sports” modellers voice their appreciation of my models it’s often suffixed with “but why bother?” Well all I can say is “if you feel the need to ask I can’t explain it to you” but I can fully understand their point, the model won’t fly any better and the details will only be visible if you peer into the innards of the model.





The pilots eye view of the instrument panel.





I now think the panel is finished but I’m sure I’ll find a few more things to do to it before it finally gets covered with the cockpit decking. Every time I look at the photos of the full size I notice some thing new but at the moment I don’t consider them worth the trouble adding but that always seems to change!

[wonwinglo]

Well words cannot explain the realism that you have achieved with that panel Grahame,this is what sets scale modellers apart,the love of producing something in miniature,that joy is something that says even if you cannot see it,or it does not assist the way that the model flies,it does not matter,you are achieving scale fidelity by fabricating these parts,the thing is also you have scratch built them from bits and pieces ! real model building and a real sense of achievment as well.

It makes me feel like hopping into that cockpit and flying her around the circuit.

The effort expended has been well worth it.

[Greyhead]

Barry


I think the answer is that we scale modellers’ build for our own satisfaction, or at least I do, which means that we strive for the current model to be better than the previous. If we want the model to fly then there are limits because the weight has to be controlled; my personal limit is if it can’t be seen from any angle that is the time to say, “why bother”.


I like to build as much as possible from scratch; it gives me a much greater sense of satisfaction and also saves money! An article in a magazine extolling the scale fidelity of a model jet had, amongst others, a photo of the undercarriage, which was truly amazing, but they were commercially available at a ridiculous price; not to my mind scale modelling more like scale assembling.


There are some things that up to now I’ve bought; wheels are one example, if these fail during take off or landing the result could well be to write off the model, but with the Williams Brothers problems I might have to bite the bullet and have a go this time.


Just to add substance to my last post about things developing after being “finished” here’s a photo of the compass now with its light!





I haven’t resolved my problem with the headrest; what I have found out is that it was development of the SE5a, the SE5 didn’t have one and neither did some of the early SE5as, whether or not C1096 was one of the early SE5as that didn’t have the headrest I don’t know, but I suspect it was.

[wonwinglo]

I know what you mean,anything is available at a price,wheels for this period can be easily made from laminated ply discs with a good bearing to spread the load,one way is to solder brass strips at 90 degrees to the brass tube,this keeps the bearing from revolving after a few landings,the wheel covers are doped over balsa riblets spread around the wheel centre together with a valve access point,the best thing for the tyres I have found are rubber pipe from caravan shops if large scale,or have a look at electrical shop cable for smaller scales,split the plastic and remove the wire inners,to split the plastic evenly make a jig,a slot in a block of wood for example,then a heavy duty razor blade set at 30 degrees,the cable is drawn through evenly.

If you are lucky enough to have a rubber emporium ( look in yellow pages ) in your area then have a look at their stock.

I totally endorse your comments about making things from scratch,if you are capable of making the bits as you obviously are then do it.

[Guest]

Grahame,

I am sure you have considered this already but, never overlook the fact that the headrest may have been added at the request of one or 2 pilots...not unusual by any means in the day and certainly no more so now for personal comfort and operations of most machines...although back then I would suspect most pilots requested their own modifications as they generally always flew the same plane...ie..their own personal plane....the Red Baron Certainly Did !!!

This practice still goes on today in many industries where employees are expected to use the same machines...eg cars etc day in day out. it builds up a consistent service record which is more valuable in the long run....ok they still add their personal touches for comfort, which goes right back to what we were saying at the start.

Regards......Mark

[Greyhead]

Mark

I had considered it being a “personal modification” but the opposite way round; I wondered if some pilots had the headrest removed to increase visibility to the rear, something that I’m certain would have increased their longevity if not their comfort!!

But as I said earlier it appears that the early SE5as didn’t have a headrest, this of course doesn’t preclude the possibility that later models were also modified at the pilot’s request.

Grahame

[wonwinglo]

Perhaps I can clear this one up historically,the factory built aircraft had no headrests,if you study lots of S.E.5A pictures you will see a wide variety of differing headrests,the reason was that at the request of the pilots sometimes headrests were fabricated in the field to differing sizes,so you could see a picture of aircraft so fitted,and others without them,the choice must have been a personal one,think about moving your head sharply either way in combat ? whilst a luxury for the head,it could have obscured the vision of the pilot ? there are other World War 1 machines either with or without the addition of headrests.

MarkI had considered it being a “personal modification” but the opposite way round; I wondered if some pilots had the headrest removed to increase visibility to the rear, something that I’m certain would have increased their longevity if not their comfort!!

But as I said earlier it appears that the early SE5as didn’t have a headrest, this of course doesn’t preclude the possibility that later models were also modified at the pilot’s request.

Grahame

[Greyhead]

Thanks for clearing that up for us Barry, so failing any photographic evidence of C1096 having a headrest doesn’t mean that it didn’t have one at some time; I think I’ll just build her with a headrest, I’m not a competition man so documentation isn’t my God.


Now this proved to be an “interesting” exercise, which after several failures eventually proved to be surprisingly quick and simple. The cockpit has aluminium edging so litho plate is the obvious choice of material but fabricating the channel section stretched my imagination somewhat! I’ll not go into the failures just the final easy and successful method.


The litho plate is clamped against a steel rule using a piece of 1x1 as a backing.





The edge is bent over and the corner filed through using a fine file.





Carefully rolling the dressmakers copy tool along the litho plate produces a nice line of “rivets”.





The long side is trimmed to form an "L" section then using the cockpit as a template the edging is eased into shape; a lot easier than I thought it would be!





With a bead of 5-minute epoxy applied to the edge of the cockpit the aluminium edge is glued in place and the side "tucked under";I think it really finishes the cockpit off.





A point about my previously “finished” instrument panel; whilst investigating the differing layouts, as pointed out by Barry, I noticed on one photo that under the compass there is a level flight indicator. Although I have several detailed photos of the original panel taken from different viewpoints, on all of them the control column is blocking the view of the level flight indicator, which is in the shadow cast by the compass. Now I know that it’s there I can see it, although not very clearly; it has now been added to the model and as per full sized it doesn’t show up all that well, even without the control column.

[wonwinglo]

Now that combing does look good,I think you have simplified a very difficult task there,once mastered this litho plate really is good stuff,I hope that you have a healthy stock of it Grahame ?

The internal bracing also looks very practical as well.

That is the problem especially with old orthochromatic film,being quite grainy it tends to hide cockpit detail,also remember that colours appear reversed,ie blue outer on roundals look like red and vice versa,something to look out for in your research.

Panchromatic film came in much later.

[Greyhead]

Barry

I’m glad you like the edging; the secret of making it look right (and the reason I had a few failures) is to get a small and even lip on the litho plate, once I’d sorted the method for that the rest was plain sailing.

I thought the correct word for that part of the cockpit was the combing but it wasn’t in my dictionary, at least not with that meaning!

[wonwinglo]

Grahame,is it spelled 'Coaming' ? one of those words that can be used both ways.

[Guest]

As far as ships are concerned a vertical edge around a peice of machinery or structure etc is also called "Coaming", as in "Hatch Coamings"

[Greyhead]

Well that explains why I couldn’t find it in the dictionary; coaming it is!!