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Kit: Scratch (1:48)
This is my scratch built Bleriot XI. It is in 1/48 scale and represents CFS-6, the only Australian Flying Corps Bleriot XI. It was operated out of point cook and apparently only flew three times. It later had its engine removed and was used for ground training of mechanics. I know that the wing rib detail is too heavy but apart from that am happy with the result. It is mostly sheet or strip styrene. The prop is carved from huon pine and it is rigged with a mix of monofilament nylon and elastic. The engine is from the spares box.
Kit: Eduard (1:48)
This is A. H. Cobby's Sopwith Camel - 4 Squadron Australian Flying Corps - built from the Eduard 1/48 scale kit with custom decals printed for me by Hawkeye Models.Cobby chose Charlie Chaplin as his mascot and had two aluminium cut-outs screwed to the side of his machine.The windscreen is an addition as are the small scoops at the carburettor intakes - these scoops seem to be unique to Australian Camels.
This is the Eduard 1/48 profipak kit of the Airco DH2. I have finished it in 14SQN RFC 'colours' as serial number A4788 - a latter production block DH2. A photograph of the actual aircraft appears in "One Airman's War" - the diary of a 1SQN AFC mechanic. A really nice kit, certainly not an easy one but a lot of scratchbuilding required in the cockpit and watch out for the lower strut mounted pullies - the instruction sheet shows them to be installed on the wrong side. I really wanted to do this one in CDL to try out an upper wing translucency effect - this I have rendered in pastel chalks. It is rigged in a mixture of EZline, monofilament and stretched sprue.
Kit: Aeroclub (1:48)
This is a model of the FE2b operated out of Point Cook in Victoria, Australia. It was the first aircraft to see operational duty in Australia. Sent in search of SMS Wolf,it was unsuccessful, the only incident of the search was a crash landing at Yarram. Built from the Aeroclub 1/48 kit with a few modifications and rigged with monofilament nylon.
Kit: Roden (1:48)
This is my treatment of Roden's 1/48 SE5a (Wolseley Viper) I don't actually like the SE5a as an aircraft in itself, but this feeling does not extend to Roden's kit. I won't speak for the Decals however and this model was decalled entirely from the spared box or by making my own. The lewis gun is from Roden's earlier sopwith strutter kit - the strutter kit is worth buying just for the guns!
Kit: Blue Max (1:48)
This is my treatment of the Blue Max Avro 504k. It is marked as F2241, an aircraft operated out of Leighterton in England by No. 8 Squadron Australian Flying Corps.