Ares Games
  • Building the Vallom Sopwith Pup.

    1. The complete kit.




    Read the instructions and identify the parts carefully.

    2. I glued the pilots seat to the floor. Tweezers are essential for this.





    3. Seating and dashboard being tested for fit in half the fuselage, before gluing into place .





    4. After the seat has set, glue the two halves of the fuselage together. Small clamps are advisable.





    5. Whilst that is setting I decided to remove the prop shaft and replace it with a brass pin. Here you see the drilled out prop and engine cowl.





    6. Glue the cowl in place (with the small flat at the bottom.) Then test the prop for fit but do not glue. Add the machine gun to the fuselage and glue in place.





    7. Glue the lower wing in place. Ensure alignment at right angles to the body and that the space in the rear of the wing is the same on both sides.





    8. Attach the tail in the same manner as the wing.





    9. If having a pilot test fit him now.





    10. This is where I deviate from the plans. I fitted cabine struts made from paper clips. I prefer the strength in the mid section.
    The process is still the same. I take one strut at a time, glue it into the fuselage. and then use the hole position in the top wing to set it in place.
    Top wing position can be aligned by using the cut out above the pilots seat.
    It should come exactly at the front of the cockpit.
    Let the strut set fully and then add the next front strut.
    Back struts come last.





    11. When the struts are dry, glue on the top wing. (You can drill the location holes in the wings deeper before attaching to aid in securing the wings.)





    12. When the top wing is set you can flex the wings enough to insert the main struts with tweezers. A spot of superglue on each strut plus the spring in the wings will hold everything in place whilst the glue cures. I advise you to do the struts in pairs, to avoid over straining the first whilst you set a second strut into an already fixed wing end.





    13. Drill a hole for your preferred method of peg attachment at this point.
    You should also just slightly deepen the holes for the under-cart, before attaching that also.





    14. Here you see that I have drilled the wheel axle hole and attached more paper-clip wire, as being stronger than the plastic rod supplied.
    Only glue on one wheel at this stage to aid assembly.





    15. Fit the part assembled axle, check for size and amend as required.
    Then reposition and glue in place adding the second wheel when it has set.






    16. The last component is the tail plane rudder. It is just a matter of fiddling it into place upright and square on to the fuselage. I can offer no further help here. I hope you have a steady hand.





    17. Lastly. Undercoat and paint and decal to your requirements.
    NB. The prop may then be glued in or left free to rotate.





    Rob.
    This article was originally published in forum thread: Building the Vallom Sopwith Pup. started by Flying Officer Kyte View original post
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