SPA Modeler

LyleW wrote: ↑Sat Jun 27, 2026 4:19 am Glad you are getting after this. It, and you, provide much needed inspiration.

I saw your post on Facebook that you had a great birthday! I’m excited to see any plastic kit model presents!!

Reference. Thank you, Smithsonian!

Wow! That is superb reference on the instrument panel!

Interesting Bruce!

Will you use AM decals for all the instruments?

Some kitmaker should make a 1:4 scale model of the instrument panel, sure that would sell as well

- Kari

Stikpusher wrote: ↑Sat Jun 27, 2026 6:55 pm Wow! That is superb reference on the instrument panel!

Agreed, Carlos! This is the best example of all the detailing including the upper cowling. There’s a bent metal cross brace for the Vickers that makes a lot of sense now in addition to the specific gauges and their orientation.

KSaarni wrote: ↑Sun Jun 28, 2026 3:11 am Interesting Bruce!

Will you use AM decals for all the instruments?

Some kitmaker should make a 1:4 scale model of the instrument panel, sure that would sell as well

- Kari

Thanks for your post, Kari! Regarding decals, I feel really fortunate (I want to use the word “blessed” here) to have made such good friends through the forum, so it was Carlos I asked for some representative decals. He very kindly sent me some from his stash.

PS—Carlos, I’ll take photos of your decals in due course. I’ve been refitting and making adjustments to the fit.

PPS—or caveat emperor, if it’s more appropriate—my goal is to gently update the kit not redo it aggressively, which is why I settled on a cockpit module which fits inside the existing parts. A big advantage is also that module helps to hold the aircraft together more effectively. The lower wing which is long and heavy at this scale locks into place without any wiggling. Frankly, Revell’s 1950s engineering tolerances are impressive.

It’s rough work. I have still have to square up the edges of the instrument panel board, which is a mock up. It does fit under the piece of upper cowling.

For a novice, a full tank of fuel was often a death sentence. The shift in the center of gravity could turn a routine takeoff into an uncontrollable, nose-up disaster. Once in the air, the massive gyroscopic force of the spinning rotary engine meant the plane had a violent, unpredictable torque. If a pilot stalled, the Camel didn’t just lose lift; it would snap into a vicious, unforgiving spin. RFC pilots famously quipped that the plane offered only three futures: "a wooden cross, the Red Cross, or a Victoria Cross." It was a machine that demanded absolute mastery, and for those who lacked the experience to tame its volatile physics, it proved to be as deadly as any enemy bullet.

Wow, now that is something I never knew! Thank you for posting that. Your work is still looking fantastic too, keep it coming!

Duke Maddog wrote: ↑Thu Jul 09, 2026 11:35 am Wow, now that is something I never knew! Thank you for posting that. Your work is still looking fantastic too, keep it coming!

I apologize for being so slow going on this, Mark, especially in light of the speed with which you produce your own projects. At times this is frustrating which is difficult to accept. I find myself wondering if I’ll ever finish the cockpit. Most of the time I see this as the greatest test of learning the skills of model building. That is my most positive outlook and the one that I keep!

Thank you so much for being supportive and encouraging!