As promised…No. 4 of my favorite Five…..1/32 Sparrowhawk…
What you've all been waiting for with baited breath. Fourth fave is the William's Brothers Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk. I just like to go back and look at this colorful, clean unique machine. For a kit it's age and type it did not go together bad at all, everything lined up nicely including the wire rigging that had to go through notches in the wings just so. William's bros got the angle on the big landing gear just right, fine engineering. I detailed the engine with some wiring and plug boots, and added the latch on the "trapeze" and the antenna towers. I got this kit at a model show in an ancient box, amazingly the kit "men on the trapeze" decals worked. I have always been fascinated by the big Zeppelin Airships, and the Mother ships of the F9C are my favorites of the breed. These and their little Curtiss parasites make for an interesting setup unique in aviation annals. Presently this model resides at the American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale NY. I really should get around to building the old AMT Akron/Macon kit I have to display with her.
Nice work, Bill. Built this puppy myself and you're right about it being one of WB's best.
No wonder it's a favorite. I also have a soft spot for the 1930s biplanes, as they were often so spectacular in their colorful liveries. Congratulations on a very good build.
That is a beautiful build in it's own right, but for an old Williams Bros. kit it's just crazy excellent! Rigging is superbly done and the masking & painting ain't too shabby either. Well done!
Bill .. really .. an AWESOME build .. great details ..some info on the plane, that "hooked" onto the USS Macon "rigid-airship" and was "raised" up into the hanger deck, with many others .. you CAN view the hooking up, etc. of a F9C-2 Sparrowhawk on: http://www.youtube.com1watch?V=IWoEQR18dCs in a video, really fascinating to see ...thought you would like to see that ... enjoy ..
Beautiful work, crisp and precise. I find it more difficult to build a clean aircraft than a weathered one, as weathering can cover up flaws. It must have been a real trip to fly this aircraft. As an attempt for more speed, some of these aircraft had no landing gear and could only dock with the mother ship. Open cockpit biplane hooking up to a dirigible in flight, what a flying experience that must have been. I see by the date I am only five years past the due date for this project.