Super Detailing S.E.5 Guillow's model

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

This photo shows I've "laid everything on the table" for all to see. The next series of posts shows the sequence.
 

Attachments

  • SE5 72.JPG
    340.2 KB · Views: 46
After cutting out the face for a particular dial, I then glued it to a brass circle that was punched out for that size. Next, I added the lens that was also punched out from clear plastic. The bezel from any sized rings was next added to complete the dial and instrument.
 

Attachments

  • SE5 71.JPG
    203.5 KB · Views: 46
  • SE5 75.JPG
    230.9 KB · Views: 41
  • SE5 74.JPG
    219.8 KB · Views: 37
Each instrument was then carefully placed and glued. The instrument panel was slowly built up one dial at a time. The extra thick dial you see in the second picture was made from plastic tubing cut to a very thin slice and spray painted copper.
 

Attachments

  • SE5 76.jpg
    140.9 KB · Views: 47
  • SE5 77.JPG
    273.8 KB · Views: 48
  • SE5 78.JPG
    302.7 KB · Views: 54
  • SE5 80.JPG
    331.3 KB · Views: 52
The compass is the biggest instrument and in the center of the panel. It is also mounted on a set of gimbals to help stabilize the compass to magnetic heading. So, I thought perhaps you might be interested on how I fabricated this particular piece. I started out with the same clear plastic tubing that I used for the Vickers machine gun barrel. I poked a hole on all four sides to give the glue something to "grab on" and hold. I then cut small pieces of .060" brass tubing to size and glued them to all four sides. The next sequence I spray painted the exterior black. Note the special plumbing for the fuel line in the background. The compass face, made from a large black circle paper and white electrical tape, was then sized and glued into place.
 

Attachments

  • SE5 81.JPG
    265.4 KB · Views: 46
  • SE5 82.JPG
    249.3 KB · Views: 44
  • SE5 83.JPG
    240.6 KB · Views: 42
  • SE5 84.JPG
    277 KB · Views: 44
Finally starting to look like an instrument panel for an S.E.5.....
 

Attachments

  • SE5 85.JPG
    313.4 KB · Views: 59
  • SE5 86.JPG
    217.2 KB · Views: 58
Although it's very "busy" with all those instruments on the top half of the cockpit interior, it's still empty down below. Here, because I purposely left the balsa sheeting off, I can still get to the lower part where I can install the floor, the extra container for the Lewis machine gun canister (or carousel), the tubing that mimics the lower wing spar and the rudder bar.
 

Attachments

  • SE5 90.jpg
    184.3 KB · Views: 49
  • SE5 91.JPG
    243.4 KB · Views: 56
Here's another view looking straight down to the floor. The picture itself is a bit out of focus but has enough detail for one to be able to discern the floor, the tubing for the lower wing spar, and the small brass circular ring for the rudder bar.
 

Attachments

  • SE5 88.JPG
    180.4 KB · Views: 41
Still "working from the inside out" in this case, from the floor upwards, I am now finished with the floor area. Next comes the rudder bar. This was fabricated from thick sheet plastic and stranded fishing wire that is easily obtained at local sporting good stores. I then cut short lengths of .060" brass tubing and then threaded the wires through and back, forming a loop. The loops were then affixed to the rudder bar through the brass tubing, simulating the turnbuckles used to adjust the tension of the cables to the rudder and elevators. ** Special note: all those "turnbuckles" on the rudder bar are for the four cables to the rudder, two on each side and two cables for the elevators, one each side for a total of six stranded wires.

Next, I used small strips of regular paper painted brown to simulate leather and cut them to length that would fit over the rudder bar. They will act as foot straps. This rudder bar will be mostly hidden unless one really tries to peek deep inside the cockpit, but it's a nice feeling to know it's there.
 

Attachments

  • SE5 87.JPG
    246 KB · Views: 45
  • SE5 89.JPG
    202.6 KB · Views: 47
The rudder bar was glued inside the brass ring at the very front of the floor area and the stranded wires were pulled back and simply glued to the second rear bulkhead past the pilot's seat.
 

Attachments

  • SE5 92.JPG
    273.4 KB · Views: 39
Next, comes the vertical support struts and the crossed wires with their "turnbuckles." Here, I took an exception from my rule of "working from the inside out" and added these details instead of the control column, The reasoning behind this was I didn't want to risk the chance of accidentally knocking off the control stick while detailing the support struts and wires. ** Note, according to the inside profile view drawing, not all vertical struts are vertical. Some are slanted forward. To this, I also followed the drawings. To make the brackets used to hold the wooden structures together, I cut out a small piece of glossy paper and temporarily affixed it to one of the lower longerons and one vertical strut that was leaning to one side. I was able to trace an outline with a fine pencil, to cut out the paper that would fit the vertical strut and the lower horizontal beam. Glossy paper was used because glossy paper rarely shows off the paper grain. Paper is also easy to cut, paint and use. The last picture shows one "bracket" being held up by a pair of pliers. Notice I poked a few holes into the paper to simulate "lightening holes" just like the real brackets.
 

Attachments

  • S.E.5 # 1.JPG
    105.6 KB · Views: 55
  • SE5E 203.JPG
    315.3 KB · Views: 54
  • SE5 98.JPG
    295.2 KB · Views: 51
  • SE5 101.JPG
    157.1 KB · Views: 45
Last edited:
The next two pictures show the paper "brackets" now glued to the lower
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5147.JPG
    33.9 KB · Views: 40
  • IMG_5152.JPG
    29.3 KB · Views: 39
The lower beams with the paper "brackets" are now glued to each side of the floor area. As viewed from the outside, it doesn't look very good. However, the next picture shows the same "brackets" as seen from the cockpit and now they appear to look like real brackets.
 

Attachments

  • SE5 107.jpg
    262.9 KB · Views: 48
  • SE5 105.jpg
    145.4 KB · Views: 41
The vertical struts and the "turnbuckles" and wiring are added. Now it's really starting to look like a cockpit interior of an S.E.5.
 

Attachments

  • SE5 106.jpg
    172.7 KB · Views: 51
Excellent work !
One thought for future projects, when making the instrument faces - could they be scanned, reduced to the required size, and then printed ?
I did this once for a 1/24th scale model, and the results looked good enough once in place.
 
Airframe: In a word, yes! The instrument faces can definitely be scanned and reduced to scale. At the time, my scanner didn't have the ability to reduce those large dials down to something close to just 1/4" in diameter. Thus, what you see is a kind of "bluish" haze across the face. I'm not sure why, but as you saw from my previous [postings, the dials themselves were made either with a black background or white. Why the blue? Have no idea. I used both methods and they equally work with good success. It just depends on one's preference. I've used both. Neither method is more complicated than the other. The use of films only dictates that I go to the photo-store and wait for the development results. Since I go shopping (for groceries, clothes, etc.) anyway, I just drop the film off and pick up the results when finished shopping. When using a scanner, be sure to use glossy finished paper. That way, the instrument faces will come out very crisp and clear, not like a Xeroxed copy. Thank you for asking!
 

Users who are viewing this thread