Hi all,
After the trials and tribulations of several resin model builds recently, I thought I'd do a 'mojo' build.
I've chosen the 'Special Hobby' 1:32nd Bristol M1.c 'Bullet'.



This particular model build will depict the Bristol M.1c ‘Bullet’, Serial No. C4907 of No.150 Squadron RAF, operating in Macedonia during 1918.
This aircraft was flown by Lt. K.B. Moseley, who was credited with the shooting down of an Albatros D.V on the 9th of July, 1918 over the Rupel Pass.
This same aircraft was also flown by Lt. J.P. Cavers, who was credited with the shooting down of a LVG on the 1st of September and another LVG on the 2nd of September.

The underside of the wings and fuselage were said to be a light blue colour, apparently to reduce the absorbed heat reflected from the ground.
It's thought the propeller spinner was of the same colour.
The colour of the upper surfaces has been depicted as either a red/brown (PC 12) or an olive green (early PC10).
The kit instructions and the colour profile by artist Ronnie Barr have the PC12 colour, whereas the ‘Windsock’ Data file colour is PC10.
As always the definition of colours from early monochrome photographs has always been problematic and the shade differences between PC10 and PC12 are no exception.
The ’Windsock’ Data file states that it may have been that these aircraft were painted with PC12 when routed through the aircraft depot at Salonika, Greece.
However, it was more likely the colour of aircraft operated in Macedonia were PC10, with the possible exception of No.72 Squadron.
I've decided to use the PC10 colour, based on the ‘Windsock’ data.

Mike

Hi Mike;

Did I miss your posting of the completed Ansaldo, or are you still waiting for the case and grass matt, or some other component.

Regards

Hi Rob,
Yes I'm waiting for the display case.
Once that's here I'll complete it in a couple of hours and post photos,

Mike

Hi all,
The engine for the Bristol is done.
It's the basic kit engine with just the ignition leads added.
The leads were made from twisted 0.125 mm copper wire and annealed to soften and discolour them.
The engine was painted with 'Alclad' lacquers - Black Base (ALC-305-60), Steel (ALC-112) and Exhaust Manifold (ALC-123).

The kit engine was used as it is a good enough quality not to require an aftermarket version.
Besides, once fitted, very little of the engine will be visible inside the engine cowl and behind the propeller and huge spinner.

Now it's onto the cockpit,

Mike

Hi all,
I'm working my way through the cockpit assembly.
Most is assembled ready for painting.
There are other parts to add after they've been painted.
I've drill 0.3 mm diameter holes and added 'GasPatch' 1:48th 'one end' turnbuckles to the rudder bar.
Added a 0.3 mm rod to the control column to add strength to its attachment to the floor (hole drilled to receive the rod).
I've also drilled 0.3 mm diameter holes across the control column for the elevator control wires.

The instrument panel of the cockpit right side frame is orientated incorrectly in the instructions.
The photograph shows how it was mounted, so I've gone with that,

Mike

Mike, looking at your last post on my IPad, slowly scrolling down as I’m reading and the cockpit comes into view. “Darn, he works fast.” That is the thought that came into my head. Yep, you are that good.

Looks like it's going to be another epic build from OoB Productions !!!

Cheers,
shredward

Actually Ted, this build will be as close to OOB as I've done to date

Hi all,
Most of the cockpit has been assembled now.
The control lines and bracing lines are 0.08 mm diameter mono-filament, with 0.4 mm diameter Nickel-Silver tubes and 'Gaspatch 1:48th scale turnbuckles.
I've still fit the engine controls and rods and the pilot's seat with harness.
Then it's a bit of weathering and finally sealing, to add the semi-sheen finish to the wood work and leather seat cushion,

Mike

Hi all,
The cockpit is ready to be fitted into the fuselage, when most of it won't be visible (why do we do it).
Additional pipes are 0.4 mm diameter lead wire.
Engine control rods are 0.4 mm diameter Nickel-Silver tube, chemically blackened with 'Black-It'.
The supplied seat harness was photo-etch and looked remarkably the same as the 'Eduard' set for the WW2 Fairy 'Swordfish' aircraft.
Needless to say I replaced them with the coloured textile set from 'HGW Models',

Mike.

Mike;

Have you considered the possibility of a mod to allow for panel removal to display some of the internals? It would be cool!!

Hi Rob,
Yes I have plans for that sort of thing on larger, multi-seater models, as they'll be even more to see.

Mike

Hi all,
Just a few updates.
I've modified the front end to accept a 'ProperPlane' laminated propeller ('Lang' type).
This entailed replacing the propeller shaft on the engine with 2.0 mm tube and filing the front face of the spinner support ring.
Also sanding the rear face of the propeller hub, re-profiling the spinner cut-outs and thinning the walls of the engine cowl and spinner.



The Vickers Mk.1 machine gun was replaced with a 'GasPatch' version, which required lengthening the fuselage recess to accept the weapon.
The two ammunition feed guards were also slightly re-profiled.
I also drilled out what was a solid ammunition ejector chute.



The undercarriage struts attachment to the fuselage was poor and didn't allow for the struts to be angled correctly.
These were modified to have 0.4 mm diameter locating rods and the tops of the struts chamfered to the shape of the fuselage.
Also the two axle torque bars were replaced with stronger 1.0 mm diameter rod.



Mike

Sandbagger, could you post a photo of your completed cockpit from the same angle as the photo of the real cockpit you posted above? Your work is so detailed I'd love to compare the two side by side. Thanks.

Hi,
This is the best I could do as the fuselage is closed up now,

Mike

WOW! That is amazing. At first blush either of those could pass as the real cockpit. That is a testament to your exceptional skills. Thanks for posting the comparison.

At the rate you are building Mike, you will probably need an addition to your work shop to store all those models. It must be getting cramped in there!

I don't think Mike has to worry. I'm sure if he ever wanted, there would be more than a few of us who you gladly help him clear some space in his collection .

.

Another beauty there Mike, and well on the way to completion. That pancake-style petrol tank is interesting and I imagine it did a better job of maintaining CG as the fuel level dropped. Now then, as to helping thin out the collection in order to make room, I believe you have my shipping address on file, and if not I can certainly get it to you.

.

Hi all,
Yes display room is starting to get a tad tight, but there's still a way to go yet - sorry,

Mike

PS: Lou, I don't think the fuel tank was actually that design.
I think, like the tank in the Wingnut Wings Sopwith Camel, its just been moulded that way as you can't see past the front of the tank once it's inside the fuselage.

Hi all,
The wings are supported by a strut assembly over the cockpit.
The kit supplied struts are intended to be 'butt' glued together at the top and into shallow recesses in the fuselage sides.
Not a very satisfactory assembly and probably not really strong enough to take the weight of the solid wings with rigging.
Therefore I've replaced them with aero-shaped tubing with 0.4 mm diameter rods for locating into the fuselage.
The whole assembly is soft soldered for strength,

Mike

Hi all,
I've added the bungee type suspension cord to the axle ends, using 'EZ' heavy line (white).
Also the half hoops at the axle ends, inboard from the base of the undercarriage struts.
Made from annealed 0.4 mm diameter rod.

Mike

Hi All,
I've been working on the undersides of the Bristol, which had the lined doped in light blue to help reflect the heat whilst operating in Mesopotamia.
First was to prime grey then mask off the wing ribs and fuselage longerons.



Then pre-shade using 'Tamiya' Smoke (XF19).



Lightly overspray with 'Tamiya' Light Blue (XF23).



Then remove all masking and a final light top coat of the light blue.



The propeller assembly was done at the same time.



Now it's onto painting to top surfaces with PC10, which the 'Windsock' data file suggest would be correct (not the brown PC12 often used).

Mike

Hi all,
The underside of the wings and fuselage were said to be a light blue colour, in order to reduce the absorbed heat reflected from the ground.
It is thought the propeller spinner was of the same colour.
The colour of the upper surfaces has been depicted as either a red/brown (PC 12) or an olive green (early PC10).
The kit instructions and most colour profiles have the PC12 colour.
However, the ‘Windsock’ Data file No:52 colour profile is PC10.
As always the definition of colours from early monochrome photographs has always been problematic and the shade differences between PC10 and PC12 are no exception.
The ’Windsock’ Data file states that it is possible that these aircraft were painted with PC12 when routed through the aircraft depot at Salonika, Greece.
However, it was more likely the colour of aircraft operated in Macedonia was PC10, with the possible exception of No.72 Squadron.
I decided to use the PC10 colour, based on the ‘Windsock’ data.
The paint used was 'Hataka' lacquer Dark Olive Green (C301).

Mike

Hi all,
I've replaced the kit supplied Vickers Mk.1 machine gun with one from 'GasPatch'.
The actual aircraft had a ring site fitted to the weapon, which wasn't on the kit part, so I used a spare from a 'Wingnut Wings' Sopwith Camel kit,

Mike

Seeks looking real smart Mike. I must confess, I was very familiar with this aircraft. It seems she really wasn’t given a chance.

Hi Mark,
Yes you're right, it was a good aircraft that could have earned a more prominent place in the history of the RFC-RAF.

Extract from my build log:

In 1916, while at the British & Colonial Aeroplane Co. Ltd, based at Filton, Bristol, England, Capt. F.S. Barnwell designed a monoplane fighter which was designated the Bristol M.1a.
The first prototype flew on the 14th of July 1916 and its speed and overall performance were impressive at that time.
At that time the Air Ministry did not favour monoplane designs, due in part to several fatal crashes of monoplane designs in the past.
However, one prototype was ordered with four more modified to the M.1b standard, which were fitted with various engines.
One of these aircraft was combat tested by some French squadrons.
General H. Trenchard, commander of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) in France refused to accept the aircraft into frontline use.
However, the commander of the RFC in the Middle East, General W.H.G Salmont accepted three M.1b aircraft for evaluation in that theatre of war.
Based on the experiences of the evaluation the final version of this aircraft, the M.1c was put into production under contract No: A.S. 8236.
A total of 125 aircraft were built, powered by the Le Rhöne 9J rotary engine, although only 32 saw active service.
These aircraft operated in the Middle East theatre with No.111 Squadron (Palestine), No.17 and 47 Squadrons (Macedonia), which were to become part of No.150 Squadron in 1918 and with No.72 Squadron (Mesopotamia).
There were some victories scored by M.1c fighters operated by No.17 and 150 Squadrons.
The bulk of the aircraft were used in the flight training role, both in Egypt and England and some were sent to Chile as compensation for Chilean ships confiscated by the British.
Some were even purchased privately by individuals at the cessation of hostilities.

Hi all,
I decided to employ the same technique I used for the Ansaldo 'Baby' and create the linen effect using the 'Aviattic' weave effect decal (ATT32236).
This was not an easy task for the fuselage, as it has a round section which also tapers towards the rear of the fuselage.
This meant that I couldn't apply the decal as large pieces, as they would have folded and creased as they were applied towards the tapered rear of the fuselage.
Instead I had to cut multiple paper templates to span only two fuselage longerons at a time.
Then trace these templates onto the decal sheet, cut out the decals and apply them one by one, which took 9 hours.
However I think the effect may have justified the effort.
Now it's onto the wings, ailerons, fin, tailplanes and elevators, which should be easier,

Mike

I'm visiting this thread after every post, now that I can see the pictures in Firefox. Lovely work, Sandbagger.

I learned recently that the Bristol M1 might have turned the tide of the air war but for the real "Lions led by Donkey's" stupidity of the British Air establishment and government.
The quote below is from Alex Revell's book, 'Fighter Aces: The Constable Maxwell Brothers.'

"There were a number of Bristol MC 1 monoplanes at Ayr. (edit - in early 1918) This excellent little fighter had been designed by Frank Barnwell in the early summer of 1916, the prototype first flying in July of that year. Its speed for the time was amazing – a phenomenal 132 mph. At a time when the little Bristol could have gained supremacy of the air for the RFC, long before the appearance of the Camel or SE5, stupidity and prejudice in high quarters condemned it. Rumours of its performance had penetrated into the RFC messes in 1916 and it was eagerly awaited by pilots who were fighting and dying in inferior aeroplanes; but it was never put into full squadron service, only a few examples going to Palestine in 1917 and others to Macedonia and Mesopotamia. At Ayr the Bristols were the personal mounts of some of the instructors and Gerald first flew one on 3 April, judging it ‘Very nice’. The following day he flew it again in a mock combat with an SE5 and a Camel. He was more enthusiastic about this second flight: ‘Monoplane is the nicest machine I have ever flown’, and on 5 April he fought another mock combat, this time against his fellow instructor, Foggin. ‘Self on SE and he (Foggin) on monoplane. I could not do anything against him as the mono outzooms an SE everytime.’

"The implications of this casual statement are staggering. An aeroplane which could have been in front line service in the autumn of 1916, in the era of the DH2 and FE8, was still, over eighteen months later, outflying the latest equipment of the fighter squadrons in France."

Yes - you have to wonder 'what if'.

Mike

.

Indeed. Egos, personal interests, and in some cases blind stupidity, made for a much longer war.

Beautiful craftsmanship as always Mike - simply marvelous!

.

The effort that you put into the details...that's perhaps the most remarkable part to me. And the finished product always shows that effort.

Mike you are really going the distance for historical look and it has paid off in my opinion.

Have you taken any of your recent work to shows or are they all cancelled due to Covid-19

Hello,

Does anyone know how many victories the Bristol M1 variants scored during WW1?

.

Rugbyfan, hopefully one of our experts here has this info. In the meantime, there is this tidbit from Wikipedia on the subject, offering further indication of just how far ahead of its time the M.1 really was:

"Perhaps the most successful M.1C pilot amongst those that served on the Macedonian front was Captain Frederick Dudley Travers DFC of No. 150 Squadron RAF, who became the only ace on this type. Travers switched from the Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a, in which he had scored three of his four kills, and scored the last five of his victories between 2 and 16 September 1918, possibly all in the same M.1C, serial number C4976. One of his victims was a Fokker D.VII, widely regarded as the best German fighter of its day."

.

Hi all,
All decals applied now and weathering done.
Weathering is a mix of 'Flory' Grime clay wash, 'Tamiya' Weathering Master Set A, C and D (Gunmetal, Mud, Sand) and 'AK Interactive' enamel wash (Kerosene 2039 and Engine oil 2019).
All seal in with 'Alclad' Light Sheen lacquer (ALC311).

Now onto construction and rigging,

Mike

Hi all,
The back end has now been rigged with rudder and elevator control lines and fin cross bracing.
Also the ailerons control lines are done, as is the undercarriage cross bracing.
Now it's onto fitting and rigging the wings,

Mike

Hi all,
The Bristol M1.c is finished now, although I still have the figures and display base to do.
The shot below (minus propeller and spinner) is of the wing rigging, which turned out to be more difficult than I had hoped.
Having built monoplanes before, I didn't anticipate how tricky it would be to fit the wings.

The actual aircraft had a wing dihedral angle of between 2 and 3.5 degrees.
However the two locating lugs at the root of each wing are woefully inadequate.
The wings are moulded a single, solid pieces, so are quite heavy.
Test fitting both wings into their locating holes in the fuselage proved useless as the both wings sagged down badly.
I couldn't drill into the wing roots and through the fuselage to add metal rod 'spars for additional support (as I've done before on mono-planes).
They would have crossed through and been visible in the cockpit.
Therefore I decided to fit the flying and landing wires as the wings were fitted.
In that way the wires actually supported the wings onto the over cockpit support frame, which I'd made from brass tubing.

Mike

Rather complicated wing fitting. Do you feel that it is appropriately secure?
It sounds rather fragile Mike.

Looks great though and a very fine looking model.

Best Regards

Hi Rob,
Yeah it should be.
The wings are cemented into the fuselage.
The rigging is over 2kg breaking strain mono-filament.
Hope you're feeling a lot better.

Hi all,
I've finished the mechanic, who will be pulling the propeller to prime the engine.
I wanted him to look grubby and oil stained.
Painted with 'Tamiya' and 'AK Interactive' acrylics.
Weathered with 'Flory Models' clay wash and 'Tamiya' Weathering Master Sets A, D and C.

Now it's onto the pilot,

Mike

Mike that is a super fine weathering on the mechanic!!

What about a little of that oil splashed on to the boots??

Naahh - he wipes his hands on his overalls.
His boots are kept oil free by the Mesopotamian sand

Mike

Hi all,
I've finished the pilot ('Kellerkind Models').
I think he's probably slightly over dressed for operating in Mesopotamia, but hey-ho.
Painted with 'Tamiya' and 'AK Interactive' acrylics and 'Mr. Colour'.
Weathered with 'Flory Models' clay wash and 'Tamiya' Weathering Master Sets A, D and C.

That's it now so thanks for your support and comments.
The next post will be the final reveal of the completed model,

Mike

Mike, since it is mesopotamia and he is hevily clothed,
how about beads of sweat on his cheeks and forhead

He's an officer, so wiped himself with a flannel

Hi all,
Bristol M.1c ‘Bullet’, Serial No. C4907 of No.150 Squadron operating in Macedonia during 1918. This aircraft was flown by Lt. K.B. Mosley.

Mike

Brilliant. (As always )

And, BTW - in case you've ever found yourself wondering whether anyone will notice things like the tire tracks across the base...

...they will

I did wonder actually

Mike

Wonder no more In fact, perhaps the biggest reason I have such admiration for your efforts is the exceptional attention to detail. You may recall I've done some modelling in my younger years, and I know very well how the term 'painstaking detail' came about

Stuff like that is truly the mark of an artist and craftsman...when you do stuff that matters, even though you're never sure anyone else will notice.

But, be assured, these minute touches are not lost.