Here we go with one of Ltn. Voss’s opponents on that faithful September day. I realize that everyone is now working on the WNW’s version, but I’ll see what I can do with the Encore kit.



This is the engine. As a reference for color schemes and wiring, I used photographs I took of the Hispano Suiza engine at the USAF Museum in Dayton, OH. Not quite the same version but close enough, along with some artistic liberties. It was pretty much built as per instructions. Wire was cannibalized from a stripped old phone line. The kit provides no engine resin or photoetch replacements. We'll see if it fits later...

I’ll be back as the cockpit progresses.

References for this build will be:
Guttman J. SE5a vs Albatros D.V: Western Front 1917-18. Osprey Publishing, 2009
Franks N. SE5/5a Aces of World War I. Osprey Publishing, 2007
Revell A. No 56 Sqn RAF/RFC, Osprey Publishing, 2009
Bruce JM. RAF SE5a, Windsock DataFile Special, 1993

HI Dennis:
A lot of painstaking work went into your engine and it looks great. Are you intending on leaving the engine covers off to expose your work?

Best

Mark

Hi Mark. Thanks for looking and your positive feedback.

After finishing the motor I did decide to leave the cover off (when I eventually get to that point in the build).

It will be interesting to see this build progress, I'll watch avidly as you go along Dennis. True the Roden kit is a little overshadowed by WNWs release but with work she would build great, easier to detail too.

K

Keith

Thanks for your comments. The 3 frets of Eduard photoetch that come with the Encore kit will really enhance the appearance. I agree that, in the end, when finished it could rival a WNW kit (if I don't screw it up). The resin (including the figure) that comes with it is an added bonus.

Hi Dennis,

Nice start on the engine – I'll follow your progress on this one. It'll be intersesting to see how well the resin parts will work with this kit.

I've got one of Rodens SE5s in my stash, and I think they are great!

Best Regards

Mikael

Hi Mikael

Thanks for your kind words. My only comment regarding the resin so far is to be careful getting the parts off the molds-I had to get a replacement for the 4 bladed propeller.

Interim update:

The kit offers you multiple ways to do the pulley inspection windows on the wings and stabilizer. You have a choice of decals with photoetch borders, or resin replacements:



The instructions suggest that you cut out the area on the wing-place the resin part and fill in the bottom with putty. However, with patience, you can carve out the area with a motor tool and salvage the opposite wing surface-the resin part is small enough to fit, even in the thin stabilizer. In the end, it makes you appreciate the fact that WNW molds them in:




And now, back to working on the cockpit...

Looks like the first picture didn't come through. Will try again...

Dennis, nice work so far. The detail on those resin replacement inspection windows looks incredible.

Keep it up mate


Keith

Great progress Dennis – those pulleys really ad to the look of the kit – I never really liked the way Roden had solved this before. Lots of graft to get them into place, but it'll be worth it in the end.

Best Regards

Mikael

Thank you both for your kind words. I continue to soldier on-putting tiny photoetch dials and levers on cockpit pieces. I've only lost one to the carpet monster.

She is coming along very well so far , nice job on the engine as well !

Your pulley replacement/emplacement really turned out nice. A lot of patient effort to be sure but the end result is worth it. Looking forward to more.

Best

Mark

Thanks Terri and Mark for your kind comments and words of encouragement.

This is probably one of the more complex kits that I have tackled, but we're keeping at it.

First, an apology-I started this without showing the box, although I suspect most know what it looks like:


The kit contains, in addition to the Roden plastic and Eduard photoetch, replacement resin parts (which I started cleaning, priming and painting) for the multiple versions of McCudden's mounts. I plan on doing the earliest version.


It also provides a 54 mm figure, which has some Vallejo and oil base coats laid down. I'm not much with these, and this one doesn't help as there are essentially no facial lines (but then McCudden had a young face...)

Now the update. I have pretty much finished the various subassemblies and am ready to close up the fuselage. The instructions regarding the photoetch are somewhat vague-reference are critical at this point. I compromised with various parts to get things to dry fit reasonably well. Some parts (such as the priming pump) are shown assembled-no part is listed. I settled on 29C. I only lost one part-the fuel selector switch. It flew off the tweezers into the 4th dimension, so I scratched something similar.


I will press on, and come back with another update after all items are fitted together.

You got some really nice wood grain happening

Thanks Terri

It's the usual methodology-base coat of flat wood/deck tan upon which a mixture of pale yellow ochre and burnt umber oils is applied with a rake brush, then some Tamiya clear orange.

Yes its all coming together rather spiffing old bean...

Hi Keith

Thank you, sir. I appreciate the "attaboy."

Hi Dennis

Nice update – you've got a very fine interior brewing there – looking forward to the continuation. – Were the belts in the PE set for the kit? They look really good.

Best Regards

Mikael

Hi Mikael:

Thanks for your kind comments. I would love to take credit for the belts, but those are from the Eduard photoetch (painted fret) that is supplied with the kit.

Well, I’ve been away for awhile, but I’ve been able to get in some work on this project. One thing I’ve noticed has been fit issues, fit issues, and fit issues…

The fuselage halves came together okay but, after dry fitting numerous times (where it seemed to look okay), the lower wing left a 0.5 to 1 mm gap on both sides. Sooo…

After sanding, putty, more sanding, more putty and Mr. Surfacer, I managed to get it pretty flush and even. Unfortunately, the dihedral on the right wing was now way off. Afther spending some time with a hair dryer on high heat, I got it pretty close. Here is the interior and cockpit assembled and ready for the cockpit and upper deck:

http://gallery.kitmaker.net/data/500/Before_paint.jpg

Getting the upper deck to fit was difficult. It is a resin replacement part and the molding wasn’t the greatest-lots of bubbles. More epoxy putty, sanding, putty, sanding, grinding, putty, sanding-and it was more or less ready (or, as we say, “close enough for government work.”

Here is where I stand today. I put on some base coats using doped linen for the base (after preshading) and earth brown for an approximation of PC10-too bad I’m red-blue-green color blind. Brush-up of the masked areas doesn’t quite match but I’ll fix it later.

http://gallery.kitmaker.net/data/500/thumbs/Base_coat.jpg

Next up-“the engine and the cowling” Wish me luck.

Hi Dennis:

I have scoped out your pictures and the model is really coming along. The interior detail is top notch. Too bad about the fit and the dihedral issue, hopefully it wll be an easier go from now on. Looking forward to more.

Best

Mark