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Pheon
Models, labor of love of Rowan Broadbent, have released sheets in 1/72 and 1/48
of Sopwith Pups in
France
from Spring to early Fall 1917. All these markings are for active
fighters rather than trainers. The Pup, though with less power and only
one gun, was still a formidable opponent because of its light weight and
relatively large wing area. They were eventually replaced in frontline
service by Sopwith Triplanes in the RNAS and by Sopwith Camels in RFC service.
Though there are no kits currently in production for the Pup, there have been
excellent kits made in the past, from the last WWI kit Airfix made in 1/72 to
the Eduard injected kit and the Aeroclub vacform.
Click on
images below to see larger images
The
sheet includes full markings for 10 Pups divided evenly between the RNAS and RFC.
The package includes an eleven-page booklet which gives some reasons why some
decals are two-part, notes on decal application, and notes on availability and
possible refinements of available Pup kits. The booklet also gives concise
information on the different markings used on all Pups, general information on
colors in use at the time, and a list of principle references used to produce
the sheet. The rest of the booklet is made up of potted histories of each
aircraft selected for the sheet. The decals themselves are printed by
Fantasy Printshop to their usual very high standard. They have minimal
extra carrier film with perfect register and appear very thin. The colors
look to be accurate (though I am not an expert in the field) and are based on
existing samples from the period. The sheets are expensive, but cater to a
relatively smaller audience than sheets for F-18s and P-51s. The economics
of limited run sizes for the sheets drives the price up a bit, but I think that
they are excellent value for the money, giving a large number of very attractive
schemes. I did the math for this sheet and it worked out to just over
$2.00 per scheme for me with shipping from the
UK
to the
US
(which was very prompt, by the way).
Also
included in the package are four full-color card stock inserts with profiles and
overheads of all ten aircraft to use as placement guides. These cards are
much better than line drawings with color callouts and were sufficient in
themselves to get me to dig out a Pup kit and get to work on it.
Rowan
Broadbent is a dedicated WWI modeler who wants to provide fellow modelers
accurate, high quality markings for an era that is not well covered at this
time. The line is expanding with a sheet for Fokker Dr.Is from JG II and
SPAD VIIs of the Lafayette Escadrille, SPA124, and the 103rd Aero
Squadron currently in release. Rowan doesn’t have his website up yet,
but you can preview his works at http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?s=94c0219d70dbeaf6826dc8b155607f1d&showforum=227
or reach him at pheon.models@hotmail.co.uk.
Steve Collins
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