Caudron G3, 1914

[Old Man]

This model has a bit more conjecture than I like, as I do not have a photograph of this particular machine. G3 No. C12, however, would have been one of the first production batch of the type delivered to the French Military Aviation, and I have seen photographs suggesting the first versions of the machine lacked any trailing edge cut-outs. No. C12 was still in service with Escadrille C11 at the end of September 1914, and probably was flown in active service from the outbreak of the war.

[Old Man]

Edited May 1, 2006 by Old Man

[Old Man]

[The Mikester]

Holy rigging nightmare, Batman! :) Impressive work!

[Old Man]

[Grant]

Awesome, and scratchbuilt to boot :D

Grant

[Mikeew]

utterly superb work Old Man,

I wouldn't know where to sart with a scratchbuild, especially with something as complex as that!

You are a true craftsman, well done!

regards,

Mike.

[Old Man]

Thank you, Mr. Mikester, and Mr. Mikeew: I appreciate your kind words.

To Mr. Mikester:

The rigging is not so difficult as all that. At bottom, it is just a great number of small steps, none of which is too difficult in itself. I have found that it can be helpful to commence putting in the wires before all the struts are in place, as the inner bits are easier to get to that way. I started with just the struts alongside the nacelle, did their various wires, and attached the wires that come from the nacelle, then added the inner bay struts, rigged everything attached to them, and proceeded to the outer and extension struts. It starts out pretty wobbly, but gets firmer as you proceed. It is important when doing this to work in a sequence, adding corresponding wires on either side rather than doing one side first and then the other, otherwise things can be pulled a bit out of true.

To Mr. Mikeew:

I have not found scratchbuilding that difficult, and kit experience is enough to start on. Essentially, after all, you are making yourself a kit, though you do not have to make all the parts first, and it is often helpful to make them as you need them, to be sure they fit what you actually have in hand already. What got me over the hump was figuring out how to make a hollow fuselage without resort to vacu-forming. Basically rectangulat shapes can be easily contrived from thin sheet glued together: curved forms require thick sheet, filed to shape on the outside, and hollowed by scraping and gouging on the inside like a tribesman making a dugout canoe. I first make the nacelle or fuselage whole, and then split it to do the interior work, re-assembling the halves once that is done.

[David Walker]

That goes so far beyond anything I'll ever be able to accomplish I'm just in awe. Truly remarkable piece of work.

[Old Man]

Thank you, Mr. Walker!

Do not sell yourself short, Sir. I doubt I could do an acceptable job on a 109 kit in 1/48; my seam clean up work has always been pretty hard on adjacent detail....

[Fanakit]

Very nice model, excellent work !

[Old Man]

Thank you, Sir!

I am glad you liked it.