Stage 10: Finishing Touches - Model Airways SOPWITH CAMEL F.1 Instruction Manual

Cockpit coaming:
Form the cockpit coaming (CAF59) from
the provided 14 AWG insulated copper
wire. The overall shape is roughly the
outline of a potato chip. Refer to various
figures and photographs as a guide. The
front end is rather squared as it bends up
and then across the top of the back ends of
the machine guns. Join the two ends of the
coaming in the center of the straight run
over the guns. With a little care, you can
drill a dimple into one end of the bent wire
and strip and file a little bump on the other
end, so you can achieve a tight fit when
gluing the ends together. Paint it leather
brown. Drop the finished coaming into
place between the rear cabane struts. The
bottom should rest on the cabane brackets
atop the longerons. Glue it in place.
Wheels: (see Figure 32, page 22)
Glue together the wheels by sliding each
inner wheel half over a brass Axle sleeve,
followed by a tire and the outer wheel half.
The sleeves will not reach all the way to
the outside of the outer wheel halves.
These "solid" wheels were actually fabric
grass guards stretched over wire spoke
Upper Wing - Top

STAGE 10: FINISHING TOUCHES

Parts List For Stage 10
A011 Outer wheel halves
A012 Inner wheel halves
A013 Tires
A014 Wheel hubs
WP2842 Axle sleeves
CAF59 Cockpit coaming
GR9-15 Crankshaft
wheels, therefore you might want to paint
these a canvas color. Check the fit on the
Axle and trim the Axle if necessary so the
hubs will not quite touch the wheels after
the hubs are glued in place. The wheel s
should turn freely. The wheels themselves
are supposed to angle in at the top. They
were only straight up and down when the
plane was airborne.
Engine and propeller:
Insert the crankshaft into the engine
mounting tube, the slide the combined
propeller and motor sub-assembly onto the
crankshaft, allowing it to turn freely. Check
the clearance between the propeller and the
machine gun muzzles before glueing the
26
2 Britannia castings
2 Britannia castings
2 Rubber O-rings
2 Britannia castings
2 Large brass eyelets
14 AWG insulated wire
1 5/32" x 2 5/8" brass rod
prop to the brass engine tube. Check over
the entire model to ensure all glue joints are
tight. Carefully clean any previously
unnoticed excess glue beads and touch
up the varnish and paint if needed.
Congratulations - your
SOPWITH CAMEL is finished!
We at Model Airways and Model Expo
hope you have enjoyed this project and
look forward to flying with you on your
next aircraft modeling project. As this is a
delicate model, we suggested that you
mount it on a suitable baseboard and
cover it with a protective glass or acrylic
display case.