Author Topic: 1/72 Scouting Experimental 7 - Weekend Warrior Edition  (Read 7412 times)

Offline Brian da Basher

  • He has an unnatural attraction to Spats...and a growing fascination with airships!
  • Moderator
  • *
  • Hulk smash, Brian bash
1/72 Scouting Experimental 7 - Weekend Warrior Edition
« on: August 19, 2014, 04:15:50 AM »
For a long time now, I've enjoyed re-working the venerable 1/72 Revell SE-5.



A kit this simple and well-engineered is absolutely ripe for "the Treatment". I've done versions with cowled radials and a canopy and others  where I substituted a SPAD or D.VII engine.

A few days ago, I pulled the last one out of the kit stash. What to do? The best I could come up with was grafting on the rotary engine from a Nieuport. Then I found an amputated Spitfire Merlin from the spares box. Some cut-down sprue made for serviceable exhaust manifolds.



I got ambitious and decided to do something I usually loathe - I detailed the 'pit! First I added a seat and then a lap belt and an instrument panel from old decals. The cherry on top is that suitably rakish windscreen I happened across. Can't recall what it came off of...



I also decided my new sleek SE should be armed more conventionally with two guns on the engine decking. This meant hollowing out a little notch and adding a rear fairing made from part of an old drop tank. Luckily, I had a spare Vickers from a previously-built kit.



Here's how it all looked when I tacked on the prop from an ancient Testor's Spirit of St. Louis:



Of course, this new Merlin engine would need to be properly cooled. I tried using the belly intake from a Hurricane.



It was too big and covered the holes for the landing gear struts. Having faith in the kit's engineering, I needed another solution. I decided to scratch a new cooling intake from card.



Wait something's missing...that looks like a long empty hallway down there!



Oh no! How do I fix this?



Add a splitter plate! This seemed a good idea as chances of me having the exact-size radiator rattling around the spares box are slim and none!

Will I succeed in making even a marginally creditable model out of this? Stay tuned to find out!

Brian da Basher
« Last Edit: August 19, 2014, 04:43:52 AM by Brian da Basher »

Offline Brian da Basher

  • He has an unnatural attraction to Spats...and a growing fascination with airships!
  • Moderator
  • *
  • Hulk smash, Brian bash
Re: 1/72 Scouting Experimental 7 - Weekend Warrior Edition
« Reply #1 on: August 19, 2014, 05:42:27 AM »
By Saturday afternoon, I was ready to attach the upper wing. I added a beam to the kit's interplane struts to make ones of that famous N shape. Not only would this make the model a little stronger, but it allowed me to eliminate four bits of rigging. By this point, I had the model mostly painted and the landing gear on as well. I decided not to modify the gear except for swapping out the kit wheels for some spatted Aeroclub replacements. Since I was so close to the finish line, I waited until it was all done to take more pics.









This is my idea of what a newer mark of Scouting Experimental might be like had the war continued into the mid-1920s. I imagine they'd use a steel tube frame instead of wood and maybe even add some armor plate for the pilot.









The camo is my take on how it might have evolved from some of the interesting patterns the R.A.F. used in 1918.











The model is brush-painted by hand with acrylics. I think I used most of the camo colors I have except for tan and dark olive drab.





Here's a closeup of the cockpit detail. I was surprised how much of it showed up in the photos. You really can't see it in the flesh unless you look very close.



The rigging was done with this lovely thin wire a friend sent me. It was made by a model railroad detail company and I haven't been able to find any more like it.







I had a lot of fun building this SE-7. It took me from Friday afternoon until late Sunday morning to finish it.





I hope you like the pictures.

Brian da Basher





« Last Edit: August 19, 2014, 06:04:11 AM by Brian da Basher »

Offline finsrin

  • The Dr Frankenstein of the modelling world...when not hiding from SBA
  • Finds part glues it on, finds part glues it on....
Re: 1/72 Scouting Experimental 7 - Weekend Warrior Edition
« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2014, 06:36:13 AM »
Painting, RIGGING, fine spats, and all is looking good  :)

Offline John Howling Mouse

  • The King Of Absurdia
  • Have vacformer, will travel.
Re: 1/72 Scouting Experimental 7 - Weekend Warrior Edition
« Reply #3 on: September 08, 2014, 02:29:22 AM »
You've come a long way, Mr. Basher. Very, very tight, clean build.  Beautiful end result, IMHO.
Saving the globe from plastic pollution one kitbashed model at a time.

Offline Old Wombat

  • "We'll see when I've finished whether I'm showing off or simply embarrassing myself."
  • "Define 'interesting'?"
Re: 1/72 Scouting Experimental 7 - Weekend Warrior Edition
« Reply #4 on: September 10, 2014, 08:06:27 AM »
Hmm?! ... Taken me a while to respond to this, I don't know why. :-\

Great looking kite, BdB! :)

Looks like a shouldabeen, rather than a whif. Beautiful! 8)
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Dr. YoKai

  • Was in High School when mastadons roamed the plains...
  • A notorious curmudgeon who is partial to...hemp!
Re: 1/72 Scouting Experimental 7 - Weekend Warrior Edition
« Reply #5 on: September 10, 2014, 09:12:59 AM »
 Don't feel bad - I missed it too :-[

 Great extrapolation of the S.E. 5, Brian!

Offline deathjester

  • 'Remember - Tiredness Kills Hedgehogs...!'
  • His Mother-in-law has Tardis pockets...
    • stormfront models
Re: 1/72 Scouting Experimental 7 - Weekend Warrior Edition
« Reply #6 on: October 04, 2014, 09:43:03 PM »
Very nice work Brian, looks superb!!

Offline Buzzbomb

  • Low Concentration Span, oft wanders betwixt projects
  • Accurate Scale representations of fictional stuff
    • Club and my stuff site
Re: 1/72 Scouting Experimental 7 - Weekend Warrior Edition
« Reply #7 on: October 05, 2014, 02:02:04 AM »
My excuse is being in Europe. Great work Brian, this aircraft has really nice lines

Offline Volkodav

  • Counts rivits with his abacus...
  • Much older now...but procrastinating about it
Re: 1/72 Scouting Experimental 7 - Weekend Warrior Edition
« Reply #8 on: December 03, 2014, 04:55:34 PM »
That looks so right, so convincing, it should confuse the hell out of the rivet counters.