It's a long story, but there was me, a Bristol Fighter and a camera doing nothing (and Angelina and the chimps were busy on the beach...)

Major thanks to Staff at the RAF Museum - Hendon for their friendly patience while I begged the chance to take pics of their Brisfit.

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If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Well, ello, ello, ello! Wots a pretty little lass like you doing in a place like this? (He says with eyes popping out of is' ead' .) Thanks for posting Merlin she's a beauty!

Hello Merlin,

Many thanks for posting this wonderful walkaround. It might be useful for a future built of the Roden kit.

Best regards from Belgium.

Edmond

Cheers guys

It was great to just get a day out and soak up some of the atmosphere of real aircraft - I hope the pics are useful, but I know the perils of relying on restorations as references...

All the best

Rowan

Here is a bit of fun from a research fiend known as Graeme noting the markings scheme of said lady from Bristol;
"As flown by Capt W F J Harvey and Capt D E Waight of No 22 Squadron RAF (eight claims between 8 and 21 August 1918)."

Here is a bit of fun when duplicating British machines that have painted upper surfaces and a CDL under- surfaces the main variation with be the ribs have strips of fabric applied to them before overall covering. So with the two layers of fabric, the brown wood shadow is not seen on the undersurface. In most cases British machines so treated have whiter ribs and the fabric between the ribs has a slightly grey cast to it. Whiter main spars are also apparent.

Hi Stephen

Thanks for pointing that out - I'll change tactics on how to tackle the ribs and spars on my Camel (if I ever manage to get back to building it ). Do you know if it was just the Brits who applied the fabric this way, or would the effect also be true for CDL aircraft of other nations?

All the best

Rowan

Hello Rowan,

The practice was common and the fabric battens tended to keep chaffing to a minimum. The wing covering against the spars that is. On the ribs you can see the running loop stitching that is covered up with the final wider fabric rib tape that was doped on.

Remember when we discussed the lozenge fabric and their rib tapes? Same basic application. The the British linen had a higher thread count than the German.

Also remember the Sopwith Camel image you posted on the Dual Combo thread? Note the wings are treated similarly.

Hi Stephen

I'll have to dig back into the archive and sort out more of those shots of the Camel. Shame the way it's strung up from the roof doesn't exactly lend itself to a proper Walkaround...

All the best

Rowan

If memory serves both Lars Q. and Brad C. had scratch built 1/48 frames of the Bristol F2b fuselage and I have one about half built (basic Roden kit.) Hmmm . . . where is that Datafile. I feel a song coming on!

Together we stand, divided we fall. . . lets work together. Com'on com'on lets work together. Make someone happy make. someone smile lets work together. . .boogie down!

Here is Lars' work.

Here is my build in the early stages.

I have to admit... There's something really classy about these old aircraft...