The Bristol M.1 was one of the most advanced fighters to be found in the Great War. Designed by Frank Barnwell in 1916, its advanced aerodynamics resulted in it being both faster and more maneuverable than any other RFC fighter. Unfortunately, it was done in by a prejudice against monoplanes. Only 125 were built, and those that saw combat only saw such on secondary fronts like the Balkans. The majority were used in training, and were prized by the instructors for fighter training, where they were the "aggressors."
This resin kit by SPIN, a company that no longer exists, is the only 1/48 model of this airplane. SPIN's resin kits around 1999-2001 were among the best, but they did fall victim to the resin kit state-of-the-art.
(I note looking around the net that you can get one of the few surviving kits over on eBay for only $80; It was $34.95 originally.)
When I rediscovered this model in its box in the garage with several other World War I models, it was sadly the worse for surviving 20 years in the box. The wings had warped badly. Since it is the only kit available, it wasn't something to throw away if it could be saved.
I managed to (mostly) de-warp the wings with repeated soaks in water brought to the boiling point. Once they were straight, I could see the model could be revived.
The hot water affected the paint, which was going to have to come off anyway since the decals were in sad state, having decomposed. An afternoon session with Easy Lift Off stripped the paint and old decals. The fuselage and tail feathers were mostly OK, so I will touch that up while fully repainting the wings. I managed to find proper-size roundels, so the restoration will not be difficult.
This time it won't end up in a box for the next 20 years.
Since this hadn't been reviewed anywhere before, I think it qualifies as a participant in the group.
2 attached images. Click to enlarge.
